Jaguars Cut WR Phillip Dorsett
The Jaguars are releasing Phillip Dorsett (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). As a vested veteran, the wide receiver will be free to sign with any club.
The ex-Patriots receiver made two trips to the Super Bowl (including a victory in Super Bowl LIII) during his time in New England. However, he struggled to climb the depth chart, as he hauled in only 73 total receptions for 881 yards and eight touchdowns in 45 games for the Patriots. Last spring, he hooked on with the Seahawks, but lost the year to injury. The Jaguars picked him this past spring, but he couldn’t crack the WR depth chart.
To date, 2016 stands as Dorsett’s most productive year. In 15 games with a career-high 7 starts, Dorsett caught 33 receptions for 528 yards and a pair of touchdowns with the Colts. He’ll look for work as the Jags move forward with D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault as their top WRs.
Chargers To Cut Michael Badgley
The Money Badger era in Los Angeles is over. The Chargers are cutting kicker Michael Badgley, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It appears that Tristan Vizcaino has won the competition to be Los Angeles’ starting kicker this season. A 2018 UDFA from Miami, Badgley had a lot of success as a rookie after he was signed by the Chargers midway through the year, and it initially looked like they’d found a diamond in the rough. He quickly became a fan favorite while making 15/16 field goals, including a 59-yarder.
In 2019 he missed eight games with an injury, and regressed a bit when on the field. This past season, he regressed a lot more. He struggled the whole season, making only 24 of 33 field goal attempts and 36 of 39 extra points. He missed some crucial kicks, including one at the end of regulation that would’ve given the Chargers a huge win over the Saints early in the season on Monday Night Football.
They went on to lose in overtime. Vizcaino was also a 2018 UDFA and he’s spent a lot of time on offseason rosters, but has only ever kicked in one regular season game. That came last year with the 49ers, when he made all three field goal attempts and both extra points.
Ravens To Trade OL Ben Bredeson To Giants
For the second straight day, the Giants are acquiring a former Big Ten offensive lineman from an AFC North team. Tuesday’s move: trading for Ravens second-year blocker Ben Bredeson, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Even after the Giants acquired Billy Price (Ohio State) from the Bengals, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano noted the team was searching for more help up front. Big Blue will give Bredeson a shot. The teams will swap picks in this deal, per Schefter (on Twitter). The Ravens will receive a 2022 fourth-round pick for Bredeson and will send a 2022 fifth-rounder and a 2023 seventh to the Giants, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
A Michigan product who went in the 2020 fourth round, Bredeson played in 10 games for the Ravens last season. With the Ravens signing ex-Giants guard Kevin Zeitler, their guard group is a bit deeper than it was a season ago. The Giants have struggled up front during training camp and the preseason slate, and they now have a second new interior blocker to help the cause.
Bredeson was a four-year starter at left guard for the Wolverines and should be in line to back up Will Hernandez and Shane Lemieux with the Giants. Three years remain on Bredeson’s rookie contract; Price’s deal runs through 2021.
This marks the third Ravens trade in the past five days. Evidently pleased with its depth, Baltimore sent rookie cornerback Shaun Wade to the Patriots and dealt center Greg Mancz to the Dolphins.
Colts To Cut Brett Hundley
The Colts clearly aren’t too concerned about Carson Wentz‘s foot, or his vaccination status. Indianapolis is waiving fellow quarterback Brett Hundley, a source told Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
The move comes even after sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for at least the early part of the season, so they must really not be concerned. It also suggests the team is pretty comfortable with 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, since he’ll be the only other healthy quarterback behind Wentz on the initial 53-man roster.
This suggests that Wentz’s foot will be all healed up and ready to go by Week 1. After Wentz’s injury originally had a harsher prognosis, the team signed Hundley just to give them some semblance of a veteran presence. A fifth-round pick of the Packers out of UCLA back in 2015, Hundley had some serious buzz around him for a while after some strong preseason performances.
But when he was forced to start nine games in 2017 in place of an injured Aaron Rodgers, he fell flat on his face, ruining his stock. He spent the past few seasons as a backup with the Seahawks and Cardinals. Considering he was unsigned until the last day of July, his phone won’t be ringing off the hook now that he’s a free agent again.
Eagles To Waive WR Travis Fulgham
For an Eagles receiving corps decimated by injury last season, Travis Fulgham played a big role. But the team did not see enough this year to carry the young pass catcher onto its 53-man roster.
The Eagles are waiving Fulgham, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. While the former sixth-round pick could end up on Philadelphia’s practice squad, he will be an interesting name on the waiver wire. Fulgham is attached to an $850K base salary for this season. He will be a restricted free agent in 2022.
With Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Jalen Reagor down for a stretch last season, Fulgham stepped up. He caught a game-winning touchdown pass to help the depleted Eagles past the 49ers and ended his season with 38 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to last season, however, Fulgham had never caught a pass as a pro.
Philly has since made some moves at receiver, most notably drafting DeVonta Smith in the first round. The team still has Reagor, its 2020 first-round pick, along with J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2, 2019) and 2020 sixth-round pick Quez Watkins.
Saints To Release Trevor Siemian, Expected To Bring Him Back
The Saints are releasing quarterback Trevor Siemian… but he’s not going anywhere. New Orleans will cut the veteran, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets, “but they plan to bring him back later in the week after rosters settle.”
