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Giants Make First Wave Of Roster Cuts

August 22nd, 2025 at 5:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Over the next few days, NFL teams will trim their roster down to 53 players. The Giants began their first wave of cuts on Friday with the following eight players (via a team announcement):

Every player listed was waived except for Pascal, a vested veteran with seven accrued seasons. The other seven will be subject to waivers until Wednesday’s claiming deadline, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. None are expected to stay in New York on the Giants’ practice squad, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.

Pascal is now able to sign with any team, though his lack of meaningful offensive production since 2021 may force him to take a spot on a practice squad. He recorded back-to-back 600-yard seasons for the Colts in 2019 and 2020, but his output has waned since. The 30-year-old wideout has grown into a special teams contributor as his offensive snaps decreased, which helped him earn a veteran minimum contract in New York this offseason. Pascal’s contract only included $90k in guarantees, per OverTheCap, which will remain as dead money on the Giants’ 2025 salary cap.

Patriots Begin Roster Cuts

August 22nd, 2025 at 1:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The deadline for final roster cuts looms, and teams often get a head start on such moves with players known to be on the wrong side of the bubble. In the case of the Patriots, that has resulted in 14 players being let go early.

Head coach Mike Vrabel announced on Friday (h/t Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that the following players have been cut:

Each player listed will be eligible to join New England’s practice squad next week, although anyone cut at this time should not be considered a priority (for the Patriots or any other team) in that regard. Wooldridge being let go means that, for the time being, New England only has two quarterbacks on the roster. Drake Maye will of course handle starting duties, but veteran backup Josh Dobbs may not be a roster lock. Especially in the wake of today’s moves, the QB position will be one to watch closely.

A number of relatively recent draft picks are included in the list of players likely moving on. Sow and Bolden were respectively selected in the fourth and seventh rounds in 2023, with Sow handling a first-team role as a rookie. He made only one start last season, however, and was not positioned to serve as a key member of the Patriots’ renovated O-line under Vrabel and his new regime.

Bell joined New England as a seventh-round pick last year. He hardly saw the field on offense but chipped in on special teams. Rice – who logged a 56% third phase snap share during his three Patriots games in 2024 – represents another core special teams presence who will need to be retained via the taxi squad or replaced in the coming days.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/25

August 21st, 2025 at 9:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Bruce Harmon

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Out for most of the Panthers’ preseason workouts due to offseason back surgery, Tremble can begin ramping up in earnest for Week 1. A debut on time will be the goal, Dave Canales said Thursday. Tremble re-signed with Carolina on a two-year, $10.5MM deal this offseason.

Brown joined the 49ers after starting 10 Seahawks games from 2023-24. The team had aimed for the former fourth-round pick to play a backup role this season, but he instead has become the corresponding move following the Skyy Moore trade. The team has ex-Colts starter Dallis Flowers and preseason standout Chase Lucas as options, while veteran Fabian Moreau is in the mix as well.

Harris joins the Commanders after starting six Browns games from 2020-24. Harris had signed with the Seahawks last year, before being traded back to Cleveland ahead of Week 1. He ended up on the Browns’ IR list by October. Harris, 26, worked out for the Saints earlier this month. Watson suffered a biceps tear, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. The Browns drafted Watson in the 2024 sixth round; he played 14 games and made one start as a rookie.

Jets Waive DT Phidarian Mathis

August 21st, 2025 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Responsible for one of the busier trade days at one position in recent NFL history, the Jets have followed up their defensive tackle acquisitions with a notable cut. Phidarian Mathis is off the roster, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini tweets. The team traded for Jowon Briggs (from the Browns) and Harrison Phillips (from the Vikings) on Wednesday.

The Jets claimed Mathis off waivers while operating without a full-time GM, making the addition in late December — after firing Joe Douglas and before hiring Darren Mougey. When the Jets claimed Mathis, however, three other teams had tried to do so. It will be interesting to see if the former second-round pick will remain on his rookie deal as of Friday afternoon’s waiver deadline.

