Tag: Willie Snead

49ers officially add WR Willie Snead, OL Jordan Mills

The #49ers announced 2 signings Saturday morning.

The 49ers on Saturday officially announced two additions to their roster. Wide receiver Willie Snead and offensive lineman Jordan Mills were both signed and joined the club for Saturday’s practice. Snead’s signing was reported Friday.

Mills and Snead will take the two roster spots recently vacated by tight end Jordan Matthews and wide receiver Taysir Mack. Matthews suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Mack was released outright.

Snead gives the team some needed WR depth with Mack gone and veteran Marcus Johnson in concussion protocol. The 29-year-old veteran has 279 catches for 3,341 yards and 16 touchdowns in his seven-year NFL career with the Saints, Ravens, Panthers and Raiders.

Mills, 31, was a fifth-round pick of the Bears in 2013. The nine-year NFL veteran has started 87 of the 100 games he’s played for the Bears, Bills, Cardinals and Saints. He’s exclusively played offensive tackle in his career so his addition could preclude another move on the offensive line for San Francisco.

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49ers to sign WR Willie Snead

The #49ers are signing veteran WR Willie Snead.

The 49ers are adding a wide receiver to replace the recently-released Taysir Mack. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson on Friday reported veteran WR Willie Snead would be joining San Francisco following a workout with the team. The club also worked out veteran WR Dede Westbrook per ESPN’s Field Yates.

Snead, 29, went undrafted in 2014 and signed with the Browns as an undraftead free agent before bouncing to the Panthers’ practice squad and the Saints’ practice squad.

He eventually debuted for New Orleans in 2015 and had a nice year with 69 receptions for 984 yards and three touchdowns. Snead was in New Orleans for three years, Baltimore for three years, then split time between Carolina and Las Vegas last season. He had just four catches for 38 yards in nine games in 2021.

For his career Snead has 279 receptions, 3,431 yards and 16 touchdowns. He gives the 49ers some veteran depth on their offseason roster with Mack now gone and Marcus Johnson in concussion protocol following a hit from linebacker Fred Warner.

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WR Willie Snead among 6 Texans workouts

The Houston Texans worked out former Saints, Ravens, Raiders, and Panthers wideout Willie Snead among six players total.

The Houston Texans worked out former New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and Carolina Panthers receiver Willie Snead Tuesday.

Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network was the first to report.

The Texans also worked out former Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts wideout Chester Rogers.

Houston worked out former New York Jets receiver D.J. Montgomery, who had three catches for 36 yards in three games last year.

The Texans also worked out former Rice receiver Austin Trammell, who played two games for the Atlanta Falcons last year and had seven special teams snaps.

The Texans worked out former Raiders and San Francisco 49ers tight end Daniel Helm, as the Texans continue to work through the knee injury to Antony Auclair.

With the release of quarterback Kevin Hogan, the Texans worked out former Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert.

Former Ravens WRs comment on Baltimore offense, OC Greg Roman

Two former Ravens wide receivers commented on the Baltimore offense

The Baltimore Ravens have had a high-powered offense ever since they inserted quarterback Lamar Jackson as their starter in the middle of the 2018 season. However, there have been plenty of questions about the offensive system that he’s in, which is currently run by the team’s offensive coordinator in Greg Roman.

In an interview with Tyler Dunne of “Go Long”, former Baltimore receiver Willie Snead was asked about the Ravens’ offense and Greg Roman. He talked about how the system might push some veteran receivers away, and why they draft one or two every year is because veterans with one more shot might want to go elsewhere for the potential of increased targets and production.

A few hours later, former Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant also chimed in, saying that Jackson’s ability clearly translated to the NFL and that he always thought it should have been easy to figure out.

The systems that Roman runs have been historically successful rushing offenses, but somewhat lacking in the passing game. Baltimore finished last in pass attempts in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but in 2021 that number jumped to ninth in the league, partially because the Ravens had to change their system around following injuries to multiple star running backs.

In the first half of 2021, Baltimore’s passing offense looked improved, but that production fell off as injuries continued to hit the unit, including Jackson. The Ravens’ offense under Roman will likely never be one that finishes in the top-five in pass attempts consistently, and the potential lack of production that goes with that fact could indeed push wide receivers away who are looking for more targets.

