Steelers Trim Roster To 53 Players
The Steelers have become the NFL’s first team to formally announce its roster moves to get down to 53 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. According to a team release, Pittsburgh has made the following moves:
Cut:
- RB Jawon Chisholm
- DL Matt Conrath
- S Jordan Dangerfield
- S Alden Darby
- OL Reese Dismukes
- OL B.J. Finney
- CB Kevin Fogg
- LB L.J. Fort
- LB Shayon Green
- RB Josh Harris
- DL Ethan Hemer
- S Gerod Holliman
- LB Howard Jones
- OL Doug Legursky
- WR Shakim Phillips
- DL Mike Thornton
- CB B.W. Webb
- WR Jarrod West
Waived/injured:
- OL Kelvin Palmer
- OL Mitchell Van Dyk
Those 20 cuts would get the Steelers down to 54 players from 75, since the team also traded punter Brad Wing yesterday. The club has also officially signed cornerback Ross Cockrell, bringing the roster count to 55. The final two moves will be to add running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the reserve/suspended list to start the year.
Giants Cut James Jones, Ashlee Palmer
After cutting longtime punter Steve Weatherford earlier this week, the Giants have decided to release a couple more notable veterans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), New York is parting ways with wide receiver James Jones and linebacker Ashlee Palmer.
Jones, who confirmed the move in a text message to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links), added: “I’m good at this point. I don’t know who wants me. I’ll be playing somewhere though hopefully.” One potential destination for the veteran receiver could be Green Bay, where the Packers have seen Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb get injured this preseason. While Cobb is expected to be back for Week 1 or shortly thereafter, Nelson is done for the year.
As for Palmer, his stint with the Giants didn’t last long. The veteran linebacker, who started 15 games for the Lions over the last two seasons, just signed with New York on August 24.
The Giants also cut fullback Henry Hynoski earlier today.
Giants Cut Henry Hynoski
As part of their cutdown to 53 players, the Giants have released veteran fullback Henry Hynoski, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move would seem to indicate that fullback Nikita Whitlock will make the club’s 53-man squad, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
Hynoski, 26, has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Giants. While the big fullback only has 12 carries during that span, he’s considered one of the league’s better blocking fullbacks, ranking second in the category in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
When Hynoski re-signed with the Giants back in March, his two-year deal with the team included a signing bonus worth $250K, along with a $250K guarantee on his 2015 salary. Since that contract also featured a $25K workout bonus, New York will have to carry a $400K dead money hit for 2015, with $125K in dead money on the 2016 books.
Patriots Waive Nine, Trim Roster To 66 Players
In addition to cutting quarterback Ryan Lindley and signing cornerback Justin Coleman on Friday, the Patriots announced nine other moves, reducing their roster to 66 players. Here’s the list of players who were waived by the team, according to a team release:
- RB Tony Creecy
- WR Zach D’Orazio
- WR DaVaris Daniels
- OL Ryan Groy
- OL Caylin Hauptmann
- OL Chris Martin
- LB James Morris
- DL A.J. Pataiali’i
- DL Casey Walker
New England also released tight end Jake Bequette from the club’s injured reserve list, making him a free agent.
The Patriots will move running back LeGarrette Blount to the reserve/suspended list for Week 1 as part of their cutdown to 53 players, so the team will have to make 12 more roster moves by today’s deadline.
Dolphins Cut Josh Freeman
For the second time this summer, the Dolphins have cut Josh Freeman, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). When Miami cut Freeman in July, the club re-signed him four days later, but it’s not clear if he’s still in the team’s plans at all after his latest release.
Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012.
With Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore ahead of him on the depth chart, however, Freeman was never considered a good bet to make the Dolphins’ regular season roster, barring an injury to one of the top guys, or an unexpectedly productive preseason by Freeman. The former Bucs starter completed 13 of 22 passes against his former team in Thursday night’s preseason finale, throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Falcons Release Rex Grossman, T.J. Yates
3:27pm: The Falcons have cut Yates as well, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). That leaves Ryan and Renfree as the only quarterbacks on the roster at the moment.
3:23pm: A little over a week after signing him to a contract, the Falcons have released quarterback Rex Grossman, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Because he’s a vested veteran, Grossman won’t have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.
Grossman, who turned 35 last month, hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2011 in Washington, and we heard earlier in August that he was still recovering from an injury he sustained while training. However, the veteran QB has a history with Kyle Shanahan, so it was no surprise when the new Falcons and their new offensive coordinator brought in Grossman.
It’s a little surprising that Grossman only lasted about a week and a half on the roster, but it could be a case of the team intending to re-sign him after Week 1, when veteran salaries are no longer guaranteed for the season. For now, T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree remain on Atlanta’s roster as Matt Ryan‘s backups.
