NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/20
We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Rick Leonard
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DB Tyler Hall, QB Kyle Lauletta, DT David Moa
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Sean Culkin
- Placed on practice squad IR: Xavier Grimble
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Marqui Christian
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: G Alex Redmond
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Jalen Jelks, K Matthew McCrane
- Released: DT Tanzel Smart
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Deyon Sizer
Detroit Lions
- Released: RB Jonathan Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Released: LB Greg Roberts
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Hale Hentges, TE Ethan Wolf
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DB Josh Nurse
- Released: RB Craig Reynolds
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Jahleel Addae
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Nate Meadors
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Jermaine Grace
- Released: OL Tyler Haycraft
New York Jets
- Released: LB Paul Worrilow
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Alex Barrett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Daniel Helm
Falcons To Carry Two QBs On Practice Squad
The Falcons agreed to add 14 players to their practice squad Sunday. Teams can re-sign players they cut to P-squads if they clear waivers after Saturday’s cuts.
Atlanta will take the unusual step of carrying two P-squad quarterbacks. The team cut both Kyle Lauletta and Kurt Benkert on Saturday, but both landed on the Falcons’ taxi squad. Teams are allowed to carry 16 players — up from 10 in 2019 — on their squads.
Benkert, who was with Atlanta in 2019, and Lauletta — a recent Giants draftee who recently joined the Falcons — will play behind active-roster QBs Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub. Here is the Falcons’ full squad:
- CB Delrick Abrams Jr.
- QB Kurt Benkert
- S Jamal Carter
- DE Austin Edwards
- WR Juwan Green
- CB Tyler Hall
- OL Sean Harlow
- CB Josh Hawkins
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- P Cameron Nizialek
- TE Jared Pinkney
- LB Edmond Robinson
- WR Chris Rowland
- OL John Wetzel
Falcons Release Laquon Treadwell, Slash Roster To 53
Here are the players the Falcons cut to trim their roster to the 53-man regular-season limit:
Waived:
- DB Delrick Abrams Jr.
- DT Hinwa Allieu
- OT Ka’John Armstrong
- QB Kurt Benkert
- DB Jamal Carter
- DB Chris Cooper
- RB Mikey Daniel
- DE Austin Edwards
- OG Justin Gooseberry
- WR Devin Gray
- WR Juwan Green
- DB Tyler Hall
- OG Sean Harlow
- DB Josh Hawkins
- OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
- OT Sailosi Latu
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- WR Jalen McCleskey
- TE Jared Pinkney
- RB Craig Reynolds
- LB Edmond Robinson
- WR Chris Rowland
- LB Ray Wilborn
Released:
- WR Laquon Treadwell
- DB J.J. Wilcox
Atlanta added Treadwell last year but did not see a considerable impact from the former first-round pick. The Vikings cut Treadwell ahead of the 2019 regular season, following the formerly coveted prospects struggles to claim a consistent role in Minnesota.
Wilcox re-signed with the Falcons a month ago. He has played for five teams but has not seen regular-season action since the 2018 season. The former Cowboys started suffered a season-ending injury last summer.
The cuts of Benkert and Lauletta leave two quarterbacks — Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub — on Atlanta’s roster. With Ryan being one of the most durable passers in the NFL, the Falcons can take advantage of an extra roster spot by keeping just two QBs.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Kyle Lauletta
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB James Onwualu
- Waived/injured: WR Tommylee Lewis
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: T Pace Murphy, TE Charlie Taumoepeau, QB Clayton Thorson
- Waived/injured: OT Mitch Hyatt, OT Wyatt Miller
Denver Broncos
- Acquired via trade: 2021 7th-Round Pick (from Giants)
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: RB Tony Brooks-James, LB Jordan Fehr, TE Stacy Keely, LB Quentin Poling, DE Anthony Zettel
- Placed on IR: DE Kenny Willekes
New York Giants
- Acquired via trade: CB Isaac Yiadom
- Signed: C Jon Halapio, WR Johnny Holton, LS Carson Tinker
- Waived: S Jaquarius Landrews, OL Jackson Dennis
- Waived/injured: TE Rysen John
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
- Waived: LB B.J. Bello, DL Sterling Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Cameron Malveaux
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
- Waived: G Avery Gennesy
NFL Workout Updates: 8/28/20
Here are the workouts that took place around the NFL on Friday:
Buffalo Bills
- DT Daryle Banfield
- DT Toby Johnson
- DT Akeem Spence
- DT Gabe Wright
Chicago Bears
- LB Devante Bond
- RB Napoleon Maxwell (visit)
- LB Gabe Sewell
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Hasan Sharif
Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Darren Andrews
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- WR Charone Peake
- WR T.J. Rahming
- QB Kyle Shurmur
Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Workout Updates: 8/21/20
Here are the notable workouts teams conducted recently:
Carolina Panthers
- LB Devante Bond, LB Corey Nelson, LB Julian Stanford
Chicago Bears
- DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DT Jay Bromley, DT Nazair Jones, CB Brandon Williams, DB Howard Wilson
Detroit Lions
- DE Jayrone Elliott, DT T.Y. McGill
Houston Texans
- LS Andrew DePaola, RB Tyler Gaffney, LS Carson Tinker
Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins
- QB Jake Rudock (visit)
New York Jets
Eagles Eyeing Quarterbacks In Draft?
