Saints Place RB Kendre Miller On IR, Reduce Squad To 53
Here is how the Saints moved their roster down to the regular-season 53-man limit:
Released:
- S Johnathan Abram
- S Ugo Amadi
- OL Tremayne Anchrum
- OL Jesse Davis
- LB Andrew Dowell
- LB Khaleke Hudson
- G Shane Lemieux
- WR Stanley Morgan Jr.
- RB James Robinson
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- S Roderic Teamer
- CB Joejuan Williams
Waived:
- WR Kelvin Austin Jr.
- S Millard Bradford
- WR Shaq Davis
- OL Mark Evans
- T Josiah Ezirim
- TE Mason Fairchild
- P Lou Hedley
- DT Jack Heflin
- G Kyle Hergel
- TE Michael Jacobson
- DB Shemar Jean-Charles
- S Lawrence Johnson
- RB Jacob Kibodi
- DE Nico Lalos
- CB Mac McCain
- WR Samson Nacua
- LB Monty Rice
- LB Mike Rose
- K Charlie Smyth
- LB Isaiah Stalbird
Placed on IR:
- DT Cameron Peterson
- TE Kevin Rader
- CB Rejzohn Wright
Placed on IR/return designation:
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
- LB Nephi Sewell
A host of vested vets are off the Saints’ roster, and Miller will be for a stretch as well. Miller has been down with a hamstring injury for several weeks, suffering the setback minutes into the team’s initial training camp workout. This lingering into the regular season is a concerning development for both parties. Hamstring trouble limited Miller late last summer as well. The Saints still roster Jamaal Williams behind Alvin Kamara, but they used a third-round pick on Miller last year. The TCU alum logged 41 carries as a rookie, but a new OC (Klint Kubiak) is now calling the shots.
Kpassagnon sustained an Achilles tear early this offseason, and he will miss at least four games. Rookie UDFA Mason Tipton made the roster over St. Brown, while offseason pickup Will Harris secured a spot over Abram. The Saints kept Lucas Patrick and Oli Udoh over Davis and Lemieux, who had been attempting to bounce back from an injury-plagued Giants tenure.
Saints Claim LB Monty Rice
Unable to reclaim a starting job with the Titans this season, Monty Rice landed on waivers Tuesday. The third-year linebacker will not reach free agency. The Saints submitted a successful claim Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Rice had played behind free agency addition Azeez Al-Shaair and second-year UDFA Jack Gibbens on the Titans’ defensive second level this season. From 2021-22, however, the former third-round pick made 10 combined starts. He has not logged any this season.
The Saints picked up Rice’s through-2024 rookie contract. No guaranteed money remains on the Round 3 deal, giving the Saints a low-cost opportunity to gauge the Georgia alum’s fit in their defense. The Titans drafted Rice 92nd overall two years ago, doing so after he finished as a 2020 Butkus Award finalist and a first-team All-SEC linebacker. That top-tier college success has not equated to steady playing time just yet.
Injuries to Zach Cunningham and David Long led to increased Rice work last season, when he logged 366 defensive snaps. Rice made 66 tackles (four for loss) last year, and he was expected to be a starter alongside Al-Shaair this season. Gibbens, however, won the job. Both he and Al-Shaair have stayed healthy, keeping Rice in a reserve role. He ended up playing only 86 defensive snaps with Tennessee this season and did not sound particularly broken up about his separation from the AFC South club.
