Tag: Zack Johnson

Bills sign ex-Broncos wide receiver to practice squad

The Bills signed ex-Broncos wide receiver Jalen Virgil to their practice squad.

The Buffalo Bills have signed wide receiver Jalen Virgil to their practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Virgil (6-0, 210 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State with the Denver Broncos in 2022. He dressed for nine games as a rookie, hauling in two receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Virgil then missed the 2023 season with a knee injury.

Virgil competed in a crowded wide receiver room this summer and was ultimately cut when the Broncos set their 53-man roster in August. He then joined Buffalo’s practice squad. Virgil was promoted to the Bills’ active roster on Nov. 8 and he appeared in six games before being cut on Dec. 14. He now returns to Buffalo on the team’s practice squad.

Elsewhere on the ex-Bronco front, offensive lineman Zack Johnson worked out for the San Francisco 49ers this week and receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie signed to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad.

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Browns sign UFL standout offensive guard Zack Johnson after placing Brian Allen on IR

Another offensive lineman has been added to the roster

On the same day that veteran center Brian Allen limped off the practice field, the Browns added another offensive lineman to the roster. According to Aaron Wilson, the Cleveland Browns have signed USFL guard Zack Johnson. Allen has since been placed on Injured Reserve.

Johnson played this past season with the championship Birnigham Stallions and received All-USFL honors. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds. He played several positions on the line in college at North Dakota State. Johnson played both tackle spots and right guard for the Bison before going undrafted in the 2020 draft.

Johnson has bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Packers, Cardinals, Broncos, Ravens, and Titans before heading to the USFL. He will join a stacked room of interior linemen and will be a total long shot to make the roster after camp.

The Browns wrapped up their third training camp practice of the year Saturday with the first padded practice coming up on Monday.

Panthers try out 2 offensive linemen on Monday

The Panthers worked out two offensive linemen on Monday.

The Carolina Panthers did more than lick their wounds on Monday following the painful season-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns. They went to work.

Part of that work included putting eyes on two offensive linemen in a pair of tryouts. Per the league transaction wire, the Panthers brought in guard Zack Johnson and tackle Jean Delance.

Johnson stuck around for five seasons at North Dakota State University, where he earned two All-American nods over his time as a three-year starter. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder then cracked into the pros as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2020.

He has since, in addition to his practice squad stint in Green Bay, picked up stops with the Arizona Cardinals and, most recently, the Denver Broncos. Johnson has not yet recorded a snap in a regular season game.

Delance, like Johnson, broke in as an undrafted rookie. Following his five years at the University of Florida, the 6-foot-5, 307-pound lineman spent the summer of 2022 with the Chicago Bears.

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Broncos cut 4 players to make room on roster for UDFAs signings

ICYMI: Broncos waived OLB Andre Mintze, CB Cortez Davis, OT Drew Himmelman and TE Shaun Beyer. Denver’s now at the 90-man offseason roster limit.

The Denver Broncos cut four players last week to make room on the 90-man offseason roster for their 13 undrafted free agents, the team announced.

The cuts started on Thursday with outside linebacker Andre Mintze, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt last year. Denver has a crowded OLB room and Mintze apparently ranked near the bottom of the depth chart.

After that, the Broncos waived guard Zack Johnson, offensive tackle Drew Himmelman and tight end Shaun Beyer ahead of the start of their rookie minicamp last Friday. Following those moves, Denver’s roster now stands at the 90-man offseason limit.

Story update: Johnson was re-signed on Monday. To make room for Johnson, cornerback Cortez Davis was waived.

The Broncos also recently announced that they re-signed veteran tight end Eric Saubert to a one-year contract. Saubert (6-5, 253 pounds) played in all 17 games with Denver last year (four starts), serving primarily as a blocker (he caught eight passes for 47 yards). Saubert was also a key special teams player for the Broncos in 2021.

Following Saubert’s return, Denver has a somewhat crowded tight end room. Saubert joins Albert Okwuegbunam, Eric Tomlinson, third-round pick Greg Dulcich, Dylan Parham and Rodney Williams at the position.

The Broncos will begin trimming the roster from 90 players down to 53 in August, with a finalized 53-man roster announced in early September.

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Broncos made several roster moves this week

The Broncos signed guard Zack Johnson to the practice squad and made several other roster moves.

Mac McCain III’s going to get whiplash soon.

McCain signed with the Denver Broncos as undrafted free agent out of North Carolina A&T in the spring but did not make the initial 53-man roster. McCain then began the season on Denver’s practice squad.

The Philadelphia Eagles later signed McCain off the Broncos’ practice squad to their active roster, only to cut him on Nov. 9. Denver then claimed McCain off waivers from Philly, and then waived him on Nov. 23.

The Eagles re-claimed McCain on Nov. 24, and he can only hope the bumpy ride he’s had this season will now start to settle down.

Denver also activated guard Austin Schlottmann from the Reserve/COVID-19 list and restored outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu from the Practice Squad/COVID-19 list to the practice squad.

The Broncos also designated inside linebacker Micah Kiser to return from injured reserve. Kiser now has a 21-day window to be activated to the 53-man roster.

Finally, Denver also signed guard Zack Johnson to the practice squad and protected tight end Shaun Beyer and wide receiver Seth Williams on the practice squad. Other teams will not be allowed to poach Beyer or Williams off the Broncos’ practice squad this week.

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Cardinals add OL Zack Johnson to practice squad

He is added to the practice squad after receiver Josh Doctson was placed on the practice squad COVID list.

The Arizona Cardinals announced a number of moves on the practice squad on Wednesday. They made an additional move on Thursday, adding an offensive lineman.

Wednesday’s NFL transaction reports showed that practice squad receiver Josh Doctson was placed on the COVID reserve for the practice squad, which opened a spot on the roster.

They used it to add lineman Zack Johnson, whom they had in for a workout on Tuesday.

Johnson is a 6-6, 315-lb guard who entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2020 out of North Dakota State.

He spent last season with the Green Bay Packers on their practice squad and was with them in training camp before being cut in August.

He can play both tackle and guard.

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Packers elevate rookie OL from practice squad for Week 15

The Packers are bringing up G Zack Johnson, a UDFA from North Dakota State, for Week 15 against the Panthers.

A rookie offensive lineman will make his NFL debut for the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.

The team elevated guard Zack Johnson from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers.

Johnson, an undrafted free agent from North Dakota State, has been with the Packers since late April. He was signed to the practice squad following training camp.

Johnson (6-6, 301) started the final 46 games of his collegiate career and has experience at both guard and tackle, although the Packers list him as a guard.

Teams are allowed to elevate a player from the practice squad twice in a season. Johnson has not been elevated yet in 2020.

The Packers likely want more depth along the offensive line and are out of elevations for Ben Braden, who was on the gameday roster for games against the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. One elevation was as a COVID-19 replacement.

Johnson wears No. 68.

The Packers and Panthers are scheduled for a 7:15 p.m. kickoff from Lambeau Field on Saturday night.

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