Tag: released

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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Cincinnati Bengals release former Alabama QB AJ McCarron

AJ McCarron set to be a free agent after Bengals release him

The Cincinnati Bengals have officially released former Alabama QB [autotag]AJ McCarron[/autotag] in conclusion of the 2023 season. It was McCarron’s second stint with the team after being drafted by the organization in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Bengals starting QB [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] was sidelined for the year after suffering a ligament injury in his right wrist against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. McCarron was initially signed to the practice squad on Sept. 23, 2023 as a backup and officially activated to the active roster on Dec. 4 to provide some depth at the QB position. In two appearances this year, he completed four of five passes for 19 yards.

So heading into the 2024 season, which will be McCarron’s 10th in the league, he will be finding a new home. McCarron is a guy who just loves football and wants to play, regardless of the league. He has also spent time with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Saints open a practice squad spot by releasing Daniel Sorensen

The Saints opened a practice squad spot by releasing safety Daniel Sorensen:

The New Orleans Saints opened a practice squad spot by releasing safety Daniel Sorensen, per Tuesday’s reported roster moves on the daily NFL transactions wire. But they haven’t filled the vacancy as of Wednesday’s update.

Sorensen, 33, was let go in free agency back in March but re-signed with the Saints practice squad in late September. He’s appeared in two games with New Orleans and played more snaps on special teams (37) than on defense (9) without recording a tackle. He signed with the Saints last season at the veteran minimum after spending his first eight years in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in 145 games (including the playoffs) and winning a Super Bowl ring.

Curiously, the decision to release him preceded the loss of starting free safety Marcus Maye, who will miss the next four games on injured reserve; the Saints had valued Sorensen as an experienced player on the depth chart, but they must have felt they have better options on the roster in guys like Jordan Howden, Lonnie Johnson Jr., and Johnathan Abram. We’ll see where Sorensen lands next.

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Cowboys cut RB Ronald Jones after serving 2-game suspension

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jones is a 2x-Super Bowl winner who was expected to be a veteran presence behind Tony Pollard and help the team’s younger RBs.

Running back Ronald Jones has been cut by the Cowboys before even taking a regular-season snap.

Jones, the former second-round draft pick who won Super Bowl rings with both the Chiefs and the Buccaneers, is coming off a two-game suspension to start his 2023 season.

The 26-year-old, a native of McKinney, Tex., was signed by the Cowboys in March just days after the release of Ezekiel Elliott. He was expected to be a veteran presence in the Dallas RB room behind Tony Pollard, helping lead a stable of young backup ball carriers.

But Jones found himself in trouble for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The positive results, for a test taken last season, were for a “heart stimulant” prescribed to Jones by a doctor, said the USC product, who fervently denied “cheating the game.”

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Jones was handed a two-game punishment to be served in the regular season, then suffered a groin injury in camp.

Those two games gave the Cowboys time to see what they have in Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke. Even wide receiver KaVontae Turpin seems to be in the mix for some backfield carries, as seen in Week 1’s win over the Giants.

Apparently the Cowboys coaches saw enough to warrant releasing Jones rather than returning him to the active roster on Monday and cutting someone else to make room.

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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:

14 most challenging cuts from our latest Saints 53-man roster projection

Breaking down the 14 most challenging cuts from our latest New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection:

They aren’t without their faults, but the New Orleans Saints have built a strong team this year. If they can just keep their best players healthy they should run away with the NFC South title and potentially make some noise in the postseason.

But the road to get there isn’t as easy as you’d think. A lot of talented players and likeable young men are going to be left on the outside looking in. Many of them will get a second chance on the Saints practice squad, but for others Sunday’s preseason game with the Houston Texans is going to be the last time they wear a helmet with a fleur-de-lis on the side of it.

So which roster cuts were the most challenging in our latest projection? For one reason or another, these moves gave us the most pause:

Matt LaFleur on releasing Jonathan Garvin on birthday: ‘This business never stops’

The Packers released Jonathan Garvin on his 24th birthday on Friday. Coach Matt LaFleur: “This business never stops.”

The Green Bay Packers released outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin on his 24th birthday on Friday. The transaction looked especially cruel after the social media team wished Garvin a happy birthday on social media a few hours before his release.

Coach Matt LaFleur bemoaned the timing but said the business of the NFL doesn’t stop, even for birthdays.

“Unfortunately, sometimes it’s time to move on,” LaFleur said before Saturday’s practice. “I understand the timing wasn’t great, in terms of it being his birthday. You guys know, this business never stops.”

Garvin, a 2020 seventh-round pick, was attempting to move from edge rusher to defensive line, likely in a last-ditch effort to maintain a roster spot. The Packers are deep at edge rusher in training camp, leaving little opportunity for Garvin to make the 53-man roster.

It’s clear the transition wasn’t going to plan. Could the Packers have waited until Saturday to make the move? Probably, but getting released was going to sting for Garvin regardless of whether the transaction arrived Friday or Saturday.

Garvin played in 38 games for the Packers over three seasons. He’ll have a chance to catch on with a new team relatively early in training camps across the league.

Garvin’s release opens a roster spot on the 90-man roster for the Packers, who didn’t immediately announce a new addition.

Packers release OLB Jonathan Garvin on his birthday

The Packers celebrated Jonathan Garvin’s birthday on social media Friday morning, and then released him a few hours later.

Roughly three hours after posting a tweet celebrating his birthday, the Green Bay Packers released fourth-year outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin before Friday’s practice, per Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com.

Garvin, a seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2020, turned 24 years old on Friday.

The business of football is a cold and cruel one.

Garvin played in 38 games for the Packers between the 2020 and 2022 seasons. He produced 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits.

The Packers were working Garvin with the defensive linemen during the early parts of training camp, possibly in a last-ditch effort to find a place for him on the roster long-term.

The Packers are deep at outside linebacker behind starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, especially after retaining Justin Hollins and drafting Lukas Van Ness in the first round.

DE Takk McKinley released by Cowboys

From @ToddBrock24f7: The former first-round draft pick was signed back in November and re-signed in March; he never got on the field as a Dallas Cowboy.

The Cowboys’ veterans have departed on a six-week break before training camp in Oxnard, but one of them won’t be making the trip to California after all.

The team released veteran defensive end Takk McKinley on Friday, according to numerous reports.

McKinley, a first-round draft pick of Dan Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, was signed to the Dallas practice squad back in November. He did not get into any games for the remainder of 2022, but the club re-signed him to a one-year deal in March.

The 27-year-old’s release follows the addition this week of free agent end Ben Banogu, formerly with Indianapolis, and the recent selection of Junior Fehoko out of San Jose State in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.

Dallas also has DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Chauncey Golston, Dante Fowler, and second-year rising star Sam Williams already at the position.

The Cowboys roster now stands at 88 players, two shy of the 90-man limit.

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