Falcons Cut 27 Players, Down To 53
The Falcons are down to 53. With several hours to go before the 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline, the Falcons have released 27 players to meet the new max.
Some of these players will re-appear on the Falcons’ 16-man practice squad, if they’re not scooped up by another team. None of the cuts are particularly surprising, though D’Onta Foreman‘s name stands out on this list. The former UT star is still looking to reprise his rookie year with the Texans when he notched 327 rushing yards and two scores in ten games. However, he’ll have to do it somewhere else.
For now, the Falcons are keeping both of their backup quarterbacks. That means Feleipe Franks and Josh Rosen could be on the roster for the season opener, backstopping Matt Ryan.
Here’s the full rundown:
- CB Delrick Abrams – Waived
- DL Eli Ankou – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- OL Willie Beavers – Waived
- WR Trevor Davis – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- DL Zac Dawe – Waived
- ILB Emmanuel Ellerbee – Waived
- RB D’Onta Foreman – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- OL Matt Gono – Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
- WR Juwan Green – Waived
- TE Parker Hesse – Reserve/COVID-19
- RB Caleb Huntley – Waived
- S Dwayne Johnson – Waived
- OLB Kobe Jones – Waived
- OL Sam Jones – Waived
- P Dom Maggio – Waived/Injured
- OL Ryan Neuzil – Waived
- WR Antonio Nunn – Waived
- S JR Pace – Waived
- TE John Raine – Waived
- WR Chris Rowland – Waived
- OL Joe Sculthorpe – Waived
- OLB Tuzar Skipper – Waived
- DL Chris Slayton – Waived
- OL Kion Smith – Waived
- ILB Erroll Thompson – Waived
- TE David Wells – Waived
- CB Chris Williamson – Waived
Eagles Trade Matt Pryor To Colts
The Eagles have traded guard/tackle Matt Pryor to the Colts. In exchange, the Colts will send a sixth-round round pick from the Birds while sending their own seventh-round choice back to Philly.
[RELATED: Jaguars Trade QB Gardner Minshew To Eagles]
It’s a small upgrade for the Eagles, who were set to release Pryor before today’s 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline. The Eagles still have a ways to go with upwards of 20 players to drop in order to get to 53.
Pryor, 26, saw the most action of his career last year with 15 games and ten starts. With Pryor out of the picture, the Eagles are set (for now) to move forward with former Colts swing man Le’Raven Clark and Jack Driscoll for tackle support.
Texans Won’t Trade Deshaun Watson Today
The Texans are not expected to trade Deshaun Watson before today’s 4pm ET/3pm CT roster deadline, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Barring something unexpected, the Texans are poised to keep him into the regular season
and, possibly, for the entire year.
This jibes with recent word that the Texans are willing to have Watson on the 53-man roster and inactive every week moving forward. Before the allegations, the Texans received offers including three first-round picks. Now, there are still offers with picks on the table, but clubs want those picks to be conditional based on Watson’s availability to play. For now, the Texans aren’t willing to accept such contingencies.
Watson would reportedly prefer a trade to the Dolphins but would not veto a deal that sends him to the Panthers. For now, he’s getting neither — the Texans are set to pay him $10.54MM to not play for them this season.
Bills Cut Jacob Hollister
The Bills have released tight end Jacob Hollister (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). For now, that leaves Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, Quintin Morris, and Nate Becker as the Bills’ remaining TEs.
After two years of limited usage in New England, Hollister enjoyed a breakout 2019 season with the Seahawks, hauling in 41 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Then, he went from 59 targets to just 40 looks in 2020. He finished out with 25/209/3.
Then, when the Seahawks’ new one-year Gerald Everett deal pushed him out, he agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills. Hollister reunited with his old Wyoming teammate Josh Allen, but it didn’t last long.
Hollister posted four catches for 53 yards in three preseason games for the Bills this year. He’ll likely land with another club before the end of the week.
Bills Trade Darryl Johnson To Panthers
The Bills have agreed to trade defensive end Darryl Johnson to the Panthers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). In exchange, the Panthers will send a 2022 sixth-round draft pick to Buffalo. 
Johnson drew interest from multiple clubs, Rapoport hears. Ultimately, the Panthers won out, scoring a late addition from old friends Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott. New Panthers GM Scott Fitterer sees potential in Johnson, a former seventh-round pick who has 31 career games and two sacks to his credit.
Johnson was facing long odds of making the Bills’ final cut, given their surplus of talent up front. They’re already slated to start Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison at DE with support from A.J. Epenesa and rookies Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham.
Now, Johnson will fight for snaps behind Brian Burns and Morgan Fox in Carolina. Still, the 24-year-old figures to spend more time on special teams.
With Johnson in the fold, the Panthers now have 72 players on the roster. They’ll need to trim nearly 20 players between now and tomorrow’s deadline.
