Eagles’ Chase Daniel Drawing Trade Interest
Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel is drawing trade interest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport adds that the signal caller is “one to watch.” 
Daniel was signed to a lucrative three-year deal by the Eagles at the outset of free agency to serve as Sam Bradford‘s backup. Later in the offseason, when Bradford was shipped to the Vikings, he was leapfrogged by rookie Carson Wentz for the starting job. Daniel was less-than-thrilled about the way things turned out and he might like to join a team that will give him a better path to the field.
Daniel, entering his age-31 season, still doesn’t have a major body of work to show teams. Through seven NFL seasons, he’s only attempted 78 passes while backing up Drew Brees, Alex Smith, and Wentz.
He has two years to go on his contract, a deal which was said to include $12MM fully guaranteed and a base value of $21MM. In theory, the deal could be worth more, depending on playing time and other incentives.
Colin Kaepernick To Stand For Anthem
Colin Kaepernick will stand during the National Anthem next season, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. After making headlines last season for his protest, Kaepernick does not want his display “to detract from the positive change that he believes has been created,” Schefter writes. 
[RELATED: Follow PFR On Instagram To See What Colin Kaepernick Would Look Like In A Jets Jersey]
Normally, we wouldn’t cover this sort of thing at Pro Football Rumors, but Kaepernick is on the verge of free agency and this declaration could make a very real impact on his market. Teams are understandably wary of the media attention that Kaepernick would bring and his willingness to put his anthem kneeling on hold could make him more appealing to clubs.
Meanwhile, a return hasn’t been officially ruled out in San Francisco. General manager John Lynch said he and Kaepernick agreed to leave the door open for a possible reunion, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Still, he will become a free agent on March 9.
Kaepernick doesn’t appear to be the player he once was, but he could still be a quality backup with some upside. He bounced back somewhat in 2016, tossing 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions. He also averaged 7.2 yards per passing attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry).
49ers, Titans In Mix For Alshon Jeffery
As the top wide receiver available, Alshon Jeffery can expect to be a popular guy once the legal tampering period starts next week. Potential suitors for his services right now include the 49ers, Titans, Eagles, and the incumbent Bears, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Rams will not be among the clubs going after him, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). 
This week, the Bears declined to use the franchise tag on Jeffery and that was expected since a second tag would have cost the team roughly $17MM on a one-year deal. After an injury-riddled 2015, Jeffery had a disappointing year, including a four-game suspension. Jeffery is still a bonafide WR1, but he’s certainly not worth the same average salary that Antonio Brown has on his new deal.
The Eagles have been connected to Jeffery for weeks now, along with the Redskins’ Pierre Garcon and the Dolphins’ Kenny Stills. After the team’s receiving corps fell flat last year, Philly is looking to give Carson Wentz some better options downfield. Jeffery, for all his red flags, would undoubtedly make the Eagles’ offense more potent.
The Titans are also a logical landing spot for the Bears star. As PFR’s Dallas Robinson recently detailed, finding better receivers for Marcus Mariota ranks as one of the Titans’ biggest needs this offseason.
Titans Re-Sign QB Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel will stay on board as Marcus Mariota‘s backup. The Titans announced that they have agreed to terms with the quarterback on an extension. It’s a two-year deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter). He’ll get $5.25MM with $2.75MM in 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Titans GM Discusses Offseason, Draft, Free Agency]
Cassel was called on to start late last season when Mariota went down with a fractured fibula. In four games, the veteran completed 30-of-51 passes for 284 yards, with two touchdowns against two interceptions.
Cassel could be asked to lead the first team offense in practice this summer if Mariota is slow to recover, but the early word is that the youngster is doing just fine.
“I feel pretty good about it,’’ coach Mike Mularkey said of Mariota’s timetable. “You have to trust the doctor’s words, and if you know Marcus like we do, we believe with the way he goes about his business he’ll be prepared. He is not going to overdo it, he has been told to be careful, and be smart about it. Our No.1 goal is to make sure he is under center when we open up opening day. I am not going to put a timeframe on when that first practice or when that first (OTA) will be. I can’t do that because every player is different in how they recover, and it’s difficult to do.”
The Beat: Justin Rogers On The Lions
Now that the offseason is in full swing, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Recently, we caught up with Justin Rogers of The Detroit News to discuss the Lions. You can follow Justin on Twitter @Justin_Rogers and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: The Lions have not selected a linebacker in the first round of the draft since Ernie Sims in 2006. After disappointing production from the LB group last year, will Detroit snap that streak and take one in the first round? If not, how do you see them potentially addressing the issue in free agency?
