Zach Cunningham – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad after flurry of roster moves

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad following a flurry of roster moves this week.

The Denver Broncos made a flurry of roster moves this week, including seven changes to the practice squad.

First, the Broncos promoted inside linebacker Levelle Bailey from the practice squad to the active roster. To fill Bailey’s former spot, Denver signed wide receiver A.T. Perry.

The Broncos also signed offensive tackle Cam Fleming, center Dieter Eiselen and wide receiver Kaden Davis to the practice squad. To make room for those three players, Denver released running back Salvon Ahmed and defensive back Quinton Newsome and placed offensive tackle Will Sherman on the practice squad/injured list.

The 17-player practice squad and 53-man roster are now both full.

The NFL’s standard practice squad size limit is 16 players, but there’s an exception that allows an extra international player to not count against the limit. For Denver, Australian tight end Thomas Yassmin is an exception, giving the Broncos a 17-player practice squad.

So here’s the full list of 17 players on the squad after the recent moves.

Broncos 17-player practice squad

Two players can be elevated from the practice squad each week.

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Broncos vs. Raiders: 5 things to watch for in Week 5

Here are five storylines we’ll be keeping an eye on when the Broncos host the Raiders this week.

The Denver Broncos are set to host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five storylines we’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend.

1. Blake Watson’s potential NFL debut: Assuming Tyler Badie (back) won’t be cleared to play, Denver’s three other running backs available will be Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Blake Watson (Audric Estime is not eligible to return from IR until Week 6). Watson was a healthy scratch for each of the team’s first four games, but it’s hard to imagine the Broncos going into the Raiders game with just two RBs.

2. Backup linebacker rotation: After losing Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury, the Broncos signed veterans Zach Cunningham and Kwon Alexander to the practice squad. Denver opted to elevate rookie Levelle Bailey to the game-day roster to serve as the No. 4 inside linebacker last week. Will it be Bailey again, or will the Broncos give Cunningham or Alexander a look this week?

3. Broncos’ run game vs. Raiders defense: Williams and McLaughlin finally got back on track last week and they’ll have a good opportunity to keep the momentum going against Las Vegas. The Raiders are allowing 137.5 rushing yards per game, ninth-most in the NFL.

4. Bo Nix’s sack and turnover streak: Nix has gone two straight weeks without taking a sack or throwing an interception. This is the first time Broncos quarterbacks have avoided being sacked in consecutive weeks since 2016. Can he continue that streak against Las Vegas? It will be easier if Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby (ankle) is not able to suit up.

5. Can Denver snap losing streak? The Broncos have lost eight straight games to the Raiders, including a 0-2 mark with new coach Sean Payton. Going up against their oldest rival, they’ll aim to end that streak in Week 5.

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3 new Broncos players pick their jersey numbers

New Broncos LB Kwon Alexander (No. 12), RB Salvon Ahmed (No. 37) and LB Zach Cunningham (No. 42) have picked their jersey numbers.

After losing Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury, the Denver Broncos signed veterans Zach Cunningham and Kwon Alexander to the practice squad to add more depth at inside linebacker last week.

Alexander initially picked jersey No. 51, but he has since switched to No. 12, which was previously worn by former Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick. Cunningham picked jersey No. 42. That number became available after pass rusher Nik Bonitto switched to No. 15 this summer.

This week, after losing Tyler Badie to a back injury, the Broncos signed Salvon Ahmed to add more depth at running back. Ahmed picked jersey No. 37, which was previously worn by rookie Audric Estime this summer before he switched to No. 23 after roster cuts.

Broncos new player jersey numbers

LB Kwon Alexander: 12
RB Salvon Ahmed: 37
LB Zach Cunningham: 42

Denver has three officially retired numbers (No. 7 for John Elway, No. 44 for Floyd Little and No. 18 for Frank Tripucka) and three other numbers that aren’t typically made available (No. 24 for Champ Bailey, No. 58 for Von Miller and No. 88 for the late Demarius Thomas).

With a full 53-man roster, a 17-player practice squad and eight players on injury lists, the Broncos’ remaining numbers available are 46, 47, 50, 51, 59, 61, 62, 65, 67, 68, 70, 71, 81, 87, and 95.

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Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad with new running back

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad following the addition of RB Salvon Ahmed.

The Denver Broncos signed running back Salvon Ahmed and released wide receiver Kaden Davis from the practice squad on Tuesday.