Buccaneers Waive Tanner Hudson
The Buccaneers are waiving tight end Tanner Hudson (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic). Hudson probably won’t be out of work for too long given his recent performances. Outside linebacker Elijah Ponder and tackle Jake Benzinger will also be among the Bucs’ cuts this week, per Auman.
Hudson shined in the Bucs’ first two preseason games, finishing as Tampa’s top receiver in both contests. Unfortunately for him, he was blocked by Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, and Cameron Brate.
“Ever since we’ve been here, he’s been able to catch the ball. He gives our defense fits on the card (scout) team,” coach Bruce Arians said last week (via The Athletic). “When he’s had opportunities in ballgames, they haven’t been quite the same. I want to see him do something besides preseason, and something besides catch the ball. He’s not a wide receiver. He’s a tight end, so you’ve got to be able to block a little bit. Just see him grow in that regard and be a physical presence on special teams with his size and speed.”
Now, after two years in Tampa Bay, Hudson could be claimed by another TE-needy team this week. The Giants — who are awaiting word on Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph — would be a logical landing spot.
Buccaneers Release Antonio Hamilton
The Buccaneers have cut cornerback Antonio Hamilton (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Hamilton was vying for one of the team’s final CB spots, but he won’t be a part of the team’s initial 53-man roster.
Hamilton signed with the Raiders as a UDFA out of South Carolina State in 2016. He went on to play a full 16-game slate with the Giants in 2019 before joining the Chiefs last year where he also turned in perfect attendance. According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, Hamilton turned down a more lucrative offer to sign with Kansas City and compete for a Super Bowl ring. He was undoubtedly thrilled to switch sides and join the Bucs earlier this year.
Most of Hamilton’s work has come on special teams, as he has played a total of 335 defensive snaps in his five-year career. He could offer ST prowess for another team in need and perhaps get some action as a backup corner.
Cardinals Cut 10 Players
The Cardinals got a jump on their roster housekeeping today. In advance of Tuesday’s 53-man deadline, they cut:
- OL Shaq Calhoun
- RB Tavien Feaster
- WR KeeSean Johnson
- OL Michal Menet
- DL Cam Murray
- CB Picasso Nelson
- WR A.J. Richardson
- LB Evan Weaver
- P Ryan Winslow
- LB Bryson Young
Johnson, a 2019 sixth-rounder, was pushing for the final wide receiver slot on the Week 1 roster. Instead, he was leapfrogged by Andy Isabella, Greg Dortch, and Antoine Wesley. All three are still on the roster as of this writing, but nothing is guaranteed for any of them beyond tomorrow. Johnson, 25 in October, registered 15 catches for 173 yards in eight games last year.
Todd Gurley Wants To Join Ravens
Todd Gurley still has interest in joining the Ravens, if they’ll have him (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Gurley, who previously met with the team, could be a solid addition after the loss of running back J.K. Dobbins.
[RELATED: Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins Done For Year]
The Ravens hosted Gurley back in June but left Baltimore without a deal. At the time, he profiled as little more than an RB3 option, behind Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Now, with Dobbins out and Mark Ingram out of the picture, everyone has been shifted one spot up in the pecking order.
Edwards is a solid RB in his own right, but it remains to be seen whether he can carry a full starter’s workload. Gurley could help with some of that, but he hasn’t looked like his old Pro Bowl self in a while. He was held to just 3.5 yards per carry with the Falcons last year while adding 25 catches for 164 yards. His best work, of course, came with the Rams — he was an All-Pro in 2017 and 2018 with a combined 40 touchdowns during that stretch.
Beyond Edwards, the Ravens also have third-year scat-back Justice Hill and 2020 UDFA Ty’Son Williams on hand.
Lions Cut Breshad Perriman
The Lions have released wide receiver Breshad Perriman (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). This was the expected move given Perriman’s injury-riddled camp.
“There just hasn’t been enough out there,” head coach Dan Campbell said recently. “He had the hip injury and then he comes back, he was solid the other night for the plays that he had, but yet he had an OPI, which he knows better than. … I think he’ll be better coming off of this hip. But I think that room right now is still up for grabs. I think there is a heavy competition going on in that room right now.”
The move leaves the Lions with Tyrell Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus, and Kalif Raymond as their top four wide receivers. There aren’t a ton of high-impact options left on the market, so the Lions will be paying close attention to the transactions wire over the next 48 hours. Another team’s discarded vet could easily step into a key role for Detroit and they still have some cap room to work with.
Perriman will leave Detroit with his $2MM guarantee in hand. Next, the 28-year-old pass catcher will try to heal up and hook on elsewhere. He could be en route to his sixth NFL team, after stints with the Ravens, Browns, Bucs, Jets, and Lions.
In his 2020 with the Jets, Perriman caught 30 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns.