Former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is the Los Angeles Rams’ No. 2 quarterback, backing up another ex-Bulldog, Matthew Stafford.
NFL teams had to reach the 53-player roster limit Tuesday afternoon.
The Rams terminated the contract of quarterback Brett Rypien, who competed with Bennett in the preseason, leaving Los Angeles with just two QBs. The Rams could still add a player cut by another team.
The Rams selected Bennett, who led the Bulldogs to the last two national championships, in the fourth round (128th overall) in the 2023 draft.
The Rams made some surprising cuts, including guard Logan Bruss, the team’s top draft pick last year who missed last season with a knee injury. Defensive lineman Marquise Copeland, who began camp expecting to replace A’Shawn Robinson as a starter, also was cut.
Some eight months after a near-death experience during a game at Cincinnati, safety Damar Hamlin made the Buffalo Bills roster.
It’s a journey that’s taken the 25-year-old from being placed in a medically induced coma after going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field, to returning to the turf to take and deliver hits at full speed during practice and three preseason games.
“I made the choice that I wanted to play, you know, it wasn’t nobody else’s choice but mine,” Hamlin said of his approach after a three-tackle outing in Buffalo’s preseason-opening win against Indianapolis three weeks ago. “So, when you see my cleats laced up and my helmet and shoulder pads on, there ain’t gonna be no hesitation.”
A week later in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Hamlin was selected to take the field as a captain for the coin flip before the Bills’ game against the Steelers.
“It was real special, like a moment of serendipity, just like life coming full circle for me,” he said following the game in which finished with three more tackles. “It’s just something indescribable.”
Hamlin finished the preseason with nine solo tackles and one assist while playing 80 defensive snaps and 19 more on special teams.
There were a slew of trades around the league Tuesday.
Kicker Wil Lutz is reuniting with coach Sean Payton in Denver. The Eagles got tight end Albert Okwuegbunam from the Broncos. Veteran kicker Nick Folk went from New England to Tennessee.
Defensive end Boogie Bashum, defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr., cornerbacks Noah Igbinoghene and Kelvin Joseph, offensive lineman Dan Feeney and Kendrick Green and wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette were among the players on the move in trades.
Jonathan Taylor isn’t going anywhere, however. The Indianapolis Colts didn’t trade the disgruntled star running back, but they’re keeping Taylor on the physically unable to perform list. That means he will miss the first four games, even if he’s traded.
The most surprising cut came from New England, which let second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe go. Zappe was 2-0 as a starter last year filling in for Mac Jones but struggled in the preseason. The Patriots currently don’t have a backup because they also released veteran QB Trace McSorley and rookie Malik Cunningham, a QB at Louisville who played various positions and took snaps in camp.
Other notable cuts around the league included the Bengals releasing QB Trevor Siemian in favor of Jake Browning. Siemian gave Cincinnati an experienced backup behind Joe Burrow, whose status for Week 1 isn’t clear because of a calf strain. Browning was the practice squad QB last season.
Philadelphia released punter Arryn Siposs. Green Bay cut incumbent punter Pat O’Donnell. Cleveland parted with kicker Cade York, a day after acquiring kicker Dustin Hopkins in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. York was a fourth-round pick in 2022. The Browns also waived wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr., a former USFL standout who had a strong camp and exhibition season.
Punter Thomas Morstead was among the Jets’ cuts, but he’s a vested veteran who is likely to be re-signed after the team clears roster space. Same for fullback Nick Bawden. New York also waived running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight to make room in a crowded backfield that includes Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall and Michael Carter. “Hard Knocks” star wideout Jerome Kapp — whose performance of Eminem’s freestyle in “8 Mile” went viral — was also waived.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The 49ers kept Brandon Allen as their third-string QB after trading away former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to Dallas last week. San Francisco, which ended the NFC championship game with no healthy quarterbacks, decided to keep Allen for insurance behind starter Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.
Veteran wide receiver Chosen Anderson was released by Miami. The Cowboys cut veteran QB Will Grier, who became expendable after Lance was acquired last week. Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said he hopes to retain Grier on the practice squad.
New Orleans released veteran cornerback Bradley Roby, linebacker Jaylon Smith, safety Jonathan Abram and punter Blake Gillikin. Lou Hedley takes Gillikin’s spot and rookie kicker Blake Grupe replaces Lutz.
The New York Giants got Basham from the Buffalo Bills. He has 4 1/2 sacks in 23 games. The Giants released veteran receivers Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, who were signed in the offseason. Veteran tight end Tommy Sweeney, who had a medical episode on the field last week, was placed on the reserve non-football list. Wideout Sterling Shepard, a second-round pick in 2016 coming off his second major injury in two seasons (Achilles tendon and knee) is on the team and remains the longest-tenured player.
The Kansas City Chiefs got Farrell from the Raiders for a sixth-round pick and sent Smith-Marsette to the Panthers in a deal involving a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-round draft picks.
Igbinoghene, a 2020 first-round pick, went from Miami to Dallas for Joseph. The Dolphins sent Feeney to Chicago for a sixth-round pick. Green goes from Pittsburgh to Houston for a sixth-rounder.
Cornerback Sam Webb, who started three games for the Raiders last season, was among the team’s cuts along with former starting guard Alex Bars.
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