2017 September - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Cut Jeremy Zuttah

September 1st, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens have released offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Running back Lorenzo Taliaferro has also that he’s been waived (Twitter link).

Zuttah, 31, has had an eventful offseason, as Baltimore originally dealt him to the 49ers earlier this year. Unable to stick on the roster in San Francisco, Zuttah re-signed with the Ravens last month after the club suffered a multitude of injuries along the offensive line. The Colts were previously interested in Zuttah, who started all 16 games a season ago, so Indianapolis could potentially circle back to Zuttah now that’s available again.

Lewis and Dixon, meanwhile, were never expected to play large parts for the Ravens in 2016. With Joe Flacco on the mend, Baltimore will roll with Ryan Mallett as their No. 2 quarterback. Taliaferro wasn’t able to crack the roster despite the Ravens having lost fellow back Kenneth Dixon for the year.

Redskins Cut S Will Blackmon

September 1st, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have cut veteran safety Will Blackmon, two sources tell Mike Jones of The Washington Post (on Twitter).

Blackmon has appeared in 30 out of 32 possible appearances for the Redskins over the last two years, including 16 starts. He played corner in 2015 but shifted to safety last year when the team signed Josh Norman.

Blackmon had 39 total tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, and half a sack last year. In his 570 snaps on defense, he earned a strong 79.7 overall score from Pro Football Focus, placing him as the 32nd best safety in the league. He placed ahead of notables like Shawn Williams, Bradley McDougald, and T.J. Ward.

Broncos Cut RB Stevan Ridley

September 1st, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have released running back Stevan Ridley, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The former Patriots standout signed with Denver in late July and his stint with the team ends after roughly one month.

Ridley was signed in the wake of Devontae Booker‘s wrist injury, but the team prefers some of its other options including veteran Jamaal Charles and rookie De’Angelo Henderson. We won’t know for sure until Saturday afternoon, but it sounds like those two are in line to make the 53-man cut, along with presumptive starter C.J. Anderson.

The 28-year-old Ridley has a 1,200-yard season under his belt, but he hasn’t been all that effective in recent years. He wasn’t much of a factor in 2014, his final season with the Patriots, and combined for just 10 appearances, 39 carries and 97 yards with the Jets and Falcons over the last two years.

Browns Trim Roster To 65

September 1st, 2017 at 12:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have begun reducing their roster count in advance of tomorrow’s 53-man deadline. Cleveland announced the following transactions:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

DB Howard Wilson

Released:

WR Josh Boyce
DL Brandon Thompson

Waived:

WR Mario Alford
WR Rasheed Bailey
LB B.J. Bello
DB Christian Bryant
DB Trey Caldwell
LB Ladell Fleming
DB J.D. Harmon
DB Alvin Hill
TE Nate Iese
TE Taylor McNamara
WR Richard Mullaney
OL Kitt O’Brien
DL Karter Schult
DB Channing Stribling
RB Brandon Wilds (injured)

Cardinals, Ravens Complete Trade

September 1st, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have traded offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom to the Ravens for a seventh-round pick, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Bergstrom signed with the Cardinals back in May.

Bergstrom appeared in 15 games as a backup for the Texans last year, but he did not see a lot of burn. The 31-year-old offers experience at both tackle and guard, so he could be a worthwhile piece for Baltimore. He’s not a world beater, but his versatility could come in handy for a Ravens offensive line that has been decimated by injuries.

Already, the Ravens have lost offensive linemen Alex Lewis and Nico Siragusa for the entire season.

Rams Meet With Aaron Donald’s Camp

September 1st, 2017 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Donald‘s holdout is ongoing, but the Rams are working to bring it to an end. Team brass flew to Atlanta on Wednesday for an in-person meeting with Donald’s representatives, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Recently, Rams general manager Les Snead admitted that Donald is unlikely to be in uniform for the team’s opener against the Colts on Sept. 10 if he does not end his holdout this week. Snead said the team has tried to “come up with creative scenarios” regarding Donald’s contract, but refused to get into specifics on the negotiations.

Donald, 26, is slated to earn $3.225MM in 2017 and $6.892MM in 2018 through the fifth-year option. It’s not exactly chump change, but Donald is willing to miss game checks and take his holdout into the regular season, if necessary.

Donald may be looking for a deal that tops Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM pact, making him the league’s highest paid defensive tackle. The Rams, meanwhile, want to avoid setting a bad precedent by caving into a holdout. Because Donald is such an exceptional talent, L.A. might be able to make an exception in this case without setting the wrong tone for others down the road.

Ravens Cut Bobby Rainey, Larry Donnell

September 1st, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are getting a head start on their roster cuts. On Friday, they released both running back Bobby Rainey and tight end Larry Donnell.

