Tanzel Smart – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Browns sign a pair of DTs to the practice squad

The Browns released OT Brad Aiello and RB Bennie LeMay to make room

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The Browns restocked the defensive tackle depth on the team heading into the Week 1 weekend. Cleveland added two new DTs to the practice squad on Friday.

Joey Ivie and Tanzel Smart signed with the Browns on the practice squad. Both have some NFL regular-season experience. Ivie was a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys out of Florida in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s spent time with the Falcons, Seahawks, Chiefs and Titans too. He played five games for Kansas City and three for Tennessee in 2019.

Smart was also a 2017 draft selection, a sixth-rounder by the Rams. He started four games as a rookie and played in 13 games a year ago for Los Angeles. He spent training camp with the Buffalo Bills this summer. Smart was a teammate of Browns RB Dontrell Hilliard, also on the practice squad, at Tulane.

To make room for the newcomers, the Browns cut RB Bennie LeMay and offensive tackle Brady Aiello from the practice squad. Both are undrafted rookies.

9 Bills on roster bubble who need a big final week of training camp

Nine players on the roster bubble still who need a big week of practice before 2020 cutdown day at training camp.

It seems like Buffalo Bills training camp only just began, but it’s actually already almost over. In less than a week, teams have to cut down to 53 players. By Saturday at 4 p.m., we’ll know who the Bills are heading into their 2020 season opener against the Jets with. Many of those players we already know of.

Guys like quarterback Josh Allen and cornerback Tre’Davious White aren’t near that territory, but with training camp coming to a close, there’s still plenty of guys still squarely on the roster bubble who need a big week of practice before next weekend.

With that, here are nine players on the Bills still on the roster bubble heading into the final week of camp:

CB Dane Jackson

It’s never a lock for a seventh-round rookie. You’re just a step away from being an undrafted rookie and that’s the case for cornerback Dane Jackson. Recently during the Bills’ training camp scrimmage, Jackson was running with the backups against the starting defense. However, even if he was with the twos, the Bills were thin at cornerback. Josh Norman (hamstring) is out and UDFA rookie Ike Brown retired this week. Since then, the Bills have added Brian Allen via free agency and there’s still Cam Lewis to consider. Jackson needs to hold both of those guys off this week if he’s going to keep a depth spot.

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Bills add two to D-line before padded practices

Buffalo Bills sign two defensive tackles one day prior to padded practices starting.

The Buffalo Bills made a pair of roster moves on Sunday, one day before the team takes the field for their first padded practices of this year’s training camp on Monday. Both moves involved the same position as the Bills signed two defensive tackles, the team announced.

Those two players are Tanzel Smart and Justin Zimmer, who’s actually re-joining the Bills. Back in 2016, Zimmer signed with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie free agent, but was cut at the end of training camp. Zimmer then jumped to the Saints for the remainder of that season, and then made his NFL debut with the Falcons in 2018. Last season, he spent time on the Browns’ active roster. Overall, he’s played in three games recording five tackles, including one for loss.

Smart was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Rams, where he’s spent the past three seasons. In 31 games, he has 21 tackles and one pass defended.

In signing two defensive tackles, it appears the Bills are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to replace Star Lotulelei in the team’s starting defense after he opted out of playing in 2020. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier recently hinted at this, as he made a reference to Quinton Jefferson potentially being tried out in Lotulelei’s spot. Jefferson is not someone on paper pegged to play in Lotulelei’s role.

In corresponding moves, the Bills waived/ injured defensive tackle Niles Scott, who only recently joined the Bills but was evidently hurt in some conditioning work in his short stint with the team.

Along with Scott, wide receiver Nick Easley was released as well. He made a bit of noise during training camp last year, but still appeared to be a longshot to make the team’s roster in 2020. He was behind the likes of Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams, Robert Foster, an Isaiah Hodgins… all of which are much on the roster bubble themselves.

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Rams re-sign Morgan Fox, release Tanzel Smart

The Rams are bringing back Morgan Fox, who was a free agent this year.

The Los Angeles Rams are bringing back a familiar face along the defensive line and parting ways with another. The team announced on Friday it has re-signed Morgan Fox and released Tanzel Smart.

Fox for Smart isn’t a one-for-one replacement, since they play different positions. Fox is more of a defensive end or outside linebacker in certain packages, while Smart is a defensive tackle, often backing up Aaron Donald at 3-technique.

Fox was a restricted free agent this year, but the Rams opted not to tender him, allowing him to hit the open market. He’s opted to return to Los Angeles, likely seeing not much interest from other teams in free agency.

He missed the entire 2018 season due to injury, but he had two sacks and 18 total tackles last year in 16 games, including three starts. In his last two seasons when healthy, he’s played about 31% of the defensive snaps, rotating in with Michael Brockers at defensive end.

The Rams’ defensive line was made deeper this offseason with the addition of A’Shawn Robinson and the return of Brockers, so Fox will join those two and Sebastian Joseph-Day, all of whom can play defensive end.

Smart had been with the Rams for three years and played 31 total games. He doesn’t have a sack and has just 21 total tackles with one quarterback hit.

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