NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/18
Here are Saturday’s practice squad decisions:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Phillip Walker
Colts Promote TE Erik Swoope
With Jack Doyle set to miss this weekend’s game against the Eagles, the Colts have added a tight end to their active roster. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team has promoted Erik Swoope from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the Colts waived cornerback Lenzy Pipkins.
After having spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with Indy, Swoope was released by the Colts last week. He ended up catching on with the team’s practice squad, a move that should pay off this weekend. Doyle is set to miss several weeks as he recovers from a hip ailment, leaving the Colts to roll with only Eric Ebron and Ryan Hewitt. Swoope will at least provide the Colts with some reinforcement at the position, even if he’s at the bottom of the depth chart.
The Colts were hoping they landed the next Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates when they signed the undrafted free agent back in 2014. Up to that point, Swoope had never played organized football, but the six-foot-five forward did play 110 games for the Miami Hurricanes basketball team over four seasons. After appearing in only a single game as a rookie, Swoope proceeded to play in 16 games (four starts) in 2015, hauling in 15 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown. He sat out all of the 2017 campaign after undergoing minor knee surgery.
Pipkins was traded by the Packers to the Colts in late August for linebacker Antonio Morrison. He was waived prior to the regular season, but he caught on with the practice squad and was later promoted. In 12 games with Green Bay in 2017, the former undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State compiled 15 tackles and one pass defended.
Colts Injury Updates
- The Colts will be quite shorthanded for their trip to Philadelphia as the team ruled out tight end Jack Doyle, running back Marlon Mack, defensive tackle Denico Autry, and right tackle Anthony Castonzo. Doyle’s injury is a big blow, as he formed an effective tight end duo with Eric Ebron through the first two games.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/18/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad updates.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Nigel Harris
- Cut: LB B.J. Bello
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Taveze Calhoun
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Michael Hunter, WR Hunter Sharp
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Adolphus Washington
- Cut: DT Aziz Shittu
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Isaac Whitney
- Cut: WR Malachi Dupre
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Jeremy McNichols
- Cut: QB Phillip Walker
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE David Wells
Los Angeles Rams
- Cut: TE Temarrick Hemingway, QB Luis Perez
- Signed: T Darrell Williams
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Jace Billingsley
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Riley McCarron
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Lavon Coleman
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Darius Kilgo, WR Cameron Batson, TE Anthony Firkser
- Cut: TE Jerome Cunningham
NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s of Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Baltimore Ravens
- G Jonathan Cooper, G Dillon Day, G Jamil Douglas, C T.J. Johnson, G Austin Pasztor, G Ian Silberman, T Darrell Williams. (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley)
Cincinnati Bengals
- S Quin Blanding, DT Joshua Frazier, S Mike Mitchell, DT Elijah Qualls, DE Charles Tapper (Twitter links via Balzer and Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan)
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- S Andrew Adams, CB David Amerson, CB Alex Carter, CB Michael Hunter, CB Jeremy Lane (via the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, on Twitter)
Indianapolis Colts
- CB Johnathan Alston, CB De’Vante Bausby, S Kurtis Drummond, Jackson Porter, CB Josh Shaw (Visit, link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- P Joseph Davidson (link)
New York Jets
- CB De’Vante Bausby, DT Michael Bennett, WR Jace Billingsley, T Gerhard de Beer, LB Azeem Victor, Adolphus Washington (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- G Kofi Amichia, G Spencer Drango, G Kaleb Johnson, T Rees Odhiambo (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- TE Nick O’Leary (link)
Tennessee Titans
- WR Nick Williams (link)
Washington Redskins
- TE Evan Baylis, TE Pharaoh Brown, TE Vince Mayle, WR Tre McBride, QB Josh Woodrum (link)
Carson Wentz To Start In Week 3
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has been medically cleared and will start against the Colts on Sunday, the club announced today.
