HEADLINES

Adrian Martinez

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Mariota returned to practice on Wednesday, which was the earliest point at which he could be designated for return. As a result, it comes as little surprise he has been brought back onto Washington’s active roster. The 30-year-old is in his first season with the Commanders, and today’s move paves the way for him to handle backup duties moving forward.

Ngakoue remained on the free agent market into the start of the regular season. He was not connected to a Ravens reunion, but one took place last week. The journeyman sack artist had a brief spell with Baltimore in 2020, and he posted three sacks in 11 games. Ngakoue, 29, had one-and done campaigns in Vegas, Indianapolis and Chicago before taking a Ravens practice squad deal. He will make his debut tomorrow and aim to provide depth along the edge.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

August 28th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Miami Dolphins

Released:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Signed:

Claimed:

Released:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Jets Set 53-Man Roster

August 27th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ben Levine

The 2023 campaign obviously didn’t go as planned for the Jets, but the organization is hoping for much more success with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024. Of course, before they can take the field, the team had to set their 53-man roster. The Jets announced the following roster moves today:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

Following today’s moves, the Jets are temporarily rostering only a pair of tight ends in Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert. Anthony Firkser isn’t an especially surprising cut, but the veteran could have provided some experience to the position grouping. After topping 30 receptions with the Titans in 2020 and 2021, Firkser was limited to nine catches in 2022 before appearing in only a pair of games with the Lions in 2023. The Jets also moved on from 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, although there’s a chance the six-foot-eight tight end lands back on the team’s practice squad.

The Jets also moved on from a notable rookie in Jaylen Key, who had the distinction of being this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The safety had a strong one-season stint at Alabama, where he collected 60 tackles and one interception.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/24

July 27th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins 

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Martinez had a productive dual-threat career in college, scoring 96 total touchdowns during his time with Nebraska and Kansas State. He joined the Lions as a UDFA last spring, but he did not survive roster cutdowns. Martinez did not see any NFL game action, but he recently boosted his stock in the UFL. The 24-year-old earned league MVP honors while leading the Birmingham Stallions to the championship. Martinez compiled a combined 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and led the league with 588 rushing yards.

The top of New York’s depth chart is set with Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, but rookie Jordan Travis opened training camp on the NFI list as he continues to recover from the leg injury which ended his Florida State career. Martinez’s arrival (and the corresponding departure of Bryant) will allow him to see limited reps for at least a brief period. He could be a practice squad candidate if Travis returns to health in time for the fall, but a strong showing in training camp and/or the preseason could make him an attractive option for other teams.

Lions QB Nate Sudfeld Suffers Torn ACL; Team Waives Adrian Martinez

August 28th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:30pm: While Sudfeld will wind up being released or placed on IR, fellow depth quarterback Adrian Martinez has likewise missed the cut. The latter is being waived, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Given the fact that Hooker will begin the season on the NFI list, the news means only Goff and Bridgewater will be in place on the Week 1 roster, barring an addition. Birkett notes that Martinez could be a practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.

9:16am: The Lions’ quarterback depth has suffered a blow before the start of the season. Nate Sudfeld suffered a torn ACL during Detroit’s preseason finale, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Sudfeld will miss the 2023 campaign as a result.

The 29-year-old has bounced around the NFC in his career, seeing his first game action with the Eagles. He made four appearances during his time in Philadelphia, followed by a brief spell with the 49ers. Sudfeld was among San Francisco’s final roster cuts last offseason, but he did not need to wait long to find a new home in Detroit ahead of the campaign.

Sudfeld took part in two games in his first Lions season, and he was retained in free agency as the team explored its options under center. The position has seen a pair of notable additions made since then, including the decision to select Hendon Hooker in the third round of the draft and the signing of Teddy Bridgewater earlier this month.

Hooker is recovering from his own ACL tear, and it remains to be seen how involved he will be in his rookie season. The Tennessee alum will be activated as soon as he is cleared for full football activities, though, and his shared presence with Bridgewater behind starter Jared Goff will leave the Lions with three signal-callers they are confident in. Sudfeld was recently named as a player on the Lions’ roster bubble in advance of this week’s cutdowns.

Head coach Dan Campbell declined to confirm if Sudfeld has indeed torn his ACL, adding that the former sixth-rounder is seeking a second opinion. In any case, he is facing an extended absence and his tenure in the Motor City is in serious jeopardy. The Lions still have three passers assured of making the final roster, but Sudfeld’s absence will be a notable one after serving as their backup last year.

“That’s tough, because Nate’s given us everything he’s had,” Campbell added, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “He came in last year and brought something to us. Somebody we were very comfortable with, enough to sign him back. So I hate that, if that’s the way it goes here.”

