Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
Also, welcome to the most depressing day on the NFL calendar: Cut day.
With NFL teams trimming their roster from 90 players down to 53 players, that means that nearly 1,200 players will be out of a job by the end of the day.
With that many cuts going down, things are probably going to get pretty crazy over the next few hours, which is why I mixed pure South American coffee grounds with my breakfast today. I'll be needing the extra energy. Since it's almost impossible to keep track of every cut, we went ahead and created a cuts tracker. If you want to keep tabs on every player who gets released, just click here.
Cut day isn't just a big day for cuts; it's also a day where we'll see a lot of trades, so we'll be following all of those as the day unfolds. Also, to break up the monotony of cuts, we'll also be unveiling our list of AFC coaches who are under the most pressure.
As always, here's your daily reminder to tell all your friends and neighbors to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.
1. NFL cut day is here: Every roster must be trimmed down to 53 players
The cut deadline is here. Between now and 4 p.m. ET, every roster in the NFL will be trimmed down from 90 players to 53 players.
When that many players are being released, there are always going to be a few surprises, and we've already seen a few with the release of Packers kicker Anders Carlson and Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe, who started six games for New England last season. Although there are still a few more hours to go until the deadline, here's a look at some notable players who have already been released:
QB Bailey Zappe (Patriots)
QB Will Grier (Eagles)
QB Ben DiNucci (Bills)
RB Matt Breida (49ers)
RB Phillip Dorsett (Broncos)
RB Myles Gaskin (Vikings)
WR Allen Robinson (Giants)
CB C.J. Henderson (Texans)
CB Tre Flowers (Jaguars)
S Terrell Edmunds (Jaguars)
S Kareem Jackson (Bills)
K Matthew Wright (Steelers)
K Anders Carlson (Packers)
Cuts will be coming out fast and furious all day, and it's not going to be easy to keep track of. The good news is that we've made that easy for you with a CUTS TRACKER. If you want to check out the full list of cuts as they happen, just click here. (The list won't be final until after the 4 p.m. ET deadline.)
We've also got a live blog that you can follow along -- where we break down the cuts AS THEY HAPPEN -- and you can check that out by clicking here.
2. NFL trade parade: Teams are wheeling and dealing heading into final cuts
Final cuts won't be the only thing happening in the NFL today. There's usually quite a few trades on cut day, and if you're wondering why that happens, it's pretty simple: If a talented player is on the verge of being released, a team will usually call around to see if anyone wants to make a trade before cutting him. By making a deal, they get something in return for a player they were going to cut anyway.
Here's a look at the trades that have gone down over the past 24 hours:
Packers-Titans trade
- Packers get: QB Malik Willis
- Titans get: 2025 seventh-round pick
- Notes: After just two seasons, the Titans have decided to move on from Willis, who was a third-round pick in 2022. For the Packers, this move makes sense because they need all the help they can get at the backup QB spot. The Packers have Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt on the roster behind Jordan Love and neither has played well enough to clinch the backup spot.
Chiefs-Cardinals trade
- Chiefs get: LB Cam Thomas
- Cardinals get: 2025 seventh-round pick
TRADE RUMORS: These guys haven't been traded, but there's speculation that a deal could get done before the end of the day.
- Broncos WR Tim Patrick. After four seasons with the Broncos, Patrick's time in Denver is definitely coming to an end, it's just matter of how he leaves. According to the Denver Post, the Broncos are looking to trade Patrick, but if they can't find a team to make a deal with, then they're going to release the 30-year-old.
- Broncos RB Samaje Perine. Everything you just read about Patrick, well, the same applies to Perine. If the Broncos can find a trading partner, then he'll get dealt today, but if not, then he'll be cut. Perine was a solid role player for the Bengals for three-and-a-half seasons, so that could be one name to watch here.
Basically, it's going to be a busy day, and if you take a nap at any point, you'll probably miss 17 or more moves while you're sleeping, so I think what I'm trying to say is that you probably shouldn't take a nap today.
3. Three last-minute trades that need to happen
Since there will almost certainly be several trades going down today, Cody Benjamin thought now would be the perfect time to offer his two cents on a few trades that need to happen before cut day ends.
Let's take a look at the proposed trades:
Texans RB Dameon Pierce to the Browns
Cody's take: "Cam Akers was a shifty revelation for the Houston Texans this preseason, suggesting he's well-suited to be Joe Mixon's top counterpart. Pierce, meanwhile, saw a major dip in responsibility during the first year of the DeMeco Ryans-Bobby Slowik regime despite a tough 2022 debut. He might be more valuable in Cleveland, where the Browns are set to be without Nick Chubb for at least four games as he recovers from knee surgery."
Chiefs WR Skyy Moore to the Commanders
Cody's take: "The Kansas City Chiefs have a crowded wide receiver room after reuniting with JuJu Smith-Schuster, who provides veteran depth behind the likes of Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy. Moore was already on the bubble after a relatively quiet two seasons to start his career. He'd surely find more opportunities in Washington."
Patriots DB Jonathan Jones to the Cowboys
Cody's take: "New England already shipped away one of its top defenders in Matt Judon, so Jerod Mayo's squad clearly has its eyes on the future. ... Jonathan Jones is the most proven defensive back on the team, but he's also 30 entering a contract year, and 2023 pickup Marco Wilson has flashed this summer as an option at outside corner."
You can check out Cody's full story on trade proposals here.
