49ers To Sign G Ben Bartch Off Jaguars’ Practice Squad
Ben Bartch‘s time in Duval County is set to come to an end. The veteran offensive lineman has agreed to depart the Jaguars’ practice squad on a deal with the 49ers, reports Mia O’Brien of 1010 AM. 
The 25-year-old has made 41 career appearances, all with Jacksonville. That includes 21 starts, three of which have come in the 2022 season. Jacksonville made a depth addition at the guard spot during the trade deadline, acquiring Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings. In the aftermath of that move, Bartch has seen his path to an active roster spot grow more challenging, and he will head elsewhere.
The latter has bounced on and off the Jaguars’ active roster recently, after starting at left guard for each of the first three weeks of the season. The LG spot has been Bartch’s most common one over the course of his career, but he has also seen time at right guard. Both Cleveland and Walker Little, who slid inside after beginning the year at left tackle due to Cam Robinson‘s PED suspension, can operate at guard for the Jaguars moving forward.
Bartch, a former fourth-round pick, earned a starting spot in the 2021 season. He again operated as a first-teamer at the start of the following year before a knee injury cost him the remainder of the campaign. Set to reach free agency at the end of the season, he will now join San Francisco’s O-line in a bid to at least offer depth along the interior for what could be a deep postseason run.
The 49ers have 2021 second-rounder Aaron Banks and 2022 fourth-rounder Spencer Burford in place as starters at the guard spots. They also have veteran Jon Feliciano as a fill-in option. Bartch – who has posted a PFF grade of 55.5 in 2023, roughly in line with past marks – will look to carve out a role in the Bay Area before hitting the open market in the spring.
Jets To Start Tim Boyle In Week 12
3:02pm: For the second straight season, the Jets will demote Wilson two spots on their depth chart. Saleh confirmed Siemian will be Boyle’s backup in Week 12. The Jets made this move last season, bumping Joe Flacco up the depth chart as White’s backup. After another season of continued struggles, Wilson will be out of the equation for the time being.
11:59am: As Robert Saleh‘s comments foreshadowed, the Jets will be making a change at the quarterback spot. Tim Boyle will get the start in Week 12 in place of Zach Wilson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Saleh benched Wilson in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Bills, another game in which the Jets’ offense struggled mightily. The unit has put up highly underwhelming numbers in a number of categories – including on third down, where New York has a conversion rate of 22.9% on the season – due to a number of issues. Wilson’s play has been one of them, though, which resulted in Boyle finishing the game yesterday.
The latter went 7-for-14 for 33 yards and one interception during his brief relief appearance in Week 11. That marked his first regular season action with the Jets, as he had previously served as Wilson’s backup in the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear. Wilson has failed to show signs of tangible development in 2023 (although factors such as an injury-riddled offensive line have played a part in his struggles), but Saleh routinely backed him earlier in the campaign. His stance shifted yesterday, however, with the announcement New York would make a decision on a starter for the team’s upcoming Black Friday game.
Boyle, 29, joined the Jets in the spring to serve as depth behind Rodgers and Wilson. His signing marked his first foray out of the NFC North, having spent his first two years with the Packers followed by one-year stints in Detroit and Chicago. Boyle was part of New York’s final roster cuts, but he was immediately retained via the practice squad. That decision, coupled with the Rodgers injury and Wilson’s performance, has now thrust him into a No. 1 role.
The former UDFA has three starts to his name, each of which came in 2021 with the Lions. Boyle has played in 18 total regular season games in the NFL, making him a less experienced option than Trevor Siemian (35 games, 30 starts). The latter signed in September in what the Jets quickly confirmed would be the team’s only outside addition at the QB spot. Siemian has remained on New York’s practice squad since his arrival.
