HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Broncos To Place TE Greg Dulcich, CB Michael Ojemudia On IR

August 30th, 2022 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Russell Wilson auxiliary weapons will not be available to start the season. While Tim Patrick will be down throughout 2022 after tearing an ACL early in training camp, George Paton confirmed Tuesday (via Denver7’s Troy Renck, on Twitter) rookie tight end Greg Dulcich will begin his season on IR.

The placements of Dulcich and cornerback Michael Ojemudia on short-term IR — which will sideline each for the season’s first four games — will allow the Broncos to bring back nose tackle Mike Purcell and tight end Eric Tomlinson, according to the second-year Denver GM. Both veterans were included among the Broncos’ cuts Tuesday.

A hamstring injury dogged Dulcich for most of training camp. The UCLA product suffered a setback early in camp and did not play in the Broncos’ preseason games. The team made Dulcich a key part of its 2022 draft, adding him with its second pick this year. With Albert Okwuegbunam going into a contract year, Dulcich could profile as the Broncos’ tight end of the future. But the team has not seen much from the Day 2 investment yet.

Ojemudia suffered a dislocated elbow in the Broncos’ second preseason game. This injury followed Jonas Griffith‘s elbow dislocation in the team’s preseason opener. Griffith is not slated to go on IR and could be ready for Week 1. For Ojemudia, this marks more of the same. The 2020 third-round pick missed most of last season with a hamstring injury. He was vying for the team’s top outside backup cornerback job behind starters Pat Surtain II and Ronald Darby.

A former Alliance of American Football cog, Purcell has been with the Broncos since 2019. The veteran nose tackle has started 23 games in that span, though injuries have intervened over the past two years. Purcell, 31, had signed a three-year, $14.8MM extension in 2020 but saw the Broncos bring in a high-priced replacement in D.J. Jones this offseason. A blocking tight end, Tomlinson spent much of the past two seasons with the Ravens. He joined Dulcich as the Broncos’ tight end newcomers this year.

Chargers Trim Roster To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

As final cuts continue to be announced, the Chargers have unveiled their list of departing players. Here is the final tally:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Covington represents by far the most experienced player being let go. He spent just one season in Los Angeles, starting three of his 16 appearances. While the 28-year-old Canadian set a new career-high in tackles with 52, he was part of the league’s third-worst run defense. That, coupled with Covington’s small roster bonus, made him a logical cut candidate.

The Chargers have a crowded backfield to work with, and one main training camp storyline has been the competition to establish the pecking order behind Austin Ekeler. By waiving Nabers, however, the team can keep one more back on the 53-man roster. Given their passing efficiency, eliminating the fullback position from the offense would allow them to keep the former UDFA on the practice squad (if at all); if not, Nabers will need to find one of the few remaining teams with a spot for his skillset.

Surratt carries the most upside amongst the TE departures. The converted WR didn’t play during his rookie season, but demonstrated his talent in college, including a 1,000-yerd season at Wake Forest. Given his absence from the 2020 college season, as well as the 2021 NFL campaign, though, keeping the six-foot-three, 215-pounder as a depth option behind Gerald Everett could better be done via the practice squad.

49ers Set 53-Man Roster, Plan To Place S Jimmie Ward On IR

August 30th, 2022 at 4:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers’ 53-man roster is set, with a couple of exceptions. Multiple players included among Tuesday’s cuts will be back with the team. Some will also stick around via the practice squad. Here is how San Francisco reached the 53-man limit:

Released:

Waived:

Kroft and Willis will be on the 53-man roster soon, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, who notes (via Twitter) the two have agreed to re-sign with the 49ers. Each is a vested veteran, allowing them to skip the waiver process. A Bengals draftee, Kroft spent two seasons in Buffalo and was with the Jets in 2021. A rotational D-lineman, Willis has been with the 49ers since 2020.

These two will take the roster spots of Jimmie Ward and linebacker Curtis Robinson, who will each be placed on IR. By waiting until Wednesday to move each to IR, the 49ers will ensure Ward and Robinson can play in 2022. Ward suffered what appears to be a significant hamstring injury and will miss at least the first four games this season.

Hasty has resided as a fill-in back for the 49ers over the past two seasons; they have needed him in each. The team currently rosters Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price at running back. Snead and Turner signed with the 49ers this offseason; each has practice squad eligibility. Teams can carry up to six vested veterans on their 16-man taxi squads. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy beat out Sudfeld for the 49ers’ No. 3 QB job. Offset language exists in Sudfeld’s deal, Maiocco tweets, allowing the 49ers to potentially be off the hook for the $2MM they guaranteed him.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Tuesday that Jimmy Garoppolo — back after taking a pay cut — will be Trey Lance‘s top backup. While this would have been quite the gamble, Shanahan said Purdy would have been Lance’s backup had Garoppolo not accepted the pay cut (Twitter link via Maiocco).

Giants Move To 53-Man Limit

August 30th, 2022 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants began working on their roster reductions Monday, but they finished off that effort by Tuesday’s deadline. Here is how GM Joe Schoen’s first round of cuts look:

Released:

Waived:

Webb, who chose the Giants over a possible path as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach, will likely be brought back on the practice squad. He would be positioned as the Giants’ de facto third-stringer, behind Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. This is Webb’s second stint with the Giants, who initially drafted him in the 2017 third round.

New York’s cut list does not include Darius Slayton, despite rampant rumors about the former fifth-round pick being a departure candidate. The Giants would mean a $2.5MM cap-room boost, but it also would mean saying goodbye to a player who led Big Blue in receiving in 2019 and ’20. Observing Slayton’s place on Brian Daboll‘s first roster will still be interesting, but for now, the fourth-year pass catcher joins Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and second-round rookie Wan’Dale Robinson on the 53-man roster.

The Giants’ safety cuts leave the team with three at the position. The team, which cut Logan Ryan earlier this offseason and let Jabrill Peppers walk in free agency, has Xavier McKinney, Julian Love and rookie Dane Belton. A fourth-round pick, Belton is also recovering from a broken collarbone sustained early in training camp. The Iowa product is not expected to be out too much longer. Still, it would not surprise if the Giants added help via waivers.

Broncos Pare Roster Down To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

After trading Malik Reed to the Steelers, the Broncos finished off their moves to reach the NFL’s 53-man roster max Tuesday. Here is how the team reached that number:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Some John Elway-era defensive lineman have been swapped out for George Paton acquisitions. Purcell, a three-season Broncos starter whom the team extended in 2020, is the most notable. But former third-round pick Agim joins the former Alliance of American Football success story in being moved off Denver’s roster. Agim heads to waivers; Purcell is a vested veteran.

After helping Denver stabilize its run defense upon arrival in 2019, Purcell missed half the 2020 season due to injury and missed time in 2021 as well. The Broncos added D.J. Jones in free agency and drafted two D-linemen — Eyioma Uwazurike (Round 4) and Matt Henningsen (Round 6) — this year.

Muti was seeing first-string action this offseason but was the underdog to beat out Quinn Meinerz at right guard. The former Fresno State-developed sixth-rounder also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery recently. Hinton, whom the Broncos turned to upon losing all their QBs to the reserve/COVID-19 list against the Saints in 2020, contributed as a receiver last season. The Broncos kept rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Virgil over Hinton. He could be back in Denver via the practice squad. The Broncos signed Tomlinson this offseason but also brought back Eric Saubert. The team drafted Greg Dulcich in the third round as well. Those two join Albert Okwuegbunam and Andrew Beck on the team’s 53-man roster.

Bills Place CB Tre’Davious White On PUP List

August 30th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the most notable roster moves the Bills are making isn’t a significant release or trade, but rather a health-related transaction with major implications. The team is placing cornerback Tre’Davious White on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he will miss at least the first four weeks of the season (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). 

White is continuing to recover from the torn ACL which ended his 2021 campaign in November. Throughout the offseason, the question of whether or not he would be available in time for Week 1 has hovered over the team, which waited until the last day possible to determine his September fate.

Initially, the two-time Pro Bowler was thought to be making steady progress, to the point where he return was expected. However, recent remarks from head coach Sean McDermott indicated that a PUP list stint to begin the campaign was a distinct possibility.

White has become one of the league’s top corners, earning All-Pro honors in 2019 en route to a four-year, $69MM extension. He was on track for another highly productive campaign before going down with the injury. In his absence, the Bills still made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but he will be missed for however long he remains on the sidelines.

Even if White had been able to suit up by Week 1, corner was routinely identified as an area of need in Buffalo, especially after the free agent departure of Levi Wallace. The team used their first-round pick on Kaiir Elam, who will likely be forced into a more prominent role as a rookie than the team would have envisioned.

Dolphins GM: TE Mike Gesicki Not Being Shopped; Two Teams Inquired

August 30th, 2022 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Gesicki‘s name came up in trade rumors last week, with those coming months after the Dolphins used their franchise tag to keep him off the market. GM Chris Grier did not rule out a move Tuesday, but the team is not planning one.

Grier said the Dolphins are not shopping their tagged tight end, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe, but added that two teams called about his availability (Twitter link). Gesicki’s tag fully guarantees him $10.9MM, though it does not mandate that salary come from the Dolphins.

Tag-and-trade sequences happen fairly frequently, and they have been known to come late in the summer. Jadeveon Clowney was moved just before the 2019 deadline, and Yannick Ngakoue was traded twice during his 2020 tagged year — before the season and during it. Gesicki may not await the same fate, but this year has been an adjustment for the fifth-year pass catcher.