Baltimore’s offense has been successful as a run-first team, and when fully healthy there’s no doubt that they are explosive. Roman has had a lot of success over his time with the Ravens, but there are also shortcomings to his scheme that must be corrected.

Panthers place DT Derrick Brown on reserve/COVID-19 list

In addition to placing DT Derrick Brown on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Panthers made a few adjustments ahead of their trip to Buffalo.

The Carolina Panthers, as of this very moment, have gone relatively unscathed through the latest wave of COVID-19 cases. But they will, unfortunately, be headed to Buffalo without one of their key defenders.

On Saturday afternoon, the team announced the placement of defensive tackle Derrick Brown on the reserve/COVID-19 list. In order for a player who has tested positive to return under the updated league protocol, he must be asymptomatic over a 24-hour period. This, obviously, takes the second-year lineman out of their Week 15 matchup with the Bills.

Brown had been coming off one of his best performances of the season in the 29-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, having totaled five tackles (two for a loss) and a pair of quarterback hits. The Panthers will go into Sunday with DaQuan Jones, Bravvion Roy and Phil Hoskins as their only defensive tackles.

Carolina, additionally, made a few adjustments in the lead-up to tomorrow’s tilt. Cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver III has been activated while running back Reggie Bonnafon and wideout Willie Snead have been elevated from the practice squad.

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Willie Snead turns heel, signs with Panthers practice squad

Willie Snead turns heel, signs with Panthers practice squad

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Well so much for that. The Las Vegas Raiders granted Willie Snead’s requested release after he was buried on their depth chart, and there was instant speculation that the New Orleans Saints could bring him back to town. That escalated when they began to get the band back together in a trade for Mark Ingram.

But, no. Joe Brady beat his old mentor Sean Payton to the punch yet again. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Carolina Panthers signed Snead to their practice squad, adding him to a pile of former Saints to land in Carolina. Maybe he’ll work out better than Dan Arnold, Tommy Stevens, Keith Kirkwood, Eli Apple, Chris Manhertz, or Teddy Bridgewater did.

As for where the Saints stand at receiver: Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Kenny Stills, and Ty Montgomery are on the 53-man roster while Deonte Harris has been held out of practice with an hamstring injury.  Kevin White, Easop Winston Jr., and Kawaan Baker are on the practice squad. Lil’Jordan Humphrey recently went on the COVID-19 reserve list.

And Michael Thomas still has not been activated from the PUP list. Hopefully they choose to make another move before the Nov. 2 trade deadline.

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Former Raiders WR Willie Snead quickly finds new home on Panthers practice squad

Former Raiders WR Willie Snead quickly finds new home on Panthers practice squad

It didn’t take long for Willie Snead to find a new home. Tuesday, the veteran wide receivers reportedly asked for his release from the Raiders. Wednesday the team officially granted his release. And within hours, he was added to the Panthers practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Shortly after the report came out, Snead tweeted “God closes doors to open another one.”

The Raiders may have closed the door on Snead even if he hadn’t requested it. The seventh year veteran was added as a free agent this offseason and has played sparingly. He has just three catches for 32 yards this season playing behind slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Snead obviously is hoping a new team will have more opportunities for him. The 29-year-old averaged over 40 receptions per season the previous three seasons in Baltimore, so you can understand if he thinks he deserves more snaps and targets. Those were just not coming with the Raiders when he’s playing second fiddle to Renfrow.

Raiders cut ex-Saints WR Willie Snead; should New Orleans have interest?

Raiders cut ex-Saints WR Willie Snead; should New Orleans have interest?

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Hey, why not? It’s not like any of the wide receivers the New Orleans Saints currently have under contract are doing much better. Marquez Callaway has been the best of the group and he only ranks 75th in the NFL in receiving yards this season.

But back to Willie Snead. The former Saints wide receiver signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, who ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports granted his release after he was buried on their depth chart. Snead spent three years with the Baltimore Ravens in between his stop in the desert and his career-starting years in New Orleans, but he still hasn’t matched the success he found in his first two years in the NFL.

Snead was an instant sensation in 2015, reeling in 68 receptions (on 101 targets) for 984 receiving yards, primarily from out wide. The next year he caught 72 passes (104 targets) for 895 yards, this time after moving to the slot. But a suspension and injury derailed his 2017 season and the Saints let him walk in free agency a year later.

