Ty Nsekhe

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/23

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/23

Here are the gameday elevations and other minor moves made around the league in advance of Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson’s loss will be notable for the Cardinals, given his status as an entrenched starter at the left guard spot. The 28-year-old joined Arizona on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency after stints in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. Trystan Colon replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7, and that will likely continue for the time being. Wilkinson will be out for at least four weeks as a result of the IR move.

Ridgeway has been out since Week 1, his Texans debut. The former 49er joined the Texans in a move which allowed him to continue working under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ridgeway ended last season on IR, so he will be looking for an extended run of availability in his new home. A veteran of 78 games (and 19 starts), he will aim to carve out a rotational role up front.

Peters was brought in by the Seahawks while they were dealing with injury problems at both tackle spots. Blindside blocker Charles Cross has since returned, so Peters’ most familiar spot will not be available if he is to make his Seattle debut on Sunday. The fact the latter is healthy and in game shape does mean, however, that he will be eligible to play in a 19th NFL season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Browns To Sign T Ty Nsekhe

For a second straight year, Ty Nsekhe will join a team in-season. After his Rams signing last year, the veteran tackle will join the Browns. In the wake of Jack Conklin‘s season-ending ACL tear, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Nsekhe will sign with Cleveland.

Nsekhe, who will turn 38 next month, has started 25 games over the course of his career. Eight of those came for the Rams last season, a campaign that featured numerous injuries on Los Angeles’ offensive line. Nsekhe was with Washington during Browns O-line coach Bill Callahan‘s time with the NFC East team.

Working as Washington’s O-line coach from 2015-19, Callahan coached Nsekhe for four seasons. Nsekhe’s longest NFL stint came in Washington, which employed him as primarily a swing tackle from 2015-18. Sixteen of Nsekhe’s career starts came in Washington. The Browns used fourth-round rookie Dawand Jones as Conklin’s replacement in Week 1. Nsekhe profiles as insurance behind the 6-foot-8, 375-pound blocker. James Hudson, a 2021 fourth-round pick, looms as another option. But Nsekhe will be part of the equation now as well.

Last year, the Rams signed Nsekhe in mid-October. The team had lost then-starting left tackle Joseph Noteboom during a season in which a number of Rams O-linemen suffered season-ending injuries. Nsekhe moved into the starting lineup in Week 9 and, with Alaric Jackson later being lost for the year, started the Rams’ final six games.

Nsekhe auditioned for the Jets in mid-August but did not sign with the team. The former UDFA played for the Bills and Cowboys, respectively, from 2019-21. Prior to his Rams stint, Nsekhe went two seasons without starting a game.

Conklin also suffered an ACL tear in 2018, a development that helped lead to his earlier-than-expected Tennessee exit. The Browns have benefited from the Titans not hanging onto their four-year right tackle starter, signing Conklin to two contracts. Cleveland gave Conklin a four-year, $60MM extension just before last season ended. Conklin’s contract contained only $12.75MM guaranteed at signing, but another $16.1MM — his 2024 base salary, a 2024 option bonus and $3.25MM of his 2025 base — became guaranteed in March. His second Browns deal runs through the 2026 season.

Jets Audition OTs Ty Nsekhe, Zach Banner

On shaky ground at tackle for months, the Jets are looking into additional help at the position. Veterans Ty Nsekhe and Zach Banner worked out for the team Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

Nsekhe spent last season with the Rams, while Banner was once eyed as a Steelers starter. Banner spent last season out of football, seeing a September 2020 ACL tear sidetrack his career. The Jets are also dealing with injuries at tackle, though their situation has been murky for months.

Since the Steelers hopped in front of them to draft Broderick Jones at No. 14, the Jets have seen the injury issues affecting Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton qualify as bigger problems. Finishing off his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery, Brown remains on the team’s active/PUP list. Becton, who has missed 33 games since a September 2021 knee injury, took himself out of the Jets’ Hall of Fame Game matchup. But the former left tackle starter played 27 snaps in the Jets’ second preseason game Saturday, providing hope this comeback can lead to a regular-season role. Even considering this and Becton’s significant weight loss, the 2020 first-round pick has been one of the NFL’s least reliable players this decade.

In Brown, the Jets already roster the NFL’s oldest tackle. The former Pro Bowler will turn 38 this season. But so will Nsekhe, who will turn 38 in October. The longtime swing tackle/spot starter entered last season without a gig, but the Rams added him amid injury trouble on their O-line. Nsekhe started eight games for the battered defending champions last season. Despite the former UDFA not signing until mid-October, the eight starts marked a career-high total. Pro Football Focus viewed Nsekhe as a decent option there, ranking him 33rd among tackles in 2022.

