Wednesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire confirmed some movement at the running back position, with promising second-year pro Tony Jones Jr. going to injured reserve to open a roster spot for his fill-in Devine Ozigbo, who the New Orleans Saints are signing from the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. Jones will be first eligible to return after Week 7’s game with the Seattle Seahawks but he could miss more time. The Saints have taken an
But there’s another ex-Jaguars running back joining the team too: Ryquell Armstead, a fifth round pick by Jacksonville who has signed with the team’s practice squad. Armstead was part of a group tryout alongside other free agents Ito Smith, Brian Hill, Duke Johnson, and Lamar Miller, so he must have looked the best of the bunch (or been most agreeable to a spot on the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster).
Now 24 years old, Armstead had a bit part in the Jaguars backfield with 35 carries and 14 receptions for a combined 252 scrimmage yards (108 rushing, 144 receiving) in his brief NFL career. For the curious analytics enthusiasts, he posted a respectable 7.74 Relative Athletic Score coming out of Temple, which lines up with the Saints’ own in-house preferences. Still, he’s probably only here as another layer of depth behind Alvin Kamara, Dwayne Washington, and Ozigbo on the active roster.
