OL Alex Leatherwood, QB P.J. Walker Among Bears’ Cuts
The Bears have yet to begin making mass cuts in an effort to move towards the eventual 53-man roster, instead opting to look at a few bigger names that should affect how the rest of the roster plays out. According to Bears senior writer Larry Mayer, the Bears released quarterback P.J. Walker and waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood while waiving guard Gabriel Houy with an injury designation. 
The most notable departure here is Leatherwood, who has consistently slotted in as the team’s backup to Teven Jenkins, whose struggles to stay on the field have only continued this offseason. Without Jenkins or Leatherwood, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports that Cody Whitehair would be the one filling Jenkins’ spot. If that’s the case, the Bears would then need to turn to Lucas Patrick to cover Whitehair’s starting center role.
Walker, a former backup quarterback who started seven games for the Panthers over the past three years, apparently failed to do enough to stay in the running for the backup job behind Justin Fields. That leaves the Bears with Nathan Peterman and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent as the team’s reserve options behind Fields
Another notable part of this transaction is the money that gets left on the table by Chicago here. Leatherwood reportedly had $4.59MM of guarantees remaining on his deal, while the money lost by releasing Walker brings that total up to around $7MM in dead money. Second-year general manager Ryan Poles is making it clear that money owed on a contract isn’t going to determine roster spots for this year’s squad.
Broncos Waive WR Kendall Hinton
The Broncos are saying goodbye for now to fourth-year wide receiver Kendall Hinton, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. In a wide receivers room led by Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and rookie second-round pick Marvin Mims, Hinton failed to provide enough value as a backup to remain on the active roster. 
Hinton is perhaps most famous for a game during his rookie season in which he performed as the team’s emergency starting quarterback due to several COVID-19 absences. He didn’t quite stick at that position, but he found a role in the receiving corps, even expanding on that role in his second year in the position.
In 2022, Hinton performed as the WR3 behind Jeudy and Sutton, putting up the third-most catches and receiving yards in the receivers room. Despite where that ranks on the team’s stat sheet, Hinton failed to satisfy expectations with the opportunities he was given. Given his history with the team, though, there’s a chance Hinton could land back on the practice squad, should he clear waivers.
Also getting waived alongside Hinton are wide receivers JJ Koski and Nick Williams and cornerback Delonte Hood. Denver also released veteran offensive tackle Isaiah Prince. Prince has started six games in the NFL since being drafted, but that experience wasn’t enough to grant him a roster spot with the Broncos to start the year.
Browns Cut Roster Down To 75 Ahead Of Deadline
The Browns join the rest in their efforts to start moving their roster down to the eventual 53 players they’ll start the season with. In the process, Cleveland waived nine players, released two, and placed wide receiver/return specialist Jakeem Grant on injured reserve, following his season ending injury.
The players waived by the Browns today include:
- CB Caleb Biggers
- LB Cam Bright
- TE Miller Forristall
- TE Thomas Greaney
- CB Gavin Heslop
- T Derrick Kelly
- S Nate Meadors
- WR Anthony Schwartz (injury designation)
- WR Jalen Wayne
The players whose contracts were terminated were:
Schwartz is maybe the most notable of the players to be cut loose today. A third-round pick from two years ago, Schwartz has failed to live up to his draft stock through his first two seasons after only amassing 186 total receiving yards. A track star through high school, Schwartz’s speed granted him some kickoff return opportunities in his rookie season, but even that job fell out of his reach last year. The team may attempt to place him on injured reserve if he clears waivers in order to keep him on the team. Otherwise, this marks the end of a disappointing tenure in Cleveland.
Yesterday’s trade for Pierre Strong may have sealed the deal for Wilkins. A formerly dependable backup rusher for the Colts, Wilkins was battling with the likes of Strong, Jerome Ford, and Demetric Felton for a backup running back role in Cleveland.
Finally, the team did add a player back to the active roster, activating wide receiver Marquise Goodwin off of the non-football injury list, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Coming back from a scary situation involving blood clots, Goodwin will be able to return to practice.
49ers TE Cameron Latu Will Require Knee Surgery
The 49ers were hoping to add some quality depth behind star tight end George Kittle when they drafted Alabama’s Cameron Latu in the third round of this year’s draft. Unfortunately, the rookie’s NFL debut will be delayed quite a bit as he recovers from the meniscus injury he sustained in the team’s preseason matchup against the Chargers, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports.
Latu is set to undergo surgery to repair the damage from the injury that should require him to miss significant time, although it’s unclear as of now just how much time that will be. This lack of specific information on Latu’s eventual recovery puts San Francisco in a tough spot.
With the roster cut deadline rapidly approaching, the 49ers have a few options on how to approach Latu’s roster status. If they put Latu on injured reserve now, it would allow the team to retain one other player on the initial 53-man roster to start the regular season, but Latu’s rookie season would effectively become a redshirt year as he would be required to sit out the current season, barring a release and a re-signing.
The other option would see the 49ers dedicating a spot to Latu on the 53-man roster then immediately placing him on IR. This would allow the team to activate Latu later on in the season once he recovers, but it would require them to cut an extra player to make room for Latu. They could re-sign that extra player after shifting Latu to IR, but that would assume that the player has not been picked up by another team by then.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said that the team will take a little more time to consider the timeline of Latu’s injury before making a decision, according to Angelo Guinhawa of Clutch Points. A lot of other roster decisions will factor into the call on Latu. If an updated prognosis shows the potential for a timely return, Latu could find himself making the 53-man roster before heading to IR.
In the meantime, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley will continue to serve as backups to Kittle. Kittle dominates the snap share by a mile, but the eventual re-addition of Latu to the position room could provide some more options for San Francisco in the future.
Steelers Begin To Trim Roster By Cutting 8
After finishing up the preseason this past Thursday, the Steelers are wasting little time in beginning to form their initial 53-man roster. The team still has a few days before they need to get all the way down to 53 players, but here are the eight the team has already decided won’t be onhand to start the season:
- WR Dan Chisena
- CB Nevelle Clarke
- LB Kuony Deng
- CB Madre Harper
- DE James Nyamwaya
- K B.T. Potter
- LB Forrest Rhyne
- LS Rex Sunahara
Chisena was a longshot to make the 53-man roster at a position that should have plenty of serviceable options in the two-deep. With Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson II locking down the starting three positions, Pittsburgh really only has to determine which three or four guys to keep out of Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski, Dez Fitzpatrick, Jordan Byrd, and Aron Cruickshank.
On defense, a new-look cornerbacks group will not include Clarke or Harper. Harper is the more experienced of the two and should find a practice squad spot somewhere or even an opportunity to make an active roster elsewhere. The same applies to Rhyne, a former FCS first-team All-American out of Villanova. Rhyne had some NFL snaps as a rookie in Indianapolis and should find more NFL opportunities in the future.
Lastly, neither undrafted special teamer will end up unseating the incumbents. Potter will look for his next destination as Chris Boswell remains the guy in Pittsburgh, and Sunahara will move on after failing to surpass Christian Kuntz.
NFL Roster Rumors: Cowboys, Green, Bears, Mann, Smith
The Cowboys‘ offensive line remains a strength heading into the 2023 season. The depth of the offensive line is a different story, though. Behind the starting five, there is a drastic drop in talent, leading Jon Machota of The Athletic to believe that Dallas may pursue adding some offensive line talent from outside the organization before the start of the season.
Currently, the Cowboys’ offensive line depth projected to make the initial 53-man roster is comprised of tackles Matt Waletzko and Asim Richards and linemen Josh Ball, Matt Farniok, and Chuma Edoga. Dallas’ offensive line is likely strong enough along the starting five to weather the temporary need to play a backup, but if the team has to rely on any of the bottom five long-term, it would be a tremendous drop off in production wherever the backup is plugged in.
The situation in Dallas may not be drastic enough to require a trade acquisition, but the Cowboys will likely be perusing the open market once the roster cut deadline rolls around.