It sounds like a procedural move for the Saints. Once they place some other guys on IR or whatnot they’ll be able to add Siemian back. Since he’s a vested veteran he will become a free agent and won’t be subjected to waivers, so there’s no risk for New Orleans. Bringing him back means the Saints will be keeping four passers on their 53-man roster, a rare but not unprecedented decision.
Siemian is expected to operate as Jameis Winston‘s backup on game days. Taysom Hill plays a variety of other roles when not starting under center, including on special teams, leaving him unable to prepare as the backup throughout the week in practice. The Saints also have fourth-round rookie Ian Book on the roster, who apparently isn’t quite ready to hold Winston’s clipboard.
Siemian was a seventh-round pick of the Broncos in 2015 who improbably became Denver’s starter after Peyton Manning retired. He started 24 games for the Broncos between 2016-17, and has bounced around with a few different teams as a backup or third-string since losing that gig. His only recent live action came in one start with the Jets in 2019, when he suffered a devastating ankle injury after attempting only six passes.
Browns Set Initial 53-Man Roster
The Browns became the second team to move their roster down to the required 53-man max. They began paring their roster to the regular-season limit Monday. While waiver claims could change the equation, here are the cuts Cleveland made to reach 53 Tuesday:
Released:
- LB Elijah Lee
- OT Alex Taylor (released from IR via injury settlement)
Waived:
- S Elijah Benton
- WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
- WR KhaDarel Hodge
- DE Joe Jackson
- RB John Kelly
- C Javon Patterson
- FB Johnny Stanton IV
Placed on IR:
Absent from these cuts are two defensive line reclamation projects. Both Takk McKinley and Malik McDowell have made the team. The latter’s journey back represents the latest step in a long road. McDowell saw an ATV accident during his first NFL offseason sidetrack his career. Prison time followed for a DUI arrest from 2019. The No. 35 overall pick in 2017, McDowell has never played a regular-season game. McKinley bounced around last year, being jettisoned from the Falcons, Bengals and 49ers. The former first-round pick later landed on the Raiders’ IR list but caught on with the Browns this year.
Hodge should be expected to stay in Cleveland via the practice squad, but the Browns have a deep receiver group. A Browns backup wideout in 2019 and ’20, Hodge has 15 catches for 256 yards as a member of the team. The Browns added Lee last year, using him in eight games as a backup and special-teamer. He is a vested veteran and will avoid waivers. All eight members of the Browns’ 2021 draft class made the roster.
Patriots Expected To Release Nick Folk
Cam Newton isn’t the only long-time veteran getting the boot from the Patriots on Tuesday. New England is expected to make rookie Quinn Nordin their new kicker, thus paving the way for the release of Nick Folk, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Folk entered the league back in 2007 and spent his first few years as the Cowboys’ kicker, although he’s most well-known for being the Jets’ kicker for seven seasons from 2010-16. After his last season with New York he had a few games with the Bucs, but then found himself out of the league.
After spending all of 2018 out of football, he signed with the ill-fated AAF in 2019. He managed to find his way back to the NFL in October of 2019 when the Patriots cut Mike Nugent, and he was the kicker in all 16 of New England’s games last year. He was solid, making 26 of 28 field goals and 30 of 33 extra point attempts.
Nonetheless he’s never had the biggest leg, and it seems like Bill Belichick wanted a younger option with more upside. Folk will turn 37 in November. Nordin is an UDFA rookie from Michigan.
Panthers Release CB Rashaan Melvin
Rashaan Melvin‘s path back to a regular-season game took a detour Tuesday. The Panthers made the veteran cornerback part of their final cuts as they move closer to a 53-man roster.
The Panthers signed Melvin in March, adding the well-traveled cover man shortly after the Jaguars cut him. Jacksonville’s new regime released Melvin after he opted out of the 2020 season, and Carolina represented a chance for the six-year vet to return to action.
Not counting the Jaguars or Panthers, Melvin has been with five teams — the Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Raiders and Lions — but has yet to be on the same team three years running. After playing well with the Colts in 2017, Melvin bounced off the Raiders and Lions’ rosters after one season.
Carolina added A.J. Bouye this offseason and has Donte Jackson returning for his fourth season. Otherwise, this is a young Panthers corner group. Bouye is also set to begin this season late due to a suspension.
Giants To Cut Ifeadi Odenigbo
Despite the Giants signing Ifeadi Odenigbo early in free agency, they did not find room for the veteran pass rusher on their 53-man roster. The Giants are cutting the former Vikings starter, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.
Odenigbo started last season with Minnesota and was effective off the bench in 2019, posting seven sacks that year. The former seventh-round pick registered 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
The Giants guaranteed Odenigbo $1MM, so that will go as dead money on their 2021 cap sheet. The team had dropped Odenigbo to its third-team defense, with lower-profile rushers surpassing him on the depth chart. While the Giants continue to have questions about their outside linebacker position, the ex-Viking defensive end will not be a part of Big Blue’s pass-rushing effort.
Recent second-day draft choices are in position lead the Giants’ edge corps, which has not housed a big-name presence since the Olivier Vernon trade. The Giants have former third-rounders Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximenes and second-round rookie Azeez Ojulari set to spearhead their outside linebacker group.