Now he’s probably just a bottom-of-the-depth chart player like Kenny Stills or Kevin White or Lil’Jordan Humphrey or any of the other receivers who haven’t done much yet. Snead isn’t going to magically correct everything or start rattling off 100-yard games in New Orleans, but the Saints should keep throwing things at the wall until something sticks. They’ve got nothing to lose by trying.

Maybe they’ll figure out they need to commit more resources to solving the problem. But it feels like that realization won’t dawn on them until the Nov. 2 trade deadline has already passed.

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WR Willie Snead has given Raiders defensive coaches ‘insight’ into former team Ravens

WR Willie Snead has had conversations with Raiders defensive coaches to give ‘insight’ into Ravens

Gamesmanship. NFL teams take every possible advantage they can to try and outmaneuver their opponent. The Raiders’ next opponent? The Ravens. The team with whom new Raiders receiver Willie Snead suited up the past three seasons.

“It’s going to be surreal. The last team I played for was the Ravens and the first team I play with the Raiders will be the Ravens,” Snead said after Sunday’s practice.

“I’m excited. I have nothing but the utmost respect for [John] Harbaugh and that group of coaches over there and those players, they have a great core over there. And just to be able to go against them, I’ve been going against them for the past three years in practice and to be able to put it all together on Monday Night Football is going to be an amazing feeling.”

The offensive coordinator in Baltimore is Greg Roman, who has held that position the past two seasons in which Snead was the team’s primary slot receiver. Making him just the person the Raiders’ defensive coaches want to speak with.

“We’ve already had conversations,” Snead said with a bit of a laugh, speaking of Gus Bradley and the defensive coaches. “But, yeah, absolutely, that’s the start of the season and I’ve been there for three seasons. But Gus has been on it, he’s played against the Ravens before when he was with the Chargers and he knows what they like to do. I think it’s just me giving them a little bit more insight into what they want to do game plan wise. I’m at his disposal at the end of the day, so whatever he Gus needs, I’m there.”

Snead is a resource. One the Raiders coaches would be foolish not to take advantage of. He probably knows a few things about the Ravens defense for that matter, having faced them in practice every day.

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Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow feels no threat from addition of Willie Snead, only benefits

Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow feels no threat from addition of Willie Snead, only benefits

Over two seasons with the Raiders, Hunter Renfrow has cemented himself as the primary slot receiver for this team. His nickname has two words in it that just about every receiver in the league would love to have ‘Third-and-Renfrow.’ So, when the team added veteran slot receiver Willie Snead to the mix, there wasn’t the feeling Snead would be a big threat to Renfrow’s job security.

It is possible that Snead can get some of Renfrow’s snaps, however, being that he is a somewhat different kind of slot target than Renfrow. That, too, doesn’t seem to bother Renfrow.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s out there or I’m out there,” Renfrow said of Snead, noting that Trey Quinn and DJ Turner are also trying to find a spot on the roster as slot receivers. Again, with no real threat to Renfrow’s job.

Since Renfrow was drafted, he’s always been a pretty laid-back guy. He jokes easily about not looking like an NFL receiver and the fact that up until the last couple of games of his rookie season, he had never had a 100-yard game at any level. Then he had two.

Some fans may remember Snead’s 172-yard game for the Saints against the Raiders in the 2016 season opener. He would have just one more 100-yard game since then, giving him the same number of 100-yard games in five seasons as Renfrow has had in two.

On the contrary, Renfrow has benefitted from Snead’s presence as a seven-year veteran slot receiver.

“I really enjoy talking to Willie because he’s done it for a while and he’s run a lot of choice routes and a lot of underneath stuff and just how he sees the game,” Renfrow said. “It’s helped me a lot being able to read coverages and skipping off the ball and being able to decipher if they’re playing top hat or if they’re locking it, those little things. Last two years I just feel the defense, now it’s like ‘What are they giving me? What can I take?’ And to know from pre-snap what you’re gonna do.”

What’s funny about this is how often defenses have to know Derek Carr is looking for Renfrow on third down. And yet he always seems to get open to convert. It sure looked like he was taking what he wanted then. But, hey, if he feels that way now, watch out.

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