Tag: Sharif Finch

Saints practice squad signs ex-Jets, Titans linebacker Sharif Finch

Saints practice squad signs ex-Jets, Titans linebacker Sharif Finch

The New Orleans Saints are continuing to churn their depth chart, with the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Luke Johnson reporting that the team signed free agent linebacker Sharif Finch to their practice squad. Before making the jump to the NFL, Finch tied a school record for the most games played in Temple Owls history (53). He initially signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and has seen two stints there while also playing for the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Las Vegas Raiders at different points in his pro career.

Finch has seen nearly as many snaps on special teams (337) as he has on defense (392) in his NFL career, and a role in the kicking game figures to be his path towards getting on the field in New Orleans. The Saints saw two linebackers go down with injuries in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills and it’s unclear when either of them will be ready to return. Kaden Elliss (239 snaps on special teams) and Andrew Dowell (205 special teams snaps) have been effective in that phase for the Saints.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Finch has great size for the position and profiles best as a strong side linebacker in the Saints’ defensive scheme (a role Elliss and Andrew have both filled in sparingly behind rookie draft pick Pete Werner). And for the advanced metrics sickos out there, Finch nails the Saints’ size-speed preferences with a Relative Athletic Score of 8.52, timing the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds — impressive for someone at his stature. Hopefully he and Chase Hansen can help the Saints off the practice squad.

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Pittsburgh Steelers visit with ex-Titans linebacker

The Steelers are looking to bolster depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith after trading Melvin Ingram away to the Chiefs last week. 

Per the NFL transaction wire, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited with former Tennessee Titans and New York Jets edge rusher, Sharif Finch.

Finch was signed to the Titans practice squad on October 1 and elevated in the wake of two linebackers on injured reserve and former Steelers star Bud Dupree. Finched played only sparingly in one game (five snaps) and recorded no stats.

The Steelers are looking to bolster depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith after trading Melvin Ingram away to the Chiefs last week.

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Titans place Murchison on IR, promote Finch and Hamilton

Murchison will be out for at least the next three games.

The Tennessee Titans made a trio of roster moves on Friday ahead of the Week 4 game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

The team announced it has placed defensive lineman Larrell Murchison on Injured Reserve, along with promoting fellow defensive lineman Woodrow Hamilton and outside linebacker Sharif Finch.

Murchison, who was ruled out of the Week 4 contest on Friday, was listed with an elbow issue on the team’s injury report this week. The second-year lineman will be out for at least three games.

Hamilton was signed earlier this offseason and will take Murchison’s place on the active roster. The veteran lineman saw the field for five snaps during the Week 3 win over the Indianapolis Colts, but didn’t record a stat.

Finch was signed to the practice squad this week in the wake of the Titans placing both outside linebackers Derick Roberson and Rashad Weaver on IR.

The former UDFA of the Titans in 2018 spent two seasons in Nashville. He could see playing time immediately with Tennessee having just two other healthy outside linebackers on the roster after Bud Dupree was ruled out.

Along with Dupree, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, punter Brett Kern and cornerback Caleb Farley were also ruled out ahead of Sunday.

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Titans place Rashad Weaver, Derick Roberson on IR among 4 moves

The Titans also brought back a familiar face in OLB Sharif Finch.

The Tennessee Titans made four moves on Tuesday evening, including putting two of their outside linebackers on Injured Reserve.

The Titans announced they have placed outside linebackers Derick Roberson and Rashad Weaver on IR. Roberson was dealing with a knee injury that forced him to miss the last two games, and Weaver suffered a lower leg injury in Week 3 that led to his early exit from the contest.

While both players will be eligible to come off IR after three weeks, chances are Weaver will be out for much longer than that, as he reportedly suffered a broken right fibula. The extent of Roberson’s injury remains unclear.

The Titans also made a pair of moves on their practice squad. The team signed outside linebacker Sharif Finch and waived defensive lineman Andrew Brown.

Finch is a familiar face, as he was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Tennessee back in 2018. He spent two seasons in Nashville and played in 23 games (three starts) before being waived late in 2019.

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Bears place RB Tarik Cohen on IR, elevate RB Artavis Pierce to active roster

As expected, the Bears placed RB Tarik Cohen on injured reserve following a torn ACL and elevated undrafted rookie RB Artavis Pierce.

The Chicago Bears have officially placed running back Tarik Cohen on injured reserve following his torn ACL during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

As expected, the Bears also elevated undrafted rookie running back Artavis Pierce from the practice squad to the active roster. That leaves David Montgomery, Cordarrelle Patterson, Ryan Nall and Pierce as Chicago’s running back room moving forward, as head coach Matt Nagy has expressed faith in the depth on the current roster.

The Bears also signed two players to the practice squad in defensive end Terry Beckner Jr. and linebacker Sharif Finch.

Chicago hosts the Colts this Sunday as they look to remain undefeated against a dangerous Indianapolis team.

Bengals waiver claim Sharif Finch was notably popular before failed physical

The Bengals seemed to get a big steal with the pass rusher.

The Cincinnati Bengals seemed to make a quality roster add on the waiver wire early in the holiday week, adding former Tennessee Titans pass rusher Sharif Finch.

Then the Bengals quickly showed him the door with a failed physical designation.

Before the weird turn of events, it turns out the Bengals were hardly the only team interested in him, as ESPN’s Field Yates reported the Giants and Lions also put in claims.

The details behind the cut won’t come out and even stranger is Finch’s downward spiral after looking like a rising player who would serve in a big role for Tennessee before the season.

Cincinnati’s claim at least speaks to one area they’re looking at, to the point they stashed A.J. Green on injured reserve to make room. Pass rusher figures to be a big target this offseason.

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Bengals waive former Titans OLB Sharif Finch

Outside linebacker Sharif Finch’s one-day stint with the Cincinnati Bengals has officially come to an end.

Outside linebacker Sharif Finch’s one-day stint with the Cincinnati Bengals has officially come to an end.

The team waived the former Tennessee Titan on Tuesday due to a failed physical after originally signing him on Monday.

Finch saw action in eight games over the 2019 season, recording two sacks and 10 solo tackles.

Finch was set to fill the spot of A.J. Greene, who had been placed on Injured Reserve.

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The Bengals will look for a new replacement for Greene as they prepare to face the Cleveland Browns at 12 p.m. CST on Sunday in Cincinnati.

Giants sign FB George Aston to practice squad, attempted to claim LB Sharif Finch

The New York Giants have made a few practice squad moves and put in an unsuccessful waiver claim for LB Sharif Finch.

It doesn’t matter that it’s Christmas Eve, the business of the NFL must go on. It is Tuesday however, and that means they’ll be some player movement.

The New York Giants made a practice squad move on Tuesday, releasing punter Sean Smith and signing fullback George Aston.

Aston, an undrafted rookie out of Pitt, spent time on the Denver Broncos practice squad.

Earlier in the day it was reported the Giants put in an unsuccessful waiver claim for Tennessee Titans linebacker Sharif Finch, but he was awarded to the 1-14 Cincinnati Bengals.

Finch was born in Queens and played his college ball at Temple. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last year by the Titans.

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