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Oren Burks

Eagles Place James Bradberry On IR

August 29th, 2024 at 1:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

1:55pm: The Eagles have indeed placed Bradberry on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. In a corresponding move, veteran special teamer Oren Burks has been signed to the active roster (h/t PHLY’s Zach Berman).

12:12 pm: James Bradberry made the Eagles’ 53-man roster after drawing trade interest. The veteran defensive back will not be available at the start of the season, however.

Bradberry suffered a lower leg injury during practice on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The ailment involves a tendon, so while surgery will not be needed, a notable absence is expected. Bradberry is facing a six-to-eight week recovery timetable, per the report.

The 31-year-old was on the roster bubble throughout the offseason, one in which he transitioned from corner to safety. It would not have come as a surprise if Bradberry had been dealt, and the Titans inquired about a potential swap. In the end, though, the former Pro Bowler secured a roster spot during cutdowns on Tuesday, putting him in line for a role of some kind at safety. Philadelphia’s depth on the backend will now be tested.

Bradberry suggested the position change after spending his first eight seasons as a corner. He remained a full-time starter during his first two Eagles campaigns, but one of the team’s top priorities in the offseason was upgrading in the secondary. Philadelphia selected Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the draft, and they are both in line for notable roles as rookies. Darius Slay remains in place as a veteran first-team option at cornerback.

The Eagles’ safety depth chart consists of C.J. Gardner-Johnson (with whom the team reunited in free agency), Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown and Avonte Maddox. The latter has seen time at slot corner, but he joined Bradberry in making the move to safety this year. Philadelphia will thus have a number of options to choose from while Bradberry is sidelined, but a decision will now need to be made in his case regarding injured reserve.

Moving players to IR guarantees at least a four-game absence, and teams have eight total activations available for the regular season. In the Eagles’ case, two of those will be used when veteran tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and rookie receiver Ainias Smith are brought back into the fold. One of Philadelphia’s moves during the cutdown deadline was also the decision to place Brown on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he will miss the opening four games at a minimum. With Bradberry now on the mend as well, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues a short-term depth addition at safety.

Eagles Cut Down Roster To 53 Players

August 27th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Eagles are hoping to rebound from a disappointing end to their 2023 campaign. Before they can do that, the team had to make some tough roster decisions as they got down to 53 players. The team announced the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP:

After carrying only four wideouts on their initial 53-man roster in 2023, the team is carrying five WRs heading into 2024. Still, some notable names earned their walking papers today. Parris Campbell is only two years removed from a 63-catch season with the Colts, but the wideout was limited to only 20 receptions with the Giants in 2023. John Ross continues to get opportunities by virtue of his first-round billing, but the former ninth-overall pick hasn’t seen the field since a 10-game showing with the Giants in 2021.

Oren Burks missed a chunk of the summer with an injury, but his release is still a bit of a surprise. The former third-round pick spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, where he started eight of his 32 appearances. The veteran has also made a name for himself on special teams, where he’s averaged more than 277 snaps per season.

Eagles To Sign LB Oren Burks

March 16th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Oren Burks will remain in the NFC for 2024, but for the second time in his career he is set to join a new team. The veteran linebacker and special teamer has agreed to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $2.5MM, as first reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

[RELATED: Eagles, LB Devin White Agree To Deal]

Burks, 28, began his career with the Packers, playing four seasons with the franchise. He was primarily used on special teams over that span, although he logged four starts as a rookie and three in his final year in Green Bay. Upon the conclusion of his rookie contract, Burks joined the 49ers on a two-year, $5MM deal.

The former third-rounder was still a third phase mainstay during his debut campaign in San Francisco with a special teams snap share of 77%. However, he started three games that season and saw that figure rise to five in 2023. Burks logged 326 defensive snaps last season, by far the most of his career. He parlayed that added playing time into a new career-high in tackles (46) and sacks (one) while also recording his first career interception.

