NFL Teams Discussion | Other Teams News And Transactions

[ChargersPowderBlue]

It makes 100% sense they would.

The GM should be responsible for acquiring talent, but the coaches should have final say to demand: this guy ain't cutting it. I really believe if Staley was adamant against a player...Telesco would oblige.

All those years wasted with Lynn and Mccoy. It's great having a coach who actually has a direction and knows how to build a roster.

[jamrock]

What if that AFC team is the Bolts?

I would trade Joey for Nick.

[Velo]

Yes, there is a good working relationship between Staley and Telesco, and I think Telesco allows Staley to drive the decision-making process on player acquisition in FA and the draft. Baby Spanos is just along for the ride. I also think Kellen Moore is involved, and was behind the decision to draft two WR and land Milton Wright as a UDFA after he wasn't drafted in the supplemental draft.

Staley is for sure more involved in personnel decisions IMO than Norv, McCoy or Lynn.

[21&500]

I would trade Joey for Nick.

Wouldn't be enough.
are you willing to throw a 1st and pay Nick?
partly with his brother's money? Haha

[21&500]

The Athletic:

On Tuesday, NFL teams had to meet a single deadline to cut their preseason rosters down to 53 active or inactive players. That meant a massive amount of talented player depth coming on the market all at once.

Players who are put on waivers can be claimed by noon ET Wednesday, and after that, each team is able to set its 16-player practice squad.

ADVERTISEMENT


Which cut players figure to be most in demand? The Athletic’s NFL staff dug into their camp notes and observations to identify one player from every team who should not be out of work for long. Arizona Cardinals


Colt McCoy was a surprise not so much because of his talent but because of Arizona’s quarterback situation. With Kyler Murray recovering from ACL surgery, McCoy, a career backup, was expected to run the offense for however long it was necessary. Cutting him gives the Cardinals less than two weeks to decide between Joshua Dobbs and rookie Clayton Tune. Defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence also deserves mention, mostly because he was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and has started 13 games over three seasons. But Lawrence has struggled to stay healthy and never seemed to find a place in Arizona’s new defensive scheme. — Doug Haller Atlanta Falcons


Defensive tackle Timmy Horne, 6-feet-4, 323 pounds, came to Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 2022 but immediately made an impact, playing in all 17 games and starting five while compiling 27 tackles. He was cut Tuesday because the Falcons added Calais Campbell, David Onyemata and Bud Dupree during free agency, not because his own play regressed. If Horne isn’t picked up by another team, he’ll probably land back in Atlanta on the practice squad. — Josh Kendall Baltimore Ravens


The most accomplished player the Ravens released is running back Melvin Gordon, but he also spent part of last season on a practice squad. The most promising player the Ravens let go was Travis Vokolek, an undrafted tight end from Nebraska who had two preseason touchdowns and made a play seemingly every day at training camp. The Ravens were set at tight end with star Mark Andrews and two recent fourth-round picks, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, on the roster. However, Vokolek had the look of a player who could develop into a contributor somewhere. The former Rutgers transfer had modest college numbers (Nebraska’s shaky quarterback situation last year didn’t help), but he is 6-feet-6, 260 pounds with solid athleticism and good hands. — Jeff Zrebiec Buffalo Bills


Although Andy Isabella has become a bit of a journeyman, he went from a late-summer addition to nearly making the 53-man roster outright. Isabella showed excellent quickness and route running out of the slot receiver position, and franchise quarterback Josh Allen constantly complimented Isabella’s efforts. The Bills have a pair of players heading to injured reserve, so Isabella may end up re-signing in Buffalo on Wednesday. If he does, an honorable mention is rookie guard Nick Broeker. The Bills took him in the 2023 seventh round and did not play him in the preseason finale, perhaps trying to hide Broeker to get him to their practice squad. — Joe Buscaglia Carolina Panthers


I posed this question to a veteran talent evaluator. His response: “Not an impressive list” of Panthers’ cuts. I narrowed it to cornerback Keith Taylor and wide receiver Shi Smith, both part of the 2021 draft class in Matt Rhule’s second season. I gave the edge to Taylor mainly because every team’s looking for corners. Taylor, a fifth-round pick from Washington, looks the part with a long, 6-3 frame and enough speed. But his coverage skills need serious work, as he was burned repeatedly by Mike Evans in a big Week 17 game at Tampa last season. — Joe Person Chicago Bears


Despite not being a natural scheme fit for what the Bears want in their 4-3 defense, all edge Trevis Gipson did this preseason was rack up four QB hits and a strip-sack. Granted, it came mainly against backups and third-stringers, as he was buried on the depth chart, but production still matters. He had seven sacks in 2021 and 11 QB hits in 2022. He has positional versatility, but that may have hurt him. He never got comfortable in one spot. — Kevin Fishbain


