NFL Notes: Roster Cuts, Panthers, Patriots, Steelers

Roster Cuts

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at eight tight ends who could be potential cuts this offseason and how much cap space each team would save.

Fitzgerald’s list includes:

• Patriots TE Martellus Bennett, saving $6.18 million.
• Patriots TE Dwayne Allen, saving $5 million.
• Dolphins TE Julius Thomas, saving $6.6 million.
• Lions TE Eric Ebron, saving $8.25 million.
• Bears TE Dion Sims, saving $5.67 million.
• Steelers TE Vance McDonald, saving $4.3 million.
• Eagles TE Brent Celek, saving $4 million.
• Texans TE C.J. Fiedorowicz, saving $2.36 million.

Panthers

• The Carolina Panthers announced Thursday that veteran DL Julius Peppers underwent shoulder surgery.
• Peppers posted on his Instagram account that “everything went smooth and I’m recovering well.”

Patriots

• According to Albert Breer, Patriots HC Bill Belichick has been doing work on the draft and free agency and a team source said: “He’s certainly not acting like he’s leaving anytime soon.”
• Breer’s sense regarding Josh McDaniels is that his new contract with the Patriots will reflect his desire for stability, more than it will a desire for money and should be between four to five years.
• Breer says that the presence of executive Nick Caserio being in New England factored into his decision to stay, given that they’re close.
• Breer believes the retirement talk surrounding TE Rob Gronkowski is “real.”

Steelers

• The Steelers announced Thursday that they’ve hired former Penn State and UCLA DC Tom Bradley to be their secondary coach, replacing Carnell Lake.
• Bradley said of the opportunity: “I want to thank Coach (Mike) Tomlin and the entire Steelers organization for this opportunity. I am excited to be a part of such a rich tradition here. We have a great nucleus in the defensive backs room, and my goal is to help this group continue to grow and develop as we all work toward one goal.”