The Saints played Week 13 without Pete Werner, but the young talent managed a limited practice Wednesday. Ageless veteran Demario Davis still anchors New Orleans’ linebacking corps, with 2020 third-rounder Zack Baun also in the picture. No other Saints ‘backer has played more than 50 defensive snaps this season, though Rice’s addition bumps the team’s LB total to seven on the 53-man roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Naquan Jones
Carolina Panthers
- Signed from practice squad: OL Justin McCray
Houston Texans
- Waived: DE Kerry Hyder
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from IR: TE Leonard Taylor
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: DE Janarius Robinson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from NFI list: S JT Woods
- Waived: WR Simi Fehoko
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: S Daniel Sorensen
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Monty Rice
Washington Commanders
- Waived from PUP list: LB Drew White
A 2021 third-round pick, Rice started 10 games over his first two seasons. Although the Titans cut Zach Cunningham and let David Long sign with the Dolphins, they brought in Azeez Al-Shaair and have used second-year UDFA Jack Gibbens as starters this season. Rice has been strictly a backup, and a post-transaction tweet suggested the young defender was not too broken up about this Tennessee cut.
Hyder joined the Texans earlier this season. The 49ers had waived the rotational pass rusher after trading for Randy Gregory. Reuniting with DeMeco Ryans, Hyder spent much of his Texans stay on their practice squad. The team used the defensive end in two games this season, giving him 40 defensive snaps as a backup. Hyder would be eligible to return to Houston’s P-squad if he clears waivers.
Titans Place WR Treylon Burks On IR
Treylon Burks will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. The Titans rookie wideout has been placed on injured reserve, according to Jim Wyatt of the team’s website.
The first-round rookie was injured during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Colts. Burks was carted off the field and was later diagnosed with a turf toe injury. He had already been ruled out for this weekend, but the team is now sidelining him through the end of the month.
Following a standout career at Arkansas that saw him earn first-team All-SEC in 2021, Burks was selected with the 18th-overall pick in this year’s draft…the selection the Titans acquired after dealing A. J. Brown to the Eagles. Burks was relatively productive in his first two games, hauling in seven of his 11 targets for 102 yards. While he saw an uptick in offensive snaps during Week 3 and Week 4, he was limited to only three catches between the two games.
Veteran receiver Robert Woods will still guide the receivers room, but the team will have to dig into their depth chart for some reinforcement. Tennessee is also rostering the likes of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Cody Hollister, and rookie Kyle Philips, with veteran Josh Gordon among the WRs on the Titans practice squad.
Meanwhile, the Titans have activated linebacker Monty Rice from the PUP to the active roster. The 2021 third-round pick had 30 tackles in 10 games (four starts) as a rookie, but his season ended early thanks to an ankle injury. He landed on PUP to start the 2022 campaign. The Titans also promoted receiver Dez Fitzpatrick and linebacker Joe Schobert from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/22
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return: CB Antonio Hamilton, QB Colt McCoy, WR Antoine Wesley
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated to return: CB Isaiah Oliver
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated to return: DE Khalid Kareem, CB Cam Taylor-Britt
Cleveland Browns
- Designated to return: CB Greedy Williams
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: QB Will Grier
- Activated from IR: LB Damone Clark
- Placed on IR: LS Jake McQuaide
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Tom Kennedy
- Designated to return: CB Jerry Jacobs, DE Josh Paschal
Miami Dolphins
- Designated to return: S Clayton Fejedelem
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DL Khyiris Tonga
- Waived: LB Ryan Connelly
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: OT Marcus Cannon
- Designated to return: WR Tyquan Thornton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: TE J.P. Holtz
- Designated to return: DL Malcolm Roach
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated to return: OT Andre Dillard
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated to return: DE L.J. Collier
Tennessee Titans
- Designated to return: LB Monty Rice
Washington Commanders
- Designated to return: C Tyler Larsen
A number of players who were placed on IR after the preseason and prior to the regular season returned to practice today. These players will have a three-week practice window until they have to be activated to the active roster. Otherwise, they’ll be ineligible to return this season.
One of the most surprising returns is Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton. The former undrafted free agent rode a strong preseason to a potential starting gig, but he was sidelined with second-degree burns after spilling hot oil on his legs and feet. Kliff Kingsbury previously said an early-October return may be a “little aggressive” (per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss on Twitter), but the cornerback ended up working his way back to practice.