One year remains on Wilson’s rookie contract, though the Jets could elect to pick up his fifth-year option for 2025 this offseason. Such a move would come as a major surprise, since for the second straight year (after the change to Mike White which took place in 2022) he has seen an extended run as a starter brought to an end. Today’s move marks another sign of lost confidence in the former No. 2 pick, as well as a bid to rescue the remaining weeks until Rodgers’ targeted return to action. New York will face Miami on Friday to begin the attempt at a rebound on offense.
49ers Likely To Prioritize Extension For WR Brandon Aiyuk Over DE Chase Young?
The 49ers made one of the largest additions at the 2023 trade deadline by acquiring Chase Young from the Commanders. Given his status as a pending free agent, though, the possibility remains Young ends up being a half-year rental as the team turns to other players in need of a new deal in the offseason. 
One of those is wideout Brandon Aiyuk. The 25-year-old is playing out the final year of his rookie pact in 2023, after the 49ers elected to exercise his fifth-year option. That decision tied him to a cap number of $14.1MM this year, and demonstrated the organization’s commitment to him in at least the short term. Reaching agreement on a multi-year pact will require a larger AAV figure, but such a move would represent a logical priority for the team.
Aiyuk has posted 831 yards and four touchdowns on 43 receptions this season. Those figures put him on track to surpass his career-best statline of 78-1,015-8 from 2022. The Arizona State alum comfortably leads the team in receiving, and he has developed into a key member of the 49ers’ vaunted skill-position group. For that reason, Matt Barrows of The Athletic predicts Aiyuk will be seen as a higher priority than Young in the event only one is retained for 2024 and beyond (subscription required).
As Barrows notes, Aiyuk has progressed from head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s doghouse to a major contributor on one of the league’s top offenses. The length of time which would be required to draft and develop an Aiyuk successor in 2024 or down the road could outweigh the risk of letting Young walk in free agency. The latter – brought in for a compensatory third-round pick – arrived in the Bay Area with high expectations given his status as a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and his health in 2023. Young posted five sacks in seven games in Washington, and he has added 1.5 in two 49ers contests.
Continuing that production will help his market with San Francisco or other interested teams. The former No. 2 pick is comfortable waiting until the offseason to discuss a new contract, something which would be quite challenging to afford for the 49ers. Young’s former Ohio State teammate, Nick Bosa, is attached to the most lucrative contract ever given to a defensive player ($34MM AAV), making it difficult to justify another lucrative investment along the edge. By contrast, the team’s top WR commitment is to Deebo Samuel, whose $71.5MM deal runs through 2025 (though no guaranteed salary exists on the final year of that pact).
The 49ers will have a number of key financial decisions to make this offseason, with Aiyuk and Young comprising only two members of their free agent class. For now, at least, the former could be considered the likelier of the two to find himself in the Bay Area next season.
Jets Undecided On Week 12 Starting QB
Zach Wilson started the Jets’ Week 11 loss to the Bills, but he did not finish it. In the wake of another poor outing by the former No. 2 pick, head coach Robert Saleh took a different stance than the one he has in previous weeks regarding the situation under center. 
Whereas Saleh has publicly endorsed Wilson on a number of occasions this year amidst questions about his status atop the depth chart, he declined to name a starter in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss. New York is set to play Miami on Black Friday, so a decision needs to be made quickly with respect to who will be under center. Veteran Tim Boyle entered the game late in the third quarter, though the change did not spark an offensive improvement.
“Like I told Zach on the sideline, it’s not just him,” Saleh said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “It’s easy to point the finger at the quarterback, but it’s pretty easy to see. You’ve got missed protections, you’ve got dropped balls, you’ve got missed routes. Now, obviously, he has to get better. There are things he could’ve done a lot better, but it’s everyone right now.”
As recently as last week, Saleh confirmed the Jets had a consensus regarding where the organization stood with Wilson. The 24-year-old completed seven of 15 pass attempts for one touchdown and one interception against Buffalo, however, adding to a season of performances which have shown a distinct lack of development. The Jets elected not to add Carson Wentz as a mid-season free agent, leaving either Boyle or Trevor Siemian – who finds himself on the practice squad – as New York’s options to supplant Wilson as the starter.
