Colts Waive TE Kahale Warring
Kahale Warring has racked up quite the jersey collection. The Colts waived the tight end on Tuesday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), just days after picking him up from the Patriots. 
Scouts loved his potential coming out of San Diego State, but Warring has yet to produce as a pro. He had just three catches across two seasons for the Texans, most of which were spent on IR. Houston dropped the 2019 third-rounder earlier this month. He was then claimed by the Patriots, only to be dropped and picked up by the Colts this past weekend. Now, Indy has also dropped him from the roster.
The Saints also submitted a claim for Warring when the Texas waived him, so they might have some interest. Warring is still just 24, but it appears that he still hasn’t put it all together. Without Warring, the Colts will move forward with Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox, and fourth-round pick Kylen Granson as their TEs.
Browns To Release DL Sheldon Day
One of the many offseason Browns additions, Sheldon Day did not end up making the team’s initial 53-man roster. The Browns are releasing the veteran defensive lineman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Browns added Day in April and used him sparingly with their first-unit defensive line during training camp. But the former 49ers contributor did not end up lasting on a D-line that has several new pieces in place.
Cleveland signed Jadeveon Clowney, Takkarist McKinley and Malik Jackson this offseason. They also added former third-round pick Malik McDowell and have Andrew Billings back from a 2020 opt-out. Day ended up being one of the players axed to clear roster space.
Day spent the 2020 season with the Colts, moving to Indianapolis after three seasons in San Francisco. However, the Colts cut him during the season. The former 2016 Jaguars fourth-round pick has six career sacks. While he only has two regular-season starts in five years, Day lined up with the 49ers’ first-stringers three times during their 2019 postseason run.
Jaguars Cut S Josh Jones
The Jaguars will release safety Josh Jones (Twitter link via PFT). Jones started for the Jaguars last season, but he won’t be a part of Urban Meyer‘s revamped roster.
Meyer & Co. re-upped Jones in March on a one-year deal. In 2020, the safety started 13 games for the Jags, his most first-string work since going off the 2017 draft board in Round 2.
The Packers chose Jones 61st overall in 2017 but cut him ahead of the 2019 season. Jones, who started 12 games as a Packer from 2017-18, landed with the Cowboys but did not see much action in 2019. The Jaguars claimed Jones off waivers in December 2019 and turned to him during a grim 2020 season. The North Carolina State alum made 83 tackles and intercepted a pass in his lone Jags slate; Pro Football Focus graded Jones 89th overall among qualified safeties in 2020.
49ers To Cut Senio Kelemete
The 49ers will release offensive lineman Senio Kelemete en route to the 53-man deadline (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll likely reappear on the Niners’ 16-man practice squad, Pelissero hears.
Kelemete joined the Niners in June to provide some much needed OL depth in the wake of Justin Skule‘s season-ending ACL tear. However, the 49ers prefer the rest of their options at tackle and guard, including incumbent backup guard Tom Compton.
Kelemete came into the league as a fifth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2012. After one year in the desert, he spent the next five years with the Saints followed by three years with the Texans. He still had one year to go on his Texans deal, but they released him in February to save $1.73MM against the 2021 salary cap.
Kelemete appeared in 14 games with five starts for the Texans last season. For his career, he’s made 42 total starts at different positions along the offensive line. His versatility could make him an appealing pickup for other clubs, which would rule him out for the Niners’ taxi squad.
WFT Cuts DT Gabe Wright
The Washington Football Team will release defensive tackle Gabe Wright (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com). If he clears waivers, Washington will look to sign him to their 16-man practice squad.
Wright has bounced around the NFL since being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, spending time with six different teams. The last time he saw the field for an NFL game was 2018 when he got into a pair of contests with the Raiders. Since that time, he’s had a cameo in the XFL and a short stint with the Jaguars.
After joining Jacksonville’s practice squad in December, he was waived by the team back in March. In total, the 29-year-old has seen time in 15 games (one start), collecting 12 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Giants Cut RB Corey Clement
The Giants have released running back Corey Clement, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Clement looked strong early on in practice, but it appears that he was leapfrogged by Devontae Booker and Gary Brightwell. Booker and Brightwell now figure to serve as the top RBs behind star Saquon Barkley.
Clement is best known his Super Bowl LII touchdown and taking the Eagles’ “Philly Special” snap. He spent the last four years with the Birds, though his usage fluctuated over time. In 2019, he did not see a carry in four games. Last year, after Jordan Howard left, he still only saw 21 carries in 15 games, spending most of his time on special teams. The Giants picked him up in May but couldn’t find a place for him here in late August.
