HEADLINES

Trysten Hill

Patriots Sign DT Trysten Hill To Practice Squad

October 3rd, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have added a notable name to their practice squad. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, the Patriots have signed defensive tackle Trysten Hill to the taxi squad. Hill worked out for New England earlier today.

[RELATED: Patriots Place DT Daniel Ekuale On IR]

The Patriots will see if they can get anything out of the former second-round pick after he flamed out in Dallas. Hill was limited to 25 games in three-plus season with the Cowboys, compiling 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks. A torn ACL partly contributed to those missed games, but he also struggled to carve out a role when healthy.

He was ultimately waived by the Cowboys last November and caught on with the Cardinals for the stretch run of the 2022 season. He ended up getting into six games with Arizona, collecting six tackles and one sack. He joined the Browns this past offseason and signed with the practice squad after final cuts, but he was let go in late September.

The Patriots will hope Hill can at least provide some temporary depth on the defensive line. The team placed defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale on injured reserve last week, leaving the team with Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Christian Barmore, and Sam Roberts as options at the position. Hill will likely compete with fellow practice squad players Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Manny Jones for weekly elevations.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/26/23

September 26th, 2023 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: S A.J. Finley

New England Patriots

  • Released: CB William Hooper

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Geron Christian is back in Houston for his second stint with the team, as the lineman started eight of his 14 appearances for the Texans in 2021. The former Washington third-round pick spent the 2022 campaign with the Chiefs, where he mostly played on special teams in his 10 games.

A pair of notable running backs found jobs today. Deon Jackson joined the Browns practice squad after getting cut by the Colts last week. The RB started Week 1 for Indy, and he ultimately finished his stint with the team having collected 504 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 27 games. Meanwhile, Jeremy McNichols is heading to San Francisco after having spent the past two seasons as one of Derrick Henry‘s backups. The former fifth-round pick got into 30 games between 2021 and 2022, collecting 655 yards from scrimmage.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

August 30th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Cincinnati Bengals

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Baltimore Ravens

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Released:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Browns Trim Roster To 53

August 29th, 2023 at 10:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns found a new kicker today, but on roster deadline day, that obviously wasn’t their only move. The organization made a number of cuts to get to the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

At one point, Demetric Felton looked like he could be a worthy backup to Nick Chubb, but the versatile offensive weapon has fallen down the depth chart. The former sixth-round pick had an okay rookie season in 2021, finishing with 205 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. However, he was limited to only three touches in eight games last season.

Kellen Mond seemed like a long shot to make the roster, and the Browns ultimately decided to role with only two quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Mond has only gotten into one regular season game, completing two passes for the Vikings in 2021.

Browns Signing DT Trysten Hill

March 16th, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns continue to reshape their defensive line, signing former Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The addition is one of several changes the team has made as Cleveland attempts to improve on a defense that gave up the eighth-most rushing yards in the league last year while tallying the sixth-fewest sacks.

A second-round pick out of UCF in 2019, Hill’s career has suffered from his inability to stay on the field. During a disappointing rookie season, Hill was a healthy scratch for nine games due to poor etiquette at the team facilities. The young lineman had been sent home for arriving late to practice and falling asleep during a presentation from guest speaker and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Despite an injury to the team’s starting defensive tackle, Hill’s issues off the field were bad enough to keep him out of the lineup.

In his sophomore season, due to an injury to starter Gerald McCoy, Hill started the year as the team’s starting defensive tackle. An ACL tear would end his season after five games, though. Hill was finally able to return from the injury in November of the following year but was suspended for a game weeks later after punching then-Raiders lineman John Simpson in a postgame altercation. Between personal behavior, injuries, and suspensions, Hill has only appeared in 31 of a possible 66 games over his career.

As Hill continued to slide down the depth chart in Dallas, the Cowboys decided to waive the young tackle after failing to find a trade partner that might take him. He was claimed off the waiver wire by the Cardinals the next day, allowing him to compete for snaps with Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter, and Michael Dogbe. He functioned in a backup capacity for most of the rest of the season before being placed on injured reserve to end the season.

In Cleveland, Hill will serve as a depth piece on a retooled Browns defensive line that is losing Taven Bryan, Chase Winovich, and Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. The Browns targeted replacing some of that loss by signing veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson earlier this week. The team was also considered a favorite to sign former Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, as well, until the young defender agreed to a deal with the Seahawks.

