Latest On C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s Potential Extension With Eagles
C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s contract isn’t expected to be an issue in Philadelphia, but it remains to be seen if the Eagles will extend the recently acquired defensive back. As Zach Berman and Bo Wulf write, while Eagles GM Howie Roseman didn’t specifically discuss Gardner-Johnson’s contract status today, he said he would “never want to rule anything out” when it comes to a potential extension.
[RELATED: Eagles Acquire DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson From Saints]
Gardner-Johnson was only available in the first place because his contract talks with the Saints hit an impasse. As Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets, the player and the Saints were about $4MM apart in negotiations. New Orleans ultimately decided to prioritize other impending extensions and deal from a position of strength, leading to their trade with Philadelphia.
While the impending free agent was pushing for a deal in New Orleans, it’s still uncertain if he’ll get a new contract in Philly. As Berman and Wulf write, the Eagles have “consummated others deals contingent upon a new contract,” so it wouldn’t be shocking if a new deal suddenly materialized. On the flip side, the team also didn’t give up a significant haul (like they did for, say, A.J. Brown), so an extension wouldn’t appear to be a “necessity,” per the writers. Plus, while Gardner-Johnson was negotiating as a slot cornerback in New Orleans, he’s expected to play safety in Philadelphia, which could set him up for an even bigger pay day if he performs well at the position. As a result, the player may just prefer to just hit free agency next offseason.
With Gardner-Johnson now on the roster, the organization had to make some tough decisions at the position. The Eagles ultimately moved on from veteran Anthony Harris, who was released and later re-signed this summer. He was expected to serve as a starting safety, but with the emergence of Marcus Epps and the acquisition of Gardner-Johnson, Harris was ultimately eyeing a backup role. However, Roseman seemed to hint that a reunion could still be in order.
“We felt like since there was a possibility that his role had changed from when we had signed him, that because we were looking at options, he also deserved to kind of look at options himself,” Roseman said. “Obviously, you don’t want to close any doors on anyone or anything right now at this time.”
Titans Set 53-Man Roster
The Titans have trimmed down their roster to 53 players:
Released:
- RB Trenton Cannon
- DB Adrian Colbert
- LB Joe Jones
- P Brett Kern (story)
- DB Greg Mabin
Waived:
- LB David Anenih
- OL Christian DiLauro
- WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- LB Jack Gibbens
- DB Tyree Gillespie
- WR Cody Hollister
- G Hayden Howerton
- DB Chris Jackson
- DB Theo Jackson
- WR Mason Kinsey
- T Jalen McKenzie
- DL Larrell Murchison
- OL Xavier Newman
- TE Thomas Odukoya
- DL Sam Okuayinonu
- DL Jayden Peevy
- WR Reggie Roberson
- OL Jordan Roos
- OL Andrew Rupcich
- DB Tre Swilling
- TE David Wells
- QB Logan Woodside
- G Willie Wright
Waived/injured:
- TE Tommy Hudson
The Titans will open up at least one roster spot on Wednesday. Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com writes that wide receiver Racey McMath is expected to land on short-term injured reserve. McMath sustained a hip injury during Tennessee’s preseason finale, and he’ll be sidelined for at least four weeks while sitting on IR. Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Treylon Burks, and Kyle Philips currently make up the Titans’ WR room, so there’s a chance one of the four wide receivers who were waived today (Dez Fitzpatrick, Cody Hollister, Mason Kinsey, Reggie Roberson) will end up back with the team.
Logan Woodside could also land back on the Titans practice squad after the team opted to keep only two QBs on their active roster (Ryan Tannehill, rookie Malik Willis). Woodside has seen time in 11 games for Tennessee over the past two years, completing one of his three pass attempts (he did break out a sweet 18-yard run, though).
