The timing of the NFL’s big roster cutdown deadline and the airing of the final two episodes of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ makes it a tad awkward as far as storytelling is concerned. We already know which players make the 53-man rosters for all 32 teams.

The latest episode of ‘Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears’ that aired Tuesday night gave viewers a personalized look at the players on the roster fringes struggling to stick with the team for the regular season. These players reside among that multifarious collection of hopefuls — mostly third-day draft picks, undrafted rookies, former practice squad players and future UFL possibilities — that exist almost exclusively in the wilderness that is roster spots Nos. 54-90 in an NFL team’s training camp assemblage.

A lot of hopes and dreams are dashed when teams lay waste to their bloated offseason/training camp rosters on cutdown day. These are the Chicago Bears players (and their now-known cutdown day fates) who were featured in Tuesday’s penultimate episode of the 2024 training camp/preseason edition of ‘Hard Knocks’:

Quarterback Austin Reed: Cut

As an undrafted rookie, Reed faced an uphill climb to make the Bears’ regular-season roster. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent were set as QB1 and QB2. Veteran backup Brett Rypien appeared to be penciled into the third spot on the depth chart, but he also was released on Tuesday.

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It’s never a good sign when a player who is not an established starter is not getting preseason playing time. This was the case with Reed, who played sparingly in the Bears’ first two preseason games (though, to be fair, his first appearance in the Hall of Fame Game was cut short due to inclement weather) and did not appear in the Bears’ third preseason game.

Reed did get to play the entire second half last Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs, and played well, completing 8 of 10 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. After helping the Bears complete an undefeated preseason (in four games, no less!), Reed gave his teammates an inspiring speech.

‘Hey, we talk about legendary teams,’ Reed said. ‘We talk about the Patriots. We talk about the Legion of Boom. We talk about the ’85 Bears. Then they are going to be talking about the ’24 preseason Bears for the rest of our lives.’

Reed always will have this undefeated preseason — which was meticulously documented by NFL Films and HBO — as he heads into the pro football unknown.

PREVIOUSLY ON ‘HARD KNOCKS’: Caleb Williams’ QB1 evolution continues

HARD KNOCKS: 19 most memorable moments through the years

Running back Velus Jones Jr.: Made the team

Jones is attempting to make the switch from wide receiver to running back (though he’s still listed as a WR on the team’s depth chart). He had a huge game against the Chiefs, rushing for 111 yards on 13 carries, including a 39-yard touchdown. Jones brings game-breaking speed to the field, but how much of it he sees on a suddenly talented Bears offense will remain to be seen.

Running back Ian Wheeler: Placed on IR

This was a real bummer to follow on this week’s ‘Hard Knocks’ knowing what happened to Wheeler in the preseason finale.

This week, NFL Films cameras spend a lot of time with the undrafted rookie Wheeler — who is putting medical school on hold to pursue his NFL dream — showing his ups and downs from training camp and the extensive coaching he received from running backs coach Chad Morton and assistant running backs coach Jennifer King.

Wheeler nearly had a long touchdown reception against the Chiefs, but the play was called back after an illegal forward pass penalty on Rypien. Later, Wheeler is injured on a run, limps off the field and then heads off to the locker room. The whole sequence also is shown from the viewpoint of Wheeler’s mon, Beaura Wheeler, making it a heart-wrenching experience.

‘I’m crushed,’ Morton says after hearing news that Wheeler suffered a major knee injury.

Wheeler’s torn ACL landed him on injured reserve, meaning he will miss the entire 2024 NFL season.

Defensive back Adrian Colbert: Cut

Colbert is a well-traveled veteran player who entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. Since then, he has been with nine other NFL teams. He joined the Bears in 2022, appearing in two games that season before missing 2023 while on injured reserve.

Fast forward to the preseason game against the Chiefs. Colbert was on the wrong end of a missed tackle on running back Carson Steele, who went on a long touchdown run. Later, Colbert breaks up a long pass attempt from quarterback Chris Oladokun to receiver Kadarius Toney (turns out, all three players from that sequence were released Tuesday). Later, a hit by Colbert on Oladokun forces a pick six by Reddy Steward.

In a memorable scene, ‘Hard Knocks’ juxtaposed Colbert’s Zen-like pregame ritual involving sound bowls alongside the testosterone-infused, hyper-machismo environs of an arm wrestling contest involving Travis Bagent, the father of the Bears’ backup QB. Travis emerged victorious.

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NEW YORK – By the end, there wasn’t much left of Dan Evans. As best as he could recall, he had never played 5½ hours of tennis in a single day ever – even over two practices.

But there he was in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday, facing No. 23 seed Karen Khachanov on Court 6 in the heat of the afternoon, somehow pushing past the pain he was feeling all over his body.

The good news for Evans was that Khachanov seemed to be struggling just as much. And at 4-4 in the fifth set, Evans started to find some openings, lacing winners and eventually pulling away for a wild 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory that ended after 5 hours, 35 minutes.

It was the longest match ever played at the US Open, eclipsing Stefan Edberg’s and Michael Chang’s 5 hour, 26 minute battle in the 1992 semifinals.  

“It’s very easy to lose focus being tired,” the 34-year-old British veteran said. “I think I did a bit, but I just carried on fighting. It wasn’t massive, extravagant shotmaking. It might have looked like that, but he wasn’t covering too much of the court at that point. Big targets sort of got you winners.”

Evans, who won the biggest title of his career just a year ago in Washington, D.C., is down to No. 184 in the rankings. He’s struggled with injuries. He came into the US Open with a 4-17 record. His chances of competing regularly on the ATP Tour were slipping away.

One win doesn’t totally reverse that, but coming back from a 4-0 deficit in the fifth set is a massive result for a player who really needed one.  

“Just trying to scrape, little by little, each point I was obviously really struggling with my legs,” Evans said. “When you’re a kid you’re just told to fight ‘til the end. That’s sort of Rule 1, and I did that pretty consistently throughout my career and it sort of paid off a bit today. I’m immensely proud I come through the match. I think that’s the overriding feeling more than anything.”

Here are the other storylines you might have missed from Day 2 of the US Open:

Biggest upset

Perhaps not the most seismic of results, but it was nonetheless surprising to see No. 11 seed Danielle Collins get knocked out by fellow American Caroline Dolehide. After winning the first set comfortably, Collins just couldn’t sustain her level and Dolehide played better on the big points to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. After the match, Collins refused a bouquet of flowers from tournament director Stacey Allaster that was supposed to be presented in honor of her upcoming retirement. Collins said she didn’t want the attention.

“I’m not great about having an all-about-me moment,” she said.

Biggest no-show

This award can be split between the two most prominent Canadian men, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won a combined 21 games and zero sets Tuesday.

Auger-Aliassime, the No. 19 seed and semifinalist here three years ago, wasn’t competitive against Jakub Mensik, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. And Shapovalov, a former top-10 player who has been in a miserable slump and is now ranked No. 105, lost to Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

The good news for Canada is that 22-year-old Gabriel Diallo, a 6-foot-8 Montreal native who played college tennis at Kentucky, got his first Grand Slam win. After coming through the qualifying draw, Diallo beat Jaume Munar 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Best losing effort

Give a hand to Li Tu, the Australian qualifier ranked No. 186 who threw a little bit of a scare into No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz. Though Alcaraz eventually pulled away comfortably, Tu managed to take advantage of some Alcaraz sloppiness to win the second set and make the third competitive for a little while.

For a 28-year-old who had a 1-7 career record at the ATP level, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 score line doesn’t look so bad.

Toughest goodbye

Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open champion, has made no announcement about a potential retirement. But realistically at age 39, and with his ranking having slipped to No. 176, Tuesday’s straight sets loss to Mattia Bellucci was probably the last time he’ll play in this event.

Wawrinka was given a wild card this year and deserved one, despite his struggles lately. He has had an iconic career, beating Novak Djokovic in two Grand Slam finals and Rafael Nadal in another. But it might be hard to justify another wild card as he hits age 40.

Potential breakout star

Arthur Fils is a charismatic 20-year-old who is built like a tank, possesses massive weapons with his serve and forehand and plays with a classic French flair. He’s a perfect candidate to become a fan favorite in New York and said he was shocked at the crowd support he got Tuesday as he beat 18-year-old American Learner Tien, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“Honestly, I was feeling almost at home today,” he said. “I was playing against an American, but the crowd was good for me.”

Seeded 24th, Fils has progressed quickly with two ATP titles under his belt already. He’s still a bit erratic, but he’s got a big game that could bring him to the top 10 or better if he keeps refining his skills. And he’s always going to show up to a tournament with a good looking haircut because he often travels with one of his best friends, who happens to be a barber. American Ben Shelton told tennis analyst Blair Henley that he also used the services of Fils’ friend before the US Open.

“It’s nice to get a fresh cut before tournaments,” Fils said.

Best upcoming anniversary

We’re only a couple days away from the five-year anniversary of an iconic tennis moment: Yes, we’re talking about Daniil Medvedev trolling the US Open crowd after he beat Feliciano Lopez under a chorus of booing.

On Aug. 30, 2019, Medvedev was an unknown quantity. Though he had just won Cincinnati, he was still largely anonymous to casual tennis fans. But when Medvedev grabbed the microphone in the post-match interview, that all changed. Practically begging for more boos, he turned wrestling heel: “I want all of you to know when you sleep tonight, I won because of you.”

Ever since, the affable Russian has had a love-hate – but mostly love – relationship with the New York crowd, minted by his surprise run to the final that year and his title in 2021.

Reminded Tuesday that it was about to be the five-year anniversary of that moment, Medvedev said it’s something worthy of celebration.

“To be honest, there are some things in my career I’m not happy of,” Medvedev said. “But this interview was probably my best ever. So if people want to celebrate, I’m there for it.”

Shaking off a minor injury scare to lead her team to another victory, rookie Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever won’t have much time to rest as they return home for their next game.

The Fever (14-16) improved their playoff hopes considerably with Monday night’s 84-79 win in Atlanta, solidifying their hold on the No. 7 spot and keeping the Dream on the outside looking in.

Clark sat out part of the first quarter after she rolled her ankle, but returned to spark her team to victory.

Up next, however, is a much tougher test against the powerful Connecticut Sun (22-7), led by five-time WNBA All-Star and last season’s MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas.

When is Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun game?

Date: Wednesday, August 28
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Indiana

How to watch Caitlin Clark and Fever vs. Sun

TV: NBA TV

In addition to local TV markets, the Fever-Lynx game will also be available on demand upon its conclusion on WNBA League Pass. Fans can get the WNBA League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.

Caitlin Clark stats last game

Against the Dream, Clark scored 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. She also pulled down seven rebounds, and recorded seven assists, two steals, one block and two turnovers. She now has 85 made 3-pointers in her rookie season, tying Dream guard and 2022 first overall pick Rhyne Howard for most 3-pointers by a rookie. 

The two companies are negotiating a new content carriage contract and the inability to reach an agreement could result in ESPN and the Disney Channel going dark in millions of homes come Sept. 1.

The talks come as ESPN prepares for the college football season. The network’s broadcasts include USC vs. LSU at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1, and Boston College vs. Florida State at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2. A full slate of games the next week includes Texas vs. Michigan on Sept. 7.

The NFL season begins next week, too, and ESPN Monday Night Football kicks off on Sept. 9, with the New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers.

Other channels that could be lost on DirecTV include ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN News, ACC Network, SEC Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, Freeform, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, and BabyTV, noted Phil Swann, publisher of The TV Answer Man website.

DirecTV wants to offer ‘smaller, more tailored’ TV packages

These negotiations also take place amid the backdrop of a judge’s issuance of a temporary injunction preventing the launch of Venu, a new sports streaming platform by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, saying the service could cause ‘irreparable harm’ to sports streaming service Fubo and to consumers.

A federal judge said in the order issuing the injunction that Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery ‘for the first time ever’ were giving rights to sports content not bundled with other programming — but were only offering it through their joint venture. 

Most contracts have required pay TV distributors to charge subscribers for all of a content companies’ channels, whether customers watch them or not. For instance, many DirecTV subscribers may watch ESPN, ESPN 2 and other sports channels, but not the Disney Channel or Disney Junior channel – and vice versa.

That Venu development may give DirecTV leverage in seeking some flexibility in how it offers many of Disney’s channels to customers, Bloomberg reported, citing persons familiar with the discussions.

DirecTV also wants to offer ‘smaller, more tailored packages at prices that reflect’ value to consumers, wrote Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, in a blog post last week.

DirecTV’s requirement to include all of a content provider’s channels into its service forces ‘pay TV customers to subscribe to many channels they may not watch, which have yielded ‘fat bundles’,’ Thun wrote. ‘At the same time, programmers have reserved flexible genre-based offerings solely for themselves, eroding the price-value proposition for pay TV customers by shifting the best programming to (their own direct-to-customer streaming) services while raising programming fees on pay TV.’

