Brent Laing

Chargers Waive RB Isaiah Spiller, T Alex Leatherwood; Get Down To 53

The Chargers made their way down to 53 players today with a number of waives and releases:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • OLB Chris Collins
  • T Tyler McLellan
  • OLB Chris Rumph
  • IOL Bucky Williams

Placed on IR (designated for return):

There aren’t too many surprises here. Of the veterans, Parham fell victim to the addition of two veteran receiving options, and Quarterman was a long-time special teamer.

Michigan wide receiver Johnson was the only drafted rookie who failed to make the roster after being selected in the seventh round. While no undrafted rookies made the roster either, McLellan and Williams will stick around on the IR, where they will remain out for the year. Niemann will have the option to be activated after four games.

The biggest cuts we otherwise see are Spiller, who got some run as a depth option at running back last year, and Leatherwood. Leatherwood, the former first-round pick out of Alabama, continues to struggle to find his place in the NFL.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/24

Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out Tuesday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

  • S Kendell Brooks, G Lewis Kidd, S Michael Tutsie

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/23

Today’s only practice squad transactions:

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: OL Brent Laing

New England Patriots

Hooper, an undrafted rookie out of Northwestern State, originally signed with the Packers after a rookie minicamp invitation. When he failed to make the initial 53-man roster in Green Bay, the Patriots swooped in, signing the young defensive back in mid-September. Two weeks later, Hooper was a free agent again, not signing with another team until late-November when he joined the Cardinals’ practice squad. After Arizona released him about a week ago, Hooper will rejoin the Patriots as a member of the practice squad, once again.

Jets Set 53-Man Roster

The Jets have been in the limelight all offseason, and some of their lesser-known players have earned attention following the team’s participation in HBO’s Hard Knocks. The team had to move on from many of those unheralded players today, as the organization reduced their roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/suspended:

Zonovan Knight made a name for himself as an UDFA in 2022. The running back was thrust into the Jets starting lineup, and he ultimately started four of his seven appearances. The RB finished the season with 400 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 98 touches. With Dalvin Cook added to a deep RBs depth chart, Knight seemed like a long shot to make the final roster.

Tim Boyle has bounced around the NFL a bit, but his only starting experience came with the Lions in 2021. The quarterback spent the 2022 campaign in Chicago, completing two of his eight pass attempts. It was uncertain if the Jets would keep three QBs on the roster, but the team appears content with just Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson at the position.

Jets Sign 13 UDFAs

The Jets have announced their 2023 crop of undrafted free agents. Here is the breakdown of rookies who will look to compete for a roster spot this summer:

New York has made a few sizeable financial commitments amongst this group. That includes $110K in guaranteed money for Jenkins, as noted (on Twitter) by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Jenkins’ lone campaign with the Yellow Jackets came last season, after he saw time at South Carolina. The 6-7, 243-pounder posted 316 yards and three touchdowns on just 17 receptions, showing big-play potential for his size.

The Jets have also given a six-figure guarantee to Dean, per Wilson (Twitter link). The former Gator will receive $100K following a highly productive five-year college career. Dean recorded one interception in each of his first four campaigns, and racked up a total of 18 pass deflections as evidence of his ball skills. He added 255 stops, 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in Florida, making him a versatile addition to the secondary for at least the short-term future.

Dye transferred to USC last season after four years at Oregon. The 5-10, 200-pounder eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time with the Ducks in 2021, totaling 1,271 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. He remained an efficient rusher in his lone Trojans campaign by averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Dye recorded 1,086 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns in 2022, but will face competition from fourth-rounder Israel Abanikanda for the third RB spot on the depth chart.