Bills Hosting TE Gary Barnidge On Visit
The Bills are hosting tight end Gary Barnidge on a visit today, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Barnidge was cut by the Browns this week following the selection of Miami tight end David Njoku. 
[RELATED: Bills Decline Sammy Watkins’ Option]
Barnidge broke out with the Browns in 2015 when he recorded 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl selection. Before fantasy football fanatics learned his name, however, he spent several seasons with the Panthers. His final two years in Carolina overlapped with Sean McDermott‘s first two years as their defensive coordinator, so his shared history with the Bills head coach could lead to a deal.
The Bills currently project to have Charles Clay as their lead tight end. Tight ends Nick O’Leary, Gerald Christian, Logan Thomas, and Blake Annen are also under contract.
AFC Notes: Bengals, Raiders, Lynch, Patriots
The Bengals selected Washington wide receiver John Ross with the ninth overall pick last Thursday, but some clubs didn’t view Ross as a worthwhile long-term investment, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “We looked at him as a one-contract player,” one front office told La Canfora. “Our doctors had serious reservations about his longevity at this level.” Ross tore his ACL and missed the 2015 collegiate campaign, and also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. If healthy, Ross and his 4.22-second speed should add a new dynamic to Cincinnati’s offense.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- The Raiders‘ deal with running back Marshawn Lynch is worth $9MM over two years, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). In 2017, Lynch will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.35MM plus a $1MM roster bonus due May 3 (which makes it effectively guaranteed). Lynch can also bring in $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $150K via a workout bonus. In 2018, Lynch’s cap number will be $6MM — including a $4MM base salary — but because none of that money is guaranteed (and because Oakland didn’t use a signing bonus), the Raiders can cut Lynch after 2017 with no dead money accelerating onto their cap.
- Even if new Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley is handed felony charges after an alleged sexual assault, he can’t be suspended by the NFL, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Because the incident and accusations occurred prior to Conley entering the league, the NFL cannot discipline him, although the episode come into play down the line. If Conley were to violate the NFL’s conduct policy going forward, he could be treated as a “repeat offender,” according to Florio.
- Mike Gillislee‘s two-year pact with the Patriots was front-loaded in order to convince the Bills not to match, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Gillislee will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.5MM in 2017, and will also rake $2MM via a roster bonus and $500K in per-game roster bonuses. In 2018, he’ll see a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.9MM with another $500K available in per-gamers. No signing bonus was used in the deal.
Cardinals Extended VP Terry McDonough
The Cardinals and vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough recently agreed to a four-year extension, as McDonough tells Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). McDonough presumably inked a new deal with Arizona following his dalliance with the 49ers this offseason.
McDonough was one of 11 candidates known to have interviewed for the vacant 49ers general manager position in January, and was thought to be one of the final contenders for the position, along with Vikings executive George Paton. Both McDonough and Murphy completed two interviews with San Francisco, but the open GM job instead went to John Lynch, who had no experience in personnel.
Though McDonough is now locked up in the desert for the long term, his extension shouldn’t prevent him from pursuing general manager posts in the future. McDonough doesn’t have final say on personnel matters with the Cardinals — that belongs to GM Steve Keim — so Arizona can’t block him from interviewing for promotions. And given the Cards’ effusive praise of McDonough during the last hiring cycle, they likely wouldn’t have any interest in stopping him from advancing, anyway.
McDonough has worked in Arizona since the 2013 campaign. Prior to that, McDonough spent a decade with the Jaguars, and also worked for the Browns/Ravens franchise before and after its transition to Baltimore.
Ravens Likely To Add More Free Agents
The Ravens wrapped up a productive draft on Saturday, finishing the process with new additions such as cornerback Marlon Humphrey, edge rushers Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams, and interior defender Chris Wormley. Baltimore isn’t finished tweaking its roster, however, as general manager Ozzie Newsome the club’s makeup can still change over the next few months.
“You know there are going to be players that are going to be released after the draft,” Newsome said, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com. “There are going to be players that are going to be released in training camp. We are not done. The draft is a big part of it, and we are not done with the 53-man squad that we are going to play with when we open up against Cincinnati.”
