Cecil Shorts To Visit Buccaneers
The Buccaneers could be adding in another pass-catching weapon for Jameis Winston to work with. Free agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts is going to visit the Bucs within the next 24 hours, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Check Out The Buccaneers’ Updated Depth Chart On Roster Resource]
Shorts could be a great fit for Tampa Bay as Shorts played in coach Dirk Koetter‘s system in Jacksonville in 2011. Shorts was used sparingly in that season, but he likely made a positive impression on the Bucs’ new head coach since this will be his first visit since being cut loose by Houston. The Buccaneers are wisely looking at available receivers with Louis Murphy sidelined for at least the first six weeks of the season.
At least five teams are interested in Shorts, so it’s possible that the wide receiver may make other visits after this, even if he finds the Bucs to be a good fit. In Shorts’ first and only season in Houston, he racked up 42 catches for 484 yards and two touchdowns. His best season came in 2012, when he caught 55 passes for 979 yards and seven touchdowns for Jacksonville.
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Cowboys Won’t Place Tony Romo On IR
The NFL’s new rules for the injured reserve list allow teams to bring one player back from IR without having to designate that player for return in advance. That tweak gives teams lots of flexibility, though any player placed on IR before the season cannot be brought back before Week 8. With that in mind, the Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a radio interview that he will not put Tony Romo on IR, leaving open the possibility that he could return to the team sooner than that (link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). 
[RELATED: Romo’s Prognosis Worsens]
In Jones’ mind, the 53rd player on the roster would not be more valuable than what the return of Romo could mean. When asked if Romo could return before the Oct. 30 game vs. the Eagles, Jones said he would not rule anything out.
On one hand, giving up a roster spot for several weeks is a bold move for any team with playoff aspirations. On the other hand, the Cowboys are entrusting the quarterback job to a fourth-round rookie and it would be foolish for the Cowboys to keep Romo benched for an additional week or two in the event that Dak Prescott falters. Dallas added Mark Sanchez as a backup this weekend, but it’s not clear what he has to offer after being discarded by the Broncos.
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Browns Didn’t View Wentz As Top 20 QB
This offseason, the Browns had an opportunity to stand pat with the No. 2 pick in the draft and potentially solve their quarterback situation for years to come. However, in April, the Browns struck a deal with the Eagles to add to their stockpile of picks. Everyone assumed that the Browns were not sold on Carson Wentz, but it turns out their evaluation of the North Dakota State QB was harsher than you might expect. Also, as executive Paul DePodesta hinted to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com, the Browns might have kept the pick if they thought Jared Goff would slip. 
“We have to make judgments on the individual players and we’re not always going to be right,” DePodesta said. “But in this particular case, we just didn’t feel it was necessarily the right bet to make for us at this time. Again, it comes down to individual evaluation of a player…Even though you have a desperate need for [a quarterback], you have to resist the temptation of taking that guy just because you have a need if you don’t believe he’s one of those 20 guys at the end of the day. I think that’s the hardest part, just maintaining your discipline because you have the need. That’s what we did this year.”
Soon enough, we’ll know whether the Browns’ signing of Robert Griffin III was a smart move. But, regardless of how RGIII does in Cleveland this year, DePodesta says the team will continue to evaluate options at quarterback. That’s probably the right approach as Griffin will be the Browns’ 25th starting quarterback since 1999.
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49ers, Tank Carradine Agree To Extension
The 49ers and Tank Carradine have agreed to a one-year extension, as Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. Originally slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season, Carradine will now be in SF through 2017. Financial terms are not yet known, but Carradine did receive a signing bonus of $1.25MM, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Carradine, 26, started out as a defensive lineman after being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft. Now, he’s going back to outside linebacker, the position he expected to play when he came out of FSU. As Aaron Lynch serves his four-game suspension, the Niners are banking on Carradine to form a rotation with Ahmad Brooks and Eli Harold.
After slimming down from 300+ pounds to 275, Carradine says he feels healthier and more energetic. Niners defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil says that he is transitioning well to the new position.
“He can set the edge,” O’Neil said. “He’s heavy handed. I would not want to block him if I was a tight end. He continues to show up as far as pass rush and he’s gotten better every rep that he’s gotten as far as pass coverage. So he’s done a nice job progressing at the position.”
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Saints To Sign Paul Kruger
TODAY, 4:30pm: Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate has the details on Kruger’s deal with the Saints.
While the deal is for three years and is accompanied by a $2.1MM signing bonus, the final two years of the contract can be voided. Therefore, in reality, the deal is really for one season.
Kruger will make a base salary of $900K in 2016, and (if he sticks around) will see that salary increase to $1MM in 2017 and 2018. The signing bonus will remain $700K through each of the three years, and the cap hit will decrease from $1.6MM in 2016 to $700K in 2017 and 2018.
AUGUST 31, 8:05am: Former Browns pass-rusher Paul Kruger is signing with the Saints, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Kruger visited with New Orleans and Kansas City this week but ultimately chose to join up with Sean Payton & Co. 
A few years ago, Kruger was a top target of the Saints in free agency. However, they were outbid by the Browns who gave him a five-year free agent deal worth $40.5MM, including $13MM guaranteed. Years later, they have acquired Kruger at a much lower price.
