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Albert Okwuegbunam

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/24

November 5th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Tuesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Free Agent

We don’t have a reason for Moreland’s suspension yet, but we know that it will last three weeks. He hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021, but if a team were to sign him, he wouldn’t be available for three games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

A number of players returned to practice today, designating their return from injured reserve. This means teams will have 21 days to activate the players from IR to the active roster.

Noteboom is the most notable name, as the veteran has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The former third-round pick has settled into a versatile sixth OL for the Rams, starting 32 of his 68 appearances. The lineman started Week 1 but only played in about one third of his team’s offense snaps before suffering an ankle injury.

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.

Titans Inquired On Eagles’ James Bradberry; Philly To Place Albert Okwuegbunam, Ainias Smith On IR

August 27th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Residing as a veteran uncertain to land on the Eagles’ 53-man roster, James Bradberry is moving toward being part of a third Philly squad. But the Eagles indeed discussed the veteran DB in trades.

Bradberry surfaced as a trade candidate recently, and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes the Titans inquired about the converted cornerback. Transitioning to safety, Bradberry has a history with new Titans DC Dennard Wilson. The new Tennessee play-caller coached Bradberry with the 2022 Eagles.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirms Bradberry is on Philly’s 53-man roster. The Eagles are creating some space by using two early IR-return designations. They will place Albert Okwuegbunam and fourth-round rookie wide receiver Ainias Smith on IR. Smith sustained an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out up to six weeks, AllPHLY.com’s Zach Berman tweets. A core muscle surgery will sideline Okwuegbunam, McLane adds.

Both Smith and Okwuegbunam will count toward Philly’s IR-activation total, which will drop from eight to six following today’s roster decisions. This will open space for Bradberry, who has seen the Eagles move aggressively to upgrade their secondary this year. Bradberry’s transition to safety has not progressed swiftly, McLane adds, creating some uncertainty regarding his 2024 role in Philly.

The Eagles re-signed Bradberry to a three-year, $38MM deal in 2023. He was not able to match his 2022 form, as the Eagles’ pass rush regressed after a historic ’22 outing. The former Panthers and Giants starter would have cost the Eagles $15MM-plus to release (with no cap savings coming), helping explain why he will survive today’s cutdown.

Philly reunited with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and used first- and second-round picks (Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean) on DBs. The Eagles want DeJean at corner, crowding a position group that also includes stalwart Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox and 2023 additions Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers.

Eagles Re-Sign TE Albert Okwuegbunam

February 22nd, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Albert O. is staying in Philadelphia. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam has signed a one-year deal to stick with the Eagles. The 25-year-old was set to hit unrestricted free agency next month.

Following three seasons in Denver, Okwuegbunam was facing waivers at the end of the 2023 preseason. The Eagles swooped in and added him via trade, acquiring the tight end and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round selection.

Despite the trade, Okwuegbunam barely came off the bench this past season, even with starter Dallas Goedert sidelined. He was limited to only four games in 2023, finishing the year fourth among Eagles tight ends in offensive snaps (behind Goedert, Jack Stoll, and Grant Calcaterra). The Eagles still valued Okwuegbunam enough to give him a chance at a 2024 roster spot, and the veteran could provide the organization with a bit of insurance with Stoll hitting restricted free agency.

Following a productive college career at Missouri, Okwuegbunam was a fourth-round pick by the Broncos in 2020. He was limited to only four games as a rookie thanks to a torn ACL, but he earned a significant offensive role during his second season. He finished the 2021 campaign with 33 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns, starting six of his 14 appearances. With rookie Greg Dulcich added to the depth chart in 2022, Okwuegbunam saw a lesser role, finishing with only 10 catches for 95 yards.

Pro Football Focus gave Okwuegbunam solid reviews through his first two seasons in the NFL, but the website hasn’t been as favorable on his 2022 and 2023 performances. If the tight end is able to rediscover any of that previous talent, he could find himself with a larger role in 2024.

Eagles To Acquire TE Albert Okwuegbunam From Broncos

August 29th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos were planning to waive Albert Okwuegbunam, they found a trade partner at the 11th hour. The Eagles will acquire the fourth-year tight end, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Minutes before the deadline for teams to set their initial 53-man rosters, Philadelphia and Denver agreed on a swap that will send Okwuegbunam east in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

Okwuegbunam, 25, had fallen out of favor in Denver. The former fourth-round pick had shown some promise during Pat Shurmur’s OC tenure and appeared poised to take on a bigger role once the Broncos included Noah Fant in last year’s Russell Wilson trade. That did not end up happening, with Nathaniel Hackett’s staff making Okwuegbunam a healthy scratch at points last season.

The Broncos dangled Okwuegbunam in trades before last year’s deadline, and while the frequent seller team made a big-ticket move (the Bradley Chubb swap) and acquired Jacob Martin from the Jets, “Albert O” stayed put. He finished last season with 10 receptions for 95 yards. The Mizzou alum topped that in his final preseason game this year, totaling 109 receiving yards in what amounted to a showcase effort by the Broncos.

