NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday, and after the waivers process concluded earlier today, clubs are putting together their 16-man practice squads. That’s 512 additional players in addition to the 1,696 already on active rosters. Which clubs made the most interesting additions on Wednesday?
20 most notable NFL practice squad signings
The NFL bumped up the practice squad size due to the COVID pandemic, and the league also loosened restrictions on who is eligible. While 10 players on the taxi squad must have two or fewer years of NFL experience, clubs can add up to six players with no experience restriction.
Josh Johnson, QB, Denver Broncos
Brett Rypien earned the right to back up Russell Wilson in Denver, but Johnson will stick in the building. The 36-year-old Johnson, who went five years without appearing in an NFL contest between 2013 and 2018, appeared in four games for the Jets and Ravens a season ago. The Broncos hope he never sees the field, but Johnson should be able to help Rypien with the finer points of handling No. 2 QB duties.
Sean Mannion, QB, Seattle Seahawks
After cutting him on Tuesday, the Vikings wanted to re-sign Mannion to their practice squad, but he decided to join the Seahawks instead. In doing so, Mannion will reunite with Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who was the Rams’ passing game coordinator in 2018 when Mannion was LA’s backup QB. Mannion will provide insurance behind Geno Smith and Drew Lock and likely push Jacob Eason out of the Seahawks’ PS plans.
Cooper Rush and Will Grier, QBs, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott was the only quarterback on the Cowboys’ roster after final cutdowns were announced on Tuesday, and many assumed Rush would be re-signed to the active roster today. Well, not exactly. Dallas inked both Rush and Grier to the practice squad on Wednesday and will presumably activate Rush as Prescott’s backup for Week 1. Teams can only promote PS players twice before signing them to the 53-man roster, so this will be a short-term solution.
Tyler Badie, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Gus Edwards is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, and it’s unclear if J.K. Dobbins will be ready for Week 1. If Dobbins can’t go, the Ravens have three other running backs — Mike Davis, newly-signed Kenyan Drake, and Justice Hill — who can fill in, but Badie would make for an interesting promotion. A sixth-round pick in April, Badie posted nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage and caught 54 passes in his final season at Missouri.
Marlon Mack, RB, Houston Texans
Mack was a surprise cut on Tuesday. Fourth-round rookie Dameon Pierce seized the starting running back job in Houston, but Mack was still expected to stick around as a depth piece. The Texans might be taking it slow with Mack, who hasn’t been asked to handle much of a workload since tearing his Achilles — typically a death knell for RBs — in 2020. With only Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale, and Royce Freeman between him and Pierce, Mack doesn’t need to do much to work his way back to the active roster.
Travis Fulgham, WR, Green Bay Packers
Fulgham is entering his second stint with the Packers after Green Bay claimed him off waivers from the Broncos earlier this month. Like most practice squad additions, the odds are that Fulgham won’t amount to anything in Green Bay, especially given that he’s nearly 27 years old. But he flashed with the Eagles in 2020 (38-529-4 receiving line) and could ascend if the Packers decide Randall Cobb and/or Sammy Watkins are past their prime.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR/TE, New England Patriots
The Patriots’ skill position depth chart is, in a word, abysmal. New England kept just five wide receivers on their roster, and one — veteran Matthew Slater — is a pure special teamer. Despite his name, Humphrey has the size to play a wide receiver/tight end hybrid role for the Patriots, and he stood out both on offense and special teams during the preseason. New England also kept TE Jalen Wydermyer on the practice squad.
Noah Togiai, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Togiai put together some solid practices for the Eagles over the summer, but he couldn’t crack a tight end room that includes Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, and fifth-round rookie Grant Calcaterra. Philadelphia originally signed Togiai as an undrafted free agent in 2020, then brought him back to the practice squad in 2021 after losing him to the Colts via waivers.
Alec Lindstrom, OL, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ once-vaunted offensive line is now stretched thin following the offseason release of La’el Collins and the long-term injury to Tyron Smith. Lindstrom won’t be able to help at tackle, but he can provide depth along a Dallas interior that will sift projected left guard Tyler Smith to left tackle. Lindstrom surprisingly went undrafted in April, but he was a solid three-year starter at Boston College.
