Getty Josh Rosen during an August 14, 2021 preseason game with the 49ers.
Turns out one AFC team continues to reject having San Francisco 49ers representation.
Throughout the offseason, the Cleveland Browns were linked as a potential suitor for Jimmy Garoppolo. This was in the wake of both Baker Mayfield wanting out and newly acquired Deshaun Watson being handed down his suspension. The Browns, despite the reports and rumblings, ultimately decided that Jacoby Brissett would handle the reins and opted not to pursue Jimmy G. Garoppolo has since resigned with the 49ers on a restructured $6.5 million deal he signed on Monday, August 29.
Now, the Browns rejected another quarterback who made a past stop with the 49ers.
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Who Got Released
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports first leaked at 10:34 a.m. Eastern that Josh Rosen would be among the Browns’ cuts as teams trek toward completing their 53-man active roster for the 2022 season.
Expected to be among the #Browns cuts to get to the 53-man roster, per league source: (some will be invited to return to the practice squad)
FB Johnny Stanton
WR Mike Harley
RB John Kelly
TE Miller Forristall
QB Josh Rosen
Sure enough per the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the former top 10 draft pick was released.
The #Browns released QB Josh Rosen.
The Browns themselves took to social media to unveil their 2022 roster for the season — becoming one of the quickest to finalize their 53-man lineup. Rosen’s name was left off. So was Watson’s as he’ll be suspended for 11 games for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Cleveland’s options at QB are two names: Brissett and preseason star Joshua Dobbs.
But for Rosen, this continues a spiral of bouncing around the league after not only being taken No. 10 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, but was once a highly-touted five-star quarterback and 247Sports’ No. 1 pro-style passer for the 2015 recruiting class. Rivals also listed him as a five-star talent who held nearly 20 scholarship offers before ultimately deciding on UCLA, which was coached by former 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Rosen will now be searching for his seventh NFL home. Rosen first arrived to the 49ers on December 23, 2020 via the Buccaneers’ practice squad. Rosen had his version of a coffee stop in the Bay Area: He was on the active roster for just two games toward the end of 2020. He was ultimately waived by the 49ers on August 17, 2021.
One Insider Reacts to 49ers Cut With a ‘Wow!’
Rosen will likely be considered a non-surprise by many considering his journeyman status in the league.
But the 49ers did make one roster move that prompted a “wow!” response from one insider and 49ers beat reporter.
Per ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the 49ers released defensive end Kemoko Turay.
The 49ers are releasing DE Kemoko Turay, per source. Turay had 5.5 sacks for the Colts last year, five-year veteran.
The move was a shock for many who follows the 49ers — including David Lombardi of The Athletic.
“Wow! We knew that if the 49ers cut one of their top 11 D-linemen, it wouldn’t be an easy cut. Letting go a 5.5-sack guy is a luxury that no other NFL team likely has,” Lombardi tweeted.
Turay was anticipated to play an Arden Key-type role for the 49ers: One where the 49ers and both defensive line coach Kris Kocurek and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans would plug him in on passing situations and use his length/speed combination to create mismatches along the line of scrimmage. This included the possibility of Turay being used in the 49ers’ “NASCAR” scheme during the 2022 season — when they throw in all of their fastest defensive linemen on the field together.
Got to see some 49ers Nascar Package Lite already.
Also Kemoko Turay is a beast!
#49ers
Turay, twice, showed some flashes in the joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings from August 18.
Would-be sack from 49ers Samson Ebukam & Kemoko Turay leads to Qwuantrezz Knight INT
One of my favorite plays of the day was this rep by 49ers DE Kemoko Turay
I believe this was a sack if it was 100% live but Turay proceeds to chase down Dalvin Cook on the screen play
Turay continues to impress
But Turay joins this list of notable cuts the 49ers made as they gravitate toward 53 active players.
#49ers cuts, confirmed and reported, since their final preseason game:
CB Ka’dar Hollman
C Dohnovan West
CB Ken Crawley
OL Alfredo Gutierrez
WR Marcus Johnson
WR Tay Martin
OL Jason Poe
CB Tariq Castro-Fields
WR Willie Snead
OL Jordan Mills
18 more to go in order to get to 53.
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AFC Team Announces QB Decision for Ex-49ers Signal-Caller