NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/25
Today’s practice squad moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: S Patrick McMorris
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Jalen Kimber, LB Baylon Spector
- Released: LB Otis Reese
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Keion Crossen, G Darrian Dalcourt
- Released: S Israel Mukuamu, G Aiden Williams
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: S Julius Wood
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Troy Pride Jr.
- Released: CB Mike Hilton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Tim Jones
- Released: WR Erik Ezukanma
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: P Brad Robbins
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: T Matt Waletzko
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Jashaun Corbin
- Released: G Royce Newman
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Ronnie Bell, TE Moliki Matavao
- Released: T Sataoa Laumea, WR Tommy Mellott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: S Jaylen Mahoney
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Owen Wright
- Released: G Sua Opeta
Tennessee Titans
- Released: CB Alex Johnson
Titans Cut 16 Players
The Titans are among the teams to make early decisions on roster cuts. Teams have barely 24 hours to set their initial 53-man rosters. Here are the 16 players Tennessee has parted with on its journey from 90 to 53:
Released:
Waived:
- DB Joshuah Bledsoe
- DT Josiah Bronson
- LB Amari Burney
- DE Desmond Evans
- DB Jermari Harris
- WR Jha’Quan Jackson
- DB Jalen Kimber
- DB Clarence Lewis
- DB Davion Ross
- WR TJ Sheffield
- DT T.J. Smith
- DB Julius Wood
Waived/Injured:
- WR Matt Landers
Mustipher is the most notable name included here, having started 40 games for the Bears as their primary center from 2020-22. He has been unable to commandeer a similar role elsewhere, bouncing around the league since his 2023 Chicago exit. Mustipher started one game for the Chargers last season, joining the Titans for no guaranteed money. Hambright and Gaziano each debuted in 2020; the former played in four Titans games last season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DE Ronnie Perkins
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: RB Sincere McCormick
- Placed on IR: WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LS Jake McQuaide
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): RB Israel Abanikanda
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster (from Lions practice squad): S Kaevon Merriweather
Tennessee Titans
- Suspended: S Julius Wood
Sincere McCormick has seen a larger role in recent weeks as a practice squad elevation, and now the running back will be secured to the Raiders active roster. After spending the past few years hanging around the organization, the former UDFA finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. With the Raiders dealing with a depleted RB room in recent weeks, McCormick has seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him collecting 65 yards from scrimmage on Black Friday.
Julius Wood has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The safety will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign and one game in 2025. The undrafted rookie has appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans moves are noted below.
Houston Texans
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- DE Solomon Byrd, OT Cameron Erving, DE Malik Fisher, FB Troy Hairston, DT Marcus Harris, WR Johnny Johnson, T David Sharpe, RB J.J. Taylor, LB Max Tooley, LB Zeke Turner, OL Kilian Zierer
Reverted to IR:
Indianapolis Colts
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
- CB Darrell Baker Jr.
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, DE Genard Avery, QB Jason Bean, S Marcel Dabo, RB Evan Hull, CB Chris Lammons, WR D.J. Montgomery, CB Jaylin Simpson, CB Ameer Speed, WR Laquon Treadwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- TE Shawn Bowman, CB Christian Braswell, WR Joshua Cephus, DE D.J. Coleman, WR Elijah Cooks, TE Josiah Deguara, S Terrell Edmunds, CB Tre Flowers, DE Joe Gaziano, RB Jalen Jackson, OL Steven Jones, LB Tanner Muse, QB E.J. Perry, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, WR Austin Trammell
Tennessee Titans
Signed:
Claimed:
- DE Ali Gaye, DB Julius Wood
Waived:
- TE Nick Vannett, OLB Rashad Weaver
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Abdullah Anderson, DB Tre Avery, DE Khalid Duke, DT Isaiah Iton, DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally, DB Anthony Kendall, WR Mason Kinsey, C Corey Levin, WR Bryce Oliver, RB Jabari Small, G Cole Spencer, T Leroy Watson
Cowboys Reduce Roster To 53 Players
After some late trades and signings, the Cowboys joined in the NFL’s mass exodus of players to get their roster down to 53 players:
Released:
- RB Royce Freeman
- LB Darius Harris
- DE Carl Lawson
- C Dakoda Shepley
- LB Nick Vigil
Waived:
- T Josh Ball
- DB Josh Butler
- RB Snoop Conner
- WR Jalen Cropper
- RB Malik Davis
- DT Denzel Daxon
- TE Princeton Fant
- DB Kemon Hall
- WR Kelvin Harmon
- DB Emany Johnson
- WR Racey McMath
- LB Brock Mogensen
- DT Justin Rogers
- DB Julius Wood
Placed on IR:
- T Nathan Thomas
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- CB DaRon Bland
A number of veterans who were hoping to make the team in Dallas this year saw that hope come to an end. Freeman couldn’t compete with the young backups behind Ezekiel Elliott. Lawson couldn’t contribute to a depleted defensive line, either.
