Happy Wednesday, everyone, and happy last day of August! Before we get to the news, I encourage you to check out our Fantasy Football Today Draft-A-Thon from 6 p.m. to midnight tonight on CBS Sports HQ and YouTube. It’s the perfect way to prepare for your fantasy draft, and it’s raising money for a great charity: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. What could be better?
Ok, now let’s get to the news.
Good morning to everyone but especially to…
CHAUNCEY GARDNER-JOHNSON AND THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
The Eagles have pulled off yet another impressive move to cap an offseason that’s been full of them. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, the do-it-all defensive back who spent his first three seasons in New Orleans, is headed to Philadelphia as part of a trade with the Saints. Here are the full details:
Eagles get:
- DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
- 2025 seventh-round pick
Saints get:
- 2023 fifth-round pick
- 2024 sixth-round pick
The move came in part because the Saints and Gardner-Johnson were having trouble reaching an extension and also just minutes after the Eagles released starting safety Anthony Harris. Gardner-Johnson, who has played both cornerback and safety, is expected to take over Harris’ role, and he should be a solid upgrade.
- Last season, Gardner-Johnson tied for the team lead with three interceptions and had two sacks.
- He also allowed a 59.2 passer rating as the closest coverage defender, a number slightly better than his new teammate, Pro-Bowl cornerback Darius Slay.
For that reason, the Eagles earned an A- in NFL expert Jared Dubin’s trade grades. The move also continues a highly productive offseason for Philadelphia that also included trading for A.J. Brown, signing Haason Reddick and signing James Bradberry.
Honorable mentions
- Clayton Kershaw will return from his back injury tomorrow.
- Baker Mayfield has expletive-laden revenge on his mind as he prepares to face the Browns in Week 1.
- Kenyan Drake, recently cut from the Raiders, found his new team.
- Jared Bernhardt, a former college lacrosse star who just started playing wide receiver, made the Falcons‘ roster.
- Tage Thompson got a big extension from the Sabres.
And not such a good morning for…
NFL PLAYERS WHO GOT CUT
The final roster cut day of the preseason has come and gone, and nearly 900 players who started this week with a job no longer have one. Some will return to the practice squad or find a new home, but for many players, this is the end of the line. A dream they’ve been working toward for much of their life is over.
Don’t get me wrong: There was plenty of joy on Tuesday, too. Those who were on the roster bubble and made it have fulfilled that dream. But they’re heavily outnumbered by the players whose futures are uncertain. Among the most notable cuts from Tuesday:
- The Raiders waived OL Alex Leatherwood, their 2021 first-round pick.
- The Cowboys cut a pair of quarterbacks, as did the Vikings.
- Speaking of the Vikings, they also cut starting DL Armon Watts before trading for DL Ross Blacklock.
- The Browns cut QB Josh Rosen. It was his sixth team since being drafted in 2018.
- The Texans cut veteran RB Marlon Mack.
There’s a long list of players who carved out solid NFL careers after being cut. Hall-of-Famers such as Johnny Unitas, Kurt Warner and Cris Carter are among them, though they’re true exceptions. Even if there aren’t any future Hall-of-Famers in this year’s bunch, there are plenty of potential contributors now looking for their next opportunity, writes NFL expert Chris Trapasso. That includes…
- Trapasso: “In some certain NFL circles, Duke Johnson‘s been criminally underrated and underutilized his entire pro career. He hasn’t received more than 100 carries in a single season since his rookie campaign, and since that first year in the NFL, he’s averaged a healthy 4.4 yards per carry and more than nine yards per grab. This preseason in Buffalo, Johnson looked spry on his way to a 4 yards-per-carry average, and he scored twice on the ground.”
You can see all the cuts from across the NFL here.
Not so honorable mentions
- Duke star freshman Dariq Whitehead underwent foot surgery.
- The Bills put star cornerback Tre’Davious White on the PUP list, meaning he’ll miss at least four games.
- Rays ace Shane McClanahan was scratched from his start.
Cameron Smith among six more players joining LIV Golf 🏌
Win your first major one month, leave for a new league the next. That’s what Cam Smith — the reigning British Open champion and No. 2-ranked player in the world — has decided to do. He’s among the latest six players leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Here’s the full list, along with their world ranking.
- Cam Smith (2)
- Joaquin Niemann (19)
- Harold Varner III (46)
- Cameron Tringale (55)
- Marc Leishman (62)
- Anirban Lahiri (92)
It’s yet another impressive haul for LIV. Niemann is only 23 and Varner III is a fan favorite. Leishman has six career PGA Tour wins. But it’s Smith, a star entering his prime, who is the crown jewel. Not only is it a huge loss for the PGA Tour, but the move makes sense, notes golf expert Kyle Porter.
- Porter: “Smith is the reigning Tournament of Champions winner, Players champion and Open Championship winner. The first two of those events are among the 13 elevated tournaments for the PGA Tour in 2023, and the defending champion won’t be at either. … With his Open win this summer, Smith is exempt into all the major championships for at least the next five years, and LIV gets the most recent major winner to add to its stable of players that already includes Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka.”
These latest additions will make their LIV debuts in Boston starting Friday.
Mike Tomlin remains mum on Steelers‘ starting quarterback 🏈
There’s one quarterback battle still left unsolved — at least publicly — and Mike Tomlin isn’t budging on who will be behind center when the Steelers open their season at the Bengals two Sundays from now. The battle is between free agent addition Mitchell Trubisky and first-round rookie Kenny Pickett.
Mason Rudolph was also in the battle, but that’s no longer the case, and Pittsburgh has fielded trade offers for him (though they plan to keep him).
- Trubisky got most of the reps with the starters throughout the preseason and completed over 70% of his attempts with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
- Pickett also played well, completing over 80% of his passes and throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions
While Tomlin hasn’t declared a starter publicly, he didn’t rule out that it has been decided internally. He added, “We… will disclose it to you at our leisure, to be quite honest with you.”
MLB Free Agent Rankings: Judge an easy No. 1, but who’s next? ⚾
We’re one day away from the final full month of the MLB regular season, but before we get there, let’s take a big jump ahead and preview the upcoming free agency class. This year’s group is headlined by plenty of stars, and our MLB guru R.J. Anderson has ranked his top 20. Spoiler alert: It’s no question who’s No. 1.
- Anderson: “1. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees — He’s in the midst of possibly the finest walk season in history, a campaign that could soon double as the league’s first 60-homer effort in two decades. … He isn’t a one-year wonder, either. The only person to accumulate more WAR than Judge during the Pandemic Era is Paul Goldschmidt — and he might win the National League Triple Crown. Judge can’t change his age or his injury history, but he’s done everything within his power (literally) to boost his stock. He should be rewarded handsomely for it come winter.”
Speaking of Goldschmidt, his teammate comes in second on this list. Here’s the rest of the top five.
- 2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Cardinals
- 3. Trea Turner, SS, Dodgers
- 4. Jacob deGrom, RHP, Mets
- 5. Carlos Correa, SS, Twins
Coming off a strange, lockout-interrupted offseason, this year’s Hot Stove could be absolutely scorching, and R.J.’s list shows just how deep the free agency pool could be.
What we’re watching Wednesday 📺
⚽ Serie A, Noon and 2:30 p.m. on Paramount+
🏈 Fantasy Football Today Draft-A-Thon, 6 p.m. on CBS Sports HQ and YouTube
🎾 Serena Williams vs. No. 2 Anett Kontaveit, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Sun at Sky, 8 p.m. on ESPN 2
🏀 Storm at Aces, 10 p.m. on ESPN 2
