The Philadelphia Eagles are traveling to SoFi Stadium this weekend to take on the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a sneaky important game for the Birds. In order to preview this Week 12 battle, I reached out to our enemies over at Turf Show Times. The ebullient Evan Craig kindly took the time to answer my questions about this upcoming tilt. Let’s take a look at the answers. [For my answers about the Eagles, stay tuned to TST.] 1 – The Rams are 5-5 after starting 1-4. What went wrong initially and what’s since gone right to get back on track? What went wrong was very simple and could be traced back to injuries. The injury bug took out LA’s top two receivers and decimated the offensive line, though not to the extent of the miserable 2022 campaign. Matthew Stafford could only do so much given what he was working with. The Rams have managed to get back on track again, by getting healthier. When Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned against the Vikings, Stafford had his best game of the year to that point by throwing 4 touchdown passes. That was only the second game Kupp and Nacua had played together since the season opener in Detroit. Plus the defense has been lights out since early October after struggling to find their footing early in the year. They have kept the team in every game (excluding that crappy Cardinals game) while injuries ravaged the offense which was quite unexpected entering the season. 2 – What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of this Rams offense? This might be somewhat of a cop-out answer but the offensive playmakers are the Rams’ biggest strengths. We’ve seen the team when its top weapons are out and the results aren’t pretty. With Puka, Kupp and Kyren Williams all in the same lineup, this is easily one of the best offenses in the league. That was the case in the second half of last season when the Rams finished 7-1 and were scoring at will. On the flip side, I hate to say this but the biggest weakness is Matthew Stafford. He hasn’t been consistent enough to make me feel confident in him for the homestretch. The injuries and other factors were not his fault, but sometimes Stafford has been erratic and overly aggressive and it has cost the team. Even in the Rams’ overtime win over Seattle a few weeks back, he didn’t have a great performance despite throwing the game-winning touchdown. Sometimes we’ll get duds like the MNF letdown versus Miami and then he’ll unexpectedly toss 4 TDs against the Patriots like he did Sunday. The Matthew Stafford experience is becoming a rundown rollercoaster at this point. We’ll have a little fun here and there but mostly you’re feeling nauseous over the feeling of what’s to come. 3 – What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of this Rams defense? By far the biggest strength is the defensive line which is oozing with first and second-year talent. Kobie Turner, Jared Verse and Branden Fiske are absolutely awesome in their own right. They can really get after opposing quarterbacks and make them uncomfortable. Verse is an emerging superstar at the position and should be heavily favored to win Defensive Rookie of the Year after Turner was robbed out of the award in 2023 given the obvious Texans bias. The Florida State product has to be making GM Les Snead and the rest of the front office question whether they should trade any first-rounders in the future since he’s elevated the defense that much in Aaron Donald’s absence. The Rams’ weakness on defense would be its secondary. Overall, the unit has improved after a rough start under first-time coordinator Chris Shula. Even then, the secondary lacks quality depth and if injuries arise, LA will be in lots of trouble. There’s also not enough high-end talent like a Jalen Ramsey to hold down the fort. The secondary should hopefully be addressed in the offseason, and any depth will be welcomed at this point. 4 – Jake Elliott missed three kicks in Week 11 but it seems like the Rams are dealing with kicker issues of their own. What’s the situation there? Joshua Karty has converted on 80% of his field goals this season which seems great on the surface. However, he doesn’t have the strongest leg and Sean McVay is showing a lack of confidence in him after passing on a 52-yarder that would’ve put the Rams up nine in New England. The reason was that McVay admitted he didn’t have trust in Karty which is the best way to destroy a young kicker’s confidence. There were rumors LA would bring in kickers this week, but it doesn’t make much sense to me considering Karty hasn’t lost a game for the Rams. He was the team’s lone source of offense against the Dolphins, so it’s rather confusing why McVay is throwing him under the bus only a week later. My colleague JB Scott wrote an excellent article that explored this topic further and compared Karty’s situation to Jared Goff’s when he was in Hollywood. Trust me, it is well worth your time. 5 – Who wins this game and why? With the Eagles currently listed as 2.5-point road favorites, what’s your score prediction? And then what are you expecting from the rest of this Rams season? The Eagles have been on a freaking tear and there’s a reason this team has won six in a row. Philly’s defense is finally rounding into form, Jalen Hurts has also gotten hot and oh yeah, that Saquon Barkley guy’s pretty good too. LA is finally getting healthy and the defense has drastically improved over the last month, but give me the Eagles 24-20. Matthew Stafford is a wild card so I have zero clue which version of him we’ll get. Plus, Barkley is on another level, and I believe he’ll be too much for a strong, yet very
