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Jalen Virgil

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24

December 21st, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Bills Activate DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Baylon Spector

December 14th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills will have a pair of defensive reinforcements available for tomorrow’s game against the Lions. Dawuane Smoot and Baylon Spector have been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Smoot and Spector were designated for return earlier this week, opening their respective 21-day practice windows. They have both avoided setbacks over the past few days, clearing the way for today’s move. Buffalo will have three activations available over the remainder of the regular season.

Smoot suffered a wrist injury in November, and surgery was required as a result. It was unclear at the time if the issue would be season-ending, but Smoot has managed to rehab in time for the closing weeks of the campaign. His return will be welcomed given his rotational role along the edge prior to the injury. The 29-year-old has made four starts and handled a 48% snap share in 2024, his debut Bills campaign.

While Smoot is a pending free agent, Spector is still attached to his rookie contract through 2025. The latter has similarly been a part-time defensive contributor this season, though, and his presence will be key down the stretch after the Bills dealt with multiple linebacker injuries earlier in the year. Spector, 26, was used almost exclusively on special teams during his first two seasons in the league but he has taken on an increased workload in 2024. With Terrel Bernard healthy and Matt Milano back in the fold, Buffalo’s LB situation is in a much better place now than it has been throughout the season.

In corresponding roster moves, offensive lineman Will Clapp and receiver Jalen Virgil were let go. Both players will now hit the waiver wire, although it is unlikely either of them will get claimed. Provided they reach free agency, they will be candidates to remain in the Bills’ organization via a practice squad deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/24

November 8th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor roster moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Taylor was waived today in anticipation of everyone’s expectation that Christian McCaffrey will finally be coming off of injured reserve to make his season debut this week.

Virgil was previously on the Broncos but landed on waivers as part of final roster cuts before the start of the regular season. According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Denver tried desperately to sign him to their practice squad after he cleared waivers, but Virgil ultimately decided to sign with Buffalo’s practice squad. He’ll now get an opportunity on the team’s active roster after two standard gameday elevations this year.

Despite being a vested veteran, McMillan will need to clear waivers in order to be re-signed to the Patriots’ practice squad, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team already has Joe Giles-Harris and Monty Rice on the practice squad at the position.

Bills Activate Von Miller After Four-Game Suspension

November 2nd, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills have activated outside linebacker Von Miller after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL did not specify why Miller was suspended, but the three-time All-Pro was arrested in December 2023 for a domestic violence charge that sparked a league investigation. Miller denied the allegations, and commissioner Roger Goodell declined to impose a suspension after initial review in March, but it is possible that additional details came to the league’s attention and forced them to act.

Miller’s suspension sidelined him for all four of the Bills’ games in October, but Buffalo still went 3-1 with that span, holding opponents to fewer than 16 points per game. Their pass rush took a small step back in Miller’s absence, recording eight sacks over their last four games after 12 in their first four.

Miller will return to a rotational role among the Bills’ edge rushers on Sunday against the Dolphins. 76.3% of his 93 defensive snaps this season were spent rushing the passer, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), consistent with Miller’s usage since arriving in Buffalo in 2022.

Miller agreed to a pay cut this offseason that reduced his 2024 salary from $17.5MM to $8.855MM, though he can earn up to $20MM with incentives. The move appears to be a shrewd one by the Bills as Miller’s suspension greatly reduced the chance that he can hit all of his incentives.

The Bills also used standard practice squad elevations on DT Eli Ankou and WR Jalen Virgil ahead of Sunday’s game

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24

October 26th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Broncos Release Tim Patrick, Samaje Perine To Trim Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams have moved their rosters to 53 players. Here is how the Broncos pared theirs down to the regular-season limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • OLB Durell Nchami

Placed on reserve/PUP:

IR/designated for return:

Patrick and Perine trades did not come to fruition. Both veterans are heading to free agency. Patrick had been with the Broncos since joining their practice squad in 2017; only Garett Bolles has been on the team longer. But Denver has added several wide receivers under Sean Payton‘s watch. Patrick, a John Elway-era pickup who signed an extension under GM George Paton, became expendable for the younger talent. The 30-year-old wideout has recovered from the ACL and Achilles tears that prevented him from playing a down with Russell Wilson. Humphrey may well be a practice squad option, given his New Orleans past with Payton.

Perine, 28, has been connected to a Bengals return. The veteran backup/pass-down option can now sign anywhere he chooses. Perine set a career high in receiving yardage (455) during his one-and-done Broncos run; Denver’s dead money charge ($1.5MM) will likely be offset if/once Perine lands elsewhere.