Of course, the Jets’ QB situation has involved such uncertainty due to Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 Achilles tear. The four-time MVP has continued to progress in his rehab, and recent indications point to Dec. 24 as his targeted return date. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network corroborates that, while adding the obvious caveat that a Rodgers return would only be feasible if the Jets were still in postseason contention late in the year (video link).
Sitting at 4-6, New York could still make a run at a wild-card spot, but the depth of talented teams in the AFC stands to make the path to the playoffs a difficult one in the absence of better play on offense in particular. It will be interesting to see if Saleh’s post-game comments are reflected in a QB change ahead of Week 12’s matchup with the Dolphins.
Mutual Interest Between Patriots, Josh Uche On New Deal
The Patriots were quiet at the trade deadline despite having a number of pending free agents which garnered attention from contending teams. One of them – edge rusher Josh Uche – appeared to be on his way out of New England. Instead, he may remain in place beyond 2023. 
Uche, who is set to see his rookie contract expire in March, was frequently named as a trade candidate in the build-up to last month’s deadline. Compared to fellow 2019 draftees Kyle Dugger and Michael Onwenu, he was listed as the player likeliest to be dealt. Advanced talks took place, and the Seahawks were named as an interested team, but no trade was hammered out. Now, Uche is due to reach free agency for the first time in his career.
The 25-year-old confirmed, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, that head coach Bill Belichick was transparent about the team’s discussions regarding a trade which would have sent him elsewhere. With that having been avoided, though, it will be interesting to see how large of a workload he logs down the stretch. The former second-rounder has seen a 33% snap share this season, a slight step back from his playing time in his breakout 2022 campaign. Uche posted 11.5 of his 17.5 career sacks in the latter year.
For that reason, it came as something of a surprise when reports emerged that no extension talks had taken place as of last month. Uche has missed a pair of games this season, though, and posted only a pair of sacks to date. Those factors could complicate his value on the open market, along with how teams view him with respect to holding three-down potential or simply being a sack artist. In any case, interest in a second Patriots contract appears to be mutual.
“I want to be here,” Uche said, adding he does not expect negotiations to start until the offseason. “From my conversations with [Belichick], they want me here. It’s just all about making sure all the pieces fit together, and sometimes it’s out of our control, and then sometimes it just takes time.”
The Patriots are currently scheduled to have the second-most cap space in the NFL in 2024, so the team will have considerable spending power on deals for outside free agents or re-ups with internal players. It will be interesting to see if an agreement can be worked out in the coming months to keep Uche in New England, or if the team will be prepared to let him walk in free agency after not dealing him away mid-season.
Latest On Interim Raiders HC Antonio Pierce
Having started out 2-0 after the firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders saw a turnaround under interim head coach Antonio Pierce. The latter’s change in attitude regarding the locker room has been well received throughout the organization, something which could help his chances (and those of interim GM Champ Kelly) of remaining in place beyond 2023. 
Pierce had no experience as a head coach at the college or NFL levels prior to his Vegas appointment. As a result, the 45-year-old has turned to a veteran in search of advice during the early days of his time at the helm of the Raiders. Pierce has consulted with Tom Coughlin for advice, reports Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Pierce played for Coughlin’s Giants for much of his career.
Heading into Week 11, the system in place for the Raiders has been not only player-friendly but also effective. Vegas won games against the Giants and Jets, teams which will offer less of a challenge than future opponents on the Raiders’ schedule. Still, the improved atmosphere around the organization has been telling for players, staffers and front office personnel. Both Jones and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport report owner Mark Davis is pleased with the early showings of the Pierce era.