Going from Shurmur’s offense to Hackett’s to Sean Payton’s, Okwuegbunam will now be tasked with learning a fourth system (Nick Sirianni’s) in Philly. The Broncos had added Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz at tight end this offseason; both had played for Payton in New Orleans. Greg Dulcich quickly overtook Okwuegbunam as the top pass-catching option at the position last year, and the 2022 third-rounder remains as such in Payton’s system. Though, Trautman — acquired via draft-weekend trade — has worked as the Broncos’ starter.

He of a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash clocking at the 2020 Combine, Okwuegbunam did produce a 330-yard, two-touchdown season in 2021. The former Drew Lock college target did not exceed 450 yards in a season with the SEC program, though he did score an eye-catching 23 touchdowns in three Columbia seasons.

Okwuegbunam will join a tight end group fronted by starter Dallas Goedert and backups Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra. The two reserves combined for 16 receptions last season, opening a door for a receiving complement to Goedert. Considering how the past two seasons have gone for Okwuegbunam, he may be set for another uphill battle. But an Eagles team without many weaknesses will take a flier on an athletic pass catcher.

Broncos To Release DT Tyler Lancaster, Waive TE Albert Okwuegbunam

August 29th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

Although Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was among the players to be suspended for gambling this year, the team will part ways with one of its veterans at the position.

The Broncos are releasing Tyler Lancaster, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson tweets. A former Packers regular, Lancaster had signed with the Broncos this offseason. The Broncos are also cutting fourth-year tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets.

Denver recently moved Mike Purcell off its active/NFI list, putting the veteran nose tackle in play to return in Week 1. The Broncos also have 2022 sixth-round pick Matt Henningsen in place, along with veteran Jonathan Harris, who has quietly served as a depth piece for the team since Vic Fangio’s first HC season (2019). D.J. Jones and free agent pickup Zach Allen lead the way on the Broncos’ defensive front.

Lancaster started 21 games for the Packers from 2018-21. After signing with the Raiders in 2022, Lancaster suffered an injury during training camp and landed on Las Vegas’ IR list. An injury settlement moved the 28-year-old defender back into free agency, but he did not end up playing last season.

Uwazurike received an indefinite suspension for betting on NFL games, including Broncos contests. It would not surprise if Denver looked into D-line help before setting its Week 1 roster, but for now, the Henningsen-Harris-Purcell contingent represents the role players in this position group.

Okwuegbunam came up in trade rumors ahead of the 2022 deadline. The former fourth-round pick had fallen out of favor with Nathaniel Hackett’s staff. Although Okwuegbunam totaled 109 receiving yards in the Broncos’ final preseason game, they are moving him to the waiver wire.

One of Sean Payton’s former Saints charges, Adam Trautman, is now the Broncos’ starting tight end. The team acquired him in a draft-weekend trade. The team used a third-round pick on Greg Dulcich last year, and Chris Manhertz is onboard as a blocking piece at the position. Okwuegbunam blazed to a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 Combine but has been unable to put it together as a pro. The Mizzou product totaled 330 receiving yards in 2021, bouncing back from a rookie-year ACL tear. Playing in a third offensive system in four seasons, Okwuegbunam could not make a good enough case for Denver’s roster. It should be expected the athletic tight end will generate waiver interest before Wednesday’s deadline.

Eagles Activate CB Avonte Maddox From IR

December 30th, 2022 at 7:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Out since Week 9, Avonte Maddox is on his way back for the Eagles. The NFC-leading team designated the fifth-year cornerback for return from IR on Wednesday.

Maddox sustained an ankle injury against the Texans last month but now has a three-week span to return to the Eagles’ 53-man roster. After activating defensive end Janarius Robinson on Tuesday, the Eagles have four injury activations remaining. Robert Quinn stands to account for one of those; Maddox is on track to claim another spot.

Tied to a three-year, $22.5MM contract agreed to in November 2021, Maddox is now the Eagles’ longest-tenured defensive back. Drafted in the fourth round by a Super Bowl-winning team with an experienced secondary, Maddox carved out a role for himself over the course of his rookie contract and now joins Darius Slay and James Bradberry as corners tied to veteran deals. Those pacts pair with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps‘ rookie accords.

Maddox, 26, returning this week would mean he would rejoin the league’s No. 1-ranked pass defense. While the Eagles have gotten by against the pass without the 26-year-old slot patroller, his return will benefit the 12-1 team. Pro Football Focus graded Maddox’s early-season work well, placing him just inside the top 40 at corner. In six games this season, Maddox was seeing action at a career-high rate. He logged 81% of the snaps during the six games he played this season. Maddox has been a constant for the Eagles since debuting, having played between 65% and 75% of Philly’s defensive snaps from 2018-21.

Broncos Mandating First-Round Pick For Bradley Chubb?

October 31st, 2022 at 11:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Multiple reports have connected the Broncos to a trade involving a first-round pick for Bradley Chubb, in the event they end up dealing the fifth-year edge rusher. The Broncos may now be insistent on a first-rounder coming back.