Kellen Diesch, OL, Chicago Bears
The Bears need to add all the help they can get along the offensive line, as evidenced by their claim of former Raiders first-round pick Alex Leatherwood earlier today. Diesch doesn’t come with Leatherwood’s pedigree — he went undrafted out of Arizona State and couldn’t make the Dolphins’ roster this summer. But his 9.75 Relative Athletic Score was the fifth-best among 2022 draft-eligible tackles, so he’s exactly the sort of athletic prospect Chicago should take a chance on.
John Leglue, OL, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers added Leglue, a 2019 undrafted free agent, to their practice squad after he started five games for them in 2021. As PFN’s Mike Kaye noted yesterday, Leglue can play all three interior spots and also has experience as a long snapper. Pittsburgh signed James Daniels and Mason Cole over the offseason and acquired Jesse Davis on Tuesday, but their interior still needs a lot of help. Leglue isn’t a star, but he could fill in down the line.
Austin Reiter, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Let’s wrap up the offensive side of the ball with Reiter, who was the Chiefs’ starting center from 2019-20. Creed Humphrey is arguably the best center in the NFL, and Nick Allegretti is a capable backup. But Kansas City needs more interior line depth, and Reiter should be a valuable asset on the practice squad if the team suffers an injury during the regular season.
Christian Covington, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
After finishing 30th in run defense DVOA in 2021, the Chargers set out to correct that issue by signing Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson and drafting Otito Ogbonnia. They’ll stash Covington, who started 14 games for the Bengals as recently as 2020, on their practice squad. Covington isn’t a star, but he’s a rotational veteran with experience who could step in at a moment’s notice.
Kalon Barnes, CB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have never been shy about investing in the secondary, and now they’ve got a lottery ticket in Barnes, who in March ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash in Combine history. Byron Jones is on the PUP list and will miss at least four games, while Keion Crossen and Nik Needham are both banged up. Miami defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, former defensive backs coach, will try to mold Barnes into a contributor.
A.J. Parker, CB, Detroit Lions
Parker signed with the Lions as a UDFA last May and wound up starting seven games and playing 65% of the team’s defensive snaps. This season, it looks like Detroit will go with Mike Hughes as their primary slot corner, with seventh-round rookie Chase Lucas backing him up. That’s not much competition for Parker, who could work his way back to the active roster in due time.
Jace Whittaker, CB, Arizona Cardinals
Given the state of the Cardinals’ cornerback room, any defensive back they added to their practice squad would have been notable. Whittaker was in contention to make Arizona’s 53-man roster, but he got pushed out after the club acquired Trayvon Mullen and claimed Javelin Guidry off waivers. The Cardinals have more depth than they did a day ago, but there’s still room for Whittaker to move up.
Tashaun Gipson, S, San Francisco 49ers
Gipson was only with the 49ers for a week before getting cut, but he’s already back on the practice squad. Starting safety Jimmie Ward is expected to land on IR to begin the season, meaning he’ll miss at least four games. As such, Gipson looks like an instant promotion candidate in San Francisco.
Tony Jefferson, S, New York Giants
The Ravens wanted to bring Jefferson back and sign him to their practice squad, but he’ll instead follow former Baltimore defensive coordinator Don Martindale to New York. Jefferson is intimately familiar with Martindale’s scheme, which should work to his advantage if he’s promoted. The Giants added Jason Pinnock off waivers from the Jets today, but if rookie Dane Belton (broken collarbone) isn’t ready for Week 1, Jefferson could be called up immediately.
Anthony Harris, S, Philadelphia Eagles
Going from franchise player to the practice squad in two years is quite the fall from grace, but the Eagles are surely ecstatic to have Harris back in the fold. Philadelphia cut Harris on Tuesday after acquiring fellow safety Chauncey-Gardner Johnson from the Saints, but it always seemed clear that the club would bring in another veteran defensive back. The Eagles kept rookie UDFA Reed Blankenship on the active roster, but Harris could take his spot eventually.
