Caden Sterns

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/24

Thursday’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Uzomah is a veteran of 106 games stemming from his seven-year run in Cincinnati followed by two years with the Jets. The 31-year-old has topped 400 receiving yards in a season only twice, but he has remained a consistent depth option in the passing game. He will aim to provide a rotational contribution behind Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/24

Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: T Marcellus Johnson
  • Released: T Ricky Lee

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Woods joins the Falcons’ practice squad after a workout last week that also included veterans Kwon Alexander and Rashaan Evans.

The Browns are adding Freeman after the seven-year veteran was released by the Cowboys before the regular season. Freeman could potentially pitch in as the team keeps working without Nick Chubb.

Yeast becomes the next former-Rams defensive back to join the Panthers. Current Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used to serve as the secondary coach in Los Angeles, and Yeast joins Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, and Troy Hill as former students of Evero to sign a deal with the Panthers.

Chosen’s time off the Dolphins’ practice squad could be a short one. Chosen was called up as a standard gameday elevation twice in the first two weeks of the season, reaching his limit for the year. If the team re-signs him to a new practice squad contract, his count should start over.

Reagor saw 11 games and a start last year for New England, catching seven passes for 138 yards as a deep threat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Patriots will be giving him similar opportunities this year after this release.

Pierre played a big part in the Steelers’ secondary in 2021 and 2022, starting six games and logging an interception in each season. His role was extremely reduced last year with the arrivals of Joey Porter Jr.. and Patrick Peterson, but his experience could be crucial in a position room that only rosters five cornerbacks as Cameron Sutton remains on suspension.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/24

Thursday’s taxi squad moves:

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/24

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: WR Kaden Davis

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Jackson Sirmon

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/24

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Green Bay Packers 

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: DE Derrick McClendon

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released: DL Kyon Barrs, OL Max Pircher

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eagles Cut Down Roster To 53 Players

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.

Eagles Sign S Caden Sterns

The Eagles have signed free agent safety Caden Sterns, the team announced. Philadelphia cut linebacker Shaquille Quarterman in a corresponding move.

It has been a busy week for Sterns, who was waived by the Broncos on August 5, claimed by the Panthers on August 6, and subsequently put back on the waiver wire when he failed a physical with Carolina. He cleared waivers and was free to sign with any club, and as many expected, he chose the Eagles as his new employer.

Denver’s former fifth-round pick has shown potential when on the field, particularly during his rookie campaign in 2021. Sterns totaled a pair of interceptions and five pass deflections that season, and while he nearly matched both of those figures the following year, he played in just five games due to a hip ailment. Availability remained an issue for Sterns in 2023, as he suffered a torn patellar tendon in the regular season opener and was shelved for the rest of the year.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was Sterns’ head coach in Denver in 2021, and when speaking to reporters immediately after today’s acquisition, Fangio praised the 24-year-old DB’s instincts (video link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com). Fangio added, however, that Sterns will not practice for a week or so as he continues to recover from last year’s injury.

Nonetheless, Shorr-Parks believes Sterns has a real chance of making the roster, because in his estimation, Philadelphia would not have signed a player who is not yet ready to practice if the club did not think highly of that player and have a real vision for his fit on the team. Additionally, the Eagles need safety depth since C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Mekhi Garner are dealing with their own injury problems and since Sydney Brown is on the PUP list and James Bradberry is still learning the position after transitioning from cornerback (though Fangio said Bradberry is doing “pretty damn good” in that transition).

Quarterman, meanwhile, signed with Philadelphia just last week in an effort to crack the team’s LB rotation and to serve as a key special teams contributor after spending most of his first four years in the league as a third phase stalwart for the Jaguars. He will now need to seek an opportunity elsewhere.

Panthers Waive S Caden Sterns

Caden Sterns‘ time with the Panthers has proven to be very brief. The former Broncos safety has already been placed back on waivers after failing a physical with his new team, Carolina announced on Thursday.

Sterns’ health has been a concern this offseason after he was limited to only one game in 2023 due to a torn patellar tendon. A failed physical was not the reason he was let go by the Broncos, but struggles in recovering from that injury – or a new ailment altogether – should keep him on the open market for a period moving forward. The 24-year-old will join a new team if another claim is put in, but it would come as a surprise if that took place.

