NFL Cuts - AFC: Titans cut QB Simms, S Rolle to reach 53
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans decided on Saturday to keep rookie Rusty Smith over veteran Chris Simms as the third quarterback behind Vince Young and Kerry Collins.
They also released safety Myron Rolle, a Rhodes scholar who took a year off from football to study at Oxford.
The Titans confirmed Saturday that they had released 20 players and placed veteran linebacker David Thornton on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list as he continues to recover from hip surgery. Linebacker Gerald McRath also goes on the reserve/suspended list for the first four games.
Simms was cut on the day his younger brother, Matt, started for the University of Tennessee three hours east. Simms signed with the Titans in April, returning to the team he spent 2008 with while building back his strength before signing with Denver for 2009 and starting one game with the Broncos. He was a third-round pick in 2003 by Tampa Bay and is 7-9 as a starter.
The Titans used a sixth-round draft pick to take Smith out of Florida Atlantic, and the coaches love his footwork and strong arm. Smith will have time to develop behind Young and Collins, who is heading into his 16th NFL season.
They kept undrafted rookie running back LeGarrette Blount, while releasing veteran Samkon Gado. Defensive end Raheem Brock also was cut. He was signed during training camp after visiting with Houston, but starter William Hayes is expected to be recovered from his sprained right knee in time for the opener Sept. 12 with Oakland.
The Tennessean and TitanInsider.com first reported the cuts.
The Titans also waived veteran cornerback Tye Hill, signed March 30 to add experience to a secondary shredded by opposing quarterbacks last year. Hill was a former first-round draft pick with 24 starts and five interceptions in his four-year career. He spent much of the preseason injured.
Also released were defensive ends Eric Bakhtiari and Chris Harrington; fullback Jed Collins; receivers Paul Williams and Dominique Edison; defensive tackles David Howard and Joe Joseph; offensive tackles Michael Toudouze and Nevin McCaskill; running back Alvin Pearman; tight ends Steven Pfahler and Sean Ryan; and linebacker Patrick Trahan.
Center Kevin Matthews, an undrafted free agent, also was cut. The son of Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Matthews is a prime candidate for the Titans' practice squad.
Rolle is another possibility for the practice squad if he decides he wants to keep playing football before going back to school to become a neurosurgeon.
The Titans' roster is likely to change in the next couple days as team officials scan the waiver wire. They have only four cornerbacks right now and need more depth there and at linebacker.
Colts make trade for DB as roster trimmed to 53
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The local kid might have Indy's return job while the former Hoosier is gone.
On Saturday, the Colts trimmed their roster to 53 by waiving seventh-round draft pick Ray Fisher, the Indiana alum, undrafted free agent Brandon James and receiver Sam Giguere — making Devin Moore, the clear winner, in the competition for the return job.
Moore, a free agent from Wyoming, impressed coaches with a brilliant effort on both kickoff and punt returns in the Colts' second preseason game. The running back also showed good burst when he carried the ball.
Colts coach Jim Caldwell and team president Bill Polian were not available following the announcement though Moore, Fisher, James and Giguere battled throughout the preseason for the only unclaimed position on the team.
None of the moves came as a surprise though the Colts made a last-minute trade to pick up third-year defensive back Justin Tryon. The Colts sent an undisclosed draft pick to the Washington Redskins to acquire Tryon, who has played in 29 career games since Washington selected him in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.
Indy wanted depth in a secondary that has already seen six players go down with season-ending injuries including veteran safety Jamie Silva and third-round pick Kevin Thomas, a cornerback.
The Colts did cut three players who spent time on last season's roster — Giguere, defensive end Ervin Baldwin and receivers Taj Smith. They also cut offensive lineman Adam Terry, one of the two veteran free agents the Colts added during the offseason. The other, Andy Alleman, was cut during training camp.
And the Colts again decided to keep only two quarterbacks — Peyton Manning and Curtis Painter — after cutting Tom Brandstater.
The other players waived were defensive backs Danny Gorrer, Ashton Hall, Terrail Lambert, Mike Newton, Glenn Sharpe and Terrell Skinner; offensive linemen Chris Marinelli, Adrian Martinez and James Williams; defensive linemen John Chick and Marlon Favorite; running backs Javarris James and Allen Patrick; tight end Colin Cloherty; linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka and receiver Blair White.
Teams can sign eight players to the practice squad starting Sunday.
Jags revamp struggling secondary in roster moves
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are making a last-ditch effort to revamp their struggling secondary.
