Bowden, Kinnard, Manning signed to NFL practice squads

The 53-man roster deadline was not kind to a dozen-plus former Kentucky football standouts fighting for their NFL lives. Players such as Benny Snell Jr., Quinton Bohanna, Marquan McCall, Quandre Mosley, Logan Stenberg, Chris Westry, DeAndre Square, Phil Hoskins, T.J. Carter, Keidron Smith and Justin Rigg were waived and have not yet been picked up — active roster or practice squad.

Others were released, but have since been brought back to the practice squad of their respective franchises. Quick turnarounds indicating their value is clear to their previous teams.

Who has agreed to join 16-man practice squads since the close of the roster cut deadline?

Tashawn Manning returned to the Baltimore Ravens shortly after his release, one of 15 PS players announced by the franchise on Wednesday. He joins QB Anthony Brown, G Tykeem Doss, CB Jeremy Lucien, TE/FB Ben Mason, LB Jeremiah Moon, DT Rayshad Nichols, LB Josh Ross, WR Sean Ryan, TE Travis Vokolek, RB Melvin Gordon III, C Sam Mustipher, WR Laquon Treadwell, DB Daryl Worley and RB Owen Wright on the complete practice squad.

Manning went undrafted in 2023, but quickly signed with the Ravens as a UDFA, a deal that included a $20,000 signing bonus and $20,000 base salary guarantee. He then earned the most snaps of any rookie UDFA on the team and was seen as a potential waiver-wire pickup for another team, but Baltimore was ultimately able to bring him back.

From there, Darian Kinnard joined the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad alongside CB Ekow Boye-Doe, S Deon Bush, TE Matt Bushman, LB Cole Christiansen, DT Matt Dickerson, DE Truman Jones, QB Chris Oladokun, RB La’Mical Perine, WR Cornell Powell, RB Deneric Prince, C Austin Reiter, DT Danny Shelton, CB Reese Taylor, DT Chris Williams and T Chukwuebuka Godrick.

Kinnard was a fifth-round draft selection in 2022 and played 117 snaps with the Chiefs in three preseason games, ten more on special teams. He appeared in just one regular season game as a rookie, earning six snaps on special teams.

And lastly, Lynn Bowden Jr. was brought back to the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. He joined S Johnathan Abram, LB Ryan Connelly, WR Shaquan Davis, OL Mark Evans II, DL Jack Heflin, DB Anthony Johnson, WR Jontre Kirklin, G Tommy Kraemer, DE Niko Lalos, RB Ellis Merriweather, T Storm Norton, LB Anfernee Orji, DE Kyle Phillips, LB Jaylon Smith and LB Ty Summers.

Bowden had three receptions for 40 yards while returning five punts for 43 yards and three kickoffs for 61 yards in the 2023 preseason for the Saints.

Teams are allowed 16 players on the practice squad, 10 with up to two years of accrued service and a maximum of six players of unlimited accrued time. Players on the practice squad are eligible for three call-ups on gamedays during the regular season.

There is talk players such as Westry, Square, Bohanna and Smith will eventually join practice squads down the road, while Snell is obviously a veteran piece in the backfield who could get another shot on an active roster. Plenty of movement to come with the NFL regular season set to begin a week from today between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, kickoff scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.