According to sources, the Cincinnati Bengals are intensifying their efforts to sign star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase to a long-term contract extension with just over a week left until the Bengals kick off the regular season with a Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots. Chase did step foot on the practice field last week for a day but has mostly been a hold-in at training camp while he seeks a new deal. A new long-term extension with Chase would be for well above $30 million per season for one of the best pass-catchers in the game. Nothing is imminent yet, but people inside the Bengals building are somewhat optimistic. Negotiations have been more difficult because the three-time Pro Bowler still has two years left on his current deal. Despite the hold-in, Chase should be considered a top-five fantasy wideout and should come off the board in the middle of the first round for those still yet to draft.

From RotoBaller

The Arizona Cardinals have released running back Tony Jones (shoulder) from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Howard Balzer of CardsWire. Jones had injured his shoulder during the final week of the preseason and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. However, now that he was released with a settlement, Jones immediately becomes a free agent and is technically free to sign with any team. Teams will wait until he's fully healthy before making any sort of deal, but at least there's now a chance for him to suit up again this season, rather than spend the whole year sidelined. Jones had 132 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in 2023, and he remains nothing more than a depth piece on NFL rosters. He should be avoided in all fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers have signed free agent running back Jaret Patterson to their practice squad. He had been released from the 53-man roster earlier in the week but is now back in the building. The 24-year-old registered 339 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, but his production has scaled back since then and he didn't even register a touch last year. He's merely a depth option behind the four running backs on the Chargers' active roster and therefore isn't expected to see the field much in 2024.

From RotoBaller

The Carolina Panthers have signed veteran quarterback John Wolford to their practice squad. He had been released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during last week's series of roster cuts. Wolford reunites with Dave Canales, who was his offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay last year and is now the head coach of the Panthers. "John's fantastic. Hands down, the smartest guy in the room," Canales previously said about Wolford. He added, "It's a great feeling for a quarterback coach or an offensive coordinator when you know before the play starts where the ball should go, and it goes there. That's John Wolford. He's just like, 'Alright, so this ball should go to the backline right here, and there it is, bang.' Perfect." Evidently, the Panthers' new head coach has plenty of faith in Wolford and presumably jumped at the opportunity to bring him onto the practice squad when Tampa Bay cut him loose. He'll presumably open 2024 as Carolina's emergency No. 3 quarterback behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton.

From RotoBaller

The New York Giants have re-signed cornerback Adoree' Jackson to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Financial terms were not immediately reported. Jackson had spent the last three seasons with the Giants. Just last year, he racked up 63 tackles, eight passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble. He should start at cornerback alongside Deonte Banks in Week 1, giving New York some extra defensive help as they take on Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster could play in the team's Week 1 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Andy Reid said. Smith-Schuster was signed out of free agency earlier this week, leaving him with around two weeks to get acclimated in the offense before the season kicks off. That's not a lot of time, but nevertheless, Reid is leaving the door open for Smith-Schuster to play. It likely helps that Smith-Schuster played with the Chiefs in 2022, so at least he has some familiarity with the offense.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (knee) may not return to a full workload until the final month of the season, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com.

Fantasy Spin: Chubb is already set to miss the start of the season as he recovers from a knee injury, and depending on how Cleveland's season is going, there may not be a reason to lean too heavily on Chubb at any point.

From TheHuddle

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Ben Skowronek to their practice squad Friday, per Adam Schefter. Skowronek had made waves early on in camp as a part of the Houston Texans but missed time due to a leg injury and was ultimately cut by the team earlier this week. The 27-year-old was never given a full complement of snaps during his three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, though he did perform admirably when given the opportunity. The former seventh-round pick should stand a better chance to crack the Steelers' active roster than he did buried in a deep Houston wide receiver room. With the regular season kicking off in just under a week, Pittsburgh will roll into their road opener against the Atlanta Falcons with George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin III starting at wide receiver. Skowronek does not project to be a viable fantasy option, though this could be a situation to monitor with a thin corps in front of him.

From RotoBaller

Linebacker Tyus Bowser was signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad on Friday and will look to build up to his first in-game action since 2022. Bowser previously spent his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens but was released by the team back in March to free up $5.5 million in salary cap. The 29-year-old was among one of the most versatile linebackers in the league when he was healthy and was a beacon of consistency for the Ravens up until missing eight games in 2022 after a torn Achilles and all of 2023 with a knee injury. He also led Baltimore in sacks with seven in 2021. A former second-round pick, Bowser will reunite with Mike Macdonald in Seattle after playing under him in Macdonald's first year as the Ravens' defensive coordinator. Because Bowser was not on a pre-season roster, being signed to the practice squad will give his body time to reacclimate to football. Look for him to vie for a spot on the active roster.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent CB D.J. James (Seahawks), CB Zech McPhearson (Eagles), CB Damarion Williams (Ravens), CB Kyu Blu Kelly (Commanders), QB Chris Oladokun (Chiefs), S Al Blades Jr. (Jets), WR Alex Erickson (Chargers), CB Eric Garror (Titans), CB Jason Maitre (Dolphins), LB Andrew Parker Jr. (Jaguars), OT Julian Pearl (Ravens), LB Yvandy Rigby (Ravens), WR David Wallis (Patriots) and CB A.J. Woods (Commanders) worked out for the New York Giants Thursday, Aug. 29.