Rogers, the team’s seventh-round pick out of Auburn, is the only drafted rookie to be waived, though Thomas, the team’s other seventh-round pick out of Louisiana, will miss the entire season on injured reserve.
Brevyn Spann-Ford didn’t end up getting drafted, but the 24-year-old, 6-foot-7 tight end out of Minnesota will be the fourth tight end on the roster to start the year.
Cowboys Expected To Sign 12-Man UDFA Class
The Cowboys were able to address some big needs in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding to both the offensive and defensive fronts with an eight-man draft class. Thanks to 12 undrafted free agents expected to sign with Dallas on Thursday, the Cowboys anticipate heading into the summer with a rookie class of 20 players. Here are the undrafted additions:
- Corey Crooms, WR (Minnesota)
- Denzel Daxon, DT (Illinois)
- Josh DeBerry, S (Texas A&M)
- Alec Holler, TE (UCF)
- Cam Johnson, WR (Northwestern)
- Emany Johnson, S (Nevada)
- Jason Johnson, LB (UCF)
- Brock Mogensen, LB (South Dakota)
- Nathaniel Peat, RB (Missouri)
- Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE (Minnesota)
- Byron Vaughns, DE (Baylor)
- Julius Wood, S (East Carolina)
On offense, Peat brings some serious speed to the table. After three years at Stanford and a season at Missouri, the son of two college track athletes posted a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Two receivers join on offense, as well. Johnson finally found the best place for his production with the Wildcats after four years at Vanderbilt and one at Arizona State, catching for 715 yards and six touchdowns in Evanston. Crooms transferred to Minnesota after two impressive years at Western Michigan, in which he combined for 1,582 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he failed to match that production with the Golden Gophers.
Croom’s teammate, Spann-Ford, comes out of free agency as one of the top run-blocking tight ends in the draft class. The Cowboys had to spend a bit to ink him, promising a $20K signing bonus and fully guaranteeing his base salary of $225K, per Aaron Williams of KPRC 2. He didn’t add much to the receiving game in Minneapolis, though. Neither did Holler in Orlando, but he did have some circus catches here and there to go along with his strong blocking profile.
Some productive players could contribute on defense, as well. Vaughns didn’t get a chance to shine at Texas but showed how disruptive he could be at Utah State and Baylor, combining for 27.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three seasons at the two schools. At linebacker, Johnson was a tackling machine, recording three straight 100-plus-tackle seasons at Eastern Illinois in 2021 and UCF the past two years. He was one of the top undrafted linebacker options following the draft. Mogensen contributed back-to-back 100-plus-tackle seasons himself for the Coyotes.
The team also adds three capable safety options. DeBerry was one of the top secondary players in the ACC at Boston College before transferring to College Station. Johnson spent six years at Nevada but only got to start in 2023 for the Wolf Pack. He made the most of the opportunity with 99 tackles, three picks, and four passes defensed. Lastly, Wood was a menace for the Pirates in two years as a starter, delivering bone-crunching hits and showing a strong nose for the football at East Carolina.