Other players might warrant more attention because of their positional value, but nobody cut Tuesday contributed more to Bengals’ wins and losses the past two years than wide receiver/special teams player Stanley Morgan. He plays one of the most important positions on all four special teams groups, has been arguably Cincinnati’s best special teams player overall and was a favorite teammate inside the locker room. Lack of value as a wide receiver hurt his case. “He’s been the juice behind what we do,” special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said. — Paul Dehner Jr. Cleveland Browns


Michael Dunn, who’s played in 28 career games and made four starts, can play either guard spot and center. Dunn started a playoff game following the 2020 season and had been the Browns’ top interior backup the past two seasons when he was healthy. He started all four preseason games this summer, so any potential suitor will have fresh film to study. He’s not subject to waivers. — Zac Jackson Dallas Cowboys


LB Jabril Cox and third-string QB Will Grier are the more popular names. Cox was a 2021 fourth-round pick who hasn’t been the same since a season-ending knee injury two years ago. Grier was outstanding in Dallas’ final preseason game, throwing for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns while also running for two more TDs. He could have backup potential on another roster. But if the Cowboys could get one player back, it would likely be tight end Sean McKeon. He’s just solid at all aspects of the position. He has played in 36 games the past three seasons. He only caught six passes in that time, but he’s a solid reserve who also brings value on special teams. — Jon Machota Denver Broncos


The answer here would have been fourth-year tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, who had seven catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s preseason finale Saturday, but the Broncos found a trade partner in the Eagles before officially waiving him. So we’ll go with Kendall Hinton, who was known as the guy who played emergency quarterback for the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2020 before ultimately finding a role as a wide receiver. Hinton caught 39 passes for 486 yards and a touchdown the past two seasons and became a significant contributor on special teams. He was a beloved member of Denver’s locker room, but this offseason coach Sean Payton targeted depth additions who had played in his system — Marquez Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey — and also drafted Marvin Mims in the second round, leaving Hinton with a tough path to the roster. — Nick Kosmider Detroit Lions


The Lions have better offensive line depth than most teams. They have a strong top six in Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Penei Sewell, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Graham Glasgow. Rookie Colby Sorsdal and Matt Nelson were the final two offensive linemen on Detroit’s initial roster, beating out veteran Germain Ifedi. In terms of league-wide appeal, Ifedi — a former first-round pick with 83 career starts under his belt — is sure to be an attractive option for teams in the market for offensive line help. — Colton Pouncy Green Bay Packers


The Packers’ biggest surprise during cutdowns was the release of the veteran punter Pat O’Donnell, who’s entering his 10th year in the league and was solid last season in Green Bay after eight years with the Bears. His release was a byproduct of the Packers’ youth movement, but he can still start for an NFL team and doesn’t go on waivers because of his vested veteran status. — Matthew Schneidman Houston Texans


Cory Littleton, a former Pro Bowl linebacker, had signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Texans this offseason but is not one of the six linebackers who made the roster. Littleton spent last season with Carolina, starting 15 games and recording 47 tackles and half a sack. — Mike Jones Indianapolis Colts


Cornerback Darius Rush was a projected 2023 second- or third-round pick by The Athletic’s draft guru Dane Brugler, but the former South Carolina cornerback slipped to the fifth round. He seemed like a steal for the Colts at the time, so his being cut Tuesday was surprising. Injuries hindered Rush’s transition to the NFL this summer, but he did have a pick-six in Indianapolis’ preseason opener, and his 4.36-second 40-yard dash should help him latch on quickly somewhere else. — James Boyd


Wide receiver Seth Williams, who spent last season on the Jaguars’ practice squad, had a strong summer, but there is ample talent ahead of him on the depth chart. The Auburn product and 2021 sixth-round pick of the Broncos tied for the Jags’ team lead with seven receptions for 109 yards in the preseason. — Jeff Howe Kansas City Chiefs


In a bit of a surprise, the Chiefs released running back La’Mical Perine, a second-year player who did move up the team’s depth chart during the preseason. In three exhibitions, Perine showed his strong pass-blocking skills while generating 147 all-purpose yards on 20 touches, including a touchdown in Saturday’s preseason finale. As a free agent, Perine offers a quality mix of speed, toughness and all-around skills to be a serviceable backup. — Nate Taylor Las Vegas Raiders