Pay TV providers vs. media companies – the constant clash

DirecTV and other pay TV providers have lost millions of customers as streaming services have siphoned off subscribers. DirecTV lost an estimated 1.8 million subscribers in 2023, leaving it with an estimated 11.3 million at the year’s end – and down from 16 million subscribers at the end of 2019, according to the Leichtman Research Group.

‘The pay TV industry, which has lost millions of subscribers in the last decade to cord-cutting, is seeking to reinvent the program bundle to attract cost-conscious consumers who have turned to streaming,’ Swann said. ‘Disney and other networks have been resistant because fewer subscribers to their channels means fewer carriage fees.’

An impasse between Disney and DirecTV could affect the DirecTV Stream streaming service and U-Verse TV and result in the removal of Disney-owned local networks such as ABC7 Chicago, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 San Francisco, ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, ABC13 Houston, and ABC30 Fresno, Swann said.

A carriage dispute between Disney and Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum Cable, led to a nearly two-week blackout at about this time last year.

Five years ago, Disney and DirecTV had a ‘heated negotiation’ before signing the deal that expires Sept. 1, wrote John Ourand on the journalism site Puck.com.

‘With Venu up in the air, pretty much all of (Warner Bros. Discovery), Disney, and Fox’s dealings with distributors will take on a new flavor,’ he wrote.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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NEW YORK – Naomi Osaka is just 26 years old, yet we’ve already seen her in three distinct versions of her life.

The world wrapped its arms around Naomi 1.0, having never seen anything like her: Awkward but unflappable, a complete killer on court who was almost apologetic about how good she could hit a tennis ball.

The world didn’t know what to do with Naomi 2.0, a grown woman discovering her true self, leaning into social justice, but also struggling with her mental health and rebelling against the price of her fame.

And now it almost feels like the world has forgotten about Naomi 3.0 for one simple reason: After giving birth to a baby girl, she hasn’t won as many matches as she used to.

But that’s a mistake. Because even if Osaka never wins another Grand Slam title, even if she never wins another match, we’re getting the best version there’s ever been. We’re getting the version of Osaka that is playing tennis not because she needs to, but because she loves to. We’re getting the version that understands process is more important than results and isn’t spiraling into depression if things don’t go her way. We’re getting the version who is showing us just how much she appreciates the path she’s been on, no matter the wins or losses.

That journey hit a milestone on Tuesday when Osaka returned to the US Open and knocked out No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2, with the kind of pinpoint power tennis she frequently played while collecting four Grand Slam titles between 2018 and 2021.

“Like, I really respect her as a player, so I knew I had to play very well from the very first point, so I just tried to do that,” Osaka said in her familiarly understated yet bubbly speaking style.

Of course, it was apparent that what she did Tuesday meant a whole lot more than that. After match point, Osaka closed her eyes and turned her face to the sky. She took a deep breath as the tears started forming. And after the standard handshake and acknowledgement of the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium, she buried her head in a towel and cried.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to play again at this level,” Osaka said, bottom-lining why this experience was so emotional for a player whose tears in the past have rarely come after wins.

It’s easy to understand why.

Just a couple months after giving birth last year, Osaka came to the US Open to participate in a mental health forum and was in Arthur Ashe Stadium watching Coco Gauff play in the semifinals. As she watched that match, it both inspired and frightened her.

Though Osaka had always planned to play tennis again after her pregnancy, there was no way to know for sure whether a comeback would succeed. How would her body respond? As a new mother who had already accomplished so much in the sport, would she be up for the day-in, day-out grind it takes to compete? Would the hunger still be there after accomplishing so much in the sport? How would her game stack up two years later in a sport where things move quickly and the field only gets stronger?

In a sense, those concerns were realized almost as soon as she came back this January in Australia. If you took away the name Naomi Osaka, she was just another player: Win one here, lose one there, never really sustaining any momentum from one tournament to the next. Making a quarterfinal or even a round of 16 looked like a really good week. In fact, by the time Osaka got to Cincinnati a couple weeks ago, her ranking of No. 90 wasn’t even good enough to automatically get her into the main draw so she played the qualifying tournament – and lost in the second round.

But here’s the thing: At least she played. More important, she kept on playing every chance she got, even when – in her words – the results weren’t resulting.

Naomi 2.0, the version who felt so much pressure to be perfect, might have just withdrawn from all of it. Naomi 3.0 only wants more.

