Broncos, Eagles add depth from practice squads as 49ers release Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

NFL teams used Friday’s minor transaction window to adjust practice-squad and roster depth as the regular season moves deeper. The moves were not headline roster overhauls, but they underline how quickly NFL organizations can re-balance positional groups when veterans return, match schemes, or clear spots for other players.

The Denver Broncos signed WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey from the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. Humphrey, a wide receiver, becomes another option for Denver’s receiver group as teams manage weekly workloads and develop depth in case of late-season needs. The move also suggests the Broncos wanted immediate practice-week availability rather than waiting for another internal promotion.

Across the AFC, the Broncos also received RB Carson Steele from the Eagles’ orbit, with Philadelphia signing Steele from its practice squad situation described in the transaction recap. In practice, these kinds of swaps often reflect the way teams evaluate running back roles and special-teams fit, while keeping multiple backs ready to absorb different run-pass protections depending on game plans.

Philadelphia’s addition stream extended to the interior as well. The Eagles signed C Jake Majors from the practice squad, adding a center option to stabilize depth. In the NFL, the center position is more than snap-taking, since it includes line calls and protections, so teams typically place value on having a prepared, game-ready backup during a long season.

San Francisco’s most consequential item involved Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, a defensive lineman, who was released by the 49ers. The transaction recap framed the move in part around coaching familiarity: Okoronkwo started his career under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris after reuniting with him. The summary also noted that Morris’ staff had been connected to Okoronkwo’s path into Los Angeles earlier in his career, making the release relevant beyond a simple depth swap.

The reporting also explained that Okoronkwo had worked his way onto San Francisco’s 53-man roster after beginning the year on the 49ers’ practice squad. The recap described how, amid a season that saw multiple defensive-line names listed with injury designations early, Okoronkwo found a pathway from practice to the active roster. With the 49ers’ defensive front now described as in the process of returning players, the team used the release as a roster-management step to make room.

As a vested veteran, Okoronkwo was described as being eligible to sign back to the taxi squad immediately if he chooses to remain with Morris. That detail matters because it highlights how NFL practice and taxi-squad rules can preserve continuity between player and coaching staff, even when a player is temporarily cycled off the active roster.

For fans watching these teams closely, the transactions may look minor, but they can foreshadow the next set of roster decisions. Denver’s receiver and running back additions will be evaluated in practice, while Philadelphia will look for line depth continuity with Majors. In San Francisco, the release suggests a defensive-line rotation moving toward fuller options, with Okoronkwo’s next step likely tied to whether he reattaches to the taxi-squad path under the same coaching staff.