Eagles-Rams Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 12 enemy
New York Giants players react to quarterback change
Tommy DeVito engulfed in a huge crowd Wednesday in the Giants’ locker room. | Photo by Madelyn Burke It’s “a part of the business,” says Dexter Lawrence New York Giants players on Wednesday reacted diplomatically to this week’s change from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito at quarterback. With a crush of media in the locker room, the quarterback switch was of course the only question anyone really cared about. “I haven’t seen discouragement, I haven’t seen guys fall apart, and that starts to happen first,” said Dexter Lawrence. Dexter Lawrence was asked how he views the locker room this week with a new starting QB: “I haven’t seen discouragement, I haven’t seen guys fall apart, and that starts to happen first.” pic.twitter.com/U13O7PrfL0 — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 20, 2024 Lawrence, who entered the league with Jones in 2019, admitted to taking the news hard. “Definitely hard, but I’ve been a part of this business, just like last year when they traded away my best friend in the middle of the season,” Lawrence said. “It’s a part of the business.” Lawrence was referring to the 2023 trade that sent defensive tackle Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks. Wide receiver Darius Slayton, another player drafted the same year as Jones, has long been one of the quarterback’s staunchest supporters: “Obviously first he’s a friend, so you don’t want anyone to end up in the predicament that he’s in,” Slayton said. “I’ll support him and be there for him in any way, shape, or form.” “Obviously first he’s a friend, so you don’t want anyone to end up in the predicament that he’s in. I’ll support him and be there for him in any way, shape, or form.” Darius Slayton on Daniel Jones being benched: pic.twitter.com/h4Nyangant — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 20, 2024 Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is expected to return this week after missing five games with a fractured wrist, seemed matter-of-fact about the move: “That’s the nature of the beast. You know, when you’re 2-8 and things are changing – every position is up for grabs honestly.” “That’s the nature of the beast. You know, when you’re 2-8 and things are changing – every position is up for grabs honestly.” Kayvon Thibodeaux reflects on the QB change heading into this Sunday’s matchup: pic.twitter.com/7yrB7wfmcS — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 20, 2024 Here is veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, on what he termed a “tough situation”: “You rally around your teammates,” Okereke said. “Obviously a tough situation, we all get paid, we all take a lot of pride in this business. You move forward and we have a great opportunity this week.” Bobby Okereke was asked how he reacts to a starting QB change: “You rally around your teammates. Obviously a tough situation, we all get paid, we all take a lot of pride in this business. You move forward and we have a great opportunity this week.” pic.twitter.com/JpHeY9hauI — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 20, 2024 Drew Lock was hurt by being bypassed for the starting job, but still supportive of DeVito: “That’s a question that I might still have for myself,” Lock said. “It was expressed to me that I was going to be QB2. Interesting situation … I’m gonna be here for him, we’re still communicating, still very good friends … he needs to get a win. We start winning everything gets a little better around here.” Drew Lock is asked about not being named the starting quarterback after Daniel Jones was benched when he was told he’d be the backup: “That’s a question that I might still have for myself. It was expressed to me that I was going to be QB2. Interesting situation..” pic.twitter.com/gFpj8SA0oc — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 20, 2024
“Route-based heroes”: Identifying players who could break out in fantasy and DFS in Week 12
