NFL roster cut day affects several Clemson pros

Martavis Bryant caught a TD in the preseason finale, but that wasn't enough for an opening day roster spot in Washington.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Tuesday, August 27 2024

Some 53-man rosters across the league have not been announced, so this will be updated as they are with more possible cuts.

The lead-up to Tuesday's final cuts had seen a selection of NFL vets back on the market looking for work, including some former Clemson players, but the final hours to settling on a 53-man roster brought even more movement.

From a Clemson standpoint, it affected players on both sides of the ball and at different stages of their careers.

Martavis Bryant's bid to start the season on an active roster in Washington was cut short, despite catching a touchdown pass in the preseason finale over the weekend.

Since his indefinite suspension was lifted last fall, he has signed for Dallas and Washington, but yet to make the active roster for a game.

Before and around some suspensions for the league's drug policy, Bryant was a top target in his time with the Steelers from 2014-17, where the former fourth-round NFL draft pick averaged 15.2 yards per catch with 17 touchdowns in the regular season. He also added three touchdowns and 322 yards in four playoff games in Pittsburgh. Bryant also played a season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018.

Also in Washington, former 2023 fifth-round selection KJ Henry was released as well. He played in 10 games with three starts last year, totaling 1.5 sacks and 19 combo tackles. Henry tallied five solo stops and a sack during the preseason.

In Jacksonville, veterans Tanner Muse and Tyler Shatley were released.

Muse signed in late July for his fifth NFL team since a 2020 third-round NFL draft selection by the Raiders. Muse played in 10 games with the LA Chargers last season with two solo tackles.

Shatley signed with Jacksonville in 2014 and played in 145 games with 51 starts. He was briefly an unrestricted free agent this spring before the Jaguars had brought him back.

Other Clemson pro cuts:

*The Bills announced their 53-man roster shortly after this was originally published, and two former Tigers were among those released with wide receiver Deon Cain and defensive lineman DeShawn Williams. Cain was a standout in the spring football leagues with the Birmingham Stallions, but his bid for an NFL return has yet to come to be. He has also been on the camp roster for the Philadephia Eagles in recent years. Williams played for Carolina last year after signing coming off of a career season with Denver the year prior. He has logged 66 games as a pro since 2016.

* Tremayne Anchrum was released by the New Orleans Saints. He was a seventh-round pick for the LA Rams in 2020 and played in 31 games there through 2023.

* Undrafted free agent Will Putnam was among those waived by the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday.

* Joseph Ngata was designated as waived by the Philadelphia Eagles, also tagged as injured. He had five catches for 88 yards in the preseason. He was also waived ahead of last year before signing on the practice squad.

*As reported earlier here, Justyn Ross' time on the active roster in Kansas City was cut short ahead of next week's season start. In 2023, Ross appeared in 10 games for the Chiefs and recorded 53 yards on six receptions. After coming back from a major neck surgery, he was an undrafted rookie out of Clemson in 2022.

Wide receiver teammate Cornell Powell, a fixture of the KC practice squad in recent seasons, was also released.

* Cornerback Mario Goodrich was not among the announced 53-man roster for the New York Giants. He was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in July.

Depending on the style of transaction, players may go on the waiver wire or be immediately available to sign elsewhere on an active roster or practice squad.