Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Rams, Vikings Showed Interest In John Wolford; Bucs To Promote QB

OCTOBER 31: The Buccaneers will follow through with their protection measure. Wolford will be signed to the Bucs’ 53-man roster, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The Bucs will now carry three quarterbacks on their active roster. This comes after both the Rams and Vikings showed interest in poaching Wolford off the practice squad, per Russini. Kevin O’Connell coached Wolford for two seasons in Los Angeles. Despite multiple potential opportunities to join another team’s 53, Wolford will make the jump in Tampa.

OCTOBER 30, 7:25pm: It sounds like the Rams will have to look elsewhere for QB depth. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Wolford informed the Rams that he prefers to stay in Tampa Bay. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that the quarterback is expected to stick with the Buccaneers and be added to the active roster.

6:25pm: John Wolford is set to return to Los Angeles. The longtime Rams backup left for a Buccaneers deal this offseason, but the Rams have seen Matthew Stafford run into another injury. They will take action via an outside hire.

The Rams intend to sign Wolford off the Bucs’ practice squad, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Wolford did not make Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster, with Kyle Trask in place behind starter Baker Mayfield. Wolford has spent the season on the Bucs’ P-squad, but the latest Stafford injury issue will prompt the Rams to close a deal on a reunion.

Because the Rams are signing Wolford off Tampa Bay’s taxi squad, he must remain on L.A.’s active roster for at least three weeks. That will be a familiar place for Wolford, who resided as the backup to Stafford and Jared Goff during a four-year L.A. stay. The Rams replaced Wolford with ex-Broncos backup Brett Rypien this offseason. Rookie Stetson Bennett is not in the picture presently, residing on the Rams’ reserve/NFI list.

Rypien replaced Stafford after he suffered a thumb injury against the Cowboys. The 15th-year QB is battling a UCL sprain in his throwing thumb, and this upcoming transaction casts some doubt the starter’s availability for Week 9. Stafford missed eight games last season. Coming into 2022, however, the former Lions mainstay had only missed time in one of the previous 11 seasons (due to a 2019 back injury). With IR not off the table for Stafford, the Rams are once again scrambling at the game’s premier position.

Goff brought more durability than Stafford has, leaving Wolford on the bench for much of his first two seasons in California. Signed initially after a stint in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019, Wolford did end up playing a key role for the 2020 Rams. A Goff thumb injury sidelined him for the Rams’ 2020 season finale, and Sean McVay turned to Wolford in for Week 17 and then the wild-card round. A Wolford neck injury knocked him out of that Rams-Seahawks tilt, leading an injured Goff back into action. The Rams included Goff in the Stafford trade weeks later.

Wolford, 28, has made five career starts. Three of those came in relief of Stafford last season. Last year, the Wake Forest product was not especially productive. The start he is credited with winning included scant usage, with the Rams inserting Mayfield — with the team for all of two days at that point — into the lineup and seeing the waiver claim lead an improbable game-winning drive to beat the Raiders. Wolford did not factor into the Mayfeld-Trask Tampa competition, but he may have another opportunity soon — depending on how the Rams navigate the Stafford situation.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/23

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Donavan Mutin
  • Released: P Pat O’Donnell

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

  • Signed: CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: C Joey Hunt
  • Released: OL Greg Eiland

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: CB Derrek Pitts
  • Released: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle

Mykal Walker has found a new home after getting cut by the Raiders last week. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he collected a career-high 107 tackles in 16 games (12 starts). However, since that breakout season, the linebacker has struggled to hold a job. He was waived by Atlanta back in August and was claimed by the Bears, but Chicago ended up cutting him at the end of the preseason. Walker later joined the Raiders practice squad and spent about a month in Las Vegas.

