Fridays are the absolute best day of the work week. Especially for football fans.
You happily head to the office, or sign on in the morning, with one final burst of motivation to get done what needs to be done before cruising into the proverbial sunset that is happy hour. Then potentially there's Friday night lights high school football before a marathon day on the couch consuming those noon kicks all the way through a game like San Jose State at Air Force, which always serves as a delicious Saturday nightcap.
All that momentum swells to Sunday, when you either voyage to your mecca, a jam-packed stadium full of 60,000-plus rowdy fans to pull for your favorite NFL team, or you become one with the OctoBox on "NFL Red Zone" and devour every minute of NFL action for six-straight hours. And if it weren't for drink refills, second helpings of food and bathroom breaks -- which Scott Hanson knows nothing about -- those six hours would fly by.
You're in your glory. The football gods provide a nice 30-minute respite to gather yourself before Cris Collinsworth slides into your living room on "Sunday Night Football." The Sunday Scaries vanish at the outset of football season. There's no lull from summer. Weekends rock in the fall for football fans.
And it has just dawned on me that the Practice Squad Power Rankings can (see: should) serve as the precursor dopamine hit to your football-obsessed weekend, the starting whistle if you will. Therefore, I see it as my very specific job to set the VIBES for said weekends this entire season.
In fact, let's do this -- when you're working and see the latest Practice Squad Power Rankings drop, let a bell ring in your head -- IT IS TIME FOR FOOTBALL. Of course, finish those last few emails. Be as vigilant as possible during that ambitiously scheduled 4 p.m. Zoom call. But after you read Practice Squad Power Rankings, your soul can fly with those football gods for the next, say, 60 hours. Yes, you'll probably have a football-themed dream each night, too, don't kid yourself.
With my newly realized responsibility to football fans everywhere, I'm pledging to elevate my game each week in what is now YEAR 6 (!) of the Practice Squad Power Rankings. I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm ready for a breakout season. I can feel it approaching.
Last season, 26 Practice Squad Power Ranking players (PSPRs) were elevated to the 53-man roster for game day. I'll be tracking those who receive The Call every week. Here's to the Call Up Tracker or "The CUT" eclipsing 26 this season or the 32 from the 2022 campaign. Send any/all PSPR tips to me @ChrisTrapasso on X or Twitter or whatever you call it these days.
Now, for some crucial reminders: The 16-man practice squads are about the only good thing to come out of the pandemic, and they're here to stay in the NFL. Because of this, I run the Practice Squad Power Rankings parallel to the league and write about 16 individuals every Friday, 10 officially in the rankings and six honorable mentions.
While the creation of the PSPR was intended to highlight underrated young players, with the league now allowing six veterans on every club's practice squad, that's the approach I'll take. Mostly first, second, and third-year players. A few veterans sprinkled in.
Let's have the best season yet at the Practice Squad Power Rankings and glide on cloud nine into each football weekend this autumn.
10. Matt Landers, WR, Patriots
Landers can be a clearing-route, go-ball specialist in this regular season. After all, the dude is a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder with 4.37 speed. He rocked at Toledo and then Arkansas, averaging a combined 21.1 yards per catch. In minimal opportunities over the past two preseasons, Landers made 6 grabs for 86 yards with a touchdown.
Is he the most squeaky clean route-runner in football? Of course not. But "explosives" are everything in today's NFL, and Landers absolutely can provide those to an offense, particularly one like the Patriots without many established pass-catching options at receiver.
9. Jason Brownlee, WR, Jets
Brownlee has 15 snags for 149 yards and a touchdown in his first two preseasons with the Jets after going undrafted in 2023 after a tremendous career at Southern Miss. When scouting him, and evaluating his litany of circus grabs in traffic that complemented his bendiness as a route-runner well, I remember thinking, "this is the receiver everyone wanted Laquon Treadwell to be," and while the Jets haven't given him much of an opportunity in the regular season yet... Brownlee has the bounce, size and ball skills to be impactful with Aaron Rodgers throwing him passes if New York needs him this season.
8. Jason Bean, QB, Colts
Bean was borderline sensational in the Colts preseason. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown and an interception. As a runner, he had 11 totes for 53 yards and 2 scores. And Bean demonstrated that type of dual-threat capability at Kansas in 2023. At right around 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Bean ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. He can scoot.
While Sam Ehlinger is locked into the QB2 role behind Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis, it may behoove Shane Steichen to give Bean a spot on the roster in case of another Richardson injury. With Bean, the designed QB run game can still exist in the Colts offense.
7. Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Commanders
Rodriguez averaged 4.8 yards per carry with a hefty 3.65 yards after contact per rush average in 2023 as a rookie. Sure, it only came on 51 attempts, but the then-rookie did enough to potentially earn more of a workload in Year 2. Now there's Austin Ekeler as the primary backup to Brian Robinson Jr. in this Commanders offense, which precipitated Rodriguez's demotion to the practice squad.
This is a boulder of a back with surprising athletic gifts who absolutely can be a quality spot starter or deep-depth option later in the season for Washington.