San Francisco could be without Dre Greenlaw to start the 2024 campaign after he suffered an Achilles tear during the Super Bowl. The 49ers have responded by adding De’Vondre Campbell on a one-year contract and retaining Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles on a one-year pact of his own. The latter has seen sparse usage on defense to date, but Burks’ departure could open the door to a rotational role next season.

Philadelphia’s linebacker play left plenty to be desire last year, so it comes as no surprise the team has made multiple moves in the early days of free agency aimed at adding starting-caliber options. Fellow addition Devin White will likely be in line for a larger workload on defense, but Burks proved a capability to handle at least part-time duties last season. His special teams abilities will, at a minimum, allow him to carve out a role with the Eagles.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/22

March 17th, 2022 at 7:56am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/1/22

January 1st, 2022 at 4:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the New Year’s Day activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Oli Udoh

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bryce Hall

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Packers Considering Veteran ILB Addition

May 26th, 2021 at 8:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not big on drafting inside linebackers high or doling out notable extensions at the position, the Packers are counting on some lower-level investments on their defensive second level. Here is some non-Aaron Rodgers Packers news.

Over the past two offseasons, the team has let Blake Martinez walk in free agency and made Christian Kirksey a cap casualty. Green Bay drafted Isaiah McDuffie in Round 6, but GM Brian Gutekunst said the team is considering signing a veteran to bolster this group, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

The Packers have Day 3 picks Kamal Martin and Ty Summers on their roster, along with recent UDFA Krys Barnes. Despite his undrafted pedigree, Barnes made 10 starts as a rookie last season. Neither he nor Kirksey, however, ranked inside the top 60 at the position, in Pro Football Focus’ view. A six-game starter, Martin fared better. But he played just 208 defensive snaps in an injury-shortened season. The Packers’ highest off-ball linebacker draftee in 15 years, former third-rounder Oren Burks, remains on the team. He is shifting back to inside linebacker after working on the edge more in 2020, Schneidman adds. Burks, however, has not played more than 100 defensive snaps since his 2018 rookie season.

As for available ILBs, a number of notable names are out there. K.J. Wright tops the list. The longtime Seahawks starter may not have a path back to Seattle, with the team having drafted Jordyn Brooks in Round 1 last year and not looking to spend much on additional free agents. PFF slotted Wright as a top-10 linebacker in 2020. Recent Saints cap cut Kwon Alexander remains available, as are ex-Falcon De’Vondre Campbell and longtime starter Avery Williamson. He of a standout rookie season (and considerable off-field baggage and an injury history), former first-rounder Reuben Foster is also unsigned.

The Cardinals have made Jordan Hicks available via trade, following the first-round selection of Zaven Collins. Hicks accepted a $3MM pay cut this offseason and is due just $2MM in base salary this season. The Packers have around $5MM in cap space but have yet to sign their first- and third-round picks (Eric Stokes, Amari Rodgers).

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Packers, Reed, Hughes

August 26th, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones participated in his first practice of the offseason today after being activated from the physically unable to perform list. While the 26-year-old will be a welcome addition to the secondary, head coach Jason Garrett said the team will bring Jones along slowly.

“He’s going to slowly get back into it and just kind of see where he is,” Garrett said (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “He’s been working really well on the side. It’s time for him to get going again, so he’ll be out there for part of practice.”

Meanwhile, offensive guard Zack Martin and offensive tackle Tyron Smith are not expected to practice this week, but the duo should be good to go for the regular season opener. The same goes for wideout Amari Cooper, who has been dealing with a heel injury.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