The Jaguars cut safety Gerald Alexander on Saturday and traded safety Reggie Nelson to the Cincinnati Bengals. Jacksonville received cornerback David Jones and a conditional draft pick in return for the former first-round draft pick.
The team also cut nickel back Scott Starks, meaning Jones could get playing time in next Sunday's season opener against Denver.
Alexander and Starks were among 21 players cut. The list included 12 veterans, most notably receiver Troy Williamson and tight end Ernest Wilford. The team also placed linebacker Kyle Bosworth on injured reserve.
Other veterans cut: linebacker Alvin Bowen, defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison, guard Kynan Forney, linebacker Tony Gilbert, linebacker Teddy Lehman, defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre, running back Kolby Smith and linebacker Rod Wilson.
Three first-year players — defensive tackle Walter Curry and receivers Clarence Denmark and John Matthews — were waived. Six rookies — offensive tackle Daniel Baldridge, tight end Mike Caussin, quarterback Trevor Harris, running back Chad Kackert, defensive tackle Ko Quaye and center Bradley Vierling — also failed to make the 53-man roster.
Three undrafted rookies — linebacker Jacob Cutrera, offensive tackle Kevin Haslam and defensive end Aaron Morgan — made the team. The Jaguars also kept fullbacks Greg Jones, Montell Owens and Brock Bolen.
Jacksonville will sign some of the waived players to the eight-man practice squad Sunday.
Alexander and Starks are not eligible for the practice squad. Alexander started 10 games last season and had been penciled in to start this season, but he struggled in the preseason and was benched in favor of Nelson.
Nelson wasn't much better, playing well in some games and missing tackles in others. Coach Jack Del Rio said last week that tackling needed to improve in the secondary.
Without Alexander and Nelson, Jacksonville is left with Anthony Smith, Sean Considine, Tyron Brackenridge and Courtney Greene at safety.
Still no Revis as Jets make roster cuts
NEW YORK (AP) — The Jets are moving on without Darrelle Revis — for now.
While the star cornerback's holdout reached its 35th day Saturday, with no end in sight, New York made its mandatory roster cuts to get down to 53 players.
"Darrelle's not here and we've planned accordingly," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "We've said that all along that, organizationally, we have to move forward. We're playing Baltimore in a little over a week, and that's what we're prepared to do."
Revis, entering the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, wants to become the league's highest-paid cornerback. That distinction belongs to Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.
Both the Jets and Revis' agents agreed to keep negotiations confidential after things got testy through the media during training camp. There have been no indications that the sides are any closer to a deal, with the Jets set to open against the Ravens on Sept. 13.
"I can't really comment on the specifics of the negotiations," Tannenbaum said. "I just want to honor the agreement that we're not going to talk about it right now."
With Revis on the reserve-did not report list, the Jets have six players listed as cornerbacks on the roster, including potential starters Antonio Cromartie and first-round pick Kyle Wilson.
"We feel good about our depth at corner," Tannenbaum said. "We have six guys that we think can hold up and that's who we're going to be moving forward with."
Marquice Cole and Brian Jackson were also among the defensive backs on the bubble who were kept.
"Depth at that position was a necessity," said Tannenbaum, citing coach Rex Ryan's penchant for having many defensive backs. "Obviously, without Darrelle here, that necessity gets exacerbated."
Wide receiver David Clowney and running backs Danny Woodhead and Chauncey Washington were also among the players who survived the cuts.
Among the notable players waived were a pair of former CFL stars in wide receiver Larry Taylor and linebacker Ricky Foley, former Michigan star defensive back Donovan Warren and fullback Jason Davis, who was featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks."
Clowney was on the bubble all summer, but made the team — possibly as insurance until Santonio Holmes returns from a four-game suspension in Week 5. Holmes was officially placed on the reserve-suspended list after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy before being acquired from Pittsburgh in April.
The speedy Clowney is trying to make his mark on special teams as a gunner to replace the departed Wallace Wright.
"I think with David, if he can become more consistent in the kicking game, I think his security would be enhanced," Tannenbaum said. "He provides an explosive element for us and we're moving forward with him. What happens after that, we'll see."
The Jets have only four wide receivers on the active roster, with Clowney, Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith, and could be looking for one on waivers. New York has also said it would be interested in bringing back Laveranues Coles, who was cut last week, after the first week of the season.
Woodhead and Washington had solid performances this summer, but it was a mild surprise that the Jets kept both. They give New York seven running backs, including Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson, struggling fourth-round pick Joe McKnight, and fullbacks Tony Richardson and fifth-round pick John Conner.
