Bills Release QB Matt Barkley
During their roster cutdowns earlier this week, the Bills placed quarterback Matt Barkley on IR. That move initially meant that he would not be able to play in Buffalo during the 2023 season, but the veteran now finds himself on the open market. 
Buffalo released Barkley via an injury settlement, as noted by ESPN’s Field Yates. As a result, the 32-year-old is now a free agent and can sign with any team’s active roster or practice squad. A deal will likely not take place until he has returned to full health, but today’s move opens the door to him finding playing time this season in a new environment.
Barkley was one of two signal-callers competing for the QB2 job in Buffalo. His IR designation paved the way for Kyle Allen to win the backup spot, although the Bills have been named as a team to watch with respect to making an addition under center before the regular season kicks off. Barkley’s last eight appearances – spread across the 2018, ’19 and ’20 seasons – have each come in Buffalo.
The USC alum bounced around to a number of teams since his last game action with the Bills, but his relationship with Buffalo has garnered him multiple looks, including time on the practice squad following last year’s roster cutdowns. Barkley had the opportunity to replace Case Keenum as the Bills’ backup this season, but his time with the team will need to continue via the taxi squad again once he is healthy.
Alternatively, a spot on an active roster could become available as the season progresses. As a result, Barkley may elect to remain unsigned and weigh his options into the fall. While another Bills reunion could be possible, IR settlements require players remain away from their previous team for a specific amount of time before being eligible to re-sign.
Latest On Raiders, Josh Jacobs
The Raiders ensured they will have Josh Jacobs in place for the start of the season by agreeing to a new deal with the franchise-tagged running back. Further details have emerged regarding the negotiating process on the pact, as well as the team’s willingness to extend their relationship with last year’s rushing champion. 
After talks on a multi-year deal failed to produce an agreement, Jacobs was faced with the decision of playing on the $10.1MM tag in 2023 or forgoing $561K in weekly game checks by sitting out. Both scenarios were avoided on the weekend when a revised one-year deal was agreed to. Jacobs will now earn up to $12MM this season, and any potential 2024 franchise tag will carry an increased value as a result.
Playing on consecutive tags would result in nearly $26MM in earnings for Jacobs. Conflicting reports emerged in July with respect to how close the parties came to an agreement on a long-term deal, one which would have needed to meet or exceed the $22MM mark to outweigh the baseline value of two straight tags as they were initially priced. A deal worth $12MM per season but with an unknown guaranteed figure was reportedly made and turned down.
On the point of pre-deadline negotiations, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that Vegas did not make any fully-guaranteed offers in the vicinity of either the $26MM or $22MM mark across the next two years. As a result, plenty will depend on Jacobs’ performance in 2023 and his ability to convince the franchise – now run by GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels, a regime other than the one which drafted him – to make a multi-year commitment to him.
When detailing the talks which produced Jacobs’ revised one-year arrangement, Ziegler noted that a face-to-face meeting with the two-time Pro Bowler and his agent last week sealed the deal. That put an end to speculation about the parties’ shared future (for one more season, at least), but Ziegler maintains that a contract keeping Jacobs in Vegas beyond 2023 is still in the cards.
When asked about continuing to work on a long-term agreement, Ziegler said, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “If it works out that way, and obviously there’s a lot of moving parts, but it’s something that we’ll definitely consider and have interest in doing.”
Given the failure of contract talks to produce a deal, questions have been raised about the relationship between Jacobs and the team. On that point, the 25-year-old said that no ill will exists on either side now that a short-term agreement has been reached. With the contract drama at least temporarily behind them, Jacobs and the Raiders will be able to move forward in the hopes of replicating their success in the ground game from last season.
“We made it happen, so it ain’t no hard feelings now,” he said, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. ” It’s a clean slate with me. It was never… no hate on each side. I understood it, but at the same time I understood my value, too. So it was just about meeting in the middle.”
Rams Sign CB Duke Shelley
Not long after being let go by the Raiders, Duke Shelley has found a new home. The Rams made him a depth addition to their secondary, per a team announcement on Friday. 
Shelley was one of several new corners brought in by the Raiders this offseason after their pass defense struggled in 2022. The 26-year-old did not have an impressive training camp, however, and he found himself out of contention for a starting role as final roster cuts loomed.
