Seahawks Get Below Roster Limit
The Seahawks got their roster down to 52 players today. The organization made the following moves:
Released
Waived
- DT Myles Adams
- TE Ian Bunting
- T Tommy Champion
- S Aashari Crosswell
- LB Aaron Donkor
- G Greg Eiland
- WR Aaron Fuller
- WR Penny Hart
- CB Gavin Heslop
- DT Jarrod Hewitt
- G Jared Hocker
- WR Cade Johnson
- RB Josh Johnson
- G Pier-Olivier Lestage
- C Brad Lundblade
- TE Tyler Mabry
- S Joshua Moon
- CB John Reid
- LB Jon Rhattigan
- WR Darece Roberson Jr.
- CB Will Sunderland
- TE Cam Sutton
- WR Cody Thompson
- WR Travis Toivonen
- WR Connor Wedington
- LB Lakiem Williams
The extra roster spot is reserved for cornerback Sidney Jones once the team completes their trade with the Jaguars.
Simmons emerged as a potential piece for the Seahawks in 2020. After seeing time in only six games through his first two professional seasons, the offensive lineman started six of his 14 games for Seattle last season while appearing on 56-percent of the team’s offensive snaps.
Buccaneers Reduce Roster To 53
The defending Super Bowl champs made a long list of moves today to get down to the 53-man roster limit. The Buccaneers made the following transactions:
Waived
- T Jake Benzinger
- WR Cyril Grayson
- S Javon Hagan
- OLB Ladarius Hamilton
- G Jonathan Hubbard
- TE Tanner Hudson
- WR Travis Jonsen
- TE Codey McElroy
- CB Herb Miller
- OLB Elijah Ponder
- DL Benning Potoa’e
- DL Kobe Smith
- T Brandon Walton
- CB Chris Wilcox
Waived/Injured
- T Brad Seaton
Released
- TE Jerell Adams
- QB Ryan Griffin
- CB Antonio Hamilton
- ILB Joe Jones
- DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
- WR Jaydon Mickens
- RB C.J. Prosise
Placed on reserve/PUP list
Griffin had been with the Buccaneers organization since the 2015 season, but he’s only seen time in a pair of games. After winning a ring last season, the veteran re-signed with the organization this offseason. For the time being, Blaine Gabbert and rookie Kyle Trask will serve as Tom Brady‘s backups.
Mickens is another notable cut, as the 27-year-old served as one of Tampa Bay’s primary return men in 2020. Mickens finished the campaign with 16 punt returns for 99 yards and 14 kick returns for 340 yards.
49ers Get Roster Down To 53
The 49ers made a long list of transactions today to get down to 53 players. Several of these moves have previously been reported, but for posterity’s sake, we’ve listed them all below.
Placed on reserve/PUP list
- DB Tarvarius Moore
- RB Jeff Wilson
Placed on IR
- OT Shon Coleman
Released
- WR Travis Benjamin
- OL Jake Brendel
- S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
- RB Wayne Gallman
- CB Dontae Johnson
- OL Senio Kelemete
- TE Jordan Matthews
- TE MyCole Pruitt
- QB Nate Sudfeld
- DL Eddie Yarbrough
Waived
- DL Alex Barrett
- WR River Cracraft
- DL Darrion Daniels
- OL Alfredo Gutierrez
- S Jared Mayden
- OL Colton McKivitz
- CB Alexander Myres
- OL Dakoda Shepley
- LB Elijah Sullivan
- WR Nsimba Webster
Placed on Reserved/Suspended List
Chargers Trim Roster To 53
The Chargers waived 16 players today, reducing their roster to 53 players. The team made the following transactions
Waived
- K Michael Badgley
- WR Michael Bandy
- RB Darius Bradwell
- CB John Brannon
- DL Cortez Broughton
- LB Cole Christiansen
- DB Ben DeLuca
- LB Emeke Egbule
- DL Breiden Fehoko
- LB Joe Gaziano
- OG Nate Gilliam
- OG Ryan Hunter
- WR Tyron Johnson
- TE Hunter Kampmoyer
- WR Jason Moore
- WR Joe Reed
It’s a bit surprising that the organization is moving on from Johnson considering his solid season in 2020. The 2019 undrafted free agent finished his second professional season with 23 touches for 415 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. The 25-year-old also got some run on special teams, including six kick returns.
Badgley was another notable cut, which we explored in depth earlier today.
Vikings Cut Everson Griffen, Get Down To 53
Everson Griffen‘s reunion with the Vikings has already come to an end. The veteran defensive end was among the team’s cuts today.
Griffen spent his entire career with the Vikings up until 2020. Splitting time between the Cowboys and Lions, Griffen finished out with six sacks in total. Meanwhile, no Vikings edge rusher finished with more than five. His ten-year run with the Vikes saw four Pro Bowl appearances and 74.5 total sacks.
Running back Ameer Abdullah was among the other players to earn their walking papers today. The veteran spent the past two-plus seasons with the Vikings, collecting 313 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 55 carries.
The Vikings made the following moves to get down to 53 players:
Released
- LS Andrew DePaola
- OG Dakota Dozier
- CB Tye Smith
Waived
- OT Zack Bailey
- FB Jake Bargas
- LB Tuf Borland
- QB Jake Browning
- TE Zach Davidson
- S Myles Dorn
- OG Kyle Hinton
- DE Hercules Mata’afa
- WR Myron Mitchell
- CB Parry Nickerson
- WR Whop Philyor
- RB A.J. Rose, Jr.