Rainey was signed in late July and it was believed that he had a chance to make the team following Kenneth Dixon‘s season ending injury. Despite getting positive reviews from coaches this summer and performing well in preseason action against the Saints on Thursday night, the veteran is being shown the door. Rainey’s most notable pro seasons came with the Buccaneers in 2013 and 2014, as he rushed for more than 400 yards in each year. Despite his age (he’ll turn 30 in October), Rainey could still hold appeal for other clubs thanks to his experience and pass catching acumen.

Donnell was also signed to fill a major gap for the Ravens, but he did not earn a spot despite the losses of Dennis Pitta and Crockett Gillmore. Ben Watson, Maxx Williams, and Nick Boyle are now set to serve as the team’s top three tight ends heading into Week 1.

Broncos Trade Ty Sambrailo To Falcons

September 1st, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have traded offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo to the Falcons for a 2018 fifth-round pick, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Sambrailo is the third notable offensive tackle to be traded for a fifth-round pick this week. The Browns got the ball rolling when they sent former FSU standout Cameron Erving to the Chiefs. The next day, the Lions shipped Laken Tomlinson to the Niners for a 2019 fifth-rounder. Erving and Tomlinson were both former first-round picks. Sambrailo was a second-round choice.

Sambrailo was fighting for his roster spot this year and, apparently, he didn’t do enough in camp to prove worthy of significant playing time. This year, the Broncos spent a first-rounder on tackle Garett Bolles and added Menelik Watson on a three-year, $18.3MM deal in free agency.

Sambrailo projects to be the Falcons’ first swing tackle off the bench, ahead of August addition Austin Pasztor. Rookie Sean Harlow and second-year man Wes Schweitzer will be the primary support for starting guards for Andy Levitre and Ben Garland.

Le’Veon Bell Reports To Steelers

September 1st, 2017 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Le’Veon Bell reported to the Steelers on Friday morning. He’ll sign his franchise tender, meaning that he’ll play out the 2017 season for $12.12MM.

Had Bell waited until after Saturday’s roster deadline to show up to team headquarters, he could have put his first two game checks in jeopardy. The Steelers, in theory, would have had the option to place him on the roster exempt list through Week 1, meaning that the two sides would have to negotiate his pay for that period. That was unlikely to happen, but the running back now knows for sure that he will collect his full $711K payout for each game.

Bell turned down a multi-year extension offer prior to this year’s deadline that would have paid him $60MM over a five-year term (assuming the Steelers kept him for the full span of the deal). Depending on who you ask, Bell’s camp may have agreed to the deal before 86’ing it at the last minute.

If Bell turns in another strong year, he’ll force the Steelers to tag him again for $14MM, make him a lucrative extension offer, or allow him to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent. If he falters or gets injured, he may regret turning down the $60MM deal.

Extra Points: Luck, Colts, Manziel, Kaepernick, RG3

September 1st, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Connor J. Byrne

In speaking with reporters on Thursday night, Colts owner Jim Irsay indicated that Andrew Luck is unlikely to suit up for Week 1, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link). Interestingly, Irsay also insinuated that the matter is now more in Luck’s head rather than his shoulder.

Whether it’s mental or not, it sounds like the Colts will be without their No. 1 QB when they face the Rams on Sept. 10. Meanwhile, the Rams could be without their best defensive player.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Johnny Manziel‘s recent audition for the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats went well enough for the team to maintain interest in the troubled quarterback. Manziel and the Tiger-Cats continue to discuss a contract, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Manziel “very much wants” to sign with the Tiger-Cats or another Canadian club, as he regards the CFL as a good avenue to return to competitive football, a source suggested to Fowler. Hamilton owns Manziel’s CFL rights, and if he decides to immigrate to that league, the Tiger-Cats would have a 10-day window to sign the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner or trade him. The 24-year-old Manziel last played in a game on Dec. 27, 2015, when he was with the Browns.
Speaking of high-profile, out-of-work signal-callers, NFL teams are not blackballing Colin Kaepernick over his political activism, anonymous executives and a coach who spoke with Albert Breer of The MMQB insist. The general belief among the group is that both Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III would have jobs if teams believed they could truly help. There are worse QBs (particularly backups) around the league than those two, but clubs are more comfortable with how their current reserves fit their offenses than either Kaepernick or RG3 would.
It would have been “negligent” for Pittsburgh to not look into signing cornerback Joe Haden after the Browns released him Wednesday, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters, including Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Steelers added Haden shortly after the Browns parted with the eighth-year man. While Haden’s effectiveness has faded in recent seasons, the Steelers regard him as a “capable starter” and the type of player who’s not typically available in late August, per Colbert.

Zach Links contributed to this post.