“I’m really glad I played all the tournaments this year even though the results haven’t been that great,” she said. “I feel like I could draw from each of those matches. Even though I lost in the qualies of Cincy, I gained confidence in myself in a weird way because that was like the worst possible outcome of my career. But it’s been so much hard work, so many dreams and wishes, and I hope I can continue. But as of right now I am really happy with how I played today.”

No need to make one match more than it is. No need to say right now that beating Ostapenko and playing an incredibly clean match is some kind of breakthrough. Osaka will play Karolina Muchova in the second round – the player she was watching Gauff compete against in last year’s semifinals – and it may turn out to be one more small step back before the season ends. Or maybe the floodgates will open and Osaka gets primed for a deep run here. Time will tell.

But here’s the really interesting thing about Osaka’s comeback. Despite just an 18-16 record on the year, her best matches have been against the best players. She was inches away from beating four-time champion Iga Swiatek in the second round of the French Open. She went toe-to-toe with recent Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen on grass in July, losing a tough three-setter. She’s had wins over No. 12 Daria Kasatkina and No. 22 Elena Svitolina, now adding her first top-10 win in four years.

“I’m not sure if it’s motivation or I feel like I have no other choice but to play well,” Osaka said. “It gets rid of all the expectations and the pressure I put on myself because no matter what, the tennis is going to be great tennis whether I win or lose. So that’s my mindset when I play seeded players or really good players.”

It shows there’s still something in there, some burning ember of the player she used to be just waiting to be lit aflame once again.

It’s too soon to say whether Naomi 3.0 can become a Grand Slam champion, but this version is going to be a lot more fun to watch — and a whole lot kinder to herself.

Decision day has officially come and gone in the NFL.

By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, all 32 teams had to reduce their rosters to 53 players. The cutdown deadline surely prove painful for many throughout the league, as long-shot rookies and established veterans were dealt significant setbacks as they try to keep pushing for their football futures. But for others, the day might serve as the realization of a dream after they were included on an initial active roster.

Here’s a full rundown of many of the notable moves that were made throughout the day leading up to the deadline:

Broncos roster cuts: Tim Patrick, Samaje Perine both dropped

No trades materialized for the Denver Broncos leading into the roster cut deadline, leaving the team to cut wide receiver Tim Patrick and running back Samaje Perine outright.

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Patrick, 30, had been trying to make his way back after suffering season-ending injuries in each of the last two summers. Perine averaged 4.5 yards per carry and had 50 catches last season but was stuck behind Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime in the backfield.

Vikings roster cuts: Minnesota moves on from former first-rounder

Lewis Cine’s disappointing run with the Minnesota Vikings has come to an end.

The safety, who was a 2022 first-round pick out of Georgia, was waived by the team on Tuesday.

Cine suffered a fractured leg in his rookie campaign and logged just 10 defensive snaps in his first two seasons.

He is the second top pick from the Vikings’ 2022 NFL draft class to be sent out of Minnesota before the end of his rookie contract. The team traded second-round cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys earlier in August in exchange for cornerback Nahshon Wright, who was also waived on Tuesday.

Packers roster cuts: RB AJ Dillon out for season

The most notable roster move for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday might not have been a cut.

Running back AJ Dillon was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, ending his season.

Dillon suffered a stinger during a joint practice with the Denver Broncos. Now, after re-signing with the Packers on a one-year deal in March, he will sit out all of 2024.

Third-round running back MarShawn Lloyd won’t start the season on injured reserve after recovering from a hamstring injury, however, and is positioned to help spell Josh Jacobs.

Cowboys roster cuts: Deuce Vaughn is safe

One of the most fascinating Day 3 figures from the 2023 NFL draft is staying with his team heading into his second season.

Running back Deuce Vaughn was not among the Dallas Cowboys’ cuts on Tuesday.

Vaughn, the 5-5 former Kansas State standout who is also the son of Cowboys assistant director of college scouting Chris Vaughn, will get a chance to make his mark in Dallas’ backfield after logging just 23 carries for 40 yards as a rookie.

Falcons roster cuts: Taylor Heinicke in, Kevin King out

The Atlanta Falcons won’t be shaking up their quarterback outlook any further for the time being, as the team is keeping Taylor Heinicke as the third-stringer behind Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.

Heinicke’s standing looked to be in question this summer after the arrivals of the veteran Cousins and No. 8 overall pick Penix, as he said in late July he ‘could kind of see the writing on the wall.’ But the seventh-year veteran will get a second season with Atlanta.

