HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

49ers To Release S Tashaun Gipson

August 30th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Very shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, Tashaun Gipson is already back on the open market. The veteran is being released, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 

The 32-year-old signed last week, providing the team with an experienced option on the backend – something which was deemed necessary given the uncertainty surrounding starter Jimmie Ward. The latter, it has seen been learned, will likely miss at least the first month of the regular season as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

That makes the Gipson release somewhat surprising, and leaves the 49ers in the same situation they were in before their preseason finale at safety. Gipson could have been a starter, given his extensive experience with the Browns, Jaguars, Texans and, most recently, Bears. His struggles in pass coverage likely contributed to his lengthy stretch as a free agent, however.

San Francisco has Tarvarius Moore and George Odum as internal options to replace Ward as a starter alongside 2021 fifth-rounder Talanoa Hufanga. They will also have some added flexibility from a financial standpoint after re-working Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract if they wish to add another free agent. One option could be Anthony Harris, who was let go earlier today by the Eagles.

Gipson, meanwhile, will join Harris in looking for a new landing spot – either on San Francisco’s practice squad or a 53-man roster elsewhere – in the days leading up to the regular season.

Texans To Waive G Max Scharping

August 30th, 2022 at 2:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after trading a 2020 second-round pick to the Vikings, the Texans are moving on from a 2019 Round 2 choice. Max Scharping is being waived, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson tweets.

This move comes after an effort to trade the fourth-year guard, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Scharping, 26, has considerable starting experience (33 games) and could be an interesting add for a team in need on the O-line interior.

[RELATED: Texans Trade DT Ross Blacklock To Vikings]

The Northern Illinois alum, however, bounced in and out of Houston’s starting lineup during his three-year tenure. He did suit up for all 17 Texans games last season but only started 11, being moved off the full-time starter tier at the midseason point. The Texans also drafted Scharping before their current Nick Caserio-headed regime arrived. Scharping graded just outside the top 50, per Pro Football Focus, among guards last season.

Houston fired GM Brian Gaine shortly after the draft that produced Scharping and first-round offensive lineman Tytus Howard. The latter, however, remains with Houston, which picked up its right tackle’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason. Houston was active at guard this offseason as well, signing ex-Jacksonville starter A.J. Cann and using a first-round pick on Kenyon Green.

Jaguars Move Down To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars are the next team to announce their roster cuts. To get down to the 53-man limit, Jacksonville has moved on from the following players:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Perry found himself on and off the team’s roster throughout the summer. On multiple occasions, he swapped places with Kyle Sloter as a camp body. Initially thought to be signing with the Eagles as a UDFA, Perry will now look to catch onto a practice squad should he go unclaimed.

Raequan Williams has two years of NFL experience, albeit in a very limited role. The Michigan State alum made six appearances with the Eagles in 2020, and logged his first career start last season. The 25-year-old found himself behind the likes of Folorunso Fatukasi and Roy Robertson-Harris on the d-line, however.

The same is true of Tufele, a 2021 fourth-round pick. After racking up 6.5 sacks in two seasons at USC, the six-foot-three, 305-pounder was held in relatively high regard. He was limited to just four games and 54 defensive snaps as a rookie, however, and faced tough competition for full-time snaps in Year 2. He could also be a practice squad candidate, although his age and draft status figure to make him a name to watch on the waiver wire as well.

Raiders To Send CB Trayvon Mullen To Cardinals

August 30th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

High-round Jon Gruden-era Raiders picks continue to fly off the now-Josh McDaniels-led team’s roster. Former second-rounder Trayvon Mullen is following Alex Leatherwood out the door.

The fourth-year cornerback is heading to the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One season remains on Mullen’s rookie contract. This helps a corner-needy Cardinals squad while also leading yet another early recent Raiders pick off their roster.

This move saved Mullen from being waived, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the Cardinals will send the Raiders a conditional seventh-round pick (Twitter link). The pick could bump to sixth-round value depending on Mullen’s playing time. The Cardinals have now acquired three first- or second-round picks from the 2019 draft this year, adding Marquise Brown (Round 1) in April and Cody Ford (Round 2) earlier this month.

The No. 40 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Mullen was traded minutes after the No. 40 pick in 2020 (Ross Blacklock) was dealt. Unlike the former Texans second-round choice, Mullen had been a regular starter with the team that drafted him. The Clemson product started 31 games with the Raiders, including all 16 during the 2020 season.

For the Cardinals, this could be a valuable move. They have been in need at the corner position for a while. Arizona’s agreement with former first-round pick Jeff Gladney preceded the ex-Viking dying tragically in a May car accident. While Kliff Kingsbury indicated in June the Cards would look at veteran corners, only Josh Jackson arrived as a notable investment. The Cards cut Jackson on Monday but were still rumored to be searching at the position. Mullen represents a starter-caliber option alongside Byron Murphy.

