Trevor Siemian

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/22/20

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Anthony Edwards

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

  • Activated off practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Ishmael Hyman

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: RB Spencer Ware
  • Activated off practice squad injured list: WR Thomas Ives

Cleveland Browns

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Elijah Benton

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DE David Irving

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released: OL Andrew Jones

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/20

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Saints Sign QB Trevor Siemian

With Drew Brees going on the injured reserve, the Saints have brought in a veteran option to fill his roster spot. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans has signed quarterback Trevor Siemian from the Titans practice squad.

The 28-year-old is joining a backup grouping that includes Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Despite the starting experience of the former, it’s sound like the Saints will turn to the latter this weekend against the Falcons. Siemian will temporarily serve as extra depth until Brees is eligible to return from IR; the 41-year-old passer is believed to have fractured at least five ribs and punctured a lung, and his placement on injured reserve indicates that he’ll be out until at least Week 14.

Siemian, a 2015 seventh-round pick, started 24 games for the Broncos between 2016 and 2017, going 13-11 while completing 59.3-percent of his passes for 5,689 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. He started a game for the Jets in 2019, but he suffered a season-ending leg injury in that same contest.

He joined the Titans this past offseason, and there was an expectation that he’d be the backup to starter Ryan Tannehill. Instead, he was released by the team prior to the season, and he subsequently landed on Tennessee’s practice squad.

Titans Place T Isaiah Wilson On Reserve/COVID-19 List, Set Practice Squad

The Titans may begin the season without their first-round pick. They placed Isaiah Wilson on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

This marks the second time the first-round tackle has landed on the COVID list. Players do not have to test positive to be placed on the list; they can land there if they come in contact with an infected person.

Wilson, a Georgia alum, spent roughly a week on the COVID list earlier this summer. Given Tennessee’s investment, he projects as a player who will at some point become Jack Conklin‘s replacement at right tackle. However, the Titans may not have him to start the season.

In other Titans roster moves, running back Senorise Perry and cornerback Chris Milton will join the team’s 53-man roster. To clear the other roster spot, the Titans placed safety Dane Cruikshank on IR. Players who are carried onto the regular-season roster do not have to miss a full season if placed on IR. This season, players who land on IR can return after three weeks.

Tennessee also set its practice squad Sunday. Trevor Siemian agreed to sign on. The Titans signed the former Broncos starter-turned-journeyman backup late this offseason but did not carry him through to their 53-man roster. He will instead serve as an emergency quarterback of sorts.

Here is the full list:

Titans Release QB Trevor Siemian

Trevor Siemian‘s stint with the Titans has already come to an end. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the team is cutting the veteran quarterback. He might not be gone for good however, as veteran beat writer Terry McCormick tweets that the team wants him back on their practice squad. Teams can add vets to the practice squad now under the new COVID-19 inspired rules. That being said, he notes they expect to face competition for his services from other teams.

It was less than a month ago that Tennessee added Siemian to their quarterbacks room. The 28-year-old was expected to provide some experience behind starter Ryan Tannehill. Instead, the organization will apparently roll with Bengals 2018 seventh-round pick Logan Woodside as their primary backup.

The team is currently only rostering two players at the position, so there’s a chance a third (potentially veteran) quarterback could catch on. When the team auditioned Siemian back in August, the team also gave a look at DeShone Kizer, so the team already has some options in their Rolodex.

Siemian has only seen time in one game over the past two years (thanks in part to a season-ending ankle injury during the 2019 campaign). The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.

Titans To Sign Trevor Siemian

The Titans have agreed to sign quarterback Trevor Siemian, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Titans will also welcome tight end Geoff Swaim to the roster, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. To make room for Siemian, the Titans have dropped seventh-round rookie Cole McDonald.

Siemian auditioned for the Titans earlier this week, alongside fellow QB DeShone Kizer, running back D’Onta Foreman, and Swaim. The 28-year-old can provide experience behind starter Ryan Tannehill, where Logan Woodside currently sits as the QB2. Unfortunately, he’s appeared in just one game over the past two years, thanks in part to his brutal ankle injury in 2019. The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.