Utilizing the “Coach, I was open” model and WOPR framework to look into the players who could break out in fantasy and DFS in Week 12. “Route-based heroes”: Identifying players who could break out in fantasy and DFS in Week 12 2YJXFWP Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) runs after a catch during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Philadelphia, PA. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit) By Joseph Bryan Posted Nov 20, 2024 1:20 pm EST • Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now! Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Fantasy and DFS enthusiasts, bettors and analysts often rely on a wide array of statistics and models to gain a competitive edge. These range from basic box score stats to advanced metrics available in PFF’s Premium Stats 2.0 and models like Josh Hermsmeyer‘s Buy Low model and WOPR (Weighted Opportunity Rating). There is always room for new insights and analyses to help bettors and fantasy managers refine their strategies. That’s why I have developed a new metric that offers several advantages over WOPR. Click here for an in-depth explanation of the model, my process and its advantages. Week 11 Recap WR7 Jauan Jennings: 25.1 PPR FP — did better than his average WR8 Jameson Williams: 22.6 — did better than his average WR29 D.J. Moore: 13.7 — did better than his average WR47 Keenan Allen: 8.1 WR60 Jaylen Waddle: 5.7 WR85 Calvin Austin III: 0.9 The Week 11 results were a mixed bag of boom-or-bust performances. Jameson Williams and Jauan Jennings were standout successes from the model, but few others delivered exceptional outings. As I noted in last week’s “Coach, I Was Open” breakdown, Caleb Williams has continued to struggle with targeting the optimal receivers, a trend that persisted in Week 11. Boutte saw targets for the fourth consecutive game but couldn’t put together a complete performance. Jaylen Waddle remains stuck in a rut and may never eclipse 8.0 fantasy points again. Calvin Austin III had one deep target but failed to haul it in. Still, identifying two top-10 receivers out of eight is a solid result in my book. BREAKOUT CANDIDATES: WEEK 12 As a quick reminder of how regression-to-the-mean models work, I predict a player’s FPpG based on their three-week PWOPR (explained more here). PWOPR is much more stable than FPpG and is a stronger indicator of future performance. To identify potential breakout candidates, I calculate the residual by subtracting the player’s predicted FPpG from their actual FPpG. Players with a good PWOPR and a residual of -3 or lower appear on this list. Players will continue to appear until one of the following occurs: They fulfill their PWOPR potential with a big game Their PWOPR decreases to match their expected FPpG As is standard with regression-to-the-mean models, certain players tend to appear repeatedly for various reasons, such as poor quarterback play or overall offensive struggles. In this model specifically, the presence of an alpha wide receiver (or tight end) can push other players onto the list. Take DeVonta Smith, for instance. With A.J. Brown as the focal point of the Eagles’ passing attack, every target forced to Brown—whether it’s a good decision or not—is one less opportunity for Smith, even if he’s open and ready to make a play. Now, let’s review some names on the Week 12 list: Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore: The Bears’ tandem is on the list again. Allen has been averaging eight targets per week over the last three weeks, while Moore has been averaging 7.3. Both are solid numbers, but the Bears’ passing offense has been lackluster, to say the least. The Bears play the Vikings this week, who run the No. 1 MOFO (middle of the field open) rate in the NFL over the last month but have the ninth-worst team PFF coverage grade over the same time frame. This is an above-average matchup for most wide receivers, but: Williams has a base PFF Passing grade of 61.4 (ranks 32nd out of 40 in the NFL (min. 100 dropbacks) Williams’ grade drops to 54.4 against MOFO, which ranks 29th out of 29 quarterbacks (min. 100 dropbacks vs MOFO) DeVonta Smith: The Eagles receiver faces a fairly average defensive matchup against the Rams this week. The Rams rank in the middle of the pack across most defensive metrics and employ a roughly equal split of MOFO and MOFC coverages. However, FantasyPros ranks them as a top-six matchup for wide receivers in fantasy points allowed, which bodes well for Smith and teammate A.J. Brown. Romeo Doubs: Doubs will go up against the 49ers, a team that frequently allows single-coverage situations. Doubs leads the Packers in target share against single coverage, which suggests the potential for a breakout performance. Michael Pittman Jr.: The Colts take on the Lions, who are coming off a dominant win over the Jaguars. This could play to Pittman’s advantage in fantasy, as Indianapolis might spend much of the game trailing—DraftKings lists the Colts as 7.5-point underdogs. While the Lions allow plenty of single-coverage