By BARRY WILNER By BARRY WILNER ADVERTISING AP Pro Football Writer Vince Young is out of work, Terrell Suggs is on PUP and several veteran NFL kickers are on the street after the first set of mandatory NFL cuts. Teams
By BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer
Vince Young is out of work, Terrell Suggs is on PUP and several veteran NFL kickers are on the street after the first set of mandatory NFL cuts.
Teams needed to be down to 75 players Monday, and Young was the biggest name to lose his job. After Buffalo acquired Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle to back up quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year Young was released.
“Vince, I don’t want to get into what he can do and can’t do, it just didn’t work out,” general manager Buddy Nix said. “We just need to move on and give this guy a try.”
Young knew what was coming and tweeted earlier in the day: “Respect Bills fans. I want to thank the Bills organization for the opportunity and with the organization and my teammates good luck this season.”
It’s been a tough few years for Young since he was exiled by the Titans for inconsistent play on the field and several incidents off it. Young had a disappointing season as Michael Vick’s backup in Philadelphia last year, and couldn’t make it through the preseason with Buffalo (No. 19 in the AP Pro32).
Suggs, on the other hand, comes off his best pro season, when he was voted Defensive Player of the Year. But he tore his right Achilles tendon in the offseason and isn’t expected back before November.
By placing him on the physically unable to perform list, the Ravens (No. 5, AP Pro32) must be without Suggs for the first six weeks of the season.
Detroit (No. 11 tie, AP Pro32) placed on PUP running back Jahvid Best, who hasn’t played since October because of concussion problems.
All 32 teams must be down to the regular-season roster limit of 53 on Friday.
Among the kickers given the boot were Olindo Mare by Carolina, Josh Brown by the Jets, and Neil Rackers by Washington.
Mare has played 15 NFL season and got a four-year, $12 million contract last year. But Justin Medlock, last with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, appears to have won the kicking job in Carolina (No. 20, AP Pro32).
Veteran punter Nick Harris was beaten out by sixth-round draft pick Brad Nortman.
“Both of those decisions at kicker were very difficult,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. “In both situations we felt like we had two young kickers with strong legs who had very good training camps. So did Olindo and Nick, but we made a decision to go with the younger guys based on their performances.”
Brown lost out to incumbent Nick Folk in New York (No 17, AP Pro32), and Rackers was beaten out by Graham Gano in Washington (No. 25, AP Pro32).
Gano missed an NFL-high 10 field goal attempts in 2011; five were blocked. Coach Mike Shanahan said Gano “won the statistical battle in practice.”
Also:
—Green Bay (No. 1, AP Pro32) lost starting linebacker Desmond Bishop for the season. He went on injured reserve with a right leg problem.
—San Diego (No. 16, AP Pro32) released veteran receiver-kick returner Roscoe Parrish.
—Cleveland (No. 30, AP Pro32) claimed DL Ernest Owusu off waivers from Minnesota and placed linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Chris Gocong on injured reserve, losing them for the season. Placed defensive tackle Phil Taylor went on the PUP list. Taylor tore a biceps muscle lifting weights during the offseason. A first-round pick in 2011, he started all 16 games last season.
—Denver (No. 10, AP Pro32) waived veteran long snapper Lonie Paxton.
—Jacksonville (No. 31, AP Pro32) put sixth-year linebacker Clint Session (concussion) on PUP.
—New Orleans (No. 9, AP Pro32) released QB Luke McCown and DT Remi Ayodele.
—The New York Giants (No. 3, AP Pro32) placed DT Chris Canty and TE Travis Beckum on the PUP list, released DBs Antwaun Molden and Chris Horton.
—Philadelphia (No. 8, AP Pro32) put starting left tackle Jason Peters on the non-football injury list, and DT Mike Patterson on the non-football illness list.
—Pittsburgh (No. 7, AP Pro32) released tight end Justin Peele and safety Myron Rolle.
