Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster
The Buccaneers surprised a bit in 2023 without Tom Brady in the lineup. With Baker Mayfield leading the way, the team managed to win their division and return to the postseason for the fourth-straight season. Before the team can look to make it five consecutive trips to the playoffs, the organization had to make some difficult roster decisions today. The team announced the following moves as they set their 53-man roster:
Released:
- WR Sterling Shepard (story)
- WR Cody Thompson
- LS Zach Triner
- TE David Wells
- QB John Wolford
Waived:
- S Marcus Banks
- DL C.J. Brewer
- TE Sal Cannella
- P Nolan Cooney
- DL Judge Culpepper
- G Xavier Delgado
- DL Mike Greene
- LB Antonio Grier
- OLB Daniel Grzesiak
- T Luke Haggard
- CB Andrew Hayes
- CB Keenan Isaac
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- WR Cephus Johnson
- G Ryan Johnson
- C Avery Jones
- WR Latreal Jones
- LB Vi Jones
- WR Tanner Knue
- DL Brandon Matterson
- CB Chris McDonald
- T Lorenz Metz
- WR Ryan Miller
- OLB Jay Person
- TE Tanner Taula
- WR Raleigh Webb
- RB D.J. Williams
- S Rashad Wisdom
Waived/injured:
- LB Kalen DeLoach
- OLB Shaun Peterson
- DL Lwal Uguak
Placed on IR:
- RB Chase Edmonds (story)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (designated to return)
The Buccaneers have continued their trend of building around draft picks. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports points out, 44 of Tampa Bay’s 53 players were either drafted by the organization or joined as an undrafted free agent. Among starters, the only players who didn’t join the organization as rooks are QB Baker Mayfield and guard Ben Bredeson.
The team will temporarily roll with only a pair of quarterbacks in Mayfield and backup Kyle Trask. John Wolford could have brought some starting experience to the QB room, as the former Ram started four games during his time in Los Angeles. The veteran also started the 2023 campaign on Tampa Bay’s p-squad before earning a promotion, so there’s a chance he follows a similar path this year.
Eagles Cut Down Roster To 53 Players
The Eagles are hoping to rebound from a disappointing end to their 2023 campaign. Before they can do that, the team had to make some tough roster decisions as they got down to 53 players. The team announced the following moves:
Released:
- LB Oren Burks
- WR Parris Campbell
- OL Nick Gates
- OL Matt Hennessy
- WR John Ross
- OL Brett Toth
Waived:
- OL Gottlieb Ayedze
- OT Anim Dankwah
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price
- TE Kevin Foelsch
- DT Gabe Hall
- WR Griffin Hebert
- DE Tarron Jackson
- TE E.J. Jenkins
- CB Josh Jobe
- OLB Terrell Lewis
- C Dylan McMahon
- CB Zech McPhearson
- RB Kendall Milton
- DT P.J. Mustipher
- RB Lew Nichols
- OL Jason Poe
- TE Armani Rogers
- S Andre Sam
- LB Brandon Smith
- CB Shon Stephens
- OT Laekin Vakalahi
- WR Austin Watkins
Waived/injured:
- WR Jacob Harris
- WR Joseph Ngata
- S Caden Sterns
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam (story)
- WR Ainias Smith (story)
Placed on reserve/PUP:
After carrying only four wideouts on their initial 53-man roster in 2023, the team is carrying five WRs heading into 2024. Still, some notable names earned their walking papers today. Parris Campbell is only two years removed from a 63-catch season with the Colts, but the wideout was limited to only 20 receptions with the Giants in 2023. John Ross continues to get opportunities by virtue of his first-round billing, but the former ninth-overall pick hasn’t seen the field since a 10-game showing with the Giants in 2021.
Oren Burks missed a chunk of the summer with an injury, but his release is still a bit of a surprise. The former third-round pick spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, where he started eight of his 32 appearances. The veteran has also made a name for himself on special teams, where he’s averaged more than 277 snaps per season.
