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Nick Bellore

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24

September 14th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Commanders Place QB Marcus Mariota On IR

September 7th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders will be starting rookie No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels at quarterback to open the season in Tampa Bay tomorrow. Behind Daniels, though, Washington had to make a couple of roster moves at quarterback. Prior to tomorrow’s game, the Commanders announced that they would place Marcus Mariota on injured reserve while signing practice squad passer Sam Hartman to the active roster.

Mariota was set to enter the season as the veteran backup option behind the team’s rookie starter. Today’s transaction, though, means that the former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 will be out for at least the next four games. With Mariota out, the new veteran backup with starting experience is Jeff Driskel.

A former sixth-round pick for the 49ers back in 2016, Driskel has never entered the season as a starter, but he has notched 12 starts in 24 game appearances over his eight years in the NFL coming off the bench. Over that time, Driskel has a record as a starter of 1-10, but he has shown some efficiency with a 16-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his career.

Behind Driskel, the newly promoted Hartman will serve as the emergency QB3. A six-year college quarterback who transferred from Wake Forest to Notre Dame for his final year of collegiate ball, Hartman overcame a nagging injury history to become a successful starter for both the Demon Deacons and the Fighting Irish. He signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent and failed to make the initial 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad shortly after being waived.

Joining Hartman off the practice squad, linebacker Nick Bellore and defensive tackle Sheldon Day will be promoted as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow. Unlike Hartman, Bellore and Day will revert back to the practice squad after the team’s matchup with the Buccaneers.

Commanders Sign LB Nick Bellore

September 2nd, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

Nick Bellore saw his Seahawks tenure come to an end earlier this offseason, but he will have a new opportunity in time for Week 1. The veteran linebacker and special teamer joined the Commanders via a practice squad deal, per a team announcement. The Pedestrian Podcast first reported that a contract was imminent.

Bellore made 10 defensive starts in 2016, his second and final season with the 49ers. During his time with the Jets before that – along with the Lions and Seahawks afterwards – however, his main contributions came on special teams. The 35-year-old has also seen time as a fullback, although he was used very sparingly in that capacity during his Seattle tenure.

One year remained on Bellore’s contract entering free agency, but the Seahawks released him in a cost-cutting move. That decision began a lengthy free agent stay, but by signing ahead of the regular season the former UDFA will be available for the Commanders as a potential gameday elevation from the practice squad. Bellore earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 and ’23 for his special teams play, and he has collected double-digit tackles in his third phase work in each of the past four years.

The Commanders ranked 26th in special teams DVOA last season, leaving plenty of room for improvement in 2024. New head coach Dan Quinn will oversee Washington’s rebuilding efforts in a number of capacities, and expectations for a defensive turnaround in particular are in place given the nature of the team’s offseason. Bellore could be a depth option in the linebacking corps (especially if he were to land on the active roster), but primarily he will be in place for his special teams contributions. A veteran of 204 combined regular and postseason games, Bellore intended to continue his career once his Seahawks release went through.

This Commanders accord will allow him to meet that goal while not significantly affecting Washington’s cap outlook. The team entered Monday with roughly $27MM in cap space, and adding Bellore will not take away flexibility for other moves leading up to Week 1.

Seahawks, Nick Bellore To Part Ways

March 10th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another veteran member of the Pete Carrol-era Seahawks will not be in place for 2024. Seattle and special teamer Nick Bellore will part ways on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

One year remained on Bellore’s latest Seahawks contract; he was due to count $4MM against the cap. Seattle will see $2.85MM in cap savings by releasing him just ahead of free agency. Monday marks the beginning of the legal tampering window, and the 34-year-old will be free to discuss a new deal with teams before signing one as early as Wednesday.

The former UDFA served as a starting linebacker with the 49ers in 2016, but throughout the rest of his career he has seen most of his playing time on special teams. Bellore has notably seen usage both at linebacker and fullback, although he only had six offensive touches during his five seasons in the Emerald City. He earned a second career Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after logging an 83% snap share on special teams. In spite of that, the team will move on.

Bellore joins a long list of veterans which have been (or will be) released as part of a financial reset this offseason. Safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, along with tight end Will Dissly and defensive tackle Bryan Mone will not return in 2024. Bellore’s absence will not be acutely felt on offense or defense, but his third phase contributions on a Seahawks team which ranked eight in special teams DVOA last season will be missed.

The Central Michigan product has experience with the Jets, 49ers and Lions in addition to his time as a Seahawk. Bellore has played in 200 regular season games (as well as four in the postseason), and Pelissero notes he intends to continue his career. It will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for him in the near future.

Seahawks Sign Nick Bellore To Extension

February 22nd, 2023 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks are confident Nick Bellore will remain a reliable contributor into his mid-30s. The team announced a two-year extension for the veteran special-teamer Wednesday.

Bellore, who will turn 34 in May, re-signed with Seattle for $6.6MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This marks a raise from Bellore’s previous Seahawks pact — a two-year, $4.45MM accord agreed to in March 2021.

A former Jets, Lions and 49ers role player, Bellore has enjoyed an interesting NFL career. Excepting the 2016 season, in which a 2-14 49ers team turned to him as a regular starter at linebacker, Bellore has seen action mostly on special teams. The Seahawks have barely lined him up on defense at all during his four-season run in the Pacific Northwest, though he did log nine defensive snaps last season. But the team has used the Central Michigan product at fullback on occasion. Bellore played 17 offensive snaps last season.

