Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/23
We are less than 24 hours from the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Here are the latest moves teams have made as they pare their squads down toward the in-season limit:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DT Trey Botts, DB Kaieem Caesar, WR Dontay Demus, OL Jake Guidone, DB Corey Mayfield, LB Kelle Sanders
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Kuony Deng, OL Gabe Houy, LB Buddy Johnson, TE Jared Pinkney, WR Joe Reed, TE Jake Tonges
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: G Drew Forbes
- Released: G Wes Martin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: DE Ben Banogu
Denver Broncos
- Waived: ILB Austin Ajiake
Detroit Lions
- Waived: OL Connor Galvin, CB Chase Lucas
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: LB Donavan Mutin, DT Caleb Sampson, OL Dakoda Shepley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Kevin Austin, FB Derek Parish, QB Nathan Rourke
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Tae Crowder, QB Max Duggan
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, WR Braxton Burmeister, DB Timarcus Davis, DB Tyon Davis, DB Vincent Gray, WR Tyler Hudson, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Jordan Jones, G Sean Maginn, WR Lance McCutcheon, TE Camren McDonald, TE Christian Sims, DT Taron Vincent
- Waived/injured: LB Ryan Smenda
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: LB Jake Gervase
- Waived: DL Calvin Avery, CB Kalon Barnes, CB C.J. Coldon, T Christian DiLauro, CB Jameson Houston, WR Garett Maag, RB Abram Smith, OL Josh Sokol, QB Jordan Ta’amu, TE Colin Thompson
- Waived/injured: CB Tay Gowan
New England Patriots
- Waived: P Corliss Waitman
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Nick Anderson, WR Kawaan Baker, FB Jake Bargas, DT Prince Emili
New York Giants
- Waived/injured: G Jack Anderson, G Wyatt Davis, DB Zyon Gilbert
- Placed on IR: TE Chris Myarick
New York Jets
- Released: CB Craig James, OL Greg Senat, LB Pita Taumoepenu
- Placed on IR: CB Jimmy Moreland
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: OL Le’Raven Clark
- Waived: OL William Dunkle, S Jalen Elliott, RB Darius Hagans, CB Lavert Hill, DL Manny Jones, QB Tanner Morgan, LB Tanner Muse, LB Toby Ndukwe, S Kenny Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Arquon Bush, TE Griffin Hebert, WR Tyjon Lindsey, T Jalen McKenzie, T Liam Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Taye Barber, LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, RB Ronnie Brown, DB Anthony Chesley, TE Dominique Dafney, WR Kaylon Geiger, WR Cephus Johnson, WR Ryan Miller, OL John Molchon, OL Michael Niese, T Raiqwon O’Neal, DL Willington Previlon, DL Deadrin Senat, S Nolan Turner, WR Kade Warner, CB Rodarius Williams, S Aaron Young
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Alize Mack, DB Josh Thompson, RB Jonathan Ward
- Placed on IR: RB Hassan Haskins
Rams Sign 26-Man UDFA Class
The Rams continue adding to a massive rookie class. After drafting 14 prospects last weekend, Los Angeles has announced the signing of a prodigious 26 undrafted free agents:
- LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, Incarnate Word
- K Tanner Brown, Oklahoma State
- WR Braxton Burmeister, San Diego State
- CB Timarcus Davis, Arizona State
- CB Tyon Davis, Tulsa
- S Collin Duncan, Mississippi State
- K Christopher Dunn, NC State
- RB Tiyon Evans, Louisville
- WR Tyler Hudson, Louisville
- S Tanner Ingle, NC State
- WR Sam James, West Virginia
- OLB Matthew Jester, Princeton
- S Quindell Johnson, Memphis
- CB Jordan Jones, Rhode Island
- C Sean Maginn, Wake Forest
- C Mike McAllister, Youngstown State
- CB Cameron McCutcheon, Western Carolina
- G Grant Miller, Baylor
- TE Christian Sims, Bowling Green
- LB Ryan Smenda, Wake Forest
- WR Xavier Smith, Florida A&M
- LB DeAndre Square, Kentucky
- S Rashad Torrence, Florida
- LS Alex Ward, UCF
- QB Dresser Winn, Tennessee-Martin
- LB Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
With former kicker Matt Gay now residing in Indianapolis, the Rams have resolved to a kicking competition between Brown and Dunn. Brown had a stellar year with the Cowboys converting 22 of 23 field goal attempts and making all 42 of his extra points. Dunn had an even better 2022, rebounding after 5 missed field goals in 2020 and six misses in 2021. He converted 28 of 29 field goal attempts in 2022 and, over five years with the Wolfpack, never missed one of his 200 extra point attempts.
Gay wasn’t the only special teamer Los Angeles lost. After losing Matthew Orzech to the Packers in free agency, the Rams will give Ward a run at the position. After drafting punter Ethan Evans in the seventh round, Los Angeles is set to have a full rookie special teams unit.
Winn joins the quarterback room behind Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett, and Brett Rypien. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards as a sixth-year senior for the Skyhawks with 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The Rams also signed Burmeister, a former starting quarterback at Virginia Tech who transferred to the other coast. Based on his listing with the Rams, he’ll be attempting to switch positions in the NFL.
With only eight linebackers under contract in a base 3-4 defense, the Rams supplemented heavily from the rookie class, drafting three and signing five more undrafted. They similarly added some significant depth at defensive back, drafting two and signing eight more undrafted.
The Rams have a substantial 40 rookies occupying roster spots on the current 90-man roster (which only holds 89 players as of right now). This seems to be a bit emblematic of the Rams recent all-in strategy that resulted in a Super Bowl but left them with a top-heavy roster with hefty contracts. Regardless, it presents many young rookies with clear opportunities for roster spots and playing time.