That is particularly signficant given recent Raiders history. In the wake of Jon Gruden‘s scandal-induced resignation in 2021, Rich Bisaccia was given the head coaching position on an interim basis. The latter guided the team to the postseason, but he was allowed to depart to Green Bay while McDaniels was hired to replace him. By Year Two of the Patriots-flavored regime, though, another change had been made. Jones reports that Davis has since come to regret not giving Bisaccia the full-time gig, so a continuation of the team’s recent success by Pierce would greatly bolster his case for being tapped as McDaniels’ long-term successor.
While the early results have been encouraging, there are still questions in the organization regarding how far a much more player-centric environment can go, as noted by Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required). Stiffer tests (beginning with today’s close loss in Miami) will go a long way in determining the Raiders’ fate with respect to postseason contention or at least development from rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who is in place as the starter moving forward.
Davis did not lay out specific targets for the Pierce-Kelly pairing to meet during their time at the helm of the organization, but the door appears to be open to them staying in place for the foreseeable future. With Davis already on the hook for the McDaniels and Ziegler firings at a cost of $85MM (at least before offsets brought on by new employers), it will be interesting to see how aggressively he pursues outside options in the offseason as opposed to reversing his actions from the Bisaccia situation.
Kirk Cousins Reiterates Desire For New Vikings Contract
Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear brought an abrupt end to his 2023 season, and accelerated questions about his post-2023 future. The pending free agent recently spoke about his upcoming rehab and his plans to continue playing in 2024 and beyond. 
“You have a lot of thoughts go through your head, and one of them was: ‘Is this the last time I play football?” the veteran quarterback said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “Now a couple weeks removed I can say, ‘No, it’s not going to be.’ I’m excited to write the next chapter and see what God wants to do with it.”
Cousins’ injury will no doubt play a role in determining his free agent value this offseason. The 35-year-old had posted strong numbers (103.8 passer rating, 18:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio) prior to being sidelined, on the other hand, so another short-term deal could be beneficial for an interested team. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will commit to a third Cousins pact, but that option remains on the table as it did before the season.
Likewise, the Michigan State product confirmed in his remarks that he wishes to continue his Vikings tenure. His six-year stint with the franchise has seen him earn three of his four career Pro Bowl nods and help lead the team to the playoffs on two occasions. No long-term successor appears to be in place at the moment, and Minnesota raised eyebrows by adding only Jaren Hall at the 2023 draft. For the time being, trade acquisition Josh Dobbs has helped keep the team’s postseason hopes alive by filling in for an injured Hall and winning his first two Vikings appearances.
Given that current run of success, Cousins added that he is keeping his attention focused on the present situation rather than his contract status. It was learned well before this year’s training camp that talks on a new agreement would be put on hold until after the 2023 campaign. Cousins’ season has already come to an end, but his future will remain a key storyline for the Vikings in the coming months.
With respect to his rehab, the former fourth-rounder noted that the particulars of his Achilles tear were such that the ‘speed bridge’ procedure Aaron Rodgers underwent was not applicable. He added, however, that he would have elected for the traditional procedure in any case knowing he would not have been able to return at any point this season. While he continues with his recovery process, it will be interesting to see if the mutual interest in exploring a deal shared by both team and player in this case will produce another agreement.
Robert Griffin III Lobbied To Sign With Browns
The Deshaun Watson injury has left the Browns thin on experience at quarterback. Cleveland hosted Joe Flacco on a workout yesterday in a sign of interest regarding a deal, but another veteran passer was aiming for a contract. 
Robert Griffin III spoke about the vacancy created by Watson requiring season-ending shoulder surgery on his RG3 and The Ones podcast (video link). Despite not having played since the 2020 season, the ESPN analyst stated his case for receiving a look one day prior to the Flacco visit.
“The Browns should start me as quarterback,” Griffin said. “One, at 33 years old, I understand the game better than I ever have in my entire career. I know how to slide, and I know when to slide. That was a huge issue in my eight years in the NFL. But I’ve learned. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’m ready to showcase that I can get it done.”