Mullen, however, is coming off an injury-plagued stretch. A foot injury limited him to five games last season, and that issue required a procedure in May. That surgery led to Mullen missing the start of Las Vegas’ training camp. The Cardinals will bet on Mullen staying healthy in his contract year. Although Pro Football Focus has never viewed Mullen as an upper-crust corner, Arizona is limited on options here. It would not surprise if the team was not done tinkering at this spot.

As for Vegas, the team has now moved on from primary starters Mullen and Casey Hayward this year. Hayward signed with the Falcons in free agency. The Raiders did acquire Rock Ya-Sin in the Yannick Ngakoue trade and have emerging slot player Nate Hobbs under contract for three more seasons. The team also signed former Baltimore corner Anthony Averett this offseason.

Vikings To Acquire DT Ross Blacklock From Texans

August 30th, 2022 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former second-round pick Ross Blacklock is changing teams. The Texans are trading the third-year defensive tackle to the Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Acquired prior to the Nick Caserio regime taking over, Blacklock will head to Minnesota with two years left on his rookie deal. Blacklock could not carve out a starting role in Houston and will likely be better remembered for being taken with the pick acquired in the 2020 DeAndre Hopkins trade.

This is a pick-swap trade. The Texans will land a sixth-round pick for Blacklock and a seventh, Pelissero adds (on Twitter). The TCU product did not play in the Texans’ final preseason game, having suffered a leg injury. Blacklock was on Houston’s roster bubble coming into Tuesday, but the team managed to land a late-round asset instead of sending him to the waiver wire.

Blacklock, 24, started just three games with the Texans. Sixth-rounder Roy Lopez had moved ahead of him last season. Blacklock did register two sacks, a forced fumble and six quarterback hits in 2021, indicating a glimmer of potential as he heads north.

This does put a bow on the Hopkins haul for Houston. The Texans stunned the football world by dealing their perennial Pro Bowl wideout to the Cardinals for David Johnson and a second-round pick. Houston also obtained a 2021 fourth in that deal, but the primary additions from the widely panned Bill O’Brien-era deal (Johnson and Blacklock) are no longer with the team.

The Vikings are shifting to a 3-4 scheme for the first time in decades, and they now have another piece — one that played in a 3-4 base in Houston — to go along with UFA addition Harrison Phillips and 2021 signing Dalvin Tomlinson, among others. While Tomlinson and Phillips will be Vikings starters, Blacklock will seemingly fill in as a rotational presence.

Raiders To Waive OL Alex Leatherwood

August 30th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are bailing on the Alex Leatherwood experiment after one season. Despite going in the 2021 first round, Leatherwood will be waived Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

A surprise pick at the time, Leatherwood did not do much to impress either of the two Raiders regimes to come through during his time in Las Vegas. The Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime will cut bait despite three seasons remaining on his rookie contract.

That contract will now turn into a big dead-money hit for the Raiders. By cutting Leatherwood before his second season, the Raiders will be tagged with more than $11MM in dead cap. While that can be spread through 2023, with $7.9MM staying on Vegas’ payroll this year, the defrayed signing bonus hits will lead to one of the bigger dead-cap hits on a rookie contract in recent memory. But the Raiders could not find a place for Leatherwood, after trying him at both tackle and guard.

All options were believed to be on the table with Leatherwood, whom the team attempted to trade. His 2021 performance, contract and perception as a first-round reach certainly impacted those efforts.

The Raiders quickly moved Leatherwood to right guard last season, and Pro Football Focus viewed the Alabama product as one of the league’s worst guard regulars. A move back to tackle did not take. Even after Brandon Parker was lost for the season in training camp, Leatherwood could not seize the gig.

Las Vegas’ O-line plan as a whole has been unusual throughout this offseason. With the exception of left tackle Kolton Miller, the Raiders bring question marks at their other spots. Although Andre James is fairly established at center, though his extension was authorized by the Jon Gruden regime, the team has glaring issues on the right side of its O-line. Ex-Patriot spot starter Jermaine Eluemunor has been a big factor at right tackle, while Lester Cotton — a UDFA who has played in five career games and never started any — has worked as the team’s starting right guard. The Raiders seem primed to scour the waiver wire in the coming hours.

Leatherwood’s departure obviously also shifts the spotlight back to the Gruden-Mike Mayock drafts. Leatherwood and 2020 first-round picks Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette are gone. Clelin Ferrell has long been shifted to a backup role, and his status with the Raiders is tenuous. The new Raiders front office also did not pick up the fifth-year options on fellow 2019 first-rounders Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram. After the team traded Reggie McKenzie-era first-rounders Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper and accumulated first-round capital, there is little to show for those moves.

Texans To Release RB Marlon Mack

August 30th, 2022 at 1:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another veteran running back is being let go today. The Texans are releasing Marlon Mack, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 

Mack, 26, experienced significant highs and lows during his five-year tenure with the Colts. In 2018 and 2019, he established himself as a legitimate No. 1 back with nearly 2,000 rushing yards, but injuries have limited him to just seven games played since.

