Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Kansas City Chiefs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Per an agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, players with COVID-19 health concerns can opt out of the 2020 season. Initially, the deadline was believed to be Tuesday, August 4. Recently, we learned that the deadline is set for seven days after the final execution of the agreement. The lawyers are still hashing out some paperwork matters, so the NFL is looking to push up the date.
Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out. This week, scores of players followed.
Here’s the rundown, so far:
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Washington Football Team
Free agents
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
New York Giants
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Football Team
Teams continue to make moves as players report to training camps, with many opting to pare their rosters from 90 to 80 players well before the mid-August deadline. Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
The Chiefs will lose another starter from their Super Bowl champion team to an opt-out decision. Damien Williams informed the team he will not play this season.
This news follows longtime Kansas City guard starter Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision, which preceded several players’ choices to bypass 2020 amid COVID-19 concerns. Williams became the Chiefs’ starting running back shortly after the team waived Kareem Hunt in 2018. He was again set for a key role this season.
Williams, 28, delivered an inconsistent regular season; the Chiefs ranked 23rd in rushing offense. But the former Dolphins backup again produced in the playoffs. Williams scored six playoff touchdowns and had the best non-Patrick Mahomes claim to the Super Bowl LIV MVP award after totaling 133 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. He scored four TDs in the 2018 postseason.
Kansas City, however, has some interesting options in its backfield. First-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire will now be on track to start this season. The LSU product was one of college football’s most difficult tackling assignments last season and will join a high-powered Chiefs offense — one now in need of a starting running back. Edwards-Helaire is the only running back an Andy Reid-led team has selected in Round 1 during the future Hall of Fame coach’s 21 years as a head coach. The Chiefs also have young backs Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams as options beyond Edwards-Helaire.
Williams’ contract ran through 2020. He was to make $1.85MM in base salary this season on a deal that will now toll to 2021.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Dolphins, Browns, Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Cowboys and Buccaneers have placed players on the newly created reserve/COVID-19 list. Here’s the full rundown, per the league’s transactions wire:
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals
Dallas Cowboys
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The reserve/COVID-19 designation is for players who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are in quarantine for potential exposure. In turn, these players are removed from the roster and allowed to return after three weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Teams are trimming players earlier than usual this year, thanks to the NFL’s recommendation for an 80-man roster max. We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee Titans
The Chiefs have agreed to sign guard Kelechi Osemele to a one-year deal, as Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. 
[RELATED: LDT Opts Out Of 2020 NFL Season]
Osemele will help to fortify the Chiefs’ offensive line following Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s decision to opt out of the 2020 season. Osemele might not be the player he once was, but this is about as good as it gets for a last-minute August replacement. The 31-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler with 96 career appearances, all of which are starts.
The Jets acquired Osemele from the Raiders last offseason in exchange for a Day 3 draft pick. He played through shoulder pain in the first three games of the season and told the team that he needed surgery. The Jets disagreed and urged the veteran to return to action. Things got uglier as the year wore on – the NFLPA got involved and went to bat on Osemele’s behalf. Ultimately, the Jets released him in October, months before his $11.35MM non-guaranteed base salary for 2020 was scheduled to kick in.
During his first Raiders season, Osemele graded out as one of the very best interior protectors in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Soon, the Chiefs will see how much he has left in the tank. He’ll compete with newcomer Mike Remmers. Andrew Wylie, and Martinas Rankin for his spot on the depth chart.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif announced (via Twitter) that he will opt out of the upcoming season. Per the terms of the league’s agreement with the NFLPA, his decision is irrevocable. 
[RELATED: Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence Considering Opt Out]
Duvernay-Tardif, a medical school graduate, is the first player to exercise his right to opt out. He’s been volunteering at a long-term care facility in Quebec, Canada during the pandemic – after witnessing the impact of COVID-19 first-hand, LDT decided to play it safe and not play.
“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life, but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “That is why I have decided to take the opt-out option negotiated by the league and the NFLPA and officially opt out of the 2020 NFL season. Being at the front line during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system. I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus to our communities simply to play the sport I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.
“I want to thank everyone in the Kansas City Chiefs organization for their support and understanding.”
Duvernay-Tardif was set to play on the five-year, $42.36MM extension he inked with the Chiefs following the 2016 season. Instead, his contract will toll, meaning that his deal will resume in 2021 and now extend through the 2022 season. This year, the Chiefs will undoubtedly miss having him up front. He’s been the club’s starter at right guard for the past five seasons, save for an injury-marred 2018.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.