HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Washington To Release RB Peyton Barber

August 31st, 2021 at 8:36am CST by Sam Robinson

Washington will cut ties with one veteran member of its running back room. They are moving on from Peyton Barber, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The former Buccaneers back joined Washington during Ron Rivera‘s first year at the helm but did not make the cut to stay with the squad for a second season. This marks good news for rookie UDFA Jaret Patterson, who as of now joins the likes of Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic on Washington’s roster. The defending NFC East champions also cut running back Jonathan Williams.

Barber played 18% of Washington’s offensive snaps in 2020 and was on the field on 30% of Washington’s special teams plays. The 225-pound running back averaged a career-low 2.7 yards per carry last season, gaining 258 yards on 94 rushing attempts.

Barber, 27, led the 2018 Buccaneers in rushing (871 yards), delaying Ronald Jones‘ ascent, and is a vested veteran. This will allow Barber to head straight to free agency. Teams must cut down to 53 players by 3pm CT today.

Broncos To Trade WR Trinity Benson To Lions

August 31st, 2021 at 8:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will add to their receiver room on roster cutdown day. They are sending two draft choices to the Broncos in exchange for wideout Trinity Benson, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

A 2019 UDFA, Benson will join a less experienced Detroit receiving corps and fetch Denver fifth- and seventh-round picks in 2022. The Lions will receive a 2023 sixth-rounder from the Broncos.

Benson played well in the preseason with the Broncos, catching eight passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns to play a minor role in the team’s quarterback competition. But the Division II product was not going to advance far on a team housing Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick atop its depth chart. Benson spent the bulk of the past two seasons on Denver’s practice squad and signed two reserve/futures contracts with the team.

Detroit released Breshad Perriman earlier this week and features a new-look receiver group, headlined by free agent signing Tyrell Williams, after letting Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones defect in free agency. The 6-foot Benson figures to see his first game action as a pro soon.

Texans Cut CB Rasul Douglas

August 30th, 2021 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Rasul Douglas‘ stint with the Texans lasted less than a week. Aaron Wilson reports (via Twitter) that Houston has cut the veteran cornerback.

Douglas was part of the Texans’ sudden revamping of their cornerbacks corps last week, as his addition followed the organization’s acquisition of Ka’dar Hollman from the Packers and trading of John Reid to the Seahawks. The Texans were actually Douglas’ second team in 2021, as he was signed (and subsequently cut) by the Raiders.

The 2017 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, but he was cut by the team last preseason. The Panthers claimed him shortly after, and the former third-round pick started 11 games for the rebuilding squad. Pro Football Focus was moderately impressed with Douglas’ 2020 work, slotting him just outside its top 60 at cornerback. Douglas played a special teams role during the 2017 Eagles’ run to their Super Bowl title and started in the ’18 Eagles’ two playoff contests. Overall, the soon-to-be 27-year-old defender has started 29 career games since the Eagles selected him out of West Virginia.

Steelers Release P Jordan Berry

August 30th, 2021 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers have settled on a new punter. The team released veteran Jordan Berry today, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). This means rookie seventh-round pick Pressley Harvin III has won the starting gig.

Berry, a 2014 undrafted free agent out of Eastern Kentucky, had been with the Steelers since the 2015 season. Berry didn’t miss a game through his first five seasons in the NFL, averaging 44.2 yards per punt on his 328 attempts. It looked like his stint in Pittsburgh had ended in 2020 when the team released him in favor of Dustin Colquitt, but the team reversed course and re-signed Berry in October. The veteran ended up seeing time in 11 games last season, and he finished with a career-high 45.8 yards per punt.

Harvin will now take over the starting gig following a standout career at Georgia Tech. The punter earned a long list of accolades in 2020, including unanimous first-team All-American, first team All-ACC, and the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter.

The Steelers special teams room will look a bit different in 2021, as the team also swapped long snapper Kam Canaday with Christian Kuntz. This leaves kicker Chris Boswell as the lone holdover.

Jaguars Trade CB Sidney Jones To Seahawks

August 30th, 2021 at 7:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Sidney Jones is heading to Seattle. The Jaguars announced that they’ve traded the cornerback to the Seahawks. Jacksonville will acquire a 2022 sixth-round pick in the trade, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

The former second-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, but he only saw time in 22 games (eight starts) during his stint in Philly. After getting waived at the end of the 2020 preseason, Jones caught on with the Jaguars, and he proceeded to have a career season for his new team. The cornerback saw time in nine games (six starts) for Jacksonville, finishing with 26 tackles, nine passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.

Jones was expected to slot in as a backup for Jacksonville in 2021, and he’ll see a similar role in Seattle. Considering the Seahawks only gave up a late-round pick for the 25-year-old, it’s presumably a low-risk move with upside. Tre Flowers and Ahkello Witherspoon are listed as starters for Seattle, but Jones could compete with the likes of John Reid, D.J. Reed, Tre Brown, and Will Sunderland for backup reps.

Cardinals CB Malcolm Butler Mulling Retirement

August 30th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Cardinals cornerback Malcolm Butler is considering hanging up his cleats. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is “dealing with a personal situation that has him mulling retirement.”

As Garofolo notes, the situation led to Butler being away from team facilities within the last week. The cornerback is still trying to work his way through the situation, and both retirement or “stepping away from the game” remain options. The Cardinals did not provide a comment to Garafolo, while the player’s agent didn’t respond to calls.

After getting cut by the Titans earlier this offseason, Butler inked a fully guaranteed $3.25MM deal with the Cardinals. The 31-year-old was expected to play a key role in Arizona’s secondary. If the veteran does indeed step away from the game, the team could be forced to turn to rookie fourth-round pick Marco Wilson or veteran Robert Alford to fill in as a starter.

Butler, 31, finished 2020 as Pro Football Focus’ No. 15 corner in the NFL. It was a strong return — he missed much of 2019, but he suited up for all 16 games last year while nabbing four interceptions and 100 total tackles (a new career high). All in all, he posted the lowest yards-per-completion and yards-per-target numbers of his Tennessee tenure.

Cardinals Release S Shawn Williams

August 30th, 2021 at 6:36pm CST by Ben Levine

After joining the Cardinals earlier this offseason, Shawn Williams has already earned his walking papers. Arizona is releasing the veteran safety, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Williams inked a one-year pact with the Cardinals back in March. The move reunited the safety with Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who was Williams’ defensive backs coach in Cincinnati for a couple of seasons. The 30-year-old sat on active/non-football injury list until early August.

Williams played sparingly his first couple of years in the league, but then blossomed into a full-time starter. From 2016-19, he started 57 of the 58 games he appeared in.

In 2018 he had an impressive five interceptions, and in 2019 he had 114 tackles. This past season he suddenly fell into the coaching staff’s doghouse, and mostly only played on special teams. He was suspended for a game back in December for stepping on an opponent.

Dolphins Release LB Benardrick McKinney

August 30th, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Benardrick McKinney‘s stint with the Dolphins has already come to an end. After getting traded to Miami earlier this offseason, the veteran linebacker will be released, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Back in March, the Dolphins acquired McKinney and a 2021 seventh-round pick from the Texans for a 2021 sixth-round pick and Shaq Lawson (who, ironically, was traded by Houston earlier today). McKinney subsequently reworked his contract; the 28-year-old was originally set to make $27.5MM over the next three years, including a $7.75M salary in 2021, but he took a major cut by ripping up the final two years of the deal while earning $3MM this year (plus $200K in playtime incentives).

When McKinney was at his best, he formed one of the league’s best run-stuffing tandems with Zach Cunningham. He earned Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and racked up 100+ tackles again in 2019. Last year, however, a shoulder injury limited him to just four games.

In Miami, McKinney was expected to start alongside Jerome Baker. However, as reporter Armando Salguero observed, the veteran struggled in pass coverage, limiting his playing time. Plus, Elandon Roberts seemed to jump McKinney on the depth chart after the former was activated from PUP.

Dolphins Release C Matt Skura

August 30th, 2021 at 4:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Skura‘s stint with the Dolphins has already come to an end. The Dolphins are cutting the veteran center, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Back in March, Skura inked a one-year, $1.75MM deal ($400K guaranteed) with Miami. Today’s move will provide the organization with about $1.35MM in cap space.

The 28-year-old was expected to provide some experience to a young offensive line. However, it never sounded like the organization was committed to Skura as their starting center. Shortly after signing him, we learned that the Dolphins had still pursued center David Andrews before he landed back with the Patriots. We later heard that 2019 third-round pick Michael Deiter had likely earned the starting center gig, and it sounded like the team’s recent acquisition of lineman Greg Mancz could ultimately cost Skura his roster spot.

Skura had issues snapping the ball at times during his final season with the Ravens and wound up getting the hook in favor of Patrick Mekari. In total, he made 12 starts, giving him 51 total first-string appearances over the course of four seasons in Baltimore. Originally an UDFA out of Duke in 2016, Skura spent his rookie year on the practice squad. As a sophomore he was called on to start 12 games at guard when Marshal Yanda missed most of the season. The following year he became the team’s center, starting all 16 games. After starting 11 games in 2019 Skura tore an ACL and had significant other damage in his knee, but he made it back in time for 2020 training camp and started the season on time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/30/21

August 30th, 2021 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here. Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to pare their rosters down to 53 players.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Darron Lee

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

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