HEADLINES

Duke Shelley

AFC Workouts: Snead, Texans, Mims

June 15th, 2025 at 7:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Willie Snead hasn’t seen much success in the NFL since his departure from Baltimore following the 2020 season. The 32-year-old veteran receiver bounced around over the next two years, splitting his 2021 campaign between the Raiders and Panthers before spending two seasons in San Francisco. After an injury placed him on the Dolphins’ injured reserve in last year’s preseason, resulting in him getting cut and sitting out the entire season, Snead is attempting a comeback with a recent tryout with the Chargers.

Los Angeles attempted to improve their receiving corps this offseason through the draft with additions like Ole Miss’ Tre Harris in the second round and Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth. Their top returning wideouts from last year include Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis, and an aging Mike Williams has returned after a year away. The team hosted Snead for a veteran tryout earlier this week, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

Adding Snead would provide some veteran depth to the group. Though he had some resurgent seasons catching balls from Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, he was never able to reach the heights of his surprising first two campaigns in New Orleans. Since leaving the Ravens, his production has been minimal, so it will likely take a stellar tryout to convince the next team to sign him.

Here are a few more workout updates from around the AFC:

  • The Texans continue to work out cornerbacks as the offseason carries on. After the team hosted former Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette on Monday, Houston welcomed Duke Shelley and Keenan Isaac in the days after, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Shelley, a six-year veteran, has 11 starts in his career over time with the Bears and Vikings. The last two years, though, have seen him relegated to specials teams with the Rams and the practice squad of the Giants. Isaac, a former undrafted signee for Tampa Bay in 2023, spent this past United Football League season with Arnette on the Houston Roughnecks.
  • Lastly, the Browns worked out former Saints running back Jordan Mims, per Wilson. With a deep, young group of rushers already on the roster, Mims potential signing would add some camp depth with the possibility of him contributing on special teams as a returner.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s NFL practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: T Spencer Rolland

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Amos is far-removed from his days as a full-time starter in the NFC North. With Talanoa Hufanga on injured reserve, though, and only three safeties on the active roster, Amos could have an opportunity to make an impact in the Bay Area.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/24

September 26th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Without Adoree’ Jackson and Dru Phillips, the Giants will move Shelley up to their gameday roster. Shelley has not played since last season, attending training camp with the Vikings but landing with the Giants shortly after not making Minnesota’s 53-man roster.

Jefferson played in one game this season as a gameday elevation, but this is his first time on a 53-man roster since the 2022 season. Jefferson had retired, spending the 2023 season as a Ravens scouting intern. At 32, he returned to play under Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers will be without Derwin James against the Chiefs due to a one-game suspension, with Jefferson set to serve as a depth piece in Week 4.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/29/24

August 29th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s practice squad rundown, signaling we are indeed close to games that count, begins Thursday. Here is how teams began to handle their 16-man P-squads.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Slovis went to camp with the Colts, joining the team as a UDFA this year. Houston placed Case Keenum on IR and released Tim Boyle, who is now the Dolphins’ P-squad QB. Slovis, who played at USC, Pittsburgh and BYU in college, is now the Texans’ de facto third-stringer.

Shelley has 11 career starts — with the Bears and Vikings — on his resume. He joined the Raiders last year but ended up with the Rams, playing in 11 games as a backup. The Giants have spent time searching for a cornerback answer, having not been too satisfied with their Cor’Dale Flott–Nick McCloud CB2 competition. New York did not make any waiver claims at the position Wednesday.

Reagor, who played for the Patriots last season, is back after being released earlier this week. The former Minnesota first-rounder played in 11 New England games last season, returning a kick for a touchdown. Latu joins the Browns after being a 49ers cut. The 2023 third-round pick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. Jefferson is back with the Bolts hours after being released.

Vikings Cut Robert Tonyan, Kene Nwangwu To Move Down To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 9:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings will begin the season without T.J. Hockenson. In addition to the standout tight end, Minnesota will be without some other notable names. Here is how the Vikings trimmed their roster to 53:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • WR Malik Knowles

Placed on season-ending IR:

Placed on IR/return designation:

The Vikings were taking calls on both Nwangwu and Roy, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero. Minnesota gave Roy’s agent a change to find a trade partner. Neither effort came to fruition, and the duo ventured to waivers. Nwangwu is an interesting cut, as he is the rare kick returner who thrived under the old kickoff setup in its final years. The former fourth-round pick totaled three kick-return TDs from 2021-22. The Vikings could not find room for him, with the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling noting his issues catching on as a pure running back mattered. He has only totaled 27 carries over the past two seasons. A 2023 fifth-rounder, Roy played 96 defensive snaps last season.
Despite Hockenson heading to the reserve/PUP list, the Vikings moved Tonyan off their roster. The rare player to complete a full division sweep, the NFC North veteran signed with the Vikings this offseason. Minnesota only gave the ex-Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit tight end $150K guaranteed. The team still has Johnny Mundt and blocking specialist Josh Oliver at the position. Best known for his 11-touchdown 2020 season, Tonyan also caught 53 passes in 2022. He was not used often in Chicago, however, and Minnesota does not look to have the veteran in its plans.
Wright arrived recently in a trade from the Cowboys. Minnesota sent Dallas former second-round pick Andrew Booth in exchange for Wright, who had one season left on his rookie contract. This has been a rough month for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s first draft; the team waived the player it landed for Booth and cut 2022 first-rounder Lewis Cine as well.
Risner and Murphy can return after four games. The Vikings will move their injury-activation count from eight to six, however, as both players already count toward Minnesota’s regular-season limit. Risner started 11 games with the Vikes last season and re-signed this offseason.