The former Offensive Rookie of the Year last saw time as a backup with the Ravens in a stint which followed his one-year run with the Browns in 2016. Griffin was courted by a number of networks once his playing days appeared to be over, leading to his highly-anticipated arrival at ESPN. The former No. 2 pick has maintained, however, an openness to retuning to the field in the event an opportunity presented itself.
The Browns will rely on rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and XFL alum P.J. Walker for the time being. That pair has made 10 combined starts in the NFL, a far cry from Griffin’s 42. Flacco, by contrast, has 180 starts to his name, including nine in the past three seasons during his time with the Jets. The latter would thus represent a more known commodity, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirms Flacco was the Browns’ “primary target” with respect to depth under center.
As Cabot notes, Flacco would be seen as an emergency option in the event Thompson-Robinson were to struggle as a starter, potentially even receiving a look ahead of Walker if a deal were to be worked out. No agreement is in place yet, but it would come as little surprise if one were to emerge in the coming days. In any case, Watson’s recovery from his displaced glenoid fracture – a separate shoulder injury from the one affecting his rotator cuff for much of the 2023 season – will be a key Cleveland storyline.
On that point, Cabot adds that Watson should be able to resume throwing within a few months as part of his rehab process. That should be complete well before training camp for the 2024 campaign, the third of Watson’s fully-guaranteed, $230MM pact. That contract carries major cap implications for Cleveland, but for now attention will remain on the team’s current QB situation. That will not include Griffin, though he clearly still has the door open to an NFL return.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/23
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Robbie Chosen
- Released: RB Jake Funk
Chosen was waived earlier this week with the door open to a practice squad agreement being worked out. Now that he has cleared waivers, the veteran’s stay in Miami is indeed set to continue. It will be interesting to see if Chosen will be able to receive a gameday callup in the coming weeks to improve on his performances when on the active roster, which to date has included one catch.
Panthers Designate CB Jaycee Horn For Return, Activate TE Ian Thomas
NOVEMEBER 18: Horn will remain on injured reserve for now, but Thomas has been activated, per a team announcement. The latter will have a large role to play immediately upon return since Hurst is out with a concussion. Thomas will aim to give Carolina a needed complementary option in the passing game late in the year with the jobs of several members of the organization potentially on the line.
NOVEMBER 13: The Panthers have been hit hard on the injury front this season, but a pair of reinforcements are on the way. The team announced on Monday that cornerback Jaycee Horn and tight end Ian Thomas have returned to practice. 
Both players’ 21-day activation windows have been opened as a result. They must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. Horn has been eligible to return for some time now, but it was clear when he was initially placed on IR that a lengthy absence would be coming. A hamstring injury has kept the 23-year-old sidelined since Week 1.
Horn named remaining healthy as a key goal for his third season in Carolina, but injuries have remained a major factor in his young career. The former first-rounder was limited to just three games as a rookie, and he missed another four contests last year. After recording 53 tackles and three interceptions in 2022, though, his return will be a welcomed development for a Panther defense which, in his absence, has delivered a strong showing against the pass so far.
Thomas’ return will add depth to Carolina’s TE room, one which has been led by free agent addition Hayden Hurst. Thomas – who has missed the past four games due to a calf injury – showed promise as a rookie with 333 receiving yards, but he has yet to eclipse the 200-yard mark since then. The 27-year-old logged a career-low 24% snap share during his five games in 2023 prior to being placed on IR. Once back on the field, he will offer a complementary passing option as well as another contributor with respect to run blocking.
In anticipation of bringing Horn and Thomas back onto the 53-man roster, the Panthers also announced a number of other moves on Monday. Defensive back Matthias Farley and tight end Jordan Matthews have been let go, and they are now subject to waivers. Carolina also signed outside linebacker Eku Leota to the active roster since he had been designated a gameday elevation from the practice squad the maximum three times. The return of Horn and Thomas will leave the Panthers with four IR activations for the rest of the season.