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 Move J’Marcus Webb To IR
J’Marcus Webb picked up a start for his fifth team on Sunday, but the veteran offensive lineman won’t have a chance to suit up again for a while. He may miss the rest of the season.
The Colts placed Webb on IR on Tuesday and promoted cornerback Lenzy Pipkins, a recent trade acquisition, from their practice squad, the team announced.
Webb started in place of Denzelle Good at right tackle and suffered a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter of Indianapolis’ Week 1 loss. The Colts were already without their top tackle, left-side starter Anthony Castonzo, but are expected to have him ready for Week 2. Good sat Sunday because of wrist and knee injuries.
Indianapolis signed Webb to a one-year deal worth the league minimum in late July. The 30-year-old blocker’s now started for the Bears, Vikings, Raiders, Seahawks and Colts. He may not profile as an IR-return candidate, given the other injuries that could affect more essential players’ statuses early in the season.
Pipkins came to Indiana via trade, with the Packers shipping the defensive back in exchange for linebacker Antonio Morrison last month. The Colts waived Pipkins, a 2017 UDFA, after training camp but stashed him on their practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves.
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Josh Hawkins
- Placed on injured list: DE Kiante Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Brad Seaton
- Cut: OL Christian DiLauro
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Treston Decoud, DT Aziz Shittu, G Cody Wichmann
- Cut: DE Charles Tapper
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Lenzy Pipkins
- Cut: CB D.J. White
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Justin Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Evan Boehm
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Josh Banks
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Joe Walker
- Cut: LB Asantay Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Branden Jackson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
- Cut: WR Austin Proehl
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South 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 Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. 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 AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Houston Texans
Claimed:
- RB Buddy Howell
- CB Natrell Jamerson
- S A.J. Moore
Cut:
Placed on injured reserve:
Practice squad:
- LB David Bellamy
- CB Andre Chachere
- C/G Kyle Fuller
- OT Roderick Johnson
- NT Darius Kilgo
- TE Matt Lengel
- G/T Chad Slade
- WR Jester Weah
Indianapolis Colts
Claimed:
Cut:
- DE Ryan Delaire
- CB Lenzy Pipkins
Placed on injured reserve:
- DE Tyquan Lewis
Practice squad:
- TE Mo Alie-Cox
- WR Reece Fountain
- WR Steve Ishmael
- QB Phillip Walker
- CB D.J. White*
Jacksonville Jaguars
Practice squad:
- CB Dee Delaney
- LB Nick DeLuca
- TE David Grinnage
- DL Lyndon Johnson
- WR Allen Lazard
- QB Tanner Lee
- OL K.C. McDermott
- CB Quenton Meeks
- S C.J. Reavis
- RB Brandon Wilds
Tennessee Titans
Practice squad:
- TE Jerome Cunningham
- RB Dalyn Dawkins
- DB Josh Kalu
- T Tyler Marz
- LB Robert Spillane
- DB Damon Webb
* = practice squad exception
Colts Trade Antonio Morrison To Packers
The Colts have traded linebacker Antonio Morrison to the Packers, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Demovsky hears that Green Bay will send cornerback Lenzy Pipkins to Indianapolis in return, which has since been confirmed by multiple reporters.
Morrison, whom the Colts selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, started 15 games for the club last year. While he showed some promise, racking up 108 tackles in the middle of the Colts’ defense, he lacks the speed and athleticism that new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has been stressing. He was firmly on the roster bubble, so GM Chris Ballard decided to get something for him rather than potentially letting him go for nothing.
Indianapolis does need help at corner, and the team hopes that Pipkins will provide some depth in that regard. He started one game for Green Bay last year and appeared in 12, picking up 14 tackles and a pass defensed.
The Packers, meanwhile, needed help at linebacker, as rookie Oren Burks is expected to miss time with an injury (per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, via Twitter). Green Bay has already lost Jake Ryan for the season.
Packers Sign 15 UDFAs
Busy day in Green Bay. The Packers have signed 15 undrafted free agents while also formally signing five of their draft picks. The complete rundown is below.
Draft pick signings:
- DeAngelo Yancey, WR, Purdue (fifth round)
- Aaron Jones, RB, Texas-El Paso (fifth round)
- Kofi Amichia, G, South Florida (sixth round)
- Devante Mays, RB, Utah State (seventh round)
- Malachi Dupre, WR, Louisiana State (seventh round)
As a senior at Purdue, Yancey hauled in 49 receptions for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns. Yancey offers good size for the position at 6’2″, but scouts aren’t sure if he’ll be able to make it in the NFL because of his lack of speed burst. He’s also struggled with drops throughout his career, as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes.
UDFAs:
- Donatello Brown, CB (Valdosta State)
- Johnathan Calvin, LB (Mississippi State)
- Michael Clark, WR (Marshall St.)
- Montay Crockett, WR (Georgia Southern)
- Thomas Evans, G (Richmond)
- Geoff Gray, G (Manitoba)
- Cody Heiman, LB (Washburn)
- Taysom Hill, QB (Brigham Young)
- Izaah Lunsford, DT (Bowling Green St.)
- Adam Pankey, G/T (West Virginia)
- Aaron Peck, TE (Fresno State)
- Kalif Phillips, RB (Charlotte)
- Lenzy Pipkins, CB (Oklahoma State)
- David Rivers, CB (Youngstown State)
- Justin Vogel, P (Miami)
Clark, who played basketball at St. Francis before transferring to Marshall to play football, has only one year of organized football on his resume.