NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on COVID-19 list: OT Bobby Hart, DE Mike Love
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: P Drue Chrisman
- Released: CB Holton Hill
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: WR Osirus Mitchell
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Peter Kalambayi
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Danny Etling
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Delrick Abrams, OT Adrian Ealy, C Drake Jackson, TE Kyle Markway, OL Austin Reiter
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Isaiah Williams
- Placed on COVID-19 list: CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart, WR Vyncint Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from COVID-19 list: RB Jason Huntley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from COVID-19 list: CB Linden Stephens
- Released: CB Isaiah Johnson
- Placed on COVID-19 list: OL Malcolm Pridgeon
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson, G Pier-Olivier Lestage
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/21
Tuesday afternoon marked the deadline for teams to cut down from 90 to 85 players. We’ll keep track of those cuts and the day’s other minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed (from Packers): P Ryan Winslow
- Waived: P Tyler Newsome
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Jeff Badet
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: P Johnny Townsend
Carolina Panthers
- Waived/injured: LB Nate Hall, C Mike Panasiuk
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride Jr.; Pride suffered a torn ACL
Chicago Bears
- Released: WR Justin Hardy
- Waived: DB Michael Joseph, LB Ledarius Mack
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: LB Anthony Hines, FB Sewo Olonilua, CB Reggie Robinson
- Waived: CB Kyron Brown, WR Brennan Eagles
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Adrian Killins
- Waived: DB Rojesterman Farris, LB Peter Kalambayi, DT Lorenzo Neal Jr.
- Waived/injured: WR DeVontres Dukes, RB LeVante Bellamy, DL Deyon Sizer
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
- Signed: QB Jordan Ta’amu
- Waived: DT Michael Barnett
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Chad Hansen
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: QB Jake Dolegala
- Placed on IR: TE Isaac Nauta, WR DeAndre Thompkins
- Waived: OL Zack Johnson
Houston Texans
- Reverted to reserve/NFI: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Te’von Coney
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB David Bellamy
- Waived: QB K.J. Costello, TE Matt Seybert
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: CB Amari Henderson
- Reverted to IR: K Riley Patterson, WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Waived/injured: TE Troy Fumagalli
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: OL Cameron Clark
- Waived: DL Michael Dwumfour, S Bennett Jackson, RB Austin Walter
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: DL Abdullah Anderson, DB Stephen Denmark, WR Isaiah McKoy, K Sam Sloman, OT Brandon Walton
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed (from Ravens): CB Davontae Harris
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Jake Benzinger
- Placed on IR: G Sadarius Hutcherson
- Waived/failed physical: WR John Franklin III
- Waived/injured: G Donell Stanley
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Jamal Carter
- Placed on IR: DL Trevon Coley, S Tedric Thompson
Washington Football Team
- Waived: TE Nick Guggemos, CB Greg Stroman
Broncos Sign LB Peter Kalambayi
The Broncos added linebacker Peter Kalambayi today, the team announced. To make room on the roster, the Broncos waived defensive back Chris Cooper.
Kalambayi, a 2018 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, ended up seeing time in 41 games for the Texans between 2018 and 2020. He had 31 combined tackles during his rookie and sophomore seasons, and while he saw the majority of his field time on special teams, he still played 122 defensive snaps during those two campaigns. The linebacker saw a lesser role on defense in 2020, appearing in only 10 snaps. As a result, Kalambayi was limited to only a pair of tackles.
The 25-year-old was waived by Houston back in February. He’ll compete with the likes of Pita Taumoepenu and seventh-round rookie Jonathon Cooper for a role as a weakside linebacker and special teamer.
Cooper, a former undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook, has yet to see time in an NFL game. He’s had stints on the practice squads of the Bengals, Chiefs, Falcons, and Broncos.
Texans Release OL Senio Kelemete
Less than a year after extending Senio Kelemete, the Texans will part ways with the veteran offensive lineman. The Texans released Kelemete on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Houston will save $1.73MM by making this move. The franchise is also cutting linebacker Peter Kalambayi, which will create nearly $1MM in cap space.
Kelemete came over from the Saints in 2018. He started 14 games at guard that season, one in which Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times, but only opened six games in Houston’s lineup over the past two years. Kelemete, 30, suffered a season-ending injury in September 2019 but returned to play in 14 games last season.
The Texans drafted Kalambayi in the 2018 sixth round and used him exclusively as a backup and special-teamer during his three seasons. One season remained on his rookie contract.
Given the state of the Texans, Kelemete certainly will not be alone among cap casualties this offseason. The Texans are set to hold barely $7MM in cap space after making these moves. With Nick Caserio now presiding over the roster, more starters acquired by previous GMs will be in jeopardy of being cut.
Texans Sign Entire Draft Class
As a busy Thursday for rookie signings winds down, the Texans don’t have any more work to do on this front. They reached agreements with each member of their draft class Thursday night, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Here’s the full rundown:
- 3-68: Justin Reid, S (Stanford)
- 3-80: Martinas Rankin, T (Mississippi State)
- 3-98: Jordan Akins, TE (UCF)
- 4-103: Keke Coutee, WR (Texas Tech)
- 6-177: Duke Ejiofor, DE (Wake Forest)
- 6-211: Jordan Thomas, TE (Mississippi State)
- 6-214: Peter Kalambayi, LB (Stanford)
- 7-222: Jermaine Kelly, CB (San Jose State)
Having traded their first- and second-round picks in the deals for Deshaun Watson and Brock Osweiler, the Texans didn’t have as difficult of a time getting their class signed. However, they agreed to terms with three third-rounders, which hasn’t always been easy for teams because of vague CBA language regarding this round.
But Reid, Rankin and Akins are in the fold, and the Texans joined the Eagles among teams that have their full classes signed. Neither made first-round picks in this draft.