HEADLINES

Month: August 2014

Ravens Cut Six Players

August 29th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are cutting reserve center Reggie Stephens, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The Iowa State product has had previous stints with the Bears and Bills.

The Ravens will also cut outside linebacker D.J. Roberts and they’re expected to release tight end Nathan Overbay (Twitter links). Here’s your running list:

Bears To Cut Lynch, Mastrud, Others

August 29th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have begun to pare down their roster to the required 53-man limit in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, having already elected to release veteran offensive lineman Robert Turner, as we heard earlier today. Now, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has provided a few more names who won’t make the cut for the Bears’ regular-season roster. Here’s the list of Bears cuts so far, with any newly-reported names added to the list throughout the day:

Bengals Cut BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Others

August 29th, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

2:28pm: In addition to releasing Green-Ellis, the Bengals have also cut three other players, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Coley Harvey of ESPN.com report (Twitter links). Quarterback Tyler Wilson, defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross, and linebacker Brandon Joiner have been waived by the team.

1:21pm: The Bengals have elected to part ways with the player who has been their primary running back for the last two seasons, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora reports (via Twitter) that the team will release veteran rusher BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Green-Ellis, 29, averaged over 900 rushing yards during his last two seasons in Cincinnati, but he also posted just 3.7 yards per carry, and ceded touches to explosive playmaker Giovani Bernard in 2013. With Bernard poised to assume a larger role in the offense, and with rookie running back Jeremy Hill now in the mix as well, Green-Ellis had become expendable.

Green-Ellis’ $3MM cap hit for the 2014 season included $500K in prorated bonus money and a $200K workout bonus, but the team will create $2.3MM in cap savings by cutting the veteran.

Bucs Release Barth, English, Others

August 29th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

2:02pm: Connor Barth is the latest Buccaneer to be cut, according to Stroud (via Twitter). Barth had been owed a $2MM base salary, along with up to $1.15MM in per-game roster bonuses for the coming season, so it appears the Bucs will opt for a less expensive option at the position. For now, Patrick Murray is the only kicker left on the roster.

12:53pm: Tackle/guard Jamon Meredith will also be let go, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

12:24pm: Linebacker Nate Askew, cornerbacks Marc Anthony and Kip Edwards, defensive back Anthony Gaitor, defensive end Larry English, offensive tackle Edawn Coughman, and offensive linemen Jeremiah Warren and Andrew Miller have also been cut, according to Auman (Twitter links).

9:49am: The Buccaneers have released four players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Tampa Bay will bid farewell to linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud, fullback Lonnie Pryor, rookie cornerback Keith Lewis, and defensive end T.J. Fatinikun on their way to trimming to a 53-man roster.

Lewis, a cornerback out of Virginia-Lynchburg, intercepted a pass from Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy in last night’s preseason finale, but it apparently wasn’t enough to convince Bucs coaches to keep him on the roster. Glaud, who has a tie to former coach Greg Schiano thanks to his time at Rutgers, signed with the Bucs as a UDFA in May 2013. Pryor, a local Florida State product, hooked on with Tampa Bay last season after he was let go by the Jaguars. Fatinikun hooked on with the Buccaneers earlier this month after spending time in the Arena Football League last season.

AFC North Notes: Burfict, Rice, Burleson, Steelers

August 29th, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Vontaze Burfict is barely into his second NFL contract, but he wants the Bengals to know that he already has deal No. 3 on his mind, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “I told Troy [Blackburn] I’ll be back in 2016,” Burfict said. “Obviously they trust me, and like I’ve said, I want to be a leader of the defense. We have great things to come for the next three years while I’m here.” If Burfict continues to perform at a high level, that next contract will be hefty, whether it comes from Cincinnati or someone else. More AFC North news:

  • If Ravens running back Ray Rice were to have another domestic violence incident, it’s unclear whether he would face a lifetime ban under the league’s new policy, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, the policy was put in place after (and in response to) Rice’s incident this offseason.
  • With an impressive route and catch last night, veteran Nate Burleson may have sewn up his spot on the Browns‘ roster, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
  • It is possible the Steelers could carry as many as six wide receivers, though it is not likely, which means the players who don’t make the cut will probably be former Penn State teammates Justin Brown and Derrick Moye, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Darrius Heyward-Bey projects to be Pittsburgh’s fifth and final receiver.
  • After the way Isaiah Crowell ran against the Bears, the Browns will probably have to give him a roster spot since they’d never get him back on the practice squad, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Minor Moves: Friday

August 29th, 2014 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll be grouping most of today’s cuts by team or division, but we’ll keep track of the stray minor moves here..

