Mutual Interest Between Patriots, Boldin
Anquan Boldin retired from football this summer and he swears that he is retired for good. However, there was mutual interest between the wide receiver and the Patriots in the wake of Julian Edelman‘s injury, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe hears. 
It doesn’t sound like there’s anything brewing between the two sides at the moment, particularly since the Bills continue to hold his rights after placing him on the reserve/retired list. It’s hard to see a scenario in which the Bills cut Boldin loose to sign with a divisional rival, particularly since his retirement left them high and dry after trading Sammy Watkins to Los Angeles.
Boldin turns 37 in October, but he showed last year that he can still be productive. Boldin joining up with the Patriots seems unlikely, but his itch to play is worth keeping in mind as the season goes on.
Bills Release LB Sam Barrington From IR
The Bills reached an injury settlement with veteran linebacker Sam Barrington and released him from IR, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Barrington should be healthy in a couple weeks and at that point he’ll be free to sign with another club. 
Barrington was one of ~30 players left off the roster by the Bills on Saturday as they trimmed down to a 53-man squad. The linebacker spent the first years of his career with the Packers before bouncing around the league last year. He appeared in 22 games (eight starts) while with Green Bay, but it’s fair to wonder if he’ll get another chance to see legitimate playing time after such a forgettable season.
Before signing with Buffalo, the only mention we heard of his name was a May workout for the Jaguars.
Colts Release C Brian Schwenke
The Colts have released center Brian Schwenke, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Schwenke was projected to serve as valuable support at center in the wake of Ryan Kelly‘s foot injury. The Colts have given the starting gig to undrafted rookie free agent Deyshawn Bond and he’ll apparently get most of his relief from reserve guard/center Adam Redmond.
Both the Jets and Seahawks pursued Schwenke this offseason, so those two clubs could circle back to him now that he is once again available. As a vested veteran, Schwenke goes straight to free agency without first being subject to waivers.
Cowboys Cut DT Cedric Thornton
The Cowboys cut defensive tackle Cedric Thornton, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. His $3MM base salary was guaranteed for this year, so Dallas will be on the hook for that sum. 
Thornton signed a four-year deal with Dallas worth $17MM last year but disappointed in his Dallas debut. The former undrafted free agent compiled only 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the year. The Cowboys were hoping he’d bounce back this summer, but they didn’t see the results they were looking for.
Ultimately, the Cowboys paid Thornton $6MM for one season of work. They’ll take on $1.25MM in dead money this season and $2.5MM in 2018.
Dallas was already thin along the defensive line given that David Irving and Damontre Moore will begin the 2018 season on the suspended list. First-round pick Taco Charlton figures to start opposite Tyrone Crawford at defensive end.
Cowboys Acquire Jayrone Elliott From Packers
The Cowboys have traded for Packers outside linebacker Jayrone Elliott, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). Dallas will send a 2018 conditional seventh-round pick to Green Bay, per Archer.
The Packers initially non-tendered Elliott this offseason, but they later re-signed him to a $1.6MM deal. Interestingly, Elliott did not visit with the Cowboys during his free agent period as he met only with the Bills and Steelers.
Dallas will be without Anthony Hitchens for an unspecified amount of time, meaning Elliott could have a chance to play on defense. He’ll also likely see time on special teams.
Bills Cut LB Gerald Hodges
The Bills have released linebacker Gerald Hodges, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Hodges was widely expected to make the Bills’ roster.
Buffalo signed Hodges in May after meeting with the Chiefs, Seahawks, Jets, Giants, Patriots, Jaguars, and Colts in free agency. Hodges thought that the departures of of Zach Brown and Lerentee McCray would allow him to see significant playing time and perhaps even start at outside linebacker. Instead, he’s out of work heading into Week 1.
He played on approximately half of the 49ers’ defensive snaps last year while grading out as the league’s No. 21 linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus. In his 15 games, the 26-year-old racked up 80 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions. He also was on the field for 73 special teams snaps.
Bills Cut RB Jonathan Williams
The Bills have released running back Jonathan Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The move was unexpected, particularly since Williams was in line to be LeSean McCoy‘s primary backup.
Last year, Mike Gillislee thrived as McCoy’s top understudy. Williams could have been poised for a similar leap this year, but the team apparently feels comfortable moving forward with free agent additions Mike Tolbert, Joe Banyard, and Taiwan Jones.
In 2016, his rookie campaign, Williams had only 27 carries in eleven games, but the former fifth-round pick out of Arkansas appeared to have a fair amount of promise. Of course, Williams was selected by the prior regime in Buffalo, so it could be that Brandon Beane and company simply were not as high on the ex-Razorback as their predecessors.
Nonetheless, it is a curious move, as Tolbert, Banyard, and Jones are veterans with limited upside, and Williams’ youth would have seemed attractive to a Bills team that is clearly in some form of rebuilding/retooling mode. It makes one wonder whether there were additional factors in Buffalo’s decision. Last summer, Williams was accused of driving while intoxicated, but he was found not guilty of that charge and he was not suspended by the league.
49ers Claim DE Xavier Cooper
The 49ers claimed defensive end Xavier Cooper, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Cooper missed the Browns’ cut on Saturday.
Cooper was a third-round pick of the Browns in the 2015 draft but never blossomed into the prospect that the team expected. In his rookie year, he had 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Last year, he finished out with 20 tackles and zero sacks while playing primarily on special teams.
The Browns didn’t have much room for Cooper after selecting Larry Ogunjobi and Caleb Brantley in this year’s draft. The 49ers, meanwhile, could use some additional defensive line depth after dropping Quinton Dial on Saturday.
Browns Claim WR Kasen Williams
The Browns claimed wide receiver Kasen Williams off of waivers from the Seahawks, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets.
Williams, 24, has appeared in only three games for Seattle over the last two years. He broke out during the preseason, but, to the dismay of many Seahawks fans, he did not make the final cut. Williams finished as the team’s top receiver with nine catches, 208 yards, one touchdown, and perhaps the best August highlight reel of anyone this year.
The Browns also acquired Sammie Coates from the Steelers over the weekend to give themselves some additional depth behind Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman. Williams will presumably occupy the No. 5 or 6 WR spot on the depth chart for now, but he could play his way into a larger role.
Chargers Claim Michael Schofield Off Waivers
Michael Schofield was claimed by the Chargers, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post tweets. The Broncos waived the offensive lineman on Saturday as they cut down to a 53-man roster.
Schofield has appeared in and started in 29 contests for the Broncos over the last two years. This summer, he asked for a trade when it became clear that he would not make the cut. The Broncos tried, but could not find any takers.
Last year, Schofield finished out as the No. 48 ranked guard in the NFL out of 75 qualified players. He’s not a world beater by any means, but the Bolts need all the help they can get on the offensive line. Second round pick Forrest Lamp is out for the year with a torn ACL and interior lineman Max Tuerk is suspended through Week 4 after violating the league’s PED policy.