6. Shaka Heyward, LB, Bengals
I had a big draft crush on Heyward out of Duke a few years ago. Long, rangy, athletic, plus coverage instincts. He went undrafted in 2023 and all he's done in two preseasons since is proved to everyone he should've been picked and can undeniably play in this league. He was outstanding this past August with 12 total tackles, three pressures, a pass breakup, and he didn't miss a tackle.
Cincinnati boasts one of the better, reasonably young linebacker tandems in the AFC, yet if either battle an injury, Heyward is a three-down plug-and-play insurance option.
5. Tony Jefferson, S, Chargers
Did you witness the Tony Jefferson Game, which to some may have been the Trey Lance Five Interception Game? In it, Jefferson came off the couch to register double-digit tackles, force a fumble and snag two picks in the Chargers exhibition outing against the Cowboys.
In 2023, Jefferson was a scouting intern for the Ravens. Now he's waiting patiently for another opportunity well into his 30s on a Chargers defense that already boasts Derwin James.
4. Andre Carter, LB, Vikings
I can't quit Carter. Back in 2021, he essentially matched Aidan Hutchinson in pass-rushing efficiency while at Army. In the 2022 season, he saw nothing but double teams and that efficiency dipped -- from 20.1% pressure-creation to 14.1% -- which led to Carter going undrafted. That, and a lowly combine performance.
But Minnesota scooped him up on the undrafted free-agent market, and he's rocked the past two preseasons. This past August, Carter generated nine quarterback pressures on a mere 49 pass-rushing opportunities. Danielle Hunter is gone, but the Vikings added Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency before drafting Dallas Turner in Round 1. No much opportunity for Carter. He's ready and waiting, though.
3. Frank Gore Jr., RB, Bills
Gore is completely capable of operating as an efficient complementary back in Buffalo's high-powered offense. He won't get the chance to be that type right away, however, with James Cook, Ty Johnson and fourth-round rookie Ray Davis ahead of him on the depth chart.
Yet what Gore lacks in size and pure speed, he counters with his dad-like vision, cutting skill and balance through contact. In the preseason, as the clear exhibition workhorse for the Bills, Gore averaged 4.9 yards per pop en route to leading the NFL with 163 rushing yards. And his 3.09 yards after contact per rush average was impressive, too.
2. Tyler Huntley, QB, Ravens
How is Huntley now the Ravens actual backup right now? At time of publication, it's technically Josh Johnson, but Huntley is a familiar face back in Baltimore after spending the summer with a division rival.
We've seen Huntley for extended periods in both the regular season and playoffs for the Ravens, and he's never looked out of sorts. Of course he's not Lamar Jackson athletically, yet he can give the Ravens maneuverability in the same realm as Jackson if need be.
1. Tim Patrick, WR, Lions
Patrick being cut by the Broncos was one of the surprises of the summer in the NFL. He battled back from two before-the-season injuries -- to his ACL in 2022 and Achilles in 2023 -- and legitimately looked like one of the better depth options at receiver this preseason.
He caught five passes for 44 yards in the preseason before the release, and the Lions were smart to snatch him immediately. Sure, Patrick hasn't caught a pass in a regular season game since 2021. That year, though? He went for over 700 yards for second-straight season. He's the type of possession target on the boundary Detroit could use... right now!
Honorable Mention
Lil'Jordan Humphrey, WR, Broncos
Humphrey has always been a contested-catch winner, dating back to his time at the University of Texas. He may not separate vertically often. That's fine. His vertical and natural ball skills have kept him in the league for a while now after going undrafted.
Richard Gouraige, OT, Bills
Gouraige blocked next to Bills right guard O'Cyrus Torrence at Florida, and after a developmental year in 2023, he looked considerably stronger and more balanced in his second preseason. In it, he surrendered a mere two pressures on 47 pass-blocking snaps.
Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Patriots
Giles-Harris may not be quite athletic enough to satisfy what NFL coaches want in terms of range from their linebackers today. He makes up for said lack of physical gifts with instincts and reliability on three downs. He had 10 tackles and an interception for the Patriots this preseason.
Jowon Briggs, DT, Browns
Briggs looks like an oversized linebacker at defensive tackle and has the type of upfield juice to threaten the quarterback. Only one pressure in the preseason from the Cincinnati alum, yet plenty of near misses based on his burst and surprisingly powerful jolt at the point of attack for a sub-300 pounder.
Ben Skowronek, WR, Steelers
Skowronek caught 39 passes for 376 yards in 2022 as a member of the Rams, so we know the Notre Dame receiver can play in this league. Pittsburgh is reasonably thin at receiver. Do not be surprised if Skowronek is eventually catching passes from either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields in 2024.
Charles Snowden, EDGE, Raiders
Snowden is one of the more uniquely sized edge rushers in the NFL -- a league full of physical freaks. At 6-foot-7 and around 245 pounds, Snowden is super spindly, but now a grizzled veteran, he's added weight to his frame which allows him to win via other means besides his burst and surprising bend around the corner. Las Vegas has an elite rusher in Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, fresh off a break out year in 2023. If they need more pass-rushing reinforcement on the perimeter of the line, Snowden is only one call away.