Browns Release Brock Osweiler
The Browns have released quarterback Brock Osweiler, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports. Cutting Osweiler was the likely route for Cleveland after he failed to beat out second-round rookie DeShone Kizer for the team’s starting job, though the club will still have to pay the veteran his fully guaranteed $16MM salary. 
The Browns acquired Osweiler in March in an unprecedented trade with the Texans, when Houston essentially paid Cleveland a 2018 second-round pick just to take on his contract. The expectation then was that the Browns would either flip Osweiler elsewhere or cut him, and they went the latter route after they couldn’t find a taker via trade.
Now, if Osweiler signs elsewhere, he’ll likely do so for the league minimum $775K, which will give the Browns a relatively small bit of financial relief. But with the recent releases and trades of Joe Haden, Desmond Bryant and Cameron Erving, the Browns basically made back the money they’re obligated to pay Osweiler.
While Osweiler had a miserable 2016 in Houston after signing a big-money deal in free agency, he seems likely to find work as an inexpensive backup somewhere. Not only is Osweiler still fairly young (26), but the ex-Bronco brings size (6-foot-7, 240 pounds), a big arm and a second-round pedigree (2012) to the table.
DeAngelo Hall Takes Pay Cut
The Redskins have restructured DeAngelo Hall‘s salary for the second time since June, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Instead of the $2.2MM Hall was scheduled to make, the safety will earn a fully guaranteed $1.1MM and have a chance at some incentives.
Prior to June, Hall was set to earn a base salary of $4.25MM with a cap number above $5MM. However, given his recent injury troubles, the Redskins don’t believe he’s worth that type of money anymore. The 33-year-old Hall appeared in just 17 of a possible 48 regular-season games over the past three campaigns. Thanks to the torn ACL he suffered last year, he’ll begin this season on the PUP list and miss the first six weeks.
Steelers Release Knile Davis
The Steelers are releasing running back Knile Davis, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The 25-year-old Davis joined the Steelers in March after stints with the Chiefs and Packers from 2013-16. All but two of his 57 appearances came in Kansas City, where he totaled 800 yards on 245 carries (3.3 yards per rush). He was barely a factor last year with either Chiefs or Packers last year, picking up just 18 carries.
The release of Davis leaves the Steelers with Fitzgerald Toussaint, Terrell Watson and third-round pick James Conner as their backups to star Le’Veon Bell.
Falcons Cut 14 Players
The Falcons are letting some players walk early as they get ready for the 53-man deadline on Saturday. The team announced the following cuts:
- QB Alek Torgersen
- WR Anthony Dable
- WR Josh Magee
- RB Kelvin Taylor
- FB Tyler Renew
- C Travis Averill
- C Larson Graham
- OT Andreas Knappe
- OT D.J. Tialavea
- DE A.J. Jefferson
- CB Jarnor Jones
- CB Akeem King
- LB Jack Lynn
- K Mike Meyer
Taylor, a former sixth-round pick, is the son of Fred Taylor, the greatest running back in Jaguars franchise history. The Falcons picked him up in August after he was discarded by the Chiefs.
The Falcons will only carry two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets, so it appears that Matt Simms will follow Torgersen out the door at some point.
NFL Reinstates Steelers WR Martavis Bryant
Huge news for the Steelers. Wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been fully reinstated by the NFL. 
Bryant is now cleared to participate in regular season games and practices. This is the outcome that the Steelers have been expecting.
The league took an intermediate step towards welcoming Bryant back when they gave him clearance to participate in the preseason. Bryant was banned for all of the 2016 season for repeated violations of its substance abuse policy. The Steelers are undoubtedly thrilled to have Bryant back as he’ll help to take pressure off of star receiver Antonio Brown.
Bryant, 25, has only appeared in 21 out of 48 possible regular season games over the course of his career, but he has been productive in his limited action. He has averaged 17.3 yards per catch over the last three years.
The news will also have roster implications for the Steelers as they approach the 53-man deadline on Saturday. Right now, Brown, Bryant, Eli Rogers, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Cobi Hamilton figure to be the team’s top five receivers. Sammie Coates Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Justin Hunter are among the other receivers vying for a spot.
Bears To Cut LB Kelvin Sheppard
Kelvin Sheppard will be cut by the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. By shedding Sheppard, the Bears are inching closer to the 53-man max.
Sheppard made 30 appearances with Miami in 2014 and 2015, including 15 starts. Last year, the 29-year-old appeared in each of the Giants’ games and made eleven starts, but he finished with just 47 tackles, failed to force any turnovers, and earned a poor grade (39.1) from Pro Football Focus. He was thought to have a decent chance of sticking as veteran LB depth, but it was not meant to be.
