Titans Trim Roster To 75 Players
The Titans have made their final four transactions to get down to 75 players on their roster before this afternoon’s deadline, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (via Twitter). In addition to confirming the previously-reported release of defensive tackle Toby Johnson, Wyatt says the club has waived safety Josh Aubrey and tight end Tevin Westbrook, and has placed wide receiver Andrew Turzilli and linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil on injured reserve.
It’s the second wave of cuts for Tennessee, after the team announced 10 roster moves on Sunday. The most notable transaction in that bunch was the release of veteran offensive lineman Fernando Velasco, who has started 37 games over the course of his NFL career, including 19 with the Titans.
The team will have to make 22 more cuts before Saturday, when 53-man rosters are due.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/31/15
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Bills announced that they have designated wide receiver Austin Willis as waived/injured.
- Defensive end Camaron Beard will re-join the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. Beard will take the roster spot made vacant by Monday’s Josh Scobee trade.
- The Chargers cut Forrestal Hickman, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The offensive tackle, who is listed as 6’7″ and 320 lbs, signed on with the Bolts in June.
- Toby Johnson has been released by the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (on Twitter). The defensive tackle was signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2015.
- The Ravens placed Darryl Baldwin, Allen Reisner, Chris Greenwood, and Steven Means on IR, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Titans Cut 10 Players
The Titans announced that they’ve waived 10 players in advance of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline:
- Nate Askew, LB
- Will Brown, CB
- Dezmond Johnson, LB
- Tebucky Jones, WR
- Deon Long, WR
- Derrick Lott, DE
- Justin McCray, G
- Mike Meyer, K
- Chaz Sutton, LB
- Fernando Velasco, C
The 30-year-old Velasco is the most notable name here, as he boasts 37 career starts. He began his career with the Titans, starting all 16 games at center during the 2012 season.
AFC Notes: Levitre, Brown, Raiders, Dolphins
Big money guard Andy Levitre isn’t starting for the Titans in the preseason for the second straight week, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of making the team, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole expects the team to release him, and picks the Dolphins and Eagles as possible landing spots.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- The Texans released Stevie Brown earlier today, and Tania Ganguli of ESPN writes that the timing is interesting because it was clear he wouldn’t make the team but the early release will help him find work elsewhere (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds that there could be better opportunities for playing time elsewhere in the league (via Twitter).
- Speaking of Brown, the Raiders could be in play for his services, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). The Raiders were in play for him in free agency, and still have a need at the position.
- The Dolphins went all in this offseason for Ndamukong Suh, and could sacrifice buying potential in future offseasons due to the amount of money they committed to the All-Pro defensive tackle. However, the future could still be bright if they can develop their young talent, as James Walker of ESPN notes that the team is rich with under-25 talent on the roster, ranking second in the NFL by Football Outsiders (subscription required). The Cowboys are the only team with better young talent.
Justin Hunter Charge Reduced To Misdemeanor
Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter will no longer face a felony charge for an incident that took place in a Virginia Beach bar on the Fourth of July weekend, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com. As McCormick details, prosecution will now only pursue a misdemeanor assault and battery charge, rather than the felony malicious wounding charge Hunter was initially facing.
During a July arraignment, prosecutors said that Hunter started a bar fight on July 3 by punching a man in the face twice. According to prosecutors, after the bar was cleared, Hunter punched the man again while he was bent over spitting out blood on the sidewalk. The man allegedly had a broken jaw as a result of the assault.
Had he been found guilty on the felony charge of malicious wounding, Hunter would have been facing five to 20 years in prison and a $100K fine, whereas the penalty for a misdemeanor assault and battery charge will be significantly less.
Still, the NFL is looking into the incident, and while the distinction between a felony and misdemeanor has a significant impact in court, it may not significantly affect the suspension Hunter may be facing. The league figures to let the legal process play out before announcing any discipline for the Titans wideout, so it’s possible he won’t be suspended until the 2016 season if the NFL determines he violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
With legal issues clouding Hunter’s future off the field, he’ll have to perform well on the field this season to have a future with the Titans. The 24-year-old was viewed as a potential breakout candidate last year, but battled injuries and complied just 498 yards and three touchdowns on 28 receptions.
Extra Points: McCourty, Levitre, Broncos
The Rams announced today that they have hired Bud Sasser as their External Football Affairs Coordinator. The wide receiver, as you might recall, was the team’s sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. However, the Rams learned that he would be unable to take the field due to a previously unknown pre-existing heart condition. Despite that, the team signed him to a contract that paid him a signing bonus of more than $113K before releasing him with the non-football related illness designation in June. Now, he’ll work for the organization in a different capacity.
Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- After undergoing groin surgery, Titans cornerback Jason McCourty could be out for the first three games of the season and return after the team’s bye week, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Andy Levitre, who signed a blockbuster six-year, $46.8MM free-agent contract in 2013 with the Titans, is openly wondering if there is a spot for him on the team’s roster, David Climer of The Tennessean writes. “If it doesn’t work out here, there’s other places,” Levitre said. Levitre has started all 32 games since joining the Titans but has not lived up to expectations.
- The Broncos‘ signing of Evan Mathis could hurt Ben Garland‘s chances of making the roster, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets.
Hakeem Nicks, James Jones Drawing Interest
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Deonte Thompson, and Vincent Brown are among the wide receivers drawing interest around the NFL as potential release candidates, in that order. He adds that the Panthers, Ravens, Packers are a few of the teams considering adding wideouts as the season draws near.