Mike McDaniel’s heavily Shanahan-influenced scheme will require more Gesicki blocking than he is accustomed to, and the Penn State product called his role in this offense a new position. Since tagging Gesicki, the Dolphins also loaded up at receiver by trading for Tyreek Hill and signing Cedrick Wilson Jr. That duo, along with Jaylen Waddle, is expected to be ahead of Gesicki in Miami’s aerial pecking order. That will mark a change, after Gesicki put together back-to-back 700-plus-yard seasons. He finished as the Dolphins’ second-leading pass catcher, behind Waddle, in 2021.

Keeping Gesicki to aid Tua Tagovailoa in what might be a make-or-break year, considering the other Dolphins QB-related headlines to emerge in recent months, would seem wise for Miami. But Grier has also not been shy to make deals if the right offer surfaces. In his first year in power, Grier dealt away Ryan Tannehill, Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Fitzpatrick swap also came about because of a positional issue. This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 1.

Falcons Reduce Roster To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the deadline for teams to cut their rosters down to 53 players minutes away, the Falcons are the latest team to announce how they got there. Here are the moves Atlanta made to set its roster:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

A few of Atlanta’s offseason additions are no longer with the team. Former Arthur Smith Titans charges Firkser and Pruitt — each of whom being with Tennessee during the current Atlanta HC’s run as Titans tight ends coach — leave a young tight end group. It would not surprise if one of the two — if not both — were back, via a belated active-roster return or practice squad stash. The Falcons currently have Kyle Pitts, 2021 UDFA Parker Hesse and sixth-round rookie John FitzPatrick at tight end.

The team also signed Kwiatkoski this offseason, bringing him in along with a few ILB investments. But the former Bears and Raiders starter/depth piece is back in free agency. The Falcons still have Deion Jones rostered, despite trade rumors, and have former first-round Titans pick Rashaan Evans in place as well. The team also drafted Troy Andersen in Round 2 this year.

Jets To Release OT Chuma Edoga

August 30th, 2022 at 2:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chuma Edoga‘s time in New York has indeed come to an end. The Jets are set to release the young offensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

As Rapoport notes, the Jets explored trading the former third-rounder before being left with no choice but to move on from him via waivers. The Cowboys explored a swap which would have sent him to Dallas, but the deal fell through.

Edoga, 25, started every game he appeared in as a rookie. His playing time dropped considerably in 2020, however. His PFF rating took a step forward nonetheless, but the arrival of Morgan Moses left him relegated to a backup role. After playing just 99 snaps last season, it was widely assumed that Edoga would not be back with the Jets in 2022.

While the Cowboys were unable to secure Edoga before the rest of the league had the opportunity to sign him, they now have the chance to add him via that avenue. Dallas, of course, is in need of a Tyron Smith replacement, and have been reported as actively looking for an addition to at least supplement their inexperienced internal options.

With one year remaining on his rookie contract, Edoga would have headed to free agency with underwhelming prospects had he remained buried on the depth chart in New York. That may remain the same in his next location, but he could find himself with a better opportunity to re-acquire a starting gig elsewhere.

Steelers To Acquire OL Jesse Davis From Vikings

August 30th, 2022 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another trade for the Steelers is going down. Hours after acquiring Malik Reed from the Broncos, the Steelers are landing Jesse Davis from the Vikings, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Davis had seen second-round rookie Ed Ingram move into position to leapfrog him on the Vikes’ depth chart. The veteran will head to a team with more questions up front. Pittsburgh also released veteran O-lineman Joe Haeg on Tuesday, Garafolo adds (on Twitter). The Steelers will send a conditional 2025 seventh-rounder to the Vikings, Rapoport tweets.

Minnesota signed Davis earlier this year, bringing him in on a one-year deal worth $3MM ($2.75MM guaranteed). The Vikings also signed former Colts and Panthers blocker Chris Reed and drafted Ingram. While Davis began Vikings training camp as the frontrunner to start at right guard, Ingram progressed to the point the team did not require a stopgap.

This marks another Steelers move to land an ex-Viking (technically) O-lineman. Although Davis did not end up playing with the Vikings, ex-Minnesota center Mason Cole is positioned to start in Pittsburgh. So is ex-Bears guard James Daniels. The Steelers had held a Kevin Dotson–Kendrick Green competition at left guard, with Dotson expected to keep his job. Davis does bring veteran insurance, having spent extensive time at both guard and tackle in Miami. It would also not surprise if he is starting for the Steelers soon. That has been his primary role.

Davis, who turns 31 next month, has been a starter for the past five seasons. Although he spent time on practice squads prior to making a leap into Miami’s front five in 2017, the former UDFA has made 72 starts in that span. He worked as Ja’Wuan James‘ primary successor at right tackle in recent years but played alongside James at right guard as well. The Dolphins used Davis at left tackle at points as well, but the right side represented his primary domain.

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