Dolphins RB Damien Williams Signs Tender
Damien Williams has signed his RFA tender, according to a league source who spoke with Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). Williams was reportedly reluctant to sign on the dotted line over a desire for more money, but he has decided to move forward and play on the one-year, $1.8MM deal. 
Restricted free agents have little recourse once a tender is applied and the window for offer sheets closes, but Williams was hoping to pressure Miami into giving him a pay bump anyway. As expected, things didn’t work in the running back’s favor. Still, he’s in a pretty good spot as the tender will pay him three times what he earned in 2016.
The Patriots took a late look at Williams around the same time as they met with Mike Gillislee, but they ultimately signed the Bills ballcarrier to an offer sheet instead. As far as we know, no other clubs showed serious interest in signing him.
With Jay Ajayi entrenched as the No. 1 ball carrier, Williams is slated to share backup duties with rising sophomore Kenyan Drake.
Falcons Sign Takkarist McKinley
The Falcons have now signed their entire 2017 draft class. First round defensive end Takkarist McKinley, third round linebacker Duke Riley, fifth round running back Brian Hill, and fifth round tight end Eric Saubert are all under contract, the team announced. 
The Falcons traded up to the Seahawks’ No. 26 pick during the first round in order to select McKinley, a former star at UCLA. McKinley went viral for his outpouring of emotions on the stage, but the Falcons believe that he’ll be known more for his play on the field before long. The 6’2″, 250 pound athlete has been widely praised for his high motor and his big wingspan should allow him to fend off blockers at the next level. In his senior year at UCLA, McKinley racked up 61 total tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, and ten sacks – all career highs.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Falcons’ draft class:
- 1-25: Takkarist McKinley, DE (UCLA)
- 3-75: Duke Riley, LB (LSU)
- 4-136: Sean Harlow, OL (Oregon State)
- 5-149: Damontae Kazee, CB (San Diego State)
- 5-156: Brian Hill, RB (Wyoming)
- 5-174: Eric Saubert, TE (Drake)
Cardinals Sign QB Blaine Gabbert
The Cardinals have signed quarterback Blaine Gabbert to a one-year deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com first reported (Twitter link). The pact is worth $855K, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. The team has since confirmed the news via press release.
Gabbert, 27, worked out for Arizona last week, and he’ll now give the Cardinals a fifth quarterback alongside Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Zac Dysert, and Trevor Knight. Palmer, clearly, isn’t going anywhere, but it’s fair to wonder what Gabbert’s signing means for Stanton or Dysert. Stanton, specifically, is entering the final year of his contract, and while Arizona could save $1.65MM by releasing him, it would also incur $2.5MM in dead money by doing so.
The 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert hasn’t experienced success at the NFL level, but reportedly has a supporter in Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians. In five games as the 49ers’ starter last season, Gabbert posted a 1-4 record, while completing 56.9% of his passes for five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Cardinals Had Interest In Daryl Washington
The Cardinals have parted ways with linebacker Daryl Washington, but they did have some level of interest in retaining him. A source with knowledge of the talks between the two sides tells Mike Florio of PFT that the Cardinals would have liked to retain Washington, but it sounds like they could not agree on terms. 
Washington was regarded as a top linebacker when he was last on the field, but that was three years ago. The Cardinals would not be penciling the veteran in for a starting role, particularly after an offseason which they added linebacker Haason Reddick with the No. 13 overall pick. Reading between the lines, it seems like Arizona balked at the idea of paying Washington $2.9MM in 2017, per the terms of his previous deal. However, they might have offered him something closer to the veteran’s minimum with low or no guarantees on the deal. Washington has been without football income since the 2013 season, so that wouldn’t be a palatable arrangement for him.
“I want to thank the Cardinals organization, especially Mr. [Michael] Bidwell and Steve Keim for drafting and believing in me, and their continued support,” Washington said in a statement. “We’ve had some really positive and productive discussions this week, and at the end of the day we mutually agreed it was best for both sides to get a fresh start. I’m in the best shape of my life, and very much look forward to the next opportunity, where I will again play at an All-Pro level and help my team make a championship run.”
For months, we had been hearing that the Cardinals had no interest in a reunion with Washington. Apparently, that’s not entirely true. The Cardinals’ interest in putting Washington on the field may not be major news now that they are going their separate ways, but it may be a sign that he still has something left in the tank. If that’s the case, then he might have a good chance of suiting up for one of the other 31 teams this year.
Jets Audition RB Stevan Ridley
Could Stevan Ridley return to the Jets? Gang Green worked out the running back this week, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter). 
Ridley, who with the Jets in 2015, has apparently drawn interest from a few teams. He was hampered by injuries in 2016 and bounced around the league a bit, but he’s mostly healthy now as he auditions for clubs.
The Lions signed Ridley prior to the 2016 season with the idea that he would fulfill their “big back” role. However, he slid down the depth chart in the summer and was cut loose in late August. After a cup of coffee with the Colts in the preseason, he was on the couch until the Falcons came calling in October. Less than one month after that, he was shown the door. The veteran worked out for the Seahawks in late December, but that showcase did not lead to a deal.
The Jets will go into 2017 with Bilal Powell and Matt Forte as their lead backs and sixth-round pick Elijah McGuire has the inside track on filling one of the reserve spots behind them. After that, it’s a bit of a free for all and the Jets wouldn’t hesitate to sign Ridley if they felt that he had something to contribute this year.
Cardinals Release LB Daryl Washington
The Cardinals are moving on from Daryl Washington. Arizona announced on Thursday that the linebacker has been released. 
“After meeting with Daryl Washington, we have collectively decided it is best to release Daryl and give him the opportunity to continue his career elsewhere,” the team said in a statement.
