Broncos cut ties with QB Lynch, their 2016 first-round pick
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway cut ties with his biggest draft bust Sunday when he waived quarterback Paxton Lynch less than 24 hours after including him on the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster.
Dener also placed safety Su’a Cravens on injured reserve with an injured left knee and resigned Isaiah McKenzie, the speedy returner/receiver who was among the team’s cuts a day earlier.
Lynch was jettisoned after the Broncos were awarded fellow third-year quarterback Kevin Hogan off waivers from Washington.
Elway once viewed the athletic but raw Lynch as a future franchise quarterback, moving up in the 2016 NFL draft to select the Memphis star with the 26th overall pick in the first round.
That move came in the shadows of Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win and shortly after Peyton Manning’s retirement and Brock Osweiler’s departure.
Elway acknowledged at the time that Lynch was a project who needed some seasoning but he expressed hope that Lynch might be a quick study. He wasn’t.
Twice, seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian handily beat out Lynch in protracted competitions for the starting QB job.
When Case Keenum was signed in March, Elway sent Siemian to Minnesota, clearing the way for Lynch to serve as the No. 2 quarterback. All he had to do was fend off Chad Kelly, another seventh-rounder.
He couldn’t.
Giants release backup QB Webb
In a surprising move, the New York Giants released backup quarterback Davis Webb.
That leaves inexperienced Kyle Lauletta and Alex Tanney behind Eli Manning, who never has missed a game because of injury in his career.
New York also released vested veterans guard John Jerry and defensive back William Gay.
Webb, a 2017 third-round draft choice who did not play in a regular-season game, was expected to be Manning’s backup.
Jerry started every game for the Giants the previous two seasons, and his 39 consecutive starts made for the Giants’ longest active streak at the end of the 2017 season.
Gay, a 12-year veteran, had two five-year stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers sandwiched around a single season with the Arizona Cardinals. He has played in 176 consecutive regular-season games, plus 15 postseason contests.
Wentz still isn’t medically cleared
Carson Wentz still has not been medically cleared for contact although Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson won’t rule out the quarterback for the season opener against Atlanta on Thursday night.
Pederson again told reporters that he doesn’t want to publicly reveal whether Wentz or Nick Foles would be the starter when the defending Super Bowl champions host the Falcons.
“I don’t want to put my game plan out there for everybody to see it and read it and teams can scheme,” Pederson said. “It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Wentz is returning from surgery last December to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. Foles was the Super Bowl MVP in Philadelphia’s 41-33 victory over New England.
Wentz did not play in the preseason and only recently returned to full practice.
Gates answers Chargers’ call
The Los Angeles Chargers are not ready to say farewell to Antonio Gates after all.
Four months after the Chargers bade a public goodbye to the leading receiver in franchise history, Gates returned to the team one week before the start of his 16th season. The 38-yearold franchise stalwart is getting a one-year deal and another shot at his first trip to a Super Bowl.
The Chargers intended to part ways with Gates last spring after his role declined behind starting tight end Hunter Henry in 2017. Their plans changed when Henry tore a knee ligament during offseason workouts in May, likely sidelining him for the upcoming season.
Although they have been discussing a reunion for many weeks, Gates and the Chargers waited until the day before the first week of game preparation for the regular season to formalize his return to his only NFL team. Gates’ 114 career touchdown catches are sixth in NFL history and the most among active players.
Once an undrafted free agent who played only basketball at Kent State, Gates is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the Chargers’ career leader in receptions (927), yards receiving (11,508) and touchdown catches. He set the NFL record for touchdown receptions by a tight end last September, surpassing Tony Gonzalez with his 112th TD catch.
Odds and ends
Defensive linemen Carl Nassib and Jamie Meder were released as Cleveland continues its massive roster overhaul. Nassib, a 2016 third-round pick, started 12 games and recorded three sacks for the Browns last season. Meder blocked a field goal late in the 2016 season against San Diego to secure the Browns’ only win in the past two years under coach Hue Jackson. … Miami claimed quarterback Luke Falk from Tennessee off the waiver wire, adding a fourth quarterback to the team’s 53-man roster. The Dolphins have Ryan Tannehill as their starter and Brock Osweiler and David Fales as his backups.