2017 Roster Cutdown Blog

Ken Kelly

We’ll be updating this blog throughout the weekend with all the important cuts, trades, roster moves and other important information as teams cut down to the required roster limitations. This is always one of the most exciting weekends as we finally found out what the coaches are truly thinking about some young players. If you’re new to the blog, read from the bottom up, as the latest information will be at the top.

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CJ SPILLER BROUGHT BACK BY CHIEFS

CJ Spiller was re-signed by the Chiefs after being cut yesterday. It could be an indicator the Chiefs were trolling for a running back today and with Langford and Jonathan Williams available, one could wonder if he makes it through the week. Once a coveted asset in dynasty leagues, Spiller has aged and bounced around the league far too much to have on a dynasty roster.

JEREMY LANGFORD WAIVED BY CHICAGO

Langford will now go through waivers and could be claimed by a team tomorrow. He was given a great shot as the Bears starter but his ankle injury offered a door Jordan Howard slammed open. Langford has proven to be a pedestrian talent over his career. He’ll likely find a job elsewhere but it’s hard to find a reason to have him on dynasty roster. Tarik Cohen is the handcuff to own in Chicago.

UPDATE: ALEX COLLINS JOINS RAVENS, NOT JETS

Collins was thought to have signed on with the Jets but had a change of heart once the Ravens called. The opportunity for him isn’t much different as he’s beyond buried on the depth chart. Still, he could be a player to keep on dynasty watch lists as the duo of Terrance West and Buck Allen are largely unproven in the “big back” or early down role that Collins would likely provide help with.

MCNICHOLS ENDS UP WITH THE 49ERS

It’s a decent landing spot and the best that could be hoped for after McNichols flamed out in Tampa Bay this off-season. Carlos Hyde is the unquestioned starter. He’s currently backed up by Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert. McNichols has a chance for a call up with Joe Williams on IR but he’s going to need to show better in pass protection and understanding a playbook before he’s anywhere close to fantasy relevance. McNichols is best left on the waiver wire in dynasty leagues and simply added to your “watch list” as the season goes on.

BILLS CUT JONATHAN WILLIAMS

The Bills are inexplicably going with Joe Banyardm, Mike Tolbert and Taiwan Jones behind LeSean McCoy this year. Williams will undoubtedly be claimed by a team off waivers tomorrow. It’s a shocking move even for a team in full rebuilding mode. McCoy will get all he can handle but it’s still not going to be surprising if he and Tyrod Taylor are moved. Williams should be kept in dynasty leagues as a player who has nice potential and the looks of a future starter. This is by far the most surprising move of the weekend.

 

PANTHERS CLAIM BRAD KAAYA

The Panthers added former Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya off waivers from Detroit. Despite a solid career, Kaaya projects as Cam Newton’s long-term backup, at best.

JETS ADD STRINGFELLOW

The Jets calimed Damore’ea Stringfelllow off waivers from the Dolphins. Once a highly regarded prospect, Stringfellow bounced around colleges and now a couple of NFL teams. He has talent and the Jets really don’t. He’ll probably end up on the practice squad in New York but he’s a player to watch in super deep dynasty leagues since the Jets have the worst receiving corps in football.

BROWNS CLAIM KASEN WILLIAMS

Williams was one of the surprise cuts of the weekend and it didn’t take him long to find a home. The Browns had one of the worst receiving corps in football a month ago but have done well to add some potential. They’ll now go into the season with Kenny Britt, Corey Coleman, Sammie Coates and Williams as their presumptive top four. This is bad news for players like Rashard Higgins and Ricardo Louis as they now have virtually no value.

SAINTS ADD AUSTIN CARR

The Saints added New England preseason hero Austin Carr off waivers from the Patriots. You had to figure he was headed to the New England practice squad but the Saints beat them to it. Carr was a bit of an off-season dynamo and could be a nice find for New Orleans. While he likely isn’t worth an add in dynasty leagues quite yet, he is an intriguing player for a watch list.

MATT JONES JOINS THE COLTS

This is a sneaky good pickup for the Colts, who need to look at life post-Frank Gore. While Jones will clearly be a backup, you can envision a scenario soon where he and Marlon Mack battle to be the new starter for Indianapolis. This isn’t great news for Mack owners as he had little competition outside of journeyman Robert Turbin.

