Tag: cut

New Orleans Saints intend to release wide receiver Michael Thomas

The New Orleans Saints plan to release Michael Thomas, per the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan. This split has been a long time coming:

Here’s what we’ve been expecting: The New Orleans Saints intend to release wide receiver Michael Thomas, as first reported by the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan. Duncan says that Thomas has already caught his last pass in a Saints uniform, and that it’s a matter of when, not if, the team will let him go.

Expect the move to be processed as a post-June 1 cut. For accounting purposes, Thomas will remain on the books with a $12.4 million salary cap hit despite being a free agent with the opportunity to sign with other teams. On June 2, the Saints will receive $3.4 million in savings while counting $8.9 million against the cap in dead money this season, deferring $9.1 million onto the 2025 salary cap. If the Saints don’t use that designation, Thomas would count for $18.1 million against this year’s cap total.

A split makes the most sense for everyone. Thomas did his part to help the team in recruiting Derek Carr last offseason, but the quarterback proved to be a poor fit with him by hesitating too often on the in-breaking routes that Thomas runs best. Frustration behind the scenes spilled over onto social media, and now the clock is ticking on everyone going their separate ways.

It’s such a shame. Thomas joined the Saints at the perfect time to help extend Drew Brees’ career, and he was on a trajectory that would have sent him to the Hall of Fame before injuries derailed his career. Even after being limited to just 20 games in the last four years, Thomas will leave the Saints with the second-most receptions (565) and fourth-most yards (6,569) in team history. His 36 career touchdown catches are seventh-most.

Five players have caught 500 or more passes in a Saints uniform, and Thomas is one of two with fewer than 10 fumbles (5), along with Joe Horn (7). There aren’t many receivers who, when at their best, have been as reliable and exciting to watch as Thomas. Injuries and off-the-field drama don’t change that.

Where will he go next? Hopefully a team in the AFC. Playoff contenders like the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs could use another experienced wideout. Wherever Thomas lands, we’ll be wishing him well — except when he’s playing against the Saints.

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New Orleans Saints to release starting safety Marcus Maye

The New Orleans Saints intend to release starting safety Marcus Maye at the start of the league year, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz:

The New Orleans Saints plan to release starting safety Marcus Maye when the new league year kicks off on March 13, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Maye had missed as many games (17) as he played for New Orleans (17) due to several injuries and a suspension over his two years with the team.

So it’s not too surprising that he’s being let go. Maye was due to count $9.6 million against the salary cap in 2024, the last year of his contract, and the Saints decided it’s worth more to replace him than keep it going. What’s curious is how they’re doing it.

If the Saints are simply cutting Maye loose they’ll have to pay more than $8.4 million against the cap in dead money, meaning they’re saving just $1.1 million by parting ways. But if they’re using one of their two post-June 1 cut designations on Maye, it means they’ll save the $1.1 million now and get another $6 million in savings over the summer to use to sign their rookie draft class and maybe some free agents for training camp. They’ll spread out the dead money with cap hits of $2.4 million in 2024 and $6 million in 2025, but again, the big savings won’t hit until June 2.

Which complicates things. Remember, teams are only allowed to use two of these designations. If the Saints are burning one of them on Maye then it means they can’t use it on one of the other two players who are seen as candidates for the post-June 1 release: Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas. Both players have firm deadlines to be released or extended so this isn’t a move the Saints are taking lightly. It means they’ve already decided which of them will be staying and who will be going.

Winston currently has a salary cap hit of $4.5 million but it’ll grow by about $100 million if he’s still on the roster by March 16, which means the Saints must tear up his contract and sign a new one or let him leave in free agency. Thomas is in a similar position with a $12.4 million cap hit. Releasing either of them with the post-June 1 designation would only save about $1.2 million, so this is all more procedural than actually helpful for the salary cap.

So stay tuned for clarity on Maye’s release and its impact on the Saints’ cap situation. What’s certain is that they must make their outgoing free agents at safety (guys like Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson, and Ugo Amadi) priorities to re-sign. They should also consider additions in the draft or free agency to compete with Jordan Howden for the starting job next to Tyrann Mathieu — who, it should be noted, has played well in New Orleans and could sign an extension to finish his career in his hometown.

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These notables are going home early after missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship

Here’s a closer look at some of the notables who packed their bags and headed for home on Friday.

NAPA, Calif. — While Kevin Kisner grinded and Troy Merritt (67) and Chez Reavie (68) rallied like veterans, Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays showed he has the game to play with the big boys, making his first cut on the number.

They were among 68 players to shoot 3-under 141 at Silverado Resort’s North Course or better to make the cut and advance to the weekend at the 2023 Fortinet Championship.

Kisner, 39, holed a bunker shot at 17 for birdie en route to shooting 72 and making the cut on the number. Playing for the first time since he withdrew from the Travelers Championship in June, Kisner has a weekend tee time at a stroke-play tournament for the first time since the Players Championship in March. (Ben Crane has his first weekend tee time since the Corales Puntacana Championship, also in March.)

“It feels good,” Kisner said. “But damn if it wasn’t easy.”

Tom Johnson, a 42-year-old club pro and one-time Tour member, didn’t have to sweat the cut line but rather made it look like it was old hat for him. It was anything but at he survived his first cut since 2015 and nearly broke into tears of joy at the accomplishment after shooting a pair of 69s.

“It means so much to me and my family,” said Johnson, the director of instruction at The Meadow Club in Fairfax, California, and the father of a 2-year-old son.

They are all chasing Sahith Theegala, who posted the low round of the day, an 8-under 64, to improve to 12-under 132.