Woodhead, generously listed at 5-foot-9, is shifty and can also line up at wide receiver. Washington is a physical runner who also stood out on special teams as a tackler. Both outplayed McKnight, who had three fumbles, in the preseason.
"With Joe, obviously, he was a little bit more inconsistent than we had hoped in the preseason," Tannenbaum said. "There's going to be a number of spots that are going to be up for grabs in practice, and Joe's going to have to go out there and earn it."
New York also has an unusually high number of tight ends, keeping Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, Matt Mulligan and Jeff Cumberland. However, the roster could — and likely will — still change Sunday, when players who appeared safe Saturday will be waived.
"We're about 2-to-3,000 calories away from finalizing this roster," Tannenbaum said. "I'm very optimistic that that's on the low end. It's amazing how many pretzel M&M's have been shipped in here."
He expects the Jets will put in some waiver claims, with the deadline at noon EDT on Sunday.
"We'll be here for quite a while tonight, I'm sure of that," Tannenbaum said.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
WRs Hardy, Jackson cut by Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills are going with a young receiving corps after releasing wideouts James Hardy and Chad Jackson to set their 53-player roster Saturday.
The two were the odd men out as the team elected to keep undrafted rookies David Nelson and Donald Jones in making its final cuts. That means the Bills prepare to open their season hosting Miami next weekend with only two receivers — starter Lee Evans and slot receiver Roscoe Parrish — who have 13 or more career receptions.
Hardy was a 2008 second-round draft pick whose career in Buffalo had been hampered by injuries. He missed all but the final two games last season while recovering from knee surgery. An undisclosed injury also prevented him from playing in the team's first two preseason games last month.
Jackson signed with the Bills in March in a bid to revive his career after he had been out of football last season. He broke into the NFL in 2006 with New England as the team's second-round draft pick.
Among the other notable players released were veteran guard Kirk Chambers and quarterback Levi Brown, a rookie seventh-round draft pick out of Troy University. Running backs Chad Simpson and Joique Bell, who both had solid preseasons, were also cut, meaning Buffalo will carry only four running backs, including fullback Corey McIntyre.
Veteran tight end Derek Schouman was waived/injured as coach Chan Gailey said the team was not prepared to wait for the player to recover from a knee injury he sustained two weeks ago.
Strong safety Jon Corto was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list after having surgery in July to repair a broken wrist.
Assessing his receivers, Gailey said Nelson and Jones were both rewarded for having solid preseasons.
"In our opinion, they gave us the best chance to win football games," said Gailey, in his first year as Bills coach. "One thing when you come in without any preconceived ideas, everybody gets to start on an even keel. And those guys played well, when they got their chances. They made the most of it."
Nelson, one of Tim Tebow's primary targets at Florida last year, finished the preseason with eight catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns. In Buffalo, Nelson had spent the summer competing with Steve Johnson for the No. 2 job.
"It's an amazing feeling to be honest with you. It's kind of surreal," Nelson said. "But my work is never done. Just because I made the team doesn't mean anything."
Gailey also formally announced that quarterback Trent Edwards has reclaimed the starting job he lost midway through last season. The decision was not a surprise after Edwards spent the entire preseason working with the starters ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm.
At practice Saturday, Brohm said he worked with the scout team, an indication that he'll open the season as the third-stringer.
Starting free safety Jairus Byrd returned to practice Saturday for the first time since having surgery to repair a nagging groin injury two weeks ago. Byrd said there's a possibility he'll be ready for the start of the season.
"It feels good so far," Byrd said, noting he's still not working out at full speed. "We'll see. I've got to see how my body reacts. This is the first day and we've got a day off tomorrow, which will tell me a lot."
Byrd also revealed that he spent additional days in hospital after developing an infection related to the operation. He's coming off a rookie season in which he earned a Pro Bowl selection after finishing tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions.
In making their cuts, the Bills concentrated heavily on keeping defensive players. In all, the team is currently carrying 11 defensive backs and 10 linebackers, some of whom will be used on special teams.
Along with Nelson and Jones, the Bills kept three other undrafted rookies: defensive back Dominique Harris, offensive tackle Cordaro Howard and linebacker Antonio Coleman.
Tight end Shawn Nelson was retained, but will not count against the Bills roster as he'll open the season serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
-- John Wawrow
Pats cut LB Burgess, special teams captain Aiken
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Outside linebacker Derrick Burgess and special teams captain Sam Aiken were released by the New England Patriots in surprising moves Saturday.
They also placed safety Brandon McGowan, who started 11 games last season, on season-ending injured reserve with a chest injury.