Eagles To Trade S Ugo Amadi To Titans
For the second time in less than two weeks, safety Ugo Amadi is on the move. The Eagles are sending their recent acquisition to the Titans (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Philadelphia is including a seventh-round pick in 2024 along with Amadi, in exchange for a sixth-rounder of the same year. In terms of draft stock, that represents a stark difference to the cost the Eagles paid to acquire Amadi last week: former second-rounder J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. More than anything, of course, that deal was a reflection of the wideout’s underwhelming career to date.
Amadi, 25, was thought to be a release candidate hours before being dealt to Philadelphia. He made seven starts last season, logging a defensive snap share above 50% for the second straight season. The 2019 fourth-rounder totaled 125 tackles, 13 pass deflections and one interception across three campaigns in Seattle. He was seen as a depth addition for Philadelphia, whose situation at the safety position is rather murky. Instead, he will now look to make the Titans’ 53-man roster as an insurance policy on the backend while entering a contract year.
In related roster news, the Titans also announced that linebacker Monty Rice has been placed on the reserve/PUP list. That opens up the spot for Amadi to fill, but means that the Titans’ LB corps will be thinner for at least the first four weeks of the season. The 2021-third rounder started four of his 10 appearances last year, recording 36 tackles. His rookie campaign was cut short by an Achilles injury, which obviously won’t be fully recovered in time for September.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: CB Iman Marshall
- Reinstated from reserve/Did Not Report list: WR Devon Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): DT Byron Cowart
- Waived: DE Scott Patchan
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Don Gardner and OL Sadarius Hutcherson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Joshua Kalu
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Monty Rice, TE Tommy Hudson and K Caleb Shudak
- Waived: S Rodney Clemons
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22
Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Breon Borders, LB Markus Golden, OL D.J. Humphries, LB Devon Kennard
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Zach Kerr, LB Tanner Vallejo, TE Maxx Williams (from IR)
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Marlon Davidson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst, WR Tajae Sharpe, LB James Vaughters
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Josh Oliver
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Kevin Toliver
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Darryl Johnson, LB Haason Reddick, TE Tommy Tremble, QB P.J. Walker
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jesper Horsted (remains on IR), OLB Charles Snowden
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trenton Irwin, DB Trae Waynes
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Scotty Washington
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Vonn Bell, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, DE Trey Hendrickson, C Trey Hopkins, G Quinton Spain, DT B.J. Hill, RB Joe Mixon
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Elijah Lee, LB Tony Fields
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens, S Tedric Thompson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB D’Ernest Johnson, RB Dexter Williams
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Jovante Moffatt
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Quinton Bohanna, LB Micah Parsons (story), LB Keanu Neal
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Tyler Coyle, T Isaac Alarcon, CB Kyron Brown
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Josh Ball
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Josiah Bronson
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE McTelvin Agim, LB Baron Browning, DB Bryce Callahan, LB Bradley Chubb, LB Jonathon Cooper, DB Mike Ford, WR Jerry Jeudy, T Bobby Massie, WR Tim Patrick, NT Mike Purcell, DB Caden Sterns, LB Stephen Weatherly
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kalif Raymond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Joel Heath, TE Hunter Bryant (from NFI)
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Elgton Jenkins, T Dennis Kelly, S Darnell Savage, WR Amari Rodgers, DE Kingsley Keke
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K J.J. Molson, LB Ray Wilborn
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Billy Turner
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Danny Amendola, TE Antony Auclair, LB Ron’Dell Carter, T Tytus Howard, RB David Johnson, DB Lonnie Johnson, WR Chris Moore
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle, TE Paul Quessenberry
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: Luke Rhodes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dan Arnold (remains on IR), TE Jacob Hollister, WR Jaydon Mickens, DT Jay Tufele