  • Packers starting linebacker Oren Burks isn’t expected to miss an extended amount of time due to a pec injury, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The 24-year-old won’t require surgery and should be back this season, and there’s even optimism that he’ll be able to avoid the injured reserve. The 2018 third-rounder had 23 tackles during his rookie campaign.
  • Redskins coach Jay Gruden said he expects tight end Jordan Reed to be available for the season opener at Philadelphia (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s John Keim). Reed entered the concussion protocol after a hit in Thursday’s preseason win at Atlanta. “We’re quite confident that Jordan will be fine,” Gruden said. That’s good news for a team whose passing game revolves largely around Reed.
  • The Vikings have removed cornerback Mike Hughes from the PUP list, according to a team announcement. That’s big news for Minnesota, especially with supporting cornerback Holton Hill suspended for the first half of the season. The 2018 first-round pick appeared in six games (two starts) before tearing his ACL in October. He ultimately finished his rookie campaign having compiled 22 tackles, three passes defended, a pick-six, and a forced fumble.
  • The Cowboys worked out a pair of tight ends today in Tyrone Swoopes and Zach Conque, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News (via Twitter). Swoopes spent the first two seasons of his career in Seattle, appearing in two games. The 24-year-old was let go by the team earlier this month. Conque, 25, has had stints with the Texans, Jets, Jaguars, and Colts since 2017. While the team’s depth chart at tight end is pretty much set, both Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz have dealt with recent injuries.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Packers LB Oren Burks Won’t Require Surgery

August 14th, 2019 at 8:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Good news in Green Bay. Packers linebacker Oren Burks won’t require surgery after suffering a pectoral injury last weekend and could potentially return during the 2019 season, according to Tom Silverstein and Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Burks originally thought he’d be forced to undergo an operation after injuring his pectoral during Green Bay’s first preseason game, but a second opinion revealed the issue is less serious than the initial diagnosis suggested. However, Burks did hyperextend his pectoral muscle, meaning he’s now waiting for a soft tissue injury to heal.

“I’m really hoping that Oren’s thing is going to be short term,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “We’ll get him back here quicker than I think, but right now, I’d just kind of like to get through this next game and kind of see where we’re at, see where Oren’s at.”

Gutenkunst didn’t provide a timeline for Burks’ recovery, but did indicate Green Bay won’t look into signing a free agent replacement. Instead, the Packers are giving undrafted rookie free agent Curtis Bolton a chance to replace Burks as the club’s weakside linebacker.

Burks, a third-round pick in 2018, appeared in 14 games during his rookie season but spent most of his time on special teams. He was expected to take over as a starting linebacker for the Packers this year, but as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com recently noted, that “starting” job could essentially be a part-time role given defensive coordinator Mike Pettine‘s for “big nickel” and dime looks that employ a third or fourth defensive back at the expense of a linebacker.

Torn Pec Feared For Packers LB Oren Burks

August 10th, 2019 at 6:11pm CST by Micah Powell

Packers starting linebacker Oren Burks is believed to have suffered a torn pectoral muscle, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky writes. More tests are expected to determine the next course of action, Demovsky hears. 

The second-year linebacker sustained the injury, originally believed to be a shoulder injury, in the first quarter of Green Bay’s preseason opener vs. the Texans. When asked on Thursday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur did not provide an update on whether the injury would cost the linebacker significant time.

“Honestly, I don’t really know anything right now,” LaFleur said. “It’s kind of wait and see, but I hope not.”

A third-round selection in 2018, Burks appeared in 14 games as a rookie, starting four. He logged 24 tackles and was expected to take over as a starting inside linebacker alongside Blake Martinez in 2019. Though Burks was slated as a starter, it is essentially a part-time role in defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme, which calls for a hybrid safety at times to fill the role.

North Notes: Bears, Ravens, Packers, Browns

September 1st, 2018 at 9:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Among the offers the Raiders received for edge rusher Khalil Mack, the Bears‘ was “by far” the strongest, tweets Michael Lombardi of The Athletic. Chicago eventually acquired Mack, so it’s unsurprising their offer was the most substantial, but Lombardi’s report may indicate the Bears outbid rivals by several magnitudes. In the end, Chicago sent Oakland a 2019 first-round pic, a 2010 first-round pick, a 2020 third-round pick, and a 2019 sixth-round pick in exchange for Mack, a 2020 second-round round pick, and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick. The Bears have since extended Mack, making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender.

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