Tag: Vernon Butler

Giants place Vernon Butler on IR, waive Elerson Smith with injury settlement

The New York Giants made a pair of roster moves on Saturday.

The New York Giants made a pair of roster moves on Saturday, including the placement of defensive lineman Vernon Butler on injured reserve.

Butler’s situation remains a mystery as of now. Prior to landing on injured reserve, which knocks him out of the 2023 season, he was placed on the reserve/did not report list.

Butler, who was signed to the Giants’ practice squad last year, appeared in one game for Big Blue in 2022, recording four tackles.

In addition to the move involving Butler, the Giants also waived linebacker Elerson Smith from injured reserve with an injury settlement.

Smith, who was placed on IR recently due to an Achilles injury, is now able to sign with another team and play in 2023 once he’s healthy.

A former fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2021, Smith had issues staying healthy over his two seasons in New York. He tallied just 11 tackles, one forced fumble and two QB Hits in 13 games, playing mostly on special teams.

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Which former Bills players will face Buffalo in 2023?

Here’s the list of former #Bills players… who Buffalo will play against in 2023:

The attention of western New York is completely on the team’s 2023 roster. Is this one that can finally crack the Super Bowl?

But let’s face it. We’ve all ben there.

“Hey, I know that guy,” said every Bills fan when a former player is facing Buffalo. Here’s the few times you’re going to say that again next season.

The full list of former Bills that will face Buffalo in 2023 is right here:

Giants re-sign Vernon Butler to practice squad, release Jack Heflin

The New York Giants have re-signed DT Vernon Butler to their practice squad and released DL Jack Heflin to make room.

The New York Giants reshuffled their practice squad this week, undoing the changes they made ahead of a Week 18 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team has re-signed defensive tackle Vernon Butler to the reserve unit and released defensive lineman Jack Heflin.

Butler, a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2016 NFL draft. In addition to his time with the Panthers, Butler has also had stints with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders.

The 28-year-old has appeared in 77 career games (19 starts) and recorded 110 tackles (15 for a loss), 21 QB hits, 8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three passes defensed.

Butler was elevated for the Giants’ Week 13 game against the Washington Commanders and recorded four tackles on just 12 defensive snaps.

Heflin, who the Giants signed to their practice squad on January 6, was elevated for the team’s Week 18 game. He took 23 defensive snaps in the 22-16 loss.

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Giants sign DT Jack Heflin to practice squad

The New York Giants have signed DT Jack Heflin to the practice squad and released DT Vernon Butler from the reserve unit.

The New York Giants have signed defensive tackle Jack Heflin to their practice squad. To make room for Heflin, defensive tackle Vernon Butler was released.

Heflin, 24, was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent from Northern Illinois in 2021. He was on the Packers’ active roster in 2021 but spent this past season on their practice squad. He was released on December 13.

Butler, 28, was a former first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers out of Louisiana Tech back in 2016.

After three seasons in Carolina, Butler spent time with who spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders before the Giants inked him to their practice squad on November 15.

Butler was added to the active roster for the Giants’ Week 13 game against the Washington Commanders.

Wide receiver David Sills was also re-signed to the practice squad earlier this week.

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Giants activate Azeez Ojulari, Tony Jefferson off of IR

The New York Giants made a series of roster moves ahead of their Week 13 game, including the activation of LB Azeez Ojulari.

The New York Giants made a flurry of roster moves ahead of their Week 13 game against the Washington Commanders, including the official activation of edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.

In addition to Ojulari, safety Tony Jefferson was also activated off of injured reserve and returned to the 53-man roster. Both are expected to play significant roles on Sunday.

In a separate move, the Giants signed tight end Nick Vannett from their practice squad to the active roster. Tight end Tanner Hudson was waived in a corresponding transaction.

Finally, defensive tackle Vernon Butler and cornerback Zyon Gilbert were elevated from the practice squad.

Once again, safety/linebacker Landon Collins was passed over and will not play against his former team.

Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson remains on IR.

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Giants sign Vernon Butler, Devery Hamilton to practice squad

The New York Giants have signed veteran DT Vernon Butler to their practice squad, while several ex-Giants have new homes.

The New York Giants continued tweaking their roster on Tuesday, making several practice squad moves.

Offensive lineman Devery Hamilton had his contract officially terminated, but he will remain in East Rutherford. He is expected to sign back to the team’s practice squad on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Giants have also signed veteran defensive tackle Vernon Butler to their practice squad.

Butler, a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2016 NFL draft, provides additional depth along the interior defensive line. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams have been taking the bulk of the snaps and head coach Brian Daboll would like to work them into more of a rotation to keep them healthy.

In addition to his time with the Panthers, Butler has also had stints with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. He’s appeared in 76 career games (19 starts) and recorded 106 tackles (15 for a loss), 21 QB hits, 8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes defensed.

Meanwhile, defensive back Justin Layne, who was waived earlier this week, has been claimed by the Chicago Bears.

Finally, former Giants wide receiver Alex Bachman, who led the NFL with 19 preseason receptions, has signed with the Houston Texans.