Here are a few more roster rumors as the close of the preseason continues:
- The Steelers embarked on an experiment akin to that of their division rivals in Maryland as they attempted to work center Kendrick Green into a fullback/tight end role a la Patrick Ricard of the Ravens. According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, the move was a result of Green getting buried on the depth chart of the offensive line. As Green slipped down to third-string center or fourth-team guard, Pittsburgh allowed him to fully pursue the Ricard-role he had simulated in game prep for Ravens matchups. Unfortunately, the magic wasn’t there for Green. A later Kaboly report informed that Green had been moved back to center and that, as low as he is on the depth chart, he’ll likely have trouble retaining a roster spot come next Tuesday.
- Although starting offensive guard Teven Jenkins continues to struggle with staying healthy, it doesn’t appear that the Bears will pursue offensive line help for the upcoming season, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. While it wouldn’t be an ideal outcome, Chicago feels confident in the backups it has available. Former first-round pick Alex Leatherwood has a year of the system under his belt now and should provide some quality depth immediately behind Jenkins. The Bear will likely retain other quality backups like Larry Borom and Lucas Patrick who could fill in if Leatherwood struggles in injury replacement duties. Whatever the options, Chicago feels confident with its cache of linemen.
- The Eagles are set to head into the 2023 season with Arryn Siposs retaining punting duties for the third consecutive season. After he suffered a serious ankle injury late last year, though, Philadelphia didn’t shy away from attempting to bring in some competition for Siposs. The team had submitted a waiver claim for former Jets punter Braden Mann before he was awarded to the Steelers. If the Eagles are still interested in adding depth at punter before the start of the season, Mann is unlikely to beat out Pressley Harvin III in Pittsburgh, so he may be available after roster cuts, according to Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network.
- Newly acquired linebacker Jaylon Smith has found a renewed drive in New Orleans. The veteran has already worked his way up the Saints‘ depth chart to a battle for the third linebacker spot. While that sounds positive, the Saints defense rarely utilizes three linebackers on the field at the same time with the team placing more value on additional pass rushers or defensive backs. According to John Sigler of USA Today, head coach Dennis Allen has delineated that a special teams role is the key for Smith to find a path towards a roster spot. While Smith has provided a boost to the team’s linebacker depth, his new head coach wants to see him covering punt and kickoff returns in order to cement his place on the 53-man roster.
Bears Grant DE Trevis Gipson Permission To Seek Trade
The Bears drafted Trevis Gipson as an outside linebacker for the 3-4 defensive scheme they ran under former defensive coordinator Sean Desai. After seeing him struggle to reach the same production in the system of new defensive coordinator Alan Williams last year, Chicago has allowed Gipson to seek a preferable trade destination, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. 
Gipson was a strong fit for the 3-4 system ran by Desai. After spending a year learning the system and only appearing in seven games, not an uncommon occurrence for a fifth-round rookie, Gipson responded with a strong sophomore season. In Desai’s defense in 2021, Gipson put up sevens across the board for sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits. He also added five forced fumbles in his nine starts for the Bears.
The team converted to a cover-2 style of a 4-3 defensive scheme under Williams, forcing Gipson to change his role. In this new role, Gipson struggled to find the same success he saw under Desai. In ten starts, he still added some contributions in the form of four tackles for loss and three passes defensed, but he struggled to finish, only collecting three sacks while racking up 11 quarterback hits.
While he was still providing pressure, the analytics didn’t agree with him in 2022. After ranking as the 33rd best edge defender in the league in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he graded out all the way down at 111th out of 119 graded players in 2022.
Heading into a contract year, Gipson has been viewed as expendable with many labeling him as a potential cap casualty. Allowing him to pursue a trade partner may allow Chicago to take Gipson off the books while returning something in draft capital, as well.
In a new location, Gipson will likely be seeking a return to the 3-4 type of defensive scheme that he thrived in. There are several teams with that type of system that could be looking to add some depth and experience off the edge in the form of Gipson. Unfortunately for Gipson and the Bears, though, knowing that he may be a cap casualty, those team may wait for Gipson to become available at the roster cut deadline.
On the flip side, Gipson has had a great camp and preseason. He has delivered electric performances week after week and, take it for what it’s worth in the preseason, he’s made an exceptionally strong case for a roster spot. If Gipson performs his way into remaining on the Bears’ roster, those aforementioned teams will be forced to cough up something in order to obtain Gipson.
