METAIRIE, La. » The New Orleans Saints included 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey, veteran receiver Robert Meachem and both kickers among their final preseason roster cuts Saturday.

Receiver Nick Toon was among several young, relatively unproven players who survived the last round of cuts before the Saints begin preparations for their Sept. 7 regular-season opener at Atlanta. Others still with the club include undrafted rookie cornerback Brian Dixon; linebackers Kyle Knox and Kasim Edebali; and offensive lineman Senio Kelemete.

The Saints brought in Bailey after he was released by Denver, and general manager Mickey Loomis said after the move that Bailey was expected to compete for a starting cornerback job. However, Bailey struggled with a foot injury and saw limited action in only the final two preseason games. Meanwhile, Patrick Robinson, a 2010 first-round draft choice, came back strong from a knee injury and apparently won the job.

The younger cornerbacks the Saints kept over the more accomplished 36-year-old Bailey have been healthier and also contribute on special teams.

Jets release suspended cornerback Patterson

Dimitri Patterson went from likely starting cornerback for the New York Jets to being out of a job — all in the span of one bizarre week.

The Jets released Patterson on Saturday, capping a strange stretch that included an unexcused absence, accusations from both the cornerback and the team, and a suspension.

The move came as the Jets got down to the mandatory 53-player roster limit. Also among the team’s 21 cuts was wide receiver Stephen Hill, who was passed over in favor of Hawaii alum Greg Salas.

Patterson was suspended Tuesday for the rest of the preseason after he left the team, according to the Jets, and went missing before the preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 22 without speaking to anyone in the organization.

Five-time Pro Bowler Harrison retires

James Harrison spent a decade as one of the NFL’s most feared players.

What the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker fears now, however, is missing out on the childhood of his two young sons.

Harrison announced his retirement on Saturday, saying the urge to squeeze in one more season no longer competes with the need to stay at home.

"My love for the game isn’t strong enough to make up for missing one more birthday or first day of school," Harrison posted on his Facebook page. "I am retiring as a man who is truly grateful for all of his blessings."

The 36-year-old was a free agent after spending the 2013 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He visited the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the week but did not sign a contract.

He called the decision "a difficult one" but insisted he has no regrets.

Bengals place McCarron on injured list

AJ McCarron will have to wait for at least six weeks to get his NFL career going.

The Bengals put McCarron on an injury list Saturday, leaving the fifth-round draft choice ineligible to practice with the team for the first six weeks of the season. A sore shoulder forced him to miss training camp practices.

McCarron was the ninth quarterback taken in the draft. He won national titles with Alabama in 2011-12 and went 36-4 as a starter. Cincinnati is interested in McCarron as a backup to Andy Dalton, who got a six-year contract extension this month.

Bills go with Orton over Tuel as backup QB

Veteran quarterback Kyle Orton is in and Jeff Tuel out after the Bills shuffled their backup quarterbacks on Saturday for the second time this week.

Orton, a nine-year NFL veteran, signed a one-year contract as the Bills finally addressed their lengthy search for an established veteran to play behind second-year starter EJ Manuel.

Orton spent the past two seasons in Dallas before being cut by the Cowboys in mid-July after he skipped the team’s offseason workouts amid reports that he was considering retirement.

Alex Green, Wade Keliikipi released

Former UH running back Alex Green and Waianae High alum Wade Keliikipi were among the players cut on Saturday as NFL teams made their final moves to get rosters down to the 53-player limit.

Green was released by the Jets. A third-round pick by the Packers in 2011, Green played in 13 games for New York last season after spending his first two NFL seasons in Green Bay.

Keliikipi, a defensive tackle who went undrafted this year after finishing his Oregon career, was released by the Eagles.