NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday. After the waiver 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?
15 Most Notable NFL Practice Squad Signings
The NFL bumped up practice squad sizes due to the COVID pandemic a few seasons ago, and the league also loosened restrictions on who is eligible. While 10 players must have two or fewer years of NFL experience, clubs can add up to six players with no experience limitation.
Bailey Zappe, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Bailey Zappe started eight games for the Patriots over the past two seasons but quickly wore out his welcome after failing to top a 40.0 QB rating in either campaign.
Of course, it’s difficult to lay all the blame on Zappe’s shoulders. He was working inside a disastrous New England offensive environment — helmed at times by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge — and wasn’t surrounded by viable pass catchers or blockers.
It’s safe to say the Chiefs will offer the former fourth-round pick more inviting circumstances. Even if Zappe doesn’t get promoted to Kansas City’s active roster behind Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz, he’ll gain valuable experience simply by hanging around that tandem and head coach Andy Reid.
Mike White, QB, Buffalo Bills
The Bills kept backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on their active roster instead of placing him on injured reserve, but he may not be ready for Week 1. Trubisky was seen wearing a large brace on his left knee last week.
If he’s unavailable in the season opener against Arizona, Trubisky may not also be available four days later when Buffalo travels to Miami. As a result, it’s possible Buffalo promotes Mike White to face his old team and serve as Josh Allen’s backup in Week 2.
White flashed as a Jets backup QB in 2021 and 2022 but rarely played for the Dolphins in 2023. Tua Tagovailoa played all 17 games last season, so White handled just six passing attempts. He lost Miami’s QB2 job this offseason to Skylar Thompson.
Desmond Ridder, QB, Arizona Cardinals
It wasn’t exactly a great sign that Desmond Ridder couldn’t beat Clayton Tune for Arizona’s QB2 job. Tune’s sole 2023 start for the Cardinals was the NFL’s fourth-worst quarterback performance by success rate last season.
Ridder, whom Arizona acquired in exchange for WR Rondale Moore in an offseason trade, brings his own concerns. He ranked sixth among quarterbacks with 19 total turnovers despite taking just 439 dropbacks (23rd among QBs) in 2023.
According to TruMedia, Ridder generated the league’s third-most negative EPA off turnovers; he was second-worst on a per-snap basis.
Still, staying in the desert and continuing to work with Cardinals OC Drew Petzing can’t hurt Ridder’s pro development.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Count us among those who don’t believe Dalvin Cook will add much to Dallas’ backfield. He barely played for the Jets in 2023 despite receiving $7 million guaranteed, then posted eight carries for 23 yards for the Ravens in their Divisional Round win over the Texans.
Dallas will have the NFL’s oldest running back room if the 29-year-old Cook is eventually promoted to play alongside the 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott. Rico Dowdle is expected to share the Cowboys’ RB workload with Zeke to begin the 2024 season, while Dallas also kept former sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn on its active roster.
The Cowboys had to do something to bolster their RB group — we’re just not sure Cook will be the answer Mike McCarthy and Co. were after.
Myles Gaskin, RB, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings only kept two running backs — Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler — on their 53-man roster and didn’t claim another one off waivers on Wednesday.
Minnesota did sign Myles Gaskin to its practice squad today, making him the favorite to emerge as the club’s RB3. The 27-year-old had two taxi squad stints with the Vikings in 2023, so GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell know what they’re getting.
Gaskin hasn’t seen much action in the past two years but handled 140+ carries for the Dolphins in 2020 and 2021.
Boston Scott, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Can Boston Scott find a role in Pittsburgh? Maybe. The Steelers will lean into a run-heavy game plan under new OC Arthur Smith. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will handle the majority of the carries, while Cordarrelle Patterson — who played for Smith in Atlanta — is next in line.
Scott always seemed to find work for the Eagles during his six seasons in the NFC East. Warren (hamstring) expects to play in Week 1, but Scott could get the call as Pittsburgh’s RB3 if his injury lingers.
Plus, the Steelers have to call Scott up when they face the Giants in Week 8, right?
Scott is a known Giants killer. He’s somehow posted 422 of his 1,295 career rushing yards and 10 of 16 career rushing touchdowns against Big Blue.
Tim Patrick, WR, Detroit Lions
Injuries have kept Tim Patrick off the field since 2021, but he was productive when healthy. He managed 700 yards for the Broncos in 2020 and 2021 while working with decidedly below-average QB play.
Patrick is in a much better situation in Detroit, where he’s expected to eventually be promoted to the Lions’ active roster. Head coach Dan Campbell said all offseason that Detroit was desperate for more pass catchers behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond.