- DE Kenny Willekes
- TE Shane Zylstra
Waived/Injured
- WR Chad Beebe
- S Luther Kirk
- OG Dru Samia
- QB Nate Stanley
Patriots Release QB Brian Hoyer
The Patriots started the day with three healthy quarterbacks on their roster, and now they’re down to one. Albert Breer of TheMMQB reports (via Twitter) that the team has released veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer.
However, it doesn’t sound like Hoyer will sit in free agency all that long. Breer speculates that the veteran QB could land back in New England once the team opens a roster spot by placing another player (perhaps wideout N’Keal Harry) on short-term IR.
The Patriots surprised many earlier today when they released veteran Cam Newton, making rookie first-round pick Mac Jones the starter. Hoyer seemed liked a logical fit as a backup considering his experience with the offense. Fast forward to now, both Newton and Hoyer are off the roster while Jarrett Stidham is on PUP, leaving the rook as the lone QB on the active roster.
Hoyer has had three stints with the Patriots throughout his 12-year career, earning a Super Bowl ring as Tom Brady‘s backup in 2018. Following a one-year stint with the Colts in 2019, Hoyer re-joined the Patriots last offseason following Brady’s defection to Tampa Bay. Hoyer ended up starting a single game for New England, completing 15 of his 24 pass attempts for 130 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a fumble. The veteran didn’t end up seeing the field again following that Week 4 loss to the Chiefs.
Nate Ebner Visits Giants
Nate Ebner‘s return to New York could be coming soon. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the veteran special teams ace visited the Giants today.
This is especially notable considering Joe Judge‘s assertion throughout the offseason that the organization would re-sign Ebner once he was ready to return to the team. Initially, Ebner was away from the team as he pursued a trip to the Olympics with the USA rugby squad, but he announced that he was withdrawing from contention back in June. That seemingly opened the door for his return, but it’s been a month-plus without any developments.
Following an eight-year stint with the Patriots where he won three Super Bowl rings, Ebner joined former special teams coordinator (and current Giants head coach) Joe Judge in New York last year. The 32-year-old finished the season with eight tackles while appearing in 81-percent of his team’s special teams snaps. Earlier this offseason, Judge indicated that the Giants would bring back Ebner once he finished his stint with the US team.
Dolphins HC Brian Flores Endorses QB Tua Tagovailoa
With rumors persisting regarding a potential Deshaun Watson-to-Miami trade, Dolphins coach Brian Flores has made it clear where he stands on the matter. In a “brief but poignant” address to the team, Flores acknowledged the trade rumors and reiterated that Tua Tagovailoa is “our quarterback,” per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (on Twitter).
As the reporter notes, this information “isn’t intended to dispute recent reporting” regarding the Watson trade rumors. Rather, “it is a reflection of the moment,” with the head coach making it clear that Tagovailoa is the team’s intended starter moving forward. Darlington also speculates that Flores will continue “to echo a similar sentiment in the weeks to come.”
It was only earlier today that we heard Dolphins owner Stephen Ross “really wants” Watson in Miami. However, the Dolphins front office continues to balk at the trade price, and some pundits believe the organization may be angling to acquire the QB while his value is low amid legal uncertainty. On the flip side, other reporters noted that Ross believes in Tagovailoa and “doesn’t force football decisions.”
Flores said on Monday that the team wanted “high character throughout the building,” which many interpreted as him throwing cold water on the Watson speculation. Today’s private endorsement of Tagovailoa only reinforces that the head coach is a proponent of moving forward with the former Alabama star.
Ravens Reduce Roster To 53
The Ravens cut down their roster to 53 players today, with the team making the following transactions:
Released
- OT Adrian Ealy
- DT Justin Ellis
- DB Anthony Levine
- TE Ben Mason
- RB Nate McCrary
- LB Pernell McPhee
- QB Trace McSorley
- WR Jaylon Moore
- TE Tony Poljan
- OT Foster Sarell
- DT Jovan Swann
- WR Binjimen Victor
- DB Nigel Warriors
Waived/Injured
- LB Otaro Alaka
- DT Aaron Crawford
Placed on Reserve/NFI
The team also announced a handful of previously reported transactions, which you can find here.
Obviously Pernell and Levine are the two major names on this list, but there’s a chance the veterans land back in Baltimore once the team places a handful of players on IR.
Pernell spent the past two seasons in Baltimore, starting 20 of his 22 appearances. In those 22 games, the 32-year-old collected 53 tackles and six sacks. The veteran also started his career with the Ravens before bouncing between the Bears and Washington. Levine, meanwhile, isn’t a stranger to bouncing on and off the Ravens roster, but he’s still managed to miss only one regular season game for the organization since 2013. That missed game actually came in 2020, when the special teams ace finished with only seven tackles.
Titans Reduce Roster To 53
The Titans have officially trimmed their roster to 53 players. Tennessee made the following moves:
Waived
-
- OL Cole Banwart
- DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
- WR Fred Brown
- DB Jamal Carter
- FB Tory Carter
- OL Christian DiLauro
- WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- TE Miller Forristall
- OL Derwin Gray
- DL Woodrow Hamilton
- RB Javian Hawkins
- LB Jan Johnson
- DL Naquan Jones
- WR Mason Kinsey
- TE Jared Pinkney
- LB Wyatt Ray
- OL Jordan Roos
A pair of wideouts headline this list of waived players. Fitzpatrick was a fourth-round pick by the organization in this past year’s draft. The 6-foot-2 receiver was a standout during his stint at Louisville, leading to the Titans trading three picks to move up and select him. The rookie could end up falling through to the practice squad, but considering his draft stock, there’s a chance another team will claim him.
Meanwhile, Kinsey was an unheralded acquisition, but he made a name for himself following a strong preseason. The wideout finished August with 14 receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown.