HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Buccaneers Waive Tanner Hudson

August 30th, 2021 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are waiving tight end Tanner Hudson (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic). Hudson probably won’t be out of work for too long given his recent performances. Outside linebacker Elijah Ponder and tackle Jake Benzinger will also be among the Bucs’ cuts this week, per Auman.

Hudson shined in the Bucs’ first two preseason games, finishing as Tampa’s top receiver in both contests. Unfortunately for him, he was blocked by Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, and Cameron Brate.

“Ever since we’ve been here, he’s been able to catch the ball. He gives our defense fits on the card (scout) team,” coach Bruce Arians said last week (via The Athletic). “When he’s had opportunities in ballgames, they haven’t been quite the same. I want to see him do something besides preseason, and something besides catch the ball. He’s not a wide receiver. He’s a tight end, so you’ve got to be able to block a little bit. Just see him grow in that regard and be a physical presence on special teams with his size and speed.”

Now, after two years in Tampa Bay, Hudson could be claimed by another TE-needy team this week. The Giants — who are awaiting word on Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph — would be a logical landing spot.

Buccaneers Release Antonio Hamilton

August 30th, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have cut cornerback Antonio Hamilton (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Hamilton was vying for one of the team’s final CB spots, but he won’t be a part of the team’s initial 53-man roster.

Hamilton signed with the Raiders as a UDFA out of South Carolina State in 2016. He went on to play a full 16-game slate with the Giants in 2019 before joining the Chiefs last year where he also turned in perfect attendance. According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, Hamilton turned down a more lucrative offer to sign with Kansas City and compete for a Super Bowl ring. He was undoubtedly thrilled to switch sides and join the Bucs earlier this year.

Most of Hamilton’s work has come on special teams, as he has played a total of 335 defensive snaps in his five-year career. He could offer ST prowess for another team in need and perhaps get some action as a backup corner.

Cardinals Cut 10 Players

August 30th, 2021 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals got a jump on their roster housekeeping today. In advance of Tuesday’s 53-man deadline, they cut:

Johnson, a 2019 sixth-rounder, was pushing for the final wide receiver slot on the Week 1 roster. Instead, he was leapfrogged by Andy Isabella, Greg Dortch, and Antoine Wesley. All three are still on the roster as of this writing, but nothing is guaranteed for any of them beyond tomorrow. Johnson, 25 in October, registered 15 catches for 173 yards in eight games last year.

Todd Gurley Wants To Join Ravens

August 30th, 2021 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

Todd Gurley still has interest in joining the Ravens, if they’ll have him (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Gurley, who previously met with the team, could be a solid addition after the loss of running back J.K. Dobbins.

[RELATED: Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins Done For Year]

The Ravens hosted Gurley back in June but left Baltimore without a deal. At the time, he profiled as little more than an RB3 option, behind Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Now, with Dobbins out and Mark Ingram out of the picture, everyone has been shifted one spot up in the pecking order.

Edwards is a solid RB in his own right, but it remains to be seen whether he can carry a full starter’s workload. Gurley could help with some of that, but he hasn’t looked like his old Pro Bowl self in a while. He was held to just 3.5 yards per carry with the Falcons last year while adding 25 catches for 164 yards. His best work, of course, came with the Rams — he was an All-Pro in 2017 and 2018 with a combined 40 touchdowns during that stretch.

Beyond Edwards, the Ravens also have third-year scat-back Justice Hill and 2020 UDFA Ty’Son Williams on hand.

Lions Cut Breshad Perriman

August 30th, 2021 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have released wide receiver Breshad Perriman (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). This was the expected move given Perriman’s injury-riddled camp.

“There just hasn’t been enough out there,” head coach Dan Campbell said recently. “He had the hip injury and then he comes back, he was solid the other night for the plays that he had, but yet he had an OPI, which he knows better than. … I think he’ll be better coming off of this hip. But I think that room right now is still up for grabs. I think there is a heavy competition going on in that room right now.”

The move leaves the Lions with Tyrell Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus, and Kalif Raymond as their top four wide receivers. There aren’t a ton of high-impact options left on the market, so the Lions will be paying close attention to the transactions wire over the next 48 hours. Another team’s discarded vet could easily step into a key role for Detroit and they still have some cap room to work with.

Perriman will leave Detroit with his $2MM guarantee in hand. Next, the 28-year-old pass catcher will try to heal up and hook on elsewhere. He could be en route to his sixth NFL team, after stints with the Ravens, Browns, Bucs, Jets, and Lions.

In his 2020 with the Jets, Perriman caught 30 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns.

Colts Cut Sean Davis

August 30th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have released safety Sean Davis (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Davis, who joined the Colts back in April, was slated to support starters Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon.

Davis entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Steelers back in 2016. He spent his first four years in Pittsburgh, making 31 starts between 2017-18. Then, he missed almost all of 2019 due to injury. In 2020, he was set to play for the Washington Football Team, but missed the cut. Davis then found his way back to Pittsburgh where he dressed for all 16 of their games. With Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick playing in front of him, Davis finished 2020 with just 12 tackles and one pass defensed.

Davis seemed to have a chance at significant time in Indy given the departures of Malik Hooker and Tavon Wilson. Now, he’s back on the market with days to go before the start of the season.

This Date In Transactions History: Vikings’ Brock Lesnar Retires From NFL

August 29th, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Seventeen years ago, Brock Lesnar stepped out of the squared circle and on to the gridiron. The WWE superstar hadn’t played organized football since high school, but his athletic ability made the Vikings curious enough to give the muscle-bound homegrown talent an opportunity to compete in training camp as a defensive tackle.

On the surface, this seemed to be a publicity ploy for the former WWE champion, but there was reason to believe that Lesnar could defy the odds and embark on a legitimate professional sports career. Before Lesnar beat the likes of The Rock and The Undertaker, he was an amateur wrestling phenom at the University of Minnesota, where he captured the 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling championship.

At 6’2″ and 285 pounds, Lesnar’s drill times and marks were downright impressive. With a reported 4.7-second 40-yard-dash time, 35-inch vertical leap, and 30 reps on the 225-pound bench press, Lesnar would have bested many DTs at the 2004 combine. For reference, No. 14 overall pick Tommie Harris ran a 4.78-second 40-yard-dash and posted 29 reps on the bench press before the Bears made him the first DT drafted in April.

Despite never playing football in college, Lesnar was still only 26 years old at the time and had real potential as a raw prospect. Still, there was one big problem – an April motorcycle accident left Lesnar with a busted jaw, a broken left hand, a bruised pelvis, and a pulled groin. Playing at less than 100% health, Lesnar’s unlikely mission became even more improbable.

After Lesnar missed the Vikings’ cut in late August, the Vikings offered him a spot on their NFL Europe affiliate team. Citing a desire to stay close to his family in the U.S., Lesnar left football, transitioned to MMA, and went on to become the heavyweight champion of the UFC.

Lesnar’s NFL career was short-lived, but his presence in camp was appreciated by Randy Moss, Nate Burleson, and other members of the Vikings’ locker room who grew up as wrasslin’ fans. Lesnar also got to put his WWE skills to good use while with the Vikes. When a Chiefs defender roughed up Daunte Culpepper during a summer scrimmage, Lesnar grabbed him by the waist, suplexed him high in the air, and slammed him on the turf. At least, that’s how Burleson remembers it.

Titans Cut John Simon

August 29th, 2021 at 6:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans got an early jump on their housekeeping. On Sunday, the club released veteran defensive end John Simon, per a club announcement. They’ve also cut defensive back Clayton Geathers, waived linebacker Cassh Maluia, and placed running back Brian Hill on injured reserve. 

Simon joined the Titans in July, replacing fellow pass rusher Tuzar Skipper on the offseason roster. Before that, he spent three years with the Patriots. In 2020, he started in all 16 games and registered 53 stops with two sacks. All in all, he’s got 97 appearances and 52 career starts to his credit for the Ravens, Texans, Colts, and Patriots. Now, he could be en route to yet another NFL club.

Simon is perhaps best known for the three-year, $14MM deal he signed with the Colts in 2017. That deal didn’t make it to Year Two, but he’s quietly put together a solid career in the NFL. Few knew Simon’s ability better than Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who has coached the veteran at multiple stops.

Geathers is another ex-Colt; he spent his entire career with Indy up until recently. He saw time in 56 games for the Colts and started 22 games combined in 2018 and 2019. During that stretch, he posted 101 tackles and four passes defended. He sat out the 2020 campaign and only just reemerged this month when he inked a deal with the Titans. As a vested veteran, he’ll be free to sign with any club straight away.

Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins Done For Year

August 29th, 2021 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official. On Sunday, an MRI confirmed an ACL tear for Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The Ravens will place Dobbins on injured reserve this week to free up a roster spot, but they won’t be able to replace his production. 

This was the expected news after Dobbins was forced out of last night’s preseason matchup against Washington. Dobbins was set to play a leading role in the rushing attack along with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Now, they’ll be leaning even more on Gus Edwards with support from third-year scat-back Justice Hill and 2020 UDFA Ty’Son Williams.

Dobbins, a first-round talent, fell to the Ravens at No. 55 overall last year. He became a central part of the offense in the second half of 2020, finishing out with 134 carries for 805 yards (6.0 ypc), and nine rushing TDs. Edwards is still a solid Plan B (5.2 career ypc), but it remains to be seen whether he can handle a double-digit carry workload.

If the Ravens go out-of-house, they could reconsider Todd Gurley. Gurley, the NFL’s 2017 Offensive Player of the Year, touched base with Baltimore back in June.

Vikings’ Irv Smith To Miss Time

August 29th, 2021 at 6:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is scheduled for meniscus surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The tear, operation, and recovery will sideline him for the start of the season, at minimum. 

[RELATED: Vikings, Harrison Smith Agree To $64MM Deal]

Smith, 23, flashed serious potential last year while posting 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The football world (and fantasy world) was awaiting a breakout year for Smith, who would have benefitted from all the attention paid to Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and the rest of Kirk Cousins‘ weapons.

Of course, all is not lost, because meniscus surgery isn’t necessary a season ender. However, it seems likely that the Vikings will be without the dynamic TE through the first six weeks of the season.

While Smith is sidelined, they’ll be counting on backup Tyler Conklin — provided that Conklin’s hamstring doesn’t keep him off the field too. Brandon Dillon, rookie Zach Davidson, and Shane Zylstra comprise the rest of the Vikes’ TE depth chart.

 

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