Lions Content With QB Room; Latest On Hendon Hooker

June 9th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions are set atop the depth chart at the quarterback position for this season, but the injury to rookie Hendon Hooker could leave them thin with respect to backup options at the start of the campaign. Despite that, an addition under center should not be expected at this time.

Detroit has Goff on the books for the next two years, but he is only due guranteed money for 2023, leading to questions about his long-term future in the Motor City. The Lions have given thought to extending the former No. 1 pick, though, so attention is currently focused on the team’s backup and third-string options while Hooker recovers from ACL surgery.

The Tennessee product will occupy one of those spots on the depth chart when healthy, but for now the only other two passers in place are Nate Sudfeld and Adrian Martinez. The former was re-signed after spending last season in Detroit, while the latter joined the team as an undrafted rookie. Each have received a vote of confidence from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

“I love the room right now,” Johnson said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). “There’s a great camaraderie in there and I think that’s really important when you define that backup quarterback position. It’s not only a guy that can go in and win games, but for the majority of the season, if all things go right, he’s there to support that starter… We have that right now, not only with Nate and Hendon and Adrian.”

Hooker’s ACL tear hurt his draft stock and helped lead to his drop to the third round in this year’s draft. Head coach Dan Campbell has already deemed 2023 a redshirt season for the 25-year-old, despite the expectation that he will be able to suit up at some point during his rookie campaign. On that point, Hooker is continuing to make progress during his rehab, and indicated that he is currently ahead of schedule.

The former Volunteer has resumed throwing, as detailed by Birkett, though it remains uncertain at this point if Hooker will be able to take part in training camp next month. Considering he suffered the injury in November, a return to full health by July would be quite impressive. Regardless of Hooker’s recovery timeline, though, the Lions are unlikely to be in the market for added depth at the QB spot in the coming weeks.

“The truth really comes out, I believe, when you have the bullets flying for real, which we can’t have right now,” Johnson added. “So, the training camp will tell us a lot about where we’re at behind Jared, but so far, [I] feel really good about that room.”

Lions Sign 15 UDFAs

May 13th, 2023 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

With the Lions kicking off rookie minicamp yesterday, the team was busy adding 15 undrafted free agents to their roster:

Per Tim Twentyman of the team’s website, Lions Brad Holmes expressed enthusiasm about their year’s UDFA class, with the GM noting that three unspecified players were actually on Detroit’s draft board.

One of the team’s most notable additions is Steven Gilmore, the younger brother of former NFL DPOY Stephon Gilmore. The Marshall product had nine interceptions and 34 passes defended during his five collegiate season, and his ability to play multiple positions in the secondary (plus special teams) could give him a strong opportunity to earn a roster spot.

The Lions used a third-round pick on Hendon Hooker, but that didn’t stop them from adding a QB in free agency. Adrian Martinez had a prolific showing at Nebraska before transferring to Kansas State, where he paired an underwhelming 1,261 passing yards with 627 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. His passing inconsistency led to him going undrafted, but the Lions could get creative with how they use the dynamic runner.

Speaking of, Keytaon Thompson was a backup quarterback at Mississippi State before transferring to Virginia as a wideout. He was productive in the slot during his two seasons as Virginia, hauling in 131 receptions for 1,569 yards.

UDFA Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez Signing With Lions

April 29th, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions will be enlisting a bit more help at the quarterback position this offseason, signing undrafted Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Martinez will try to find a place in the NFL after five years as a starter at the college level.

Martinez began his career as a four-year starter at Nebraska, starting as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers. He had perhaps one of his best seasons as a college rookie completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,617 yards and 17 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Martinez struggled through his sophomore year and had to fight off Luke McCaffrey to hold on to his starting job for the next two seasons. He ended his Cornhusker career with a 14-24 record as a starter, passing for 8,491 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions.

Martinez used his final year of eligibility to transfer to Kansas State, where he became the starter for the Wildcats and led them to a 5-2 start before injuries limited him for the rest of the year. At Kansas State, Martinez passed for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception. Martinez also brings a dangerous rushing element to the field. Over five seasons at the college level, he rushed for 2,928 yards and 45 touchdowns, giving him 96 total touchdowns for his career.

In Detroit, Martinez enters a quarterbacks room that includes veterans Jared Goff and Nate Sudfeld and rookie third-round pick Hendon Hooker. He’ll likely be trying to compete for a third-string spot. His rushing availability makes him a useful practice squad quarterback who can run the scout team offense to simulate a division opponent like Justin Fields.