Vikings To Release WR Kendall Wright
The Vikings plan to release wide receiver Kendall Wright, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, as it had looked like Wright was safe. 
A first round pick back in 2012, Wright spent the first five years of his career with the Titans. He then spent 2017 with the Bears before signing a one-year deal with Minnesota back in March. Pelissero notes the team signed him “as an option in the slot”, but that recent first round pick Laquon Treadwell‘s “strong preseason” helped push him off the roster.
Wright ended up the “odd man out” in the Vikings’ receiving corp, but has proven to be a steady, if uninspiring, receiving option and should be able to land somewhere when the dust settles. Last year he caught 59 passes for 614 yards and one touchdown, ending the season as the leading receiver in Chicago.
The best year of Wright’s career came back in 2013, when he caught 94 balls for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns. He also visited the Chiefs before signing with the Vikings, and will be one of the most high profile receivers left on the market once rosters are set.
Chiefs Release CB David Amerson
The Chiefs have released cornerback David Amerson, according to Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). The 2013 second-rounder was cut by the Raiders back in February. 
Originally drafted by the Redskins, he lasted only a little over two years in Washington before being waived. The Raiders claimed him off waivers and after a strong showing in 2015, signed him to a huge four-year $38MM contract extension.
He lasted just two years of that contract before the Raiders moved on. He drew significant interest this offseason, visiting with several teams before ultimately settling with Kansas City. The Chiefs signed him to a one-year $2.25MM deal.
Despite the Chiefs losing Marcus Peters in a trade to the Rams, Amerson couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity. It appeared the Chiefs were counting on him to start outside when they signed him, but apparently didn’t like what they saw this summer. The fact that he couldn’t crack the weak Chiefs’ cornerback corp isn’t a good sign for Amerson, but he should resurface somewhere else due to his big-name status and strong physical attributes.
Patriots Release RB Mike Gillislee
The Patriots have released running back Mike Gillislee, according to Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
Rumored as a cut candidate throughout the offseason, Gillislee will indeed have to look for a job elsewhere after his Patriots stay did not go as anticipated.
One of the NFL’s most productive runners on a per-carry basis in 2016, averaging 5.7 yards per carry on 101 handoffs with the Bills, he did not pick up where he left off with the Patriots. After a three-touchdown opener last season, Gillislee was phased out of the Pats’ rotation. And this year, New England added Jeremy Hill and Sony Michel to its backfield mix.
Now 27, Gillislee has spent his entire career in the AFC East — two years with the Dolphins, two with the Bills and two offseasons with the Patriots. He finished his New England tenure with 383 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) and five touchdowns.
Seahawks Acquire S Shalom Luani From Raiders
The Seahawks have acquired safety Shalom Luani from the Raiders, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link). Oakland acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
Luani, 24, will now reunite with former Oakland defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who now holds the same position in Seattle. A seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, Luani appeared in 16 games (one start), playing on roughly 17% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps and 68% of the club’s special teams snaps.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, Luani could help the Seahawks as fellow safety Tedric Thompson deals with injury issues.
Jets Cut TE Clive Walford
The Jets have cut tight end Clive Walford, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It was reported yesterday that the team was shopping Walford, but New York apparently found no takers.
Walford was taken in the early third round back in 2015 by the Raiders, but never lived up to his potential. He received a lot of hype his first couple training camps, and was expected at various points to start at tight end for the Raiders, but ended up lasting just three years in Oakland.
The Raiders cut him back in March, and he was quickly scooped up by the Jets, who claimed him off waivers. The fact that Walford couldn’t make the Jets despite the team having very few proven options at tight end isn’t a good sign for his future.
Through three seasons in Oakland, Walford racked up 768 yards and six touchdowns on 70 catches. Due to the lack of tight end depth around the league and his draft status, it shouldn’t take too long for the former Miami Hurricane to resurface somewhere else.
Extra Points: Bengals, Bucs, Browns, Chiefs, Broncos
Matt Barkley suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain in Thursday night’s preseason game, which could end the veteran quarterback’s chance to serve as the Bengals‘ No. 2 signal-caller, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Barkley, whom Cincinnati inked to a two-year deal during the offseason, will likely be placed on injured reserve, although he could return later in the season. Given his lackluster play during the exhibition season, Barkley was likely going to lose out to Jeff Driskel in the Bengals’ backup quarterback battle even before injury luck intervened.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Buccaneers could make a waiver claim for a veteran backup offensive lineman over the weekend, but don’t expect them to orchestrate any trades, tweets Greg Auman of The Athletic. Starting left tackle Donovan Smith is expected to be sidelined for another one-to-three weeks after suffering a knee sprain earlier this month, so Tampa Bay could certainly aim to add bodies to its front five. However, offensive tackle depth is sparse league-wide, so it’s unclear if the Bucs will be able to find any competent options. At present, journeyman Michael Liedtke is set to fill in for Smith if the latter misses regular season action.
