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Angelo Blackson

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/2/24

October 2nd, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Wednesday’s practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

Los Angles Rams

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

The Cardinals have added some necessary kicker depth. Per Tyler Drake of AZSports, Matt Prater is dealing with a left knee issue, necessitating the addition of Chad Ryland. The former fourth-round pick spent his rookie campaign in New England, where he converted 16 of his 25 field goal attempts and 24 of his 25 XP tries. Ryland lost out on the Patriots kicking gig this season to Joey Slye, leading to him being among New England’s final cuts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/24

September 28th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

Minor transactions and practice squad callups for the Week 4 weekend:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Elevated: G Kyle Hergel

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/10/24

September 10th, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Signed: G Cade Mays
  • Released: T Marcellus Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: T Anim Dankwah

WR Phillip Dorsett, DL Angelo Blackson Among Broncos’ Early Cuts

August 26th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos began moving down toward the 53-man limit. Teams need to reduce rosters to the regular-season limit by 3pm CT on Tuesday. Denver has higher-profile moves in the works, aiming to trade Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine, but multiple other vested veterans are part of this initial cut contingent.

Released:

Waived:

A former first-round pick, Dorsett never looked like a 53-man candidate on a Broncos team that has made a few moves at wide receiver this offseason — to the point Patrick is no longer in its plans. This marks the second time this year the Broncos released Dorsett; they cut him in mid-May only to re-sign him days later. Dorsett, 31, joined the Broncos on a practice squad deal just after teams finalized their initial 53-man rosters last August. He played in two games and caught one pass in 2023. The Broncos were Dorsett’s seventh NFL team.

Blackson, 31, has been a D-line contributor for nine seasons. With 42 starts on his resume, Blackson has played for five NFL teams (Titans, Texans, Cardinals, Bears, Jaguars). He joined the Jaguars late last summer and played 11 games as a backup. Since signing Blackson in April, the Broncos received word of Eyioma Uwazurike‘s reinstatement from a gambling suspension. The team also traded for John Franklin-Myers since signing Blackson, who would stand to generate some interest as a late-summer free agent.

Broncos, DL Angelo Blackson Agree To Deal

April 15th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Angelo Blackson is in line to play for a sixth career NFL team. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a one-year deal with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

Blackson has served as a rotational defender for much of his career, but he served as a full-time starter with the Texans in 2019. That campaign was followed up by a single season in Arizona, where he played under Vance Joseph. The latter is in place as Denver’s defensive coordinator.

Since his Cardinals stint, Blackson has spent time with the Bears and Jaguars. The 31-year-old matched his career high with 2.5 sacks in 2021, his first season in Chicago; Blackson also set a new personal high with 43 tackles that year. He saw a notable drop in playing time the following season, though, leading to a free agent departure.

Blackson initially joined the Ravens last offseason, but he was among the team’s final roster cuts. That left him free to find a new team in advance of the campaign, and he took a one-year pact with Jacksonville. That agreement did not lead to a notable role (30% defensive snap share), nor any production in the pass-rush department. It did, though, allow Blackson to play with a third AFC South team after he began his career in Tennessee and Houston.

Rather than attempting a sweep of the division in Indianapolis, the Auburn product will look to earn a roster spot in Denver. The Broncos have already added Malcolm Roach to their defensive interior this offseason, signing the former Sean Payton Saints contributor to a two-year deal. Blackson could help fill the void created by the departure of Jonathan Harris, and his addition could impact Mike Purcell‘s chances of being re-signed.

Jaguars Place DT DaVon Hamilton On IR, Sign DL Angelo Blackson

August 31st, 2023 at 9:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the Jaguars’ pass rushers will be out of the mix to start the season. In addition to Dawuane Smoot staying on the PUP list, the Jags will be without DaVon Hamilton, who landed on IR on Thursday.

Jacksonville shifted Hamilton and offensive lineman Cooper Hodges to IR, sidelining each for at least four games to start the year, and signed veteran D-lineman Angelo Blackson and O-lineman Blake Hance.

A back issue sidelined Hamilton late in training camp. The Jaguars had given the former third-round pick a lucrative extension — three years, $34.5MM — this offseason. But both he and Smoot, who re-signed late this summer, will make delayed debuts for the defending AFC South champions. Neither can return until at least Week 5.

Hamilton moved into the Jags’ starting lineup on a full-time basis last season, starting 14 games. Pro Football Focus rated Hamilton as a top-30 interior D-lineman in 2022, but his status will be worth monitoring ahead of his fourth NFL slate. The Jags announced recently Hamilton’s back trouble is a “non-football-related medical issue.” Doug Pederson said recently Hamilton does not have a return timetable. The Jaguars guaranteed the Ohio State alum $20MM at signing.

While teams often use post-cutdown-day IR moves to bring back veterans who went through training camp with the squad, the Jags are adding Blackson, who went to camp with the Ravens. Baltimore released the interior D-lineman on cutdown day, doing so after signing him in the offseason. Blackson, 30, is going into his ninth NFL season.

The Jaguars move Blackson closer to an AFC South career sweep. The former Titans draftee spent two seasons in Tennessee and three in Houston earlier in his career. Blackson migrated to Arizona and then Chicago, playing the past two seasons with the Bears. With Hamilton out indefinitely, the Jags have some insurance in Blackson, who has made 42 career starts. The eight-year veteran finished the 2021 season with 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. In 15 games last year, Blackson did not register a sack and tallied one QB hit.

