Quarterback Johnny Manziel, the scrambling, Heisman Trophy-winning college star who hasn't come close to matching his hype in the NFL, was released Friday by the Cleveland Browns following two turbulent seasons.
Manziel's unceremonious exit — the team sent out a brief statement with a few stats and no comment — ends a drama-filled stay in Cleveland for the 23-year-old, who faces an uncertain future on and off the field. For the first time since he started throwing a football as a kid while growing up in Texas, Manziel isn't a wanted player, and he's contending with possible criminal charges for a recent domestic incident in which his ex-girlfriend claimed he struck and threatened to kill her.
Broncos add Sanchez
The Broncos acquired seven-year veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez from the Eagles, for a conditional 2017 draft pick. Sanchez could be a stopgap solution to replacing the retired Peyton Manning.
Sanchez, 29, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Jets, helping them to the AFC Championship Game in his first two years. But the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft lost his job in New York and spent the past two seasons with the Eagles, starting 10 games and going 4-6 filling in for Nick Foles and later Sam Bradford.
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• The Packers re-signed linebacker Nick Perry and signed guard/tackle Vince Kowalski. Perry has played in 46 games with 16 starts over four seasons and has 130 tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Kowalski signed with the Packers as a rookie free agent out of Villanova in June but was released Aug. 31.
• Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes and former Giants defensive end Robert Ayers Jr. agreed to deals with the Bucs.
• The Bills reportedly will not match the three-year, $12 million offer sheet that restricted free-agent receiver Chris Hogan signed with the Patriots.
• Gary Jeter, a defensive lineman who played for the Giants and Rams during a 13-year NFL career, died. He was 61. No cause of death or other details were given.