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P J.K. Scott
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Josh Jackson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Carl Nassib, G Jordan Simmons, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Kamaal Seymour (from NFI)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Vigil, QB Kirk Cousins, T Brian O’Neill
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Chris Herndon, DE Tashawn Bower
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Ryan Ramczyk, DB Dylan Mabin
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Kevin White, TE Ethan Wolf
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Albert Huggins
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jordan Miller
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Korey Cunningham, DE Dexter Lawrence, T Matt Peart (remains on IR), NT Danny Shelton, WR Darius Slayton
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Omari Cobb, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: NT Woodrow Hamilton
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Tevin Coleman, TE Tyler Kroft, DE Quinnen Williams
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Isaiah Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR KeeSean Johnson
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR John Hightower, RB Craig James, TE Noah Togiai
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dallas Goedert
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Zach Banner, LB Devin Bush, DB Arthur Maulet, RB Anthony McFarland, LB Joe Schobert, DE Chris Wormley
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Anthony Miller, WR Steven Sims, WR Tyler Vaughns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Joe Haden
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Dontae Johnson, DB Jimmie Ward, DB Ambry Thomas, CB Deommodore Lenoir
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Blessuan Austin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Gavin Heslop, DE Alton Robinson, DT Myles Adams, DT Al Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaelon Darden, P Bradley Pinion
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Monty Rice
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Tress Way, G Ereck Flowers, RB Antonio Gibson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Deshazor Everett, DB William Jackson
Titans Place Monty Rice On IR
The Titans have placed linebacker Monty Rice on injured reserve, according to a team press release. In an injury-marred year, Rice becomes the 18th player to land on the Tennessee’s IR.
The Titans turned to Rice as their starting inside linebacker after losing Rashaan Evans and David Long to injury. Now, they’ll have to look elsewhere for support, alongside fellow fill-in Jayon Brown. That could mean an uptick in work for backups Dylan Cole and Nick Dzubnar.
It’s a disappointing setback for the rookie ‘backer, as he was starting to gain favor with head coach Mike Vrabel.
“He started by finishing [on special teams]…running his guy and taking care of the returner, so I think he started to build some confidence there. Then he made some tackles on kickoff and really started to build some confidence there. [Now,] he’s got an opportunity to play linebacker,” Vrabel said recently (via Jim Wyatt of the team website). “He is continuing to improve and hopefully we can start to really see some more progress.”
Rice, a third-round rookie, could theoretically return later this year after sitting out for at least three games. So far, the Georgia product has 36 stops on the year, plus one pass defensed and a quarterback hit.
Titans Sign Third-Round LB Monty Rice, Wrap Up Draft Class
The Titans became the latest team to finalize their 2021 draft class on Saturday. Tennessee agreed to terms with third-round linebacker Monty Rice, their last remaining unsigned draft pick, the team announced.
Rice was the 92nd pick of this past draft coming out of Georgia. He earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2020 after making second-team the year before. He became a starter in his sophomore season and was a finalist for the Butkus Award this past season.
In nine 2020 games for the Bulldogs he finished with 49 tackles, four for a loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles. The Titans have Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans, and David Long ahead of him at inside linebacker right now, so they likely won’t be counting on him to play a ton as a rookie. They did recently decline Evans’ fifth-year option, and Brown is entering a contract year as well, so Rice could be looked at as the future.
With Rice under contract, all eight of the Titans’ picks are now wrapped up:
Round 1: No. 22 Caleb Farley, CB (Virginia Tech)
Round 2: No. 53 Dillon Radunz, OT (North Dakota State)
Round 3: No. 92 (from Packers) Monty Rice, LB (Georgia)
Round 3: No. 100 Elijah Molden, CB (Washington)
Round 4: No. 109 (from Texans via Panthers) Dez Fitzpatrick, WR (Louisville)
Round 4: No. 135 (from Packers) Rashad Weaver, DE (Pittsburgh)
Round 6: No. 205 Racey McMath, WR (LSU)
Round 6: No. 215 (from Chiefs) Brady Breeze, S (Oregon)