Here’s a closer look at some of the notables who packed their bags and headed for home on Friday.

All 37 players released, waived, and traded by the Chiefs on Tuesday

Check out every (former) #Chiefs player who was released, waived, or traded by Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs had to part ways with many talented players yesterday, and there were plenty of surprises when cuts were announced throughout the morning and afternoon.

Players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, L’Jarius Sneed and Isiah Pacheco were all, obviously, unaffected by the onslaught of releases, but others who weren’t so established on Kansas City’s roster weren’t. While late-August cuts are nothing new, fans saw some of their favorite Chiefs exposed to the NFL waiver system, which may mean that they find a new home this week.

With the 2023 season kickoff set to take place on August 7, Kansas City had to make some tough decisions that are sure to play a role in the team’s hopes of championship defense during their coming campaign.

Take a look at the vested veterans, promising prospects, and NFL journeymen who saw their time with the Chiefs come to an unceremonious end on Tuesday:

Chiefs waived promising rookie RB Deneric Prince on Tuesday

Deneric Prince, who was a fan-favorite at #Chiefs training camp, was waived by Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs waived promising rookie running back Deneric Prince on Tuesday during the team’s roster cut-down day.

It’s a move that would have surprised many in late July/early August as the hype for Prince was strong during training camp. Prince ran with the ones and twos plenty during practice, but his hype fell off quickly during the preseason as he slid down the depth chart in favor of La’Mical Perine (who also didn’t make the final 53-man roster).

Despite not being as productive as some hoped, Prince did show some talent in the preseason, earning 89 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Prince also showed an ability to return kicks and make tackles on special teams, making him a more versatile option all around.

If Prince isn’t plucked off waivers by another NFL team, he seems to have a good shot to make the Chiefs’ practice squad (though he may also be battling for a spot with Perine there as well).

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Chiefs waive WR Nikko Remigio with injury designation

Training camp standout Nikko Remigio was waived by the #Chiefs on Tuesday with an injury designation.

The Kansas City Chiefs waived rookie receiver Nikko Remigio with an injury designation Tuesday amid a flurry of roster cuts.

It was an expected move as the team cut down to the mandated 53-man roster. Remigio was a standout early in training camp and had an impressive showing during preseason Week 1, but he missed the final two preseason games with a shoulder injury.

It would have already been difficult for the undrafted rookie to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, as the team already kept seven WRs, rare for an Andy Reid-coached team.

Despite waiving Remigio, the 5-foot-9, 187-pound Fresno State product still has a chance to return to the Chiefs’ practice squad if another team doesn’t pick him up off waivers. With Remigio’s eye-catching preseason performance and his prowess as a returner on special teams, it’s possible he will end up seeing some time on the Chiefs’ roster this season if any injuries occur to other receivers.

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Commanders released former Chiefs mainstay on Monday

The Washington #Commanders parted ways with a former #Chiefs mainstay on Monday.

The Washington Commanders parted ways with former Kansas City Chiefs standout Marcus Kemp on Monday, clearing the way for a potential return to Western Missouri for the talented receiver.

Kemp signed with the Commanders in the offseason as part of a wave of former Chiefs who found a new home with Eric Bieniemy in Washington. While he wasn’t likely to push receiver Terry McLaurin for playing time on the Commanders’ depth chart, Kemp has made a name for himself in the NFL as a rock-solid special teams contributor.

His release on Monday hardly guarantees that he will be picked up by Kansas City later this week, but he could find his way back to the Chiefs as a member of the team’s practice squad.

Expect Kemp to be signed by a team in need of help at wide receiver in the coming days, as the two-time Super Bowl champion’s services should be in high demand ahead of the 2023 season.

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Predicting the 37 roster cuts Broncos will make this week

The Broncos will have to make at least 37 roster moves by Tuesday afternoon. We predict the cuts here.

After wrapping up preseason, the Denver Broncos must now trim the 90-man offseason roster down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon.

That means the Broncos will have to make 37* roster moves within the next 36 hours. (*Technically, Denver will make 38 roster moves because defensive lineman Haggai Ndubuisi did not count against the 90-man limit as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway. We have also predicted a 39th cut — kicker Brett Maher — as we project the Broncos to acquire a new kicker before Week 1.)

With cuts now just around the corner, here is our prediction for the 37(+) players who are set to be cut (or traded) in the coming hours.

Final 53-man roster prediction for Broncos before cuts begin

Here is our final 53-man roster prediction for the Broncos before cuts begin.

After defeating the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason finale on Saturday night, the Denver Broncos will now turn their attention toward finalizing a 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season.

The Broncos have 90 players on the roster at the time of publication so the team will need to make 37 moves to get down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.

Here is our final prediction before the cuts begin.

Broncos made 2 roster moves on Wednesday

The Broncos signed defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile and waived long snapper Jack Landherr on Wednesday.

The Denver Broncos made two roster moves on Wednesday ahead of their joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams.

First, the team signed defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2018. Laulile (6-3, 300 pounds) has spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.

Laulile played in the USFL in 2022 before a stint in the XFL in 2023. He totaled nine tackles and one pick-six while playing for the Arlington Renegades this spring.

To make room for Laulile on the 90-man offseason roster, Denver made a second move and waived long snapper Jack Landherr. That leaves Mitchell Fraboni as the lone long snapper remaining on the roster.

The Broncos also reached an injury settlement with kicker Elliott Fry on Tuesday. Fry has been removed from the team’s injured reserve list and he is now a free agent. Fry previously reverted to IR after he was waived/injured and cleared waivers last week.

Denver will have another joint practice with the Rams on Thursday ahead of their preseason showdown on Saturday night.

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