The quarterback carousel was spinning full-throttle Sunday as NFL teams maneuvered to reduce rosters to the mandatory 53-player limit.

No team was more proactive in reshaping its quarterback situation than the Cleveland Browns, who dealt veterans Ty Detmer and Spergon Wynn in separate deals. The moves, at least temporarily, halved the Browns' quarterback corps to two and left journeyman Kelly Holcomb as the primary backup to Tim Couch.

But sources in Cleveland told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli that first-year coach Butch Davis, who also sent second-year running back Travis Prentice to the Minnesota Vikings in the deal that included Wynn, was far from finished. The Browns definitely will add a third quarterback within the next 24 hours.

"We've got our ear to the ground," Davis said.

Jeff Lewis and Kent Graham could be two potential candidates after both became roster casualties on Sunday, ESPN.com's John Clayton reported.

Lewis was slated to be the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback heading into training camp.

"I think everybody would understand it's a difficult decision because he was slated to be the starter this year," Panthers coach George Seifert told the Associated Press. "Things didn't work out, and at the same time we had a couple of other guys come to the front and we decided to go in that direction."

Graham was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will go into the season with Kordell Stewart as their starting quarterback. Tee Martin and Tommy Maddox will handle backup duties.

As had been speculated for the past week, the Browns sent Detmer to the Detroit Lions for a fourth-round choice in the 2002 draft. The two teams also agreed to exchange draft positions in a later round of the 2002 draft.

Davis said the decision to trade Detmer was difficult.

"I hope my son grows up to be like Ty Detmer. He's such a terrific guy," Davis said. "This gives him an opportunity to go someplace where he knows for absolute certainty that he's got a chance to be the No. 2 and has a chance to be competing for the starting job."

In its deal with the Vikings, Cleveland traded Wynn and Prentice (who rushed for 512 yards last season) to Minnesota for a fifth-round draft pick in 2002 and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2003.

Despite their denials, Lions officials are less than enamored with starter Charlie Batch and he could be challenged by the Detmer in time. A 10-year veteran who generated trade interest from several teams in the past week, Detmer is familiar with the new West Coast-style offense installed by Detroit first-year coach Marty Mornhinweg.

The Lions later released Jim Harbaugh, the University of Michigan product who signed with Detroit as a free agent in the offseason.

Detmer played the '98 season in San Francisco when Mornhinweg was coordinator for the 49ers.

Davis had hoped Sunday morning to acquire Scott Covington, who played for him at the University of Miami and had been waived by the Cincinnati Bengals last Monday. But with backup Scott Mitchell sidelined for six to eight weeks by an ankle sprain, and Akili Smith only now ready to begin throwing again after two weeks of inactivity caused by tendinitis in his shoulder, the Bengals instead re-signed Covington.

For the first time in recent memory, the Bengals will carry four quarterbacks.

In another notable quarterback move, the Atlanta Falcons released six-year veteran and former University of Georgia star Eric Zeier. That means Michael Vick, the top overall choice in the 2001 draft, will be the primary backup to Chris Chandler.

Just two weeks ago, coach Dan Reeves indicated that Vick was not ready yet for the No. 2 job and that either Zeier or second-year pro Doug Johnson would claim the spot. But Vick has been impressive in stretches and the Falcons want to install limited packages for him in every game.

The Atlanta staff likes the long-term potential of Johnson and his salary cap figure for this season is just $305,500, compared to Zeier's charge of $850,000.

Other roster moves Sunday
Bengals: Tremain Mack, who has a history of alcohol-related problems, was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals. He made the Pro Bowl in 1999 as a special teams player.

Also among those released were defensive end-linebacker Corey Moore, who was picked up after being cut by Buffalo. Moore was an All-American at Virginia Tech two years ago.

Bills: Safety Henry Jones, one of the last Buffalo Bills remaining from their Super Bowl teams, was among the players released Sunday.

Jones, Buffalo's first-round draft choice in 1991, had made 61 straight starts, most among active players on the team. Along with recording 100 or more tackles in each of his last four seasons, Jones had appeared in 144 games with Buffalo, tied for the most with defensive end Phil Hansen and Steve Christie among current players.

Without Jones, the most experienced player in the backfield is third-year veteran Keion Carpenter. Backing up Jones on the current depth chart is Raion Hill, who appeared in 16 games last season, mostly on special teams.

Broncos: The Denver Broncos made their final roster move on Sunday, waiving 17 players -- including safety Darius Clark -- and placing defensive end Paul Toviessi, their second-round draft choice, on injured reserve.

Toviessi, who had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 7, will require additional surgery, coach Mike Shanahan said Sunday.

The most surprising of the other cuts involved veteran defensive lineman Maa Tanuvasa and wide receivers Keith Poole and Scottie Montgomery.

