Seahawks Cutting CB Brandon Browner
The Seahawks are cutting cornerback Brandon Browner, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This offseason, Browner returned back to where he had his best success as a pro. Unfortunately, he could not regain his old form. 
During his initial three-year run with the Seahawks, Browner started 36 games and winning a Super Bowl title during that time. In between his two stints in Seattle, Browner won a ring with the Patriots before inking a three-year, $15MM contract with the Saints and becoming one of the team’s starting corners. However, he disappointed in his only season in New Orleans, racking up penalties and struggling in coverage.Pro Football Focus rated him dead last in the league among 113 qualified cornerbacks. In March, the Saints cut their losses and released him.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office recently declined to move forward with assault charges against Browner stemming from an incident earlier this summer, so he will not be encumbered by legal issues as he seeks his next job.
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Browns Trade Punter Andy Lee To Panthers
The Panthers acquired veteran punter Andy Lee and a 2017 seventh-round pick from the Browns in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice in 2018 and punter Kasey Redfern. 
Lee, 34, spent the first eleven years of his career with the 49ers before being traded to the Browns in 2015. The veteran has never missed a regular season game and has three First-Team All-Pro nods to his credit (2007, 2011, 2012) with two Pro Bowl selections (’07, ’11). The Pittsburgh product averaged 46.7 yards per punt last season, slightly higher than his career average. He’ll now step into the role that was originally supposed to be filled by Mike Scifres.
The Panthers signed Redfern less than two weeks ago as they waived Swayze Waters.
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Bengals Cut 11 Players, Down To 79
The Bengals have only four moves left to make in advance of tomorrow’s 75-man deadline. On Monday, the club announced that eleven players have been cut loose:
- FB Jeff Luc
- DL Jack Gangwish
- CB Corey Tindal
- S Floyd Raven
- LB Darien Harris
- QB Joe Licata
- WR Antwane Grant
- K Zach Hocker
- TE John Peters
- LB Jayson DiManche
The Bengals should be able to whittle down their roster a bit more by placing players like Cedric Peerman (fractured forearm) and fourth-round draft pick Andrew Billings (surgically-repaired meniscus) on IR. Defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (ACL) is also likely to hit the PUP list.
Texans Down To 78 On Roster
The Texans announced additional roster moves this afternoon, bringing their total count to 78 players on the roster. Here is a full rundown of all of their moves thus far today, including those disclosed earlier in the day:
Released:
- DT Ra’Zahn Howard
- WR Tevin Jones
- LB Ryan Langford
- WR Josh Lenz
- OT Matt Pierson
- LB Carlos Thompson
- OT Arturo Uzdavinis
Injured Reserve:
- S Kurtis Drummond
- K Ka’imi Fairbairn
- C Nick Martin (story)
PUP List:
Browns To Release DB K’Waun Williams
The Browns are releasing defensive back K’Waun Williams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Browns and Williams were locked in a dispute with regards to Williams’ health. The Browns suspended Williams for one game earlier this month for conduct detrimental to the team. Essentially, Williams was holding himself out of practice with bone spurs in his ankle. The Browns believed that Williams’ ankle was fine and did not excuse him from team activities. When he continued to sit out, he was punished by the club.
It was largely expected that Williams would be cut by the Browns. With his release, the Browns are now at the 75-man limit.
Saints Audition QBs Charlie Whitehurst, Ricky Stanzi, Others
The Saints tried out a handful of players today, as Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter) reports. Among the players trying out were quarterbacks Ricky Stanzi and Charlie Whitehurst. Guard Todd Herremans, tight end Bear Pascoe, tight end Jack Tabb, and tackle Khalif Barnes also auditioned for New Orleans. 
Currently, the Saints have Luke McCown and Garrett Grayson on the roster behind starter Drew Brees. Grayson gave up two bad interceptions against the Steelers on Friday night and coach Sean Payton expressed frustration with him after the game.
“He struggled tonight. I was disappointed with a couple of those plays,” Payton said (via Nick Underhill of The Advocate). “The interception to the running back is poor; and obviously, he gets blinded on the linebacker throw and forces it. So that was troubling. He had a good play early on with the touchdown pass, but I would like to see him further along at this point than he is.”
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Cardinals’ Mike Jenkins Done For Season
Cardinals cornerback Mike Jenkins is done for the season, coach Bruce Arians told reporters just moments ago. The cardinals signed Jenkins in mid-July with the hope that he could provide the team with additional depth at the position. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken bone in his hand less than two weeks later. He returned to action in August only to tear his ACL. 
Jenkins, 31, had been sitting on the open market since his contract with the Buccaneers expired in March. He spent the past two seasons in Tampa, although he appeared in only 15 total games, as his 2014 campaign was wiped out by a pectoral injury. Save for one year with the Raiders, the rest of Jenkins’ action came with the Cowboys, the club that made him a first-round pick back in 2008. All told, Jenkins has 101 games (68 starts) under his belt, and has posted 10 interceptions during his career.
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Chargers Sign Joey Bosa
Finally – the Joey Bosa saga is over. The Chargers announced that they have inked their first-round pick to a contract with just a couple of weeks to go before the season opener. Bosa now has 13 days to prepare for Week 1 against the Chiefs. 
[RELATED: Bosa’s Agent Change Led To Deal]
The Chargers gave Bosa the largest upfront signing bonus in club history, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The two sides compromised on cash flow in years 2, 3, and 4 while the Chargers got the offset language they were seeking. The Chargers and Joey Bosa agreed to a four-year, $25.8M contract, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). He gets a $17MM signing bonus and it is all fully guaranteed.
“We look forward to having Joey join us and getting him prepared as quickly as possible for the 2016 season,” said GM Tom Telesco in a press release.
The Chargers selected Bosa with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft. The Ohio State product was widely projected to be a top 10 pick in this year’s draft, but few pundits saw the Chargers pouncing on him at No. 3. While teams traded into the top two picks to select quarterbacks, the Bolts were more than happy to stay put and grab Bosa. Although it is common for the first two or three teams on the board to discuss contract quirks with prospective picks, the Bolts apparently did not do that with Bosa or his CAA reps.
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Colt Lyerla Arrested For Heroin Possession
The story of Colt Lyerla took a sad turn today as the former Oregon standout was arrested for heroin possession, as Tim Brown of The Oregonian writes. 
As a true freshman for Chip Kelly‘s Oregon Ducks in 2011, the tight end caught seven passes for 147 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2013, Lyerla was getting into trouble off the field and ultimately quit the program. Soon after, he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to cocaine possession. After going undrafted, Lyerla signed on with the Packers but suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the 2014 season. Lyerla’s agent said that the Packers indicated he would still be in the team’s plans, but they never circled back to him for one reason or another.
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Rams Release Quinton Coples
The Rams have released Quinton Coples, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Coples, selected 16th overall in the 2012 draft, was cut by the Dolphins in February before his fifth-year option for the 2016 season became fully guaranteed. The veteran edge defender had previously spent most of his career with the Jets, before being claimed off waivers by Miami last fall. Coples had his best year as a pro in 2014, but even that amounted to just 35 tackles and 6.5 sacks, modest totals for a first-round pass rusher.
The Panthers also showed interest in Coples before he signed with the Rams in the spring.
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