Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be matched up against Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill throughout the Sept. 8 season opener in Jacksonville, according to defensive coordinator Todd Wash.
"He's going to draw Tyreek, and he's got to cover him," Wash told reporters on Wednesday. "We're very blessed. Our linebackers can run. All of our guys can run. We can just say, 'Hey, Jalen, you go take care of him.'"
That would be a different approach than Wash took when the teams met in Week 5 last season in Kansas City.
In that game, Ramsey played predominantly in his typical left cornerback position, though he occasionally crossed to the right side. Hill managed two catches in direct coverage against Ramsey, a 10-yarder on a short curl and a 36-yarder on a fade down the sideline, with Ramsey opposite his normal spot. The Chiefs won 30-14.
--Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't seem concerned about starting the regular season without star running back Ezekiel Elliott.
"We've got a marathon here," Jones said on 105.3 FM The Fan. "We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we're in the dog days of the season."
Elliott, 24, is holding out and working out on his own away from the team. It was reported recently that Dallas offered a deal that would make him the second-highest paid running back in the league behind Todd Gurley.
--Washington Redskins holdout Trent Williams (NYSE:WMB) has shown no signs of returning to the team, but team president Bruce Allen still thinks it will happen.
Asked if he expects the stalwart left tackle to come back, Allen told Washington television station WRC, "Well I think Trent is going to play football, yes. ... I don't see Trent retiring."
When asked if Williams' return could be in some other uniform, Allen didn't mince words, replying, "No. It'll be with us."
--The NFL denied the Cleveland Browns' petition to allow Kareem Hunt to remain with the team while serving his eight-game suspension.
League spokesman Brian McCarthy told Cleveland.com that the running back is barred from the Browns facility during his entire suspension, which begins Sunday and ends Nov. 4.
Hunt, 24, signed with the Browns on Feb. 11. Kansas City had cut him 2 1/2 months earlier after a video surfaced of him kicking and shoving a woman at a Cleveland hotel.
--Back on the practice field after a two-week layoff, San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon experienced another setback Tuesday in his return from a torn ACL.
General manager John Lynch told KNBR on Wednesday the news is "not encouraging."
McKinnon, 27, signed a four-year, $30 million contract in March 2018 but missed all of last season after injuring his right knee in practice before the season opener.
--The Arizona Cardinals traded offensive tackle Korey Cunningham to the New England Patriots for a sixth-round draft pick, ESPN reported.
Cunningham announced on social media that he'd been dealt to the Patriots, who need a swing tackle behind starters Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon.
The Patriots also acquired offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor from the Baltimore Ravens for an undisclosed draft pick.
--The Buffalo Bills signed kicker Stephen Hauschka to a two-year contract extension. ESPN reports the value is $8 million.
Hauschka, 34, was entering the final year of a contract he signed with Buffalo in 2017 after six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
--Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt will undergo yet another knee procedure, multiple outlets reported, after a setback following Saturday's preseason game.
Butt, who has undergone three previous ACL repairs, will have a cleanup on his left knee that is considered minor in comparison to his previous surgeries.
--The Philadelphia Eagles lured quarterback Josh McCown out of retirement earlier this month to back up Carson Wentz, but his signing came with a big perk.
He is allowed to leave the team each Friday to fly to Charlotte, N.C., where his family lives and where he is part of the coaching staff at Myers Park High School.
--Free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler visited the Indianapolis Colts, according to multiple reports.
The Colts are looking for a veteran backup to Jacoby Brissett, the new starter following Andrew Luck's sudden retirement Saturday.
--The Houston Texans signed outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett to a one-year contract extension through the 2020 season.
The deal is worth $3.75 million, according to the Houston Chronicle. Scarlett is making $2.05 million in 2019.
--The Indianapolis Colts traded third-year cornerback Nate Hairston to the New York Jets for a sixth-round pick in 2020.
Hairston, 25, played in 27 games (11 starts) and registered 65 tackles, two sacks and one interception over the past two seasons.
--The Green Bay Packers traded linebacker Reggie Gilbert to the Tennessee Titans for a seventh-round pick, ESPN reported.
Gilbert had 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 16 games last season in his second NFL campaign.
--Field Level Media