Former University of Maine football standouts Matt Mulligan and Bruce Johnson were released from their NFL teams on Monday as clubs started making cuts to get their rosters down to 75 on Tuesday.
Enfield native Mulligan, 31, was trying to earn a spot as a blocking tight end for the Detroit Lions after filling that role with past NFL teams that have included the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.
Johnson, a center and three-year starter at UMaine, was a two-time All-CAA first-team selection and was honored as the 2015 FCS Rimington Award winner before signing a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles last April. The Eagles cut him last week, and he was picked up by the Chargers, who cut him Monday.
NFL teams are facing more cuts and have to get down to the 53-player limit by Saturday.
Two UMaine standouts remain with NFL teams, tight end Justin Perillo with the Green Bay Packers and outside linebacker and Westbrook native Trevor Bates with the Indianapolis Colts.
Perillo, who began last season on Green Bay’s practice squad, was promoted and played in nine games.
Bates, who was selected by the Colts in the seventh round of the NFL Draft in April, was a defensive end at Maine but is being groomed as an outside rusher for the Colts.
Chargers finally sign first-round Bosa
The San Diego Chargers and first-round defensive end Joey Bosa finally have come to terms.
San Diego announced Monday that it signed the third overall pick of the 2016 draft to a four-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed for Bosa, who was the last pick of the draft to sign after a lengthy impasse stemming from offset language and the timing of his signing bonus payments.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the deal is worth $25.8 million and the fully guaranteed contract comes with a $17 million signing bonus.
“We look forward to having Joey join us and getting him prepared as quickly as possible for the 2016 season,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said in a statement.
QB Siemian to start for Broncos
Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak named Trevor Siemian the starting quarterback for Week 1, when the defending champions open the 2016 season with a rematch of Super Bowl 50.
Siemian, who has yet to throw a regular-season pass in the NFL, will start against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 8 to kick off the NFL’s 2016 regular season.
Kubiak informed quarterbacks Siemian, Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch of his decision on Monday morning before sharing it with the entire team.
Siemian, a 2015 seventh-round pick, will replace the retired Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, who left the Broncos during free agency to join the Houston Texans in the offseason.
Cards’ Jenkins tears ACL
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Mike Jenkins tore his ACL in Sunday night’s third preseason game against the Houston Texans and was placed on injured reserve.
Jenkins suffered the injury in the first quarter and was carted off the field. He had an MRI after the team returned from Houston.
Jenkins, an eight-year veteran who played the last two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was signed by the Cardinals on July 19. The 31-year-old Jenkins missed part of training camp with a broken bone in his right hand.