Justin Forsett Likely To Return To Ravens
Justin Forsett was cut loose by the Ravens on Saturday, but his release came without the kind of fanfare you’d expect from the club given Forsett’s starting role and his presence as a team leader. Immediately, speculation began that Forsett would return to the Ravens on a new deal. Indeed, that is what is likely to happen today, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. 
It sounds like there was an unspoken arrangement between Forsett and Baltimore prior to his release. The tailback is expected to circle back to Baltimore, though one has to imagine that other teams in need of help in the backfield will call. If the veteran gets offered a pay bump over what the Ravens would give him, it’s possible that he could jump on the opportunity.
Forsett, 30, was a revelation in 2014, rushing for more 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns though he had been considered a career backup/special teamer. Injuries cost Forsett last season, as he only managed to play in 10 games. With rookie Kenneth Dixon nursing a knee injury, Baltimore looks set to count on Terrance West and Javorius Allen at running back if Forsett doesn’t re-sign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Waiver Wire Priority For All 32 NFL Teams
Yesterday was the 53-man roster deadline, but the madness will continue today as teams pick through the waiver pile for talented discards. Priority is dictated by the reverse standings with tiebreakers where necessary, which is to say that it will be the same as the 2016 draft order before all the trades. Unlike your fantasy league’s waiver wire, a team does not go to the back of the list upon making a successful claim. That means that the league’s worst teams from 2015 have a significant advantage today as they make late roster additions.
Here is the complete waiver priority order:
1. Titans
2. Browns
3. Chargers
4. Cowboys
5. Jaguars
6. Ravens
7. 49ers
8. Dolphins
9. Buccaneers
10. Giants
11. Bears
12. Saints
13. Eagles
14. Raiders
15. Rams
16. Lions
17. Falcons
18. Colts
19. Bills
20. Jets
21. Redskins
22. Texans
23. Vikings
24. Bengals
25. Seahawks
26. Packers
27. Steelers
28. Chiefs
29. Patriots
30. Cardinals
31. Panthers
32. Broncos
Josh Sitton To Visit Bears; Saints Also?
After the Packers cut Josh Sitton loose on Saturday, upwards of ten teams expressed interest in the Pro Bowl guard. Now, he has his first visit lined up with the division-rival Bears, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Saints could be next on the docket for him, Schefter adds. 
Sitton, 30, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has long been considered one of the best — if not the best — guards in the NFL, so the Packers’ willingness to move on from him certainly came as a surprise. In eight seasons in Green Bay, Sitton appeared in 121 games, starting 112, while delivering dominant results on the interior of the offensive line.
Last year, Sitton graded out as the sixth-best guard in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He received a strong 91.1 pass blocking grade (tied for fourth-best in the NFL) with a still respectable 81.2 mark against the run.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Packers To Re-Sign Brett Goode
The Packers technically do not have a long snapper on the roster, but that won’t be the case for long. Green Bay will re-sign Brett Goode today, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
Goode worked out for the Packers on Saturday and passed his physical, according to a source who spoke with Demovsky. Goode snapped in every game for the Packers from 2008 until he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December. His contract expired after the 2015 season, but the Packers continued to stay in touch.
The Packers must make a roster move today in order to bring Goode back on the roster.
Extra Points: Giants, Cowboys, Davis, Sanchez
The Sam Bradford trade got all the headlines today, but there were actually three smaller deals that were also consummated in the past twelve hours, and we’ve now learned the details about the returns. The Seahawks gave up a conditional 2017 seventh-rounder to acquire safety Dewey McDonald from the Raiders, and a conditional 2018 seventh-rounder to pick up safety L.J. McCray from the 49ers, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Meanwhile — and this might be a first — the Chiefs and 49ers have agreed to swap conditional 2019 seventh-round picks as part of the trade that sent wide receiver Rod Streater to San Francisco, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
Here’s more from around the league on cutdown day:
- Expect the Giants to be active in checking out veteran offensive linemen released today, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Teams were trying strike a trade with them, but nothing came of those talks. New York recently agreed to re-sign Will Beatty, who is expected to compete for time at right tackle, but the club could certainly use a bit more depth along the front five.
- Austin Davis turned down a potential deal with the Cowboys because he wanted guaranteed money, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Instead, Davis signed on with the Broncos today. His one-year deal ostensibly includes guaranteed cash. Dallas, meanwhile, turned to the man Denver released today — Mark Sanchez.
- Speaking of Sanchez, the Cowboys could face questions about their signing of the veteran QB, as one source indicates to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Dallas signed Sanchez before he was technically released by the Broncos. It’s a pretty minor issue, but one that the league has seemingly been trying to crack down on in recent years.
AFC Notes: Forsett, Ravens, Patriots, Broncos
The Ravens could soon re-sign running back Justin Forsett, according to Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who expects the transaction to happen “sooner rather than later.” Forsett, 30, was released earlier today, and the Ravens $3MM by doing cutting ties. But if the club can get him back at a reduced rate, it sounds like a reunion might be in the best interests of both parties.
More from the AFC:
- The Patriots could scan the waiver wire for help on the offensive line and at receiver after settling their roster today, NESN.com’s Doug Kyed writes. Right now, the Pats have only four players at wide receiver and offensive tackle is looking weak with LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming behind Nate Solder. Running back could be another area of need for New England. Undrafted free agent D.J. Foster made the initial cut after two strong games in the preseason, but there could be a better tailback out there. Veterans like Bishop Sankey, Ronnie Hillman, and Forsett are available after cuts, Kyed notes.