- The Browns released linebacker Mychal Kendricks on Wednesday after he was shockingly charged with insider trading, but the 27-year-old had been performing so well in Cleveland that other clubs believed fellow ‘backer Jamie Collins was available via trade, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Crucially, Breer does not indicate the Browns were shopping Collins or had any intention of moving him, but the mere fact that rival teams believed Collins could be had is notable. Cleveland sent a third-round pick to New England in exchange for Collins in 2016, and subsequently re-signed him to a four-year, $50MM contract the following year. Collins, who played in only six games last season before going on injured reserve with a torn MCL, will join Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert as Cleveland’s starting linebackers.
- Orlando Scandrick‘s one-year deal with the Chiefs contains a base salary of $915K and includes up to $500K in per-game roster bonuses, reports Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Scandrick had already collected $1MM in guarantees from the Redskins, who signed the veteran defensive back in March before releasing him earlier this month. Now that Steven Nelson has returned to Chiefs practice, Scandrick is competing with David Amerson for Kansas City’s third corner role.
- Broncos linebacker Jerrol Garcia-Williams will undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a torn ACL, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). Garcia-Williams appeared in 11 games for Denver last season after going undrafted out of Hawaii, but was primarily limited to special teams duty (he saw only 23 defensive snaps). Speculatively, Garcia-Williams’ injury could open the door for the Broncos to reunite with fellow linebacker Corey Nelson, who was released by the Eagles on Sunday.
Eagles S Chris Maragos Reworks Deal
Eagles defensive back Chris Maragos has agreed to a reworked deal that will eliminate the 2019 season of his contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s unclear if Maragos gave up anything financially in order to hit free agency a year earlier than was previously scheduled. Maragos was due a base salary of $1.75MM in 2018, and Yates reports Maragos will now earn “up to” $1.75MM this season, so it’s possible the veteran defender agreed to a lower salary with incentives that can bring him back to even.
Maragos had been set to earn a $2MM base salary in 2019, but that figure will now be removed from the Eagles’ books next season. As part of a three-year, $6MM extension he inked in 2016, Maragos received a $1MM signing bonus, which prorated onto his salary cap charges. As such, Philadelphia is still responsible for Maragos’ $250K in 2019 bonus money.
Maragos, 31, ended last season on injured reserve with a PCL issue, and his lengthy recovery has forced him on to the physically unable to perform list. He hasn’t participated in any of the Eagles’ training camp sessions or preseason games, and it appears that he’ll remain on PUP to begin the regular season. That designation would force Maragos to miss at least six games to begin the 2018 campaign.
Chances Of Khalil Mack Being Traded Are “Very Real”
The odds that Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack is traded this weekend are “very real,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds the market for Mack is unsurprisingly “robust.”
Mack is currently engaged in a contract dispute with Oakland, one that’s expected to last into the regular season. One of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM in 2018 before hitting free agency next spring.
The Raiders’ asking price for Mack is believed to start with two first-round picks, but it’s unclear if any club is willing to meet that price. While teams have inquired on Mack, and offers have been coming in, Oakland has yet to make a trade. The Jets, for one, are known to be interested in acquiring Mack, as are the Browns.
Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.
Steelers QB Landry Jones Generating Trade Interest
Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones has generated trade interest from other NFL clubs, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, it may be difficult for Pittsburgh to deal Jones given that he’s the most experienced reserve signal-caller on its roster, per Fowler.
Jones isn’t the only Steelers quarterback being discussed by rival teams, as second-year pro Joshua Dobbs is reportedly also garnering interest. Clearly, Pittsburgh will keep third-round rookie Mason Rudolph behind starter Ben Roethlisberger, and is attempting to choose between Jones and Dobbs for its other quarterback roster slot.
Jones, 29, hasn’t played much during his six-year NFL career, as he’s attempted just 169 passes in relief of Roethlisberger. In that span, Jones has been a middling option, completing 63.9% of his passes for 1,310 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Among the quarterbacks who have thrown at least 160 passes since 2013, Jones ranks 35th in passer rating and 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, but it’s difficult to assign much relevance to those numbers given his small sample size. With that 160-pass cutoff in place, Jones ranks second-to-last in attempts since his rookie campaign, just ahead of Derek Anderson.
Multiple Teams Expressing Interest In Earl Thomas
Multiple teams have contacted the Seahawks to express interest in safety Earl Thomas, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
While the identity of the clubs interested in Thomas remains unknown at this point, it’s an interesting development in the Thomas sage. Thus far, only the Cowboys are known to have had talks regarding a Thomas trade, so the mere fact that other teams are now in the mix could potentially give Seattle more leverage in negotiations.
Thomas, of course, is seeking a contract extension as he enters the final season of his pact. But the Seahawks have shown no willingness to discuss a new accord, and Pelissero similarly reports the two sides are still at a stalemate.
Thomas is set to earn a base salary of $8.5MM and count for $10.4MM on Seattle’s salary cap. That salary is courtesy of a four-year, $40MM extension which Thomas signed in 2014, a deal which now makes him the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid safety in terms of annual value.