NFL roster cuts: Cowboys to 'explore' adding Cam Newton
 

[September 01, 2021]  Field Level Media is tracking the wave of roster cuts in the NFL with all 32 teams facing a 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday to reduce their 80-man rosters to 53.

Additional players can be added to the team's practice squad.

--Cam Newton was released by the New England Patriots in an unexpected move that pushes rookie first-round pick Mac Jones into the starting role following a promising preseason.

Newton said via Instagram "please don't feel sorry for me. I'm good" in confirming the move. The 32-year-old was re-signed on a one-year deal worth almost $14 million for 2021, but releasing him before the 53-man roster is set brings significant savings to the Patriots.

New England also opted to go young at kicker, parting with Nick Folk in favor of rookie Quinn Nordin.

"It was a very competitive spot. It is a competitive spot," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

--In Dallas, Cooper Rush is the lone backup quarterback to Dak Prescott on the Cowboys' 53-man regular-season roster.

Rush is QB2 at The Star perhaps only for the moment, though.

ESPN reported Tuesday the team is set to "explore" signing Newton.

Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday morning on 105.3 FM in Dallas that Rush was more consistent and has the experience edge, which led to the team releasing competing backups Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci.

The Cowboys also released safety Darian Thompson. ESPN reported Thompson is a candidate to join the practice squad if he's not claimed by another team.

--Versatile offensive lineman Matt Pryor, who can play guard and tackle, was traded to the Indianapolis Colts from the Eagles. Philadelphia acquired a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft from Indianapolis, with the Colts receiving Pryor and a seventh-round pick in 2022.
 

Pryor, at 6-foot-7, 322 pounds, is entering his fourth season out of TCU and started 10 games last season for the Eagles. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

The Eagles also released wide receivers Travis Fulgham and John Hightower. Fulgham was the Eagles' leading receiver in 2020, due to the team's decimated receiver corps. He had 38 catches for 539 yards and four TDs.

Quez Watkins has earned a starting job with the Eagles alongside wideouts Jalen Reagor and rookie DeVonta Smith.

--The Washington Football Team released veteran running back Peyton Barber and waived wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden.

Barber, 27, rushed for 258 yards and four touchdowns with Washington last season. He also played 30 percent of Washington's special teams snaps. He scored 15 TDs in his four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-19).

The undrafted free agent has 2,245 career rushing yards.

Gandy-Golden played in just six games last season as a rookie. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. He caught seven passes for 77 yards this preseason.

--The Buffalo Bills released tight end Jacob Hollister, quarterback Josh Allen's teammate at Wyoming.

Hollister has 74 catches for 652 yards and six touchdowns in 50 games (10 starts) for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. He signed with the Bills after Seattle acquired Gerald Everett.

He's expected to land with another team.

--The Detroit Lions made their kicking competition a bit more confusing by cutting not one kicker, but two from their roster.

Detroit cut both Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez on Tuesday and did not have a regular placekicker on its initial 53-man roster.

The Lions signed Gonzalez Aug. 10 to compete for the role with Bullock. Gonzalez went just 16-for-22 on field goals for the Cardinals in 2020, while Bullock was 21-for-26 for the Bengals. Detroit is trying to replace Matt Prater, who left in free agency for Arizona.
 

The Lions also released wide receiver Geronimo Allison, a day after parting with veteran WR Breshad Perriman.

Allison hauled in 89 catches for 1,045 yards and six touchdowns in four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He signed with the Lions in March 2020 but opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lions are going with a receiver corps of Tyrell Williams and a host of young guys. They also acquired Trinity Benson from Denver on Tuesday.

--The Carolina Panthers cut quarterback Will Grier, electing to go with former XFL star P.J. Walker as Sam Darnold's backup.

Walker played for Carolina head coach Matt Rhule at Temple. He also played for the Houston Roughnecks in the short-lived XFL campaign in 2020.

The Panthers picked Grier in the third round of the 2019 draft. He could be a candidate for Carolina's practice squad.

The other Panthers cuts include: wide receiver Omar Bayless, running back Spencer Brown, defensive lineman Frank Herron, offensive lineman Mike Horton, cornerback Jalen Julius, wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, linebacker Christian Miller, offensive lineman Aaron Monteiro, wide receiver C.J. Saunders, tight end Stephen Sullivan, and offensive lineman Sam Tecklenburg.

--The Green Bay Packers released offensive lineman Ben Braden, who played in the second-most snaps this preseason of any Packers' offensive player.

He was competing for a starting spot at both guard and tackle when training camp started. He was elevated from the practice squad to play in four games last season for the Packers.

The Packers also cut quarterback Kurt Benkert, opting for just Jordan Love backing up Aaron Rodgers. Benkert could end up on the team's practice squad.
 

The Packers also released running backs Dexter Williams and Patrick Taylor. The Packers will feature a backfield of Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and rookie Kylin Hill.

One more notable cut by the Packers was punter J.K. Scott after they reportedly acquired punter Corey Bojorquez from the Los Angeles Rams for a late-round pick swap. The Packers also acquired a 2023 seventh-round pick from Los Angeles in the trade while sending them a 2023 sixth-rounder in return, reports said.

