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NFL teams have some tough decisions to make and even tougher messages to deliver to many players in the coming hours.
By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, all 32 franchises must cut their rosters from a maximum of 90 to 53. Some teams have already begun trimming, with a trickle of announcements coming out after teams completed their final preseason games in the last few days. Teams also use this deadline to swing trades, with the Dallas Cowboys’ move to acquire quarterback Trey Lance standing out among the several deals already completed. Could more be on the way?
Check back with USA TODAY Sports throughout the day for all the news on the notable players being released or moved ahead of Tuesday’s deadline:
Minnesota Vikings’ roster cuts include two XFL standouts
The Minnesota Vikings made several roster cuts on Monday, including former XFL standouts QB Jordan Ta’amu and RB Abram Smith.
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Ta’amu threw for 14 touchdowns and three interceptions for the runner-up DC Defenders last season. Smith, who also played for the Defenders, led the league in rushing with 791 yards and seven touchdowns on 158 carries. Both were named to the 2023 All-XFL Team.
Could Derek Barnett trade be coming?
A notable pass rusher could be looking for a change of scenery.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett is “gauging the market for the potential to play more elsewhere,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Monday.
Barnett, 27, is part of a deep Eagles pass-rush rotation led by Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. The former first-round pick, who suffered a torn ACL in Philadelphia’s opener against the Detroit Lions last year, is entering the final year of his contract with a base salary of $3.5 million.
Monday NFL roster cuts start rolling in
There’s still more than 24 hours left until the NFL’s roster cut deadline, but several moves are already filtering through. Among the early Monday moves:
- The Buccaneers released DT Deadrin Senat, S Nolan Turner, G John Molchon and OT Michael Niese, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.
- The Steelers released LB Tanner Muse, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
- The Colts plan to release former first-round WR Breshard Perriman, per multiple reports.
- The Commanders released WR Marcus Kemp, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Chicago Bears’ cuts include notable QB, OL
The Bears’ first batch of cuts only consisted of three players, but two names sparked some intrigue.
Chicago released quarterback P.J. Walker, who signed a two-year deal with the team in March after spending three years with the Carolina Panthers. Walker was initially seen as leading candidate to be Justin Fields’ backup, but that role now might fall to rookie Tyson Bagent, an undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University who holds the NCAA record for career passing touchdowns (159). Bagent’s only other competition remaining is veteran Nathan Peterman.
The Bears also waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, a 2021 first-round draft pick of the Las Vegas Raiders whom Chicago claimed off waivers last August. Leatherwood played in just four games for the Bears, and the Bears will incur a nearly $4.6 million dead-cap hit for the money he is still owed.
Pittsburgh Steelers trade OL Kevin Dotson to Los Angeles Rams
Two teams in the midst of rebuilding their offensive lines pulled off a deal with one another Sunday to further reshape their fronts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sent offensive guard Kevin Dotson to the Los Angeles Rams as part of a pick swap. The Steelers will receive the Rams’ 2024 fourth-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick, while Los Angeles will receive Pittsburgh’s 2024 fifth-round pick and 2025 sixth-round pick.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, Dotson started all 17 games for the Steelers at left guard this season, but the signing of Isaac Seumalo relegated him to a backup role. In Los Angeles, he should provide additional depth for a front that is looking to provide more consistency and better protection for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford in his return to the lineup.
Denver Broncos’ cuts include Kendall Hinton
Could Kendall Hinton’s strange run with the Denver Broncos be at its end?
The wide receiver was among the Broncos’ first wave of cuts on Sunday. While he could return to the team as a practice-squad member, it’s unclear whether he will be claimed by another team – or if he’s a consideration for Denver at all at this point.
Hinton famously stepped in as the Broncos’ quarterback for one game in 2020 when all four of the team’s passers were sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols, with three of them violating rules on close contact. Last season, however, he aided a receiving corps riddled with injuries by playing in 58% of the team’s offensive snaps. He finished with 33 catches for 311 yards.
When are NFL final roster cuts due in 2023?
Teams must pare their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Several teams have already announced their first wave of cuts, and more will filter through on Monday and Tuesday before the official lists come out.
However, the rosters are not exactly “final” by Tuesday afternoon. Teams have until noon on Wednesday to make claims on any players waived in the roster cutdown process. Of course, teams must make corresponding moves to keep their rosters at 53 when adding a player, which means that some players might be led to believe they’ve made the “final” cut only to learn a day later that they’re out.
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