Steelers Trim Roster To 53
The Steelers had a number of difficult decisions to make leading up to the 53-man roster deadline, including the status of Mason Rudolph. The team ended up holding on to the quarterback, but the front office still had to cut a number of players to get to the roster limit:
Released:
- LB Marcus Allen
- OL Chaz Green
- OL Joe Haeg
- CB Justin Layne
- RB Anthony McFarland
- OL Trent Scott
Waived:
- RB Max Borghi
- LB Ron’Dell Carter
- DT Carlos Davis
- DL Khalil Davis
- OL William Dunkle
- OL Adrian Ealy
- DL Donovan Jeter
- LB Buddy Johnson
- OL John Leglue
- OL Ryan McCollum
- DL Henry Mondeaux
- TE Kevin Rader
- LB Hamilcar Rashed
- DB Elijah Riley
- LB Delontae Scott
- WR Tyler Snead
- DB Chris Steele
- DB Linden Stephens
- TE Jace Sternberger
- WR Tyler Vaughns
- LB James Vaughters
- WR Cody White
Waived/injured:
Marcus Allen, a 2018 fifth-round pick, appeared in 33 games for Pittsburgh over the past four seasons. Justin Layne was a 2019 third-round pick by the Steelers, with the majority of his 43 appearances coming on special teams. Anthony McFarland was also a former Steelers draft pick, while Trent Scott was brought in this offseason to compete for an OL spot. Joe Haeg started two of his 12 appearances for the Steelers in 2021.
Henry Mondeaux spent the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, getting into 26 total games (two starts). After mostly seeing a special teams role during his rookie campaign, the defensive tackle saw more opportunities on defense in 2021, finishing with 16 tackles and two sacks. Buddy Johnson was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft. The linebacker got into four games as a rookie, collecting two tackles. Carlos Davis was a seventh-round pick by the Steelers in 2020. The defensive tackle collected 11 tackles in 11 games.
Rams Reduce Roster To 53 Players
As the Rams look to defend their Super Bowl title, the team reduced their roster to the 53-man limit today:
Waived:
- WR Landen Akers
- T AJ Arcuri
- T Chandler Brewer
- DE Earnest Brown IV
- TE Roger Carter
- DE T.J. Carter
- DT Elijah Garcia
- LB Chris Garrett
- DB Jake Gervase
- DB Grant Haley
- TE Jacob Harris
- LB Anthony Hines
- DB Daniel Isom
- G Jeremiah Kolone
- DB Duron Lowe
- TE Jared Pinkney
- T Max Pircher
- RB Trey Ragas
- G Jack Snyder
- DE Brayden Thomas
- WR Austin Trammell
- DE Benton Whitley
Placed on IR:
Placed on reserve/NFI:
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- DB Quentin Lake
Placed on reserve/suspended:
Jacob Harris getting cut came as a bit of a surprise after the 2021 fourth-round pick got into nine games as a rookie. However, he rarely got a look on offense in 2021, and despite the Rams only rostering two tight ends at the end of the day (Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins), Harris was let go. Chris Garrett was also a 2021 draft pick, being selected by the Rams in the seventh round. He only got into one game as a rook.
AJ Arcuri was a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, but the rookie didn’t show enough to crack the 53-man roster. There’s a good chance the Michigan State product lands back on the Rams practice squad.
Texans Set 53-Man Roster
The Texans released a number of veterans today as they reduced their roster to 53 players:
Released:
- TE Antony Auclair
- DB Terrence Brooks
- WR Chris Conley
- QB Jeff Driskel
- DL Demone Harris
- RB Marlon Mack (story)
- OL Cedric Ogbuehi
- LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
- TE Mason Schreck
- DB Isaac Yiadom
Waived:
- DB Grayland Arnold
- WR Jalen Camp
- WR Drew Estrada
- DB Jacobi Francis
- TE Seth Green
- WR Johnny Johnson III
- DB Tristin McCollum
- OL Jimmy Morrissey
- DL Adedayo Odeleye
- FB Paul Quessenberry
- OL Max Scharping (story)
- OL Jordan Steckler
- OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
- WR Connor Wedington
Waived/injured:
Placed on IR:
- DL Derek Rivers
Placed on short-term IR;
Davis Mills and Kyle Allen sit atop Houston’s QB depth chart, making Jeff Driskel expendable, but there’s a chance the veteran sticks around as a third quarterback via the practice squad. Driskel spent the 2021 campaign in Houston, getting into a single game. He’s started nine of his 16 career games, tossing 13 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions.
Chris Conley has spent seven seasons in the NFL, and he could have provided some experience to the receivers room. There’s a chance the veteran could end up back in Houston, as the Texans decided to carry only four wideouts in Nico Collins, Brandin Cooks, Phillip Dorsett, and Chris Moore.
Antony Auclair started 13 games for Houston last season, mostly serving as a blocking tight end. Terrence Brooks started three of his 11 appearances, collecting 21 tackles.