After notching 11.0 sacks in 2014, Kruger only had 2.5 sacks in 2015. Apparently, he struggled on the practice field this summer, prompting Cleveland to release him. Still, the Saints are hoping that Kruger can get back to his 2013/2014 form as they deal with injuries in the front seven.
“He still affects the passer,” Payton said on a teleconference Tuesday when asked about Kruger visiting (via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune). “You see a pressure player. He rushes with power. I think you see a high motor and a guy that plays extremely strong.”
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Saints, Max Unger Agree To Extension
MONDAY, 3:50pm: Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate passes along details of Unger’s contract. In total, the contract holds an average annual value of $7.4MM while also including a $7MM signing bonus and $14.3MM in guaranteed money.
Unger’s base salary will be at $850K in 2016, and it increases to $1.7MM (2017, fully guaranteed), $4.5MM (2018, $1MM guaranteed), and $5.1MM (2019, no guarantee). The cap hits, meanwhile, increase from $4.35MM in 2016 to $7.4MM (2017), $8MM (2018), and $8.7MM (2019)
FRIDAY, 9:15am: The Saints and center Max Unger have agreed to a three-year extension, as Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune writes. The new three-year deal will give Unger an annual salary of $7MM+. 
Unger, 30, started all 16 games for New Orleans last season after the Jimmy Graham trade brought him in from Seattle. Prior to his new deal, Unger was slated to play out the 2016 season for a $4.45MM base before entering the free agent market.
Unger was obviously not the focal point of the Seahawks-Saints trade last year, but he did offer an impressive pedigree of his own. Over the course of his career, the Oregon product has earned two Pro Bowl nods (2012, 2013) and one First-Team All-Pro selection (2012) with 83 games (all starts) on his resume. Meanwhile, Graham went from one of the league’s best tight ends to something of an afterthought in Seattle. He is now trying to get back on track after undergoing serious knee surgery.
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Ravens To Sign Devin Hester
6:05pm: The Ravens have officially announced the move (via Twitter). The team hasn’t announced a corresponding roster move.
Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the one-year deal carries a max value of $4MM based on incentives.
9:30am: The Ravens have agreed to sign Devin Hester, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran kick returner. 
Hester joined the Falcons prior to the 2014 season and enjoyed his fourth Pro Bowl berth – his first since 2010. Hester returned 45 kicks for 1,128 yards and 18 punts for 240 yards, showing that he was still dangerous in the return game. This offseason, he was cut loose by Atlanta. It remains to be seen whether Hester can build on his NFL record in return touchdowns (20) and punt return touchdowns (14).
The Ravens had other options in the return game heading into the offseason, but they’ve since cut ties with nearly all of them. Wide receivers Jeremy Butler, Michael Campanaro, and Keenan Reynolds all were thought to be contenders for the returner job in Baltimore, but the club waived all three over the weekend, likely with an eye towards adding Hester.
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Bills Release LB Jamari Lattimore
The Bills have released linebacker Jamari Lattimore, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. The move makes room for the addition of fullback Dan Vitale, who was claimed off waivers from the Bucs today.
Lattimore was slated to compete for a spot on special teams, but he ultimately did not make the cut. For his career, Lattimore has appeared in 64 career games (nine starts) and has 68 tackles, two sacks, and one interception to his credit.
For a full rundown of moves made by the Bills and other teams in the AFC East, check out our running tracker.
Chargers Claim Andre Williams
The Chargers have claimed running back Andre Williams off waivers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Williams was cut by the Giants yesterday as part of their effort to get down to a 53-man roster.
Williams will head to San Diego and join a running back depth chart that includes former first-rounder Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead, meaning the former Giant likely won’t have a large role in the offense. However, the Chargers recently lost both Branden Oliver and Dreamius Smith, so there might be a few extra carries lying around for Williams to take.
Randy Gregory Has Suspension Reduced?
11:34am: Tom Pelissero of USA Today provides some explanation for the confusion, tweeting that Gregory appeared on yesterday’s wire as being suspended for only four games because the 10-game suspension remains under appeal and the four-game ban is official. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that explanation via Twitter. There is still no word on the outcome of Gregory’s appeal of the 10-game suspension.
10:32am: Not so fast, says David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. Moore tweets that, although Gregory will be back around the team in Week 2, no final decision has been made on whether his 10-game suspension will be reduced.
9:37am: Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has won his appeal, Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram writes. Gregory was originally slated to sit out for 10 games due to an additional violation of the NFL’s substance abuse program. Now, he’ll only be suspended for the first four games of the season. 
Gregory can now return to the field for the Cowboys in October, but it’s not a given that he’ll be ready to take the field right away. Gregory is still in a substance abuse facility, Hill hears, and he is not currently in football shape. Still, this opens the door for Gregory to return at some point in 2016 for the Cowboys, perhaps around the middle of the regular season.
Gregory, 24 in November, didn’t see a ton of action during his first NFL season — he was slowed by an early-season ankle sprain and ended up recording 11 tackles over the course of 250 defensive snaps. Viewed as a surefire first-round pick – and a potential top-10 selection – based on talent, Gregory slipped in last year’s draft to 60th overall, where he was snatched up by the Cowboys. Off-field concerns, including a failed drug test at the combine, contributed to his slide. There are a number of teams today who are glad that they passed on the talented but troubled Gregory.
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