While the Ravens upgraded several layers of their defense through the draft and free agency — they added safety Tony Jefferson and cornerback Brandon Carr during the latter — Baltimore could still use help at wide receiver. Surprisingly, the club didn’t use any of its seven draft picks on a pass-catcher, and is now projected to start the 2017 campaign with Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman as its top two wideouts. Perriman, a former first-round pick, missed his entire rookie season in 2015 and managed only 33 receptions last year.
Baltimore still has nearly $6MM in available cap space, so it could afford to bring in another receiver in the coming weeks. Head coach John Harbaugh recently said he’d “obviously” be open to reunion with veteran Anquan Boldin, while Victor Cruz, Michael Floyd, and Andrew Hawkins are also available. May 11 could be a key date to watch, as any unrestricted free agent signed after that day won’t affect the 2018 compensatory pick formula.
Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2018
The deadline for teams to pick up the fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2014 is May 3, but all 32 NFL clubs have made their decisions with a day left on the clock. 23 of 32 players had their options exercised, five saw the options declined, and three weren’t eligible given that they’d already been released by their original clubs.
Of course, just because a player has his option exercised or declined, that doesn’t necessarily dictate his future earnings. These fifth-year options are only guaranteed for injury only for now, so assuming a player stays healthy, his team could still release him by March 2018 without being on the hook for any ’18 salary, even if his option was exercised today. Conversely, a player who had his option declined could have a bounce-back year and do well on the open market next March.
As we wait to see how the latest round of option decisions looks a year from now, let’s recap the action. Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2018:
Exercised:
- Jadeveon Clowney, DE, $13.846MM (Texans): Exercised
- Blake Bortles, QB, (Jaguars), $19.053MM: Exercised
- Khalil Mack, DE (Raiders), $13.846MM: Exercised
- Jake Matthews, T (Falcons), $12.496MM: Exercised
- Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers), $13.258MM: Exercised
- Anthony Barr, LB (Vikings), $12.306MM: Exercised
- Eric Ebron, TE (Lions), $5.194MM: Exercised
- Taylor Lewan, T (Titans), $9.341MM: Exercised
- Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), $8.459MM: Exercised
- Aaron Donald, DT (Rams), $6.892MM: Exercised
- Ryan Shazier, LB (Steelers), $8.718MM: Exercised
- Zack Martin, G (Cowboys), $9.341MM: Exercised
- C.J. Mosley, LB (Ravens), $8.718MM: Exercised
- Ja’Wuan James, T (Dolphins), $9.341MM: Exercised
- Brandin Cooks, WR (Patriots), $8.459MM: Exercised
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S (Packers), $5.597MM: Exercised
- Dee Ford, LB (Chiefs), $8.718MM: Exercised
- Darqueze Dennard, CB (Bengals), $8.526MM: Exercised
- Jason Verrett, CB (Chargers), $8.526MM: Exercised
- Deone Bucannon, LB (Cardinals), $8.718MM: Exercised
- Kelvin Benjamin, WR (Panthers), $8.459MM: Exercised
- Jimmie Ward, CB (49ers), $8.526MM: Exercised
- Bradley Roby, CB (Broncos), $8.526MM: Exercised
Not exercised:
- Greg Robinson, OL (Rams), $12.496MM: Declined
- Sammy Watkins, WR (Bills), $13.258MM: Declined
- Justin Gilbert, CB (Browns): Not applicable due to release
- Kyle Fuller, CB, (Bears), $8.526MM: Declined
- Calvin Pryor, S (Jets), $5.597MM: Declined
- Johnny Manziel, QB (Browns): Not applicable due to release
- Marcus Smith, DE (Eagles), $8.625MM: Declined
- Dominique Easley, DT (Rams): Not applicable due to release
- Teddy Bridgewater, QB (Vikings), $12.198MM: Declined
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB Brian Dixon
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: LB Cavellis Luckett
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: CB Tyler Patmon
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: K Brett Maher
Detroit Lions
- Waived: CB Ian Wells (failed physical)
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers: WR Devin Street
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived/injured: DT Aziz Shittu, WR Dom Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: RB Brandon Brown-Dukes, RB Gus Johnson, WR Canaan Severin, CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
Washington Redskins
- Waived LB Steven Daniels,WR Reggie Diggs, LB Rufus Johnson, OL Quinton Schooley
Redskins Likely To Hire GM From Within?
