Steelers Get Down To 53
The Steelers were able to get down to the required 53 players today with the following roster moves:
Released:
- RB La’Mical Perine
- RB Jonathan Ward
- WR Quez Watkins
Waived:
- RB Jack Colletto
- OL TyKeem Doss
- OL Joey Fisher
- WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- DB Zyon Gilbert
- DB Thomas Graham
- LB Marcus Haynes
- WR Jaray Jenkins
- LB Kyron Johnson
- QB John Rhys Plumlee
- DL Willington Previlon
- RB Aaron Shampklin
- DL Jacob Slade
- TE Matt Sokol
- LB Luquay Washington
- WR Duece Watts
- TE Rodney Williams
- LB Jacoby Windmon
Placed on IR:
- DB Ryan Watts
- LB Julius Welschof
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- OL Dylan Cook
- LB Jeremiah Moon
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- LB Cole Holcomb
Holcomb, Cook, and Moon will be sitting out the first four games of 2024, at least. Watts is the only 2024 draft pick for Pittsburgh who will not be on the active roster to start the year. He and Welschof, one of only two of the team’s five undrafted free agent signees who weren’t waived by today, will miss the entire season.
West Virginia standout cornerback Beanie Bishop is the only undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster. With Cameron Sutton starting out the year serving a suspension, Bishop could easily find his way into the starting nickelback role.
The Steelers are also coming into 2024 with a thin wide receiving corps. The only receivers on the active roster are George Pickens, Van Jefferson, rookie Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, and Calvin Austin.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/17/24
Wednesday’s reserve/futures contracts:
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- WR Martavis Bryant, RB Snoop Conner, RB Malik Davis
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- CB Luq Barcoo, T Tyler Beach, WR Marquez Callaway, FB Jack Colletto, T Kellen Diesch, S Jalen Elliott, G Joey Fisher, WR Dez Fitzpatrick, T Devery Hamilton, T Anderson Hardy, WR Keilahn Harris, DL Jonathan Marshall, C Ryan McCollum, WR Denzel Mims, RB Aaron Shampklin, DT Jacob Slade, WR Duece Watts
Bryant joined the Cowboys in November, and though he didn’t appear in any games, Bryant left a good impression in Dallas after several weeks on the practice squad. He was released late in the season as the team shuffled the roster a bit but makes his return to Dallas for the offseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/20/23
Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Jeff Smith
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Robert Rochell
- Released: CB Mark Milton
Chicago Bears
- Signed: T Austen Pleasants
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OLB Mitchell Agude, RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Darius Phillips, T Dan Skipper
- Released: DE Chris Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Cameron Dantzler
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Irvin Charles
- Released: DT Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Kyron Johnson, RB Bryant Koback
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Duece Watts
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Carl Davis, WR Tyjon Lindsey, CB Teez Tabor
- Released: WR Matt Landers, CB Robert Rochell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Deadrin Senat
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Jaleel Johnson
Packers Place CB Eric Stokes On PUP, Set 53-Man Roster
The Packers will roll into the 2023 campaign without cornerback Eric Stokes, who was placed on PUP today. The organization made additional moves to get to the 53-man roster limit:
Released:
Waived:
- TE Austin Allen
- LB Keshawn Banks
- WR Jadakis Bonds
- WR Cody Chrest
- T Jean Delance
- WR Grant DuBose
- C James Empey
- CB Tyrell Ford
- S Innis Gaines
- CB Elijah Hamilton
- CB William Hooper
- CB Shemar Jean-Charles
- DL Jason Lewan
- RB Nate McCrary
- QB Alex McGough
- WR Bo Melton
- WR Dre Miller
- LB Arron Mosby
- DL Antonio Moultrie
- LB Kenneth Odumegwu
- LS Matt Orzech
- FB Henry Pearson
- LB Jimmy Phillips Jr.
- LB Marvin Pierre
- S Benny Sapp III
- C Cole Schneider
- DL Chris Slayton
- RB Patrick Taylor
- T Kadeem Telfort
- CB Kiondre Thomas
- WR Duece Watts
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- CB Eric Stokes
Placed on IR:
Waived/injured:
- RB Tyler Goodson
- LS Broughton Hatcher
- RB Lew Nichols
Stokes continues to rehab from foot and knee injuries that limited him to only nine games in 2022. His placement on PUP means he’ll have to sit out at least the first four games before being eligible for activation. The 2021 first-round pick has started 23 of his 25 appearances for the Packers, collecting 81 tackles, 14 passes defended, and one interception.
Meanwhile, Moore won’t be eligible to play for the Packers in 2023 after getting placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Moore joined the Packers this offseason after spending the first five seasons of his career with the 49ers. He sat out the entire 2021 campaign but otherwise appeared in 61 games across four healthy seasons with San Francisco, collecting 108 tackles.
Packers Sign 12 UDFAs
With the draft in the rearview mirror, teams’ undrafted free agent contingents are surfacing. The Packers announced theirs, a 12-man class. Here is how that group stacks up:
- LB Keshawn Banks (San Diego State)
- LB Brenton Cox Jr. (Florida)
- G Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota)
- WR Malik Heath (Ole Miss)
- DL Jason Lewan (Illinois State)
- TE Camren McDonald (Florida State)
- S Christian Morgan (Baylor)
- FB Henry Pearson (Appalachian State)
- LB Jimmy Phillips Jr. (SMU)
- S Benny Sapp III (Northern Iowa)
- T Kadeem Telfort (UAB)
- WR Duece Watts (Tulane)
As was the case last year, 2023 UDFA groups will come in older than the ones in the 2010s. The NCAA’s extraordinary rule change granting players whose careers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic an additional season of eligibility continues to impact college rosters and the NFL. While players atop the draft are mostly unaffected, late-rounders and the UDFA tier will produce plenty of mid-20-somethings.
Benny Sapp III is the son of former Chiefs, Vikings and Dolphins defensive back Benny Sapp Jr. The Division I-FCS product participated in 19 games in 2021, with the pandemic moving FCS and Division II to the spring, and finished his 2022 senior season as an All-American. A Minnesota transfer, Sapp intercepted four passes and forced two fumbles last season. Filiaga spent five seasons at Michigan before joining the Golden Gophers; he worked as Minnesota’s full-time right guard last season.
Heath also made an intraconference transfer, changing Egg Bowl sides by moving from Mississippi State to Ole Miss. The 6-foot-2, 213-pound wideout produced his best season with the Rebels, catching 60 passes for 971 yards and five touchdowns. Watts joins Heath in following a three-wideout Packers draft class. Watts caught eight touchdown passes for the Green Wave last season, averaging 19.9 yards per catch. Pearson
A Florida transfer, Telfort earned first-team All-Conference USA acclaim as the Blazers’ left tackle. Telfort blocked for UAB running back DeWayne McBride; a Vikings fifth-round pick, McBride led Division I-FBS in rushing yards per game last season. Cox totaled eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss for the Gators in 2021 but saw his 2022 season come to an end early due to a dismissal from the team.