Banner, 29, played seven Steelers games in 2021 but did so at less than 100%. The Steelers planned to use the 6-foot-9 blocker as their starting right tackle in 2020, but the knee injury removed him from that equation. The Steelers drafted Dan Moore in the 2021 third round. Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor have been Pittsburgh’s starting tackles since, though Jones is attempting to make his way into the lineup as a rookie.

The Jets signed Billy Turner this offseason and have Max Mitchell, a 2022 fourth-round pick, coming back from a blood clot issue that ended his rookie season. The team also circled back to its tackle need in the draft, selecting Carter Warren in Round 4. Still, the team has serious questions at tackle ahead of Aaron Rodgers‘ first season in New York.

Rams Sign Ty Nsekhe, Cut Takk McKinley

As the Rams continue to lose offensive linemen, they keep adding veterans. Ty Nsekhe is now on Los Angeles’ 53-man roster, agreeing to terms with the team Tuesday. The Rams signed Nsekhe off the Colts’ practice squad.

This marks a reunion for Nsekhe, who began his career in St. Louis 10 years ago. The Rams added Nsekhe as a waiver claim back in 2012 — GM Les Snead‘s first season running the team — after the Colts initially signed him as a UDFA. But the then-Missouri-stationed team moved on by 2013, sending Nsekhe on a lengthy odyssey as a backup/spot starter.

No one remains with the Rams from that 2012 team, with Johnny Hekker being released this offseason, but Nsekhe will join a squad that has added a few veterans up front in recent weeks. Oday Aboushi and Matt Skura are on Los Angeles’ active roster, having signed with the team in-season. Nsekhe’s addition comes after the Rams placed left tackle Joe Noteboom on IR; Noteboom suffered an Achilles tear in Week 6.

Nsekhe will turn 37 next week, separating him a bit from Aboushi and Skura, and has played 93 career games (17 starts). He spent time back with the Colts earlier this season, residing on Indianapolis’ practice squad, but did not see any game action. After his brief Rams stint, Nsekhe caught on with New Orleans, Washington, Buffalo and Dallas. He has not started a game since 2019 and has not logged more than one start in a season since 2018.

To run down the list of Rams O-line injuries, Noteboom joins starting left guard David Edwards and guard/center Coleman Shelton on IR. Guard fill-in Tremayne Anchrum, who was filling in as a starter after Brian Allen‘s Week 1 injury, is also on IR. Allen has not played since Week 1 but is expected to return after the team’s Week 7 bye. The Rams lost third-round rookie guard Logan Bruss to an ACL tear during the preseason.

In addition to the Noteboom and Nsekhe moves, the defending Super Bowl champions cut ties with Takkarist McKinley and placed cornerback Grant Haley on IR. They signed McKinley off the Titans’ practice squad last month. By rule, the Rams had to carry the veteran pass rusher on their active roster for at least three weeks, but that time has passed. McKinley saw only 11 defensive snaps with the Rams during his stay back in L.A. The UCLA alum passes straight through to free agency. Although McKinley has consistently generated interest, his stock has dipped considerably since the Falcons waived him late during the 2020 season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/11/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: TE Seth Green
  • Released: LS Tucker Addington

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Signed: DL Micah Dew-Treadway, OT K.C. McDermott
  • Released: TE Nick Eubanks

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Released: OL Sebastian Gutierrez

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC Workouts: Texans, Nsekhe, Blankenship

The Texans are bringing in a pair of running backs for workouts Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. With starting rookie Dameon Pierce dealing with a hip injury this week, Houston invited Abram Smith and Ty’Son Williams in for workouts.

Smith is an undrafted rookie out of Baylor who converted from linebacker to running back in 2020. The Texans got a look at him some weeks ago when he played against them as a member of the Saints in the preseason. He led the Saints that day with 30 rushing yards on seven carries. Smith also worked out for the Seahawks yesterday, likely a result of Seattle placing running back Travis Homer on injured reserve.

Williams is a former Raven who came into the league after going undrafted in 2020. He spent much of his time on the practice squad but got the opportunity to start for Baltimore when injuries landed J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill all on injured reserve. He eventually was supplanted by free agent additions such as Le’Veon Bell and Latavius Murray.

The hope for Texans fans is that the workouts are solely precautionary measures that don’t speak to the injury status of Pierce, who had a strong outing last week.

