The NFL required teams to cut their rosters to 53 players by Saturday, as the final rosters are locked in for the regular season. Some of the bigger names that were cut today are highlighted below. Look for additional roster moves in the coming days as some teams look to scoop up veterans off the waiver wire.
The Indianapolis Colts cut backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky, in spite of his final preseason game going 10 of 18 for 178 yards and a touchdown, showing that the Colts are banking on Kerry Collins as the backup for Manning. Orlovsky came to the Colts following two years with the Texans and four years with the Lions. His only significant playing time came with the Lions in 2008, where he started 7 games and finished the season with 1,616 passing yards, 8 TDs and 8 INTs.
The Cincinnati Bengals cut guard Max Jean-Gilles, who started 10 games last season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Jean-Gilles’ parents immigrated to the US from Haiti when he was a child, and his wife Maggie started a school in Haiti which was destroyed by an earthquake in 2010.
The New England Patriots cut safety Brandon Meriweather after 3 years with the team. Meriweather started in 29 of 32 possible regular season games the last two years, recording 12 interceptions in his four years with the Patriots.
The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver cut Sinorice Moss. Moss spent four years with the Giants before missing all of last season with an injury.
The Chicago Bears cut 10 year veteran running back Chester Taylor, who has played with the Ravens, Vikings and Bears. The Bears had signed Taylor to a four-year contract in March 2010 for $12.5 million.
The San Francisco 49ers cut quarterback Josh McNown, who has been in the league for 10 years, playing with the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Dolphins and 49ers, in addition to the Hartford Colonials in the UFL.
The Atlanta Falcons cut 10 year veteran linebacker Coy Wire.