QB Notes: Taylor, Cardinals, Bucs, Ridder

Tyrod Taylor left Sunday’s game with a rib injury and needed to be hospitalized. The Giants announced they are keeping their backup-turned-starter in the hospital overnight for observation on his ribcage ailment. Taylor has a history of rib trouble, of course, as just more than three years have passed since the rib injection that ended his brief run as the Chargers’ starter. The pregame shot before Week 2 of the 2020 season resulted in a punctured lung. During Taylor’s one-season stint as the Texans’ starter, he missed a third of the season due to a hamstring malady. The journeyman came back as a backup, with Houston giving Davis Mills a shot to close that season.

Taylor almost certainly will be welcomed back as the Giants’ starter when he is ready, as the team pivoted to nearly run-only blueprint with practice squad elevation Tommy DeVito under center. Daniel Jones is not expected to be back until Week 10, as he continues to battle a neck injury. The latest coming out of that situation points to the well-paid starter dealing with a disk issue and weakness in his nonthrowing shoulder.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

  • The Cardinals have joined the Giants in playing a backup this season, and while they have pronounced Kyler Murray fully healthy after his December 2022 ACL tear, the team will once again hold out the Pro Bowler. Jonathan Gannon announced postgame Joshua Dobbs will start in Week 9. Murray remains on Arizona’s reserve/PUP list, having been designated for return on Oct. 18. The Cardinals do not have to activate him until Nov. 8, giving them one more game to keep Murray off the roster. Early reports indicated an early-season return would be in play for Murray, and Michael Bidwill doubled down on that in April. But the organization has proceeded cautiously with the former No. 1 pick, who has also needed to learn a new offense. It will be interesting to see if the sinking Cardinals redeploy Murray as their starter immediately upon activating him.
  • Baker Mayfield did not escape Thursday’s loss in Buffalo unscathed, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the free agent pickup is dealing with a knee contusion. Mayfield is planning to play through this injury, but it has caused him discomfort. The Buccaneers QB’s MRI did not reveal any structural damage, however.
  • While Kenny Pickett was initially expected to return to Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars matchup following his rib injury, via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor, the Steelers ruled out their starter and kept Mitch Trubisky in the game. Pickett left the game before the half but was warming up to come back; instead, the team shut him down. Benched early during his first Steelers season, Trubisky became needed on multiple occasions due to Pickett’s two-concussion rookie year. It is not yet known how much time (if any) the 2022 first-rounder will miss as a result of his latest injury.
  • Desmond Ridder‘s midgame exit did not stem from performance issues, Arthur Smith said (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Ridder was evaluated for a concussion, but while he was cleared of a head injury, Smith said he “didn’t think Des was right” following the exit. The Falcons kept Taylor Heinicke in the game as a result. Heinicke logged one of the most active QB2 seasons in NFL history two years ago, replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 and keeping the Washington reins the rest of the way. The Falcons gave the multiyear Washington starter a two-year, $14MM deal this offseason. Ridder has delivered an uneven season thus far, but the Falcons passed on chances to acquire a starter-caliber QB in order to keep him in place. With the team proclaiming Ridder the starter in March, it does not appear he is in danger of being pulled.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

The countdown to this year’s October 31 trade deadline continues, and a number of deals have already been made. More will follow in the coming days, though, as contending teams look to bolster their rosters for the stretch run and sellers seek to offload expiring contracts and gain future draft assets. Much will be driven, of course, by each squad’s financial situation.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here’s a breakdown of every team’s cap space in advance of the deadline:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $39.89MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $33.99MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $11.1MM
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: $10.78MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $10.55MM
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: $9.16MM
  7. Chicago Bears: $9.06MM
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: $9.05MM
  9. Indianapolis Colts: $8.78MM
  10. Minnesota Vikings: $7.96MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $7.55MM
  12. New York Jets: $7.17MM
  13. Seattle Seahawks: $7.16MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $7.07MM
  15. Dallas Cowboys: $7.03MM
  16. Baltimore Ravens: $6.83MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $6.76MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $6.62MM
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: $6.42MM
  20. New Orleans Saints: $4.67MM
  21. Buffalo Bills: $4.58MM
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $4.37MM
  23. Houston Texans: $4.26MM
  24. Washington Commanders: $3.78MM
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.7MM
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $3.63MM
  27. Miami Dolphins: $3.49MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.87MM
  29. Philadelphia Eagles: $2.81MM
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers: $2.55MM
  31. Denver Broncos: $1.22MM
  32. New York Giants: $991K

