Broncos choose Siemian as their starting quarterback
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Trevor Siemian is Peyton Manning’s successor.
Coach Gary Kubiak told the team Monday that Siemian will be the starting quarterback when the Denver Broncos face Carolina in the season opener Sept. 8.
Kubiak informed Siemian, Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch of his decision before telling their teammates.
Siemian has just one NFL snap on his resume, a kneel-down when he was the No. 3 QB last year behind Manning and Brock Osweiler.
Manning retired and Osweiler left for Houston after the Super Bowl.
General manager John Elway acquired Sanchez from the Eagles and drafted Lynch. The Broncos will save $3.5 million and a conditional seventhround draft pick if they cut Sanchez, as expected.
The San Diego Chargers say they’ve signed rookie defensive end Joey Bosa to a four-year contract.
The announcement late Monday morning came five days after the two sides went public in their nasty spat over payment of Bosa’s $17 million signing bonus and whether the contract would have offset language.
The Chargers threatened last Wednesday to reduce their offer to Bosa under the assumption he wouldn’t be ready to play a full season. Bosa, the No. 3 overall pick out of Ohio State, was the last rookie to sign.
It also came a day after San Diego’s defense played poorly in a 23-10 exhibition loss at Minnesota. There was no immediate indication of what led to the deal getting done.
The Detroit Lions traded receiver Jeremy Kerley to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday for offensive guard Brandon Thomas.
Kerley became expendable in Detroit after the team signed former 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin this offseason.
The Lions signed Kerley to bolster depth at wide receiver and on special teams, but they may not have had him on the roster for Week 1. He had 182 receptions for 2,225 yards and nine touchdowns, and returned kicks over five seasons with the New York Jets.
Thomas will compete for a roster spot on Detroit’s shaky offensive line. San Francisco drafted him in the third round two years ago, but he hasn’t played in an NFL game.
The Browns have released linebacker Paul Kruger, a startling move in another step in the team’s youth movement.
Kruger started 46 games and made 18 sacks in three seasons for Cleveland and was considered one of the team’s leaders. He was signed in 2013 after four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
The 30-year-old recorded just 2.5 sacks last season as the Browns struggled to find the right role for him. Last week, the Browns traded linebacker Barkevious Mingo. Rookies Emmanuel Ogbah or Joe Schobert could take Kruger’s starting spot.
Kruger posted a statement on Twitter in which he thanked the Browns but said his release was “absolutely the wrong decision.”
Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins says he’s ready to cut loose after spending the past two days of practice testing his surgically repaired left foot at full speed.
Watkins feels no after-effects from practicing at 100 percent and says his foot is “right where it needs to be.” Watkins then broke into a wide smile in saying he would score a couple of touchdowns if Buffalo opened its regular season this weekend as opposed to Sept. 11 at Baltimore.
The Bills have been cautious in easing their top receiver back into action since Watkins had two screws inserted into the foot to repair a stress fracture in April. He was cleared to practice three weeks ago, and played in just two series in his preseason debut against Washington on Friday.
The Seattle Seahawks released veteran defensive back Brandon Browner among six roster moves made by the team Monday.
Seattle reduced its roster from 90 to 84. The Seahawks must get to the 75man roster limit by Tuesday afternoon.
Browner was reunited with the Seahawks in the offseason in the hope he could develop into a hybrid safety and use his coverage skills as a cornerback to help with defending tight ends and the middle of the field. But the reunion was short-lived and Browner barely saw the field in the previous two preseason games.
— Wire services