Tag: released

Chris Carson saw numerous specialists but still couldn’t pass physical

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson saw numerous medical specialists but still couldn’t pass his physical leading to his release.

The Seattle Seahawks released running back Chris Carson on Tuesday with a failed physical designation due to a neck injury he sustained last year. The team had waited patiently all offseason with the hopes that Carson would eventually recover.

“It’s a big disappointment,” general manager John Schneider said via the team’s press release. “We took it as long as we possibly could with him, he saw a number of specialists, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to pass our physical.”

Carson was sidelined early last season after the injury and was not able to return to finish the year. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carson will hold off making an official retirement statement for now in the hopes of a dramatic improvement in the future.

“He’s been an incredible pro, a guy who brings an amazing energy about him,” Schneider continued. “His running style is what we’ve always wanted here in Seattle. He’s the type of runner that the whole team feeds off of. The type of player defensive players get off the bench to watch him run—they can feel his energy.

“He’s the type of runner whose style affects the whole team, not just the offense.”

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Packers release backup QB Kurt Benkert

The Packers released backup quarterback Kurt Benkert on Friday.

The Green Bay Packers reduced the team’s quarterback room to three players by releasing backup Kurt Benkert on Friday.

Benkert, who signed with the Packers last May, spent the entire 2021 season on the team’s practice squad as the No. 3 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. He was activated to the roster as a backup to Love when Rodgers was out with COVID-19.

Benkert turns 27 in July. His release leaves the Packers with Rodgers, Love and Danny Etling as the three quarterbacks on the roster. The move comes at the conclusion of the team’s offseason workout program and opens up a roster spot on the 90-man roster.

Benkert, who became well-liked within the fan base, sent this tweet after the news:

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Bobby Wagner agrees to 5-year deal with division rival Rams

He joins a Rams team that just won the Super Bowl and has since added Allen Robinson.

Seattle Seahawks fans were shocked when the team released veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner on the same day they agreed to trade starting quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. Wagner, who was free to sign with any club of his choosing upon his release, has found himself a new NFL home with the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

According to a report by Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, it’s a five-year, $50 million contract worth up to $65 million with incentives.

Wagner and Wilson were the last remaining members of the Seahawks winning Super Bowl team, both selected by Seattle in the 2012 NFL draft. Wagner was taken in the second round at number 47 overall out of Utah State. He has spent all 10 years of his professional career in the Emerald City.

Wagner, 31, is the most decorated Seahawks player to date, having been named to eight Pro Bowls, six First-Team All-Pro squads and two Second-Team All-Pro selections.

He joins a Rams team that just won the Super Bowl and has since added Allen Robinson.

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Packers releasing veteran OL Billy Turner

The Packers are releasing versatile and experienced offensive lineman Billy Turner.

The Green Bay Packers are releasing offensive lineman Billy Turner, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Turner, who turns 31 years old in October, started 43 games for the Packers over the last three seasons, including starts at right guard, left tackle and right tackle.

Turner had a cap number of $9.2 million in 2022. The Packers will save roughly $3.4 million by releasing him but also take on $5.8 million in dead cap money.

The Packers likely see do-it-all offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins as the future at right tackle, even though he’ll miss a good chunk of the 2022 season while recovering from an ACL injury. Yosh Nijman, who also started games at left tackle in 2021, could be the new swing tackle.

Given his experience at left and right tackle, Turner could have a strong market in free agency.

The Packers, who are working furiously to get under the salary cap by Wednesday, also released edge rusher Za’Darius Smith on Monday.

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Packers release OLB Za’Darius Smith, clear $15.3M in salary cap space

The Packers released veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith. The expected move clears $15.3 million of salary cap space.

The Green Bay Packers released outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, clearing a massive chunk of salary cap space but removing an impact pass-rusher from Brian Gutekunst’s roster.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news Monday.

Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-time All-Pro in 2020, had a cap number of $27.7 million entering the 2022 season. Releasing Smith clears almost $15.3 million from the Packers cap but adds almost $12.4 million in dead money.

Smith, who turns 30 in September, missed all but one game in 2021 while dealing with a back injury that eventually required surgery.

A prized free-agent signing in 2019, Smith delivered 26.0 sacks, 144 total pressures and 60 quarterback hits during his first two seasons in Green Bay. He led all players in total pressures in 2019, and he produced at least 12.5 sacks in both seasons.

Smith’s cap number was the second-highest on the Packers roster behind only Aaron Rodgers.

Releasing Smith creates a need at edge rusher for the Packers, even with Preston Smith and Rashan Gary on the roster. Finding a third rusher or long-term sidekick for Gary could become a priority for the Packers this offseason, either through free agency or the draft.

Even though he’s coming off a major injury, Smith is expected to be a coveted player on the open market.

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Cowboys release K Greg Zuerlein, TE Blake Jarwin ahead of free agency

Just three days away from free agency discussions, the Cowboys have released 5 players to help get themselves under the 2022 cap. | From @CDBurnett7

NFL free agency talks open up on March 14, just three days away, and the Dallas Cowboys are beginning to clear space entering crucial contract discussions. Earlier in the week the team restructured the contracts of QB Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. Although the moves saved Dallas nearly $23 million in cap space, they still had work to do to get under the 2022 salary cap max of $208.2 million by March 16.

While some bigger names have been bandied about for weeks now, the fog surrounding other contributors has now cleared as Dallas has shed some cap, releasing tight end Blake Jarwin and kicker Greg Zuerlein.

For Zuerlein, this moves seems apropos considering the rocky season he had in 2021. In his second year with the Cowboys, he missed 12 kicks, including a few costly ones in games that ended as losses. Three misses in a two-point loss to Tampa Bay in the season opener were the first warning shots and then two more misses in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Raiders were front and center on national television.

Entering the final season of his Cowboys’ contract, Zuerlein was scheduled to make $2.5 million in base salary and similar to the situation with free agent punter Bryan Anger, Stephen Jones will be looking for a cheaper option.

In the case of Jarwin, it’s an unfortunate situation for the 2017 UDFA. Jarwin broke onto the scene for the Cowboys in the final game of the 2018 season with 119 yards and three touchdown catches in a win. Expectations rose for the Oklahoma State product but the return of Jason Witten from retirement derailed his ascension.

Fast forward to 2020 and Jarwin entered as the sure starter at tight end but tore his ACL in the first game of the season against the Rams and then backup Dalton Schultz usurped his role moving forward. Jarwin may have been ready to resume his role as a starter with Schultz a free agent, but a major hip injury knocked him out for the season and potentially ended his career.

The release of Jarwin saves Dallas an undisclosed amount this offseason as there was an injury settlement. In the final year of his deal, Jarwin was set to make $4.5 million in base salary and had bonuses totaling another $750,000. Looking forward, these departures create space for the Cowboys to make their necessary moves.

Dallas also released three other players, headlined by CB Reggie Robinson, a 2019 fourth-round pick. RB Ito Smith and WR Robert Foster were also let go.

When a player is released from the roster, the savings are offset by other players who are then added to the Top 51 calculation of the salary cap. So while Zurlein was due to make $2.5 million, a new player making $705,000 is now part of the equation, making the savings for moving on from the kicker around $1.8 million. Jarwin’s potential $5.25 million will be lessened by the same amount and the other three players were so close to the minimum, the net savings there are around $600,000.

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Chiefs release veteran LB Anthony Hitchens

The #Chiefs have made their first cost-cutting move of the offseason, releasing veteran LB Anthony Hitchens.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made their first cost-cutting move of the 2022 NFL offseason.

The Chiefs announced on Tuesday that they had released LB Anthony Hitchens. The veteran was entering the final year of a five-year, $45 million deal signed back in 2018. He was set to carry a cap hit of $12.7 million in 2022, but the Chiefs save $8.4 million by releasing him and will incur a dead-money charge of just $4.2 million.