In the event Sterns clears waivers, he will be a free agent. The former fifth-rounder could draw interest when healthy given his performances in 2021 and ’22. Across those seasons, he totaled four interceptions and nine pass deflections while making five starts. Sterns logged a defensive snap share of 84% in 2022, a campaign in which he was held to only five games played.

The Texas alum likely would have competed for playing time at safety with the likes of Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott while Sam Franklin recovers from a broken foot. Sterns has seen time at slot corner in his career, though, and he could have met the Panthers’ goal of adding depth at that position had he been healthy. Instead, team and player will now go their separate ways.

Carolina has roughly $6.1MM in cap space. That should allow the team to pursue a modest veteran addition in the secondary late in the summer. Sterns, meanwhile, will turn his attention to recovery in the hopes of landing a deal with another new team in time for the start of the season.

Panthers Claim DB Caden Sterns

The Panthers used their top waiver priority today on a former Broncos draft pick. According to ESPN’s David Newton, the Panthers claimed defensive back Caden Sterns from the Broncos. To make room on the roster, the team has waived/injured guard J.D. DiRenzo.

[RELATED: Broncos Waive S Caden Sterns]

Sterns was a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2021. He quickly carved out a role in Denver, compiling 28 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games (two starts) as a rookie. He was set to take on a larger role as a sophomore, and he started the 2022 campaign as the replacement for an injured Justin Simmons. Sterns got into five games before suffering a hip injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery.

The defensive back returned in time for the start of the 2023 campaign. However, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 1, ending his season early. Sterns started this year’s training camp on the active/PUP list but missed only a handful of practices before being activated. The Broncos had a few weeks to evaluate the 24-year-old before ultimately moving on yesterday.

The Panthers have been especially active in seeking depth in their secondary. Sterns will likely be penciled in as a safety, but he did get some looks at nickelback as a rookie. Sterns will be taking the roster spot previously held by DiRenzo, a former UDFA who got into three games as a rookie in 2023.

The Panthers made another move today, releasing wideout Cam Sims from the reserve-PUP list with an injury settlement, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The receiver caught on with Carolina’s practice squad late in the 2023 campaign and stuck around during the offseason via a reserve/futures contract. The former UDFA spent five seasons in Washington to begin his career, hauling in 57 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns.

Broncos Waive S Caden Sterns

4:06pm: No trade was worked out for Sterns, Klis notes. As a result, he will hit the waiver wire. If no team submits a claim in the next 24 hours, he will be a free agent.

10:02am: Caden Sterns was set to play out the 2024 season as a pending free agent for the Broncos. The fourth-year safety will instead need to find a new home in the coming weeks.

Sterns has been informed by the Broncos of their intention of waiving him, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The 24-year-old will hit the wire once that move officially takes place. If he goes unclaimed, Sterns will be free to sign with an interested team. A trade will first be sought out, per Mike Klis of 9News. If a partner on that front cannot be found, Sterns will be let go.

The former fifth-rounder has shown potential when on the field, particularly during his rookie season. Sterns totaled a pair of interceptions and five pass deflections in 2021. He nearly matched both of those figures the following year, but he did so in only five games played. Availability has been an issue for Sterns, and he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign.

The Texas alum began training camp on the active/PUP list, but he was cleared to return to practice in late July. Today’s news is not an encouraging sign with respect to Stern’s health at the moment. As a result, he may find himself on the market for a stretch as teams consider adding him prior to roster cutdowns. If he does land with a new squad in the relatively near future, however, the Broncos’ turnover at the safety position this offseason will continue.

Denver moved on from Justin Simmons in the spring, and the NFL’s interceptions leader since 2016 has still yet to sign with a new team. The Broncos also released Kareem Jackson late in the 2023 campaign after his second suspension of the season. Jackson recently signed with the Bills in an attempt to continue his career. Now that Sterns will not be in the fold, a number of new faces will be counted on for the 2024 season.

The Broncos added Brandon Jones in free agency, and the team re-signed P.J. Locke. Those two are set operate as starters this season, but the absence of Sterns will lead to questions about depth behind them. Barring an addition, Denver will rely on the likes of J.L. Skinner and Delarrin Turner-Yell as special teams contributors counted on to take on defensive snaps in the event of injury to Jones and/or Locke. The Broncos have roughly $7.7MM in cap space, so a modest safety investment to replace Sterns would be feasible.