Busy few days ahead as NFL teams fine-tune their rosters

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Tuesday, August 31

Trevor Lawrence throws during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

Busy few days ahead as NFL teams fine-tune their rosters

With kickoff of the 2021 NFL season just days away, Jaguars fans have reason to believe in rookie QB Trevor Lawrence.

The practice games are done and there are just nine short days until the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 season opener.

The next few days will be filled with developments as teams fine tune their 53-man rosters. All teams are required to finalize their (initial) 53-man rosters by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Could there be some familiar names possibly looking for new teams after cut-down day?

The preseason now is in the rear-view, but there were some significant developments in the final weekend of exhibition play.

Here are the biggest takeaways from preseason Week 3:

•	Preseason Week 3 winners (Trevor Lawrence) and losers (Daniel Jones)
•	On Sunday against the Cowboys, Trevor Lawrence looked like the generational talent that led to his being selected with the No. 1 overall pick.
•	Bengals QB Joe Burrow played for the first time since suffering a knee injury last season. His on-field time was brief.
•	With Cam Newton and Mac Jones, the Patriots are in a good spot at the quarterback position.

Joe Burrow throws during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium.

Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports

•	PHOTOS: Best of the NFL preseason

NFL news and notes

•	Saints unsure of status for Week 1: With Hurricane Ida making landfall Sunday, the Saints don't know if they will host the season opener against the Packers.
•	Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins out for season: An AFC contender will be without a key offensive player this year.
•	Jared Goff is bullish on the Lions' chances: Detroit's new quarterback is optimistic about the 2021 season, despite his team's longshot status.
•	Jets acquire Shaq Lawson to help replace Carl Lawson: The Jets desperately needed help at edge rusher after losing Carl Lawson for the season.
•	Patrick Mahomes is No. 1 on 'The Top 100 Players' list: Mahomes was named the best player in the NFL by his peers in NFL Network's annual countdown of the league's top 100 players.
•	Scott Zolak apologizes for rap music comments: The Patriots radio broadcaster apologized Sunday for comments he made about Cam Newton being distracted by rap music played at practice.
•	T.Y. Hilton could miss several weeks: The Colts' rough preseason was compounded by the news that their top receiver reportedly has an injury to his upper back or neck.
•	Colts have bigger concerns than player injuries: The Colts have one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the league, which could have a big impact on their 2021 season.
•	Eagles have Minshew Mania: The Jaguars traded Gardner Minshew to the Eagles, where he will join a quarterback room that also includes Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco.
•	Texans safety handles kickoff duties in preseason game: Justin Reid was pressed into special teams action when kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn experienced a minor muscle pull in warmups.
•	13 veterans who could be on roster bubble: Teams need to get down to 53 players on their active roster by Tuesday, and some veterans could find themselves looking for new jobs.

Patrick Mahomes likely will be the first quarterback off the fantasy football draft board.

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

•	PHOTOS: NFL Network's top 100 players of 2021

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