opportunities, Pittman has struggled in those situations this season, with a 25th-percentile PFF grade against such looks. Still, volume matters most in fantasy, and a game script featuring the Colts playing from behind could provide Pittman ample opportunities. Kayshon Boutte: The Patriots wideout has been consistently earning targets, with six in each of the last four games. Boutte excels against man coverage, posting grades in the 70th percentile or higher in such situations. Noah BrownBrown faces a depleted Cowboys defense in a game where the Commanders are heavily favored—Washington is a 10.5-point favorite, per DraftKings. The Cowboys have run the eighth-most MOFO coverage in the NFL over the past month while earning the fifth-worst team PFF coverage grade. Brown has the third-most targets on Washington against MOFO but only the sixth-best PFF grade against such looks. Jalen Tolbert:
One thing Rams can’t afford against Eagles
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams must protect the football against the Eagles The Rams and Eagles go into their Week 12 Sunday night matchup as two of the hottest teams in the NFL, as Philadelphia has won their last six and L.A. has won four of their last five, but the one thing that Sean McVay can’t afford this week: Any turnovers. The Eagles are 6-0 this season when they force a turnover compared to 2-2 when they don’t The Rams are 0-3 when they have 2 turnovers and 5-2 when they have 1 or 0 turnovers Bill Parcells has called turnovers the most important stat in football, and I don’t think many coaches would disagree, but it seems especially important to the Rams because the two key players in that equation for L.A. are Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams. Williams has 3 fumbles this season after he had 3 fumbles last season. That’s tied for the most fumbles of any running back in the NFL over the past two years. Stafford didn’t have any picks against the Patriots last week, ending a streak of six consecutive games with an interception. And New England’s defense, always talented, had a really awful gameplan. Overall, the Rams have done a good job protecting the ball. They rank 11th in turnovers (tied with the Eagles) and it’s just those fumbles by Williams that tilt L.A. outside of the top-10. The scary part is just how good the Eagles defense has been: 1st in yards allowed 1st in net yards per pass attempt allowed Top-10 rushing defense 5th in red zone defense, 8th in third down defense Despite those great numbers, the Rams stand a great chance of beating the Eagles on Sunday night if they just protect the football. The rest should fall into place if that happens to at least give L.A. a chance to win. If they give Jalen Hurts free possessions, winning will be extremely hard.
Roquan Smith injury update: Latest news on Ravens linebacker
Roquan Smith injury update: Latest news on Ravens linebacker glenn erby Baltimore returned to the practice field on Wednesday, and Roquan Smith was one of four players (Travis Jones, Arthur Maulet, Sanoussi Kane) not to practice for the Ravens ahead of the game vs. the Chargers. Head Coach John Harbaugh didn’t have an update on Smith after the game. Ravens practice Wednesday MLB Roquan Smith, who left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, was not practicing. Others not practicing: DT Travis Jones, CB Arthur Maulet, S Sanoussi Kane Safety Eddie Jackson was back after not traveling with team for a non-injury related issue. pic.twitter.com/qpN6s3uV6q — Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 20, 2024 Smith had 13 tackles and logged 55 snaps in the loss to Pittsburgh before exiting with a hamstring injury. Smith was replaced by Malik Harrison, who lined up alongside Trenton Simpson. If the All-Pro linebacker can’t play on Monday night in Los Angeles, that will be the case.
Talking Football with Bengal Jim and Friends: Bengals legend Eric Thomas joins the show
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images The Bengals come up short in LA, franchise great Eric Thomas discusses the season, and more! The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough end result out west, losing in another devastating, last-minute fashion to continue the 2024 trend. The Bengals fell to 4-7 and there are far more questions than answers. Stopping by the TFWBJAF crew was Bengals legendary cornerback, Eric Thomas. The Super Bowl corner and former Pro Bowler had some hot takes for the gang, as he assessed his former team’s disappointing season. This week: -Eric Thomas talks about Zac Taylor giving up play-calling duties. -Thomas assesses the defense’s issues -The latest on the supported charities from the tailgates. -Stories from Los Angeles And more! You can catch the show on a number of streaming platforms now! Check out our podcasts here on CJ, the Bleav in Cincy podcast feed, Spotify, Amazon, our YouTube channel, and as always, on iTunes!