Packers Cut Down Roster To 53
The Packers cut their roster down to 53 players today:
Waived
- K Ramiz Ahmed
- TE Sal Cannella
- S De’Vante Cross
- CB Kabion Ento
- QB Danny Etling
- WR Travis Fulgham
- CB Rico Gafford
- RB Tyler Goodson
- LB LaDarius Hamilton
- DL Jack Heflin
- OL Caleb Jones
- LB Kobe Jones
- OL Michal Menet
- DL Chris Slayton
- LB Ty Summers
- RB Patrick Taylor
- CB Kiondre Thomas
- LB Ray Wilborn
- RB Dexter Williams
- WR Juwann Winfree
Waived/injured:
- TE Nate Becker
- DL Akial Byers
- WR Ishmael Hyman
- TE Alizé Mack
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- RB Kylin Hill
The Packers ended up keeping only a pair of running backs in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, so the team must be feeling pretty confident that one of their waived RBs will pass through waivers and land on their practice squad. Patrick Taylor would seem to be the favorite for the RB3 role after collecting 25 touches in 2021. Meanwhile, the Packers kept seven wide receivers on their roster, so the release of Travis Fulgham was mostly due to a roster crunch.
The Packers no longer had a need for Ramiz Ahmed, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (on Twitter) that the team activated kicker Mason Crosby off PUP after the veteran passed his physical. Crosby missed training camp and preseason while recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Cowboys Set 53-Man Roster
The Cowboys got their roster down to 53 players today, and to get there, they cut all their backup QB options, their kicker, and their long snapper:
Released:
- CB C.J. Goodwin
- LB Malik Jefferson
- K Brett Maher
- LS Jake McQuaide
- QB Cooper Rush (story)
- DT Carlos Watkins
Waived:
- G Isaac Alarcon
- DT Josiah Bronson
- DE Markaviest Bryant
- T Aviante Collins
- S Tyler Coyle
- RB Malik Davis
- QB Ben DiNucci (story)
- WR Dontario Drummond
- C James Empey
- QB Will Grier (story)
- LB Storey Jackson
- G Braylon Jones
- C Alec Lindstrom
- TE Sean McKeon
- T Amon Simon
- WR Brandon Smith
- DE Mika Tafua
- S Juanyeh Thomas
- WR T.J. Vasher
Waived/injured:
- RB Aaron Shampklin
- CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart
Placed on reserve/NFI:
- LB Damone Clark
The Cowboys are currently rolling without a second QB behind Dak Prescott after the team moved on from Cooper Rush, Will Grier, and Ben DiNucci. Rush has the most experience of the group, appearing in 10 career games, including five appearances (one start) with Dallas in 2021. The 28-year-old finished last season having completed 30 of his 47 pass attempts for 422 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Cowboys also aren’t rostering a kicker or long snapper at the moment, something that will certainly change over the next few days.
Special teams ace C.J. Goodwin could also land back on the active roster once the dust settles. Goodwin has spent the past four seasons in Dallas, and he hasn’t missed a game over the past three years. The 32-year-old finished last season with a career-high 10 tackles.
Cardinals Trim Roster To 53 Players
The Cardinals have set their 53-man roster, and the team naturally had to make some tough decisions as they cut down their roster:
Released:
- TE Stephen Anderson
- LS Aaron Brewer
- OL Rashaad Coward
- OL Danny Isidora
- LB Devon Kennard (story)
- OL Justin Murray (injury settlement)
- DL Christian Ringo (injury settlement)
- DL Antwaun Woods
Waived:
- WR Andre Baccellia
- WR Victor Bolden Jr.
- QB Jarrett Guarantano
- DL Manny Jones
- WR Jontre Kirklin
- LB Jesse Luketa
- QB Trace McSorley
- WR JaVonta Payton
- TE Bernhard Seikovits
- CB Jace Whittaker
- S James Wiggins
- LB Chandler Wooten
Waived/injured:
- S Tae Daley
- OL Greg Long
- OL Josh Miles
- TE Chris Pierce Jr.
Placed on IR:
Placed on reserve/suspended:
It sounded like Trace McSorley had an opportunity to stick on the roster as a third QB behind Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy, but the Cardinals decided to carry only a pair of quarterbacks through their first wave of cuts. There’s a chance that McSorley resurfaces on the practice squad. The former sixth-round pick has seen time in three career games, completing three of his 10 pass attempts for 90 yards and one touchdown.