It thus came as little surprise that Shelley was among the vested veterans released by Vegas on Tuesday as they set their initial 53-man roster. Unlike players with less than four years of service time, Shelley was not subject to waivers and therefore eligible to sign on the Raiders’ practice squad or another team’s active roster at any time. He has not needed to wait long to find a new opportunity.
The former Bears sixth-rounder spent three years in Chicago, seeing a considerable jump in playing time with each passing season. He remained in the NFC North last year with the Vikings, during which time he started five of 11 contests and recorded his first career interception. Shelley also took a step forward in terms his coverage statistics, allowing a passer rating of 55.2 when targeted. He was nevertheless a member of a Minnesota secondary which understandably saw a number of changes made to it this offseason.
After failing to secure a full-time spot in Vegas, Shelley will attempt to do so with the Rams. As is the case at a number of positions, Los Angeles does not have any big-money commitments at the CB spot with Jalen Ramsey no longer in the picture. Shelley will be competing for playing time amongst the likes of Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, Ahkello Witherspoon, Shaun Jolly and sixth-round rookie Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.
Ravens Sign RB Melvin Gordon To Practice Squad
AUGUST 30: Gordon is among the players the Ravens retained on Wednesday by signing him to their taxi squad. A move sending him elsewhere could have been in the cards, however. The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports that the Vikings, Dolphins and Colts each inquired about the two-time Pro Bowler. Instead of taking a deal with those clubs, Gordon will instead look to earn an elevation to Baltimore’s active roster, one which currently includes four backs.
AUGUST 29: Melvin Gordon joined the Ravens in a bid to find a 53-man roster spot and help get his career back on track. That has not worked out as planned, however; the veteran back has been released, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Gordon signed in Baltimore last month in a bid to earn a depth spot in the team’s backfield. The Ravens are rostering J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, so many considered it a longshot for Gordon to carve out a role. With Dobbins absent for much of the offseason amidst unhappiness with his contract status and all three incumbent backs having missed considerable time in their careers, though, the team still entered training camp with some uncertainty at the position.
Dobbins has since reported to camp, and Baltimore is expected to have a fully-healthy stable of backs to begin the season. As a result, Gordon’s only path to a continued tenure with the Ravens will come via the practice squad. He could elect to take that route, as he did at the end of last season with the Chiefs following his Broncos release. For the time being, the Ravens will move forward without the two-time Pro Bowler in the fold.
Gordon signed for the veteran minimum in Baltimore, and no guaranteed money was included on his deal. The team will therefore see $1.12MM in cap savings with this release. The Wisconsin product had eclipsed 1,100 scrimmage yards and scored 10 total touchdowns in each of his first two campaigns in Denver, marking a succesful follow-up to his time with the Chargers. Fumbling issues led to his release midway through the campaign last year, though, and Gordon could be hard-pressed to find a notable role in the near future.
Amongst the rookies who have drawn praise through training camp and the preseason for Baltimore is undrafted running back Keaton Mitchell. The news of Gordon’s release could signal that Mitchell will find himself on the 53-man roster when the dust has settled, but it remains to be seen if the Ravens will carry four active running backs. In any event, Gordon’s future is now uncertain.
Steelers Add CB Anthony Brown To Practice Squad
A few teams have looked outside their organizations to make notable additions via the practice squad. The Steelers are among them, having signed cornerback Anthony Brown to their taxi squad. 
The deal will give Brown clarity on at least his short-term future. His Cowboys tenure was brought to an abrupt halt by an Achilles tear in December, which sidelined him for the rest of the 2022 campaign and led to his lengthy stay on the open market. If healthy, he will be a prime candidate to be elevated to Pittsburgh’s active roster before long.
Brown was a regular in Dallas’ secondary as early as his rookie season in 2016. He logged 69 starts amongst his 94 appearances, seeing the field for over 1,000 snaps in 2021. The former sixth-rounder set career highs in tackles (71), interceptions (three) and pass deflections (17) that year, making his three-year, $15.5MM pact a worthwhile investment on the team’s part.
Seeing considerable time both in the slot and on the perimeter, Brown’s chances of remaining with the Cowboys were hurt not only by the Achilles injury but also the trade acquisition of Stephon Gilmore. The latter will be a full-time starter along with the recently-extended Trevon Diggs. Dallas made another alteration at the CB spot with the trade sending Kelvin Joseph to the Dolphins for Noah Igbinoghene.