The Bengals, Lions and Texans attempted to claim Mathis after his Commanders exit in December. Having been one of three Washington DTs from Alabama chosen in Rounds 1 or 2 (alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne), Mathis did not live up to his draft slot. He suffered an ACL tear early during his rookie season and never made any starts in 2023 or ’24. Mathis logged 203 defensive snaps in 2022 and 257 last season. Allen’s presence in Minnesota, following a Washington release, later influenced the Vikings to trade Phillips.

It is worth pointing out Mathis was drafted under the Ron Rivera-Martin Mayhew regime; the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn power structure moved on from a number of Rivera draftees last summer, and Mathis’ exit followed those cuts. The Jets having claimed Mathis before hiring Aaron Glenn did not do the fourth-year DT any favors, and he did not impress in the new HC’s system.

One season remains on Mathis’ second-round contract. He is due a $1.73MM base salary, and while that figure is nonguaranteed, Mathis’ minimal production (25 career tackles, zero sacks, one QB hit) may lead to interested teams passing and attempting to bring him in as a lower-cost free agent. The Jets will save that $1.73MM by making this cut.

New York also placed edge rusher Rashad Weaver on IR and waived cornerback Ryan Cooper, per the team. The Jets added Weaver on a one-year, $1.17MM deal this offseason. After a 5.5-sack 2022 replacing an injured Harold Landry, Weaver has not recorded a sack since.

Broncos Trade WR Devaughn Vele To Saints

August 21st, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 21: Payton said on Thursday (via Luca Evans of the Denver Post) that the Broncos “weren’t actively shopping” Vele, but were approached by three different teams over the course of three days. Though they valued the second-year wideout, they made the difficult decision to send him to the Saints, who were looking for a “bigger receiver.”

Payton later mentioned “Jacksonville” when discussing the trade, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, indicating that the Jaguars were one of the other teams who called about Vele. The Jags would then be a team to naturally monitor ahead of cutdown day and the ensuing waiver period regarding a wideout addition.

AUGUST 20: We now have a three-trade Wednesday, as Sean Payton will do business with Mickey Loomis. The Broncos are sending wide receiver Devaughn Vele to the Saints, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill reports.

Although Vele was only a seventh-round pick, he showed promise as a rookie. As a result, the Broncos will gain a strong return on investment. The Saints are sending the Broncos a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The Broncos have since announced the trade.

[RELATED: Full Rundown Of Traded 2026 Draft Picks]

Three years remain on Vele’s rookie contract. The Broncos have seen promising preseason work from both Troy Franklin and rookie third-rounder Pat Bryant. With Bryant profiling as a big-bodied outside receiver, Vele’s place in Denver’s passing attack may well have been foggier as a result of the Illinois product’s arrival. Now, he will join a Saints team that experienced significant injury trouble at receiver last year — but one that has now added multiple pieces in 2025.

New Orleans spent much of last season without its top two receiving options — Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Olave suffered two concussions and did not return during the team’s late swoon following Derek Carr‘s season-ending injury. Shaheed played in only six games last year, suffering meniscus injury that required a full repair. Both starters are back for the Saints, who also reunited with Brandin Cooks in free agency. Although New Orleans’ starting quarterback has yet to be decided, either Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough will have two new auxiliary WRs to target.

In Vele, the Saints will land a 6-foot-5 wideout on a seventh-round contract. Vele is one of the older rookies in recent NFL history, however, in already being 27. He will turn 28 before season’s end, complicating his prospects for a second contract down the line. For now, the Saints have him under control through the 2027 season.

Last season, Vele worked as the Broncos’ second-most utilized receiver — behind only Courtland Sutton. As Franklin and Marvin Mims struggled with inconsistency, Vele logged a 53% snap share. The Utah product caught 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.