Burgess, who didn't practice until Aug. 15, was one of 20 players cut by the team as it got down to the regular season limit of 53. He started six of his 16 games with five sacks in his eighth pro season. He has 52 sacks in his career, starting with three seasons in Philadelphia and four in Oakland.
There had been speculation that Burgess, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in May, might retire but he didn't mention that after his first practice this summer.
"I had to take care of my family business before I could report," he said, but admitted he was "a little rusty" in his first practice with the team.
Aiken spent the past two seasons with New England after five with the Buffalo Bills. He had a career-high 20 receptions last season, giving him 47.
McGowan matched his career high with 50 tackles in his only season with the Patriots. He spent his other four with the Chicago Bears.
The Patriots released two other veteran defensive players, linebackers Eric Alexander, primarily a special teams player in his six years with New England, and Pierre Woods, who started eight games in four seasons with the team.
Also released were quarterback Zac Robinson, running backs Thomas Clayton and Chris Taylor, wide receivers Buddy Farnham, Darnell Jenkins and Rod Owens, tight ends Carson Butler and Rob Myers, offensive linemen George Bussey, Ted Larsen, Rich Ohrnberger and Thomas Welch, linebacker Thomas Williams, safety Sergio Brown, cornerback DeAngelo Willingham and defensive back Ross Ventrone.
Some of those players could end up on the Patriots' practice squad.
Among those released were five players taken in the past two drafts — 2009 picks Ohrnberger (fourth round) and Bussey (fifth) and 2010 choices Larsen (sixth), Welch (seventh) and Robinson (seventh).
Injured Ravens S Reed to miss first 6 weeks
BALTIMORE (AP) — Ravens safety Ed Reed will miss the first six weeks of the NFL season after being placed on the reserve physically unable to perform list Saturday.
To get down to the 53-man limit, Baltimore also cut quarterback Troy Smith and kicker Shayne Graham, who competed this summer against incumbent Billy Cundiff.
Reed underwent offseason hip surgery and did not practice during training camp or play in the preseason. The six-time Pro Bowl star missed four games last year because of hip problems after playing every game from 2006-08.
Tom Zbikowski replaced the injured Reed in 2009 and performed well at the position this preseason. He is expected to start against the New York Jets in the Sept. 13 opener.
Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, played in 14 games over three seasons with Baltimore. He served as the backup to Joe Flacco last year, but the acquisition of veteran Marc Bulger during the offseason made Smith expendable.
"The competition to make our team was very heated, and we decided to keep a position player rather than a third quarterback," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "We have a number of young guys who made our team who have tremendous upside, plus they can help us win this year. We've gone with two quarterbacks before."
Cundiff prevailed in the duel with Graham, who was signed as a free agent in June after spending six straight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Congratulations to Billy. He won a great competition and he earned this spot," coach John Harbaugh said. "Both Billy and Shayne rose to the occasion and performed at high levels. We know Shayne will kick in the league, but we feel very good about the decision to go with Billy."
The Ravens also traded outside linebacker Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2011 draft choice. The move should enable rookie Arthur Jones, a fifth-round pick out of Syracuse, to receive more playing time.
"I'm real excited. I'm more motivated than ever to prove myself," Jones said. "I can't wait to get to practice Monday. I want to show them they did the right thing by keeping me."
Another notable cut was wide receiver Demetrius Williams, a fourth-round pick in 2006 who battled injuries for much of his four-year stay with the Ravens. He had 63 catches, just eight last season.
Baltimore put four players on injured reserve: offensive linemen David Hale (back), Ramon Harewood (knees) and Stefan Rodgers (ankle), and nose tackle Kelly Talavou (knee).
-- David Ginsburg
C Hartwig among Steelers' cuts
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Hartwig, the Steelers' starting center the past two seasons, was cut Saturday after the team failed to work out a trade for him.
Hartwig, due to make $2,080,000 this season, was beaten out by first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey was expected to play right guard this season, but settled in at center sooner than anticipated and started the final two exhibition games.
Also cut were Stefan Logan, the primary kickoff and punt returner last season; offensive lineman Kraig Urbik, a third-round pick in 2009; cornerback Joe Burnett, fullback Frank Summers, defensive linemen Sunny Harris, Steve McLendon and Doug Worthington, linebacker Patrick Bailey, wide receiver Tyler Grisham and safety Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith.
Quarterback Byron Leftwich is on the 53-man opening day roster although he may be out for a month after straining a left knee ligament during the final preseason game Thursday against Carolina.
The moves mean the Steelers will keep six wide receivers, an unusually high number for them, and eight rookies. Worthington, a seventh-round pick from Ohio State, was the only rookie cut. Rookie offensive lineman Chris Scott earlier went on the physically unable to perform list.