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DT Malcolm Roach sent to Saints injured reserve list

Malcolm Roach has been sent to injured reserve, where he must miss the first four games. With just three DT’s on the roster, New Orleans is already working out free agents:

Here’s an update to one New Orleans Saints injury situation. Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach has been designated to the injured reserve list, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, where he’ll have to sit out the first four games of the season before he’ll be eligible to return. The NFL adjusted its injured reserve rules again for the 2022 season, which now allow up to eight players to return after being sent to the reserve list — setting a cap on the unlimited returns teams were able to use over the last two years while working around COVID-19 absences.

And as Underhill added, Roach is expected to suit up for the Saints as soon as possible (in what would be their Week 5 home game with the Seattle Seahawks). He just needs a few weeks to heal up after exiting their final preseason game with what appeared to be a lower leg injury, but details have been sparse. In any rate, look for New Orleans to audition some veteran free agents; the defensive tackles on their roster right now include David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street. Another backup, Albert Huggins was lost to a season-ending injury late in the preseason finale.

So while fans may be hoping for a high-profile free agent pickup like the curiously still-unsigned Ndamukong Suh, New Orleans has been looking at more budget-friendly options. Underhill reports that the team worked out veteran free agents Vernon Butler and Keke Kingsley following the injuries to Roach and Huggins. So who are they?

Butler, 28, played college football at Louisiana Tech and was a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers back in 2016. He suited up in six games against the Saints before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2020, but was inactive for their rematch on Thanksgiving Day last season. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Butler earlier this year but released him a few weeks ago.

Keke, 25, starred at Texas A&M and was drafted in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers in 2019 (both of his first two career sacks came against Drew Brees and the Saints early in the 2020 season). He was waived during the 2021 playoffs and initially landed with the Houston Texans, who let him go after the 2022 draft. He was waived again recently after spending the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Saints could sign either of them or continue to try out free agent options. Stay tuned for movement on this front.

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Former Panthers 1st-round pick Vernon Butler released by Raiders

Vernon Butler, the Panthers’ first-round pick from 2016, was released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday.

After being silenced in Super Bowl 50 by the Denver Broncos, the Carolina Panthers took the ensuing offseason to lick their wounds and regroup. And part of that regrouping (or at least their attempt at it) involved the selection of defensive tackle Vernon Butler.

But unfortunately for Butler and the Panthers, he didn’t really stick on with the organization . . . or any other one since.

As part of their cutdown to beat the 85-man roster deadline on Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders released the seventh-year defender. He signed on with the team back on March 23.

Butler, a Louisiana Tech University product, initially entered the league as the 30th overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft. The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder was the first of the Panthers’ five choices that April—with cornerbacks James Bradberry, Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez, as well as tight end Beau Sandland, to eventually follow.

He’d play out his rookie deal in Carolina, recording just nine starts over 52 games. After the Panthers chose not to pick up his fifth-year option, Butler became a free agent in 2020 and moved on to Buffalo with his old defensive coordinator in Sean McDermott—where he’d play in 24 games between 2020 and 2021.

A rare first-round miss by the Panthers, Butler’s most memorable moment with the franchise came against the Indianapolis Colts in 2019—when he punched tight end Jack Doyle, got ejected and then proceeded to give the crowd a one-finger salute on his way out.

Oh, and on a painful side note, Chris Jones and Javon Hargrave—two of the best defensive tackles in the game today—were drafted in the second and third rounds, respectively, of that 2016 draft.

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Vernon Butler comes off Non-Football Injury list for Raiders

Vernon Butler hits the training camp field, coming off NFI list

Just in time for the first day in pads, the Raider got back one of their interior defensive linemen. Vernon Butler came off the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list Wednesday adding some more depth to the line.

The veteran defensive lineman signed with the team this offseason to compete for a spot in the rotation.

A first-round pick in the 2016 draft, the Louisiana Tech product never lived up to his draft status. He’s started a combined 19 games in his career, all over the past three seasons in Carolina and Buffalo.

His best season came in 2019, a contract year after the Panthers didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. That season, he started nine games and had six sacks, eight QB hits, 32 combined tackles with seven going for a loss, and three forced fumbles.

He hasn’t had a sack in the two seasons since with just three combined QB hits.

What we see is a player who is capable of putting up good numbers if used properly or, alternatively, applies himself.

The interior defensive line for the Raiders is crowded, but with no surefire favorites, so he will have the opportunity to earn a spot, but could just as easily find himself cut come the season if he isn’t the right fit. Being on the field for camp certainly increases his chance to gain a foothold in that competition.

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Raiders send IDL Vernon Butler to Non-Football Injury list

Another Raiders interior defensive lineman lost to injury

Training camp has just started for the Raiders and things are without several interior defensive linemen. First it was projected starters Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols who began camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. And today they were joined by Vernon Butler who was placed on the Non-Football Injury list.

The seventh-year veteran DT Butler was added this offseason to compete for a spot in the rotation.

With Hankins, Nichols, and Butler down, this is what the group looks like:

Neil Farrell Jr (D-4)
Tyler Lancaster
Andrew Billings
Matthew Butler (D-5)
Kyle Peko
Kendal Vickers

So, as you can see, they still have plenty of bodies to fill out their first, second, and third teams. Two of whom are drafted rookies. Only Vickers is a returning player. All others enter their first training camp with the Raiders.

It’s actually a pretty sizable group, which makes you wonder if a return by any of the three currently out would lead to one of the other getting cut.