The Panthers, of course, are in the market for a reliable target after Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending injury. The Ravens could also use a receiver with promising rookie Breshad Perriman currently sidelined. And the Packers are undoubtedly scouring the market for options now that Jordy Nelson is confirmed to be done for the 2015 season. While sources tell Cole that Nicks will generally get the most attention of this quartet, the Packers are more interested in Jones that the rest of the bunch, due in part to their familiarity with him.
Nicks, 27, first reached unrestricted free agency in March 2014, and signed a modest one-year contract with the Colts after spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Giants. While fellow 2009 first-round wideout Jeremy Maclin parlayed a one-year, prove-it deal in 2014 into a huge, long-term contract, Nicks was unable to do the same in Indianapolis. Currently, Nicks is on a one-year deal with the Titans that holds a modest guarantee and he could be days away from hitting the open market again.
Jones had 73 catches for 666 yards and six touchdowns last season with the Raiders in 2014. This offseason, the veteran hooked on with the Giants and it has been widely speculated that he could be released before the final rosters are set. His best individual output came in 2013, when he hauled in 64 passes for 784 yards and a career-best 14 TDs for the Packers.
South Notes: Pagano, Titans, Mathis, Panthers
Expectations are high in Indianapolis this season, with Colts owner Jim Irsay suggesting that he’d like to see his team win “at least two world championships” while Andrew Luck is the quarterback. Those high expectations, combined with the fact that Chuck Pagano is entering the final year of his contract, could mean it’s a “Super Bowl or bust” season for the Colts’ head coach, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
La Canfora hears that there’s “consistent chatter” around the Colts about possible tension between Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson, who haven’t always seen eye to eye on staff decisions — per La Canfora, Grigson strongly supported Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator, while Pagano was more inclined to go with Rob Chudzinski.
I’m skeptical that Irsay and the Colts are drawing a hard “Super Bowl or bust” line with Pagano, but it’s somewhat surprising that the two sides haven’t been able to work out a new deal yet. As we wait to see what this season brings for Pagano and his team, let’s round up a few more Friday notes from around the NFL’s two South divisions….
- The Titans are monitoring Evan Mathis‘ situation, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who suggests Tennessee’s interest in the veteran guard could intensify if the team’s offensive line play doesn’t improve in this weekend’s preseason game vs. the Rams.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates examines the Panthers‘ options for replacing Kelvin Benjamin, wondering if the Colts might be a logical trade partner — players like Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter may find themselves pushed far down on Indianapolis’ depth chart, with T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett expected to be the club’s top three wideouts. For what it’s worth, Carolina was one of the teams interested in Carter before he signed with the Colts.
- Jim Woodcock, spokesman for Jaguars owner Shad Kahn, denied an international report claiming that the Jaguars have extended their deal with London’s Wembley Stadium through the 2030 season, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. However, Woodcock added that discussions for the team to continue its London series “have been frequent and promising.”
Titans Sign Andy Studebaker
MONDAY, 10:12am: The Titans have offically signed Studebaker, waiving wide receiver Clyde Gates in the corresponding roster move, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).
SUNDAY, 7:43pm: The Titans and free agent linebacker Andy Studebaker have agreed to a deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement have not yet been released.
Tennessee is familiar with Studebaker from his time with the AFC South rival Colts, whom he played for the last two seasons. Studebaker appeared in 24 regular-season games for the Colts and made 27 tackles. The 29-year-old earned praise from Pro Football Focus for his performance in 2014 – the website (subscription required) graded him as the Colts’ best defender against the run.
Prior to his time with the Colts, Studebaker spent five seasons with the Chiefs. He played college football at Division III Wheaton and was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2008.
AFC Links: Mettenberger, Manziel, Cyprien, Broncos
After an impressive showing Friday night behind already-anointed starter Marcus Mariota, Zach Mettenberger should be a Bills or Jets trade target, offers Louis Riddick of ESPN.com.
But the value the Titans would extract in such an exchange wouldn’t equal what they’ll receive with the second-year quarterback serving as key depth behind the No. 2 overall pick, writes Riddick’s ESPN cohort, Paul Kuharsky.
The ESPN Titans reporter notes Mettenberger’s value will go up in time and trading him for what could amount to merely a conditional draft pick now won’t outweigh having a potentially talented backup in case Mariota struggles or experiences health concerns.
Let’s look at some more news from around the AFC.
- Joining Julius Thomas as an injury-induced preseason spectator will be Jaguars starting safety Jonathan Cyprien, who will miss August with a broken finger in his right hand sustained Friday night, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The 2013 second-rounder’s Week 1 status is uncertain, but Cyprien did play through the injury Friday night and won’t require surgery. Jags coach Gus Bradley is optimistic both will be available, however, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Mike Pettine admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated he fired quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains due to Johnny Manziel not being held accountable for a disastrous rookie season, notes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “What we did not do a good enough job here [last year], not nearly a good enough job, is holding [Manziel] accountable, even when he wasn’t the guy,” Pettine told Sports Illustrated. “That’s the main reason why I made the switch at the QB coach position.” The Browns now have 30-year-old Kevin O’Connell in charge of Manziel’s development.
- The Browns’ coach has been publicly challenging players all week, noting his disagreement with Justin Gilbert‘s “flawless” assessment of his play Thursday night, per Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald.
- The Broncos‘ hopes at attaining a third Super Bowl title hinge on their defense making good on expectations, unlike last year, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. They bring back most of the starting unit, with Terrance Knighton‘s nose tackle spot being the most noticeable void.
- Dan Herron shouldn’t expect to serve in any type of committee with Frank Gore this season, and the fourth-year runner may not have a claim to the third-down back role he occupied at the end of last season, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Herron did catch 21 passes last season despite starting just three games, while Gore snagged 11 throughout the season.