With the NFL season quickly approaching, NFL rosters have to be capped at 53 players. This means that hundreds of NFL players will be traded or cut, and may never play football again. It’s a brutal reality, but that’s the National Football League, folks. As the rosters get chopped down, many known players will get cut. Here is an update on what players have been cut or traded at the roster deadline.
Bills Release Tight End O.J. Howard
This transaction kind of shocked me. I surely thought that Howard would be great as tight end two in Buffalo with Dawson Knox, but clearly Buffalo didn’t see it that way. In 2021, Howard caught 14 passes for 135 yards and 1 score in 17 games. In mid March, Buffalo signed Howard to a 1 year, 3.5 million dollar contract. Just a few months later, Howard is back on the streets looking for a new home…or does he? After it was reported that the Bills cut Howard, the Cincinnati Bengals signed him.
Olympic Hurdler Devon Allen Gets Cut
The Devon Allen story was a fun one to follow through camp. Allen was a receiver for Oregon from 2014 to 2016 catching 54 passes for 921 career yards. He then transitioned to hurdling where he won gold at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Eagles signed Allen to play wideout and he performed pretty well in the preseason. He even reeled in a 55 yard touchdown against Cleveland. Unfortunately, it looks like Allen won’t be playing football in 2022 as the Eagles cut him.
Broncos Deal Malik Reed To The Steelers
I thought the Steelers were set with Myles Jack and Devin Bush, but they wanted to improve even more. They acquired Malik Reed from the Broncos in exchange for undisclosed late round draft picks. The past two seasons, Reed has been an underrated defensive menace. Between 2020 and 2021, he’s had 13 sacks, 25 QB hits, and 96 tackles. A solid addition and they didn’t have to give up really anything in return.
Vikings Drop Two 2021 Draft Picks
It’s over. The Kellen Mond era is over. It was a short run, but he really was not at all what I thought he’d be. After playing in one game and being abysmal in the preseason, the Vikings had enough. They cut the 23 year-old QB. Then, the Vikings cut Jalen Twyman. Twyman was a sixth round pick in 2021, but never saw time after he was shot four times in Washington D.C. in June of 2021. I really liked Twyman out of Pitt and it stinks to see him get cut because he was a baller in college.
Eagles Flip Safeties
In 2019, Anthony Harris led the league in interceptions. In the offseason of 2021, he signed a 1 year, 5 million dollar deal with the Eagles. Harris then signed a 1 year deal in March of 2022 with the Eagles and was cut on Tuesday. Life comes at you quick. To counteract cutting Harris, the Eagles traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson in exchange for a fifth and sixth round pick in 2024. Gardner-Johnson made 46 tackles with 3 picks in 2021.
Ravens Sign Veteran Running Back Kenyan Drake
Baltimore only gets deeper. At running back, the Ravens already had Mike Davis and J.K. Dobbins. Then, they went out and signed Kenyan Drake who was recently cut by the Raiders. Drake rushed for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns with Vegas last year and will now form a three headed monster in Baltimore’s backfield.
Colts Cut Pro Bowl Running Back Phillip Lindsay
I remember when Phillip Lindsay rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons with Denver. Since then, it’s been downhill for the Colorado alum. Over the past three seasons, Lindsay has rushed for 751 yards and 2 touchdowns in 25 games. Lindsay just didn’t fit in the Colts stacked backfield with Taylor and Hines.
Jaguars Send Laviska Shenault To Carolina
Carolina is assembling an arsenal of mid tier weapons. DJ Moore, Robbie Anderson, Terrace Marshall, and now Laviska Shenault. MID. In 2021, Shenault caught 63 passes for 619 yards and zero touchdowns. While he’s good after the catch, he’s not going to be a real threat for the Panthers in the 2022 season.
Lions Drop CT Native Tim Boyle
This is big news. The Lions have cut third string quarterback Tim Boyle. While it may not be Earth shattering news, it does stink to see a CT native get cut going into the 2022 season. Boyle grew up in Middlefield, CT and played high school football at Xavier High School. The guy was a stud at Xavier as he won three State Championships.
New England Cuts Two 2020 Tight End Draft Picks
Much like the Vikings, the Patriots have begun to gut a recent draft class. In 2020, New England took both Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in the third round. Personally, I liked it. Well, it was a disaster. The duo combined for 55 yards and 1 touchdown in their time with the Patriots. YIKES. Billy B saw enough and cut both players.
Alex Leatherwood Lands With The Bears
The Raiders really do stink at drafting in the first round. In 2021, they took Alex Leatherwood out of Alabama and he clearly didn’t pan out. With a 45.0 PFF grade, 8 sacks allowed, and 14 penalties, the Raiders had ENOUGH. They finally waived him after allowing 61 pressures in 2021, but it wasn’t long before he was picked up. The eternally stupid Chicago Bears picked Leatherwood up and only made their offensive line worse. I didn’t think it was possible.