The Bears and the league’s 31 other teams have until Saturday afternoon to reach the 53-man mandate.
Vikings Cut OL T.J. Clemmings
The Vikings are releasing offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Clemmings has started 30 games for Minnesota over the last two years.
Clemmings was first thrust into the starting right tackle role in 2015 when Phil Loadholt went down with an injury. Last year, he wound up back with the first team thanks to the injuries suffered by Matt Kalil and Jake Long. Those injuries forced him to move from the right side over to left tackle.
Clemmings finished last year as the No. 74 rated tackle out of 76 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He had a similarly rough score in 2015.
Seahawks To Shop DL Ahtyba Rubin
The Seahawks aren’t done yet. Once their acquisition of Sheldon Richardson is completed, they’ll turn around and discuss trades for defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos are a top contender to land him, Rapoport adds. 
Rubin, 31, joined the Seahawks on a free agent deal prior to the 2015 season. Before the ’16 campaign, he re-upped with the team on a three-year, $12MM deal. The good news for any team that acquires him is that the Seahawks already paid out half of that sum in the first year of the deal.
In his first Seahawks season, Rubin amassed 36 tackles, two sacks, and finished fourth among the team’s defensive linemen in snaps. Last year, he once again had a perfect attendance record in the regular season as he racked up 39 tackles, one sack, and three forced fumbles.
Jets, Seahawks Swap Sheldon Richardson, Jermaine Kearse
The Seahawks have agreed to acquire defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Jets in exchange for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2018 seventh-round pick, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
The Jets and Seahawks had been discussing the concept of this deal for weeks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. New York, of course, had been shopping Richardson for much longer than that. Seattle reportedly showed interest earlier this year, but it wanted Richardson to accept a paycut from his $8.069MM base salary. This time around, the Seahawks agreed to take on his full salary. The Seahawks were able to take the hit after reworking receiver Doug Baldwin‘s contract and shedding Kearse’s $2.2MM salary in the trade.
Richardson certainly has his warts, which may have contributed to a limited trade market. For one, he wasn’t all that effective last season, as Richardson managed only 1.5 sacks in 15 games (though he still graded out as the NFL’s No. 31 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus). Richardson also comes with off-field question marks, as he has a substance abuse suspension in his past, and has dealt with commitment and tardiness issues.
But, if healthy and motivated, the addition of Richardson would give the Seahawks arguably the best front seven in the NFL. Richardson, who can conceivably play either along the edge or on the interior, would join a Seattle defensive unit that also includes Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Cliff Avril, Bobby Wagner, and K.J. Wright on the front end, and the vaunted Legion of Boom in the back end.
The Jets, meanwhile, needed a wide receiver following a season-ending injury to Quincy Enunwa, and Kearse will add experience to a group that includes rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen. Kearse, 27, posted 41 receptions for 510 yards a season ago, but Seattle has developed enough wideouts — including Paul Richardson, Tyler Lockett, and Kasen Williams — that Kearse wasn’t needed any longer. The Seahawks had been shopping him earlier this week, and the Browns were among the interested parties.
For a rebuilding club like New York, adding a veteran piece such as Kearse doesn’t make a ton of sense, so it’s possible the Jets took on Kearse simply to help offset Richardson’s salary. Gang Green won’t take on any dead money by trading Richardson, while Seattle will incur roughly $1.83MM in dead cap during the upcoming season as a result of dealing Kearse.
Gee Scott of ESPN Radio (on Twitter) first reported that Kearse had been traded to the Jets.
Ravens Cut 18 Players
The Ravens made some major strides towards getting under the 53-man limit. On Friday, they announced 24 roster moves, including the release of 18 players. Here’s the full rundown:
Waived:
- P Kenny Allen
- LB Randy Allen
- WR C.J. Board
- G Jarell Broxton
- DB Otha Foster
- T Roubbens Joseph
- C Derrick Nelson
- LS Taybor Pepper
- G Jarrod Pughsley
- WR/RS Keenan Reynolds
- FB/RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (story)
- G/T De’Ondre Wesley
Released outright (vested veterans who are not subject to waivers):
- TE Larry Donnell (story)
- QB Thaddeus Lewis (story)
- RB Bobby Rainey (story)
- CB Trevin Wade
- WR Griff Whalen
- G/C Jeremy Zuttah (story)
Placed on IR:
- WR Tim White (hand)
In addition to White, the following players have now been officially placed on IR:
- RB Kenneth Dixon (knee)
- G/T Alex Lewis (shoulder)
- LB Albert McClellan (knee)
- G Nico Siragusa (knee)
- WR Tim White (hand)
- CB Tavon Young (CB)
The Ravens are now down to 66 players.