Payton’s Saints years frequently involved a host of sidekick options alongside a clear No. 1 — be it Marques Colston or Michael Thomas. His second Broncos setup looks similar, with Mims, Franklin and Bryant set to complement the recently extended Sutton. With the Broncos also signing backup/special-teamer Trent Sherfield, they suddenly had a bit of a logjam on their hands. The team has also used rookie UDFA Courtney Jackson as a return man in the preseason; Jackson could have a path to a sixth WR spot with Vele gone.

It is not known which Bronco will succeed Vele as the team’s second-most utilized wideout, but Franklin — a 2024 fourth-round pick who played with Bo Nix at Oregon — looks like an interesting bet for that de facto WR2 role. Then again, Mims came on strong to close last season and drew WR2 buzz this summer. After the Broncos passed on adding a veteran beyond Sherfield, they will count on the Mims-Franklin-Bryant contingent to the point Vele suddenly became expendable. This may still represent some risk for a Broncos team connected to supporting-cast wideouts for most of the offseason, but the return — and the early work from Franklin and Bryant — may have swayed team brass.

Vikings To Trade DL Harrison Phillips To Jets

August 20th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adding two high-profile defensive linemen (Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen) this offseason, the Vikings will ship out an incumbent starter. Harrison Phillips is heading back to New York.

The Jets are acquiring the veteran interior D-lineman, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The Jets will land Phillips and a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for 2026 and 2027 sixth-rounders. This deal comes less than a year after Minnesota extended Phillips, who is signed through the 2026 season. This marks the Jets’ second DT trade today; they acquired Jowon Briggs from the Browns earlier.

A former Bills third-round pick, Phillips signed with the Vikings in 2022 and has been a starter for the past three seasons. The Vikes extended Phillips on a two-year, $15MM pact in September 2024. Phillips, 29, has been a reliable player in the Twin Cities; he has not missed a game while with the Vikes.

Tied to a guaranteed $7MM 2025 base salary and $400K in per-game roster bonuses, Phillips will receive payments from multiple teams this year. The Vikings are picking up half that tab, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The 307-pound defender is due a nonguaranteed $6.89MM salary in 2026. Phillips will give the Jets a starter-level talent in a D-tackle corps that appeared to be lacking one alongside Quinnen Williams.

The arrivals of Phillips and Briggs will complicate the previous Williams sidekick bunch’s paths to the 53-man roster. Second-year defender Leonard Taylor may struggle to stick on the final roster after doing so as an undrafted rookie out of Miami (Fla.) last year. Former second-round pick Phidarian Mathis could be in danger, too, after fizzling out of Washington midseason.

The battle for the starting job next to Williams before today’s transaction looked to be between Byron Cowart and Derrick Nnadi. Cowart, a former five-star recruit who transferred and was drafted in the fifth round in 2019, had a decent season in Chicago last year after a rough start to his career, while Nnadi had enjoyed double-digit starts in every year of his career up until last year, when he was demoted to a rotation role. Both will remain in the rotation, but the starting responsibilities may be beyond their reach with Phillips in the building.

Ultimately, both sides achieved what they needed to in this deal. The Jets bolstered a weak spot on the defense with a veteran starter who should help Williams’ star shine. On the other side, Minnesota will move forward with an incredibly capable defensive line while picking up some decent cap savings over the next two years.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

49ers To Acquire WR Skyy Moore From Chiefs

August 20th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

A busy day of breaking trades continues as Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Chiefs are sending Skyy Moore to the 49ers along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. San Francisco has been vocally searching for some help at wide receiver, and Kansas City had enough bodies in the room to move on from a once-promising second-round pick.

The 49ers receiving corps looked good on paper throughout the offseason with assumptions of good luck with health and availability, but in the weeks leading up to the regular season, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are still absent from practices. Aiyuk is not set to return from a torn ACL and MCL until around Week 6 of the 2025 season, while Jennings is working his way back from a calf injury and seeking a new contract at the same time.

