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Colts Waive K Chase McLaughlin

September 5th, 2020 at 12:42pm CST by Ben Levine

It looks like Rodrigo Blankenship will be the Colts starting kicker in 2020. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Indianapolis has waived kicker Chase McLaughlin.

Indy has been hunting for their first kicker in the post-Adam Vinatieri era, and there was some hope that it could end up being the 24-year-old McLaughlin. The 2019 undrafted free agent out of Illinois ended up seeing time with five different teams (Bills, Vikings, Chargers, 49ers, and Colts) as a rookie, and he saw playing time for those latter three teams.

In total, McLaughlin appeared in 11 games last season, connecting on 18 of his 23 field goal attempts. In fact, he was perfect in all nine of his attempts from inside the 40, and he also connected on his three field goals of 50+ yards, but he struggled from 40-49 yards out (5 for 10). McLaughlin also converted all 26 of his extra point tries.

Back in April, “Hot Rod” Blankenship joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia. The kicker earned a number of honors during his collegiate career, including a First-Team All-SEC nod in 2019.

Jaguars Cut QBs Mike Glennon, Joshua Dobbs

September 5th, 2020 at 12:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars are moving on from a pair of backup quarterback contenders. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Jacksonville is cutting Mike Glennon and Joshua Dobbs.

This means rookie sixth-rounder Jake Luton is currently the only quarterback on the depth chart behind starter Gardner Minshew. However, as Rapoport notes, the team could end up inviting back one of Glennon or Dobbs based on how the final roster “shakes out.”

The 30-year-old Glennon seemed like a natural choice to backup Minshew. However, it’s been almost seven years since the veteran got an extended look as a starter. Glennon spent the 2018 season with the Cardinals and 2019 season with the Raiders, appearing in four total games. During those cameos, Glennon completed 21 of his 31 pass attempts for 230 yards and two scores. In total, the former third rounder has appeared in 29 games (22 starts), tossing 36 touchdowns vs. 20 interceptions.

Dobbs, 25, spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Steelers, including a 2018 campaign where he completed six of his 12 pass attempts for 43 yards and one pick in five games. He was traded to Jacksonville last September for a 2020 fifth-rounder following an injury to Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles. Of course, Minshew stepped up as the starter, and Dobbs never got into a game with Jacksonville.

Jaguars To Place CB Tramaine Brock On IR

September 5th, 2020 at 12:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Jacksonville youth movement continues to plow full steam ahead. The Jaguars will place cornerback Tramaine Brock on injured reserve and end his season, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The long-time veteran was one of very few older players on the hollowed-out roster. The Jags have completely stripped down the team, especially the defense, over the past year. The secondary is going to look completely unrecognizable after former starters Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye were both traded within the last year.

Jacksonville is expected to start rookie first-round pick C.J. Henderson and 24-year-old Tre Herndon on the outside. They’re being thrown into the fire without much help around them. Brock has bounced around the league in recent years, spending time with six different teams over the past four seasons.

The 2010 UDFA spent the first seven years of his career in San Francisco, becoming a reliable starter with the 49ers and landing a couple of decent paydays. He started seven games with the Cardinals last year and four with the Titans, also starting during Tennessee’s run to the AFC Championship Game. He turned 32 last month.

Bills Cut WR Duke Williams

September 5th, 2020 at 12:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the Bills shed down to 53 they’ve made a difficult cut, letting receiver Duke Williams go, according to Dan Fetes of ABC 13 WHAM (Twitter link).

Williams originally entered the league as an UDFA with the Rams back in 2016. After being waived by them he latched on with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, spending the next couple of seasons in Canada. He signed with Buffalo early in 2019, impressing in camp but getting released at final cuts.

He was brought back on the practice squad and then promoted, playing three games before suffering a shoulder injury. He came back in Week 17 with the team resting starters, catching six passes for 108 yards. A camp and preseason star, many Bills fans grew fond of the Auburn product. He should resurface soon, quite likely on Buffalo’s practice squad if no other team scoops him up first.

Raiders Release DL Chris Smith

September 5th, 2020 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite signing with the Raiders in late August, Chris Smith is once again a free agent. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Las Vegas has released the veteran defensive lineman.

The 2014 fifth-round pick out of Arkansas spent the first three seasons of his career with the Jaguars, but he’s bounced around a bit since. After spending the 2017 campaign with the Bengals, Smith spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Browns. He signed with the Panthers earlier this offseason, but he was cut by the organization in late July. He caught on with the Raiders a few weeks later.

In total, the 28-year-old has seen time in 60 regular season games (two starts), compiling 67 tackles and 8.5 sacks. His 2017 and 2018 seasons proved to be two of the best of his career, as he averaged 15.5 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumbles per year.

Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, Carl Nassib, Arden Key seemed to be locked in at defensive end for the Raiders, so it wasn’t going to be easy for Smith to make the roster.

Seahawks Cut OLB Shaquem Griffin

September 5th, 2020 at 12:11pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Shaquem Griffin‘s time in Seattle has come to an end, for now. The outside linebacker was cut by the Seahawks Saturday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports (Twitter link).

Since he was still on his rookie contract Griffin will now go on waivers and have a chance to be claimed by the other 31 teams. The UCF product was a fifth-round pick back in 2018. A true inspiration, Griffin had his left hand amputated when he was four and defied all odds to make it to the NFL.

He’s also the twin brother of Seahawks starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin. He played around nine percent of the defensive snaps last season while also playing a big role on special teams. It’s quite possible that the Seahawks will look to bring Griffin back on the practice squad if he clears waivers. This surely isn’t the last we’ve heard of him.

Lions Cut RB Jonathan Williams

September 5th, 2020 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Jonathan Williams won’t make the Lions roster, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll have to hunt for yet another NFL gig. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Detroit has cut the veteran running back. However, Williams is expected to land on their practice squad.

Williams has bounced around the NFL since being selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. The Arkansas product has had stints with the Bills, Broncos, Saints, Colts, and Lions. He had the best season of his career in 2019, compiling 235 rushing yards and one touchdown on 49 carries. He also added another five catches for 59 yards. That ended up earning him a contract with Detroit, who signed him in mid-August.

However, considering his limited time in camp, it was always going to be tough for Williams to make the roster. Kerryon Johnson, D’Andre Swift, Jason Huntley, and Bo Scarbrough (along with fullback Jason Cabinda) always seemed like shoo-ins to make the final roster.

Chiefs Release RB DeAndre Washington

September 5th, 2020 at 11:23am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Running back DeAndre Washington won’t end up seeing the field as a Chief. Kansas City has informed him he’ll be released, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Washington signed with the team on a one-year deal back in April. The former Raider had figured to mix in behind rookie starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but Andy Reid is clearly comfortable with Darrel Williams and second-year pro Darwin Thompson as the backups.

Washington had previously seemed like a good bet to make the roster after Damien Williams opted out of the season due to COVID-19. He received the most significant run of his career with the Raiders last year, getting 108 carries thanks to an injury to Josh Jacobs.

He became the starter for the last two weeks, carrying the ball 40 times for 162 yards. He finished the season with 387 yards and two touchdowns, adding 36 receptions for 292 yards. The Texas Tech product should catch on soon with a team in need of a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield.

Jets Cut CB Nate Hairston

September 5th, 2020 at 11:20am CST by Ben Levine

Nate Hairston is a free agent. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports (via Twitter) that the Jets have cut the cornerback.

Last August, the Jets traded a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick to the Colts for the defensive back. Hairston ended up getting into 11 games (six starts) for New York, compiling 24 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception.

The 2017 fifth-round pick spent the first two seasons of his career with the Colts. He saw time in 27 games (11 starts) for Indy, compiling 65 tackles, two sacks, six passes defended, and one interception. During his Colts tenure, Hairston missed time with a concussion and a hamstring injury.

Hairston seemed like a long shot to make the 2020 Jets roster. Pierre Desir, Bless Austin, and Brian Poole are tentatively penciled in as starters, while Bryce Hall, Arthur Maulet, Quincy Wilson are projected to make the team as backups.

Patriots Release RB Lamar Miller

September 5th, 2020 at 10:56am CST by Ben Levine

Lamar Miller‘s stint with the Patriots has come to an end, at least temporarily. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that New England has cut the veteran running back.

However, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes on Twitter, the Patriots fully guaranteed $200K of Miller’s base salary. Therefore, it “wouldn’t be a surprise” to see Miller return to New England, especially if the team were to suffer an injury at running back.

Miller signed a one-year deal with the Patriots last month. It was only a year ago that the 29-year-old tore his ACL in a preseason contest while playing for the Texans. Reports at the time of the signing indicated that Miller was fully recovered, and Pelissero notes in his tweet that the veteran is “healthy.”

If that’s true, then Miller could end up being a great grab for an RB-needy team. He earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season, rushing for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the Texans. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that 2018 campaign.

The Patriots have a propensity for adding veteran players to see if they’ve got anything left in the tank, but Miller wasn’t necessarily expected to just stick around for camp. Rather, it was thought that he’d play a rotational role with New England. Ultimately, the team seems content to move forward with their current grouping of Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead.

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