Sanders sustained an Achilles tear this offseason. The 2023 third-round pick figures to be in the team’s plans for later this season, but he will miss time — at least four games, per the PUP designation — on his rehab trek. Mathis must also miss four games, having suffered a high ankle sprain. The third-year cornerback is slated to return at some point, and the Broncos are using an IR-return designation, dropping their number from eight to seven to start the season.

Burton was viewed as a safe bet to make the team, and while roster gymnastics — which are less useful now that this IR-return tweak is in the mix — could bring him back, he received word of a release. Burton is a nine-year vet who spent last season with the Broncos. Mustipher signed this offseason but was not viewed as a true contender for the center spot, which appears set to go to 2022 fifth-round pick Luke Wattenberg.

Many of these players figure to be brought back to Denver’s practice squad, which can be set beginning Wednesday. Sixteen players will fill out that unit.

Injury Notes: Achane, Gary, Howard

August 22nd, 2023 at 10:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane avoided a serious injury. After getting carted to the locker room during Saturday’s preseason game against the Texans, Archane has been diagnosed with a shoulder injury and is considered “week-to-week” (per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques).

The RB suffered the injury when a Texans defensive lineman fell on him during the third quarter of the exhibition. Archane was able to return to the sideline under his own power, but he was later carted to the locker room. Fortunately, it sounds like the rookie’s injury wasn’t all that serious, although it’s uncertain if he’ll be on the field for Week 1.

The Dolphins drafted the Texas A&M product in the third round of this year’s draft. The Dolphins still have both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. in the backfield, but the rookie was expected to play a role alongside the two vets. If Archane is forced to miss regular season time, that could open a spot for holdovers Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin. The Dolphins are also rostering UDFA Chris Brooks.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • After tearing his ACL last November, Packers linebacker Rashan Gary participated in his first team drills on Tuesday. As Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette writes, the pass rusher didn’t show any signs of rust, which only provides optimism regarding his availability for Week 1. Of course, it’s no guarantee that Gary will be ready to go for the season opener, with the player revealing that he’s got “a couple more boxes to check off” before he’s cleared.
  • Tytus Howard underwent hand surgery earlier this month, putting his status for Week 1 in doubt. However, the Texans offensive tackle is making “steady progress” in his recovery and hasn’t been ruled out for the start of the regular season, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston (via Twitter). Howard was given a recovery time of four to six weeks, so a Week 1 return isn’t overly optimistic.
  • Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton landed hard on his shoulder during practice last Thursday and is considered “week-to-week,” per Christopher Price of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The 2022 second-round pick showed flashes of his potential during his rookie campaign, finishing the season with 263 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. Thornton could find himself buried on the depth chart behind Devante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kendrick Bourne in 2023.
  • Broncos wideout Jalen Virgil suffered an injury during his 50-yard catch on Saturday. While he’ll need knee surgery to repair his meniscus, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the receiver’s ACL is intact. Unfortunately, Virgil’s comeback probably won’t take place until the 2024 campaign, as he was placed on injured reserve today. The former UDFA won’t be eligible to play for the Broncos this season, but he could play for another team if he’s granted his release.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/23

August 22nd, 2023 at 8:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: CB Elijah Hamilton
  • Waived/injured: OL Jake Hanson

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Tae Crowder
  • Waived/injured: OT Andrew Trainer

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): DL Marquan McCall
  • Released: WR Tre Nixon

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Malik Flowers
  • Waived: CB Montrae Braswell

Tae Crowder has found his next gig after getting cut by the Steelers in May. The former Mr. Irrelevant spent the first three seasons of his career with the Giants, including a 2021 season where he compiled 130 tackles and a pair of interceptions. He started only eight of his 13 appearances last season before getting cut, but he quickly caught on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad. Entering his age-26 season, Crowder is a low-risk option for the Chargers, but he could provide big returns if he can show his form from 2021.

Marquan McCall was a surprise cut by the Panthers earlier this week. The former UDFA ended up getting into 16 games for the Panthers last season, finishing with 15 tackles, two TFLs, and one QB hit. He’ll now look to catch on in New England. He’ll be taking a roster spot from wideout Tre Nixon. The former seventh-round pick has spent the past few seasons on New England’s practice squad but never got into a regular season game.

Broncos Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents

May 12th, 2022 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have been busy signing their draft picks in recent days, but that didn’t stop the front office from adding 13 undrafted free agents to their roster:

Allen got a chunk of money to join Denver, earning $180K in guaranteed money (per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com on Twitter). The linebacker had a productive collegiate career, earning two National Championships during his time at Alabama. He also earned a second-team All-SEC nod in 2020 after finishing with 24 tackles and six sacks. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a broken foot, leading to him going undrafted.

Meanwhile, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that McMillian got $75K, while Mauga got $60K guaranteed (Twitter link).