Vikings Sign CB Duke Shelley

July 23rd, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Duke Shelley is back with a familiar team in time for training camp. The veteran corner re-joined the Vikings on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Shelley spent his first three seasons in the league with Chicago, logging six starts and 30 appearances during that span. He did not survive roster cuts in 2022, though, and upon clearing waivers he found himself on the Vikings’ practice squad. The former sixth-rounder made five starts upon signing to Minnesota’s active roster that year, and he recorded his lone career interception during his first Vikings stint (one which predated the arrival of defensive coordinator Brian Flores).

In free agency last offseason, Shelley signed with the Raiders but again he did not manage to secure a roster spot during training camp. The 27-year-old did not need to wait long to find a new home, though, inking a deal with the Rams in September. During his lone Los Angeles campaign, Shelley played 11 games while primarily logging a special teams role.

His third phase experience could help him carve out a roster spot upon his return to Minnesota. Shelley did, however, log a 52% defensive snap share during his first Vikings stint, so he has experience handling at least a rotational role in the secondary. Minnesota has Byron Murphy and free agent addition Shaquill Griffin atop the depth chart as things stand, but Shelley will be able to compete for a backup gig.

The tragic death of rookie Khyree Jackson left the Vikings short on depth at the cornerback spot, and Shelley will aim to land a full-time gig during his return to Minnesota. The team entered Tuesday with over $21MM in cap space, so further roster moves in the coming days and weeks could still take place.

Rams Activate CB Duke Shelley

January 10th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Ben Levine

JANUARY 10: The Rams will end up using their final IR activation on Shelley. Announcing the veteran cornerback’s activation Wednesday, the Rams join the Dolphins and Texans as playoff squads who have used all eight of their IR-return moves this season.

JANUARY 3: Duke Shelley is set to make his return. The Rams announced that they’ve designated the defensive back for return from injured reserve.

With Shelley returning to practice today, the Rams officially kicked off his 21-day window to be activated. The veteran has been on injured reserve since late November while recovering from a hamstring injury.

After spending the preseason with the Raiders, Shelley caught on with the Rams active roster prior to the start of the 2023 campaign. Prior to his injury, Shelley appeared in all 11 games for the Rams, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. In total, Shelley had collected eight tackles, two passes defended, and one fumble recovery during his time in Los Angeles.

When Shelley is ultimately activated from IR, he’ll have a tough time garnering much playing time behind Ahkello Witherspoon, Derion Kendrick, and Cobie Durant. He’ll face some competition from rookie Tre Tomlinson for the fourth spot on the depth chart.

As our Injured Reserve Return Tracker shows, the Rams only have one IR activation remaining. Assuming that goes to Shelley, the team won’t be allowed to activate any more players this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/23

November 27th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Waived from reserve/retired list: WR John Ross

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Ross signed a reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs in January but retired before training camp. The Combine 40-yard dash record holder now intends to resume his career, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Ross, who turned 28 today, has not played in a regular-season game since 2021 with the Giants.

A Raiders spring signee, Shelley did not make Las Vegas’ 53-man roster. The Rams picked him up before the season and have used him mostly on special teams. Shelley, who Bears and Vikings prior to this two-team 2023, has logged 76 defensive snaps this season. But the veteran cornerback has been on the field for 65% of Los Angeles’ special teams plays.

Rams Sign CB Duke Shelley

September 1st, 2023 at 2:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after being let go by the Raiders, Duke Shelley has found a new home. The Rams made him a depth addition to their secondary, per a team announcement on Friday.

Shelley was one of several new corners brought in by the Raiders this offseason after their pass defense struggled in 2022. The 26-year-old did not have an impressive training camp, however, and he found himself out of contention for a starting role as final roster cuts loomed.

It thus came as little surprise that Shelley was among the vested veterans released by Vegas on Tuesday as they set their initial 53-man roster. Unlike players with less than four years of service time, Shelley was not subject to waivers and therefore eligible to sign on the Raiders’ practice squad or another team’s active roster at any time. He has not needed to wait long to find a new opportunity.

The former Bears sixth-rounder spent three years in Chicago, seeing a considerable jump in playing time with each passing season. He remained in the NFC North last year with the Vikings, during which time he started five of 11 contests and recorded his first career interception. Shelley also took a step forward in terms his coverage statistics, allowing a passer rating of 55.2 when targeted. He was nevertheless a member of a Minnesota secondary which understandably saw a number of changes made to it this offseason.

After failing to secure a full-time spot in Vegas, Shelley will attempt to do so with the Rams. As is the case at a number of positions, Los Angeles does not have any big-money commitments at the CB spot with Jalen Ramsey no longer in the picture. Shelley will be competing for playing time amongst the likes of Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, Ahkello Witherspoon, Shaun Jolly and sixth-round rookie Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.

Raiders Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 29th, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders cut down their roster to 53 players today. However, in the process, they were forced to move on from a handful of veterans:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • OT Dalton Wagner

The Raiders signed Jaquan Johnson early during free agency, and there was hope he’d provide some experienced depth to their secondary. Ultimately, the team decided to go in another direction, but that doesn’t mean the safety won’t quickly find another gig elsewhere. Johnson got into 60 games for the Bills over the past four years, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with a career-high 32 tackles and one interception.

On the other side of the ball, the organization moved on from some notable offensive weapons. Keelan Cole Sr. got into 14 games for the Raiders last season, collecting 10 receptions for 141 yards. Phillip Dorsett II joined Las Vegas this offseason after spending the 2022 campaign with the Texans, where he hauled in 20 catches. Damien Williams has close to 500 touches in the NFL, although he only got into one game for the lowly Falcons last season.

Load More Posts