Logan was signed out of the CFL last season and set a team single-season record for kickoff return yardage, but did not break any punts or kickoffs for touchdowns. While he was tried at wide receiver, his inability to adequately play another position also led to him being cut.
Burnett, a fifth-round pick last season, was bypassed by rookie Crezdon Butler. Burnett played little last season, although he dropped a potential interception that allowed Oakland to go on and score the winning touchdown in a 27-24 win in Pittsburgh last season. Summers, another fifth-round pick in 2009, played in two games last season before going on the injured reserve list with a back injury.
Bailey was the Steelers' rookie of the year in 2008, when they won the Super Bowl with almost no contribution from their rookie class.
Some of the players cut will be added to the practice squad on Sunday once they clear waivers.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger does not count against the 53-man roster limit while he sits out his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Bengals pick Nugent as kicker
CINCINNATI (AP) — Mike Nugent won the Cincinnati Bengals' kicking job on Saturday after proving he had recovered from a groin injury that limited him early in training camp.
The Bengals waived kicker Dave Rayner, who had a head-start in the competition after Nugent got hurt. Nugent finished strong, going 3 of 4 on field goal attempts, including two from beyond 50 yards.
Nugent replaces Shayne Graham, who left as a free agent after seven seasons in Cincinnati.
The Bengals also released receiver Matt Jones, who is trying to revive his troubled career. Jones didn't play in the NFL last year after Jacksonville released him because of off-field issues. Jones signed a one-year, $700,000 deal in February.
Jones was Jacksonville's first-round pick in 2005. He was arrested and charged with cocaine possession in 2008, drawing a three-game suspension from the NFL. The Jaguars waived him after he was jailed for violating his plea agreement.
Jones caught only four passes during the preseason.
As expected, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones made the team as a third cornerback and punt returner. Jones also is trying to revive his career after spending last season out of football.
The Bengals made 22 moves to get to the 53-man roster limit on Saturday. The defending AFC North champions open at New England next Sunday.
Among those waived were tight end Chase Coffman, a third-round draft pick last year who became one of the main subjects in HBO's "Hard Knocks" series with the Bengals summer. Coffman was used as a receiver at Missouri and struggled to learn how to block.
A pair of 2010 draft picks were waived: fifth-round guard Otis Hudson and sixth-round receiver Dezmon Briscoe.
Browns activate Shaun Rogers
CLEVELAND (AP) — Even if there was a surprise among Cleveland's cuts, the Browns would have blown it with their timing.
The team didn't reveal its roster cuts until three hours after submitting them to the NFL offices on Saturday, a sign the Browns may be busy working the waiver wire to make more changes to their 53-man squad.
The biggest news — literally — was that the club activated Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers from the physically-unable-to-perform list. Rogers missed all of training camp and the exhibition season while recovering from a leg injury. Last week, the league announced he would not be suspended for an offseason weapons charge, and will not have to miss any games.
The 6-foot-4, 350-pound Rogers missed Cleveland's final five games last season after getting hurt. Rogers did not play in the preseason last year either, and the Browns are hoping he can return to anchor their 3-4 defense.
The most notable cuts were to two draft picks: defensive back Larry Asante (fifth round) and defensive lineman Clifton Geathers (sixth round).
The team also waived veteran cornerback Brandon McDonald, quarterback Brett Ratliff, tight end DeAngelo Smith and terminated the contract of wide receiver Bobby Engram.
McDonald, who started 27 games over the past three seasons, announced his released on his personal Twitter page — hours before the team's list was made public. McDonald was in and out of the starting lineup several times because of blown coverages over tackles.
He got into some trouble early in training camp for making offensive comments on his Twitter page about Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens.
General manager Tom Heckert had been scheduled to discuss his first season-opening roster since joining Cleveland in January with the media. However, the team pushed back Heckert's teleconference until Sunday, when the Browns are expected to make more roster moves and add players to their practice squad.
The Browns are likely to make some changes at linebacker. They still have 12 on their roster.
Ratliff's release means rookie Colt McCoy will be the Browns' No. 3 quarterback. After a rough preseason, McCoy completed 13 of 13 passes for 131 yards in Cleveland's 13-10 win over Chicago in the final exhibition game on Thursday night.
Ratliff was listed as Cleveland's No. 3 QB for 14 games and the backup for two last season. He previously played for coach Eric Mangini with the New York Jets.
-- Tom Withers
DE Jay Richardson among Raiders cuts
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Coach Tom Cable called this year's roster cuts the most difficult in his four years with the Oakland Raiders.