The 49ers have carried considerable space throughout the season, but general manager John Lynch made it clear last month the team’s intention was to roll over most of their funds into next season. Still, with San Francisco sitting at 5-2 on the year, it would come as little surprise if at least one more depth addition (separate from the Randy Gregory move) were to be made in the near future.

Deals involving pick swaps for role players dominated the trade landscape for some time, but more noteworthy contributors have been connected to a potential swap recently. One of them – Titans safety Kevin Byard – has already been dealt. That has led to speculation Tennessee is open to dealing other big names as they look to 2024. Derrick Henry’s name has come up multiple times with respect to a deal sending him out of Nashville, but that now seems unlikely.

Several edge rushers are on the market, including Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and one or both of Montez Sweat and Chase Young (Commanders). Hunter nearly found himself with the Jaguars this offseason, and last year’s AFC South winners could be on the lookout for a pass rush boost. A mid-level addition in that regard would come as little surprise. In Minnesota and Washington’s case, however, it remains to be seen if they will be true sellers given their 3-4 records heading into tomorrow’s action.

A number of receivers could also be on the move soon. Both the Broncos’ pair of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the Panthers’ Terrace Marshall have been involved heavily in trade talk. Jeudy and Sutton are on the books at an eight figure price tag next season, and the Broncos are unlikely to receive the draft capital they could have at prior points in their Denver tenures. Marshall, by contrast, is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract and could fit more comfortably into an acquiring team’s cap situation. The Panthers have allowed him to seek out a trade partner.

The Cowboys sit in the top half of the league in terms of spending power, but mixed signals initially came out with respect to their interest in making a splash. Owner Jerry Jones has insisted Dallas will not initiate negotiations on a trade, citing his confidence in a 4-2 roster which has been hit by a few notable injuries on defense in particular. Despite having more cap space than most other teams, the Bengals are likewise expected to be quiet on the trade front.  

The past few years have seen a notable uptick in trade activity around the league, and it would come as a surprise if that trend did not continue over the next few days. Last-minute restructures and cost-shedding moves would help the teams in need of flexibility pull off moves, though sellers will no doubt also be asked to retain salary if some of the higher-paid veterans on the trade block end up being dealt. Given the spending power of teams at the top of the list, there is plenty of potential for the league’s landscape to change ahead of the stretch run to the playoffs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/23

Today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reagor has been called up as a standard gameday elevation three times now for the Patriots, the maximum under a single practice squad contract. It remains to be seen if he will stick on the team’s active roster, but if he’s going to see any more game action this year, the promotion was a necessary one. He’s obviously able to play while on the active roster, but if the team were to release him and re-sign him to the practice squad, he would have the ability to be elevated three more times on the new deal.

The Bills and Buccaneers are making their standard gameday elevations for Thursday Night Football tonight. Veterans Isabella and Norman will both be making their season debuts if they see the field tonight in Buffalo, as will LeCounte and Senat for the Bucs. Norman has a good chance to see the field with Kaiir Elam out and Tre’Davious White still on injured reserve. Senat likewise should get a chance to rotate in for Tampa with Vita Vea currently inactive.

Trade Rumors: Rams, Burns, Panthers, Browns, Saints, Bucs

Earlier this month, Sean McVay pushed back on the notion the Rams would be active buyers. This has been the NFL’s preeminent buyer in recent years, with the McVay seasons involving the Rams trading for Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Austin Corbett and Dante Fowler. While Los Angeles probably is not preparing any two-first-rounder offers this season (after the Panthers turned down that monster proposal for Brian Burns in 2022), Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes the Rams are “definitely” looking around for potential help.