The Steelers have made a number of moves on the backend themselves, signing Patrick Peterson and using the No. 32 selection in the draft on Joey Porter Jr. Slot man Arthur Maulet signed with the Ravens, a team which showed interest in Brown before he agreed to head to Pittsburgh. A role on the inside could be the latter’s best path to playing time on the active roster as he looks to demonstrate a return to full health and rebuild his free agent value in the process.
Joe Burrow Returns To Bengals’ Practice
The Bengals’ roster has seen plenty of alterations over the past few days, but a familiar face was back at practice on Wednesday. Quarterback Joe Burrow took part in team drills for the first time since his calf injury. 
Given the timing of the calf strain, questions have been raised about Burrow’s availability for the start of the regular season. The team expressed optimism he would be in place for Week 1 while declining to delve into specifics regarding a timeline for return. By taking the field today, the former No. 1 pick’s absence checked in at just shy of five weeks.
Burrow resumed throwing in mid-August, signaling that he would be able to take part in full team practices not long after. Today’s news confirms that, though Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network notes that Cincinnati elected to reserve practice to 7-on-7, rather than full 11-on-11 drills. The Pro Bowler’s presence was no doubt a welcomed development for the team nevertheless.
The Bengals are again expected to be a contender in the AFC, and their success will ride in very large part on Burrow’s performance. ACL tears in his rookie season and at the conclusion of Super Bowl LVI represent red flags on his NFL resume, however. The LSU alum also missed time late last offseason while recovering from an emergency appendectomy. This latest ailment falls in between the two scenarios in terms of recovery time.
Cincinnati will resume regular practices next week, Morrison adds, and it would come as no surprise if Burrow is in place taking first-team reps at that point. Presuming that takes place, he will have plenty of time to prepare for the team’s season opener and expectations will remain high ahead of the 2023 campaign.
Titans Release Michael Badgley; K Joins Lions’ Practice Squad
AUGUST 30: Badgley’s whirlwind offseason will wind up taking him back to where it began. He is part of the Lions’ initial practice squad, as the team announced on Wednesday. That could give him the opportunity to reclaim his role as Detroit’s kicker if Riley Patterson falters or suffers an injury. Failing that, another chance could arise during the campaign which entices him to once again depart the Motor City.
AUGUST 27: After moving on from their other two kickers, the Titans paved the way for Michael Badgley to win their kicking job. That has not taken place, however; the team announced on Sunday that he is among their preliminary roster cuts. 
Badgley enjoyed a strong finish to the season in Detroit last season, and that earned him a new deal with the Lions. He quickly found himself being released, however, which led him to Washington in a bid to beat out Joey Slye for the Commanders’ kicking gig. That did not take place, and the Titans became Badgley’s third team this offseason.
Tennessee waived Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff in the wake of signing Badgley. That seemed to give the latter a clear opportunity to find a home to at least begin the 2023 season, but he struggled upon arrival in camp practices. The 28-year-old then converted three of four field goal attempts in the Titans’ preseason finale. Those performances were not sufficient to earn him the job, and the Titans again find themselves in the market for an addition at the position in the build-up to the season.
Given today’s move, the team does not currently have a kicker on the roster. After two seasons of Randy Bullock handling kicking duties, it thus remains unclear who will have those responsibilities when the 2023 campaign begins. Bullock – like a number of veteran kickers – remains unsigned at the moment, but interest will pick up in the near future as teams sort out their rosters.
In addition to moving on from Badgley, the Titans announced that defensive back L.J. Davis, receiver Gavin Holmes, offensive linemen Zack Johnson and James Murray, as well as tight end Justin Rigg have been waived. Many more moves will be needed in the coming days to finalize the team’s 53-man roster.
Latest On RB Kareem Hunt
Teams around the NFL are currently occupied with roster gymnastics, but a few big-name free agents have still yet to land a deal of any kind over the course of the offseason. One of those is running back Kareem Hunt, who continues to draw interest. 
Four teams have made an offer to the 28-year-old recently, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. None have been sufficient to produce an agreement, though, despite the actions of teams like the Saints, Colts and Vikings. Each of those clubs hosted Hunt on a free agent visit, and New Orleans in particular was reported to be prepared to sign him pending the result of a physical.
Instead, the former rushing champion remains unsigned like a number of veteran backs. The position has seen its financial value take another hit this offseason, and it comes as little surprise that Hunt needed to wait deep into free agency for tangible interest to pick up. He spent the past four years in Cleveland, splitting handoffs with Nick Chubb and operating as an effective pass-catcher. Hunt averaged 4.2 yards per carry with the Browns, totaling 973 yards and seven touchdowns on 132 catches during his tenure with the team.