Swaim played four seasons for the Cowboys before moving on to the Jaguars last year. He played in six games for the Jags before landing on IR. In March, the Jaguars dropped him from the roster. Swaim’s best season came in 2018 when he notched a career-high 26 catches for 242 yards and one touchdown. Now, he’ll push to make the final cut, even though the Titans already have Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser, MyCole Pruitt, Parker Hesse, and Tommy Hudson at tight end.

McDonald, a University of Hawaii product, finished third in the nation in passing yards. Hawaii’s aggressive offensive scheme had a lot to do with that, but the Titans also saw some pro potential in the youngster. If he clears waivers, it stands to reason that the Titans will try to stash him on the practice squad.

Titans Work Out QBs Trevor Siemian, DeShone Kizer

The Titans were busy today, as the organization worked out four notable offensive players. USA Today’s Mike Jones reports (via Twitter) that the team auditioned quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and DeShone Kizer, running back D’Onta Foreman, and tight end Geoff Swaim.

It’s not too surprising that the Titans are sniffing around for help at quarterback. After all, the team has a pair of unproven options behind Ryan Tannehill in Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald. Siemian would certainly provide the Titans with the experience they’re presumably seeking, although the 28-year-old has only seen time in one game over the past two years (thanks in part to a season-ending ankle injury during the 2019 campaign). The last time he got an extended look was 2017, when he went 5-5 as a starter for the Broncos.

Following an ugly 2017 campaign that saw him go winless in 15 starts for the Browns, Kizer has spent time with the Packers and Raiders. Still only 24 years old, the former Notre Dame standout has 11 career touchdowns vs. 24 career interceptions.

Following an award-winning career at Texas, Foreman was drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Texans. He saw time in 10 games as a rookie, compiling 327 rushing yards and two scores on 78 carries. A torn Achilles suffered towards the end of that 2017 campaign limited him to only a single appearance in 2018, and he was cut the following preseason. He briefly caught on with the Colts, but he sat as a free agent for all of the 2019 season.

Swaim, a former seventh-round pick, spent four seasons with the Cowboys, including a 2018 season where he hauled in a career-high 26 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. He signed with the Jaguars last season, but he was limited to only 13 receptions in six games.

It wasn’t just those four players who auditioned for Tennessee today. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets, the Titans also hosted wide receivers Krishawn Hogan and A.J. Taylor, cornerback Andre Chachere, and running back Marcus Marshall.

Lions Work Out QB Trevor Siemian

Trevor Siemian did not make it out of September healthy last season, but the veteran quarterback has resurfaced on the free agent radar. The Lions worked out the former Broncos starter, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

This marks the first Siemian-related news since he was deemed fully healthy in March. While the 28-year-old passer had recovered from the severe ankle injury he suffered in Week 2 of last season, free agents were not permitted to work out for teams until this week.

The Lions, who went 0-8 without Matthew Stafford last year, already made a notable investment at quarterback this offseason. They signed Chase Daniel to a multiyear deal. A Siemian addition would seemingly address Detroit’s third-string quarterback spot. Siemian has not worked as a third-stringer since his 2015 rookie year, when he played behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler in Denver.

A former seventh-round pick, Siemian was the Broncos’ primary starter from 2016-17. After a surprisingly productive 2016 slate, during which he threw 18 touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions, he did not fare as well in 2017. The Broncos traded Siemian in 2018, and he spent a year as Kirk Cousins‘ backup in Minnesota. He suffered the ankle malady in Week 2 of last season, playing for a mono-stricken Sam Darnold with the Jets.

The Lions still have David Blough on their roster, rounding out their veteran-laden QB room. Blough started five games for the Lions last season, being summoned to action after Stafford and Jeff Driskel suffered injuries. The Lions traded for Blough, a UDFA passer out of Purdue, just before last season. Driskel has since signed with the Broncos.