Denver is setting a first-rounder as the Chubb starting point, according to Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero, who adds the team is telling teams it must offer a first and then some to pry Chubb away. The former Von Miller sidekick is in a contract year, like Miller was in 2022. While expectations were higher for the 2022 Broncos compared to 2021, they are 3-5 ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and again in position to make a seller’s trade.

The first-round price comes in north of what a report last week indicated Chubb would likely cost. A second- and third-round package, which Miller fetched last year, was viewed as the likeliest Chubb price. But the Dolphins and Jets have since been linked to the former No. 5 overall pick. The AFC East teams, who are each gunning for playoff spots for the first time in years, have been linked to being interested to the point a first-rounder would be exchanged. A Sunday-morning report also indicated the Broncos have received an offer including a first-rounder for Chubb, putting the team to a big-picture decision.

[RELATED: Giants Interested In Jerry Jeudy]

The Broncos have gauged the cost of a Chubb extension, according to Albert Breer of SI.com, but no talks of a new deal are believed to have taken place. Chubb, 26, has expressed a desire to stay in Denver beyond 2022, but he said from London he has not made bye-week plans due to the Broncos’ trade talks. Although injuries have depleted the 2022 Broncos’ outside linebacker depth, they have Randy Gregory, Baron Browning and second-round rookie Nik Bonitto signed long term.

No edge defender has garnered a first-rounder via trade since the Chiefs acquired Frank Clark from the Seahawks in April 2019. That move came with Clark on a franchise tag and before he had made a Pro Bowl. Chubb earned such a nod in 2020 and has a 12-sack season (as a rookie in 2018) on his resume. This would be a steep price to pay for a rental, but an acquiring team would have exclusive Chubb negotiating rights until March 2023. A 2023 tag — surely a Broncos consideration as well — would be in an acquiring team’s back pocket.

Chubb’s age compared to Miller’s likely has led to a first-rounder being in the equation. The Broncos also can use the John Elway-era draftee to recoup draft capital they lost in the Russell Wilson trade. The Wilson trade leaves Denver without 2023 first- or second-round picks, and the quarterback’s $49MM-per-year extension will make high-end investments elsewhere on the roster more difficult. Gregory is signed to a $14MM-per-year deal, while Browning and Bonitto are on rookie pacts. Chubb would be expected to sign for well north of $20MM per annum.

Still, the Broncos have not committed to dealing Chubb, per Salguero, who notes such a move would be a clear sign the team is punting on 2022. The prospect of other teams’ offers falling short of the Broncos’ asking price also looms. It would then be interesting to see if the Broncos would accept a lesser haul to bolster its 2023 draft arsenal or just ride it out with Chubb and reassess the situation ahead of the 2023 league year.

The team is not expected to part with Jerry Jeudy or K.J. Hamler, who are each under contract in 2023. But a Jeudy trade is not completely off the table, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who adds tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is carrying next to no trade value. The Broncos have buried Okwuegbunam on their depth chart in recent weeks and would likely accept just about any draft capital to move him.

Chiefs, Rams Expected To Pursue Pass Rushing Help

October 30th, 2022 at 7:58am CST by Rory Parks

The Chiefs and Rams are involved in the Brandin Cooks market, and both clubs are also seeking upgrades to their pass rushing contingent. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Kansas City and Los Angeles would like to add a pass rusher prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The most notable pass rusher that has the best chance of being moved within the next several days appears to be Denver’s Bradley Chubb. Indeed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com classifies the 2-5 Broncos as the most likely team to make a trade, and he further reports that one club has offered Denver a package headlined by a first-round pick in exchange for Chubb. Even though two of Chubb’s first four professional seasons were marred by injury, his fifth season has proven that, when healthy, he is one of the game’s better edge defenders. Through seven games in 2022, he has posted 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

As Jones points out, Denver would almost certainly not trade Chubb to the division-rival Chiefs, though the Rams would be a viable trade partner. LA, however, lacks a 2023 first-round pick due to last year’s Matthew Stafford trade, so it remains to be seen if it would be able to present Broncos GM George Paton with a winning offer. Jones says the Rams, as is their custom, are willing to trade future first-rounders.

Since Chubb is in the final year of his rookie contract, any acquiring club would want to work out a contract extension with him, according to Schefter. Of course, if Paton holds onto Chubb, he would want to come to terms on a multi-year pact as well (as Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post writes, Chubb is amenable to a contract that keeps him in the Mile High City for the long haul). Regardless of where he ends up, Chubb’s next deal is expected to pay him more than $20MM on an annual basis.

Other pass rushers that could be available for the Chiefs and Rams include players like the Panthers’ Brian Burns and the Jaguars’ Josh Allen. Jones echoes recent reports that Carolina seems unwilling to move Burns, and the NFL.com trio of Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo report that Jacksonville wants to retain Allen, whom it views as a foundational piece.

While Chubb could be dealt, Schefter says the Broncos do not plan to trade wideouts Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, meanwhile, is still likely to be traded, per Troy Renck of Denver 7 (via Twitter). The asking price on Okwuegbunam is “minimal.”

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