The Broncos brought in Ahmed to provide more depth at running back after Tyler Badie suffered a back injury against the New York Jets in Week 4.

The 17-player practice squad and 53-man roster are now both full.

So here’s the full list of 17 players on the squad after Tuesday’s moves.

Broncos 17-player practice squad

Two players can be elevated from the practice squad each week.

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How will the Broncos replace Alex Singleton on defense?

“You can’t replace a guy like Alex [Singleton],” but the Broncos will have to try.

When the Denver Broncos placed linebacker Alex Singleton on injured reserve with a torn ACL on Wednesday, they lost more than just a starter on defense.

Denver lost a team captain and the “green dot” play-caller on defense. It won’t be easy to replace Singleton.

“That one’s tough,” quarterback Bo Nix said. “Really tough. Alex is a great teammate. Alex is a great football player. He does a lot on the field for us. He’s one of those guys that when he’s on the field, everybody feels a lot better. It’s going to be tough.”

So, who’s going to start in Singleton’s place against the New York Jets in Week 4? Broncos coach Sean Payton has no desire to reveal his specific plans.

“Look, we’ve got a lot of options,” Payton said. “I’m not going to cover them, but we’ve got a handful of guys. We’ve got probably two or three different directions we’ll go and then we’ll just see how it goes.”

Cody Barton played 31 snaps against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Justin Strnad and Kristian Welch played exclusively on special teams in Week 3, but one of them could be asked to start against the Jets.

“You can’t replace a guy like Alex, but I think you can rise up around him and help that loss out a little bit,” Nix said. “[I’m] definitely pulling for him with his recovery. We hope he has a great offseason and gets ready to go again. [It’s a] huge loss for us, but we’re going to continue to get better around him and make sure that we have what it takes on defense. Then offensively, we always just have to raise up our game and play better.”

The Broncos already had rookie Levelle Bailey on their practice squad and they added more depth on Wednesday by signing Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to the practice squad. NFL teams can elevate two players from the practice squad to the game-day roster each week, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver call up at least one LB this weekend.

“It’s a tough blow and a tough loss,” cornerback Pat Surtain said of losing Singleton. “Honestly he’s a key leader to our team. Losing a guy like that is pretty hard. Obviously everybody is rallying behind him. Our prayers are up to him. [We’re] wishing him a speedy recovery.

“He’ll be around helping the linebackers out. We’re going to miss him out there on the field, but it’s the next man up. It’s the next opportunity for other guys to step in and step up. I wish him nothing but the best on his recovery process.”

Whether it’s Strnad, Welch, Bailey, Alexander, Cunningham or some combination of all of them, the Broncos will need “the next man up” to fill some big shoes the rest of the season. Denver is also hopeful that Drew Sanders (Achilles) could return later this season, but that might be weeks or even months away from coming into play.

In the meantime, Strnad and Welch are likely the top contenders to start next to Barton in Week 4. It might take more than one game to sort out Singleton’s season-long replacement, but we’ll get our first look at the defense without the linebacker on Sunday afternoon.

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Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad with 2 new LBs

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad following the addition of two linebackers.

The Denver Broncos have officially signed veteran linebackers Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to the practice squad after losing Alex Singleton to a season-ending torn ACL.

Alexander (6-1, 227 pounds) joins the team as a 30-year-old veteran with 631 tackles, 34 pass breakups, 13.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and nine interceptions in 104 career games (88 starts). Denver will mark Alexander’s sixth stop in his 10-year career.

Cunningham (6-3, 238 pounds) has recorded 705 tackles, 23 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception in 86 career starts. The Broncos are his fourth team.

Denver had room to add Alexander to the practice squad after promoting wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the active roster last Saturday. The team had room for Cunningham after promoting running back Tyler Badie to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

The 17-player practice squad and 53-man roster are now both full.

So here’s the full list of 17 players on the squad after Wednesday’s move.

Broncos 17-player practice squad

Two players can be elevated from the practice squad each week.

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Recapping the 4 roster moves Broncos made Wednesday

The Broncos placed Alex Singleton on IR, promoted Tyler Badie to the active roster and signed Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to the PS.

The Denver Broncos made a flurry of roster moves on Wednesday ahead of their Week 4 showdown with the New York Jets.

First, the Broncos placed inside linebacker Alex Singleton on injured reserve after he tore his ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. Singleton tore his ACL in the first quarter against the Bucs and played the rest of the game, not realizing the severity of his injury until later testing.

