Free agency can easily be associated with the hopeful group of players looking to continue their careers in new settings, with new contracts and new chapters of their lives ready to unfold before them. But this overly optimistic view leaves out the glaring reality of free agency, which involves a similar quantity of players seeing their contracts get terminated.
Roster cuts, the less glamorous side of the NFL offseason, are necessary, whether it's to create cap space, make room for another free agent target or because performance just has not been up to standards.
Between Thursday and Friday, several names were in the news due to their contracts being terminated, some of which were notable players.
Minnesota Vikings release CB Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph
The Vikings cut a pair of defensive starters to clear up salary cap space. Rhodes, a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2013, will be starting over with a new team, this coming three years after signing a lucrative long-term deal. Joseph is gone after six years in Minnesota, reportedly a casualty of his hefty salary-cap hit. The stout run-stopper should latch on with another team.
Los Angeles Chargers release LB Thomas Davis, DL Brandon Mebane
The Chargers continued their offseason purge of ancient veterans, moving on from Davis and Mebane in addition to franchise legend Philip Rivers. Davis' lone season in LA was pretty productive in terms of raw numbers, though one wonders how much interest there will be at age 36.
Cincinnati Bengals release OL Cordy Glenn
The Bengals chose to end their acrimonious relationship with Glenn, who missed most of last season due to the contentious handling of a concussion he suffered in preseason. Glenn was suspended when he said he felt the Bengals were rushing him back on to the field, and though the sides later mended fences and he returned to the lineup, apparently the team decided it was time to move on.
Green Bay Packers release Jimmy Graham
Aaron Rodgers' third most frequent target from 2019 is no longer a Packer. It didn't come as much of a surprise, as Graham was considered a prime cut candidate owing to his steep decline in recent seasons.
Tennessee Titans release RB Dion Lewis, DE Cameron Wake, K Ryan Succop and TE Delanie Walker
The Titans cut a slew of veterans on Thursday and Friday, in an obvious prelude to negotiations with high-priced impending free agents Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. Wake and Walker appear to be past their primes, while Lewis has never really put it together outside his standout 2017 campaign with New England, though he might still have something left in the tank as a pass-catching back out of the backfield.
Perhaps it's best to let Walker speak for himself when recounting his time in Tennessee.
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