In addition, fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins may not be ready for a Week 1 debut due to a high ankle sprain, and last year’s fourth-rounder, Jacob Cowing, reportedly suffered a hamstring injury today, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, after just returning to practice last week. This means that second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall and veteran Demarcus Robinson are the only healthy receivers in the room’s top six names, and there may have been consolation in that fact, if not for the fact that Robinson will open the season on a three-game suspension.

While quarterback Brock Purdy enjoys the privilege of throwing to phenomenal pass-catchers at other positions like Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, and George Kittle, his actual receivers group had dwindled down to Pearsall, Russell Gage, Junior Bergen, Terique Owens, Isaiah Hodgins, Malik Turner, and Robbie Chosen — an odd mix of aging veterans and young inexperience. Enter Moore.

The former Western Michigan star came to Kansas City at an extremely exciting time for wide receivers. Behind the arm of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs had played in two Super Bowls in three years — winning one — and were looking for more. The team was also moving on from star wideout Tyreek Hill, and Moore was among a sea of strong options to serve as Mahomes new favorite target, including free agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Justin Watson and earlier draft picks Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney.

Understandably, Moore failed to make much of an impression among that group throughout the regular season, catching only 22 passes for 250 yards and no touchdowns, but he did catch his only target in the Super Bowl with a four-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City a seven-point lead with just over nine minutes left in an eventual win. Year 2 showed more promise, with Smith-Schuster and Hardman departing, but a new second-round rookie, Rashee Rice, stole all the thunder available by becoming the room’s new top receiver. Though fewer wideouts were ahead of him in the pecking order, Moore still only accumulated 21 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown, missing the final three games of the regular season and the entire postseason that resulted in a second straight Super Bowl victory.

Last year, Moore saw three targets (zero catches) in the first six weeks of the season before being placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury and missing the remainder of the season. Without Moore, Mahomes and company still can rely on Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, Smith-Schuster, and others.

In San Francisco, Moore will get a new chance to make a name for himself. At this point, the 49ers can’t afford to be choosers, and Moore is the offer they got from a beggars’ market. Moore will have just under a week to show the team flashes of his breakout redshirt sophomore season with the Broncos and prove that he’s worth keeping on the 53-man roster in 2025.

Bears To Extend QB Tyson Bagent

August 20th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears signed Case Keenum this offseason, but they are still taking care of one of their other quarterbacks. Chicago is extending backup Tyson Bagent, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

It is a two-year deal worth $10MM; the contract can max out at $16MM for the former UDFA out of Division II. Because Bagent is a former UDFA, he is extension-eligible after two seasons (rather than the three for drafted players). He will take advantage of the system here and cash in, with this contract representing a QB2 commitment through 2027. AllCHGO.com first reported the extension.

[RELATED: Assessing Bears’ 2025 Offseason]

While some trade chatter involving Bagent — after the Keenum signing — being a trade candidate emerged, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicates the QB has started off well in Ben Johnson‘s system. This certainly illustrates a commitment, though the deal overlaps with Caleb Williams‘ rookie terms. The Bears approached Bagent over the past week about a deal, the QB said (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin).

Known as both a long-odds success story (out of D-II Shepherd) and for having an arm-wrestling father, Bagent has been with the Bears since 2023. He joins Keenum and 2024 UDFA Austin Reed on Chicago’s 90-man roster. Bagent, who made four starts filling in for Justin Fields as a rookie before sitting for most of his second season behind Williams, will be making the Bears as their backup once again.

Bagent proved effective in spurts in Luke Getsy‘s offense two years ago, winning two of the starts he made while Fields recovered from a thumb injury. Bagent piloted the Bears to wins over the Raiders and Panthers in 2023, though a rough outing in a Sunday-night game against the Chargers also transpired during this stretch. The 6-foot-3 passer’s popularity soared after the Bears’ 30-12 win over the Raiders in October 2023 — a game that involved a 21-for-29 accuracy ledger and a touchdown pass — and he was the only Getsy QB holdover on last year’s team.