All in all, Clement has logged 655 yards and seven touchdowns off of 163 carries, plus 37 catches for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
Seahawks To Waive CB John Reid
John Reid has landed in the news a few times over the past several days. Shortly after acquiring the second-year cornerback via trade, the Seahawks are waiving him, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Amid a busy stretch for the Texans at cornerback, they shipped Reid to Seattle. While this trade did not lead to the 2020 fourth-round pick commandeering a roster spot, it would not be surprising if Reid landed on Seattle’s 16-man practice squad — should he clear waivers.
The Texans took Reid 141st overall in 2020 and used him in 13 games. Reid logged 145 defensive snaps during his rookie year. While the 5-foot-10 corner does not have much NFL experience, he did have a four-season role with the Nittany Lions, with whom he intercepted seven passes from 2015-19.
It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks’ cornerback group looks when they take the field in Week 1. They added Ahkello Witherspoon and used a fourth-round pick on Tre Brown this year, but the team did not do too much to address this position after Shaquill Griffin‘s free agency exit.
Bengals Release Michael Jordan
Tuesday marked the Last Dance in Cincinnati. The Bengals have waived former fourth-round pick and starting guard Michael Jordan (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
Jordan, 23, has appeared in 27 games for the Bengals over the last two years, including 19 starts. Of course, those weren’t great years for the Bengals’ front five.
This year, the Bengals invested a bit more in their O-Line, adding Riley Reiff at tackle while drafting Clemson’s Jackson Carman in Round 2.
The Bengals still have lots of cuts to make between now and 4pm ET/3pm CT. By that time, they’ll need to be at the league’s new 53-man roster maximum.
Falcons Cut 27 Players, Down To 53
The Falcons are down to 53. With several hours to go before the 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline, the Falcons have released 27 players to meet the new max.
Some of these players will re-appear on the Falcons’ 16-man practice squad, if they’re not scooped up by another team. None of the cuts are particularly surprising, though D’Onta Foreman‘s name stands out on this list. The former UT star is still looking to reprise his rookie year with the Texans when he notched 327 rushing yards and two scores in ten games. However, he’ll have to do it somewhere else.
For now, the Falcons are keeping both of their backup quarterbacks. That means Feleipe Franks and Josh Rosen could be on the roster for the season opener, backstopping Matt Ryan.
Here’s the full rundown:
- CB Delrick Abrams – Waived
- DL Eli Ankou – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- OL Willie Beavers – Waived
- WR Trevor Davis – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- DL Zac Dawe – Waived
- ILB Emmanuel Ellerbee – Waived
- RB D’Onta Foreman – Terminated, Vested Veteran
- OL Matt Gono – Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
- WR Juwan Green – Waived
- TE Parker Hesse – Reserve/COVID-19
- RB Caleb Huntley – Waived
- S Dwayne Johnson – Waived
- OLB Kobe Jones – Waived
- OL Sam Jones – Waived
- P Dom Maggio – Waived/Injured
- OL Ryan Neuzil – Waived
- WR Antonio Nunn – Waived
- S JR Pace – Waived
- TE John Raine – Waived
- WR Chris Rowland – Waived
- OL Joe Sculthorpe – Waived
- OLB Tuzar Skipper – Waived
- DL Chris Slayton – Waived
- OL Kion Smith – Waived
- ILB Erroll Thompson – Waived
- TE David Wells – Waived
- CB Chris Williamson – Waived
Michael Thomas Expected To Start Season On Saints’ PUP List
Michael Thomas‘ foot injury will sideline him for nearly eight more weeks. The Saints are expected to stash their All-Pro wide receiver on the reserve/PUP list, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The sixth-year standout underwent surgery later than the Saints wanted, causing a rift between the parties. While Thomas and Sean Payton are believed to be on better terms, the Saints will still be in line to play their first five games without their top wide receiver. Thomas must miss the first six weeks, but the Saints have a Week 6 bye. This could allow Thomas to play in New Orleans’ final 12 games.
New Orleans is transitioning to a new quarterback for the first time in 15 years, moving from Drew Brees to Jameis Winston. After the team rostered Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders last year, Winston will not have the same weapons Brees did. That said, Thomas missed much of the 2020 slate due to injuries and a one-game suspension. His stock has dipped a bit after posting back-to-back first-team All-Pro seasons and setting the NFL’s single-season reception record (149) in 2019.
In addition to Thomas’ absence, the Saints were without Tre’Quan Smith for a chunk of training camp. While Marquez Callaway has played well and stands to be a key target for Winston, the Sanders release and Thomas’ surgery decision will leave the Saints more vulnerable at wideout than they have been going into a season in many years.