Jets Set 53-Man Roster
The 2023 campaign obviously didn’t go as planned for the Jets, but the organization is hoping for much more success with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024. Of course, before they can take the field, the team had to set their 53-man roster. The Jets announced the following roster moves today:
Released:
- LB Sam Eguavoen
- TE Anthony Firkser
- OL Jake Hanson
- DL Jalyn Holmes
- K Austin Seibert
- CB Kendall Sheffield
- DL Tanzel Smart
Waived:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew
- S Al Blades Jr.
- OL Austin Deculus
- OL Obinna Eze
- OL Chris Glaser
- WR Tyler Harrell
- DL Bruce Hector
- LB Anthony Hines
- RB Deon Jackson
- S Jaylen Key
- TE Zack Kuntz
- S Jarius Monroe
- OL Brady Latham
- OL Kohl Levao
- QB Adrian Martinez
- LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- WR Lance McCutcheon
- QB Andrew Peasley
- TE Lincoln Sefcik
- CB Nehemiah Shelton
- LB Jackson Sirmon
- WR Brandon Smith
- DB Tre Swilling
- DL Jaylen Twyman
- OL Willie Tyler III
- RB Xazavian Valladay
- WR Isaiah Winstead
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
- DL Leki Fotu
- QB Jordan Travis
- TE Kenny Yeboah
Following today’s moves, the Jets are temporarily rostering only a pair of tight ends in Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert. Anthony Firkser isn’t an especially surprising cut, but the veteran could have provided some experience to the position grouping. After topping 30 receptions with the Titans in 2020 and 2021, Firkser was limited to nine catches in 2022 before appearing in only a pair of games with the Lions in 2023. The Jets also moved on from 2023 seventh-round pick Zack Kuntz, although there’s a chance the six-foot-eight tight end lands back on the team’s practice squad.
The Jets also moved on from a notable rookie in Jaylen Key, who had the distinction of being this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. The safety had a strong one-season stint at Alabama, where he collected 60 tackles and one interception.
Dolphins Reduce Roster To 53 Players
After two-straight Wild Card Round losses, the Dolphins are hoping to take another step forward in 2024. The team started prepping for a crucial campaign today, as they set their 53-man roster by making the following moves:
Released:
- LB Curtis Bolton
- LS Blake Ferguson
- DT Neville Gallimore
- DT Jonathan Harris
- DT Isaiah Mack
- RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
- CB Nik Needham
Waived:
- LB David Anenih
- WR Je’Quan Burton
- S Jordan Colbert
- DT Robert Cooper
- WR Erik Ezukanma
- WR Mike Harley Jr.
- OL Chasen Hines
- RB Zander Horvath
- LB Dequan Jackson
- WR Jadon Janke
- CB Isaiah Johnson
- OL Matthew Jones
- CB Jason Maitre
- OT Bayron Matos
- WR Kyric McGowan
- DT Leonard Payne
- S Mark Perry
- TE Hayden Rucci
Waived/injured:
- RB Chris Brooks
- OT Ryan Hayes
- WR Braylon Sanders
Placed on IR:
- WR River Cracraft (designated for return)
- LB Wyatt Ray
- CB Cam Smith (designated for return)
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- WR Odell Beckham Jr. (story)
- LB Bradley Chubb (story)
- LB Cameron Goode
- OL Isaiah Wynn (story)
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the expectation is that long snapper Blake Ferguson will end up re-upping with the Dolphins, with his release solely being for roster machinations. The former sixth-round pick has spent his entire career in Miami, with the special teamer appearing in 67 games.
Nik Needham‘s stay in Miami has come to an end after five seasons. The former UDFA started 27 of his 61 appearances with the organization, although the majority of his production came in his first three seasons with the Dolphins. Between 2019 and 2021, the defensive back hauled in six interceptions, but after returning from a 2022 season-ending injury, he only got into 71 defensive snaps in 2023.
There was some hope that Neville Gallimore could provide the Dolphins with some defensive line depth when he caught on with the organization. The former third-round pick never clicked in Dallas, but he still got into 52 games in his four years with the organization. He collected four sacks and nine QB hits over the span, and he twice managed to top 400 defensive snaps in a campaign.