There are a couple ways this could play out. If a team likes Gipson enough, they may see the potential options that could play out and opt to get ahead of it by ensuring they get him on the roster by trading for him. Teams may wait it out and bid for him if he gets cut. Or, as mentioned above, they may wait it out just to end up trading for him anyway. Either way, Gipson should have some options at finding a better situation for himself in 2023.
49ers Trade QB Trey Lance to Cowboys
The 49ers have found their trade partner for former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the young quarterback will now head to Dallas to compete for the backup job behind Dak Prescott. San Francisco receives a return on Lance of a 2024 fourth-round pick, according to a later Schefter tweet. 
One day after general manager John Lynch claimed Lance would “most likely” remain a 49er, the Lance experiment is now over in the Bay Area. After trading three first-round picks and a third-round pick to swap draft slots with the Dolphins in order to select Lance, the 49ers only saw four starts in two years and a fourth-round pick for their major investment.
Injuries and the emergence of last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, contributed to Lance’s lack of opportunities and success in his first two seasons. Now, with fellow former first-round pick Sam Darnold coming in to claim the backup quarterback job in San Francisco, Lance had found himself sliding down the depth chart in his third year. The 49ers will move forward with Purdy and Darnold in 2023.
Dallas is secure with Prescott at starting quarterback. They do have a need for a strong backup passing option considering Prescott hasn’t played a full season for the Cowboys since 2019. Over the past three years, Prescott has missed 17 of a possible 50 games. Dallas has been lucky to win eight of the last 10 games Prescott has sat out, but the potential Lance still holds as a former high draft pick still presents the opportunity for improvement at the position behind Prescott.
The money is an interesting aspect looking forward at the deal. Prescott is set for a contract year in 2024 in which he will hold a $59.46MM cap hit. He has a no-trade clause and is not able to be franchise-tagged, so the only solution out of that egregious cap number is an extension, a restructured contract, or getting Prescott to waive his no-trade clause for a preferred trade destination. Lance, on the other hand, is set to earn $940K this season and $1.55MM next year with a $4.26MM roster bonus. The Cowboys will also get the decision of whether or not to exercise Lance’s fifth-year option in 2025.
In the immediate future, Lance will come in and compete with Cooper Rush for the primary backup position behind Prescott. There’s likely a hope in Dallas that not only will Lance beat out Rush for the QB2 role, but that eventually, Lance might provide them with a serviceable option should they choose to move on from Prescott. Obviously, Lance hasn’t shown that ability to consistently start, but the Cowboys are holding out hope that he can still develop into more than we saw in San Francisco.
It’s finally official, though: Lance will get a fresh start in Dallas. After failing to stay on the field for various reasons in San Francisco, Lance will attempt to solidify a spot in the NFL with the Cowboys over the next two or three years.
NFC Rumors: Bucs, Lions, Panthers, Packers
The Buccaneers may be considered as a rebuilding squad, but that doesn’t matter much to the players fighting for roster spots in the late preseason. As the regular season inches nearer and nearer, two starting positions are starting to come into focus, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
On offense, center Ryan Jensen has not returned to practice as he continues to recover from three knee ligament tears that he opted not to have surgery on. In his absence, Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett have been competing for the starting job. Hainsey likely has a bit of an edge after playing the position in college and starting all 17 games last season for Tampa Bay, but Leverett has meshed well in new offensive coordinator Dave Canales‘ new zone-blocking scheme. Even if Hainsey can’t hold onto the job, Leverett may keep the position competitive.
On defense, Dee Delaney has really stepped up at nickelback after the team opted to move Antoine Winfield Jr. back to free safety full-time. Delaney, who spent four years at The Citadel before transferring to Miami (FL) and going undrafted, has stuck in Tampa Bay, playing 32 games over the past two seasons while starting three of them. Delaney has had a great camp as reflected in a stellar performance in last week’s preseason game against the Jets. Undrafted rookie Christian Izien has also impressed with physical play throughout the preseason, while rookie sixth-round pick Josh Hayes has fallen a bit behind in the position battle.