The most noteworthy of 21 initial cuts he made Saturday was defensive end Jay Richardson, who started much of his first two years in the NFL before being relegated to a reserve role last season.
Richardson started 22 games in 2007 and '08, but had knee surgery in training camp and never was healthy enough to return to the practice field.
"I thought there were about four or five decisions in there that were tough," Cable said when he announced the moves that reduced Oakland's roster from 75 to 53.
The ordeal made for some nervous times for those on the roster bubble. Receiver Nick Miller, who made the team as an undrafted free agent last year but was unable to play because of injuries, was among the lucky players.
"We came in this morning and they started weeding us out," Miller said. "I was a little nervous. I didn't sleep as well as I normally do."
Center Chris Morris, who started 10 games at center and guard for Oakland in 2009, was among those cut. The other players let go were wide receivers Todd Watkins and Shaun Bodiford; defensive backs Stevie Brown, Jerome Boyd, Joe Porter and Joe Thomas; defensive linemen Chris Cooper, Alex Daniels, Grayson Gunheim and William Joseph; fullback Manase Tonga; linebackers David Nixon and Slade Norris; offensive linemen Alex Parsons and Brandon Rodd; quarterback Colt Brennan; tight end John Owens; and kicker Swayze Waters.
Richardson, Thomas and Daniels were all waived with injuries.
Fullback Luke Lawton is suspended for the first two games and does not count against the roster.
Some of those players could come back as part of the eight-man practice squad if they clear waivers.
The Raiders are carrying only two tight ends and one fullback, although that could change if the team signs a player cut by another team in the coming days.
QB Pat White released by Dolphins
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Pat White has been released by the Miami Dolphins one year after they took him in the second round of the draft.
White struggled with his throwing accuracy during a disappointing rookie season in 2009, when he failed to complete any of his five passes in limited duty. The Dolphins kept three quarterbacks — Chad Henne, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen.
Also waived was receiver Patrick Turner, a third-round pick in 2009. Miami terminated the contract of tight end David Martin, who missed last season because of a knee injury.
The Dolphins kept two undrafted rookie free agents at receiver, Roberto Wallace and Marlon Moore. John Nalbone beat out Martin for the backup tight end job.
Also failing to make the team's final cut were linebackers J.D. Folsom, Austin Spitler, Erik Walden and Chris McCoy; defensive linemen Ryan Baker, Lionel Dotson and Montavious Stanley; defensive backs Kevin Hobbs, Ross Weaver, Nate Ness and Jonathon Amaya; receiver Julius Pruitt; fullback Rolly Lumbala; and offensive linemen Donald Thomas, Andrew Gardner, Andrew Hartline and Ray Feinga.
Chiefs trade Page, release 13 players
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs traded safety Jarrad Page to the New England Patriots on Saturday and released 13 players, including quarterback Tyler Palko.
They also placed cornerback Maurice Leggett and wide receiver Jerheme Urban on injured reserve.
Also released were guard Colin Brown, defensive tackles Garrett Brown, Dion Gales, and Derek Lokey, tackle Bobby Greenwood, guard Darryl Harris, linebackers Pierre Walters and David Herron, safeties DaJuan Morgan and Ricky Price, wide receiver Verran Tucker and running back Javarris Williams.
Page, who made 39 starts until falling into disfavor with coach Todd Haley last year, was traded for an undisclosed draft selection. He sat out the entire offseason and preseason and signed a letter of tender on Friday.
Chargers cut 3rd-string QB Crompton, Reed
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers have released rookie third-string quarterback Jonathan Crompton and veterans Josh Reed and Nathan Vasher to reach the 53-man roster limit.
Crompton was a fifth-round draft pick. The Chargers also released tight end Dedrick Epps, a seventh-round pick.
Reed was signed to a one-year deal in mid-June as a pre-emptive move against a long holdout by Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson. Reed was made expendable when the Chargers acquired Patrick Crayton from the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.
Vasher was signed in late March after playing six seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Elsewhere
Fatherhood hasn't cut Brady's football passion
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady cheered from the sideline as his undrafted teammate sped by for a 52-yard gain.
Coach Bill Belichick and several players stood nearby, expressionless. After all, it was just an exhibition game. But the two-time Super Bowl MVP shouted, "Go! Go! Go!," raising his fist high on the final "Go!"
Four days later, Brady stopped by the sideline at the New England Patriots practice. He kissed his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen. He held 8-month-old Benjamin Rein Brady behind metal bleachers and planted several kisses on his forehead. Then he played catch with his other son, 3-year-old Jack.