Bagent is now on his fourth play-caller since arriving in Chicago, transitioning to Johnson’s offense. He certainly is an atypical QB on any rung of an NFL depth chart but has made the most of his chances. Keenum is tied to a one-year, $2.25MM deal; Chicago guaranteed the aging backup $2.16MM. Keenum has experience with a team that also carried a much younger backup, as the Texans retained (and then extended) Davis Mills during Keenum’s two-year stay back in Houston.

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/20/25

August 20th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s midweek minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Reverted to IR: T Gareth Warren
  • Waived (with injury settlement): LB Devin Harper

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Waller will now be able to officially return to the field today as he attempts to shake off a year’s worth of retirement. Head coach Mike McDaniel expects him back at practice “very soon,” potentially even this week, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The Bears have landed the services of the veteran Freeman as they deal with absences from D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, and Travis Homer. Hankins had gotten the starting nod in the team’s last preseason game for that same reason, and he’ll now hand off that role to Freeman.

Ferguson, the Dolphins’ former long snapper of the past five years, finally gets a job after his release from Miami. The Texans were really liking what they were seeing out of undrafted rookie Austin Brinkman, but a minor, short-team injury will keep him from the team’s final preseason game, requiring at least a short stay from Ferguson.

NFL Hands 49ers’ Demarcus Robinson Three-Game Suspension

August 20th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s Demarcus Robinson ruling has emerged. As expected, a suspension will commence in connection with the veteran wide receiver’s DUI case.

Robinson received a three-game suspension Wednesday, Kyle Shanahan said (via KNBR). Although this is certainly not surprising, it deals another blow to a depleted 49ers receiving corps. Robinson launched a preemptive appeal, but his suspension matches Jordan Addison‘s three-gamer for a DUI arrest.

Shanahan said the appeal process is not over, but the team is bracing for the three-game ban to stick. Robinson was arrested in November 2024 for suspicion of a DUI; by January, a formal charge emerged. In July, he pleaded no contest to set the stage for this suspension. Signing a two-year deal in free agency, Robinson is in line to miss games against the Seahawks, Saints and Cardinals.

This further limits the 49ers at receiver. San Francisco has Brandon Aiyuk on its active/PUP list, and a shift to the reserve/PUP list is all but assured for a player who did not suffer a clean ACL tear last season. Aiyuk recovery issues are set to delay his return until at least mid-October. That takes two 49ers weapons out of the mix, and it is not yet certain when Jauan Jennings will return from a calf injury.

Jennings has missed most of training camp due to his calf issue, with a contract push — a year after signing an extension as an RFA — clouding the 49ers wideout’s near future as well. Fourth-round rookie Jordan Watkins is also dealing with a high ankle sprain that could keep him off the field to open the season.

As a result, the 49ers are looking for help at receiver. The team traded Deebo Samuel in March, doing so while knowing Aiyuk’s outlook. At the time of the Samuel trade, San Francisco certainly expected to have Jennings available in Week 1. But that is not certain. This would place plenty of pressure on 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall. While Pearsall — who recovered from a gunshot wound sustained last summer to play in 11 rookie-year games — could be complemented by the 49ers’ hopeful WR cast by midseason, the team will start shorthanded.

Robinson, 31 in September, spent the past two seasons with the Rams as their third receiver. Playing ahead of Tutu Atwell for most of his time in Los Angeles, Robinson combined for 57 receptions, 876 yards and 11 touchdowns from 2023-24. That stretch garnered the ex-Alex Smith/Patrick Mahomes Chiefs target an $8MM deal with a $6MM guarantee. This suspension would threaten to void that guarantee, which would affect Robinson’s 2026 money (as a vested veteran, his 2025 pay will lock in next month).

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