Cardinals Acquire Matt Barkley From Eagles
The Cardinals have agreed to a trade with the Eagles, acquiring quarterback Matt Barkley, in exchange for a conditional late-round pick, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), it’s a seventh-rounder, and Philadelphia will only get the pick if Barkley remains on Arizona’s roster for at least six games.
Barkley, who turns 25 next week, was drafted 98th overall in 2013 by the Eagles, a fourth-round pick out of USC. He has mostly been stuck on the team’s bench since then, completing 30 of his 50 career attempts for 300 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.
After the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford this offseason, Barkley was poised to enter the year as no better than the third quarterback on Philadelphia’s depth chart, behind Bradford and Mark Sanchez. With Tim Tebow gaining momentum in the preseason and poised to earn a roster spot as well, Barkley was the odd man out.
In Arizona, Barkley will join a group of quarterbacks that includes Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Logan Thomas. The deal looks like bad news for Thomas, whose roster spot was already in jeopardy when Bruce Arians suggested last week that the team might just keep two quarterbacks (Twitter link).
Titans Cut Nine Players
The Titans are down to 65 players, following the team’s latest round of roster cuts. That means that the club will have to make 12 more roster moves in advance of tomorrow afternoon’s deadline in order to get down to 53 players.
Here are the players who were cut by Tennessee today, via a press release:
- DL Isaako Aaitui
- CB Ri’Shard Anderson
- FB Zach Boren
- LB Kaelin Burnett
- C Gabe Ikard
- WR Josh Stewart
- LB Andy Studebaker
- DB Jemea Thomas
- DB Khalid Wooten
In addition to cutting those nine players, the Titans also removed a 10th player from their roster by trading veteran guard Andy Levitre to the Falcons earlier in the day. In a piece for TitansOnline.com, Jim Wyatt explained why the team moved on from Levitre.
49ers Cut Joe Looney, Craig Dahl
The 49ers have informed offensive lineman Joe Looney and safety Craig Dahl that they will be released, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter links). As a vested veteran, Dahl will immediately become a free agent, while Looney will have to pass through waivers. The 49ers have since confirmed the moves.
Looney, who turned 25 on Monday, played 15 games for the Niners last season, starting four games and seeing action at all three interior line positions. He entered the preseason as the favorite to start at center for San Francisco this year, but the club has opted to go in another direction, shifting Marcus Martin from guard to center.
Dahl, meanwhile, started 16 games at safety for the Rams in 2012, but has mostly been a special-teamer since joining the 49ers in 2013. San Francisco has a deep group of safeties that includes Antoine Bethea, Eric Reid, Jimmie Ward, and Jaquiski Tartt, making the veteran Dahl expendable.
Defensive lineman Darnell Dockett and linebacker Philip Wheeler are among the other notable players cut today by the Niners. The team also announced that wide receiver Issac Blakeney and offensive lineman Patrick Miller have been waived, reducing the roster count to 69 players.
Extra Points: Ball, Patriots, Giants, Savage
Vic Lombardi of CBS4 and Benjamin Allbright of AM1340 in Denver (Twitter links) have heard that the Cowboys and Broncos are discussing a potential trade involving running back Montee Ball, who has slipped down the depth chart in Denver. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) cites a Cowboys source who says no trade talks are occurring, and Star-Telegram colleague Charean Williams tweets that Dallas would likely only be interested in Ball if he’s released.
The Cowboys have been adamant throughout the offseason that they likes their running backs, though acquiring Ball on the cheap seems more like a more realistic option for the team than signing a veteran free agent.
As we wait to see if anything materializes for the Cowboys, let’s round up some odds and ends from around the NFL…
- As expected, the Patriots don’t intend to try to recoup the $1MM fine or the two draft picks they lost as a result of DeflateGate, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Team owner Robert Kraft made the decision months ago not to fight the penalties, and even after Tom Brady‘s win in court, it would be a major uphill battle, since teams aren’t protected by the same CBA rules as players.
- The Giants will spend the next couple days looking for safeties, either via trades or waiver claims, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s no surprise, considering the position looked a little thin even before the team lost several safeties to injuries.
- The Texans got some good news on quarterback Tom Savage, who left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Savage just sustained a severe sprain, and won’t require surgery. Houston’s third-string QB is expected to miss at least four to six weeks, and head coach Bill O’Brien indicated today that the club will consider signing another QB for the roster or practice squad (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Asked if the Cardinals have any interest in their former defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who was released today by the 49ers, head coach Bruce Arians said his club isn’t interested “at this point,” per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
- Former Bears long snapper Rick Lovato is trying out for the Dolphins, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).