Tanuvasa, who has played six seasons with the Broncos including the last three as a starter, was a victim of improved depth on the line after such free-agent signings as Chester McGlockton and Leon Lett. Poole, who caught 91 passes for 1,696 yards the last four seasons in New Orleans, did not play in any of Denver's four preseason games because of a hamstring injury. Montgomery, who played in four games as a rookie last season, also was a casualty of numbers.

Buccaneers: Ryan Leaf's sore right wrist didn't land him on injured reserve Sunday. Instead, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster and face the prospect of going into the regular-season opener at Dallas with a lack of depth at several other positions.

Leaf, who's trying to jump-start his career after three disappointing seasons in San Diego, had been competing with Joe Hamilton for the No. 3 quarterback job behind Brad Johnson and Shaun King. How long the Bucs will be able carry all four is subject to debate.

Injuries to starting center Jeff Christy (sprained knee), reserve guard Russ Hochstein (fractured foot) and backup nose tackle James Cannida (sprained knee) have left the team without backups at those positions. The final roster also includes just two tight ends and three healthy cornerbacks.

Cardinals: The Arizona Cardinals put place-kicker Cary Blanchard on injured reserve along with two others and released 11 players Sunday to reach the NFL's 53-player limit.

Blanchard has a torn tendon in his right big toe.

Tackle Norberto Davidds-Garrido also went on the list because of hand and ankle injuries. Linebacker James Folston was put on injured reserve because of a back problem.

Chargers: Running back Jermaine Fazande, a disappointment the last two seasons, was among the 15 players cut by the San Diego Chargers.

Fazande rushed for 733 yards and four touchdowns while starting 10 of 20 games the last two seasons. He was the Chargers' top draft pick in 1999, selected in the second round. That was Bobby Beathard's final draft as Chargers general manager.

Fazande missed most of training camp with ankle and groin injuries.

Chiefs: The Kansas City Chiefs put defensive tackle Dan Williams on the physically unable to perform list and placed cornerback Pat Dennis on injured reserve.

Six-year defensive tackle Steve Martin was among 20 players released by the Chiefs. Martin was a backup last year, playing in all 16 games, and had 27 tackles.

Wide receiver Derrick Mayes also was released, along with running back Frank Moreau and kick returner Tony Horne.

Mayes played in 57 games over five years and had 145 catches for 1,823 yards and 16 touchdowns with Green Bay and Seattle. Moreau rushed for 179 yards with four touchdowns in 11 games with the Chiefs in 2000. Horne appeared in 39 games with the St. Louis Rams and returned five kickoffs for touchdowns.

Colts: Veteran quarterback Billy Joe Hobert, who lost to Mark Rypien in the contest for the backup job to Peyton Manning, was waived by the Indianapolis Colts. So was injury-prone E.G. Green, a starting wide receiver for parts of the last two seasons.

Dolphins: The Miami Dolphins put wide receiver O.J. McDuffie and tight end Alonzo Mayes on the physically unable to perform list and cut safety Daryl Porter and 12 other players.

McDuffie, a nine-year veteran who is ninth on the team's all-time touchdown list, has an injured left big toe. The same injury put him on the list last year and plagued him after he returned in October, only catching 14 passes for 143 yards.

Mayes, who played college ball for Oklahoma State, underwent shoulder surgery in May. Acquired in October from Chicago, he has yet to play in a regular-season game for the team.

Porter, who signed with the team in March after three seasons with Buffalo, had led the team with 24 tackles during the preseason.

Eagles: Running back Darnell Autry, who returned to football after an acting career cut short by a casting director who said he didn't look like a football player, was among eight players cut by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Also cut were veteran fullback Stanley Pritchett and seven-year defensive end Greg Jefferson, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Autry started seven games for the Eagles last season after starter Duce Staley went down with a season-ending foot injury, rushing for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Autry had been out of football but returned after not getting a part in the football movie "Any Given Sunday" after being told he didn't look right for the part.

Pritchett, a six-year veteran, played in all 16 games for the Eagles last year. He ran for 225 yards and caught 25 passes for 193 yards.

Giants: Oft-injured halfback Sean Bennett was waived off the physically unable to perform list as the New York Giants trimmed their roster.

Defensive tackle Ryan Hale, linebacker Kevin Lewis and offensive tackle Chris Ziemann, all backups with two-or-three years experience, also were among the 15 players waived.

Bennett, who started on opening day as a rookie in 1999, missed all of last season with a knee injury. A hamstring injury caused him to miss all of training camp this year. He also missed six games in his rookie season with a knee injury.

Jaguars: The Jacksonville Jaguars released quarterback Jamie Martin, an alum of the old World League. Martin, 31, played with the Jags in 1998 and in 2000. He had re-signed with the club back in April 2001.