Here are a few more roster battles to watch heading into the final weekend of preseason games this season:
- Nate Sudfeld was viewed as a solid backup option at quarterback for the Lions last season. Coming into 2023, though, he may be struggling to retain a roster spot, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. Obviously, Jared Goff has the starting job locked up, but recently signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater has made a strong case for the QB2 role behind him. Sudfeld still has value to the team, but head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that his roster status depends on if he adds more value to the team than depth at other positions on the roster. If CB5 or CB6 end up adding more value than Sudfeld as QB3, he may find himself missing out on the initial 53-man roster.
- As starting guard Austin Corbett waits to be cleared following ACL surgery, the Panthers‘ situation at guard is feeling a bit precarious. A tweet from Joseph Person of The Athletic tells that a decision on the starting right guard job in Corbett’s absence has been delayed until the returns from injury of rookie fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala and undrafted rookie Nash Jensen. Head coach Frank Reich wanted both rookies to have a chance for the spot before making the decision. Zavala was recently activated from the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t seen much action. Jensen was impressing early in the offseason before a back injury slowed his progress. They’ll compete with Cade Mays and Justin McCray for the position, but Person believes that Carolina may pursue some added competition at roster cutdowns.
- Last week, the Packers‘ seventh-round pick from last year, Rasheed Walker, got the starting call at left tackle ahead of usual backup Yosh Nijman, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Nijman has been the usual go-to at tackle when starter David Bakhtiari isn’t available, but Schneidman thinks that Walker may have worked his way past Nijman on the depth chart as of late.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Pats, Jets, Bengals
As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, the Raiders‘ eventual 53-man roster is starting to come into focus. Two players in particular appear to be securing their positions for the team’s lineup come Week 1, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic.
Wide receiver DeAndre Carter has definitely taken advantage of his opportunities throughout camp this preseason. In the team’s second preseason game, Carter started in the slot in place of Hunter Renfrow, who sat out for the game. He didn’t put up notable stats from the position, but he really shined in a special teams role. He had a strong opening kick return and was inches away from a punt return for a touchdown, as well. The coaches’ faith in him to start in place of Renfrow combined with his return ability has virtually cemented his spot on the roster, according to Reed.
Another player on the rise is veteran guard Greg Van Roten, who seems to have surpassed Alex Bars for the starting job at right guard. Van Roten started the team’s most recent preseason game at right guard for a single series before being replaced by Bars, signifying the changing of the guard, pun not intended. Bars, who started most of last season for the team at right guard, may be in danger of failing to make the 53-man roster if he keeps sliding down the depth chart.
Here are a few more roster rumors from around the league as the preseason begins its close:
- The Patriots have struggled as of late with drafting wide receivers. They’re looking to buck that trend this season. In a room that was originally looking weak when the team missed out on free agent De’Andre Hopkins, New England is newly flushed with possibilities. The team lacks elite top end talent, but behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, the Patriots have a surprising number of options. Kendrick Bourne has seemingly secured a role as the team’s third wideout with a great camp, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, and behind Bourne, rookie sixth-round picks Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte have made strong cases for roster spots themselves with impressive camps. Even undrafted rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham has reportedly shown enough versatility and promise on offense and special teams to make a case for a roster spot.
- With the recent acquisition of free agent Dalvin Cook, the Jets top-two running backs are clear as day, but in the process, the extra body has made things a bit crowded in the position room. Brian Costello of the New York Post believes that rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda is likely safe, leading to a battle for the likely last roster spot between Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight. Seemingly, Carter is safe. He’s got more starting experience on the team than Knight and didn’t suit up for the Jets’ most recent preseason game, a likely indication that the coaches have seen what they need to see. Knight played last week and fumbled. He’s had good moments throughout training camp, but his future may lie on the practice squad this season.
- The Bengals have a clear TE1 and a likely TE2 coming into the end of the preseason in Irv Smith Jr. and Drew Sample, but there’s a chance that TE3 isn’t on the roster, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. Last season’s TE3 Mitchell Wilcox has a decent shot at a roster spot, as does the undersized Tanner Hudson, who has impressed with some nice hands throughout camp. Devin Asiasi, Nick Bowers, and Christian Trahan remain as options, as well, but don’t have the strongest chances at a roster spot. Dehner predicts that Cincinnati may take to the open market after cut day, aiming to pull in any of several experienced tight ends that may find themselves on the roster bubble.