From TheHuddle

Free-agent CB Adoree' Jackson (Giants) agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New York Giants Friday, Aug. 30. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

From TheHuddle

The NFL suspended free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas (knee) for the first week of the 2024 regular season for violating the league's personal-conduct policy related to an incident with a construction worker from last fall. Things continue to get worse for Thomas, who was the best receiver in the NFL as recent as 2019. While it's only a one-game suspension, it's not going to help the 31-year-old veteran's cause as he looks to find a new team for the 2024 season. He was cut by the New Orleans Saints back in March after catching 39 of his 64 targets for 448 yards and just one touchdown. A knee injury limited Thomas to only 10 games (seven starts), and he hasn't played in over 10 games in a season since his All-Pro campaign in 2019. Even if Thomas does land with another team, he will merely be competing for a depth role.

From RotoBaller

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Friday that they re-signed wide receiver Quez Watkins to their practice squad after releasing him earlier this week. Watkins will return to Pittsburgh as extra receiving depth to begin the 2024 campaign behind George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller and rookie Roman Wilson. The fact that the 26-year-old wasn't able to impress the coaching staff enough during training camp and the preseason to win a 53-man roster spot in one of the weakest WR rooms in the league pretty much says all you need to know about Watkins. He was a sixth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 out of Southern Mississippi and racked up 98 receptions on 147 targets for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns in his four years in Philly over 49 games (25 starts). Watkins is well off the fantasy radar for now in Pittsburgh.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers released running back Isaiah Spiller from their practice squad on Friday, according to a source. Spiller missed out on making the 53-man roster out of training camp and has now been pushed off the team entirely after the club claimed RB Hassan Haskins off waivers from the Tennessee Titans earlier this week. The 23-year-old wasn't able to win one of the last RB spots over rookie Kimani Vidal and will now be free to join any team in the league as RB depth. Spiller failed to make an impact with the Bolts after they drafted him in the fourth round (123rd overall) in 2022 out of Texas A&M. In his first two years in the league, he carried the ball 55 times for 137 yards (2.5 yards per carry) and no touchdowns, adding only nine receptions (nine targets) for 47 yards without a touchdown in 15 games (zero starts).

From RotoBaller

The Miami Dolphins have signed running back Deneric Prince to their practice squad on Friday. The second-year back was recently cut by the Kansas City Chiefs. Prince had a few nice showings during the preseason, but his mistakes outshined his success. There is certainly potential with Prince, so we'll see how he does in Mike McDaniel's system. The Dolphins have a fairly crowded backfield that features Jaylen Wright, Jeff Wilson Jr., Raheem Mostert, and De'Von Achane. There's a small chance that Prince makes an impact in Miami this season. This looks more like a depth move to see if the Dolphins can unlock something in Prince.

From RotoBaller

The Baltimore Ravens have signed free-agent quarterback Tyler Huntley on Friday. This news comes a day after Huntley was let go by the Cleveland Browns. Huntley spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore before joining the Browns this offseason. The 26-year-old has proven himself to be a reliable backup to Lamar Jackson over the last few seasons. He has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 20 games (nine starts) with the Ravens since 2020. There won't be much fantasy value here, but the Ravens will get a familiar face that knows the system well in case of an emergency.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent WR Michael Thomas (Saints) was suspended by the NFL for one week due to a violation of league rules on Friday, Aug. 30.

From TheHuddle

Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker has signed a long term extension with the organization on Friday. The two sides have agreed on a four-year extension worth $22 million, which includes $12.5 million in guaranteed money. This makes Dicker one of the highest paid kickers in the league. To be fair, Dicker has been one of the most reliable kickers over the last two seasons. He connected on 31-of-33 field goal attempts last season while hitting all his extra point attempts. There's not many kickers that are more accurate in the game right now than Dicker.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent RB Samaje Perine (Broncos) signed an undisclosed contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, Aug. 30. CB Eric Scott was waived to make room for him on the roster.

From TheHuddle

Baltimore Ravens S Eddie Jackson was not at practice on Friday, Aug. 30, due a canceled flight.

From TheHuddle