It can likely be presumed that New Orleans, Indianapolis and Minnesota represent three of the four offers Hunt has weighed but ultimately turned down. Even without Alvin Kamara for the first three games of the season, the Saints have a number of options in their backfield, one which will be crowded after the five-time Pro Bowler’s return. The Colts still have Jonathan Taylor in the fold after a trade could not be worked out (though he will start the year on the PUP list). The Vikings, meanwhile, added pass-catcher Myles Gaskin earlier today to give them an experienced depth option behind starter Alexander Mattison.
Hunt still has time to find an opportunity which will yield a 53-man roster spot and notable playing time. He will need to move quickly, however, if he is to have a deal in place by the time the regular season kicks off. If the interest which has existed in recent weeks continues, an agreement could be coming soon.
Bears To Place G Teven Jenkins On IR
AUGUST 30: Bears general manager Ryan Poles said on Wednesday that Jenkins will be placed on IR. He will thus miss at least the first four games of the year, adding to his track record of time spent on the sidelines. Given the six-week timeline for recovery, it comes as little surprise that Jenkins will start the campaign in IR, but his return will be welcomed given his success at guard last season.
AUGUST 22: Jenkins’ absence may last longer than we initially expected. According to Biggs, the offensive lineman could miss up to six weeks, although Matt Eberflus made it clear that the organization is considering the injury a “week-to-week issue.”
AUGUST 21: Much of the Bears’ development on offense in 2023 will depend on the play of their new offensive line. The unit will likely not be at full strength to begin the campaign, however. 
Left guard Teven Jenkins is dealing with a leg injury which could cost him time during September, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. That would leave Chicago without an entrenched starter on their offensive front for part of the regular season, and mark another unwanted development in Jenkins’ brief NFL career.
The 2021 second-rounder struggled at both tackle spots as a rookie to the point he was mentioned in trade talks last year. A switch to guard paid dividends, though. Jenkins earned the third-highest PFF grade (80.7) amongst qualifying guards, suggesting he could have a long-term future on the interior. A repeat of last year’s performance would help his standing in the organization and give the team a much-needed mainstay up front.
Chicago made a number of moves aimed at boosting its O-line this offseason, including the selection of right tackle Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall and the signing of Nate Davis in free agency. The latter will remain at his familiar right guard spot in the Windy City, meaning Jenkins will shift over to left guard when healthy. Biggs notes that Jenkins could miss six weeks with this latest ailment, however, one which adds to the list of injuries he has dealt with.
The 25-year-old was limited to six contests as a rookie, and 13 last year. Even with three weeks remaining until the regular season opener, a six-week recovery timeline would involve multiple missed games. The Bears could place Jenkins on IR after their final 53-man roster is set, but doing so would guarantee a four-week absence. Davis has also missed time during training camp, though he has begun a return to action in practice. That should leave Chicago with one guard starter during Week 1, but the team will likely not have its ideal tandem at the position right away.
Patriots To Place WR Tyquan Thornton On IR
The Patriots’ receiving room will be shorthanded to begin the season. Tyquan Thornton is headed to injured reserve, reports ESPN’S Jeremy Fowler. 
As a result of the move, Thornton will be sidelined for at least the first four games of the campaign. The 2022 second-rounder is dealing with a shoulder injury, and the timing of the ailment made him a logical candidate to be given the IR designation after the team’s initial 53-man roster was set.
Free agent signing JuJu Smith-Schuster is set to headline New England’s WR room this season, one which also features returnees DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne. The latter struggled in his second Patriots campaign last season, but outside trade interest was shut down. The team’s top three on the receiver depth chart will thus be intact to start the year, one in which signficant improvement in the passing game is expected.
Thornton has likewise been tapped for a step forward in his second NFL season. The Baylor product recorded 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 22 receptions as a rookie. With a veteran trio ahead of him in the pecking order, he may not be able replicate the 66% snap share he logged last year upon return, but playing time should be available given the lack of star power in New England’s pass-catching corps.
When healthy, Thornton will be able to provide the Patriots with a deep threat on offense, something which would go a long way in helping the unit become more efficient and earn him a larger role moving forward. The 23-year-old was limited to 13 games last season, however, so missed time once again will add to the urgency he faces to establish himself as a dependable contributor when he is cleared to return.