4. Cowboys finally get deal done with CeeDee Lamb: Four things to know
The drama in Dallas is finally over. Well, not all the drama, because the drama never ends in Dallas, but the drama involving CeeDee Lamb is now over after the receiver finally got his long-awaited contract extension on Monday. Lamb will now be reporting to that team after sitting out all of training camp.
Here's what you need to know:
- Lamb didn't top Justin Jefferson's contract, but he did set a record. The Cowboys receiver was given a four-year, $136 million extension. At $34 million per year, it fell just short of Jefferson's deal, which was $35 million per year. However, Lamb did get a $38 million signing bonus, which is the largest that any receiver has ever been given, so he did set a record there. Lamb was certainly deserving of the deal coming off a season where he set the franchise record for receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,749).
- Jerry Jones cost himself a lot money by dragging his feet. If the Cowboys had been able to get a deal done earlier this offseason, they could have saved nearly $10 million. Back in February, the biggest receiver contract belonged to Tyreek Hill, who was making $30 million per year. The Cowboys could have offered Lamb $31 million per year in March and he likely would have taken it because it would have made him the highest-paid receiver. However, after A.J. Brown got a new deal in April ($32 million per year) and Justin Jefferson got one in June ($35 million per year), it became pretty clear that Lamb's price was only going to go up. Jones has a history of dragging his feet with these big contracts and he's regularly costing the Cowboys millions of dollars by doing that.
- Cowboys drama isn't over yet. Now that Lamb is under contract, the Cowboys can turn their focus to Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. On Prescott's end, the quarterback is headed into the final year of his contract, which means if the two sides don't get a deal done soon, Dak will almost certainly be hitting free agency next March. As for Parsons, he still has two years left on his rookie deal (2024 and 2025) and he's expected to land a monstrous extension at some point over the next 12 months.
- Impact of Lamb's deal. There are still two receivers out there looking to get a new contract (Ja'Marr Chase and Brandon Aiyuk) and Lamb's deal will definitely have an impact. Chase will likely be looking to get paid around what Lamb got while Aiyuk's asking price might have just gone up. The 49ers receiver isn't expected to make the kind of money as Lamb, but it won't be surprising if he gets a deal worth $30 million per year now.
You can check out our full story on Lamb's extension here.
5. Ranking the AFC coaches under the most pressure in 2024
The 2024 season hasn't even started, but there are already several coaches under a lot of pressure. Being under pressure isn't necessarily the same as being on the hot seat. When you're on the hot seat, you're usually on the cusp of being fired. None of the guys below are on the cusp of being fired this year, but they're definitely under pressure heading into the upcoming season and they could find themselves on the hot seat if they don't perform this year.
With that in mind, let's take a look at Jordan Dajani's list of the three AFC coaches facing the most pressure:
1. Jets coach Robert Saleh. "Imagine if this Aaron Rodgers investment does not work out. Saleh is 18-33 as head coach of the New York Jets in his three seasons, and while he's built one of the best defenses in the entire NFL, he's handled the offensive side of things poorly."
2. Bills coach Sean McDermott. "We view McDermott's Buffalo Bills as perennial contenders due to the talented Josh Allen, but they've made the AFC Championship just once, and have now ditched a ton of their talent from last year. ... What if the Bills disappoint this year in what could be a very, very competitive AFC East? It feels like they could take a step backwards. McDermott is under pressure in 2024."
3. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson. "Pederson's gone 9-8 in consecutive seasons, which included closing out the 2023 season by losing a critical win-and-in game against a Titans team that was ready to fire their head coach. Yes, Trevor Lawrence's injuries played a part in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 2023 collapse, but so did the bad defense. The hiring of Ryan Nielsen, who orchestrated a defensive turnaround in Atlanta last season, should absolutely help the Jags, but in the case they don't perform after the Lawrence extension, could Pederson be on shaky ground?"
Jordan ranked a total of five coaches and if you want to see his full list, you can do that here.
6. Extra points: Cowboys to kick the tires on former Pro Bowl running back
It was a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Dalvin Cook to visit with Cowboys. The four-time Pro Bowler is headed to Dallas to visit with the Cowboys. Cook had a great career in Minnesota, but his 2023 season with the Jets was a disaster. That being said, if he's still got anything left in the tank, he would definitely make for an interesting addition to the Cowboys' backfield.
- T.J. Hockenson to miss at least four games. The Vikings tight end will be opening the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which means he'll be required to sit out the first four games of the season. Hockenson is trying to make it back from a torn ACL and MCL that he suffered in December.
- Seahawks star out multiple weeks. Uchenna Nwosu, who injured his knee during Seattle's final preseason game on Saturday, will miss two to six weeks due to the injury. The linebacker, who was limited to six games in 2023 after suffering a season-ending pectoral injury, will miss at least one game and it could be more depending on how quickly he recovers. You can read more about Nwosu's situation here.
- Travis and Jason Kelce score nine-figure deal for their podcast. The Kelce brothers have officially cashed in. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the brothers have signed a deal that's worth at least $100 million with Wondery (owned by Amazon) for the full rights to their New Heights podcast.
- NFL owners set to vote on private equity. The NFL's 32 owners are having a special meeting today in Minneapolis where they'll vote on possibly allowing private equity in team ownership. If the vote is approved, private equity firms will be able to purchase up to 10% of an NFL team.
- Commanders stadium has a new name. For most of its history, the Commanders stadium was known as FedEx Field, but after FedEx cut ties with the team, the building became simply became known as Commanders Stadium. However, that will be changing for the 2024 season. The team will now play at Northwest Stadium after Northwest Federal Credit Union paid for naming rights on Tuesday.