Thirty-year-old Phillip Dorsett was arguably the fastest man on the roster, had a good training camp and preseason and was thought to be a good fit given the lack of another deep threat and his ties to Josh McDaniels. Keelan Cole, a six-year veteran who had a key touchdown in the win against the Patriots last season, was also cut and should be able to find a spot elsewhere, while the hope is that the Raiders can get Dorsett on the practice squad and elevate him on game days whenever needed. — Vic Tafur Los Angeles Chargers


Zack Bailey played right guard and both tackle spots for the Chargers during camp and the preseason. He blocked really well at all three positions, particularly in the run game. The Chargers opted to keep 2021 fifth-round pick Brenden Jaimes over Bailey, a surprising decision. Bailey has not played any regular season offensive snaps in his career, but he should be able to provide another team with solid O-line depth considering his growth and performance this summer. — Daniel Popper Los Angeles Rams


Some of this is based on productivity in practices, but some of it is based on the fact that I believe the Rams would like to bring Tyler Johnson, a veteran receiver, back into the mix as depth as the season progresses. He mostly worked with backup quarterback Stetson Bennett in camp and was a steady presence for the quarterback and some of the younger receivers. Roster math is the reason he was cut — the Rams kept 10 offensive linemen, four running backs and four tight ends, a rarity for a Sean McVay-led team. Johnson signed a one-year deal on the veteran minimum in the spring. — Jourdan Rodrigue Miami Dolphins


Even without the headline addition of a superstar like Jonathan Taylor, the Dolphins still have a talented backfield, and Myles Gaskin was the odd man out. Solid veterans Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert, along with exciting rookie De’Von Achane, will split the workload in Miami, and that just didn’t leave a lot of time for Gaskin, who should find a new home as a solid change-of-pace back. The 26-year-old hauled in 41 and 49 passes in 2020 and 2021, respectively, so a team in need of a capable pass catcher out of the backfield should value the 2019 seventh-round pick. — Jim Ayello


None of the Vikings’ roster moves were shocking, but waiving cornerback Joejuan Williams was a tad surprising. The Vikings had signed the former Patriots second-round pick, and Williams had begun training camp with the starters. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 212 pounds, possessing the type of length and jamming ability that would intrigue defensive coordinator Brian Flores. In the end, though, the Vikings elected to move on, mostly as a byproduct of their trust in their safety room. The team is destined to keep six safeties (Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward and Lewis Cine), and Flores has shown a willingness to play with as many as four on the field at one time. — Alec Lewis New England Patriots


In a complete shock, the Patriots waived Bailey Zappe, a 2022 fourth-round pick who won both games he started for the Pats last season. The team has a slew of injuries on the offensive line and needed to make room for them on the 53-man roster before being able to place players on injured reserve, so they had to get creative with moves like cutting Zappe. But it’s a risky one. They’d like him back on the practice squad, but another team might be enticed by his rookie season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Zappe was good enough in his two spot starts for the injured Mac Jones last season that there was briefly a debate over which of them would be the team’s starting quarterback this season. Zappe completed 71 percent of his passes and threw five touchdowns (and three interceptions) in 92 attempts last season. It’s not often a second-year quarterback who has made NFL starts (let alone won them) hits waivers, so Zappe’s case will be an interesting one to follow. — Chad Graff New Orleans Saints


The Saints made a slew of moves that might not have been expected with changes at kicker (Blake Grupe from Wil Lutz — traded to Denver), punter (Lou Hedley from Blake Gillikin) and linebacker (Jaylon Smith). But letting a viable defender like Bradley Roby walk topped them all. The 31-year-old cornerback yielded a very good opposing passer rating in 2022 at 79.4. I’m assuming New Orleans tried to trade Roby. But the Saints seem ready to go with 2022 second-round pick Alontae Taylor as the team’s nickel cornerback with Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo as the primary defenders on the outside. Roby should land on another team quickly. — Larry Holder New York Giants


Linebacker Darrian Beavers became the first pick of the Giants’ new front-office regime to be waived. The 2022 sixth-round pick tore his ACL last preseason and returned to compete for the starting linebacker spot opposite new addition Bobby Okereke. Instead, Micah McFadden won the job early in camp. But Beavers’ cut was still unexpected given expectations for him this summer. He’s yet to play a regular-season NFL game, but he could be an interesting pickup for another team. Another surprise cut who might make a good fit elsewhere is Tyre Phillips, who can play offensive tackle and guard. — Charlotte Carroll New York Jets


After Breece Hall went down last year — and Michael Carter proved ineffective — Zonovan Knight emerged as the Jets’ best running back option. In Knight’s first three games, he rushed for 230 yards, averaged five yards per carry and scored two touchdowns, adding 10 catches as a receiver, too. Then his production fell off (70 yards in the final four games, 1.8 yards per carry). This offseason when the Jets got Hall back and signed Dalvin Cook, Knight fell behind Carter on the depth chart and ended the preseason on the outside looking in. — Zack Rosenblatt Philadelphia Eagles