Ravens Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 10:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens did a bit of work in the days leading up to the roster cut deadline, including the announced release of veteran running back Melvin Gordon. Still, there was a bit of work left to be done today. Here’s the remaining moves Baltimore made in order to get down to 53 players:

Waived:

Released:

The most surprising moves here come at cornerback. Especially with the recent injury trouble facing star corner Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens choice to not only cut two reliable backups in Seymour and Worley but also to waive the fifth-round rookie draft pick Kelly is shocking. The team did reinforce with several free agent veterans like Rock Ya-Sin, Ronald Darby, and Arthur Maulet, and they’re hoping to see strong seasons from second year cornerbacks Damarion Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis, both of whom were limited in their rookie seasons due to injury. Look for them to attempt to retain Seymour and Worley on the practice squad. Kelly will have to clear waivers in order to return, a tough ask for a fifth-round talent. Williams is expected to be placed on injured reserve following the deadline, opening a door for Worley or Seymour to return to the active roster.

Brown and Johnson put forth valiant efforts throughout the preseason, essentially allowing starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and primary backup Tyler Huntley to escape the preseason without really being touched. Unfortunately, neither made a strong enough case to remain on the regular season roster. Brown is surely a candidate to return to the practice squad, if he clears waivers.

Baltimore’s tradition of scouting undrafted talent continued this year as the team saw two free agent rookies make the initial 53-man roster. Former East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell gave some strong impressions that helped him beat out Gordon and fellow undrafted signee Wright. Malik Hamm, Lafayette’s all-time sack leader, makes the team behind as of yet unproven pass rushers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, veteran Jadeveon Clowney, and fellow rookie Tavius Robinson, a fourth-round pick out of Ole Miss.

Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser remains on the non-football injury list to start the season alongside long snapper Nick Moore, rookie guard Andrew Vorhees, and cornerback Trayvon Mullen. He’ll miss at least the first four games of the season.

Ravens Sign DT Angelo Blackson

May 24th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

After two seasons with the Bears, Angelo Blackson is heading to Baltimore. The Ravens announced an agreement with the veteran defensive lineman Wednesday.

Blackson, who has played for four teams during his eight-year career, has spent extensive time as both a starter and a backup. The former Titans draftee has made 42 starts since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick back in 2015.

He will join a Ravens team that cut Calais Campbell earlier this year. Baltimore did not draft a defensive lineman last month. With Campbell out of the mix (and now with the Falcons), the Ravens stand to field a D-line group consisting of rookie-deal players — Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones — and veterans Michael Pierce and Brent Urban. Blackson, 30, will join the latter contingent.

Blackson played out a two-year, $5.5MM Bears deal last season. The Auburn alum started 12 games over the past two years. He was more productive in 2021, totaling 43 stops, 2.5 sacks, nine QB hits and his only career interception. Blackson played a career-high 583 defensive snaps in 2021 and totaled 392 under Matt Eberflus last season.

Pro Football Focus also viewed Blackson as a better performer in 2021; last season, the advanced metrics website slotted him as a bottom-10 interior defensive lineman. The Bears moved to a 4-3 base alignment under Eberflus. Blackson had previously spent his career — in Tennessee, Houston and Arizona — on teams using 3-4 schemes. The Ravens have used a 3-4 look for ages. Blackson also spent time with the Patriots in 2017 but did not see any game action, being poached off the Pats’ practice squad by the Texans, who later extended him.

The 315-pound D-lineman has been durable as well, playing at least 15 games in each of the past five seasons. Blackson’s most notable contract came with the Texans, who signed him to a three-year, $12MM deal in 2019. Although Blackson started a career-high 15 games that season, he ended up taking a pay cut in 2020. But Blackson played out that contract, despite Houston going through significant changes in the front office and on the sideline, and has now managed to fetch two more.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/20

September 8th, 2020 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Texans’ DL Angelo Blackson Takes Pay Cut

August 16th, 2020 at 9:37am CST by Rory Parks

Texans’ DL Angelo Blackson has agreed to a pay cut, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports (via Twitter). Blackson was set to earn nearly $4MM this year, but that number will now drop to $2.5MM.

Blackson was selected by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and spent the first two years of his career with Tennessee but was waived prior to the start of the 2017 season. He quickly hooked on with the Patriots’ taxi squad and was signed by Houston a few weeks later.

In 2018, his first full year in Houston, the Auburn product saw the most playing time of his career, appearing in all 16 games and 40% of the team’s defensive snaps. Although Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics ranked him near the bottom of the league’s interior defenders that season, Houston re-signed him to a three-year, $12MM pact last March.

In 2019, Blackson again appeared in 40% of the Texans’ defensive snaps, recording 20 tackles in the process. But his overall game was still a bit lackluster, and if he did not accept a pay cut, he may have been released.

As Berman writes, the Texans have saved about $8MM of cap space between Blackson’s pay cut, Senio Kelemete‘s extension, and Zach Fulton‘s restructure. The team now has about $20MM of room, and due to the expected cap reduction in 2021, any rollover money will be valuable. Plus, the team also needs to stash some funds for the inevitable Deshaun Watson extension.

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