The New York Jets placed offensive tackle Mekhi Becton on injured reserve Tuesday, one of five roster moves to reduce their roster to 85 players.
All 32 NFL teams had until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trim their rosters from 90 to 85 players. There will be a second reduction next Tuesday from 85 to 80 before all teams must bring their rosters down to 53 by Aug. 30.
Becton sustained an avulsion fracture of the right kneecap during practice last week, and it will keep him out for the entire 2022 season. Becton dislocated the same kneecap and sprained his right MCL in Week 1 of 2021 and missed the rest of the season.
A first-round draft pick in 2020 as the Jets’ potential solution at left tackle, Becton entered training camp as the starting right tackle.
The Jets also released defensive end Tim Ward, cornerback Luq Barcoo, offensive lineman Derrick Kelly and wide receiver Rashard Davis. Ward made 12 tackles and two pass breakups over 11 games for the Jets last season.
–The San Francisco 49ers released defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche.
A highly-touted college player at Ole Miss and a first-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, Nkemdiche has only played 38 career games (six starts) in the NFL due to a mixture of injuries, waivers and a suspension. He spent just three seasons with Arizona before being waived with a failed physical designation before the 2019 season.
Nkemdiche played two games for the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and nine games for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. He has just 4.5 career sacks, two forced fumbles and 59 tackles.
–The Denver Broncos waived five players, including former fifth-round selection Jamar Johnson and former Philadelphia Eagles leading receiver Travis Fulgham.
Fulgham was a surprise performer for the receiver-needy Eagles in 2020 and wound up playing 13 games with eight starts. He caught 38 passes for a team-high 539 yards and four touchdowns. But he barely saw the field with the Broncos last year, playing two offensive snaps and seven special teams snaps in one game.
Johnson, a safety, played in just three games last season and solely on special teams. He was the 164th overall pick in 2021 out of Indiana.
Denver also said goodbye to running back Max Borghi, wide receiver Kaden Davis and tight end Rodney Williams.
–The Washington Commanders released former fourth-round draft pick Troy Apke, fellow cornerback De’Vante Bausby and guard Deion Calhoun.
Apke joined Washington in 2018 and played 50 games (nine starts) in the team’s secondary over four years. He has 68 career tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.
The Commanders also placed tight end Sammis Reyes and fullback Alex Armah on injured reserve. Reyes got 39 offensive snaps over 11 games (one start) last year, but was primarily a special teams contributor. He is the first NFL player born in Chile.
–The Eagles waived wide receiver Lance Lenoir, safety Jared Mayden and cornerback Jimmy Moreland with injury designations.
Mayden saw action in four games last season for Philadelphia and collected six tackles. Moreland, a part-time starter in Washington in 2019 and 2020, was trying to stick with his third team after playing the 2021 season for the Houston Texans.
–The Las Vegas Raiders released veteran defensive tackle Vernon Butler and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.
Butler signed with Las Vegas this offseason after spending the past two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, where he played in 24 games, starting 10. He was a 2016 first-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers and played his first four NFL seasons with them, racking up eight sacks.
Robinson was looking to make the Raiders’ roster after spending the last six seasons with the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs. From 2016-2021 he played in all 97 games, starting 42, and collected 145 receptions for 1,679 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The Raiders also waived cornerback Nate Brooks, defensive end Gerri Green and offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
–Among the Houston Texans’ roster cuts Monday and Tuesday was defensive end Jordan Jenkins, a six-year NFL veteran.
Jenkins started 62 of his 72 games with the New York Jets from 2016-2020 after the Jets selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. He played 11 games for the Texans last season and totaled 2.5 sacks. Just 28, Jenkins’ best season came in 2019 when he had eight sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles for New York.
–The defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams waived quarterback Luis Perez, tight end Jamal Pettigrew, tackle Adrian Ealy, defensive back Caesar Dancy-Williams and punter Cameron Dicker.
Perez entered the NFL with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He played in the preseason and spent a brief time on their practice squad. Since then, Perez has played in the Alliance of American Football, the XFL and the USFL before getting another chance with the Rams.
Playing for the New Jersey Generals last spring, Perez threw the first touchdown in the new USFL’s history.
–Field Level Media