Patriots Set 53-Man Roster
The Patriots have set their first 53-man roster in a post-Bill Belichick era. The team announced the following moves:
Released:
- S Joshuah Bledsoe
- OT Kellen Diesch
- OL Liam Fornadel
- LB Joe Giles-Harris
- RB Kevin Harris
- RB Terrell Jennings
- LB Kobe Jones
- WR Matt Landers
- G Atonio Mafi
- DE Jotham Russell
- K Chad Ryland (story)
- S A.J. Thomas
- CB Shaun Wade
- WR David Wallis
- TE Mitchell Wilcox
- QB Bailey Zappe (story)
Placed on reserve/PUP list:
- WR Kendrick Bourne (story)
- G Cole Strange
- LB Sione Takitaki
Placed on reserve/NFI list:
Placed on IR:
- OL Calvin Anderson
- S Marte Mapu (designated to return)
- DT Armon Watts
Atonio Mafi was a fifth-round pick by the Patriots just last year, and he ended up starting five of his 17 appearances as a rookie. It wasn’t pretty for the UCLA alumni, as Pro Football Focus ultimately graded Mafi as the second-worst qualifying guard in the NFL (among 79 qualifying players).
Kevin Harris was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2022, but the running back struggled to carve out a role through his two seasons with the squad. The South Carolina product was ultimately limited to nine appearances (one start), collecting 175 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Cardinals Trade LB Cameron Thomas To Chiefs
With some extra depth at linebacker, the Cardinals are moving on from a former third-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals have traded linebacker Cameron Thomas to the Chiefs for a seventh-round selection.
While the Cardinals have tried to get creative with their usage of Thomas, he seemed destined to be buried on the edge depth chart in 2024. Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck are still expected to lead the positional grouping, and the team is also still rostering former sixth-round pick Victor Dimukeje, who outsnapped Thomas in 2023.
While fellow edge rusher BJ Ojulari will miss the entire 2024 campaign, Thomas was still facing an uphill battle toward playing time. The team added rookie Xavier Thomas in the fifth round, and the team is still hanging on to former bottom-of-the-depth-chart options like Jesse Luketa and Tyreke Smith. More moves are surely coming at outside linebacker, but today’s trade should provide some temporary relief in Arizona’s position room.
The Chiefs will be taking a chance on a player whose San Diego State performance made him a third-round pick in 2022. After finishing with three sacks as a rookie, the Cardinals were clearly counting on more from Thomas in 2023, with the OLB starting three of his 15 appearances. However, Thomas was shutout in the sacks category, and he finished with only 22 tackles while getting into about one third of his team’s defensive snaps.
The Chiefs will return a similar edge grouping in 2024, with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah leading the way. Charles Omenihu and BJ Thompson are currently on PUP and NFI, respectively, so there could be a chance for Thomas to soak up some snaps in the interim.
RB Chase Edmonds Expected To Miss 2024 Season
Chase Edmonds won’t be playing for the Buccaneers this season. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, the Buccaneers will place the RB on IR before final cuts. Auman clarifies that Edmonds will indeed miss the upcoming campaign.
Last week, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told the media that the RB was expected to play in 2024. Edmonds had been sidelined since early training camp with an undisclosed injury. If Edmonds made the 53-man roster before landing on IR, he would have had to sit out at least four games. The Bucs could have also declared Edmonds as one of their two pre-cutdown IR stashes who are eligible to return in 2024. Instead, Edmonds’ only path to playing in 2024 would be via an injury settlement with the Buccaneers.
Edmonds was productive as an RB2 in Arizona to begin his career. This included 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he averaged 876 yards from scrimmage and 48 catches per season. He parlayed that performance into a two-year contract with the Dolphins, but he didn’t even make it through one season in Miami before getting shipped to Denver as part of the Bradley Chubb deal. Edmonds ultimately finished that 2022 season with 402 yards from scrimmage.