--The New Orleans Saints released veteran running back Devonta Freeman, who signed with the team at the beginning of training camp.

Freeman, 29, is a two-time Pro Bowl player with the Atlanta Falcons. He has rushed for 4,144 yards in his career to go with 33 touchdowns.

The moves leaves Latavius Murray, Dwayne Washington and Tony Jones Jr. as the competitors behind Alvin Kamara.

The Saints also cut quarterback Trevor Siemian, but plan to re-sign him later in the week. He joined the Saints late last season. Siemian made 25 starts for the Denver Broncos in 2016-17. He's thrown for 30 career TDs against 24 INTs.

The team also released wide receiver Kawaan Baker, their seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft.
 

They also released Easop Winston, who was the team's primary punt and kick returner in the team's two preseason games.

--The New York Jets will release quarterback Josh Johnson, leaving Mike White as the primary backup to rookie starter Zach Wilson.

The Jets signed the well-traveled Johnson during the first week of training camp. Johnson has played in 33 games (eight starts) in his career.

White has been with the Jets since 2019 but has not attempted a regular season pass.

--The New York Giants are releasing veteran running back Corey Clement.

Clement signed with the Giants in May after four seasons in Philadelphia. He has 655 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns in 46 career games. Clement led the Giants with 86 yards rushing in their three preseason games.

Devontae Booker will be the primary backup to Saquon Barkley, who is continuing his recovery from ACL surgery. Rookie running back Gary Brightwell also remains part of the backfield corps, as does Eli Penny.

The team also released quarterback Brian Lewerke, meaning they'll go into the regular season with two quarterbacks. Mike Glennon will back up Daniel Jones.

--The Cincinnati Bengals waived offensive lineman Michael Jordan, who started 19 games for the team the past two seasons.

Jordan, a former fourth-round pick of the team, was edged out by Bengals' additions Riley Reiff and Jackson Carman.

--The Kansas City Chiefs will waive undrafted free agent quarterback Shane Buechele.

It likely signals that the Chiefs will carry just two QBs, with veteran Chad Henne backing up Patrick Mahomes.

Buechele played in all three preseason games, throwing for 422 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for another score. He could end up on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
 

--The Chicago Bears are releasing wide receiver Riley Ridley, a former fourth-round pick.

The younger brother of Falcons star Calvin Ridley played in just 10 games in two seasons, catching 10 passes for 108 yards.

The Bears also waived veteran cornerback Desmond Trufant and 2021 sixth-round pick Thomas Graham Jr. The cornerback opted out of his senior season at Oregon after collecting eight interceptions in three seasons. He could make the practice squad if he clears waivers.

--The Jacksonville Jaguars cut starting safety Josh Jones.

Jones played in 13 games last season, starting all of them, for the Jags. He had 83 tackles. Overall, he's played in 48 games (25 starts) for three different teams. Green Bay selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft. He also played for Dallas.

The Jags also cut wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. He has 124 career catches for 1,634 yards and 11 TDs in five seasons with Indianapolis and New England. The Jags are going with a main receiving corps of D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault.

--The Las Vegas Raiders waived their former first-round pick, safety Karl Joseph. He returned to the Raiders after playing in Cleveland last season. He played in 49 games (41 starts) for the Raiders from 2016-19. He has five career interceptions.

The Raiders also waived cornerback Isaiah Johnson after two seasons. Johnson played in 19 games with five passes defended.

--The Los Angeles Chargers cut kicker Michael Badgley after three seasons. Tristan Vizcaino is expected to be the team's kicker to open the season.

Badgley made 15 of 16 field goals as a rookie in 2018 but regressed. He made just 72.7 percent of his FG attempts in 2020 while missing three PATs.

--With starter Irv Smith sidelined for at least a month, the Minnesota Vikings acquired tight end Chris Herndon from the New York Jets on Tuesday, per multiple reports.
 

Smith needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus following an injury in the preseason finale last week.

With Tyler Kroft in the starting lineup, the Jets parted with Herndon, their primary backup to Kroft, for draft pick compensation.

The Vikings also cut defensive end Everson Griffen, who re-signed with Minnesota Aug. 23. Griffen played the first 10 seasons of his 11-year NFL career with the Vikings before splitting 2020 between the Cowboys and Lions.

Griffen has tallied 80 1/2 sacks in 161 career games (90 starts). It's unclear whether the veteran could return to Minnesota before the start of the regular season.

--The Indianapolis Colts cut quarterback Brett Hundley. He signed with the team in July after starter Carson Wentz had foot surgery.

The move leaves the Colts with three QBs, though Wentz is on the COVID list and Sam Ehlinger is out with a knee sprain. Jacob Eason is the only available QB on the roster, for now.

The team also waived their fifth-round pick in 2021, defensive back Shawn Davis. He's expected to land on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

--Among the Miami Dolphins' cuts was linebacker Shaquem Griffin, who is known for playing with one hand after needing his left hand amputated as a boy.

Griffin signed a one-year contract with Miami in July after spending his first three NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where he made 25 tackles and one sack in 46 games (one start). NFL Network reported that the Dolphins hope to sign Griffin to their practice squad.

--Field Level Media


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