Tag: waived

Raiders waive former Saints linebacker Jaylon Smith

The L:as Vegas Raiders waived former New Orleans Saints linebacker Jaylon Smith, who logged just 25 snaps with them in one game:

Jaylon Smith’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders may have been short-lived. The former New Orleans Saints linebacker left the practice squad for a better opportunity with the Raiders, but he was let go after playing just 25 snaps in one game. The Raiders announced Wednesday that they had released the former Pro Bowler.

Smith will hit the waiver wire, as all veterans released by their teams this time of the year, and he’ll become a free agent should he not be claimed by anyone. Could he return to the Saints’ practice squad? Are the Raiders hoping to sign him to their own practice squad after clearing waivers? He could still play for them in three games as a regular elevation, and the Saints don’t appear to have room for him in their lineup. It’s something to monitor, but a reunion with New Orleans feels unlikely.

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Saints waive rookie RB Ellis Merriweather from their practice squad

The Saints waived rookie running back Ellis Merriweather for the second time this week, opening a spot on their practice squad:

It’s been a tough week for Ellis Merriweather. The rookie running back was waived twice in three days by the New Orleans Saints, with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reporting that he was let go from the Saints practice squad on Thursday.

Merriweather first signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of UMass earlier this year, and he competed hard throughout training camp and the Saints preseason games. Unfortunately, the team chose to go in another direction.

His departure opens a spot on the practice squad for one of two veteran running backs who reportedly signed with the team: Tony Jones Jr. (who has been in New Orleans before) and Jordan Mims (another rookie, who played with Saints backup quarterback Jake Haener at Fresno State). The Saints will continue to put the finishing touches on their depth chart in the days ahead, so this may not be the end of Merriweather’s time in New Orleans. Stay tuned for updates.

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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:

Chiefs waived third-year DB Dicaprio Bootle on Tuesday

Defensive back Dicaprio Bootle was waived by the #Chiefs on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs waived cornerback Dicaprio Bootle in an effort to get down to the NFL-mandated 53-man roster.

Bootle, a third-year defensive back who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2021, was fighting to earn a spot on the back end of the Chiefs’ CB squad. Some expected Kansas City to keep six corners on the roster, but the team ultimately kept five.

So what’s next for Bootle? First, he’ll go through waivers, giving the other 31 NFL teams an option to claim him and add him to their roster. If Bootle clears waivers, he’ll likely end up on the Chiefs’ practice squad where he’s no stranger to spending time.

The 25-year-old Nebraska product has bounced between the Chiefs’ roster and practice squad many times over the past two seasons. He’s appeared on the team’s roster eight times, playing in seven games, and tallying 11 tackles. The majority of Bootle’s time has been spent on special teams, where he excels as a gunner on punt coverage.

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Notre Dame in NFL: Former first round pick waived

Here’s hoping he finds a new football home soon.

Former Notre Dame star defensive lineman [autotag]Jerry Tillery[/autotag]’s time with the Los Angeles Chargers is done. The Chargers announced Thursday evening they had waived Tillery. He had missed practice this past week due to a personal matter according to our colleagues at Chargers Wire.  He had also been dealing with a back injury he suffered during a lifting session.

Tillery was selected by the Chargers 28th in the 2019 NFL draft. Until [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] was selected by the Ravens this year, Tillery had been Notre Dame’s most recent first-round selection. In four seasons with the Chargers, Tillery recorded 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 106 total tackles.

Tillery turned 26 last month. Assuming his back isn’t a major issue, you would have to assume he’ll get another NFL opportunity. Here’s to good health and a fresh start soon for perhaps the biggest star on Notre Dame’s 2018 defense.

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Related:
Every Notre Dame player selected in first round of NFL draft since 1975

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Chiefs waive CB Anthony Witherstone following mandatory minicamp

The #Chiefs waived a cornerback to make room on the 90-man roster for their latest signing.

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The Kansas City Chiefs completed their mandatory minicamp on Thursday and have already begun to reshape the 90-man offseason roster.

The team signed a tryout receiver and since made a corresponding move, they’re releasing an undrafted free agent they signed following the 2023 NFL draft. According to the NFL’s personnel notice for Thursday, the Chiefs released former Merrimack College CB Anthony Witherstone from the 90-man offseason roster.

The 6-foot-2 and 193-pound cornerback played in 35 games for the Warriors, recording 74 total tackles, two tackles for loss, 19 passes defended, a fumble recovery, and four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. Witherstone had been working primarily with the third-team defense since OTAs began and it seems he couldn’t impress upon the coaching staff to give him another look in training camp.

It’s a bit surprising to see the Chiefs replace a cornerback with a receiver, given that both Trent McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed have been sidelined by injuries during mandatory minicamp. It likely speaks to the team’s confidence that those two will be ready to contribute come training camp in July.

If Witherstone clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any NFL team.

