Patriots restructure Gronk, add another wideout. Even coming off injury, Rob Gronkowski now has the chance to be the league’s highest-paid tight end in 2017 after New England agreed to add new incentives to his contract. The maximum value of his deal is now $10.75MM for the upcoming season, and that total can be achieved through a variety of incentives that include playing time thresholds, receiving statistics, and an All Pro nod. Meanwhile, the Patriots also inked free agent wide receiver Andrew Hawkins to a one-year deal. He’ll compete with Brandin Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, and Danny Amendola for playing time.
Victor Cruz finds a home. Three months after being released by the Giants, Cruz landed a one-year pact with the Bears, where he’ll join a wide receiver corps that already includes Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton, and Kendall Wright. Cruz, 30, will now try to recapture the production he posted from 2011-13, when he averaged more than 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns per year. Before signing with Chicago, Cruz also drew interest from the Ravens and Jaguars.
Colin Kaepernick closer to signing? Kaepernick met with the Seahawks last week, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com subsequently reported that a deal between Kaepernick and Seattle is “likely to happen”. Kaepernick would become Russell Wilson‘s clear-cut backup, supplanting Trevone Boykin, who’s been arrested twice already this offseason. For what it’s worth, fellow free agent quarterback Austin Davis also came in for a meeting with the Seahawks.
Redskins could franchise Kirk Cousins again. Washington will pay Cousins nearly $24MM in 2017 as a result of using the franchise tender for a second consecutive season, but that doesn’t mean the club won’t deploy the tag again in 2018. Team president Bruce Allen admitted the franchise tag will be an option next spring, even though that would mean handing Cousins roughly $35MM for the 2018 campaign.
Jets still shopping Sheldon Richardson. Gang Green is still trying to rid itself of Richardson, and reportedly offered him to the Seahawks, Buccaneers, and Colts without finding a taker. Richardson is clearly talented, but that wasn’t on display last season, as he posted only 1.5 sacks. Off-field concerns also complicate his stock, as does his contract situation — he’s only signed through 2017, at a cost of more than $8MM.
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Would be interesting to see Kaep in Seattle after all the crap Sherman use to talk about Kaep. Sherman even stuck up for Kaep when he noticed nobody was going to sign him which shocked me lol
Also want to see what Cruz can do in Chicago. Not sure about their QB situation but he has a chance to get some yardage and redeem himself for next offseason. Anyone else curious what’s going on with the Bears? Seems like every year I think they need to fix their defense and their O Line and every year they seem to stay the same or get worse. Their defense did improve last year finally but I still think they suck and need a lot of improvement just like their O line does. Everyone hated on Cutler but they guy got killed from that weak O Line and always had to play from behind because their defense was just as terrible as their O Line.