Jets: The New York Jets released veterans Jason Wiltz and Scott Slutzer.

Wiltz was projected as the starter at nose tackle when regular Jason Ferguson tore his rotator cuff. But Wiltz had a weak preseason and the fourth-round pick in the 1999 draft was released.

Rookie James Reed and first-year player Maurice Anderson beat out Wiltz, but the Jets have expressed interest in Russell Maryland, who was cut by Green Bay.

Lions: The Detroit Lions cut two veterans, six-year defensive back Ray McElroy and fourth-year offensive tackle Robert Hicks. They also placed running back Sedrick Irvin on injured reserve.

Patriots: Wide receiver Tony Simmons, who played in 12 games last season and started two, was among 16 players cut by the New England Patriots.

Simmons, a four-year veteran who also returned kicks, had 14 catches for 231 yards and a touchdown last season. He has 56 catches for 981 yards and six touchdowns in his career. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round in 1998, the 52nd player taken overall.

In addition to the 16 cuts, the team placed running back Walter Williams on injured reserve.

Raiders: Linebacker Ryan Phillips, who started 16 games last season for the NFC champion New York Giants, was released by the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders also released veteran backup quarterback Rodney Peete, punt returner Eric Metcalf and tight end Andrew Glover.

A starter for the Giants the past two seasons, Phillips played all three linebacking positions for the Raiders in the preseason, but could not break into the rotation.

Peete was Oakland's No. 3 quarterback last year, but the emergence of rookie Marques Tuiasosopo, the team's second-round draft pick, made the 35-year-old quarterback expendable.

Rams: Safety Devin Bush, who started 12 games for the St. Louis Rams last season, was one of 13 players released.

Bush took a salary cut to stay with the team as a backup this season, but it wasn't enough. He was released to keep the team under the salary cap.

"It was very difficult for both of us," coach Mike Martz said. "I really like Devin a lot; I feel close to Devin."

Bush was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. Last year, he was fourth on the team with 80 tackles, the second-highest total of his career.

Redskins: Todd Husak, who started Washington's first two preseason games at quarterback, was cut by the Redskins.

He was made expendable when Tony Banks was signed as the team's backup. Rookie Sage Rosenfels will be the third QB.

Saints: Johnny Mitchell, a first-round pick by the New York Jets in 1992, was cut by the New Orleans Saints, ending his second comeback attempt in three years.

Mitchell, the 15th pick overall, had not played since 1996. He signed with the Jets in 1999, but retired at the start of training camp.

Mitchell signed with the Saints in June, hoping to shore up the tight end position where starter Cam Cleeland was coming off an Achilles tendon injury. But while Cleeland recovered, Mitchell missed two weeks of practice at training camp with a hamstring injury and said it soon became apparent to him he wasn't in the Saints plans.

Also cut was third-year linebacker Phil Clarke, who started four games last season, and played in 14.

Seahawks: The Seattle Seahawks cut third-year receiver Karsten Bailey on Sunday, a day after he caught a touchdown pass to help the Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints.

Bailey, one of 20 players released by Seattle, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck on Saturday. In nine games last season, Bailey caught six passes for 62 yards and one touchdown. He appeared in 11 regular-season games for Seattle after being drafted in the third round in 1999 out of Auburn.

In addition to Bailey, the Seahawks waived veteran defensive end Matt LaBounty and guard Frank Beede.

Steelers: The Pittsburgh Steelers placed six-year defensive end Chris Sullivan on the injured reserve list after announcing he would be cut on Friday. Sullivan had surgery on his right wrist and injured players cannot be released.

Titans: The Tennessee Titans traded safety Perry Phenix to Carolina and defensive tackle Rod Walker to Green Bay for draft choices, and cut veteran fullback William Floyd.

The Titans signed Floyd in July, hoping his experience could offset his repaired knee, but he was unable to practice more than once a day during training camp.

His release leaves the Titans without a fullback for the first time since 1998. Unless they find someone off the waiver wire, the Titans appear set to use one of their four tight ends to help block for All-Pro running back Eddie George out of the backfield.

Vikings: Veteran running back and special teams standout Moe Williams was among 16 players waived by the Minnesota Vikings.

Williams, plagued by a foot injury during training camp, rushed five times for 52 yards in Minnesota's preseason game against Miami on Friday. Entering his sixth season, Williams had only 195 yards rushing in his career, but was a valuable presence on the Vikings' kick return and coverage teams.

The Vikings also released hobbled linebacker Craig Sauer, who has battled an inflamed arch for two seasons, and defensive tackle Fernando Smith.

ESPN.com senior NFL writers John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli, ESPN's Chris Mortensen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.