  • The Titans released offensive lineman Jeff Adams, tweets Wyatt.
  • The Texans cut wide receiver Travis Labhart and kicker Chris Boswell, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
  • The Bears will cut offensive lineman Robert Turner, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Chicago signed the guard/tackle just a few weeks ago.
  • The Texans released former USC safety Jawanza Starling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Titans have released defensive lineman Marcus Dixon and offensive lineman Justin McCray, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (Twitter links). Dixon recorded a sack in the preseason finale and almost had a second one, but it wasn’t enough to stay on board.
  • The Texans will release fullback Toben Opurum, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Kansas product didn’t touch the ball in Houston’s first three preseason contests and had three carries for nine yards last night against the 49ers.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Buccaneers have made four cuts.

AFC East Notes: Vick, Dolphins, Mankins

August 29th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets should buck tradition and utilize both Geno Smith and Michael Vick this season, writes George Willis of the New York Post. Used properly, Willis opines that Smith and Vick could be a valuable 1-2 punch the likes of which has seldom been seen at the quarterback position in the NFL. “Maybe at some point they will be,” Vick said of having his skills utilized. “The coaches are creative enough to put guys in position where they can help a football team score points and win games. If it happens, I’m all for it. If it doesn’t, then I’m not going to be upset. I’m just going to stay ready.” Here’s a glance at the AFC East..

  • The Dolphins tried out defensive back Lowell Rose and wide receiver Tony Washington this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Former Ravens players Deji Olatoye and Gerrard Sheppard also auditioned for Miami, Wilson tweets.
  • The magic number in New England is three, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets. Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, and Logan Mankins were all dealt during or after year three of their extensions with the Patriots. Tom Brady, meanwhile, reworked his big contract after the third year.
  • Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft defended the front office and said the Mankins trade isn’t about pocketing money, tweets Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. However, he didn’t give a full answer as to why it was done.
  • In an appearance on CSNNE, former Patriots center Dan Koppen said that the loss of Mankins is a tough blow for the Patriots but at the same time, he understands the financial reasons behind the trade.
  • After appearing in five of the Jets‘ six possessions in the first half, Stephen Hill was never seen again on Thursday night, as Darryl Slater of The Star-Ledger notes. Hill was targeted twice and caught one pass for 13 yards. It’s possible that the Jets didn’t want to risk Hill getting injured, but that could also be a sign that the former second-round pick won’t make the 53-man cut.

Jerome Simpson’s Suspension Upheld

August 29th, 2014 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson is being suspended for three games, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Simpson was arrested for a DUI in November of last year. It’s just the latest run-in for Simpson who was convicted of a felony for mailing two pounds of marijuana to his Kentucky home while he was playing for the Bengals.

Simpson set a career high last season for receiving yards and was two catches shy of his best season ever in that category, but a DUI hurt his negotiating leverage. Ultimately, he saw his salary chopped from $2.1MM in 2013 to $1MM in 2014 and he said in June that he was surprised by that.

“I can’t lie. I was definitely surprised that I get paid less than what I got last year,” Simpson said. “I had my best numbers. But I guess when you got that negative thing on you, they kind of got you behind the eight-ball.“

The 28-year-old hauled in 48 catches for 726 yards and one touchdown last season. With Simpson out to start the season, the Vikings can be expected to lean heavily on talented sophomore Cordarrelle Patterson in the passing game.

South Notes: Texans, Jags, Falcons, Saints

August 29th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans won’t keep us waiting in suspense. Most of the cuts that have to be made by tomorrow afternoon will actually take place today, a team source tells James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (on Twitter). The latest from the AFC and NFC South..

Falcons Considering Vonta Leach

August 29th, 2014 at 9:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have discussed signing free agent fullback Vonta Leach, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Leach could be brought in to help block for starter Steven Jackson and the rest of Atlanta’s talented supporting cast at running back.

Leach, who has long been renowned for his blocking ability, spent the last three seasons with the Ravens and earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors from 2010-2012. Despite his body of work and name value, the 32-year-old (33 in November) wasn’t a significant part of the Ravens’ offense in 2013, seeing action in just 230 snaps, including nine in the last three weeks of the regular season. Baltimore cut Leach in late February in order to save $1.75MM on the salary cap. Leach told Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post late last month that he had no intention of retiring and was waiting on an NFL call.

As it stands, the Falcons are set to carry Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith, and Devonta Freeman on their 53-man roster. Fullback Patrick DiMarco will be blocking for them if Atlanta doesn’t go out-of-house, but Leach could fill that role instead.

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