With the Rams trading Ramsey and gutting their defense, they were more likely to be sellers at the deadline. But the team is 3-4, after a controversial loss to the Steelers, and has not looked like a club going through a rebuild. Each of L.A.’s losses has come by 10 points or less. The Rams should not be ruled out from asking about Burns again, per Robinson, with the price likely not at two first-rounders again. It would still surprise if the Rams parted with a first-round pick for Burns, seeing as they finally are set to enter a draft with a Round 1 pick. L.A. has not made a first-round pick since Jared Goff in 2016.

With the deadline at 3pm on Oct. 31, here is the latest from the trade front:

  • The Panthers have received calls on Burns, but the interest does not seem to be where it was a year ago. The fifth-year pass rusher is in line for a high-end extension, which will affect his trade price tag. Carolina may now be showing the same resistance it did at the 2022 deadline, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano noting the team is informing others Burns is not available. A recent report suggested the value gap between Burns and the Panthers could lead to the team reopening the door on a trade, and a new defensive staff is in place. Then again, Burns has played for five HCs (counting the two interim bosses) and has continued to produce.
  • Sitting at 4-2 after two close wins, the Browns have gotten here despite Deshaun Watson‘s nagging shoulder injury. They have been linked to being both buyers and sellers, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the team is believed to be interested in adding a wide receiver and an offensive lineman (subscription required). Cleveland was fairly aggressive on the receiver front this offseason, trading for Elijah Moore, drafting Cedric Tillman in Round 3 and signing Marquise Goodwin. Contract-year target Donovan Peoples-Jones has disappointed, however, sitting on 97 receiving yards in six games. Only Amari Cooper resides as a particularly imposing threat. Up front, the Browns lost right tackle Jack Conklin for the season. Joel Bitonio also missed a game for the first time in seven years, though the All-Pro guard returned for Week 7.
  • Also in the mix for a potential receiver add: the Saints. New Orleans is monitoring the wideout market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The Saints have seen Michael Thomas stay on the field for an extended stretch for the first time since 2019, and Rashid Shaheed has taken steps in his second season. No. 1 target Chris Olave has not yet built on his rookie-year showing, but he is still on pace for a 1,000-yard season. This trio’s presence makes New Orleans’ prospective receiver push a bit interesting. Hunter Renfrow would come to mind as an obvious fit, given his production with Derek Carr in the past. The Raiders are open to moving the $16MM-per-year slot, who has fallen out of favor in Josh McDaniels‘ offense. While it does not seem like it would take much to land Renfrow, the Raiders are also not eager to eat any of the fifth-year target’s prorated $10.82MM salary.
  • The Buccaneers should be expected to look into adding a running back before the deadline, Graziano adds. While Tampa Bay was linked to an outside RB pursuit this offseason, the team stood down. Its recommitment to Rachaad White has produced a negligible improvement. After a last-place 2022 rushing ranking, Tampa Bay sits 29th entering Week 8.

Bucs Activate Chase Edmonds From IR

OCTOBER 25: Edmonds will come off IR ahead of Thursday night’s Bills matchup, the Bucs announced. The passing-down back will make a quick return from an MCL sprain, missing the minimum four games. Edmonds will be Tampa Bay’s first IR activation this season. To make room on their 53-man roster, the Bucs waived cornerback Derrek Pitts.

OCTOBER 23: The Buccaneers have struggled in the run game this year, but reinforcements in the backfield could be coming soon. Chase Edmonds was designated for return from injured reserve, the team announced on Monday.

The move opens Edmonds’ 21-day practice window. He must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. With Tampa Bay set to play on Thursday night, however, it will be interesting to see if he is brought back in time for Week 8.