Wentz is roughly nine months removed from tearing his ACL, so it’s no surprise Philadelphia used a cautious approach with its franchise signal-caller. While he’d been cleared for 11-on-11 drills, Wentz hadn’t been cleared for full contact until today. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has previously indicated Wentz will need a week of full contact practice before he’ll be re-inserted as the club’s starter.
The Eagles had the luxury of deploying Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles during their first two games and managed to post a 1-1 record. Foles wasn’t very effective during Philadelphia’s Week 1 win over the Falcons, as he completed just 56% of his passes for 117 yards and one interceptions. He performed much better against the Buccaneers on Sunday (73% completion rate, 334 yards, one touchdown), but the Eagles still lost 27-21.
Wentz, of course, was playing at an MVP pace before going down last December. In 13 starts, Wentz posted 3,296 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions and was named second-team All-Pro despite missing three games. Among the 26 quarterbacks with at least 350 attempts in 2017, Wentz ranked second in ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating, fourth in passer rating, and fourth in adjusted yards per attempt.
Wentz won’t return with his full arsenal at hand, as wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is still recovering from shoulder surgery while Mike Wallace injured his ankle on Sunday. However, Jeffery is expected to practice on a limited basis this week, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, so he could return to game action in the near future. And Wallace will not be placed on injured reserve after fracturing his fibula, Pederson said today, which means the Eagles may believe he could return later this year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/18
Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Will Holden, TE Erik Swoope
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Shilique Calhoun
- Cut: DT Gabe Wright
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson
- Cut: RB Lavon Coleman
Anthony Castonzo Experiences Setback
A hamstring injury has bothered Anthony Castonzo for months now, but after missing Week 1, the Colts’ starting left tackle was on track to suit up Sunday. He won’t, however.
Frank Reich confirmed Castonzo experienced a setback during Wednesday’s practice and is out Sunday, per Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com (on Twitter).
The first-year coach added the Colts are not yet considering IR as an option for Castonzo, (Twitter link via Chappell), but the eighth-year blocker’s been battling this issue since before training camp began. Castonzo returned from an offseason hamstring injury in camp, but a setback in August caused him to miss most of Indianapolis’ camp schedule.
Castonzo’s started every game he’s played as a Colt, 105 dating back to the first-rounder’s 2011 debut. He’s played a full 16 games in five of his seven seasons and has never missed more than four in a season. The Colts started rookie Braden Smith in Castonzo’s place last week.
The Colts, though, will deploy a new O-line combination given that J’Marcus Webb is now on IR.
Colts Waive TE Erik Swoope
Erik Swoope‘s tenure with the Colts has come to an end. Adam Caplan tweets that Indy has waived the tight end. Defensive tackle Jihad Ward has been promoted from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.
The Colts were hoping they landed the next Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates when they signed the undrafted free agent back in 2014. Up to that point, Swoope had never played organized football, but the six-foot-five forward did play 110 games for the Miami Hurricanes basketball team over four seasons.
After appearing in only a single game as a rookie, Swoope proceeded to play in 16 games (four starts) in 2015, hauling in 15 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown. However, he sat out all of the 2017 campaign after undergoing minor knee surgery, and he found himself behind Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron on the depth chart heading into 2018. With Ryan Hewitt on the roster and Ross Travis sitting on IR, the Colts decided it was time to move on from the 26-year-old.
Ward, a second-round pick by the Raiders back in 2016, was traded to the Cowboys back in April. However, he failed to make the roster, and he caught on with the Colts practice squad earlier this month. The 24-year-old showed promise as a rookie, compiling 30 tackles in 16 games (13 starts). Unfortunately, a foot injury limited him to only five games last season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/18
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves.
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Ryan Lewis
- Cut: T De’Ondre Wesley
Denver Broncos
- Cut: WR Carlos Henderson
Indianapolis Colts
- Cut: RB Jeremy McNichols
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Brian Mihalik
- Cut: LB Calvin Munson
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Ben Braden
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Shalom Luani