Aaron Brewer is a bit of a surprise cut after serving as the Cardinals full-time long snapper for the past six years. However, there’s a good chance the 32-year-old lands back on the active roster once the Cardinals place players on their respective reserve lists. The same could also probably be said of tight end Stephen Anderson, who caught 24 passes across 33 games with the Chargers over the past two seasons.
Marquis Hayes was a seventh-round pick by the Cardinals in this year’s draft. The Oklahoma product will sit out his rookie campaign while sitting on injured reserve.
Patriots Trim Roster To 53 Players
The Patriots cut down their roster to 53 players today. In the process, they let go of a handful of recent draft picks, including a 2022 selection:
Released:
- DB Justin Bethel
- OL James Ferentz
- LB Harvey Langi
- CB Terrance Mitchell
Waived:
- TE Devin Asiasi
- OL Yasir Durant
- OL Drew Desjarlais
- OL Arlington Hambright
- WR Josh Hammond
- RB Kevin Harris
- DB Brad Hawkins
- WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- LB Cameron McGrone
- OL Bill Murray
- WR Tre Nixon
- DL Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
- DL LaBryan Ray
- OL Kody Russey
- G William Sherman
- TE Matt Sokol
- RB J.J. Taylor
- K Tristan Vizcaino
- LB Nate Wieland
- TE Jalen Wydermyer
Placed on IR:
The Patriots acknowledged some of their previous draft mistakes today. The team let go of three 2021 draft picks in wide receiver Tre Nixon, linebacker Will Sherman, and linebacker Cameron McGrone, and they even let go of a 2022 draft pick in sixth-round running back Kevin Harris. However, perhaps the biggest move was releasing tight end end Devin Asiasi. After waiving fellow 2020 third-round tight end Dalton Keene earlier this month, Asiasi was let go today. Despite his third-round status, Asiasi only saw time in 10 games for the Patriots in two years. With Asiasi and Keene out of the picture, it was expected that Lil’Jordan Humphrey would make the squad as a hybrid WR/TE. However, for the time being, the Patriots will roll with only two tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
Terrance Mitchell started 29 games over the past two seasons in stints with the Browns and Texans, and he had a chance to compete for a starting gig in New England. However, despite all the uncertainty surrounding the position, the veteran wasn’t able to make his mark, leading to a surprising release. Justin Bethel is another surprising cut, as the veteran has established himself as a special teams ace in recent years.
Raiders Trim Roster To 53 Players
The Raiders have been busy today, trading former second-round cornerback Trayvon Mullen to the Cardinals for a conditional seventh-round pick. The Raiders have since completed their 53-man roster, cutting a number of players:
Released:
- WR Keelan Cole
- C Hroniss Grasu
- S Matthias Farley
- CB Darius Phillips
- DT Kyle Peko
Waived:
- G Alex Bars
- LB Curtis Bolton
- CB Isaiah Brown
- CB Bryce Cosby
- S Qwynnterio Cole
- TE Cole Fotheringham
- QB Chase Garbers
- G/T Alex Leatherwood (story)
- G Jordan Meredith
- OT Bamidele Olaseni
- WR Dillon Stoner
- DE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa
- DE Zack VanValkenburg
- RB Austin Walter
- WR Isaiah Zuber
Placed on IR:
Keelan Cole started 11 of his 15 games for the Jets last season, finishing with 28 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown. He was expected to serve as an end-of-the-depth-chart option at wide receiver (and in the return game), but he ultimately lost out on the gig to Tyron Johnson and DJ Turner. Wideout Dillon Stoner and Isaiah Zuber were also candidates for the fourth or fifth receiver gig, but they were cut.
Matthias Farley saw time in all 17 games for the Titans last season, finishing with 16 tackles. He has extensive special teams experience, but the Raiders ended up pivoting to younger options to round out their roster, Darius Phillips was also a candidate to contribute on special teams following a 2021 campaign where he returned 25 punts for the Bengals.
Austin Walter had a career-high 28 touches for the Jets last offseason, but he wasn’t able to crack the Raiders roster even with the release of Kenyan Drake. The Raiders RB room is still plenty crowded, with Josh Jacobs, rookie fourth-round pick Zamir White, special teams ace Brandon Bolden, rookie seventh-round pick Brittain Brown, and veteran Ameer Abdullah all earning roster spots.