The running back caught on with the Buccaneers last offseason and was expected to serve as the team’s RB2. He missed four games towards the beginning of the year but otherwise served as Rachaad White‘s primary backup. Unfortunately for Edmonds, that role didn’t lead to much production, as the 28-year-old finished with a career-low 257 yards from scrimmage.
Edmonds’ role on the depth chart didn’t look nearly as secure heading into the 2024 preseason. The team added Bucky Irving in the fourth round, and the likes of Sean Tucker and Ramon Jefferson also found themselves climbing the ladder. Edmonds will now be the odd man out, although there’s a chance he sticks around on Tampa Bay’s IR for the entirety of the upcoming season.
Eagles Release QB Will Grier, Three Others
The Eagles kicked off their first round of roster cuts by releasing four players today:
- QB Will Grier
- CB Parry Nickerson
- OLB Julian Okwara
- G Max Scharping
Will Grier was competing with Tanner McKee to be the Eagles QB3 behind Jalen Hurts and Kenny Pickett, but the former third-round pick will now look to resume his career elsewhere. Grier threw four interceptions in a pair of starts as a rookie, and he’s bounced around the NFL since getting cut by the Panthers ahead of the 2021 campaign. Since then, the QB has had stints with the Cowboys, Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers. The Eagles represented his sixth NFL team, and unless he lands on Philly’s practice squad, he’ll be searching for job No. 7.
Max Scharping was a former second-round pick by the Texans, with the lineman starting 33 of his 48 appearances with the organization. He appeared in 31 games with the Bengals between 2022 and 2023, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
Cowboys Cut 15 Players
The Cowboys started making some cuts to their roster today, with ESPN’s Todd Archer passing along that 15 players have been cut:
Released:
- WR Tyron Billy-Johnson
- WR Deontay Burnett
- OL Cohl Cabral
- LB Willie Harvey
- DT Albert Huggins
- LB Damien Wilson
Waived:
- DB Josh DeBerry
- TE Alec Holler
- WR Cam Johnson
- LB Jason Johnson
- RB Nathaniel Peat
- CB Eric Scott
Waived/injured:
- WR David Durden
- DL Viliami Fehoko
- DE Durrell Johnson
Damien Wilson‘s second stint with the Cowboys has ended without him getting into a game. The veteran linebacker caught on with Dallas’s practice squad back in January and re-signed with the organization in April, but he won’t make it to Week 1 with the squad. The former fourth-round pick started his career with the Cowboys, collecting 121 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 64 games (22 starts). That was followed by a two-year stint with the Chiefs before one-year stops with the Jaguars and Panthers. Wilson didn’t end up getting into a regular season game during the 2023 campaign.
Albert Huggins is coming off a career year in Atlanta where he collected 22 tackles in 13 games (five starts). The 27-year-old waited until early August to catch on with the Cowboys, but he didn’t end up earning a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster. Considering his journeyman status, there’s a chance the defensive lineman sticks around on Dallas’s practice squad.
Chiefs Waive 12 Players
The Chiefs have started to trim their roster, with the team announcing that they’ve waived the following 12 players:
- CB Miles Battle
- QB Ian Book
- CB Ekow Boye-Doe
- WR Phillip Brooks
- DE Owen Carney
- DT Alex Gubner
- CB Kelvin Joseph
- G Griffin McDowell
- LS Randen Plattner
- WR Kyle Sheets
- TE Geor’quarius Spivey
- G Nick Torres
Kelvin Joseph‘s brief stint in Kansas City has already come to an end. The former second-round pick disappointed during his time in Dallas, starting only three of his 26 appearances through two seasons. He was traded to Miami last August but only got into four games with his new squad before earning his walking papers. He ended the campaign with the Seahawks, and in total, he finished the 2023 campaign having appeared in only five games. Joseph signed a reserve/futures contract with the Chiefs back in January but didn’t do enough during the preseason to earn a spot on the opening 53-man roster.
Ian Book joined the Chiefs via a reserve/futures contract back in January, but he wasn’t able to pass Chris Oladokun as the organization’s QB3 behind Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz. Book hasn’t seen the field since his one-start cameo with the Saints in 2021, although he’s continued to get jobs from the Eagles and Patriots.