Tag: transaction

Colts elevate WR Ethan Fernea from the practice squad

The Colts also elevated WR Ethan Fernea from the practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated wide receiver Ethan Fernea from the practice squad to the active roster for the Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Friday.

After promoting wide receiver D.J. Montgomery to the active roster, the Colts will now have six wideouts on the gameday roster Saturday when they host the Steelers.

Fernea has been with the Colts since initially signing as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2022 NFL draft. He was placed on the Reserve/Injured list in August and then was waived with an injury settlement a few days later.

Fernea returned to the practice squad in December. This is his first elevation from the practice squad.

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Chiefs sign DL Mike Pennel to practice squad

The #Chiefs signed veteran defensive lineman Mike Pennel to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs bolstered depth along their defensive line on Tuesday by signing veteran Mike Pennel to their practice squad. Pennel, who previously played for Kansas City on their Super Bowl LIV championship team, most recently played for the Chicago Bears, but was a free agent entering the 2023 regular season.

News of Pennel’s signing with the Chiefs broke on Twitter when Charles Goldman of AtoZ Sports reported the initial transaction and corresponding roster move on Tuesday afternoon.

Rookie wide receiver Daniel Arias was released to make room for the veteran lineman and may find his way onto another team’s practice squad later in the season.

Pennel’s addition isn’t expected to have an immediate impact on Kansas City’s plans on gameday, though the depth he provides the Chiefs could be a major factor later in the season if injuries on the team’s defensive front become an issue.

For now, Pennel will have to wait for his chance to contribute on Sundays, but his championship pedigree is a clear asset.

Colts to release QB Matt Ryan

BREAKING: The Colts are relasing veteran QB Matt Ryan.

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The Indianapolis Colts are expected to release veteran quarterback Matt Ryan, per multiple reports.

A move that was expected to happen ever since the end of the 2022 regular season, the Colts are moving on from the 37-year-old as they look to usher in a new era with a rookie quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft.

Because Ryan’s release comes before March 17, the third day of the new league year, the Colts will save $17.2 million against the salary cap while taking on a dead-cap hit of $18 million.

The news was first reported Zach Klein of WSB-TV Atlanta and confirmed by Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

This move, along with trading cornerback Stephon Gilmore, gives the Colts an additional $27.1 million in salary-cap space, not including the money that is needed for the incoming rookie class.

Though Ryan was thought to be a Philip-Rivers-like addition to the roster last offseason, the plan could not have gone worse. The offensive line struggled mightily, and Ryan was seeing ghosts just about every time he dropped back to pass.

The veteran quarterback was benched twice during the regular season. The first time came under Frank Reich’s watch in favor of second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger. That lasted for two games before Reich was fired.

When Jeff Saturday was surprisingly named the interim head coach, Ryan regained his starting role. However, he would again get benched after the historic Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings when the Colts blew the largest lead in NFL history.

In all, Ryan started 12 games while completing 67% of his passes for 3,057 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and an 83.9 passer rating. He was sacked 38 times.

It will be interesting to see what’s next for Ryan. There are reports he may want to get into broadcasting, which would suit him well considering his expert knowledge of the game and his strong communication skills.

Regardless, the Colts officially move on from the veteran quarterback and will be looking to add a rookie in the upcoming draft at the end of April.

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Packers release wide receiver Dede Westbrook from practice squad

The #Packers parted ways with the once prolific college receiver on Tuesday

The Green Bay Packers released wide receiver Dede Westbrook from their practice squad on Tuesday ahead of their matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. The sixth-year wideout was signed by the team on November 15th and was not elevated for gameday during his tenure in Green Bay.

In a corresponding move, the Packers released defensive lineman Jack Heflin and signed offensive linemen Jean Delance and Michal Menet to the practice squad.

Westbrook was once considered among the most promising receiver prospects in the NFL after his prolific 2016 campaign at the University of Oklahoma when he brought in 80 passes for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to placing fourth in Heisman voting. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft by way of the Jacksonville Jaguars but never managed to find much traction at the NFL level.

After playing in just two games in 2020, he saw some action last year with the Minnesota Vikings, but only managed to accrue 10 receptions for 68 yards in 15 games played. Hopes were high that he might find a niche in the Packers’ offense as a veteran presence to pair with Aaron Rodgers, but his release on Tuesday would spell the end of any chance he had of making an impact for Green Bay on Sundays.

The Packers are still carrying three receivers on their practice squad after Westbrook’s departure from the team, so the coaching staff’s commitment to developing the next wave of pass-catchers on the unit remains intact. They will be able to choose from Jeff Cotton, Travis Fulgham, and Juwaan Winfree to replace Westbrook’s snaps in practice for the rest of the week.

Though his time in Green Bay has come to a close, any team in need of an experienced and explosive receiver to fill out their depth chart would be wise to seek the services of Westbrook moving forward. He might not be the star he once was as a Sooner, but in the right situation, Westbrook could prove to be a consistent playmaker with upside as a returner on special teams.

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Texans sign defensive back BoPete Keyes to practice squad ahead of matchup vs. Commanders

Keyes’ addition to the #Texans practice squad will help shore up the team’s secondary

After claiming running back Eno Benjamin off waivers earlier this week, the Houston Texans added another fresh face to their practice squad on Thursday by signing defensive back BoPete Keyes to their practice squad. The team also parted ways with practice squad running back Gerrid Doaks, indicating that they are comfortable with the depth they have at the position after moving on the aforementioned Benjamin.

While practice squad signings are rarely of consequence to teams at the midway point through the season, the Texans’ decision to sign Keyes should turn some heads given the defensive back’s pedigree. He has played for no less than five other teams since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2020 by way of the Kansas City Chiefs who selected him following their Super Bowl championship season.