JETS ADD WILL TYE

The Jets claimed Will Tye off waivers from the Giants. Tye was the starter for the G-Men not long ago but flamed out and was beaten by Evan Engram and others this off-season. He could have a little value early on for the Jets as Austin Seferian-Jenkins serves his suspension, but he doesn’t have much standalone value.

SEAHAWKS MAKE TWO SURPRISE CUTS

Seattle released Trevone Boykin and Kasen Williams as part of their roster trimming today. Boykin had an awful preseason and his off the field issues probably had something to do with this as well. The Seahawks are presumably going with Austin Davis as their backup quarterback. Williams’ release may be the surprise of the day. Most (myself included) believed Williams was a lock for the roster after Seattle traded Jermaine Kearse. He will likely be picked up by someone here soon.

ELIJAH HOOD RELEASED BY OAKLAND

After seemingly bringing Hood along slowly this preseason, the Raiders surprisingly waived Elijah Hood today. He was a late round flyer in rookie drafts as a possible heir apparent to Marshawn Lynch, but it didn’t work out. He could land on the Oakland practice squad when all is said and done.

BRANDON BOLDEN RELEASED BY NEW ENGLAND

Bolden has been a core special teamer over the past few years, but he doesn’t offer much else. This could be the end of the road for him, though it’s possible the Pats could bring him back if they face an injury.

JAKE BUTT PLACED ON NFI LIST

This is no surprise as Butt continues to rehab his injury from last year. He’ll look to make a contribution after week six but don’t expect much, if anything, this season.

CARLOS HENDERSON PLACED ON IR

Another huge disappointment for dynasty owners emerges as Carlos Henderson gets placed on IR. He has a left thumb ligament tear that’s going to end his year. He was projected to possibly be the Broncos slot receiver but things have changed in a hurry. Hopefully you have an IR designation in your league for him. If not, he’s going to be a tough player to carry for an entire season.

TAQUAN MIZZELL AMONG RAVENS CUTS

Another camp star was released today as Taquan Mizzell wasn’t able to crack the Ravens’ 53-man roster. He was a deep dynasty league sleeper and produced pretty well this preseason. He’s a candidate for the practice squad.

CAMP STAR AUSTIN CARR RELEASED

The Patriots have released wide receiver Austin Carr. After the trade for Phillip Dorsett, it was going to be pretty tough for Carr or Devin Lucien to make this roster. He could be placed on the practice squad or even be signed by another team. The dreams of Carr somehow manning the slot for the Pats at some point this year has been extinguished.

ROD STREATER RELEASED

The Bills have released Rod Streater with an injury settlement. Streater had made some noise early in camp but a mysterious injury ended his chance at making the roster. It’s still unknown just how significant his injury is but it was bad enough for the Bills to move on from him.

CJ SPILLER BACK IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE

It seemed like a foregone conclusion CJ Spiller would be cut by Kansas City this year. However, his strong performance in camp and the injury to Spencer Ware was thought to have opened the door a little. Unfortunately for him, that door was shut today. It’s hard to see a path to a new job for Spiller but he did show well this preseason.

COOPER RUSH TEMPORARILY WINS BACKUP JOB IN DALLAS

The Cowboys have released Kellen Moore and Luke McCown, which means Cooper Rush is currently the backup quarterback. He’s been impressive this off-season and it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys bring in a veteran like Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden or Matt McGloin to take the job or simply roll with Rush.

CHARGERS ACTIVATE MIKE WILLIAMS

There was some thought the Chargers were going to put Williams on the PUP list, which would have wiped out his eligibility for the first six games of the season. This is a clear indication the Chargers believe he’s going to be back relatively early in the season. It’s big news for his worried dynasty owners as it’s the first real positive news we’ve seen in a bit. Williams is still a bit dicey as a rookie pick but his value should stabilize now. Some owners who tried to reach for players like Samaje Perine or even Joe Williams ahead of him likely got burned a little.

PACKERS RELEASE MALACHI DUPRE AND DEANGELO YANCEY

Dupre was always a little more name than game but he looked good early in the process. He’ll likely be put on the practice squad and can be moved on from by dynasty owners for the moment. As for Yancey, he was a deep rookie draft flyer. Unfortunately, the depth chart in Green Bay just proved too difficult to make.

JOE WILLIAMS PLACED ON IR

Williams joins Jeremy McNichols as two of the more disappointing rookie picks this year as he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. After creating some early off-season buzz, Williams was outplayed by fellow rookie Matt Breida and lost the backup job as a result. It looks like the 49ers are going with Carlos Hyde, Breida and possibly Raheem Mostert.