One day the 33-year-old quarterback with the enthusiasm of a kid is rooting for Darnell Jenkins, whose catch and run led to the winning field goal in a 27-24 win over the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13.
Then he's a loving husband and father.
It's a balancing act: intense competitor and devoted family man. Brady seems to pulling it off, even as some critics wonder if, in his 11th season and with more responsibility than just winning games, his intensity and dedication to football has waned.
"He's still one of the first ones here, last ones to leave," said center Dan Koppen, one of Brady's close friends and also the father of a young son. "He's really the leader on this team, regardless of how many kids or whatever the situation is at home."
Home, for much of the past offseason, was California.
That's where his Jack lives with his mom, actress Bridget Moynahan. It's where Brady is building a 22,000-square foot house with a six-car garage — and cardio and weight room, of course — near the home of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. And it's where Benjamin was baptized in June.
It's also where Brady and Wes Welker worked out together in the offseason, at UCLA, while the wide receiver recovered from surgery for a knee injury similar to the one that ended Brady's 2008 season in the first game. Brady trained in California more than in previous years and lost his prized parking spot with the shortest walk into Gillette Stadium that goes to the most dedicated players at voluntary workouts there.
But he reported to training camp on time and in shape, and was impressive during exhibition games.
"One thing I know about Brady is there's an edge to him ... that nothing can take away," said Saints fullback Heath Evans, Brady's teammate from 2005-08, "I do believe that Tommy's perspectives have changed.
"I think he's going to fall into one of those guys who will never be willing to sacrifice a wife or a child for a game," Evans said, but "the motivation that that guy has to be the best (is outstanding). ... Guys are born that way. They're born with that tenacity and a child or wife doesn't change that."
At work, it's clear that the sixth-round draft pick of 2000, a guy who worked hard just to make the team, hasn't lost his passion.
After his teammates left practice on a blazingly hot day, Brady stayed to throw short passes to rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez. At another practice, he jumped to bump bodies with Rob Gronkowski, also a promising first-year tight end, after a touchdown pass.
Brady insists on working hard on every play in team drills.
"If the quarterback won't do it, then who will do it?" he said.
"The first rep of a drill is always the most important because you never get it back. It always sets the tempo and the timing. ... We're coming out here and competing. We came a long way for these practices. May as well come out and play our best."
And if he sees a player doing something wrong?
"He is our leader," running back Kevin Faulk said. "He will bring it to our attention in any kind of way that he feels the team has to be addressed."
On Feb. 3, 2008, the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants 17-14 on a last-minute touchdown. Twenty-three days later, Brady and Bundchen were married.
Since then, life has been a whirlwind of public appearances and paparazzi.
The couple attended the wedding of Bundchen's sister in Brazil in March and vacationed in Paris with Benjamin in April. Brady wore a tuxedo when he and his wife attended the Costume Institute Gala Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May. Brady even chatted with Barry Bonds at the Kentucky Derby.
Now the quarterback who has sported a number of hairstyles — slick-backed, short, long — has a new one, a 'do like Bon Jovi, Belichick's good friend and musical favorite. Brady has been ribbed by teammates, just as when he posed with a goat for GQ magazine in 2005 and his offensive linemen taped the photo to their backs in practice.
Even now, despite all the magazine covers, Brady tries hard to remain one of the guys. He recently took part in a tradition of giving rookies strange haircuts.
"It was Tom," newly shorn quarterback Zac Robinson said. "He just started hacking away."
Despite his wealth and status, Brady is the Patriots alternate player representative at a critical time with the collective bargaining agreement expiring after this season and the possibility of a lockout in 2011.
Brady is making $6.5 million this year, but his contract expires after this season and negotiations have been going on for some time. Like his domestic life, that's one potential distraction he won't let affect his play.
"We all deal with different stuff in our life — some more challenging than others — but I'm a leader on this team and I've been a captain for a long time," he said. "You just put those things off the field behind you and come here with a good attitude and show good leadership."
Belichick sees the same old Brady in the huddle and the locker room.
"I think Tom's been Tom," Belichick said. "He's always been a strong leader. He's always been vocal, but not overbearing. He helps the younger players. He talks to the veteran players. There's a good competitive spirit between him and some of the defensive players.
"I've seen that before, we see it now."
Brady missed the last 15 games in 2008 after tearing knee ligaments. In his first season as a married man in 2009, he started all 16 games and prepared diligently. He's said he'd like to play 10 more years.
"I owe it to the guys in the locker room to really focus on what I need to do for this team," Brady said then, "and put all these emotions aside and kind of come in here with a great sense of determination on what we have to do as a team."