With the Colts comfortable in moving forward with Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines, it came as little surprise when Mack made the intra-divisional move to sign in Houston. The Texans represented an opportunity for the former fourth-rounder to once operate as a lead back, something which seemed to be made even more possible when the team’s initial depth chart named him as the starter.

Instead, that designation will now, in all likelihood, go to rookie Dameon Pierce. The Florida product put up relatively modest yardage totals even in his final season (574 on the ground, 216 through the air), though he found the endzone 16 times in 2021. His lack of usage by the Gators – he received 206 carries across his final two seasons – likely hurt his draft stock, but his training camp and preseason performances have clearly impressed the coaching staff.

Pierce will be supported by veteran Rex Burkhead in the backfield, who led the team in rushing yards last season. The team’s effectiveness in the ground game – or lack thereof – stands to be improved upon with Pierce leading the way. Mack, meanwhile, will look to find a new roster spot as an experienced backup looking to rebuild his free agent value.

49ers To Release DE Kemoko Turay

August 30th, 2022 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kemoko Turay will be part of the 49ers’ roster cuts Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Turay is a vested veteran and will head straight to free agency.

The 49ers took a flier on Turay, giving the 27-year-old edge rusher a one-year deal worth $1.7MM. The team will eat a bit of dead money, after guaranteeing the Rutgers product $1MM.

San Francisco has assembled a deep defensive line, creating a roster crunch of sorts. In addition to Turay, the 49ers brought back Kerry Hyder (after a year in Seattle) and used a second-round pick on defensive end Drake Jackson. The team’s depth here has resulted in a former second-round pick being cut.

The former Colts draftee could be an intriguing depth add for a team soon. Although Turay has battled injuries during much of his career, he registered 5.5 sacks during his final Indianapolis season.

One of a few D-linemen the Colts have taken in Round 2 in recent years, Turay did not stick as a starter. He has lined up as a first-stringer in only three games (all in 2018), with injuries in 2019 and ’20 doing well to move him to the rotational level for good. But the former No. 52 overall pick totaled four sacks and 13 QB hits as a rookie and re-emerged from his injury trouble to play in 13 games last season.

Browns Trim Roster To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are one of the first teams to slash their roster from 80 to 53 players. Here is how Cleveland reached the NFL’s regular-season roster max:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

After seeing an NFL-NFLPA settlement increase his suspension to 11 games, Watson cannot return to game action until Dec. 4. He can return to the Browns’ facility in October and begin practicing in November.

With Jimmy Garoppolo recommitted to the 49ers, Jacoby Brissett is seemingly Cleveland’s locked-in QB1. While Brissett bombing in the role could prompt the Browns to pursue Garoppolo’s cheaper contract before the trade deadline, the veteran now has a no-trade clause again. The 49ers also may be interested in retaining the veteran arm in case of an injury to Trey Lance or if the much-hyped prospect struggles.

Receiving a fair amount of hype as a prospect three years before Lance, Rosen has not panned out. He signed with the Browns late in the offseason but, barring a practice squad stay, will be bounced from another team. The former Cardinals No. 10 overall pick has moved from Arizona to Miami to Tampa to San Francisco to Atlanta to Cleveland since 2019.

Hance started eight games for the Browns last season and has been with the team since 2020, arriving as a UDFA. Having been in Kevin Stefanski’s system for three years now, the 26-year-old blocker would make sense as a taxi squad stash — especially with starting center Nick Harris on IR.

Vikings To Cut Kellen Mond, Sean Mannion

August 30th, 2022 at 12:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

12:45pm: Mannion also received word he has been cut, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. This leaves only Cousins and Mullens at quarterback on Minnesota’s roster. Unlike Mond, however, it appears Mannion has a chance to come back. The Vikings would like Mannion to be their practice squad QB, per Tomasson. As a vested veteran, Mannion does not need to pass through waivers. He can join Minnesota’s practice squad as soon as Wednesday.

10:30am: The Vikings are in line to sort out their crowded quarterback room. The team is waiving Kellen Mond, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Minnesota drafted the Texas A&M product in the third round last year, setting him up as a potential Kirk Cousins successor. The interest shown by the Texans in the draft process demonstrated how he was regarded coming out of college.

In his final season with the Aggies, Mond set a new career-mark in completion percentage (63.3%), and passer rating (146.9). While not known for his mobility, he added 294 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as well, cementing his status as a Day 2 candidate. After just one NFL season – during which he made one appearance – though, his future is now far more uncertain than his age and draft status would imply.

The Vikings spent training camp splitting reps evenly between Mond and veteran Sean Mannion. That competition alone left the former in danger of being left off the 53-man roster, but another recent move left him in that position to an even greater extent. The Vikings traded for Nick Mullens, who was himself displaced as a backup by Jarrett Stidham in Vegas.

With Mond on waivers, the Vikings (now led by GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah) are content to move forward with Cousins and Mullens at the top of the depth chart. Mannion, meanwhile, is now without competition for the No. 3 role.

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