The Top QBs Left In NFL Free Agency

Just after the NFL Draft, Jameis Winston found his new NFL home by signing a low-cost one-year deal with the Saints. Even with the former No. 1 overall pick off the market, there are still several notable names left. Here’s a rundown of some of the passers available here in May:

  1. Cam Newton: A slew of injuries have hampered the one-time MVP and the ongoing pandemic has prevented clubs from having their team doctors take a close inspection. Newton has gone under the knife multiple times throughout his career, including surgeries to his throwing shoulder and left foot. While Winston settled for a deal to serve as a backup – and perhaps a QB3 – Newton is still pushing for a starting job. Right now, there aren’t any clubs willing to hand him a QB1 gig, so he’ll probably have to wait this one out or temper his expectations. The Patriots, who currently have Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham as their top QBs, could be a fit, but there hasn’t been much movement on that front yet.
  2. Joe Flacco: Was Flacco an elite quarterback in his prime? That question will plague the football world forever. What we do know is that Flacco profiles as an experienced and inexpensive backup option for teams in need. The 35-year-old was sidelined for the second half of 2019 – his first season with the Broncos – and waiting for an opportunity to open up. At one point, Flacco was asked about his thoughts on the Eagles. But, with Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld, and Kyle Lauletta on the depth chart, that no longer seems like a fit.
  3. Blake Bortles: Despite all of his flaws, the Jaguars handed Blake Bortles a three-year, $54MM deal in 2018 with $26.5MM guaranteed. One year later, they pushed him out the door for Nick Foles, leading him to L.A. After throwing a grand total of three passes last year, the former No. 3 overall pick is looking for a solid backup opportunity. The Rams have several QBs under contract behind Jared Goff, but there could still be an opportunity for him to return.
  4. Mike Glennon: With a dearth of quality QBs on the market in 2017, Glennon landed a three-year, $45MM deal with the Bears. Now 30 with a career 6-16 record, he’ll come for a lot cheaper. He earned just $1MM in base pay last year with the Raiders.
  5. Cody Kessler: Even after Tom Brady bid farewell, the Patriots decided that they didn’t need the former fourth-round pick on the roster. He’s got 12 career starts on his resume – unfortunately, the first eight came with the 2016 Browns.
  6. Trevor Siemian: We haven’t heard Siemian’s name mentioned recently. Fortunately, he’s said to have made a full recovery from his brutal Week 2 ankle injury.

East Notes: Giants, Eagles, Jones, Bills, Jets

Free agent offensive lineman Mike Remmers will not re-sign with the Giants before the market opens in two weeks, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Remmers started 14 games at right tackle for New York in 2019, but given that he’s entering his age-31 season, it shouldn’t be surprising if he’s forced to settle for another one-year deal in free agency. A former undrafted free agent, Remmers has spent two of the past three seasons playing under Pat Shurmur, leading Florio to speculate that Remmer could now be an option for the offensive line-needy Broncos, who recently brought Shurmur aboard as offensive coordinator.

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

  • A number of teams have expressed early interest in Cowboys free agent cornerback Byron Jones, but Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears the Giants and Eagles could potentially engage in a bidding war for the veteran defensive back. The Broncos, Lions, and Raiders have also been mentioned as possible suitors for Jones, who is reaching free agency after five seasons in Dallas. Widely viewed as the best corner available, Jones could reset the CB market by topping $16MM+ in annual salary.
  • Just three seasons into his NFL career, the Bills’ Tre’Davious White has already positioned himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league. “Obviously, Tre’s a guy we love and want back,” general manager Brandon Beane indicated on WGR 550 AM (link via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News). “You do look and try and find what the value is. And it’s hard. It can sometimes be hard for agents, too, because they’re trying to look at what the market is today versus what’s it going to be in two years. Do they want to play it out? Do they want security now?” The Bills can control White through at least 2021 via the fifth-year option.
  • Free agent quarterback Trevor Siemian is now fully recovered after suffering a brutal ankle injury in Week 2, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Siemian became the Jets‘ starter after Sam Darnold was diagnosed with mono, but attempted only six passes before going down. Just 28 years old and with 25 NFL starts under his belt, Siemian could attract interest as a back-end No. 2 quarterback.