Patrick has to avoid injuries, but he’s the sort of reliable wideout the Lions had been searching for.
D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins certainly have a type.
Already boasting four of the NFL’s fastest players in Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane, and Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins added D’Wayne Eskridge — who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process — to their practice squad.
Eskridge, a 2021 second-round pick, totaled just 17 receptions on 34 targets over three seasons with the Seahawks. Maybe Mike McDaniel can find a job for him in Miami.
Sterling Shepard, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While Sterling Shepard’s connection with Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield — his teammate at Oklahoma — wasn’t enough to keep him on Tampa Bay’s active roster, the veteran wide receiver did land with the Bucs’ practice squad on Wednesday.
Shepard is 31 years old and hasn’t topped 400 yards receiving since 2020, so it’s fair to wonder what he has left in the tank. Still, he could come in handy for a thin Tampa Bay wide receiver depth chart. The Buccaneers only kept five wideouts on their 53-man roster, one of whom is a rookie UDFA (Kameron Johnson).
Donald Parham Jr., TE, Denver Broncos
Donald Parham Jr. is staying in the AFC West. After spending the past four years as a part-time player with the Chargers, the former undrafted free agent is joining the Broncos’ taxi squad.
Parham is still only 27 and offers an intriguing skill set. His 6’8″ stature makes him a potential red-zone weapon, but he’s also shown potential as a field stretcher from a slot alignment.
Denver kept four tight ends — Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull, and Nate Adkins — on its 53-man roster. Parham has an uphill battle to relevancy, but playing in a Sean Payton offense should be good for his career.
Nick Gates, OL, Philadelphia Eagles
Nick Gates spent the summer with the Eagles after the Commanders released him in March. Washington is still paying him nearly $2 million for the upcoming seasons.
While Philadelphia still has an excellent offensive line, its interior is undergoing change in 2024. Mekhi Becton is penciled in as a starting guard, but he’s never played inside and has battled repeated injuries.
Gates has 29 career starts and offers guard/center versatility. He’s expected to be promoted for Week 1, and there’s a chance he could eventually play valuable snaps for the Eagles.
Lonnie Johnson, CB, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are doing everything they can to ensure they don’t end up light on cornerbacks in 2024.
Carolina sent starting CB Dane Jackson (hamstring) to short-term IR on Tuesday. The Panthers acquired Mike Jackson from the Seahawks last week, and he figures to take Dane’s spot in the starting lineup.
But Carolina grabbed even more options on Wednesday, claiming Tariq Castro-Fields, Keenan Isaac, and Shemar Bartholomew off waivers before signing Johnson to their practice squad.
Johnson is relatively far down Carolina’s depth chart, but he’s more experienced than any of the Panthers’ waiver claims. The former second-round pick has played over 2,000 defensive snaps and 800 special-teams snaps since entering the NFL in 2019.
Lewis Cine, S, New York Jets
Lewis Cine’s career with the Vikings never got off the ground. The 2022 second-round pick suffered a significant leg injury in his rookie campaign and subsequently got swallowed up by Minnesota’s deep safety room.
Cine couldn’t find a role behind Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Josh Metellus, but he might be able to in New York.
Tony Adams had a successful debut as a Jets starter in 2023, but fellow safety Chuck Clark is coming off a torn ACL. New York has never trusted backup Ashytn Davis in a full-time role, while Isaiah Oliver is playing safety for the first time after spending his career as a cornerback.
Tracy Walker, S, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers activated former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga (ACL) from the PUP list on Wednesday, but the club still has questions in its secondary.
Hufanga could theoretically be on a snap count to begin the season. Second-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown looks like a breakout candidate but is still unproven. Fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha has his fans, but he’s never played an NFL down.
Walker isn’t a superstar, but he started 43 games for the Lions over the past six seasons. The 49ers have already had success signing veteran safeties like Walker. In 2022, they gave Tashaun Gipson a taxi squad deal at the end of the preseason; he ended up starting 33 games over the ensuing two years.
Johnathan Abram, S, New Orleans Saints
The Saints were rumored to be in the market for a veteran safety all offseason. They met with free agent Justin Simmons in August but didn’t sign him before he landed with the division-rival Falcons.
Jordan Howden, New Orleans’ fifth-round pick in 2023, is slated to start at safety opposite Tyrann Mathieu. The Saints don’t have much depth behind Howden, who started seven games as a rookie. Will Harris and J.T. Gray are the next safeties up.
Johnathan Abram played behind Howden as a special teamer last season and could fill the same role again in 2024. While he’ll never live up to his first-round draft status, Abram has carved out a solid NFL career as a defensive backfield reserve.