Here are a few other workouts from around the league:

  • The Ravens reportedly worked out offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe yesterday, according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. Nsekhe has been a long-time backup tackle in the league, spending time with St. Louis, Washington, Buffalo, and Dallas since going undrafted back in 2009. The 36-year-old tackle has appeared in 93 games over his career and started 17. He has never served as a full-time starter and all but one of his starts came in Washington. The Ravens are getting desperate at tackle, once again. Star blindside blocker Ronnie Stanley still has not returned from an injury sustained in November 2020. The player meant to fill in until his return, Ja’Wuan James, had their season ended with a torn Achilles in the season opener. They replaced James with their sixth-man of the offensive line, utility lineman Patrick Mekari, but he left last week’s game against the Patriots with a low ankle sprain. Mekari may be able to recover quickly, but, in the meantime, the Ravens have two healthy tackles on the depth chart: free agent addition Morgan Moses and rookie fourth-round pick Daniel Faalele. If Nsekhe can earn a contract, he’ll be a much needed depth addition at tackle.
  • Former Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship worked out with a team yesterday for the first time since he was waived by Indianapolis, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. He and veteran kicker Sam Ficken worked out for the Jaguars, who currently roster second-year kicker Riley Patterson. After two full seasons with the Colts that turned out middling results, Blankenship was waived after he kicked two kickoffs out of bounds and missed a potential game-winner in overtime of the team’s season-opening tie. Patterson, on the other hand, hasn’t given Jacksonville any reason to search for his replacement yet. In three games with the team, Patterson has converted seven of eight field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder, and all seven extra point attempts. He’s showing continued success from his rookie season, in which he played seven games for the Lions and made 13 of his 14 field goal attempts and all 16 extra points.

Cowboys’ La’el Collins Uncertain For Week 1

Injuries have been a fairly steady presence during La’el Collins‘ NFL career. Although Collins missed only one game from 2017-19, the Cowboys’ right tackle starter missed most of 2016 and all of last season. He is in jeopardy of missing the start of this year’s Dallas slate.

Collins has been out of practice since last week due to a neck issue, and Mike McCarthy expressed uncertainty regarding the talented blocker’s Week 1 status. Collins is in a “holding pattern” with his latest injury, per McCarthy.

The seventh-year lineman has fully recovered from the hip injury that knocked him out of the 2020 season, but the prospect of a backup Cowboys right tackle facing the Buccaneers is firmly in play because of what the Cowboys have called a neck stinger. Should Collins be unable to go, McCarthy said either free agent acquisition Ty Nsekhe or holdover Terence Steele would start, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).

It would seem Nsekhe would receive the call, having signed to help the Cowboys at swing tackle after the team lost Collins before last season and Tyron Smith early in that disappointing campaign. Nsekhe, however, will turn 36 this season. Dallas signed the former Washington and Buffalo spot starter to a one-year, $1.75MM deal ($500K guaranteed); Steele is a second-year UDFA who graded as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-worst full-time tackle last season. Steele worked as Collins’ primary fill-in in 2020, starting 14 games.

Collins, 28, ended the 2019 season as one of the league’s top right tackles, having experienced a run of good health after missing 13 games in 2016 due to a toe malady. The Cowboys have given Collins two extensions, the most recent being a five-year, $50MM re-up in 2019. With Smith having not surpassed 13 games played since the 2015 season, the Cowboys are counting on Collins to return to full strength soon.

Cowboys To Sign Ty Nsekhe

The Cowboys just lost last year’s swing tackle when Cameron Erving signed with the Panthers yesterday, and they’re wasting no time in replacing him.

Dallas has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran lineman Ty Nsekhe, his agency Elite Loyalty Sports announced on Twitter. Nsekhe will now slide into Erving’s role and fill in for either Tyron Smith or La’el Collins if necessary. Erving ended up starting a handful of games for the Cowboys last year due to injuries.

Nsekhe has had a remarkable path, as he entered the pro ranks as an UDFA back in 2009. He started off in the AF2 and after a few years in the ill-fated AFL, finally got his first taste of the NFL in 2012. He didn’t stick on a roster until 2015, when he finally found his footing with Washington.

He would go on to start a handful of games for Washington in each season from 2016-18, always filling in solidly when the team was in a pinch. Regarded as one of the better reserve tackles out there, he signed a two-year, $14.5MM deal with Buffalo in March of 2019.

That turned out to be a pretty sweet gig for him, as he only started one game for the Bills the past two seasons. He’s 35 now, but will give the Cowboys very solid depth on the O-line.