Patriots announce cuts of Aiken/[edit] Brandon Jones/Koutivides, and other moves

[DaBruinz]

79 by my count (or perhaps 77)

Pats were at 84

They added two (CB Stephon Morris, DL Scott Vallone) to make it 86

They cut five (Kamar Aiken, Brandon Jones, Niko Koutouvides, LeQuan Lewis, Mike Zupancic) to make it 81

Two were either waived/injured or placed on IR (Cory Grissom, Markus Zusevics) to make it 79

Armond Armstead and Mark Harrison were placed on Reserve/NFI. If they still count for being on the roster then they're still at 79; if not then they are down to 77

At minimum two more roster moves need to be made

By being places on the Reserve/NFI list, they no longer count towards the Roster at this point.

 

[Oinko]

I was under the impression that teams could not make these type of roster moves until the 53-man cuts - that players had to be waived, and then they could be placed on IR only if nobody claimed them? (Similar to the Pats claiming Jake Ballard).

Apparently this can be done earlier? Or are these guys waived/injured, with Reiss assuming that they won't be claimed?

IR is fully paid contract, out for the season. Nobody would want to sign them, because IR is unable to play. The only relief IR gets you is that it doesn't count towards the 53. But there's no real incentive to abuse it. You've got to pay the full freight the player agreed to accept.

 

[Kontradiction]

I guess Armstead's bust in Canton will have to wait then.

 

[Deus Irae]

79 by my count (or perhaps 77)

Pats were at 84

They added two (CB Stephon Morris, DL Scott Vallone) to make it 86

They cut five (Kamar Aiken, Brandon Jones, Niko Koutouvides, LeQuan Lewis, Mike Zupancic) to make it 81

Two were either waived/injured or placed on IR (Cory Grissom, Markus Zusevics) to make it 79

Armond Armstead and Mark Harrison were placed on Reserve/NFI. If they still count for being on the roster then they're still at 79; if not then they are down to 77

At minimum two more roster moves need to be made

Reiss is now saying it's at 77:

Patriots now at 77 players on the roster. Two more moves required by Tuesday to get down to 75.

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/372040411281629185

 

[sb1]

I assume Armstead is not exposed to other teams on that list?

 

[DaBruinz]

I assume Armstead is not exposed to other teams on that list?

That would be a correct assumption.

 

[ahmed]

Patriots announce cuts of Aiken/Jones/Koutivides, and other moves

What does this mean for Harrison and Armstead in terms of the earliest date they could play were they to fully heal?

 

[manxman2601]

What does this mean for Harrison and Armstead in terms of the earliest date they could play were they to fully heal?

First game would be week 7 against the Jets.

 

[JackBauer]

edit: beat me to it

 

[jmt57]

By being places on the Reserve/NFI list, they no longer count towards the Roster at this point.

Okay, thanks. I was under the impression that those designations still counted until the final (53-man roster) cuts. That makes the roster count 77, not 79.

IR is fully paid contract, out for the season. Nobody would want to sign them, because IR is unable to play. The only relief IR gets you is that it doesn't count towards the 53. But there's no real incentive to abuse it. You've got to pay the full freight the player agreed to accept.

I understand that standard procedure is that once on IR a player cannot play for the entire season.

Up until now a player had to be waived/injured before being placed on IR, and he still counted against the 90-man roster. Another team could in theory make a waiver claim and then do what they wanted with that player (e.g., place him on in-season IR).

Only after no team claimed him could the player go on IR; that was the process with T.J. Moe and Elvis Fisher, for example. By contrast the Pats also released several players after having been placed on IR this year with an injury settlement (Brandon Ford, Lavasier Tuinei, R.J. Mattes); any of them could conceivably sign with and play for another club this year, even though they were at one point on IR.

I don't think there is anything absolutely definitive about whatever injuries Zusevics and Grissom have, and the severity is such that is not outside the realm of possibility that they could play this season if the Pats (or some other team) so desired if the waived/injured designation was still in effect, rather than season-ending IR.

 

[fxkane]

78 players. Maybe they'll cut Tebow 3 times to get it down to 75.

You're a Riot!! Love it.

 

[fnordcircle]

lmfao

PatriotsXLVIII ?@PatriotsXLVIII 15m
Oh. MT @MikeGiardi: Cunningham, Dennard, Dowling, Cannon, Fells, Amendola at practice. Gronk working hard in shorts and tshirt on Revs field

You can tell it's a cutdown day when...

 

[Brady6]

First game would be week 7 against the Jets.

So they have to remain on PUP at this point? They cannot be removed and placed on the 53 man roster prior to 8/31?

 

[Brady6]

Re: Aiken, Jones, Koutivides cut

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/372035642529947648



https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/372035920247414784



https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/372036247134691328

Markus Zusevics was likely a candidate for the 8th OL spot on the 53, does anyone know what happen to him?

 

[manxman2601]

So they have to remain on PUP at this point? They cannot be removed and placed on the 53 man roster prior to 8/31?

That's how I understand it but then I'm not an expert on this roster stuff.

 

[Delicate Genius]

Does Amendola get #16 now that Aiken is gone?

 

[Urgent]

With Zuseviks on IR, I think that increases the likelihood that the Pats pick up an interior OL that is released from some other team.

The IR already included Elvis Fisher and Tyronne Green. Green seemed to be in line for an interior role, and when he went down Zuseviks seemed likely.

Also note the rush of interior OL spots that went high in the draft. That may force other interior OL down a rung on a number of teams come final cuts.

Grissom obviously hurts. Cut all your back-up interior DL, then face a couple injury situations early with Grissom and Armstead, and you are starting late undrafted players. Could see the team pick up a player for interior DL as well as interior OL.

 

[Urgent]

lmfao
PatriotsXLVIII ?@PatriotsXLVIII 15m
Oh. MT @MikeGiardi: Cunningham, Dennard, Dowling, Cannon, Fells, Amendola at practice. Gronk working hard in shorts and tshirt on Revs field



You can tell it's a cutdown day when...

ummm, for two of those players IR might be their best bet of getting paid.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Aiken, Jones, Koutivides cut

Koutivides has reportedly been told to 'stay ready', again per radio.

Welcome to your accustomed position on the Shadow Roster... Is Aiken being prepped to pass waivers heading to the PS?

 

[jah]

Does Amendola get #16 now that Aiken is gone?

I don't think players usually change numbers until the final cutdown to 53. He might not even want 16. He's worn a different number at every stop in his career so I'd guess he sticks with 80. Also, Aiken could be back to the practice squad in a week or so.