Titans Trade Taywan Taylor To Browns
The Titans traded wide receiver Taywan Taylor to the Browns for a 2020 draft pick, per a club announcement. Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com tweets that it will be an unconditional seventh-rounder. Taylor, a 2017 third-round draft pick, was inconsistent on the whole, but he did flash, at times.
The Western Kentucky product boasts speed and big-play ability, making him an intriguing addition in Cleveland. There’s no shortage of talented targets for Baker Mayfield, but Taylor represents another fun downfield threat.
Even without Taylor, the Titans still boast a WR group featuring Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, Tajae Sharpe, and A.J. Brown.
Browns To Trade Or Release Britton Colquitt
The Browns informed Jamie Gillan that he has won the punting job, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). With “The Scottish Hammer” booting the ball, the Browns will make Britton Colquitt available in one fashion or another.
Colquitt has been a successful punter with multiple stops in the NFL, and was named a Pro Bowl alternate last year. However, Gillan, a rookie from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, edged him out this summer.
There are at least a handful of teams with shaky punting situations and Colquitt figures to be at the top of most lists.
Hunt Has Surgery
It turns out Kareem Hunt‘s suspension won’t be as significant as it originally seemed. The Browns’ running back is suspended for the first eight games of the season, but he would’ve missed the first handful of those games anyway. Hunt underwent sports hernia surgery on Thursday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The injury will likely sideline Hunt for the next 4-6 weeks, according to a tweet from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Browns announced in a tweet of their own that a “full recovery is anticipated prior to his return to action in Week 10 of the regular season.” Hunt will be eligible to return from his suspension on November 10th against the Bills. Until then Cleveland’s backfield will still be in good hands, as they have Nick Chubb holding down the fort. Once Hunt returns, the Browns will have a potentially scary one-two punch. Hunt was one of the best running backs in the league before Kansas City cut him last year, scoring 14 touchdowns in just 11 games.
Browns Trade QB David Blough To Lions
The Lions are stockpiling quarterbacks. Detroit is trading for David Blough, acquiring him from the Browns, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
In perhaps the most minor trade on a day full of minor trades, the two teams will swap seventh-round picks in 2022, Schefter notes. Blough is an undrafted rookie from Purdue who had been operating as Cleveland’s fourth-string quarterback in camp. The Lions are in the process of trimming their roster so this will likely change shortly, but as of right now they have five passers on their roster.
Behind starter Matthew Stafford, they currently have Tom Savage, Josh Johnson, and former AAF signal-caller Luis Perez. Perez was just signed a couple of days ago. Savage started the offseason as Stafford’s backup, and the team signed the legendary journeyman Johnson after Savage sustained a concussion in the preseason. Blough was a starter for most of the past four years at Purdue, earning a third-team All-Big Ten selection last year.
Colts, Texans, Browns Lead NFL In Cap Space
On Tuesday morning, the NFL released a report of every team’s cap space. The total number accounts for the top-51 cap numbers on every team’s roster. Therefore, these numbers will naturally change before next week as teams set their 53-man rosters (although the 52nd- and 53rd-ranked cap numbers (and beyond) for each team will hardly change anything).
It’s also worth noting that there have been a handful of extensions, trades, signings, and cuts since this report was released. However, there weren’t any significant moves that would drastically alter these rankings.
Why are these numbers important at this time of year? Well, rosters will be trimmed on Saturday, meaning an influx of players will hit the open market. While we can’t imagine any roster casualties earning a lucrative contract from a new team, these numbers can help illustrate the monetary advantage one organization has over another. These numbers are also useful in regards to any potential trades or extensions.
With help from TheMMQB.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter, we’ve listed the league’s cap space totals (as of Tuesday morning) below:
- Indianapolis Colts: $56.6MM
- Houston Texans: $37.0MM
- Cleveland Browns: $34.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $26.1MM
- Tennessee Titans: $26.0MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $25.5MM
- Buffalo Bills: $23.3MM
- Miami Dolphins: $22.1MM
- Chicago Bears: $22.1MM
- Washington Redskins: $21.7MM
- Detroit Lions: $21.5MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $21MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $19.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $19.5MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $18.2MM
- Oakland Raiders: $17.3MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $16.4MM
- Green Bay Packers: $15.2MM
- New York Jets: $14.9MM
- New England Patriots: $14.1MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $13.4MM
- New Orleans Saints $7.5MM
- Carolina Panthers $5.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams $5.6MM
- New York Giants $5.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers $4.9MM
- Minnesota Vikings $4.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals $4.7MM
- Denver Broncos $4.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers $4.3MM
- Atlanta Falcons $3.4MM
Browns, Bills Complete Trade
The Bills have sent guard Wyatt Teller and a seventh-round pick to the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in 2020. The deal, announced by Buffalo, will give Cleveland some additional depth on the offensive line.