PATRIOTS AND COLTS MAKE INTERESTING TRADE

The Colts acquired quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Patriots in exchange for Phillip Dorsett. While the names may not be huge here, the future impact could be. This could be a clear indicator the Colts don’t believe Andrew Luck is close to returning. In addition, Dorsett could bump Austin Carr or Devin Lucien right off the Patriots roster.

SEAHAWKS CUT ALEX COLLINS AND MIKE DAVIS

The writing was one the wall here as Alex Collins and Mike Davis were thoroughly outplayed by Chris Carson this off-season. Collins has limited athleticism and his game just doesn’t translate to the NFL. He was a good sleeper prospect last year but it just didn’t pan out. It’s possible he resurfaces somewhere else, though Seattle found no takers for him on the trade market. As for Davis, he was a highly regarded prospect out of South Carolina and has looked good at times. The depth chart for Seattle is just too deep. Davis will likely be brought back by Seattle if there’s an injury or could be signed by another team.

TITANS PLACE TAJAE SHARPE ON IR

Ouch. Sharpe fell all the way down the depth chart behind rookies Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor and veteran Eric Decker, among others this off-season. He now gets to spend the year watching from injured reserve with a foot injury he aggravated in the last preseason game. Sharpe caught 41 passes for 522 yards and two touchdowns last season as a surprise starter, but it’s been downhill from there. It’s quite possible he wasn’t going to make the team if he wasn’t stashed on IR.

BROWNS TRADE FOR SAMMIE COATES

It’s a fresh start for Sammie Coates, who desperately needed one after falling out of favor with the Steelers. With Martavis Bryant back, the Steelers didn’t need Coates any longer and can now move forward. Coates has talent but drops and injuries have stunted his potential. It’s a good get for the Browns who couldn’t have found a receiver this talented with a sixth round pick next year. You can’t accuse the Browns of totally tanking the season and they’ve done a decent job of surrounding DeShone Kizer with weapons.  Coates will join Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman to create a good, but not great, group of receivers for the Browns. Meanwhile, this move could indicate Justin Hunter has made the final Steelers roster.

REDSKINS CUT MATT JONES

It’s no real surprise here but it’s still quite the fall from grace for Matt Jones, who was actually looking like the starter for the Redskins last season before getting jumped by Rob Kelley. Jones has ability and has averaged nearly 4.0 yards per carry over the past two years. At just 24, you’d expect the former third round pick to latch on somewhere else over the weekend. The Redskins will move forward with Kelley, Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson.

GIANTS CUT TIES WITH TYE

Will Tye has been released by the Giants. He was always a pedestrian talent and the Giants clearly wanted to move on after adding Evan Engram in the draft.

BACKUP QUARTERBACKS HAVE ROUGH MORNING

Josh Johnson (Giants), Brandon Weeden (Texans) and Joe Webb (Carolina) were all cut loose this morning. This means Geno Smith has won the backup job in New York and the Texans are comfortable enough with Deshaun Watson to go ahead and make him their only backup. Johnson and Webb have likely exhausted their last chances of making a roster. Weeden could emerge as a backup somewhere but he’s also aging and not a priority backup at age 33.

BUCS RELEASE JEREMY MCNICHOLS

This is a huge disappointment for dynasty owners as the fifth round rookie had a third round rookie ADP nearly all Summer. McNichols simply failed to impress and was plagued by mistakes all throughout camp. Simply put, he couldn’t pass block, didn’t do well as a runner and had a hard time grasping the playbook. All that adds up to what looks to be a wasted rookie pick in dynasty leagues. McNichols could be picked up by a team or stashed on the practice squad, but he’s light years from relevance.

49ERS RELEASE TIM HIGHTOWER

The 49ers have released Tim Hightower, meaning Matt Breida and Joe Williams have likely sewn up backup duties to Carlos Hyde, who was really never challenged by any of the three this off-season. Breida has shown more than Williams so far this off-season and makes for a very intriguing rookie stash.

WILIE SNEAD GETS SUSPENDED

Willie Snead was suspended three games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, reportedly from an off-season DUI. It’s big news as it will open the door for Brandon Coleman and Ted Ginn. It all makes perfect sense after Snead barely played this preseason and Coach Payton seemed very elusive when asked why that was the case.