- Elway said the Broncos wanted to hear back from Emmanuel Sanders‘ representatives recently, but so far they haven’t (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post). Typically, contract talks don’t linger into season, so time is ticking for Sanders to get a new deal done with Denver. It’s possible that Tavon Austin‘s new four-year, $42MM deal with Los Angeles will set the floor for Sanders in his talks with Denver. While Sanders is older, he has been far more productive than Austin. Sanders, 29, is set to earn $5.6MM this season, the first and final year of the free agent deal he signed with Denver in 2014.
- At least one scout expects safety Kamu Grugier-Hill, cut by the Patriots today, to generate quite a bit of interest, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. A sixth-round rookie out of Eastern Illinois, KGH is viewed as a solid special teams player, and could be picked up on waivers tomorrow.
Reactions To Sam Bradford Trade
Eagles GM Howie Roseman says that his plan wasn’t to trade Sam Bradford this offseason, but, “circumstances change” (Twitter link via Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com). It’s true, plans can change pretty rapidly when a team offers a massive haul for your quarterback and you have two more waiting in the wings.
On Saturday, the Vikings made Roseman & Co. an offer they could not refuse, sending first- and fourth-round picks to Philly in exchange for the former No. 1 overall pick. Here’s a look at some of today’s reactions to the surprising deal:
- Roseman says the Eagles didn’t call any teams about Bradford and teams called them (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com). I’m inclined to believe Roseman. At this stage of the offseason, just about every team has their quarterback situation settled. When Teddy Bridgewater went down with his gruesome leg injury, Roseman surely knew that a Vikings call was just around the corner. By waiting for Minnesota’s inquiry instead of taking an active role, Roseman maintained his leverage.
- Vikings general manager Rick Spielman indicated that having the option of keeping Bradford in 2017 played a role in acquiring him from the Eagles, tweets Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Presumably, that’s because the nature of Bridgewater’s injury means he might not be back to start next season.
- Spielman was also adamant that Minnesota did not “mortgage the future” with this trade (Twitter link per Tomasson), and reiterated that the Vikings still have eight picks in next year’s draft, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bears’ Roster At 53
The Bears have officially reduced their roster to 53 players, and in doing so, placed LB Pernell McPhee and WR Marquess Wilson on PUP. As such, each player will be forced to miss at leas the first six games of the season.
Cut:
- LS Patrick Scales (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune)
- OL Jason Weaver (Twitter link via Biggs)
- WR Daniel Braverman (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk)
- TE Tony Moeaki (Twitter link via Biggs)
- CB De’Vante Bausby (Twitter link via Biggs)
- WR Marc Mariani (Twitter link via Biggs)
- TE Ben Braunecker
- CB Taveze Calhoun
- QB David Fales
- LB John Timu
- TE Rob Housler
- RB Jacquizz Rodgers
- T Garry Williams
Waived/Injured:
- DT Ego Ferguson
- LB Danny Mason
PUP:
- LB Pernell McPhee
- WR Marquess Wilson
Braverman was the club’s seventh-round pick this year after posting a whopping 109 receptions for Western Michigan in 2015.
Moeaki has bounced around a bit since leaving the Chiefs in 2012. The 29-year-old played in 11 games for the Falcons last season, but he only hauled in three catches for 58 yards. Following a 2012 campaign where he caught 33 passes for 453 yards and a score, Moeaki has only compiled 11 catches for 192 yards over the past three seasons.
Packers Bring Roster Down To 53
The Packers have announced the cuts that will bring their roster down to 53. The club has made the following moves:
Cut:
- G Josh Sitton (story)
- TE Casey Pierce (Twitter link via Michael Cohen of the Journal-Sentinel)
- DL Brian Price (Twitter link via Cohen)
- FB Alstevis Squirewell (Twitter link via Ryan Wood of the Press-Gazette)
- OL Lucas Patrick
- RB Brandon Ross (Twitter link via Cohen)
- ILB Carl Bradford (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- OLB Reggie Gilbert (Twitter link via Ryan Wood of Green Bay Press-Gazette)
- CB Robertson Daniel (Twitter link via Wood)
- WR Herb Waters (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
- TE Kennard Backman (waived/injured; Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- LB Sam Barrington (Twitter link via Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
- WR Geronimo Allison
- LB Beniquez Brown
- CB Warren Gatewood
- LS Rick Lovato
- S Jermaine Whitehead
- QB Marquise Williams
Placed On IR:
- C Kyle Steuck
- DT Tyler Kuder
Reserve/Suspended:
- DT Mike Pennel
- CB Demetri Goodson
Josh Sitton Drawing Widespread Interest
There are already upwards of ten teams with interest in talking to Josh Sitton, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. Sitton was released by the Packers on Saturday as they worked their way down to a 53-man roster. 
The Packers reportedly shopped Sitton to other teams but he was released on Saturday after the Packers could not find a trade for him. Prior to his release, Sitton was scheduled to earn $6.15MM in base salary for the coming season. Apparently, teams were reluctant to take him on at that price but still had interest in him as a football player. Sitton told Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter) that there was no showdown over his contract with the Packers.
“I was prepared to play the season,” he said.
Last year, Sitton graded out as the sixth-best guard in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He received a strong 91.1 pass blocking grade (tied for fourth-best in the NFL) with a still respectable 81.2 mark against the run.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.