Viva Las Vegas. The Raiders appear all but certain to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas, as team owner Mark Davis is reportedly “dead set” on moving his club to Sin City. NFL owners are expected to vote on the issue tomorrow, and the Raiders will likely pay a far cheaper relocation fee than either the Ram or Chargers did. Commissioner Roger Goodell and Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf have sent each other dueling letters, with Schaaf attempting to lay out the city’s argument for keeping the team and Goodell arguing that no such solution exists.
Saints looking at Johnny Manziel. As New Orleans tries to find a successor to Drew Brees, it’s apparently checking out an unorthodox option, as head coach Sean Payton was seen having breakfast with former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel, of course, flamed out of the league after multiple off-field incidents and ineffective play, but is reportedly making a renewed commitment to sobriety. Reports earlier this month indicated league-wide interest in Manziel, and while the Saints may not sign him at this time, Manziel could make a comeback in the near future.
The Jets find a quarterback. While he’s a not a particularly inspiring option, Josh McCown will give the Jets more stability at the quarterback position than they had in 2016 after agreeing to a one-year, $6MM contract last week. Gang Green has been linked to Jay Cutler and other veteran signal-callers this offseason, but after inking McCown, the club is unlikely to add another experienced option. McCown, 37, has struggled to stay healthy recently, so Bryce Petty and/or Christian Hackenberg could conceivably garner starts in 2017.
Adrian Peterson is still waiting. Although some reports have indicated Adrian Peterson‘s asking price is keeping him on the open market, Peterson himself took to Twitter to say he’s not demanding an $8MM salary and wants to play for a winning club. The Packers have some interest in Peterson, but likely won’t have him in for a visit until the draft is complete, at which point Green Bay can further assess its options in the backfield.
Beast Mode to Oakland? The Raiders are still trying to lure former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch out of retirement, and Lynch is interested in a return, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported it’s the “Raiders or bust” for Lynch, meaning the 30-year-old won’t play for any club besides Oakland. Lynch’s agent claims he hasn’t spoken to his client about a comeback, but didn’t that the itch to play football is still there.