“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt, and I’m ready to play as long as my body and a team will allow me to,” Bellore said. “If I felt like things were starting to go, I wouldn’t do it, because I don’t want to go out there just to go out there. I want to stay at the level I’ve been playing at the last couple of years and continue to improve, which I think I can still do. Obviously on paper I’m quite old — and in reality, probably — but it was never a question that I was done.”

Bellore earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and saw an 81% snap share on special teams last season, a 15-tackle slate. The Seahawks ranked second in veteran NFL writer Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams assessment in 2022; they have ranked in the top three in each of the past three years.

Seahawks To Re-Sign Nick Bellore

March 18th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Nick Bellore has agreed to a brand new deal with the Seahawks, as Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus tweets. The signing has also been confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

Bellore, 32 in May, has spent the last two seasons in Seattle. Even as teams around the league have de-prioritized the position, Bellore’s blocking has been highly valued in the Seahawks offense. His return should go a long way towards appeasing Russell Wilson, who is reportedly dissatisfied with the team’s efforts to protect him in the pocket.

Bellore spent much of his career at linebacker and saw significant playing time for the 49ers in 2016. That year, he made ten starts in their 3-4 scheme and registered 83 stops and one sack in total. Then, in Detroit, he went to the other side of the ball, where he had a knack for clearing lanes. Seattle used a fullback on just 8% of its plays in 2018. That changed in 2019 when Pete Carroll signed Bellore to a two-year, $2.23MM deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/20

September 7th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: TE Colin Thompson

Dallas Cowboys

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/19

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: G John Jerry
  • Placed on IR: G O’Shea Dugas

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: S Rolan Milligan

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Seahawks Get Down To 53 Players

August 31st, 2019 at 6:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks have made their roster cuts. Perhaps most notably, they cut quarterback Geno Smith. Since they already waived Paxton Lynch last night and also waived J.T. Barrett, they currently have no passers on the roster behind Russell Wilson. It’s possible the team is just maneuvering the roster and planning on re-signing Smith. If not, they’ll be adding a veteran in the coming days.

The Seahawks had a crowded running backs room, and J.D. McKissic and Bo Scarbrough ended up as the odd-men out. A lot of people were expecting Jaron Brown to start the year as the team’s number two receiver while D.K. Metcalf recovers from his knee injury, but he didn’t even end up making the initial 53. Brown was set to make $2.75MM, so maybe he’ll be brought back after the regular season starts when his contract won’t be guaranteed.

Here’s the full list of moves:

Released:

FB Nick Bellore

WR Jaron Brown

DE Cassius Marsh

C Marcus Martin

DT Jamie Meder

QB Geno Smith

CB Jamar Taylor

Waived:

QB J.T. Barrett

WR Jazz Ferguson

TE Jackson Harris

T Will Holden

TE Jacob Hollister

LB Jawuan Johnson

WR Kahlil Lewis

S Shalom Luani

 RB J.D. McKissic

DT Earl Mitchell

WR Nyqwan Murray

T Elijah Nkansah

WR Keenan Reynolds

G Jordan Roos

TE Wes Saxton

RB Bo Scarbrough

DE Logan Tago

CB Simeon Thomas

G Landon Turner

RB Xavier Turner

T Brian Wallace

WR Terry Wright

LB Juwon Young

Waived/injured:

CB Jeremy Boykins

LB Justin Currie

PUP:

DT Demarcus Christmas

G Phil Haynes

Injured reserve:

G Jordan Simmons

West Notes: 49ers, Hawks, Broncos, Chiefs

May 16th, 2019 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jason Verrett signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the 49ers this offseason, but the ex-Chargers cornerback says he actually contemplated retirement before landing in San Francisco, per SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Verrett, who was in a “dark place” while deciding on his NFL future, has only played in five total games over the past three seasons, with various injuries — including a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles — ending his campaigns. The 49ers ranked 26th in defensive DVOA against No. 2 wideouts in 2018, so they can use all they help they can get opposite Richard Sherman. Verrett, an excellent corner when healthy, is expected to compete with Ahkello Witherspoon and Tarvarius Moore for the job.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Fullback Nick Bellore‘s contract with the Seahawks is worth $2.23MM over two years, tweets Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Bellore will receive $600K guaranteed, including a $300K signing bonus and a $300K 2019 base salary guarantee. A linebacker who played primarily on special teams for the first seven years of his NFL career, Bellore converted to the offensive side of the ball last summer. The 30-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Lions in 2018, playing 118 snaps on offense and 238 on special teams. Seattle used a fullback on only 8% of its plays last season.
  • New Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco will take all the first-team reps at organized team activities, head coach Vic Fangio told reporters, including Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). That’s perhaps unsurprising, as Flacco is fully expected to be Denver’s starter despite the club selecting Missouri’s Drew Lock in the second round. Indeed, Flacco’s performance in early Broncos practices dissuaded general manager John Elway from drafting a signal-caller on Day 1 of the draft. Lock, veteran Kevin Hogan, and undrafted free agent Brett Rypien will compete to become Denver’s second and third quarterback.
  • The Seahawks gave significant signing bonuses to several of their undrafted collegiate free agents, as Henderson tweets. Quarterback Taryn Christion, receiver Terry Wright, and cornerbacks Derrek Thomas and Davante Davis each received a $10K bonus. As Henderson notes, though, that level of guarantee doesn’t necessarily ensure a roster spot. In 2018, Seattle gave receiver Ka’Raun White a $14K bonus but cut him after rookie minicamp. Click on Henderson’s tweet to see the full list of the Seahawks’ UDFA signing bonuses.
  • Free agent offensive tackle Dieugot Joseph is meeting with the Chiefs today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent out of Florida International University in 2017, Joseph has spent time with the Bears, Ravens, Vikings, and Jets but has yet to appear in an NFL game.
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