BEARS GO ANTI-SALSA

Victor Cruz was released by Chicago today, possibly ending his career. If this is the end, it’s a sad one for a player who had a bright future cut short by a terrible injury. Cruz just hasn’t been the same his a torn patellar tendon. He could latch on somewhere else but didn’t show much in Chicago.

MATT MCGLOIN CAN’T SURVIVE FINAL CUTS IN PHILLY

The Eagles have released Matt McGloin. It’s been a major fall from grace for McGloin, who was once looked at as possibly the answer at the position in Oakland. Instead, he’s now looking for work and could be damaged goods after failing to show the same strength he had in his shoulder before injuring it last season.

BROCK OSWEILER RELEASED BY CLEVELAND

The Browns acquired Brock Osweiler and a second round pick as part of a Texans salary dump this off-season. They seemed to be warming up to him an possibly looking at him as a potential starter but instead saw him faceplant in the preseason and get severely outplayed by rookie DeShone Kizer. Osweiler will likely find a job somewhere as a backup. If not, he’ll enjoy $16 million from the comfort of his own home.

STEELERS RELEASE KNILE DAVIS AND FITZGERALD TOUSSAINT

The Steelers related Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint, leaving the door open for James Conner to be the primary backup to Le’Veon Bell. It’s an important job with Bell on a one-year franchise tag and big news for owners of Conner, who looked to be no better than third on the depth chart.

MARTAVIS BRYANT FULLY REINSTATED

He’s a risky player to own, but the explosive Martavis Bryant is back for the Steelers. He’s an explosive athlete and should give you great numbers this year, pending his off-the-field issues are over. If you don’t believe in him, look to move him after a few big games.

JERMAINE KEARSE TRADED TO THE JETS FOR SHELDON RICHARDSON

For full coverage of this trade and information on its dynasty impact, be sure to read “Jettisoned: Jermaine Kearse traded to New York for Sheldon Richardson.”

KENNETH DIXON GOES TO IR

No surprise here as Dixon was expected to be gone for the season. Baltimore will go with Terrance West and Danny Woodhead this year and hope they can generate something. If not, expect them to lead the league in passing attempts yet again.

CJ BEATHARD WINS THE SAN FRANCISCO BACKUP JOB

The 49ers released Matt Barkley, meaning CJ Beathard has indeed won the backup job to Brian Hoyer. Beathard has been very impressive this off-season and is an interesting stash in deep leagues that value QBs or in 2QB / Superflex formats. Hoyer is sure to have some problems this year and the 49ers could easily take a look at Beathard to see if they should be in the market for a quarterback in next year’s draft.

CARDINALS RELEASE CHRIS JOHNSON

CJ2K has had an unbelievable career, highlighted by his 2,006 yard season back in 2009. Unfortunately, Johnson is simply not the same athlete at age 31 and his 2,118 career rushing attempts have simply caught up with him. He ended up losing a roster spot to Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington. Johnson will likely be on a list of veterans looking to get a tryout when and if a starter gets injured this year but doesn’t belong on dynasty rosters any longer.

RONNIE HILLMAN RELASED BY DALLAS

Ronnie Hillman was a surprise cut with the pending suspension to Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys could choose to re-sign him but it looks like they’re content with Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden while Elliott is on the shelf.

RAVENS WAIVE LORENZO TALIAFERRO

Once a deep dynasty league prospect, Lorenzo Taliaferro finally ran out of chances with the Ravens.

STEVAN RIDLEY GETS CUT

Remember when Stevan Ridley posted 1,263 yards and scored 12 touchdowns for the Patriots back in 2012? Yeah, that seems like a long time ago. Ridley was cut by the Broncos today and has now been waived but the Patriots, Jets, Falcons and Broncos al in the last three season. His injuries have caught up with him and at age 28, his career could very well be over. The Broncos also cut Juwan Thompson to open the door for De’Angelo Henderson.

PURPLE SLOTH GETS PINK SLIP

Matt Asiata was released by the Detroit Lions after failing to show much this preseason. Asiata is a big body who can get what’s blocked but he lacks enough dynamic ability to be a true difference maker in fantasy or reality. This could easily be the end of the road for him.

LE’VEON BELL ARRIVES AT CAMP

As expected, Le’Veon Bell finally reported to Steelers camp. He shows up right in time for a required three-day weekend but will undoubtedly be ready to go for week one against Cleveland. Bell will play under the franchise tag for the year and become a free agent after the season. It will be interesting to see just what kind of contract he’ll get as he attempts to “reset the running back market” next year.

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ken kelly