During the pre-draft process, the Eagles have been doing some due diligence on a number of quarterbacks expected to be late-round selections in the upcoming draft, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports, and he expects the team to come away with one. Mike Kaye of NJ.com examines four potential fits and what the fallout of their selections could mean for the other backup quarterbacks on the roster like Kyle Lauletta and Nate Sudfeld.
While no Day 3 pick would be expected to compete for the team’s starting job, held by Carson Wentz, his extensive injury history makes questions about the team’s backup a particular concern for the defending NFC East champs. Of course, Philly may be less focused on replacing Lauletta and Sudfeld and more so targeting a raw prospect who can develop next season on the team’s practice squad.
The 26-year old Sudfeld is entering his fourth NFL season but has only thrown 25 career passes. Just a 6th round pick out of Indiana in 2016, Sudfeld at one time, developed a decent reputation with some speculating he could be a starter elsewhere down the road. In fact, the Eagles applied a restricted-free agent tender on him just last offseason. However, this year as an unrestricted free agent his market was not quite as lively and he returned on a one-year, $2MM deal.
Lauletta was selected in the 4th round by the Giants in 2018, but general manager Dave Gettleman and co. waived him after just one season on the roster. The Eagles signed him to their practice squad last season, but their long-term vision for his role remains unknown. With such little proven talent behind the oft injured Wentz it makes sense that the team is looking at bringing in some competition.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/6/20
Here are Monday’s reserve/futures deals:
Green Bay Packers
- WR Reggie Begelton, RB Elijah Wellman
Miami Dolphins
- QB Jake Rudock
New England Patriots
- WR Quincy Adeboyejo, LB Terez Hall, S Obi Melifonwu, S Adarius Pickett, WR Devin Ross, DL Nick Thurman, G Najee Toran
Oakland Raiders
- CB Dylan Mabin
Philadelphia Eagles
- WR River Cracraft, TE Alex Ellis, WR Marcus Green, DT Albert Huggins, QB Kyle Lauletta, WR Marken Michel, C Keegan Render, CB Tremon Smith
Notable NFL Practice Squad Salaries
Playing on an NFL practice squad isn’t a bad gig. You work with a club’s 53-man roster every week, have a good chance to get called up if/when injuries strike, and collect a solid paycheck ($8K per week minimum). And for some practice squaders, the pay can get even better.
While all practice squad salaries count towards the salary cap, there’s no restriction on how much a team can pay a practice squad player. When a club desperately wants to retain a player but can’t fit him on its 53, they’ll often bump up his salary in an effort to keep him around. Here’s a look at several players who are earning much more than the NFL’s $8K per week standard, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):
- 49ers LB Elijah Lee ($37,941)
- 49ers S Marcell Harris ($30K)
- Ravens CB Maurice Canady ($26K)
- Jets RB Josh Adams ($25K)
- Jets OL Calvin Anderson ($20K)
- Eagles OL Sua Opeta ($20K)
- Broncos QB Brett Rypien ($20K)
- Eagles QB Kyle Lauletta ($20K)
- Dolphins QB Jake Rudock ($20K)
- Colts OL Jackson Barton ($20K)
The 49ers clearly have no problem with spending a little extra on practice squad players, as both Lee and Harris are earning at least $22K more than the league PS minimum. Lee’s been with San Francisco since 2017 and started five games for the club last season, but the 49ers’ front seven depth is keeping him on the taxi squad for now. Harris, too, was a part-time starter for San Francisco in 2018.
The quarterbacks on the list are also interesting. Rypien has been deemed Broncos’ offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello‘s “project” and could be called up to the active roster at some point given that Denver is only carrying two quarterbacks in Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen (rookie second-rounder Drew Lock is on injured reserve). And the rebuilding Dolphins seem intent on hanging onto Rudock, who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Lions.
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Redskins are noted below.
Additionally, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads today. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
New York Giants
- Claimed:
- WR Cody Core
- OL Eric Smith
- Waived:
- WR Alonzo Russell
- OL Brian Mihalik
- Signed to practice squad:
- DL Freedom Akinmoladun
- OL Evan Brown
- LB Jake Carlock
- TE C.J. Conrad
- RB Jon Hilliman
- DT Chris Slayton
- LB Josiah Tauaefa
- WR Reggie White Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to practice squad:
- TE Alex Ellis
- WR Marcus Green
- DT Bruce Hector
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- G Sua Opeta
- TE Josh Perkins
- RB Boston Scott
- LB Alex Singleton
- WR Greg Ward
Washington Redskins
- Claimed:
- Waived:
- Placed on IR:
- LB Jordan Brailford
- RB Shaun Wilson
- Signed to practice squad:
- CB Adonis Alexander
- DE Ryan Bee
- WR Jehu Chesson
- TE J.P. Holtz
- T Timon Parris
- S Jeremy Reaves
- RB Craig Reynolds
- WR Cam Sims
- LB Darrell Williams