Jared Allen Makes Pro Football Hall of Fame Semifinalist List
Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images But Kevin Williams did not The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its list of 25 semifinalists for its Class of 2025, and a prominent former member of the Minnesota Vikings has once again found himself on the list. Defensive end Jared Allen is among the 25 players who will potentially get the call to Canton for the next class of entrants, per the list the Hall announced on Wednesday. You can get the full list of candidates right here. Allen spent the first four seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and was then traded to the Vikings ahead of the 2008 NFL Draft for a first-round pick and a pair of third-round picks. He was a three-time First-Team All-Pro in his six seasons with the Vikings and led the NFL in sacks in 2011 with 22, which is still the Vikings’ single-season franchise record. This will be Allen’s fifth attempt at getting into the Hall of Fame, as he first became eligible as part of the Class of 2021. Hopefully this will be the year that he finally hears the call. It’s a bit disappointing, however, that one of Allen’s teammates did not make the list of 25. That man is Kevin Williams, who was one of the most dominant players at his position for nearly a decade with the Vikings. Williams was a five-time First-Team All-Pro with the Vikings and was considered one of the top defensive tackles in the league during his entire 11-season tenure in Minnesota. Honestly, I’m not sure why Williams can’t even sniff the list of 25 semifinalists at this point given the quality of his career. He was a force for over ten years at the defensive tackle spot and, for whatever reason, can’t even make it through the first round of cuts. We know Jared Allen deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but Williams is every bit as worthy of such a designation. Perhaps things will work out for him in years to come but it’s just baffling why he isn’t already being recognized more than he is.
Richmond Webb Named Pro Football Hall of Fame Semifinalist For First Time in Career
Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images Could Dan Marino’s blindside protector be the latest Miami Dolphins player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? On Wednesday, one Miami Dolphins legend took a giant step forward to achieving the ultimate accolade: A gold jacket, a gold bust, and a trip to Canton, Ohio. Linebacker Zach Thomas was the most recent Dolphins player to hear his name called. Now, if everything goes as planned, Dan Marino’s blindside protector could be the next Miami legend to listen to his name called. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Richmond Webb has been named a semifinalist. Good morning. I’m truly honored. Congratulations to all the #NFL #HOFSemifinalist #MiamiDolphins #Fans #ThankYou #Grateful ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ud41tsP1LD — Richmond Webb (@RichmondWebb) November 20, 2024 Webb, now 57, was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round (9th overall) of the 1990 NFL draft. He would go on to play 10 seasons with Miami (and two seasons with the Bengals), protecting the G.O.A.T, Dan Marino’s blindside. In total, Webb appeared in 184 games, starting 183 of them. He was a 2x First-team All-Pro, 2x Second-team All-Pro, 7x Pro Bowler, and PFWA All-Rookie Team, and he is a member of the Miami Dolphins honor roll, where he was inducted on December 25, 2006. Now, he hopes to get his gold jacket on the first try. It’s an uphill battle for sure with so many prestigious names, but let’s not pretend for one second that Webb isn’t every bit as deserving as his peers. Which Miami Dolphins players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? The Dolphins currently have 17 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with the most recent inductee being Zach Thomas in 2023. Bobby Beathard Nick Buoniconti Cris Carter Larry Csonka Bob Griese Jimmy Johnson Jim Langer Larry Little Dan Marino Junior Seau Don Shula Dwight Stephenson Jason Taylor Thurman Thomas Zach Thomas Paul Warfield George Young What are your thoughts on Richmond Webb being named a semifinalist? Do you think he’ll get into the Hall of Fame this year? Do you have a favorite Richmond Webb moment? Let us know in the comments section below!
Glass Half Full: What is the Miami Dolphins ceiling?
