NFL teams
Associated Press 10y

Green-Ellis, Moorman among early wave of NFL cuts

NFL, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders

The Law Firm has closed up shop in Cincinnati.

Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis was released by the Bengals on Friday, among a handful of players out of jobs -- for now -- as NFL teams started to trim their rosters to get down to the mandatory 53 players by Saturday afternoon.

Green-Ellis was Cincinnati's top rusher the past two seasons, but the running back with the amusing nickname was made expendable once the Bengals drafted LSU's Jeremy Hill in the second round in May. Cincinnati also waived linebacker Brandon Joiner, defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross and quarterback Tyler Wilson.

Also among the announced cuts: Buffalo punter Brian Moorman and quarterback Jordan Palmer, Tampa Bay kicker Connor Barth, Jacksonville center Mike Brewster, Atlanta linebacker Pat Angerer and Chicago running back Jordan Lynch, a former Heisman trophy finalist as a quarterback at Northern Illinois.

Green-Ellis, who ran for 756 yards and a career-low 3.4 yards per carry last season, was entering the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Hill carried 20 times for 90 yards and caught a team-high six passes for 70 yards during a 35-7 preseason win over Indianapolis on Thursday night.

Moorman, a 13-year veteran who spent 12 seasons in Buffalo, is out for the second time with the Bills. After being cut by the team in 2012, he re-signed with the Bills last October, but struggled this preseason, averaging 40.25 yards.

Palmer, signed Tuesday, had a bad outing in the Bills' preseason finale, going 9 of 22 for 73 yards and three interceptions in a 23-0 loss to Detroit. He was cut by the Bears last weekend.

Also released by the Bills were: cornerbacks Kamaal McIlwain and Sam Miller, linebacker Xavius Boyd, defensive tackle Landon Cohen, tight end Dominique Jones, fullback Evan Rodriguez, receiver Naaman Roosevelt and center Jared Wheeler.

Buffalo placed three players on reserve/injured: tight end Tony Moeaki and cornerbacks Mario Butler and Bobby Felder.

Barth was the most accurate kicker in Buccaneers history, but missed all of last season after tearing the Achilles tendon in his right foot during a charity basketball game last summer. Rookie Patrick Murray will replace Barth, who made a club-record 92.9 percent of his field-goal attempts in 2011, set a team single-season mark with six of 50-plus yards in 2012, and led the NFL with 33 field goals of 40-plus yards over those two seasons.

Defensive end Larry English and offensive lineman Jamon Meredith also were among those released by the Buccaneers.

Brewster was expected to replace the retired Brad Meester as the Jaguars' starting center, but struggled this summer and joined third-string quarterback Ricky Stanzi on the unemployment line among Jacksonville's cuts. Jacksonville likely will start the season with rookie Luke Bowanko, a sixth-round pick from Virginia, at center.

Angerer, a second-round pick by Indianapolis in 2010, made nine starts last season with the Colts and had 63 tackles with one interception before finishing the year on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Also among Atlanta's cuts were linebacker Yawin Smallwood, a seventh-round pick from Connecticut, and wide receiver Freddie Martino, who caught a 67-yard touchdown pass in Thursday night's 24-14 preseason win at Jacksonville.

Lynch was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent, and was trying to make the team as a running back after playing quarterback in college. He finished third in the Heisman voting last year after throwing 24 touchdown passes and running for 23.

Also released by the Bears were center/guard Robert Turner, wide receiver Armanti Edwards, tight end Jeron Mastrud and offensive tackle Dennis Roland.

Washington waived punter Robert Malone, leaving Tress Way as the apparent winner of the Redskins' punting competition. The left-footed Way was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Bears, and had four punts for a 45.3-yard average over the final two preseason games.

Teams need to have their rosters set at 53 players by 4 p.m. EDT Saturday.

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

^ Back to Top ^