Washington has not played a down of football since Week 17 of the 2013 season. After missing three consecutive years thanks to his repeated violations of the substance abuse policy, the Cardinals were not expected to welcome him back even after he was granted reinstatement.
Now, Washington is free to seek employment elsewhere but he’s unlikely to find a team willing to give him guaranteed money or a salary to match the $2.9MM he was set to earn this season. Still, given his background as a productive player and a Pro Bowler, he should still get a camp invite or at least a tryout from some team out there.
Washington, 30, had 134 tackles and nine sacks in 2012, his last complete NFL season. In 2013, he was still productive with 75 tackles and three sacks in 12 games.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Not only does Colin Kaepernick remain unsigned, but it seems the quarterback has been unable to draw anything resembling real interest from NFL teams. There have been a myriad of theories floated around about what has led to his unemployment but a recent column from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports disputes many of the knocks against Kaepernick. 
It has been said that Kaepernick’s vegan diet has caused him to lose too much weight, but a source familiar with his workouts tells Robinson that he has bulked back up to his playing weight of 230 pounds. He’s still on a meatless regimen, but Tony Gonzalez, Arian Foster, and Ricky Williams all succeeded in the NFL after adopting vegan or vegan-type diets, so it can be argued that concerns about the way he eats are without merit. In addition to that, the source says that he has fully recovered from all past surgeries.
Robinson also received further denials on rumors of Kaepernick asking for starting quarterback money, which would mean roughly $9MM or more. Sources close to the controversial QB say that he has not even spoken to any team about a salary, so any reports about him making a demand like that are bogus. Robinson adds that he has personally been unable to substantiate reports of Kaepernick making fiscal demands.
From a talent perspective, it’s hard to argue that Kaepernick isn’t deserving of a roster spot somewhere. However, it sounds like teams are avoiding him because they don’t believe there is enough upside to justify the dreaded specter of a media distraction.
Broncos Sign First-Round Pick Garett Bolles
The Broncos have agreed to terms with first-round tackle Garett Bolles, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Per the terms of his slot, it’s a four-year deal worth more than $11MM. Bolles’ signing bonus is worth more than $6MM. 
Bolles was viewed by many as the best tackle in this year’s draft and he was the first offensive lineman to come off the board when the Broncos selected him at No. 20 overall. In a draft full of surprises, Bolles to the Broncos was one of only a handful of picks that the prognosticators got right. Denver was in desperate need of a left tackle and they got a player who they feel can hold down the position for years to come.
“If Garett turns out to be what we think he is, he solves a big problem for us for a long time — and that’s that left tackle [position],” Elway said. “We really feel like we were fortunate that he was there.”
The Broncos signed a pair of late draft picks on Wednesday, including this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
49ers: NaVorro Bowman Isn’t Being Shopped
On the most recent installment of his podcast (SoundCloud link), former executive Michael Lombardi reported that the 49ers have made it known to rival teams that linebacker NaVorro Bowman is healthy and available via trade. Today, Niners GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan strongly denied such talk. 
“The report that we have been shopping NaVorro Bowman is completely false,” Lynch and Shanahan said in a statement issued to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “From the time we joined the organization, NaVorro has been the consummate professional. It is evident he has been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming season and we have been impressed by what we have already seen on the field. We are looking forward to NaVorro’s future contributions to this team.”
Lombardi is generally well plugged-in on matters such as these and he was the first to report that San Francisco tight end Vance McDonald was on the block, a report that was later verified by Lynch and Shanahan. The duo now wants it known that Bowman is not being shopped to other teams, though denials such as these have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Depending on one’s perspective, a GM letting teams know that a player is available may be different than shopping him outright. And, for what it’s worth, the joint statement stops short of saying that Bowman will definitely be staying put. Lombardi, meanwhile, stands by his report (Twitter link).
Bowman’s deal runs through the 2022 season and calls for him to earn $7.5MM in salary and bonuses this season. In 2018, that number jumps to $9.45MM. The linebacker has four first-team All-Pro honors to his credit but missed the entire 2014 season and the majority of 2016 due to injury.
Ravens Interested In Victor Cruz
It’s not just the Jaguars who are thinking about adding Victor Cruz. The Ravens are interested in Cruz and that interest is being reciprocated by the veteran wide receiver, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record tweets. The two sides are hammering out the details to line up a potential visit in Baltimore. 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Host Victor Cruz On Visit]
Cruz has been on the open market since February but hasn’t attracted a ton of interest. The Panthers met with Cruz shortly after he was released and the Broncos – depending on who you ask – may have discussed him internally, but we have basically gone three months without hearing a peep about the former Giant. Now that the draft is over and teams are getting a better sense of where the roster is, we have at least two teams that are mulling the possibility of Cruz.
Cruz says that he is not at all interested in retiring, but he’ll have to be realistic about where he is at this stage of his career if he wants to move forward. After missing the majority of the 2014 season and sitting out the entire 2015 season, the salsa-dancing fan favorite clearly lost a step in 2016 as he caught 39 passes for 586 yards and one touchdown in 15 games. The 30-year-old (31 in November) might be able to recapture some of that old magic if he is used in the slot, but it’s hard to imagine the Ravens or any other team giving him a significant guarantee on his next deal.
The Ravens would be a logical landing spot for Cruz given their need at the position and their affinity for older receivers. Following Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken‘s free agent departure, the Ravens currently project to go into the season with Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman, Chris Moore, and Michael Campanaro as their top four receivers. Vince Mayle, Chris Matthews, and Navy product Keenan Reynolds are among those jockeying for the final one or two WR spots on the 53-man roster.