Right now, favorites for playing time on the Browns’ defensive front are Tomlinson, Jordan Elliott, and Perrion Winfrey. Hill will compete with a number of other backups for playing time in rotation with those three. Cleveland will be a clean slate for him to attempt to make up for the shortcomings of his past NFL history.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/22

December 28th, 2022 at 8:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders 

Cardinals Claim DT Trysten Hill

November 2nd, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trysten Hill did not make it to free agency. The former Cowboys second-round pick will head to Arizona, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicating (via Twitter) the Cardinals claimed his contract.

The Cards will take a flier on the fourth-year defensive tackle, whose rookie contract expires at season’s end. After acquiring Johnathan Hankins, the Cowboys did not view Hill as a keeper any longer. The Cowboys dangled Hill in trades for a stretch, but after no takers emerged, he hit the waiver wire.

Although he was a healthy scratch in Dallas’ Week 8 romp over Chicago, Hill worked as a part-time contributor on a deep defensive line this season. Hill, 24, was active for the Cowboys’ first seven games and logged a 29% snap rate during those contests. He has not started a game since being a Cowboys first-stringer five times in 2020. Those represent the Central Florida product’s only NFL starts. The Cowboys drafted Hill two defensive coordinators ago (Rod Marinelli); its current D-tackle cogs came in during Mike Nolan or Dan Quinn‘s DC tenures.

Arizona has a future Hall of Famer (J.J. Watt) and an ascending contract-year talent (Zach Allen) leading its defensive front. Only three other D-linemen — Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter and Michael Dogbe — reside on Arizona’s active roster, making some room for Hill to carve out a role. Hill did not do enough to stand out with the Cowboys; his Cardinals stay will help establish his free agency stock.

Cowboys Waive DT Trysten Hill

November 1st, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys attempted to find a taker for defensive tackle Trysten Hill. After no trade transpired, Dallas is moving on. The Cowboys cut Hill shortly after the deadline, Jon Machota of The Athletic tweets.

While this will end Hill’s underwhelming tenure with the Cowboys, they had been using the former second-round pick as a rotational player this season. From that end, it marks an interesting decision to move on.

A roster crunch created a decision for the Cowboys. The team designated defensive end Tarell Basham for return Oct. 20. The veteran edge player must be activated by next week or he misses the rest of the season. The Cowboys currently roster 11 defensive linemen, without Basham in the equation, and decided they no longer had room for Hill.

Johnathan Hankins came over from the Raiders via trade, bumping Hill from a rotation that includes Dan Quinn-era investments Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna, along with 2020 draftee Neville Gallimore. Hill resided as the Cowboys’ longest-tenured defensive tackle, but he the team selected him during Rod Marinelli‘s run as defensive coordinator.

Dallas made Hill a healthy scratch for its Week 8 game against the Bears, marking a change from the Central Florida product’s previous role. Hill, 24, had played between 29-38% of Dallas’ defensive snaps in all but one of the team’s first seven games. But the franchise decided years ago Hill was not a starter. His five starts all came during the 2020 season.

Trade Rumors: Broncos, Cooks, Akers, Hunt, Cowboys, Lions, 49ers

November 1st, 2022 at 1:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandin Cooks is available, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the Texans are in discussions involving the ninth-year receiver. But Cooks’ $18MM guaranteed 2023 salary — which came to pass after Houston re-signed him on a two-year, $39MM pact in April — has proven to be an impediment here. Teams are not moving on Cooks unless the Texans pick up a chunk of that salary. Cooks, 29, was linked to giving up some guaranteed money to facilitate a trade back to the Rams. But it is unlikely he will give up too much cash to be moved. The Giants and Vikings have also been connected to the thrice-traded Cooks. For what it’s worth, Cooks was not at Texans practice Tuesday. Personal reasons — not an imminent trade — are believed to be behind Cooks’ absence, NFL.com’s Garafolo tweets.

