DETROIT — The Kickalicious experiment is over, and the international news media presence is sure to die down.
The Detroit Lions waived Internet kicking sensation Havard Rugland on Tuesday as part of their final purge to get to the NFL's 75-man roster limit.
The Lions announced they also cut cornerback DeQuan Menzie.
Rugland signed with the Lions in April, several months after his trick-kick YouTube video went viral.
A 28-year-old native of Norway, Rugland had been the subject of intense interest this preseason with outlets from Sports Illustrated to GQ to Norwegian television stations and newspapers descending upon the Lions' Allen Park, Mich., facility to chronicle his long-shot bid for an NFL roster spot.
Rugland, who had no football experience before his video caught the eye of a New York Jets personnel man last year, showed marked improvement during his time in Detroit.
He made all three of his field goal attempts in the preseason, from 49, 50 and 33 yards, handled kickoffs in the second half of most games and was popular in the locker room.
But the Lions always intended to use six-time Pro Bowl pick David Akers, if healthy, as their replacement for Jason Hanson, who retired this spring.
Akers had two offseason hernia surgeries but appears to have regained most of his leg strength.
He has made seven of eight field goal tries this preseason, missing wide right from 31 yards in last week's win against the New England Patriots, and he made a 63-yarder in practice this month.
The Lions have one more major roster cut coming, needing to trim to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET Saturday.
Panthers' Stewart lands on PUP list
Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the team placed Jonathan Stewart on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, meaning the veteran running back will miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
Carolina also placed guard Edmund Kugbila, the team's fourth-round draft pick, on injured reserve Tuesday with a knee injury and waived-injured defensive tackle Frank Kearse and wide receiver Joe Adams.
Stewart says his goal is to return for Carolina's Oct. 20 game against the St. Louis Rams.
Stewart hasn't practiced with the Panthers since having offseason surgery on both ankles. He says his right ankle remains a problem.
The decision likely means more playing time for DeAngelo Williams, the franchise's all-time leading rusher, and opens a roster spot for Tauren Poole or Armond Smith.
Broncos make roster decisions on two veterans
The Denver Broncos reached the 75-man roster limit by placing two former starters on reserve lists Tuesday.
J.D. Walton, the starting center from the beginning of the 2010 season through late September before he broke an ankle, was placed on the reserve-PUP list. Walton had a setback in his rehab and needed surgery in mid-June when an infection was discovered in the joint. The team is hopeful Walton will be able to return to practice by late October.
Safety Quinton Carter, who started 10 games as a rookie in 2011, will spend a second season on injured reserve. He had microfracture surgery on his knee early last season. Carter spent his offseason rehabbing in Denver and was cleared to practice at the start of training camp. But he suffered a setback in early August and was unable to play in any preseason games.
The Broncos have several other injury situations to consider before setting their 53-man roster. Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley had surgery last week to repair a wrist injury and will miss at least the next four weeks. Guard Chris Kuper, the team's longest-tenured offensive player, is working back from multiple ankle surgeries. Rookie running back C.J. Anderson, who was making a serious push for a roster spot, has a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee and won't be healthy for at least another month.
Jets sign one kicker, cut another
The New York Jets signed kicker Dan Carpenter to compete with incumbent Nick Folk, and released Billy Cundiff.
Carpenter was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, four days after he was signed to compete with Jay Feely. Carpenter attempted one field goal, a 26-yarder that was blocked in the Cardinals' 24-7 preseason loss to the San Diego Chargers on Saturday.
Cundiff kicked a 32-yard field goal in overtime Saturday to give the Jets a 24-21 victory against the New York Giants. That came after Folk, the Jets kicker for the past three seasons, missed a 39-yard attempt early in the extra period.
Carpenter spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and made the Pro Bowl in 2009. He was released by the Dolphins on Aug. 14.
McClain placed on PUP list
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain will miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season as he recovers from a bruised spinal cord.
The Ravens placed the inside linebacker on the PUP list because he still is working his way back from the December injury.
Coach John Harbaugh said last week the team hasn't ruled out the possibility of McClain playing this season, but he also made it clear that McClain will not return to football until the MRI exam of his spinal cord is clear.
McClain has been a starter for the Ravens in each of the last three seasons. He had 79 tackles in 13 games last season before his injury.
Browns place RB Hardesty on IR
For the second day in a row, the Browns ended the season for one of their running backs.
Montario Hardesty was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a knee injury, the latest medical setback for the former third-round pick whose NFL career has been sabotaged by injuries.
The move with Hardesty came one day after the Browns put running back Dion Lewis on season-ending injured reserve with a surgically repaired left leg. The loss of Hardesty and Lewis hurts Cleveland's depth and might force the Browns to sign a player before the Sept. 8 season opener.
Lewis was supposed to be the change-of-pace back behind starter Trent Richardson. Lewis had passed Hardesty on the depth chart during training camp, and now Cleveland will be without both players in 2013.
Contributing: USA TODAY Sports' Lindsay H. Jones, the Associated Press
***
Birkett also writes for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property.
PHOTOS: Best of the NFL preseason
No comments:
Post a Comment