Drew Bledsoe Discusses the Rookie Quarterbacks He’s Looking to Watch
Drew Bledsoe talks to Mackenzie Salmon about the upcoming rookie class and who he’s most excited to watch.
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With the 2024 NFL preseason officially over, now comes the hard part — which is already well underway.
All 32 teams have embarked on the painful process of trimming their 90-man rosters — which are allowed in the offseason — to the 53-man rosters that will carry them into the regular season. Many have already made their initial cuts, with some fairly high-profile players among those heading to the free-agent pool, including OLB Randy Gregory (Buccaneers), S Ronnie Harrison (Colts), LB Deion Jones (Bills), RB Joshua Kelley (Giants), WR Denzel Mims (Jaguars), RB Boston Scott (Rams), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Patriots), TE CJ Uzomah (Eagles) and QB Mike White (Dolphins). Smith-Schuster already found a new (and former) employer on Monday.
The deadline to comply with the roster is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday — meaning a handful of players will be released, traded, placed on injured reserve or undergo other mechanisms as depth charts are finalized (for now). Another change will come after that as players are claimed off waivers — which will trigger similar moves — before clubs begin filling out their practice squads.
Follow us here on Monday as we track all the notable transactions of the day ahead of tomorrow’s deadline:
Malik Willis is set to move to another team in what could be the first of several moves to happen this week that involve a reshuffle of backup quarterbacks.
The Liberty will trade a 2022 third-round pick from the Tennessee Titans to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a seventh-round pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Willis started three games as a rookie, but Tennessee decided to select Will Levis in the second round of last year’s draft. With Levis firmly established as a starter after taking over for Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2023 season and veteran Mason Rudolph signing as a backup this offseason, Willis gets a fresh start with the Packers.
In Green Bay, he’s expected to be the No. 2 option behind Jordan Love. The Packers still have Sean Clifford and Tulane rookie Michael Pratt at quarterback as well.
The Arizona Cardinals made their first roster shakeup, and the departures of six players didn’t come as a huge surprise. The club announced the release of WR Daylen Baldwin, LB Chris Garrett, CB Delonte Hood, S Verone McKinley III, CB Michael Ojemudia and OL Austen Pleasants.
Two more key players could leave the Denver Broncos before Sean Payton’s second year at the helm.
The Broncos are preparing to part ways with wide receiver Tim Patrick, 9NEWS’ Mike Kleiss reports:Patrick surpassed 700 receiving yards in 2020 and 2021, but he did not play in either of the past two seasons after suffering a torn ACL and torn Achilles tendon the previous two summers. Klis reported that Patrick, 30, had drawn “strong” interest on the trade market ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Meanwhile, Denver is also shopping for cornerback Samaji Perine, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports:Perine averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season and had 50 receptions, but the Broncos appear to prefer moving forward with Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and fifth-round rookie Audric Esteem on the backfield.
The Chicago Bears joined the group of teams making early roster cuts on Monday by dropping receivers John Jackson and Peter LeBlanc, offensive linemen Ja-Tyre Carter and Jerome Carvin, defensive linemen Michael Dumfour and Jaylon Hutchings, linebackers Paul Moala and Gavin White, and safety Quindell Johnson.
Carter, a seventh-round pick in 2022, started two games for Chicago last season and appeared in 10 games overall.
On Monday, the New England Patriots released the following players: quarterback Tucker Addington, wide receiver Kawan Baker, defensive back William Bradley King, defensive back Josiah Brunson, quarterback Steele Chambers, running back DeShawn Vinick, linebacker Azizi Hearn, linebacker Zuri Henry, defensive back Christian McCarroll, tight end LaMichael Pettway, defensive back Sam Roberts, linebacker Charles Turner, linebacker Mikey Victor and tight end Jacob Warren.
The bulk of the players were undrafted free agents, with Roberts, selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, being one of the only exceptions.
There were some familiar and notable names among the 15 players fired by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.
Defensive linebacker Albert Huggins was let go less than two weeks after he angered coach Mike McCarthy by shoving a Los Angeles Rams staff member in a joint practice.
“His behaviour is clearly unacceptable,” McCarthy said. According to ESPN.com.
Midfielder Damien Wilson, who started 22 games for the team from 2016 to 2018, was also cut. Defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko Junior, a 2023 fourth-round pick, was cut due to injury.