Not in the Falcons’ immediate plans, however, is cornerback Kevin King. The former second-round pick and Green Bay Packers starter was trying to make it back to the field for the first time since 2021, but the team opted to release him.

Chargers roster cuts: Tony Jefferson, Brenden Rice both make it through

Two of the more high-profile figures on the roster bubble for the Los Angeles Chargers have made it through to the initial 53-man group.

Veteran safety Tony Jefferson was not among the cuts Tuesday, setting him up to launch his comeback with Jim Harbaugh. The former Baltimore Ravens standout – who retired in 2023 and was a scouting intern for the organization – made a strong impression in his final preseason outing, recording two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble against the Dallas Cowboys.

Seventh-round wide receiver Brenden Rice also is on the roster. The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was trying to make a name for himself in camp after lasting longer than many expected in the draft.

“There’s always going to be pressure, no matter what, to play in the NFL,” Jerry Rice told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell this summer. “But he tries to be himself and knows it’s not about what his dad did.”

Browns roster cuts: D’Onta Foreman out, 4 QBs make 53-man group – for now

The Cleveland Browns have gained some clarity in their backfield at the roster cut deadline.

Running back D’Onta Foreman is being cut, among multiple reports. Foreman was signed this offseason for additional depth as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his season-ending knee injury. With Chubb beginning the year on the physically unable to perform list and Foreman now out, the only two running backs on Cleveland’s active roster are Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.

Meanwhile, the Browns are carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster: Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley. The latter two could be candidates to be traded, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported.

Second-round rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. was officially placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after his arrest on a domestic violence charge.

Eagles move on from speedy receiver

After landing one dynamic slot target in Jahan Dotson, the Philadelphia Eagles are moving on from another.

The team is releasing wide receiver Parris Campbell, according to multiple reports.

Campbell had been considered the early front-runner for the No. 3 receiver job behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. But the receiver, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, was sidelined by a groin injury in training camp. Then, the Eagles acquired Dotson, the Washington Commanders’ former first-round receiver.

Seahawks dropping former second-round pick

The Seattle Seahawks are releasing wide receiver Dee Eskridge, according to multiple reports.

Eskridge was a 2021 second-round selection out of Western Michigan. Injuries and a six-game personal conduct suspension last year, however, have resulted in him seldom seeing the field.

He made a late push for a roster spot with his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in the preseason finale, but the Seahawks – operating under first-year coach Mike Macdonald and a new offense orchestrated by Ryan Grubb – opted to move on.

Rams trade team captain, key starter to Titans

In a year in which the Los Angeles Rams’ defense must replace all-time great defensive tackle Aaron Donald, more changes are still ahead.

The Rams are trading starting inside linebacker and team captain Ernest Jones IV to the Tennessee Titans, according to multiple reports. Los Angeles will receive a 2026 fifth-round pick while sending back a 2026 fifth-round pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Word first leaked Sunday about the Rams allowing Jones to seek a trade. The linebacker, however, said he had not requested a trade even as he entered the final year of his contract making just $3.16 million in base salary.

A third-round pick out of South Carolina in 2022, Jones became a key piece of the Rams’ defense, starting 33 games in the last three years.

In Tennessee, he’ll join a defense that has welcomed a number of notable acquisitions this offseason, including cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie as well as safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams.

Chiefs call it quits with Kadarius Toney

After a disappointing and error-filled 2023 campaign, Kadarius Toney’s time with the Kansas City Chiefs is over.

The team is waiving the wide receiver, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

After catching a touchdown and reeling off a 65-yard punt return in Super Bowl 57, Toney was expected to play a leading role in the Chiefs’ title repeat bid as part of a new-look receiving corps. But he played a central and infamous role in two of the team’s most prominent losses, as he earned ridicule for a series of drops in the opener against the Detroit Lions and then lined up offsides on a play that negated what would have been the go-ahead touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.

Toney was inactive for the team’s final seven games last season.

Though the Chiefs completed their Super Bowl repeat push, the team still pursued a significant shake-up at receiver this offseason. Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown was signed in free agency, while speedster Xavier Worthy was selected in the first round. The team also on Monday brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster, who spent one year with the New England Patriots after recording 78 catches and 933 receiving yards for Kansas City in 2022.

Justyn Ross is also out at receiver for the Chiefs.

