Former University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan survived the Washington Redskins' cutdown day yesterday.

Brennan, a sixth-round pick in April's NFL Draft, wasn't among 22 players released by Washington as teams cut rosters to the 53-man limit.

Among those released by Washington was quarterback Derek Devine, who was competing with Brennan for a backup spot.

Brennan was 36 of 53 for 411 yards with no interceptions and three touchdowns in the preseason.

The Heisman Trophy finalist likely will play behind Jason Campbell and Todd Collins.

On his team blog following Washington's 24-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, Brennan said: "As far as my performance, I didn't do anything bad or anything horrible. There were no major turnovers or mental errors on my part. But then again, I also didn't do anything great."

Thirteen players with local ties were either waived, released or saw their contracts terminated yesterday.

Former first-round draft pick Ashley Lelie (Radford High, UH) was released by the San Francisco 49ers.

The veteran receiver signed a two-year, $4.3 million deal with San Francisco last year, including a $2 million signing bonus.

Others with local ties released yesterday were Cleveland Browns tight end Kolomona Kapanui (Kamehameha Schools), Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Melila Purcell (UH), Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Enoka Lucas (Kamehameha), Green Bay Packers center Brennan Carvalho (Kamehameha), Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Brandon Rodd ('Aiea High), Chicago Bears safety Leonard Peters (Kahuku High, UH), Denver Broncos wide receiver Clifford Russell (Campbell High) and Miami Dolphins fullback Reagan Mauia (UH).

Among those waived yesterday were Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Kynan Forney (UH), Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Dane Uperesa (Punahou School, UH) and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Jesse Mahelona (Kealakehe High).

A released player is cut from his team. A waived player is placed on the waiver wire and can be claimed by other teams in the league.

Former Kahuku High standout Toniu Fonoti, an offensive guard, saw his contract terminated by the Carolina Panthers.

Lelie, selected No. 19 overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2002 NFL Draft, never emerged as the deep threat San Francisco needed.

He had just 10 receptions for 115 yards last season while struggling with injuries, including a strained quadriceps.

Lelie (UH 1999 to '01) then missed most of the 49ers' training camp this season with a strained calf, watching from the sidelines as Jason Hill and rookie Josh Morgan moved past him on the depth chart.

Lelie played in the 49ers' exhibition finale against San Diego on Friday night, but didn't catch a pass in his only preseason action.

"It became a durability issue," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "He hasn't practiced much. If you can't count on somebody, for whatever reason, it's a tough call."

Lelie caught 54 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns during his best NFL season with Denver in 2004, but hasn't come close to replicating those numbers with the Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons or San Francisco. Lelie's laid-back attitude never endeared him to Nolan, and the receiver seemed to expect to be cut after the Chargers game.

"I kind of knew where I was on the team," said Lelie, 28. "I was on the bubble. ... I haven't got a lot of game time, but they've seen me in practice. They probably already made their decision before this game."

Mauia (UH 2005 to '06) was a sixth-round pick last season and started nine games in 2007. He finished with 10 yards from scrimmage on six touches.

The Dolphins decided to keep just one fullback in Boomer Grigsby, who signed as a free agent in March and has shown better receiving skills out of the backfield.

Forney (UH 1998 and 2000) started 89 games for the Falcons from 2001 to 2007, including 14 last season.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS

Offensive tackle Willie Anderson and running back Rudi Johnson lost their starting jobs with Cincinnati during training camp. Now they've lost their roster spots, too.

The Bengals released Anderson and Johnson yesterday.

The 33-year-old Anderson was the most tenured Bengal at 12 seasons. Injuries limited him to seven games last season, ending his streak of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He became a backup to Stacy Andrews in training camp, and declined to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

"This wasn't a decision based on my play, I want to make that clear," Anderson said. "They weren't comfortable with two guys making big salaries at the same position. I'm not mad or bitter about this, but I am disappointed in the timing."

The 28-year-old Johnson missed most of camp because of a hamstring injury, making him expendable. Chris Perry, a first-round pick in 2004, moves into the starting job after having a healthy preseason.

Johnson ran for a club-record 1,458 yards in 2005. Hamstring problems limited him to nine starts and a 2.9-yard average last season.

As expected, Tampa Bay cut Chris Simms, its former starting quarterback, who missed all of last season after a serious spleen injury and asked to be released. They also cut Ryan Nece, a former starter at linebacker.

Atlanta released quarterback Joey Harrington, the third overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Detriot Lions and a starter in 10 games for the Falcons last season. Harrington had been third on the depth chart.

Philadelphia released defensive end Jerome McDougle, a one-time first-rounder plagued by injuries on and off the field. The Eagles also released veteran defensive tackle Montae Reagor and tight end Kris Wilson.

Drew Henson, the former Michigan quarterback and New York Yankees prospect, was cut by Detroit. He signed last week when quarterback Drew Stanton injured a hand.

The 49ers waived fullback Moran Norris, a two-year starter who lost his job to Zak Keasey during training camp.

AFC champion New England released quarterback Matt Gutierrez and kept Matt Cassel as Tom Brady's backup for a fourth season. Cassel's roster spot appeared to be in jeopardy after he failed to lead the Patriots to a touchdown in 17 series during their winless exhibition season.

Other noteworthy Patriots cuts were veterans Fernando Bryant, their starting cornerback for most of the exhibition season, and Victor Hobson, a linebacker who spent all five of his NFL seasons with the New York Jets.

The New York Giants cut rookie quarterback Andre Woodson, a former standout at Kentucky.