The Eagles signed Nicholas Morrow to a one-year deal this offseason with the hope that he could win a starting job at linebacker. With 46 career starts in five NFL seasons, he was the most experienced linebacker on the depth chart at the start of training camp. But he could not stand out among an uninspiring group, and he lost his grip on the starting job when Philadelphia added Zach Cunningham earlier this month. The Eagles decided not to keep Morrow on the roster as a backup, going with only three linebackers and cutting the 28-year-old. — Zach Berman Pittsburgh Steelers


With the Steelers trading offensive linemen Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green, the already tight roster didn’t have much room for surprising moves. Zach Gentry — a blocking tight end who signed in the spring on a one-year deal — was pretty much the best player on the roster who didn’t land on the 53. Gentry had 38 catches in 34 games played the past two years, and his 6-8, 270-pound frame made him a short-yardage and goal-line blocking star. — Mark Kaboly


Cornerback D’Shawn Jamison was the team’s best undrafted rookie throughout the spring and summer. Jamison doesn’t have tremendous size at 5-9 and 186 pounds. But he was sticky in coverage throughout practices, getting his hand on numerous passes. The 49ers seemed to have an opening at nickel cornerback but not outside cornerback, where Jamison spent most of training camp. — Matt Barrows Seattle Seahawks


SaRodorick Thompson Jr. is an undrafted rookie running back from Texas Tech who led the Seahawks in rushing during the preseason with 81 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. He also caught a pass on a successful two-point attempt. Because of how easy it is for running backs to acclimate to the NFL, Thompson would be one of the easier plug-and-play options for a team in need of a ball carrier. Another option for a team in need of an offensive weapon would be fourth-year receiver Easop Winston Jr., Seattle’s second-leading wideout in the preseason (6 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD). — Michael-Shawn Dugar Tampa Bay Buccaneers


The Bucs’ depth at wide receiver took a hit when Russell Gage was injured, but they still decided to cut David Moore. The team signed Moore in the offseason partly because he was familiar with the system of new offensive coordinator Dave Canales from their time together in Seattle. Moore, who has 4.43 speed, spent four seasons with the Seahawks, catching 78 passes for 1,163 yards. He had short stays with the Panthers, Raiders, Broncos, Packers and Bears the past two seasons. — Dan Pompei Tennessee Titans


This will be a good test of how closely other teams are paying attention, because the Titans love defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, have seen him improve tremendously and can see a future for him on the field. He’s a versatile tweener at 6-feet-1, 269 pounds who can move inside and outside, and he’s probably on this roster if not for the Titans’ abundance of quality depth up front — and the fact that undrafted rookie Caleb Murphy was too effective as a pass rusher in camp to risk putting on waivers. Okuayinonu has a practice squad reservation if someone doesn’t pluck him away. — Joe Rexrode Washington Commanders


Another running back, Jonathan Williams, would be the answer if he didn’t suffer an injury in the final preseason game. It’s likely ex-Chiefs running back Derrick Gore re-signs, but he was worthy of making the initial 53 based on his showing in camp and preseason this season as a runner and receiver. Quarterback Jake Fromm hit the waivers should a team need depth. — Ben Standig

[21&500]

Zach Bailey getting some love.
hopefully heands on a protected PS spot.

[CTrout]

Fehoko cut by Steelers

[sonorajim]

Yes, there is a good working relationship between Staley and Telesco, and I think Telesco allows Staley to drive the decision-making process on player acquisition in FA and the draft. Baby Spanos is just along for the ride. I also think Kellen Moore is involved, and was behind the decision to draft two WR and land Milton Wright as a UDFA after he wasn't drafted in the supplemental draft.

Staley is for sure more involved in personnel decisions IMO than Norv, McCoy or Lynn.

Staley is a big advocate for Ficken and special teams. Little doubt that he was a fan of Davis. Not to say Moore wasn't on board.
I liked Telesco's Tony Dungy quote regards "it's not always the best player but the best player that fits". The coaches have a say in that.

[cmplxgal]

[Velo]

The Panthers have released Matt Corral and are hoping he'll clear waivers so they can put him on their PS. He's a local kid from Ventura.

[Caslon]

Last draft picks. Kicker Brian Succoup landed some jobs. Brock Purdy. Last man chosen in the draft last year. soon to start at QB for the 49er’s. Crazy.

[Bolts4ever213]

If there is a chance to get baby bear here, do it. I’ll give up Mack and a first round pick. Then have them both wear 97. Just putting out there in space. Please oh please.