Packers’ backup QB shuffle continues

After acquiring Malik Willis in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, the Green Bay Packers completed the reconfiguration of their quarterback room by waiving Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Clifford, a fifth-round draft pick out of Penn State in 2023, served as Jordan Love’s backup last season. But the Packers opted to turn to Willis, a third-round pick out of Liberty in 2022, as their new No. 2. Pratt, a seventh-round rookie from Tulane, also will not make the active roster, though Green Bay could bring one of the two passers back on the practice squad.

QB Desmond Ridder out in Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals appear to have made their backup quarterback decision.

Clayton Tune is set to be the No. 2 behind Kyler Murray, as multiple reports indicate Desmond Ridder has been cut.

Ridder arrived in March after the Cardinals traded wide receiver Rondale Moore to the Atlanta Falcons to acquire the signal-caller, who started 13 games for the team last season before being benched for good. But after a training camp and preseason competition, it was Tune, the 2023 fifth-round pick out of Houston, who came out ahead.

Jaguars roster cuts: QB C.J. Beathard released

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 53-man roster is now set.

The team made official its full set of cuts by Tuesday afternoon. Among the notable moves was the release of backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, who injured his groin in a preseason contest. With Mac Jones on board behind Trevor Lawrence, Beathard was unable to retain the No. 2 job he held in Jacksonville for the previous three seasons.

Panthers continue receiver shake-up by dropping Marshall

The Carolina Panthers’ remade receiving corps won’t include Terrace Marshall Jr.

The 2021 second-round pick out of LSU is being cut, according to multiple reports.

Marshall made his mark early in his career as a deep threat, averaging 17.5 yards per catch in 2022. But he struggled with drops and inconsistency amid the Panthers’ larger offensive issues last season and notched just 19 catches for 139 yards.

While first-year coach Dave Canales praised Marshall throughout training camp, the Panthers had most of their primary pass catchers in place after adding Diontae Johnson and first-round rookie Xavier Legette to a group that included Adam Thielen and 2023 second-round pick Jonathan Mingo.

Patriots send struggling kicker packing

The New England Patriots are moving on from Chad Ryland, releasing the kicker just one year after Bill Belichick selected him in the fourth round.

The Maryland product struggled mightily as a rookie, converting just 16 of his 25 field goal attempts. The kicking job now likely belongs to Joey Slye, who was signed in May by New England’s new regime.

Titans parting ways with former first-round pick

More changes are ahead for the Tennessee Titans, who are parting ways with cornerback Caleb Farley.

The Virginia Tech product was the No. 22 overall pick in 2021, but injuries limited him to just two starts in his first two seasons. He sat out all of 2023 after his house exploded, killing his father.

Titans general manager Ran Carthon has remade the team’s secondary this offseason, adding L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie at cornerback along with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams at safety.

Commanders nix WR Martavis Bryant’s comeback attempt

If Martavis Bryant is to earn his first NFL snaps since 2018, he’ll have to do so with a new team.

The Washington Commanders are releasing the wide receiver, according to multiple reports.

Bryant, 32, spent time on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad last season and was looking to become the latest player to follow Dan Quinn to his former rival team. Washington, however, decided to move forward with other options at receiver.

The 6-4, 210-pound Bryant showed promise early in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 50 catches for 765 yards in 11 games during the 2015 season. He was suspended for the entire 2016 campaign for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he was suspended indefinitely in 2018. His ban was not lifted until last November.

Cowboys cut veteran pass rusher

The Dallas Cowboys got a look at Carl Lawson, but they won’t be starting the year off with the veteran pass rusher on the active roster.

The team is releasing Lawson, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported, just 12 days after they agreed to terms with him.

Lawson was brought on late in training camp to provide potential depth on the edge after defensive end Sam Williams, a 2022 second-round pick, suffered a torn ACL. Lawson appeared in just six games with the New York Jets last season but had seven sacks for the team in 2022.

He was one of a few summer additions along the defensive line, as Dallas also traded for Jordan Phillips and signed Linval Joseph to bolster the interior for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Lions’ backup QB battle comes into focus

The Detroit Lions appear to have made up their minds about their initial backup quarterback outlook.

The team is releasing Nate Sudfeld, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported, clearing the way for second-year passer Hendon Hooker to take the job behind starter Jared Goff.

Sudfeld served as Goff’s backup in 2022 but tore his ACL last August. Hooker, a third-round pick out of Tennessee, spent much of his rookie season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered late in his final college season. Now, however, he looks poised to be the No. 2.