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Saints release two former practice squad players in post-draft roster moves

The New Orleans Saints released two of their former practice squad players, RB Derrick Gore and QB Jake Luton, amid post-draft roster moves:

The New Orleans Saints released two of their former practice squad players amid a wave of post-NFL draft roster moves, having already brought in upgrades at their position groups. Mid-round draft picks and undrafted free agent pickups at running back and quarterback made some players expendable.

It’s a tough part of the business, but these things happen. The good news is  that running back Derrick Gore and quarterback Jake Luton will both have an opportunity to try out for other teams at upcoming rookie minicamps around the league. Spring leagues like the USFL and XFL are also options, as is the Canadian league. First they’ll test waivers after being listed on Tuesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire.

Gore, 28, signed with the Saints practice squad last season after bouncing around the league on a couple of different teams, most recently the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college ball at Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe where he led the Warhawks in rushing in both 2017 and 2018.

Luton, 27, also signed with the Saints practice squad last season in the wake of Jameis Winston’s injuries, though he was rarely active on gameday. Like Gore, he signed a reserve/future deal to stay with New Orleans in January. He played collegiately at Idaho and Oregon State with his most prominent pro experience coming with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Good luck to both young men in their next opportunities. These departures, taken with the signing of Montana returns ace Malik Flowers, put the Saints at about 85 players against the 90-man offseason roster limit.

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Vikings waive WR Thomas Hennigan on Tuesday

The #Vikings waived wide receiver Thomas Hennigan on Tuesday, bringing an end to his eight-month stint in Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings waived receiver Thomas Hennigan on Tuesday after hosting him on their roster for eight uneventful months. Hennigan signed with Minnesota just before the 2022 season started on August, 16th of last year, and did not have a chance to make an appearance for the Vikings after being placed on injured reserve shortly after.

News broke that he had been waived in a tweet that was posted to the team’s social media account after they announced that they had signed defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard.

Though unsurprising, this move has a chance to affect Minnesota’s depth at the receiver position, which is particularly thin after their release of veteran Adam Thielen last week. Whether Hennigan might be a candidate to re-sign before OTAs or training camp later in the offseason is, to this point, unknown, though he will likely look to secure work for himself with another team in the coming months.

All in all, the Vikings’ decision to waive Hennigan should prove to be inconsequential so long as he doesn’t put together a breakout season elsewhere in 2023.

Cowboys to cut only WR they signed during free agency

James Washington was signed to play a big role in the Dallas passing attack; he leaves having recorded 0 catches on 1 target in 2 games. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The real-life cowboy barely got a chance to saddle up with America’s Team. Now he’s already leaving the ranch.

Wide receiver James Washington is being cut by the Cowboys, as per a Wednesday tweet from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, who cited a source. The 26-year-old was signed in March and was expected to play a large role in the Dallas passing attack this season after the Amari Cooper trade.

But a training camp foot fracture landed him on injured reserve to start the season; he was not made active until Dec. 10. He made his 2022 debut in the team’s Week 14 game versus Houston and also played in the Week 15 loss to Jacksonville. He had been a healthy scratch the past two games.

Washington played a total of 15 snaps for the Cowboys. He did not record a catch and was targeted with one pass.

The 2018 second-round draft pick and Texas native spent his first four pro seasons in Pittsburgh after an All-American career as an Oklahoma State Cowboy. After signing a one-year deal with his favorite childhood team, Washington missed his first media call with Cowboys reporters… because an unexpected delivery of hay showed up at his 40-acre ranch near Abilene.

It seemed like a match that was destined to be.

But the signing of T.Y. Hilton just two days after Washington was made active left both in unfamiliar territory as the team appeared to let the veterans battle for playing time and looks from Dak Prescott.

Hilton clearly won that showdown, with a highlight-reel 52-yard catch to convert a critical 3rd-and-30 in his Dallas debut and another four receptions- three of them for first downs- versus Tennessee.

Washington will now head to waivers and look to latch on with another club.

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Cowboys waive defensive end Tarell Basham

The veteran DE played in just two games in his second season with the club, after spending much of the year in IR with a quad injury. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have thinned their ranks at a position of excellent depth.

Defensive end Tarell Basham is being waived by the club, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Basham saw just 26 defensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 10, his only two game appearances of 2022. He had spent much of the season on injured reserve with a quad injury, returning to the active roster in early November.

Basham’s departure still leaves six outstanding ends on the roster: DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Chauncey Golston, and Carlos Watkins. Micah Parsons sees snaps at the position, and edge rusher Takk McKinley is a recent addition to the practice squad, though both are technically listed as linebackers.

The 28-year-old Basham joined the Cowboys as a free agent in 2021 after stints with the Colts, who drafted him in the third round in 2017, and the Jets, where he played for three seasons.

The former Ohio Bobcat logged 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in his time with Dallas. He led all Cowboys defensive linemen with 627 snaps in 2021.

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