The Bengals released receiver Brandon Tate — the franchise leader in punt returns — as part of their moves to reach the NFL roster limit Tuesday, leaving room for a rookie to take the job.

Undrafted rookie Alex Erickson impressed during the preseason, with an 80-yard touchdown among his four punt returns. Second-round pick Tyler Boyd also returned a couple of punts, one of them for 24 yards.

The Bengals want someone to take over the bulk of the punt returns duties so cornerback Adam ‘‘Pacman’’ Jones can stay fresh for defense.

Erickson was a walk-on at Wisconsin and wasn’t drafted because of his limited experience, starting only two seasons in college.

His impressive showing convinced the Bengals he could be counted on as a returner and an extra receiver, prompting them to release Tate.

Erickson’s 80-yard touchdown return in the first preseason game against Minnesota got a lot of attention. He also has caught four passes for 33 yards and a pair of touchdowns in three games, showing he could fill the role of backup receiver.

Tate spent his first two years with the Patriots after being a third-round pick out of North Carolina in 2009.

Bills’ Lawson on shelf

Bills rookie linebacker Shaq Lawson will miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

The Bills placed their first-round draft pick on the reserve/physically unable to perform list Tuesday as part of a series of moves trim their roster to the NFL-maximum 75 players . . . Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan was placed on the reserve non-football injury list. The move was expected after Jordan, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2013, underwent minor knee surgery in late July . . . The Rams terminated the contract of defensive lineman Quinton Coples.

Year over for QB Moore

The Cowboys placed quarterback Kellen Moore on season-ending injured reserve. Moore was expected to be Tony ­Romo’s backup, and now both are out after Romo broke a bone in his back in the preseason against Seattle.

Rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott figures to start at least the first few games if healthy for the Cowboys.

Dallas got its roster to 75 on Tuesday by keeping rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith on the non-football injury list, sidelining him at least the first six weeks of the season. Smith badly injured his left knee in Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State on New Year’s Day.

Vikings drop Sullivan

Longtime center John Sullivan was in the first wave of cuts by the Vikings, his eight-year tenure with the team ended after 12-year veteran Joe Berger was declared the winner of the starting job. The Vikings weren’t able to make a trade work for Sullivan, who missed last season because of a back injury. Sullivan, a sixth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2008, succeeded six-time Pro Bowl pick Matt Birk at center the following year. He’s fourth all-time among Vikings centers with 93 regular-season starts . . . The Redskins released four-year starting linebacker Perry Riley and defensive lineman Stephen Paea, with coach Jay Gruden saying they were a product of the organization’s depth at those positions.