Patriots move on from QB Bailey Zappe

The New England Patriots are still figuring out their quarterback picture for the start of the regular season, but Bailey Zappe won’t be part of it – at least on the active roster.

The team is waiving the third-year passer, according to multiple reports.

A fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky in 2022, Zappe started eight games for the Patriots in the last two years. He was cut at last year’s deadline but later returned to the team and started six games in 2023, throwing for 1,272 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

A return to the active roster this season, however, is unlikely, with the team set to roll with veteran Jacoby Brissett, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye and sixth-round developmental passer Joe Milton III.

Texans end trial run with former first-round pick

The Houston Texans are releasing cornerback C.J. Henderson, NBC Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported, ending the team’s experiment with the former first-rounder.

Henderson, who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, signed a one-year deal with the Texans in March after spending the last two and a half seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Houston was looking for reinforcements behind Derek Stingley in the secondary, but the team looks poised to move forward with rookie Kamari Lassiter and potentially another former first-rounder in Jeff Okudah.

Slot cornerback Desmond King II was also released Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Packers make change at kicker

Anders Carlson, a second-year player out of Auburn had a shaky rookie season and appears to have lost out on the battle with veteran Greg Joseph. Carlson, who missed a 32-yard field goal attempt in the last kick of the preseason, made 27 of 33 field goal attempts and 34 of 39 extra point attempts last season. ESPN was the first to report Carlson’s release.

More from Packersnews.com

Which notable players are candidates to be cut?

USA TODAY Sports took a look last week at several key figures on the chopping block. The latest names that could be headed elsewhere include:

Kadarius Toney, WR, Chiefs: His chances to stick with the two-time defending champs already looked iffy, and that was before Kansas City brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday.

Tim Patrick, WR, Broncos: A trade could be in order for a receiver-needy team, but Denver doesn’t plan to move forward with Patrick, per multiple reports, after he suffered two season-ending injuries in the last two summers.

Samaje Perine, RB, Broncos: Another possible player who could be dealt by Denver, Perine averaged 4.5 yards per carry and had 50 catches last season.

Which recognizable players have already been cut?

Jackson Carman, OT, Bengals: The 2021 second-round pick wasn’t able to stick as a backup after a shaky camp and preseason.

Mike White, QB, Dolphins: After apparently losing out to Skylar Thompson in the battle to be Tua Tagovailoa’s backup, White will now try to latch on with another team as a potential No. 2.

Matt Breida, RB, 49ers: Though he rushed for 1,902 yards in three years in his first go-around with the team, Breida’s second stint in the Bay Area was cut short after less than a month.

Keep an eye on quarterback movement

One trade of a triggerman has already happened since the preseason’s completion, the Tennessee Titans shipping Malik Willis to the Green Bay Packers on Monday. Willis leaves a logjam in Nashville and gets a fresh start and opportunity to be Jordan Love’s primary backup with the Pack.

Don’t be surprised to see similar moves Tuesday given the premium on quarterbacks but likelihood many clubs won’t carry more than two on their 53-man rosters. Veterans like the Atlanta Falcons’ Taylor Heinicke or Denver Broncos’ Zach Wilson are the kind of players who might fit the trade bill – veterans with experience but on expiring contracts and no concrete claim on the QB2 role in their current situations.

Prominent players involved in procedural transactions

Releasing, waiving or trading players aren’t the only means to winnow a roster down to 53 players. Quite a few others, many of them stars, will be retained in other categories that will (at least temporarily) exempt them from the 53-man roster. Here are some name players who won’t begin the year on active rosters:

PUP list: Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne (ACL), Dolphins OLB Bradley Chubb (ACL), Browns RB Nick Chubb (knee), Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee), Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (knee), Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell (knee), Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu (ACL), Dolphins OL Isaiah Wynn (quadriceps).

NFI list: Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks (knee).

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When is the NFL’s deadline for roster cuts?

All rosters must be at 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

What happens once the roster deadline passes?

NFL teams have until noon ET on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to claim players who are waived as part of league-wide roster reductions. Once those claims are resolved, clubs will begin filling out their practice squads.

How big are NFL practice squads

Expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, teams are now allowed to carry up to 16 players on the practice squad, which supplements the 53-man roster. Up to 10 players with two or fewer accrued seasons can join a given practice squad while a maximum of six more with an unlimited amount of NFL service are also eligible for spots.

A 17th international player can be added if he meets certain eligibility requirements.