Justin Rogers: There are too many factors in play to speculate exactly who the Lions will draft at No. 21, but it would be foolish to suggest 
linebacker isn’t in play. The team wants to believe DeAndre Levy will return to form, but they can no longer bank on his durability or performance and must plan accordingly. In the middle, Tahir Whitehead racked up big tackle numbers, but struggled in coverage and didn’t make many impact plays. The team is also developing an intriguing young talent in Antwione Williams on the strong side, and bringing back free agent Josh Bynes would be smart. Still, a talent injection is needed.
In the early rounds, the athletic Haason Reddick, and playmakers Zach Cunningham and Jarrad Davis would all be fits, depending how the board shakes out in front of the Lions.
Zach Links: The Lions could also use some help on the defensive line. Recently, you ran down some of this year’s available options in free agency and you mentioned Nick Fairley‘s name. Do you think the Lions would be open to a reunion after his strong 2016?
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Extra Points: Falcons, Lions, Raiders, Draft
With their contracts soon to expire, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford should each be in line for extensions this offseason. But their respective general managers indicated Wednesday that new deals aren’t imminent.
“I’m saying that eventually, we will address Matt Ryan and his contract,” said the Falcons’ Thomas Dimitroff (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). “Right now, our focus is going to be on this year’s class, understanding that Matt is a very important part of our future, as every knows — an extremely important part of our future.”
The Lions’ Bob Quinn took a similar tack, stating (per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com): “We’re kind of taking it one step at a time with the current free-agent class, the current draft class. I mean, these things don’t usually happen in April or May. That’s not a realistic timeline for an extension for a quarterback. But that’s something we do have on the agenda, and we’ll hopefully be able to have some discussions.”
Ryan and Stafford have the same representative, Tom Condon, who figures to help them become two of the league’s highest-paid passers in the coming months. Ryan still has another two years left on the extension he signed in 2013, while Stafford is due to become a free agent after next season.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Like Stafford, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is going into a contract year, though Carr hopes his status changes soon. “I’m a Raider for life,” he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday (via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com). “I don’t want to play anywhere else. When I got drafted, this is where I wanted to be anyway. I don’t want to go anywhere, ever. They told me they don’t want me to go anywhere, ever. Now it’s about two people who want to be together, and how do we make that happen? We’ll see.” GM Reggie McKenzie made it clear in January that he’s aiming to extend Carr sooner than later.
- Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas is drawing similar buzz to highly touted DE prospects Myles Garrett (Texas A&M) and Jonathan Allen (Alabama) at the combine, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports. All three seem like good bets to end up among the first players to come off the board, with Garrett standing a strong chance to go No. 1 overall. The 6-foot-3, 271-pound Thomas piled up 61 tackles, including 14 for loss, and 8.5 sacks last season.
- Quinn is “disappointed” controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon did not get a combine invite, and the Lions executive isn’t closing the door on drafting him (Twitter link via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News). Mixon is a high-round talent, but his draft stock is in question on account of a disturbing July 2014 physical altercation that led Oklahoma to redshirt him that season. Mixon was caught on video striking a fellow student, Alicia Molitor, who he claims used a racial slur and spit in his face. As a result, Mixon was placed on probation for one year and ordered to release the video.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/1/17
Wednesday’s minor moves:
- The Steelers have applied the right-of-first-refusal tender (worth $1.797MM) to restricted free agent offensive tackle Chris Hubbard, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. As a result, the Steelers will have the ability to match any offer Hubbard might receive from another club, but they wouldn’t be entitled to draft pick compensation if they were to let him walk. Hubbard, 25, is a three-year veteran with 24 appearances on his resume. He picked up the first four starts of his career and notched a personal-best 15 appearances last season.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Giants
The Eagles are entering free agency in need of help at wide receiver. Fortunately for them, “several” unsigned wideouts regard the idea of playing with Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz as intriguing, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com. Unsurprisingly, one of those players is the Redskins’ DeSean Jackson, who has made it clear he’d be open to returning to Philadelphia, where he starred from 2008-13. “Carson Wentz, he came in and had a heck of the year as a rookie. I don’t think a lot of people saw that coming,” Jackson told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 30-year-old added that Wentz “has all the intangibles in being a big-time quarterback in this league.”
More from the NFC East:
- Despite a report claiming that right tackle Doug Free is mulling retirement, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says he has heard no such talk (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). The 33-year-old Free just finished his 10th season and sixth with 16 starts. He’s entering a contract year and due a base salary of $5MM in 2017.