The Redskins have now tackled both free agency and the draft without a formal general manager in place, as Scot McCloughan‘s departure left a vacancy atop Washington’s decision-making structure. Having maneuvered the two primary avenues of player acquisition sans GM, the “most likely course” for the Redskins is to promote incumbent executive Doug Williams into a more critical position that supervises football operations, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Williams, who has worked for the Redskins since 2014 and also has experience with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, has been linked to a possible ascension in the nation’s capital previously, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post indicated earlier in March that Williams could be a candidate to take over as general manager. Other known quantities such as former Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik, ex-Chargers GM A.J. Smith, and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock have also been linked to the job, but La Canfora reports Washington “never really wanted” to make an external hire.
Even if Williams is promoted to general manager, team president Bruce Allen would effectively remain in charge, per La Canfora. But new roles could also be in store for employees such as scout Alex Santos and or contract negotiator Eric Schaffer, according to the CBS scribe.
Cardinals To Work Out QB Blaine Gabbert
The Cardinals are in talks with quarterback Blaine Gabbert, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Arizona will work out Gabbert this week, reports Kent Somers of the Republic.
Gabbert, 28 in October, went 1-4 in five games as the 49ers’ starter last season. His completion percentage of 56.9% and five touchdowns against six interceptions left much to be desired.
The Cardinals already have three QBs on the roster in Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Zac Dysert. If Gabbert is signed, it’s not immediately clear what that could mean for the two backups already in the fold.
Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in 2011, hasn’t yet experienced success in his six-year NFL career, and he hasn’t drawn any other known interest since free agency opened in March. Gabbert is PFR’s No. 6 free agent quarterback.
Broncos Sign Jamaal Charles
This year, Jamaal Charles will be facing off against the Chiefs. The rival Broncos will sign the veteran running back, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $1MM: $900K of that total will come in base salary, while another $100K is a workout bonus, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Incentives can bring the maximum of the pact to $3.75MM. The Broncos have confirmed the signing via press release.
[RELATED: Broncos Exercise Bradley Roby’s Option]
The Broncos huddled up with Charles at team headquarters on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to materialize. Charles now joins a running back group which already features C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, and sixth-round pick DeAngelo Henderson, but he figures to see a good percentage of the team’s carries. At this stage, Charles can’t be counted on as a bell cow, but he could certainly be a difference maker in a split backfield.
Charles, 30, has appeared in a total of eight games in the last two seasons. When he was healthy in 2014, however, he managed to average 5.0 yards per carry behind a porous Chiefs offensive line. In the year before that, he recorded a career-high 1,980 yards from scrimmage and scored 19 touchdowns. The Broncos will hope to see a reprise of that electrifying performance, though that’s not necessarily what they are expecting.
With Charles off the board, LeGarrette Blount stands as the undisputed top veteran running back on the market. Other notables include Rashad Jennings, DeAngelo Williams, and Chris Johnson.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Bills Claim CB Charles James
The Bills announced on Tuesday that the team has claimed cornerback Charles James off waivers. James was cut by the Colts on Monday. 
[RELATED: Bills Decline Sammy Watkins’ Option]
James, a 5’9″, 186-pound Charleston Southern product, took the field for 12 of the Giants’ contests as a rookie in 2013 and another 21 with the Texans from 2015-16, including 12 last season. While with Houston, James enjoyed some celebrity as the standout star of 2015’s “Hard Knocks.” The hard knocks of the league have caused him to bounce around a bit, but he’ll look to stick with Buffalo.
The Bills added another veteran corner this week with the signing of Shareece Wright.