Edmonds suffered an MCL sprain in Week 2, and he has been sidelined ever since. His IR stint forced him to miss a minimum of four games, and his absence has left the Buccaneers without an experienced option in the backfield. Edmonds, 27, has played 72 games in his career, one which included time in Arizona, Miami and Denver prior to this season.

The Buccaneers signed the former fourth-rounder to a league minimum deal after he was released by the Broncos, giving him the opportunity to carve out a role in a Tampa backfield which faced plenty question marks entering the season. Improving the ground game was a source for improvement compared to last season, but so far the Bucs rank 29th in the league with an average of just under 78 rushing yards per game. 2022 third-rounder Rachaad White comfortably leads the team in rushing, 234 yards ahead of the next-closest running back (Ke’Shawn Vaughn).

Bringing back Edmonds – who received only two touches in each of his games this season – will use the first of Tampa Bay’s eight allocated IR activations. He will aim to give the team another option in the running game, an area of the offense which, like in 2022, still has plenty of room for improvement.

Bucs Considered Drew Lock In Free Agency

During the 2022 offseason, Drew Lock competed with Geno Smith for the Seahawks’ starting job. That months-long battle ended up swinging decisively for Smith, who has made one of the more surprising re-emergences in recent NFL history. But Lock showed enough for the Seahawks to keep him around for a second season.

Lock also made an impression on his 2022 quarterbacks coach. After hiring Dave Canales as offensive coordinator, the Buccaneers looked into Lock as a possible starter option, Jason Licht said (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). The Bucs’ eventual solution as a cheap Tom Brady successor — Baker Mayfield — did not require more money to sign compared to Lock.

While Mayfield has shown early-season indications of a comeback, he is only attached to a one-year deal worth $4MM. Those are the terms Lock agreed to upon re-signing with Seattle, though Mayfield received more guaranteed money. Lock receiving only $1.75MM guaranteed is a moot point now, as both vested veterans’ $4MM salaries are locked in. But it does illustrate both where Mayfield’s value checked in after a rough 2022 and the Bucs’ limitations in the wake of Brady’s void-years bill hitting.

Brady’s three-year Tampa Bay tenure ending led to a $35.1MM dead-money hit due to the void years the Bucs tacked onto the legendary quarterback’s contract. Brady’s retirement pushed the Bucs into Saints-level cap territory, with the team more than $50MM over the 2023 salary ceiling in February. Although the Bucs carved out enough cap room — via cuts and restructures — to re-sign Jamel Dean and Lavonte David, they did not intend to venture into the QB market’s deeper waters. This ruled out a genuine pursuit of Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo, but Fowler adds the Bucs did zero in on free agents due to a belief they were not in position to land a top QB prospect and that 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask could not simply be handed the job. Jacoby Brissett and another Blaine Gabbert deal were in play for the Bucs.

A 2019 second-round pick, Lock has thrown six passes as a Seahawk. Smith’s early-30s return to relevancy relegated Lock, 26, to QB2 certainty. Lock has been a backup since the Broncos traded for Teddy Bridgewater in 2021. An uneven 2020 season cost Lock his shot as a potential long-term Denver starter, and the Broncos saw their fortunes crater when Lock needed to replace Bridgewater — who had suffered a second concussion — in December 2021. Losing narrowly to the Bengals after Bridgewater’s injury, the Broncos dropped their final three with Lock back at the helm and opted to include him in the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade.

As Lock remains Smith’s backup, Mayfield will attempt a Smith-like recovery. Although Mayfield has more early-career promise to hang his hat on compared to Smith, having piloted the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 seasons, he ranked last in QBR in 2022 and did not draw much starter interest this offseason. The Ravens discussed a deal with Mayfield as a Lamar Jackson backup, but the former No. 1 overall pick signed with the Bucs and beat out Trask late in the preseason.