- Although Ereck Flowers was the ninth overall pick in the draft just two years ago, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo was unwilling to call him the team’s answer at left tackle going forward, writes Tom Rock of Newsday. Flowers was disastrous for a large part of last season, as he allowed 59 QB pressures and took a league-high 13 penalties. However, he’s still just 22, of which McAdoo is cognizant. “You can make a case that he could be here right now preparing to go out and run in the Combine,” said McAdoo. “He’s a young player who has a lot of room to grow and we expect him to grow. We have confidence he’s going to grow.”
- Cowboys tight ends coach Mike Pope is retiring after three years on Garrett’s staff, reports Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys will replace the 75-year-old Pope with senior offensive assistant Steve Loney. Pope coached in the league for 34 years, during which he won four Super Bowls with the Giants.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Ricky Wagner On Vikings’ “Radar”
The Ravens are trying to keep soon-to-be free agent right tackle Ricky Wagner from hitting the open market. Should their efforts fail, the Vikings are among the teams with Wagner on their “radar,” Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News hears (Twitter link).
With the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth unlikely to sign elsewhere, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter), Wagner could end up as the most appealing bookend available. The 27-year-old Wagner is coming off his third season with at least 14 starts, and he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best tackle among 78 qualifiers in 2016.
Given Wagner’s track record, his price tag will be high – perhaps around $10MM per year – but the Vikings have a good amount of spending room and gaping holes along their offensive line. Thus, it’s no surprise that Wagner’s on the Vikings’ list as free agency nears, and general manager Rick Spielman indicated Wednesday that the team could be aggressive on the market.
“I think we can go out and attack some of this,” he said (via Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune). “We have the flexibility to do that with the money that we’ve cleared up over the last couple of weeks.”
Minnesota’s O-line finished the season as Football Outsiders’ 30th-ranked group after clearing the way for an NFL-low 3.2 yards-per-carry average and allowing the league’s 10th-most sacks (38). Injuries were a major part of the problem, particularly at tackle, as Matt Kalil, Andre Smith and Jake Long missed most of the year. All three of those players are set to become free agents, leaving the Vikings without an obvious solution at either tackle spot.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Raiders, Fins
Broncos general manager John Elway issued an update Wednesday regarding the status of impending free agent linebacker DeMarcus Ware, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I haven’t talked to DeMarcus,” Elway said “He’s been around, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down with DeMarcus, so as we get through this and get back to Denver, I’m sure I’ll sit down with DeMarcus and we’ll talk about it.”
On the other hand, rookie head coach Vance Joseph has talked to the future Hall of Fame pass rusher “four or five” times over the past couple months. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Ware has made it no secret that he’d like to return to Denver for a fourth season, but his previous employer, the Cowboys, could pursue him if he reaches free agency. Between Dallas and Denver, Ware has amassed 138.5 sacks in 12 years. Four of those sacks came last season for Ware, who appeared in a career-low 10 games on account of back and forearm injuries.
Elway, meanwhile, could become a free agent executive after next season. It doesn’t look as if that will happen, however, as contract extension talks between Elway and the Broncos “going fine,” the Hall of Fame quarterback said (via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post). “I don’t anticipate any problems,” he added. The 56-year-old Elway has been resoundingly successful as an executive, having helped the Broncos to a 67-29 record, five playoff berths, two AFC championships and a Super Bowl in six seasons in their front office.
More from three other AFC cities:
- Speaking to reporters in January, Browns head coach Hue Jackson didn’t dismiss the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. GM Sashi Brown backed up Jackson on Wednesday, saying (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com): “We’re going to responsibly listen to any opportunities that are out there. I think we have to do that. It’s not a design of ours. We would have to wait and see what might come, and what player might be available there as we get through this process.”
- Looking to keep the Raiders in Oakland, the Ronnie Lott-led Fortress Investment Group has submitted a formal stadium plan to the NFL within the past 10 days, reports the Associated Press. However, it’s “not moving the needle much,” according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Even after losing financial backing from businessman Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs, the Raiders are eyeing Las Vegas relocation, though two owners told Cole they’re concerned with the amount of debt the franchise would take on in such a scenario (Twitter links).
- Despite suffering what could have been a career-threatening neck injury last year, Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi expects to be ready for next season, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Cutting Misi would save the Dolphins $4.2MM against just $578K in dead money in 2017, but they haven’t ruled out retaining him, notes Jackson.
- Jackson also has further details on defensive end Cameron Wake‘s two-year, $19MM contract with the Dolphins. Wake will get a renegotiated signing bonus of $1MM in 2017 and a $125K workout bonus in each season.