Bengals News (9/1): Making the cut

Bengals 2021 Roster: Young On Paper, But Seasoned In NFL
Maybe that's because a total of 41 of the 53 players on this year's first try at finalizing the roster have arrived in the three seasons Taylor has been the coach. And their best defensive player, free safety Jessie Bates III, is just 24 heading into his fourth season. Or that the guy that helped Bates get the spring practices underway, edge Sam Hubbard, is a 26-year-old locker room staple.

Breaking down the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals roster
Burrow's second Opening Day start comes 45 years to the day at Riverfront Stadium Ken Anderson's touchdown passes to Chip Myers and Bruce Coslet beat Denver, 17-7, during the 1976 opener in a collaboration of three future NFL offensive coordinators.

Bengals complete an overhaul of the offensive and defensive lines ahead of the 2020 NFL season
The Bengals opted for seven wide receivers (Trenton Irwin caught a spot after two seasons on the practice squad), three running backs (rookie Chris Evans is the No. 3 but they hope to keep at least one more on the 16-man practice squad they form Wednesday) and five linebackers in a process that is ongoing for possible adds at tight end and on the edge.

Bengals waiver and free-agent targets to know after final cuts
As we know, who makes the cut down to 53 players will not be the 53 players that stay on the roster through the season, or even the next day or two. Waiver claims will be made, players will be sent to injured reserve with the goal of bringing them back later in the season. A lot will change in the next 24-48 hours. With that in mind, here are a few cuts that the Bengals may have their eyes on as they churn the back end of their roster.

Bengals make Thaddeus Moss a notable cut while trimming to 53
Moss took to Instagram before the cut-down deadline and posted a story that suggested he didn’t make it. And when the team announced its 20-plus moves to reach 53 by the 4 p.m. ET, he was indeed waived.

Nine Recently Released Players the Cincinnati Bengals Should Considering Claiming
There's plenty of talent on the waiver wire and the Bengals have the fifth-highest priority behind the Jaguars, Jets, Texans and Falcons. Here are nine recently released players that Cincinnati should consider claiming.

Cincinnati Bengals 2021 53-man roster: How it was built
At one point in the 2019 preseason, it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals would start Cordy Glenn, Michael Jordan, Billy Price, John Miller and Bobby Hart on the offensive line during the regular season.

B.J. Hill solidifies Cincinnati Bengals' defensive line
Hill was New York’s third-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. Throughout Hill’s career, he has primarily played defensive tackle, which will bring depth to the Bengals’ roster.

Around the league

Debrief: 22 biggest moves from NFL cut-down day
Mac Jones was too good. The Patriots' decision to release Cam Newton was a surprise primarily because they chose to go from one of the best backup quarterback situations in football to one of the worst. But it's impossible to deny Jones earned the starting job. He was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded passer this preseason among QBs with more than 40 dropbacks and their highest-graded rookie quarterback since they started tracking preseasons in 2013. By most accounts, Jones was better in practices, too. It doesn't take Bill Belichick to see the next-level traits Jones showed with his uncanny accuracy, excellent footwork and decision making.

New England Patriots release QB Cam Newton
Both quarterbacks performed well in the preseason, although Jones got the lion's share of action during games. Newton missed a week leading up to the club's final preseason game after a misunderstanding of COVID-19 protocols forced him off the practice field and into the NFL's five-day re-entry cadence. Coach Bill Belichick declined to say, at the time, whether Newton's absence had damaged his chances of winning the job.

NFLPA conducting investigation after Urban Meyer's comments on vaccine status
NFLPA spokesman George Atallah confirmed the union's action in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday night, hours after Meyer told reporters: "Everyone was considered. That was part of the production, let's start talking about this and also, 'Is he vaccinated or not?' Can I say that that was a decision-maker? It was certainly in consideration."

Ravens staying put for now with RBs despite dialogue with Todd Gurley
In the aftermath of J.K. Dobbins suffering a season-ending ACL tear, the Baltimore Ravens appear to be sticking with who they've got, though one former All-Pro has remained in discussions with the squad. Former Rams and Falcons running back Todd Gurley has had some dialogue with the Ravens, but as of now Baltimore is OK with who it has at the position, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.