The Cleveland Browns are down to 78 players on their roster after waiving 16 players on Monday: S Tyler Coyle, G Wyatt Davis, K Lucas Havrisik, CB Faion Hicks, LB Landon Honeycutt, LB Caleb Johnson, G Zack Johnson, DE Jeremiah Martin, T Roy Mbaeteka, LB Marvin Moody, T Chim Okorafor, RB Aidan Robbins, RB Jacob Saylors, LS Rex Sunahara, DE Isaiah Thomas and S Chase Williams (injury rating).
Most importantly, the Browns returned five players — including starting offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin as well as defensive lineman Greg Newsome II — to their active roster after they all passed physicals.
There are few rosters that feature players like the reigning NFC champions … which is probably why many of the players the San Francisco 49ers released on Monday were so well-known. The team released two players, veteran linebackers Matt Breida and KeShawn Vaughn, and waived three others, including defensive end Presley Harvin III.
Breida is a seven-season NFL veteran who spent his first three seasons with San Francisco, amassing nearly 3,600 yards from scrimmage, mostly in a backup role. Vaughn was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 but has not made much of an impact. Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell remain the primary backups to running back Christian McCaffrey. Harvin, who won the 2020 Ray Guy Award as college football’s top player while at Georgia Tech, spent the past three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers but was unable to overtake Mitch Wishnowski this summer.
Sterling Shepard is still trying to make a comeback after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2021 and a torn ACL in 2022 that put his playing days in doubt. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released the player, but the team is looking to return the 31-year-old to the practice squad.
Shepard has caught just 10 passes in 15 games in his first season back from injury, but the Oklahoma native is hoping his association with former Sooners teammate Baker Mayfield will give him a spark.
The Minnesota Vikings began their roster cuts Monday by waiving or releasing 14 players. Among the notable names are quarterback Matt Corral, a former third-round pick from the Carolina Panthers and UFL product who signed with the team after losing JJ McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury, and linebacker DeWayne McBride, a 2023 seventh-round pick who was a standout at UAB.
Full list of players who parted ways with Minnesota on Monday:
- Midfielder Matt Corral
- RB Dewayne McBride
- TE Samis Reyes
- RB Mo Ibrahim
- CB Jaylen Williams
- TE Neil Johnson
- WR Justin Hall
- Midfielder Owen Porter
- OL Chuck Villega
- First Doug Nester
- OL Matt Cindric
- First Spencer Roland
- DL Tyler Manoa
- C.B.A.J. Green III
The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the process of trimming their roster.
On Monday, the team released eight players: offensive linemen Tyler Beach and Devery Hamilton, wide receivers Jacob Copeland and TJ Luther, cornerback Daejon Edwards, defensive lineman Marquise Spencer, linebacker Keahva Tezino and defensive back Keondre Thomas.
After trading forward Darrell Taylor to the Chicago Bears and acquiring linebacker Michael Barrett in exchange for defensive lineman Michael Jackson in recent days, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to another trade.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports the team will sign forward Trevis Gibson from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gibson, 27, recorded one sack for the Tennessee Titans last season but has seven for the Chicago Bears in 2021. Gibson replenishes Seattle’s edge depth after the Taylor deal. Seattle is still expected to rely primarily on Uchenna Nwosu, Dremont Jones, Boy Maffei and Derrick Hall.
Smith-Schuster, now heading into his eighth NFL season, was perhaps the first major player to hit the unemployment line earlier in August, and he’s already resurfaced in what looks like a crowded room of Kansas City Chiefs offensive linemen. Why would the two-time defending champion bring back a player who appears to be in decline — Smith-Schuster caught 29 passes for New England in 2023 — after letting him go after the 2022 season?
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By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 27, all 32 teams must reduce their active rosters to 53 players.
NFL teams have until noon EST on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to claim players who were waived as part of league-wide roster cuts. Once those claims are resolved, clubs will begin filling their practice squads.
Expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, teams are now allowed to include up to 16 players on the practice squad, completing the 53-man roster. Up to 10 players with two or fewer seasons can join a designated practice squad while a maximum of six other players with unlimited NFL service are also eligible for spots.
A 17th international player may be added if he meets certain eligibility requirements.