Brady played the final five games last season, including a 33-14 first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, with finger and rib injuries. His numbers in four of those games were subpar, but he completed 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns in the other.
"I don't look at it as him getting soft, by no means," said New York Jets tackle Damien Woody, who played center for Brady from 2001-03. "I think he's just maturing. When you're young and single, you come into the league and it's all about ball. When you're older, you get a wife, a family, kids, and you have other things going on besides football."
But when he straps on the helmet, it's all football for Brady.
"Look at the season he had last year," Woody said. "I think it was the second-best season of his career or something. A year after he tore his ACL? That's pretty amazing if you look at it. He was still one of the top five quarterbacks last year, a year after having major reconstructive surgery on his knee. If that's not tough, what is?"
Tough enough to serve as an example for the top pick in this year's draft, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. Brady was a rare bright spot for the Patriots in a 36-35 exhibition loss to St. Louis, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, who was coordinator of the Giants defense that sacked Brady five times in the 2008 Super Bowl, told Bradford to pay attention.
"I am glad he was able to be out there and watch one of the really great quarterbacks play," Spagnuolo said. "I told him (that) when he had a chance when he was on the sideline to watch No. 12 (Brady) because he does it right."
-- Howard Ulman
Broncos get tight end from Lions
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos have parlayed their depth at defensive back into plugging a huge hole at tight end.
The Broncos traded cornerback Alphonso Smith to the Detroit Lions on Saturday for Dan Gronkowski in a swap of second-year players who have yet to make an impact in the NFL.
Although Gronkowski had just one catch for 4 yards in two games last season, at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds he represents a bigger target for Broncos quarterbacks and he did catch seven passes for 80 yards in the Lions preseason.
Tight end surfaced as a priority for the Broncos this summer and became a critical need when Marquez Branson, who was released Saturday, suffered a knee injury in Denver's preseason finale. Neither Daniel Graham (ribs) nor Richard Quinn (leg) has been able to stay healthy, either.
Gronkowski will be asked to fill the role that Tony Scheffler played last year before he had a falling out with coach Josh McDaniels and was dealt to Detroit in the spring.
Gronkowski was a seventh-round pick by Detroit out of the University of Maryland last season.
Smith had a bad rookie season last year after the Broncos traded a 2010 first-round pick to Seattle to move up and select him out of Wake Forest in the second round.
He never made enough headway in the defensive backfield to do much from scrimmage and his rookie contributions were limited to special teams, where he returned 10 punts for 47 yards.
The Broncos also placed NFL sack leader Elvis Dumervil (chest muscle) and wide receiver Brandon Stokley (groin) on injured reserve Saturday, officially ending their seasons, and they put defensive lineman Ben Garland from Air Force on their reserve/military list.
Denver also cut 10 players, including defensive end Jarvis Green, who is owed $3.255 million from the Broncos this season. Green received a four-year contract worth nearly $12 million that included a $2.5 million signing bonus last spring.
He was one of three beefier defensive linemen that the Broncos signed in free agency, along with Jamal Williams and Justin Bannan, but he couldn't unseat Ryan McBean.
Darrell Reid, an outside linebacker and special teamer who had four sacks last season, also was jettisoned. He's still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
The Broncos also released linebackers Kevin Alexander and Worrell Williams along with wide receiver Britt Davis, tight end Riar Greer, safety Kyle McCarthy, defensive lineman Jeff Stehle and offensive lineman Seth Olsen, a fourth-round pick out of Iowa last year.
-- Arnie Stapleton
Jaguars send S Nelson to Bengals
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals got former first-round pick Reggie Nelson from Jacksonville in a trade of defensive backs on Saturday.
The Jaguars received cornerback David Jones and a conditional draft pick in the deal, completed after teams made final cuts to get down to the 53-man roster limit.
Nelson was the 21st overall pick in 2007 out of Florida. He had an impressive rookie season — 82 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack. Since then, he's had only two interceptions and his tackles total has dropped.
He shifted positions at Jacksonville after starting as a roaming safety. He spent time at cornerback and was part of nickel pass defenses. The three-year starter lost his job this year, playing at safety with the reserves during preseason games.
The Bengals were looking for depth at safety after Gibril Wilson damaged ligaments in his left knee during the preseason and was placed on injured reserve.
Jones was New England's fifth-round draft pick out of Division II Wingate in 2007. The Bengals claimed him off waivers that year. He was primarily an extra cornerback in three seasons with Cincinnati, starting seven games in 2008 after Johnathan Joseph got hurt. He has not intercepted a pass.