Through four games in Canales’ offense, Mayfield ranks sixth in QBR and is completing 69.6% of his passes while having thrown seven touchdowns to two interceptions. The trade to the Panthers was billed as Mayfield’s value-reestablishing opportunity, but his stock tumbled further in Carolina. Multiple ex-Panthers staffers viewed Mayfield’s July arrival — after Carolina and Cleveland haggled for months over terms of the trade — as a key reason for the struggles, Fowler adds.

That situation helped lead to Mayfield being in the Bucs’ price range. He will attempt to use this season as a path toward a lucrative Bucs extension or a Smith- or Garoppolo-like free agency accord in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/23

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves ahead of tomorrow’s slate of Week 4 games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Walker’s elevation comes amidst a degree of uncertainty regarding Deshaun Watson‘s Sunday availability. The latter is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he has expressed confidence he will be able to suit up. In the event he is unable to play, though, Walker will provide insurance under center. NFL Network’s James Palmer reports Watson will be a game-time decision.

Chosen, formerly Robbie Anderson, made his Dolphins debut in Week 3, scoring a 68-yard touchdown on his only catch. His performance – along with other depth wideouts currently being sidelined for Miami – will give the 30-year-old a longer look with his new team.

Gore’s elevation will give him the chance to see regular season game action for the first time since 2021. The former UDFA recorded 361 scrimmage yards with the Chiefs that season, but a subsequent IR stint marked the end of his time in Kansas City. Gore has since spent time on the Saints’, and now Commanders’, taxi squads. Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes that fellow depth back Chris Rodriguez has bee ruled out with an illness, opening the door to Gore seeing limited snaps.

NFL Workouts: Jackson, Austin, Jones, Smith

Veteran cornerback William Jackson continues his NFL tour in an attempt to return to the league this season. Since getting cut by the Steelers at the start of the offseason, Jackson has already auditioned for three teams without a signing. He will hope to break that trend after working out with the Buccaneers today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Jackson met with the cornerback-needy Ravens and the Giants in the offseason but left both Baltimore and New York without a contract. A week ago, Jackson made his way to Philadelphia in an attempt to help the Eagles replace the production of an injured Avonte Maddox, but he remains a free agent to this day.

His most recent trip to Tampa Bay is now an attempt to help provide the Buccaneers with some depth at the cornerback position as starter Carlton Davis continues to deal with a toe injury. Davis has only missed the last two games, but with his reputation for not ever playing a full season, it’s smart for Tampa Bay to be a bit cautious.

Here are a few other workouts reported from around the league:

  • The Seahawks haven’t reported any injuries to their receiving corps, despite D.K. Metcalf spending most of last week on the sidelines during practices, yet they hosted veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin yesterday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Austin hasn’t played in the NFL since his 2021 stint with the Jaguars. He spent part of 2022 in Buffalo but was released before seeing the field. He worked out for Baltimore a couple weeks after being let go but has been a free agent ever since.
  • Yates also reports that running back Ronald Jones was hosted by the Colts yesterday. The former second-round pick has struggled to find his place in the NFL since playing out his rookie contract in Tampa Bay. He signed his first free agent contract with the Chiefs, but after finding himself buried on the depth chart behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, and Isiah Pacheco, Jones stated he wanted a release. He would finish the season with Kansas City, only appearing in six games but earning a Super Bowl ring. He signed in the offseason with the Cowboys but was released just over a week ago. Indianapolis may be willing to bring Jones in as reports continue to suggest that running back Jonathan Taylor doesn’t want to stay with the team upon his return from the physically unable to perform list.
  • The Broncos are finally getting wide receiver Jerry Jeudy going this season, but the team still decided to kick the tires on newly available free agent Tre’Quan Smith, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Smith was recently released by his team of the last five years in New Orleans. Smith has yet to make his 2023 debut after starting the season on injured reserve, and with the emergence of young stars like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed and the return of Michael Thomas, it was hard to envision where Smith would fit into the offense moving forward. Smith was soon going to be able to return from IR, so there’s a chance he can make an immediate return if he signs a new contract soon.