To fill the active roster spot formerly held by Singleton, Denver promoted running back Tyler Badie from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Badie figures to be more involved on offense going forward after impressing in Tampa on Sunday.

The Broncos filled Badie’s old spot on the practice squad by signing linebacker Zach Cunningham. Denver also signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to the practice squad (there was room for him following the promotion of wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the active roster).

Following those moves, the 17-player practice squad and 53-man roster are both full ahead of Sunday’s game in New Jersey.

Broncos roster moves

1. LB Alex Singleton placed on IR
2. RB Tyler Badie promoted to 53-man roster
3. LB Kwon Alexander signed to practice squad
4. LB Zach Cunningham signed to practice squad

Denver has been hit hard by injuries over the last two weeks, losing right tackle Mike McGlinchey (MCL), outside linebacker Baron Browning (foot) and Singleton to IR. McGlinchey and Browning will be eligible to return after four games. Singleton will miss the rest of the 2024 season.

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Broncos adding Zach Cunningham after losing Alex Singleton

After losing Alex Singleton to a torn ACL, the Broncos are adding LB Zach Cunningham to their practice squad.

The Denver Broncos are signing inside linebacker Zach Cunningham to their practice squad, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported Wednesday.

Cunningham (6-3, 238 pounds) entered the league as a second-round pick out of Vanderbilt with the Houston Texans in 2017. After five years in Houston, Cunningham spent two seasons with the Tennessee Titans before playing for the Philadelphia Eagles last fall.

The 29-year-old linebacker has recorded 705 tackles, 23 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception in 86 career starts.

Cunningham will give the team more depth at inside linebacker after starter Alex Singleton was lost to a torn ACL. Denver also signed Kwon Alexander to the practice squad on Wednesday. One or both of Alexander and Cunningham could be candidates to be elevated to the game-day roster for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

The Broncos had room for Cunningham on the practice squad after promoting running back Tyler Badie to the 53-man roster.

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Bleacher Report suggests an interesting free agent ‘best fit’ for the Lions

Bleacher Report suggests an interesting free agent ‘best fit’ for the Lions in journeyman LB Zach Cunningham

NFL free agency is still going on, even with the primary focus on the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. The good folks at Bleacher Report recently picked one remaining free agent who can help each NFL team.

The suggestion for the Detroit Lions is an interesting one. Linebacker Zach Cunningham, who spent 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles, gets the nod from analyst Matt Holder.

While Alex Anzalone had a good season in 2023, the Lions could use another option to line up alongside Anzalone. Derrick Barnes’ play was up and down for the majority of last year and Jack Campbell had a pedestrian rookie campaign.

While technically correct on all accounts, it belies the expected growth in Campbell’s game for Detroit in his second season. The Lions didn’t draft Campbell in the first round a year ago to need to have to bring in a relatively pedestrian veteran to start over him, and Anzalone is coming off his best season and is the leader of the defense. Cunningham’s hit-and-miss coverage and very high missed tackle rate are discouraging, and his lack of upside as a 29-year-old journeyman with little special teams offering–he hasn’t been a regular special teams player since 2020, his last full year in Houston–is counter to the Lions’ plans with their reserve linebackers.

Additionally, the Lions do have nice depth at LB in Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Cunningham wouldn’t be a bad addition at all, but he’s far less necessary for Detroit than several other free agents on the list.

Chargers named potential landing spot for pair of linebackers

Kenneth Murray is a free agent and Eric Kendricks could be a cap casualty.

The Chargers will be retooling their linebacker room this offseason. Kenneth Murray is a free agent and Eric Kendricks could be a cap casualty.

To fill a void, Pro Football Focus listed two pending free-agent linebackers that Los Angeles could target.

The first is Commanders’ Cody Barton.

After four seasons with the Seahawks, Barton was traded to Washington. He was plagued by an ankle injury that caused him to miss four games. However, Barton still finished with 121 tackles.

His best season came in 2022 when he posted a career-high 136 tackles, six passes defended and four tackles for loss.

At 27 years old, Barton is still young, he has plenty of production and would come at a low price tag.

The next linebacker PFF mentions is Eagles’ Zach Cunningham.

They highlight how defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was the defensive coordinator for Vanderbilt, the same school Cunningham attended.

Cunningham’s strength is run defense, which he posted grades of 70 or higher in six of his seven seasons.

He should also be come cheap.