With the emergence of second-year LB Willie Gay Jr. and rookie LB Nick Bolton, the writing was on the wall that 2021 would be the last season for Hitchens in Kansas City. He’ll finish his Chiefs career having started 59 regular-season games and 11 postseason games. He’s worn the green dot for the Chiefs for the past four seasons, recording 381 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and four passes defended.

Hitchens became a Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV and he’ll always be remembered for his part in helping the team secure that victory.

Releasing Hitchens now gives him a head-start on finding a new team before the free agency period begins. That’s about as solid a move as the team can provide a veteran player when they’re being released.

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Saints designate DT Malcolm Roach to return from IR, then waive him

Saints designate DT Malcolm Roach to return from injured reserve, then waive him

Well that’s odd. After initially designating him to return from injured reserve on Monday, the New Orleans Saints waived defensive tackle Malcolm Roach altogether on Tuesday. He had missed several games with an unspecified knee injury and was expected to return to the active roster so this is a bit of a surprise.

It’s possible the Saints intend to re-sign Roach to their practice squad. He would have to clear waivers first but it makes sense given how thin they’re running at the position; David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Christian Ringo, and Josiah Bronson and Albert Huggins are on the 53-man roster, but no one has played particularly well in the rotation. Onyemata, Tuttle, and Ringo have had some positive plays here or there but none of them have been consistent.

On the other hand, it’s not like the Saints were lacking roster spots. They started the day with three openings on the roster (and four more on the practice squad) prior to waiving Kenny Stills and re-signing Kevin White, also having earlier sidelined Cameron Jordan on the COVID-19 reserve list following a positive test result. Their depth chart is in a really odd place and this move with Roach doesn’t help clarify anything. Stay tuned in case more transactions on the way.

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Seahawks cut WR Phillip Dorsett II, RB BJ Emmons from practice squad

The Seattle Seahawks released wide receiver Phillip Dorsett II and running back BJ Emmons from the practice squad on Tuesday afternoon.

The Seattle Seahawks announced just two roster moves on Tuesday afternoon. Seattle released wide receiver Phillip Dorsett II and running back BJ Emmons from the practice squad. 

Emmons had just been re-signed to the squad last week. He originally signed with Seattle this spring as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic but spent training camp and the preseason with the Raiders.

As for Dorsett II, he began his professional career in Indianapolis after he was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. After two years there, he then spent three seasons with the Patriots before signing for his first stint in Seattle in 2020.

He signed back with the Seahawks as a member of the practice squad in September of 2021.

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Jaguars waive WR Tyron Johnson

Johnson finishes his Jacksonville career with two catches for 16 yards.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are shaking things up at receiver after the unit has struggled in recent weeks. On Tuesday, the team announced that it was releasing receiver Tyron Johnson, who was claimed off waivers on Sept. 1 after his release from the Los Angeles Chargers.

Johnson was claimed with the hopes of bringing some speed to the receiving corps, but he never really caught on with the offense and struggled to see the field. As a result, Laquon Treadwell and Tavon Austin have been the only reserve receivers used in recent weeks.

Though he was active for the first four games, his only appearance since came in the Week 8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, in which he had two targets on 13 snaps (both season highs for him). He dropped a deep ball late in that game, and he finishes his Jags tenure with just two catches for 16 yards.

He was signed with the hope that he could replicate some of his late-season success last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. He finished the 2020 season with 20 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns, becoming one of Justin Herbert’s favorite targets later in the season. An undrafted player in 2019 out of Oklahoma State, Johnson bounced around a bit before landing in Los Angeles last year.

With Johnson gone, Jacksonville will likely look to find another speedy receiver, as the only player on the roster who currently fits that profile is converted cornerback and return specialist Jamal Agnew. His release makes it likely that veteran receiver John Brown, who was added to the practice squad last week, will be active for the game against San Francisco on Sunday.