With the deadline in less than three hours, here is the latest from the trade front:

  • The Broncos have told teams they are not conducting a fire sale, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. A Bradley Chubb trade still could commence, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo hears (video link) the team is holding out for a better offer. Denver has been linked to not only wanting a first-round pick for Chubb but two firsts. With the latter price range unlikely to take shape, the Broncos figure to be put to a major decision today. Jerry Jeudy remains unlikely to be moved, per Garafolo.
  • No Cam Akers trade is imminent, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The Rams have been looking for a trade partner to unload their 2020 second-round pick. This situation may not be as icy as previously believed, however. Akers was once rumored to be done with the Rams, but he is now prepared to return to the team if no trade occurs this afternoon.
  • Prior to acquiring James Robinson from the Jaguars, the Jets looked into Kareem Hunt, Breer notes. The Browns have dangled Hunt for the price of a fourth-round pick, but the former rushing champion may now be set to stay in Cleveland for at least this season’s remainder. Hunt, 27, should be expected to hit free agency if no trade goes down today.
  • The Lions may not be done dealing. After sending T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings, the rebuilding NFC North squad has informed teams it remains open for business. Defensive back is one of the areas in which Detroit is willing to deal, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Contract-year cornerback Amani Oruwariye would appear to be one name available. While Jeff Okudah arrived before the Brad Holmes regime took over, it would still be surprising if Detroit moved on from the former No. 3 overall pick.
  • In addition to making defensive end Tarell Basham available, the Cowboys are open to moving defensive tackle Trysten Hill, Breer adds. Dallas has not seen the former second-round pick develop into a starter but has used him as a part-time player throughout this season. The team just added Johnathan Hankins via trade and has rookie-contract performers Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna ahead of Hill. Basham has only played in one game this season (Week 1) and remains on IR. The Cowboys designated the former third-round edge rusher for return late last month, however.
  • The 49ers have already made their big trade splash, sending four picks to the Panthers for Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area) the phone lines are always open, but the team does not expect to make another move.

Trade Candidate: Cowboys DT Trysten Hill

July 9th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill has seen his fair share of obstacles en route to a career in the NFL, some self-inflicted. It appears he hasn’t seen the end of these obstacles yet, as ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Hill’s road to continue playing in the NFL may require him to boost his stock and earn some trade-value at camp this summer. 

The Cowboys selected Hill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft as their top draft pick that year. Hill had entered the draft early, forgoing his senior season after three years at UCF. He had started all 13 games in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Knights, but, by his junior year, Hill had reportedly fallen out of favor with the UCF coaches and only started one game during his third season. Despite not being granted the privilege of starting, 2018 was Hill’s best year in Orlando as he doubled his career sack total from 3.0 to 6.0 and more than doubled his career tally of tackles for loss from 9.5 to 20.0.

The Cowboys’ top-drafted rookie didn’t see much of the field in his first season. Playing behind Maliek Collins and Christian Covington, Hill only saw seven games of action in 2019, never playing in even half of the team’s defensive snaps. In those seven appearances, Hill was only able to make 5 total tackles, one for a loss, and 2 quarterback hits.

In his second year with the team, a preseason injury to presumed starter Gerald McCoy left the door wide open for Hill. Hill was named the starting three-technique defensive tackle to start the season. Unfortunately for Hill, he tore his ACL in a Week 5 game against the Giants and spent the rest of the season on injured reserve.

His time before the injury wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. While he was starting to make more of an impact on defense, racking up 11 total tackles, one for a loss, and 3 quarterback hits, a couple of plays with questionable intention brought back memories of the behavior that lost Hill his starting honors in college. In a Week 3 game against Seattle, Hill caused controversy on plays against running back Chris Carson and quarterback Russell Wilson. After tackling Carson, Hill appeared to twist Carson’s knee after the whistle had blown. Carson suffered a knee sprain and Hill was fined $6,522 for the act. On the same drive, Wilson was the recipient of a late, helmet-to-helmet hit from Hill. While Wilson suffered no injury as a result, the league still fined Hill an additional $6,522 for the hit.

Last year saw Hill start the season on the reserve/PUP list. He wasn’t activated until Week 10 and failed to make the same impact he had the prior year, though he did record his first portion of a sack in the NFL. Hill fought for playing time behind Osa Odighizuwa, Carlos Watkins, and Quinton Bohanna. When he wasn’t fighting for playing time, though, he was still fighting. After a Week 12 game against the Raiders, Hill punched Las Vegas guard John Simpson, leading to a one-game suspension.

Now, Hill is headed into a contract year. Odighizuwa, Watkins, and Bohanna all return this year after taking playing time from him last season. Even Neville Gallimore has apparently risen above Hill on the depth chart, leading to some long odds for Hill to earn significant playing time.

As Archer suggested above, the best path forward for Hill might be to seek a less-crowded depth chart. If Hill can take advantage of the playing time he will get as a back up in the preseason and prove that he can behave and play nicely with the other players in the NFL, the Cowboys may be able to move Hill for a reasonable return and provide him with an opportunity to start again in a new city.

Load More Posts