Given the timing of the deal, Teller seems a near-lock to make the final cut. He’ll find out for sure on Saturday afternoon, when teams go from the 90-man max to the 53-man limit.
Teller a former fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2018, started the final seven games of his rookie year at left guard.
Browns To Cut WR Jaelen Strong
Jaelen Strong‘s Browns tenure looks like it will be limited to one offseason. The wideout tweeted a farewell message to Cleveland, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot confirmed (via Twitter) the former third-round pick will be cut.
Despite the Browns losing Breshad Perriman in free agency, they have a deep receiver corps. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins headline the group. Cleveland, though, will be shorthanded — from a depth standpoint — in September. A suspension will cost Callaway four games.
Strong has not played in a regular-season game since 2017. He tore an ACL in December of 2017, but he’d caught just three passes leading up to that. The former Arizona State standout caught 14 passes in each of his first two seasons, with the Texans, before being cut in September of 2017.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: LB/DE Jeff Holland
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Kirk Barron
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Jhavonte Dean
Detroit Lions
- Signed: QB Luis Perez, RB Justin Stockton
- Waived: WR Deontez Alexander
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: RB Lamar Miller, T David Steinmetz
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Micah Abernathy, S Jacob Thieneman
- Waived: S Matthias Farley
Miami Dolphins
- Released: OL Will Holden
New England Patriots
- Waived: RB Robert Martin
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: TE Garrett Griffin
New York Jets
- Signed: S Santos Ramirez
- Waived: CB Dee Delaney
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Jordan Holland
- Placed on IR: CB Tim Harris Jr.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Steelers, Browns
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters last week that slot cornerback Tavon Young could miss the 2019 season after suffering a serious neck injury, but the club hasn’t been given an update on the status of the 25-year-old defensive back. “Nothing definitive,” Harbaugh said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “It’s in the opinions of the doctors. I’m sure there are different ways of looking at it, so they’ll probably see how it goes in the next week or two or three, and see what the progress is.” If Young is sidelined for the upcoming campaign, Baltimore will likely deploy Brandon Carr in the slot, while Cyrus Jones is also a candidate to see work inside.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- John Ross will finally make his 2019 practice debut early next week, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters, including Ben Baby of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A hamstring injury has forced Ross to sit out of practice sessions thus far, but if the former ninth overall pick gets in two weeks of work, Taylor believes he’ll be ready for the season opener against the Seahawks. Cincinnati will already be without A.J. Green for the first few weeks of the season after the veteran pass-catcher suffered an ankle injury in July, so getting Ross on the field would be a boon to the club’s offense. Ross, 24, posted only 21 receptions a year ago but did haul in seven touchdowns.
- More from Cincinnati, where receiver depth isn’t the only roster issue: Cordy Glenn has been diagnosed with a concussion, meaning the left tackle may not be ready for Week 1, tweets Jay Morrison of The Athletic. As a result, the Bengals — who have already lost rookie left tackle Jonah Williams (shoulder injury) and left guard Clint Boling (retirement), may be forced to use Andre Smith as Andy Dalton‘s blindside protector, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Smith, now in his fourth stint with the Bengals, does have some experience at left tackle, but the overwhelming majority of his NFL time has been spent on the right side.
- Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton has posted a “tremendous” preseason and could have a significant role on Pittsburgh’s defense, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. Sutton has played so well that he could potentially overtake Mike Hilton as the team’s slot corner. At worst, Sutton is likely to serve as the Steelers’ third outside corner behind Joe Haden and Steven Nelson and play as a dime linebacker in six-defensive back looks. Sutton, a third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017, played 113 defensive snaps during his rookie campaign and 240 last season.
- The Browns now have three candidates to replace Kevin Zeitler at right guard, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Veteran Eric Kush was thought to be leading the competition against 2018 second-round pick Austin Corbett, but rookie sixth-rounder Drew Forbes has also entered the mix. Per head coach Freddie Kitchens, the battle is still wide open. Corbett, though, hasn’t practiced at right guard in weeks, and is instead working as Cleveland’s backup center.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/19
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: P Sean Smith
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Brandon Bell, OL Tyler Catalina
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Jonathan Celestin, G Norman Price
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers: S Montrel Meander
- Placed on injured reserve: WR D.J. Montgomery
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: LB Aaron Wallace
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Da’Mari Scott
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Andrew Lauderdale, S Tyree Robinson
- Waived: OL Christian DiLauro, WR Shawn Poindexter, RB Brandon Wilds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Elijah Qualls
- Waived/injured: DT Shane Bowman