Doaks, on the other hand, has only spent time with the Miami Dolphins since turning pro in 2021 as a fellow seventh-round selection out of the University of Cincinnati. He initially signed with the Texans in early September but was never elevated from the team’s practice squad for any on-field action.

For now, these moves won’t have much of an effect on Houston’s chances of getting their second win of the 2022 season against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but the Texans’ decision to sign Keyes could pay dividends in the future. If he can channel his inner playmaker that he showed on film from his time in college at Tulane, Keyes could turn into a high-end rotational role player in the Texans’ secondary.

It is unknown if this signing is in any way related to rookie cornerback Derek Stingley’s designation as a non-participant in Thursday’s practice session, but Keyes could potentially see himself activated if Houston is short on defensive backs heading into their Week 11 matchup. Fans will want to keep an eye on the team’s active roster heading into Sunday’s action.

Texans release linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill

The former #Texans linebacker had been a role player in the defense, and holds the franchise record for most tackles in a game with 19

The Houston Texans made a surprising move on Thursday by releasing linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill just days before the NFL trade deadline. Some had speculated that the team might look to deal one of their linebackers given the depth they had at the position, but Thursday’s transaction report is a clear indication that the market for the talent they have available hasn’t developed.

Grugier-Hill is in his seventh year at the pro level and played for the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins before catching on in Houston last year. He was a member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl roster back in 2018 that defeated the New England Patriots.

An Eastern Illinois product, Grugier-Hill was among the most decorated players in the Ohio Valley Conference when he declared for the NFL draft in 2016 after being named to the all-conference first team in both 2014 and 2015. He and the Eastern Illinois Panthers were two-time Ohio Valley Conference champions in 2012 and 2013 in his freshman and sophomore seasons in Charleston.

His release today came at his request, which was surprising given that he has been at the center of one of the team’s most talented position groups that seemed to just be hitting its stride with the debut of Christian Harris in Week 7. Perhaps Harris’ first action was writing on the wall for Grugier-Hill’s prospects of decreased playing time with the rookie pushing for serious snaps in the coming weeks.

Though this move may have been a necessary one, and certainly for the best given that Grugier-Hill asked for it, the loss of a veteran presence on defense will cut deep for Houston fans who are anticipating improvement from the unit before the end of the season. He set a franchise record for the most tackles in a single game with 19 in an effort against the Indianapolis Colts last year, so with his departure leaves a piece of Texans history.

Texans sign receiver Tyron Johnson, waive wideout Tyler Johnson

In a somewhat bizarre move, the Texans signed and waived a pair of receivers with nearly identical names

It isn’t often that a team makes corresponding roster moves with players whose names are so similar, but the Houston Texans managed to make a doozy of a move on Tuesday afternoon with guys who happen to play the same position. It was first announced that they had signed receiver Tyron Johnson, a third-year pro out of Oklahoma State, before following up with the news that wideout Tyler Johnson, who had been with the team since late August, was waived.

The former Johnson has bounced around quite a bit since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019. After initially being signed by the Texans, he played for the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers as a rookie, eventually finding a short-term home with the Los Angeles Chargers through 2020. He spent last season first with the Jacksonville Jaguars and later with the Las Vegas Raiders, and stayed in Sin City until October 22nd of this year, when he was waived.

As for the latter Johnson, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2020 draft by way of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his stint in Houston was just the second stop of his career. After playing with Tom Brady for his first two seasons in the NFL, he was eventually released in late August of 2022 and was picked up by the Texans shortly after.

Neither of these Johnsons has registered a reception through seven weeks this season, and it is unclear what the possibilities might be for their respective contributions moving forward. News of a potential claim for the receiver that Houston waived on Tuesday has not yet broken, so his future will remain uncertain for the time being.

The newest member of the Texans organization is known best for the three-touchdown campaign he put together in 2020 for the Chargers, and if he can duplicate that same impressive performance for Houston this season, Johnson might prove to be a boon for Lovie Smith’s struggling offense.

Colts sign WR DeMichael Harris to the practice squad

DeMichael Harris re-joins the Colts practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts signed WR DeMichael Harris to the practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.

Harris has plenty of experience with the Colts having joined them as an undrafted rookie following the 2020 NFL draft. He has appeared in nin games with the Colts throughout his career.

With Keke Coutee likely out in Week 7 due to a concussion he suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harris fits the mold of potentially filling the role of depth wide receiver and punt returner—if he gets called up for the game.

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Colts sign CB Ryan Smith to the practice squad

The Colts made a change on the practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts signed cornerback Ryan Smith to the practice squad and waived linebacker Forrest Rhyne from the practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.

Smith was in the building Monday for a workout, and it appears he did enough to warrant a spot on the practice squad.

Smith was a fourth-round pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL draft out of North Carolina Central. He spent five seasons with the Buccaneers before joining the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.

In 77 career games (17 starts), Smith has recorded one interception, 12 passes defended, 122 tackles (102 solo) and one tackle for loss. He has experience playing both defense and a prominent role on special teams.

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Colts sign RB Phillip Lindsay to the practice squad

Phillip Lindsay joins the practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts signed running back Phillip Lindsay to the practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.

Though it was a surprise that Lindsay ultimately was released during final roster cuts at the end of August, general manager Chris Ballard mentioned in his preseason press conference that a reunion on the practice squad was still on the table.

Lindsay spent the majority of the offseason with the Colts while serving as the RB3 throughout training camp and the preseason. It was a mild shock to see him released in favor of Deon Jackson, but Lindsay’s lack of special teams work was the reason.

Lindsay will join undrafted rookie D’vonte Price and is the final player added to the practice squad.

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