NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/4/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: K Blake Haubeil, G Patrick Omameh, QB Jordan Ta’amu
Chicago Bears
- Waived: DB Dee Virgin
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, RB Artavis Pierce
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DT Josiah Bronson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Shon Coleman
Green Bay Packers
- Released: OL Jon Dietzen, CB Jayson Stanley
New Orleans Saints
- Released: RB Josh Adams
New York Jets
- Released: LB LaRoy Reynolds
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Nate Brooks, CB Isaiah Johnson, RB Tavien Feaster
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE Jordan Brailford
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Blake Haubeil
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Chris Blewitt
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Devante Bond
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Aaron Adeoye, OT Adrian Ealy, CB Jayson Stanley, RB Kerrith Whyte
Houston Texans
- Signed: OG Sam Cooper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Asmar Bilal
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Kyle Markway
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Omari Cobb
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Joshua Perkins, TE Brandon Dillon
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Tyler Vaunghns
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Tyler Bray, LB Mark Nzeocha, P Colby Wadman
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: RB Adrian Peterson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Caleb Scott
- Released: T Cedric Ogbuehi
Titans Claim K Sam Ficken Off Waivers
It didn’t take long for Sam Ficken to find a new home. Just a day after getting cut by the Jets, the kicker has been claimed by the Titans, the team announced Sunday.
Tennessee cut fellow kicker Blake Haubeil in a corresponding roster move, and also announced they’ve placed tight end Briley Moore on injured reserve. A Penn State product, Ficken went undrafted in 2015. He didn’t even sign his first NFL contract until 2016, and didn’t make a regular season roster until December of 2017 with the Rams. He kicked in a few games with Los Angeles between 2017-18, both times as a fill-in for an injured Greg Zuerlein.
After quick stints with the Seahawks and Packers, Ficken eventually landed with the Jets in September of 2019, where he found his first real home. He’s been New York’s kicker for most of the last two seasons, with mixed results. Injuries limited him to only nine games last year, in which he made 13 of 15 field goals and 12 of 15 extra points.
In 2019 he was shakier, making only 19 of 27 field goal attempts across 15 games. He’ll now battle it out with Tucker McCann to be the Titans’ next permanent kicker after they elected not to re-sign Stephen Gostkowski this offseason.
Haubeil is an undrafted rookie from Ohio State. Moore is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State who suffered a knee injury.
Titans Sign 10 UDFAs
If you’re a big fan of undrafted free agents, we’ve got TEN more for you. The Titans announced today that they’ve added 10 rookies to their roster:
- OL Cole Banwart, Iowa
- FB Tory Carter, LSU
- TE Miller Forristall, Alabama
- K Blake Haubeil, Ohio State
- OL Chandon Herring, Brigham Young
- DL Naquan Jones, Michigan State
- TE Briley Moore, Kansas State
- LB Justus Reed, Virginia Tech
- RB Mekhi Sargent, Iowa
- P James Smith, Cincinnati
Who were the big earners? Carter earned $50K guaranteed, which includes $37.5K of his base salary (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). Jones got $45K in guaranteed money, which includes $35K in base salary and a $10K signing bonus (via Wilson), while Forristall received $23K in guaranteed money (via Wilson).
Per usual with these kind of signings, the special teams additions are especially interesting. It doesn’t seem like veteran kicker Stephen Gostkowski will be back, meaning Haubeil will likely be competing with 2020 undrafted free agent Tucker McCann for the kicking gig. It’d be more difficult for Smith to make the roster considering the presence of Pro Bowler Brett Kern, but the team could be starting to prepare for the veteran punter’s inevitable retirement.