RG3 hangs on, McCarron dealt to Oakland
RG3 is staying put while AJ is switching coasts.
Robert Griffin III, the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year whose career has been disrupted by injuries since that season, remained with Baltimore as the Ravens cut their roster to the league maximum of 53 on Saturday. He’ll likely be the third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson, but he still has a job.
AJ McCarron, who signed with Buffalo as a free agent after four years as a backup QB in Cincinnati, was traded by the Bills to Oakland. The Raiders closed a deal with Chicago to send star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Bears for a slew of draft picks, including two first-rounders.
Among the intriguing players let go were Dallas kicker Dan Bailey, Chiefs cornerback David Amerson, Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman, Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson, Texans receiver Braxton Miller and guard Davis Quessenberry, and Steelers quarterback Landry Jones. QUARTERBACKS » Griffin signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in April after sitting out the entire 2017 season. He was Washington’s first-round choice in 2012, second overall, and led the Redskins to the playoffs that year before things went sour.
“There’s no doubt that you want Robert Griffin on your team,” coach John Harbaugh said after the final preseason game. “He makes our quarterback room better and stronger. He’s a very good quarterback. He looks like a starter to me. He has been a starter. Certainly a backup in this league, without question. I mean, that’s not even close. I would like to have him on the team, we’ll just have to see how the math works.” It worked. In Pittsburgh, Josh Dobbs’ impressive preseason cost Jones his job. The Steelers kept Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph as the primary backups to Ben Roethlisberger. Dobbs made significant strides in his second training camp and ended the preseason by throwing for a touchdown and running for another in a victory over Carolina. Jones had been 3-2 as a starter in five pro seasons, with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Cincinnati put vet Matt Barkley (knee) on injured reserve, leaving Jeff Driskel as the backup to Andy Dalton heading into the season. FAILED DRAFT PICKS » The Ravens parted with Perriman, the team’s first-round pick in 2015. He managed just 43 catches for 576 yards and three touchdowns over 27 career games. It marked the first time in franchise history the Ravens cut a first-round pick before the end of his rookie contract.
The Bills chose not to hold onto receiver Corey Coleman, who has been a disappointment since the Browns made him the 15th overall selection two years ago. Buffalo traded a seventh-round pick in 2020 for him. RELEASED VETERANS » Brian Robison and Terence Newman were released by Minnesota.
Robison was about to begin his 12th season with the team. Newman, the oldest defensive player in the NFL, will retire and immediately join the coaching staff — three days before his 40th birthday.
Robison, who’s tied for ninth in Vikings history with 60 career sacks, was the longest-tenured player on the team. Drafted in the fourth round in 2007, he spent six of his 11 years with the Vikings as a full-time starter. Danielle Hunter moved ahead of him on the depth chart in 2017, and for the second straight offseason Robison took a pay cut to return in 2018.
The Bengals released Johnson, a 10th-year defensive end, although it could be a temporary separation. Johnson becomes a free agent and could resign with Cincinnati for less money.
Johnson has played all but one of his nine seasons with Cincinnati. He led the defensive line with 49 tackles and five sacks last season.
The Chiefs released underperforming cornerback Amerson, who signed a $2.25 million free-agent deal this past offseason. Amerson was released by the Raiders before signing with Kansas City, where he was expected to solidify the secondary after the trade of Marcus Peters to the Rams. But he was often burned in preseason games. LEAVING HOUSTON » Miller, a third-round pick in 2016, who was twice selected Big Ten offensive player of the year as a quarterback at Ohio State before transitioning to receiver after an injury, couldn’t make the Texans. He saw limited action in two seasons with 34 receptions for 261 yards and two touchdowns in 21 games.