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images With the offense humming and the defense coming around, the Dolphins might be a force to be reckoned with. The Miami Dolphins are a different team with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup. Obvious? Yes, but we didn’t see this version of the Dolphins offense coming. When Tagovailoa went down with a third (more like fourth) documented concussion in week two against the Buffalo Bills, the doubt of Tagovailoa ever leading the Dolphins started to creep into my mind. There’s a side of the fanbase that’s always felt this way, and I usually stay clear of that thought, but boy, was I on the ropes. The image of Tagovailoa in the defensive posture again led me to believe that his career was ending sooner rather than later. Flash forward through his stint on IR, avoiding a review of the god-awful football played on offense, we land on the Arizona Cardinals and Bills games. Though both are losses with Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback, the offense was absolutely humming in both games, showcasing a balanced attack that could sustain itself in the late, snowy season up into a playoff run. The offensive efficiency isn’t the same as the quick strike to home runs that we saw for the last two years, but this game plan stresses all parts of the field on every play. Checkdowns are being thrown with more intent, and third down has been the money down for the Dolphins. Over the last two games against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football (Primetime), just saying, and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Dolphins have played more complimentary with mostly mistake-free football from Tagovailoa. He’s spreading the ball around and giving guys room to operate. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are having career-low years, but it’s not at the expense of the offense not playing well. It sucks for their numbers, but players like De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith are eating. Teams play cover two against the Dolphins almost sixty percent of the time, more than any other team in the league. Teams will not let Hill and Waddle get behind them. It’s an emphasis and it’s turned the Dolphins from a fireworks show into a methodical, grind-you-out type of offense. Not gonna lie, I think I prefer the latter. 4-6 To Where? The Dolphins are now at 4-6 with seven games left and have the “third-easiest remaining schedule” in the NFL. I don’t necessarily agree with it due to the teams they have in their way, such as the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, and the New York Jets twice. All are teams that could get hot and beat anyone. They’re all preseason playoff projected teams considered healthy, including their quarterbacks. With all the information at hand, tied with the remaining “easy” schedule, where can the Dolphins finish? I could see them going 6-1 through the last seven-game stretch, but I could also see them going 4-3. One aspect that is finally going in the Dolphins’ direction is that the team is starting to get healthy for the final stretch run rather than breaking down like in previous years. Though it seems the Dolphins will be without Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, Chop Robinson and Emmanuel Ogbah have been fantastic filling in for them on the edges. The defense is also starting to turn back to its dominant early season ways with Jevon Holland and Zach Sieler back in the lineup, not to mention the 38-year-young Calais Campbell turning in an All-Pro season to date. Isiah Wynn has also been cleared to start practicing, giving the interior much-needed help on the offensive side. It feels as if all the stars are starting to align for a Miami Dolphins late-season run. The only questions are how many wins they can rattle off, and if they can take the last playoff spot, how far can they go from there?
Detroit Lions add safety to practice squad, cut another
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images The Detroit Lions activated Brodric Martin, and added a new safety to the practice squad. The Detroit Lions officially announced that Brodric Martin has been activated to the 53-man roster—as previously reported. But along with that move, the Lions also made a subtle change to their practice squad. The team announced on Wednesday that they’ve cut safety, Erick Hallett, from the practice squad and replaced him with free agent safety Kaevon Merriweather. Merriweather, a Belleview native, went undrafted in 2023 out of Iowa but quickly signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his rookie season. He was good enough to not only make the Bucs’ 53-man roster that year, but he also made 16 game appearances for Tampa, mostly on special teams, earning an 80.0 PFF special teams grade in the process. Toward the end of the year, he had carved out a defensive role for himself, averaging nearly 20 defensive snaps a game in the final eight weeks of the season. This year, Merriweather was still an active player for Tampa, playing exactly 200 special teams snaps over nine games with the Buccaneers. However, he was waived earlier this week after Tampa signed veteran safety Mike Edwards—who had played for four years with the Bucs. Merriweather went unclaimed on waivers and became a free agent on Wednesday. Hallet signed to the Lions’ practice squad just before the season began after spending all of training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has yet to make an appearance in an NFL game and will now be a free agent eligible to sign with any team.
