AFC Notes: Texans, Patriots, Jets
After Texans running back D’Onta Foreman‘s arrest on charges of marijuana and unlawful gun possession last Sunday, his attorney, Chip Lewis, claimed that the rookie didn’t “use or possess” the drug. To help clear himself of wrongdoing, Foreman was voluntarily tested for marijuana, and the results came back negative, according to Lewis (via Mark Berman of FOX 26). “It makes it clear that he was telling the truth,” Lewis said of the outcome. “He was not using marijuana.” Foreman has a July 31 court date, though there’s reportedly a strong likelihood of a postponement because the Texans will be at training camp in West Virginia then.
- Patriots running back Dion Lewis may have to fight for a roster spot this summer, Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com points out, but colleague Tom Curran says it would be a mistake for the team to cut him if he’s healthy (video link). Fellow back Brandon Bolden should be in greater jeopardy, as he offers little offensively, opines Curran. Lewis has provided solid production as both a runner and pass catcher when on the field during his two-year New England stint, having averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 113 attempts and totaled 53 receptions, but he hasn’t appeared much. A torn ACL in 2015 and the subsequent recovery process kept Lewis out of action for nine games in each of the previous two regular seasons. Releasing Lewis would save the Pats all but $200K of his $1.49MM cap hit, and they’d still have a capable group of backs with Mike Gillislee, James White and Rex Burkhead leading the way.
- Having moved on from a cavalcade of veterans in recent months, it may look as though the Jets are tanking, but it’s just a full-scale rebuild, contends Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Tanking is “” to pull off in the NFL, argues Vacchiano, who writes that a top 10 to 15 selection in next year’s draft may be the best-case scenario for the club. Picking that late could mean the Jets found an answer at quarterback in Christian Hackenberg, a second-rounder in 2016 who didn’t take the field as a rookie, and saw a slew of other young players emerge as legitimate building blocks. It’s more likely, though, that they’ll end up with a top five pick, potentially putting them in position to find a franchise QB, observes Vacchiano.
- More on the Jets, whose deal with first-round pick Jamal Adams contains offsets, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Norman, Dez, Trubisky
Dave Gettleman‘s ouster as the Panthers general manager stands as this week’s most shocking NFL story, and Joe Person and Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer detail some of the reasons behind his firing. Gettleman’s “brusque management style” and his reshaping of Carolina’s roster after its 15-1, NFC-winning campaign in 2015 contributed to his demise, with his decision to rescind cornerback Josh Norman‘s franchise tag in 2016 helping to decide his fate. Letting Norman loose on the free agent market meant allowing a No. 1-caliber corner to walk away without the club receiving compensation, and it irked some of the team’s players.
A year later, the departure of ex-assistant general manager Brandon Beane also weakened Gettleman’s grip on the GM job. Beane took over as Buffalo’s GM in May, which cost Gettleman the good cop to his bad cop. The loss of Beane negatively affected Gettleman’s work relationships, according to Person and Fowler, as the former “acted as a go-between among the front office, coaching staff and locker room,” the reporters explain. Former Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert, who signed with the Bills after Gettleman released him in February, confirmed that Beane was a valuable figure in Carolina. “As players we all love Beane. We all love being around him,” said Tolbert. “He’s part of the reason we did what we did. I’m happy to have him in Buffalo now, I can tell you that much.”
More from the NFC:
- Speaking of Norman, who’s now with the Redskins, he could end up as a cap casualty next offseason if he doesn’t make more of an impact this year, suggests Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic. With 14 infractions, Norman led the league in penalties last year, Tandler points out. However, it seems he has otherwise lived up to Washington’s five-year, $75MM investment thus far. Norman picked off three passes and forced two fumbles last season – a slight drop-off from four and three, respectively, in 2015 – started all 16 games, easily led Redskins defenders in snaps (1,057) and ranked 24th among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified corners. Nevertheless, it’s worth mentioning that designating the soon-to-be 30-year-old Norman a post-June 1 cut in 2018 would save the Redskins a healthy $14MM and leave them with a manageable $3MM in dead money next season.
- A lack of punctuality has been a problem for Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant throughout his career, and his issues with reporting to team functions on time have already cropped up this year. Bryant made it to training camp three hours late on Friday, relays Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though the player informed Jane Slater of NFL Network that he has been dealing with sinus infections and headaches. He’s now working with the Cowboys’ training staff to alleviate his sinus troubles, adds Rapoport. Further, Bryant apologized to Cowboys coaches and “took full responsibility” for his tardiness, writes Slater, but it’s still likely the team will fine him, reports Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (Twitter links here).
- Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky‘s rookie contract contains partial offsets, tweets Albert Breer of The MMQB. His deal is similar to the one Marcus Mariota signed with the Titans in 2015, when he, like Trubisky this year, entered the league as the second overall pick in his draft class. Mariota and the Titans agreed to make his base salaries (a total of $2.28MM) subject to offsets, but the vast majority of his $24.214MM pact is protected.
- Cardinals running back Chris Johnson‘s one-year deal includes a $1MM base value, $200K in guarantees and a chance to earn more in incentives, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/17
Friday’s minor NFL transactions:
- The Vikings have signed defensive tackle Jarrod Clements and waived defensive end Caleb Kidder. Clements, who goes by “Chunky,” went undrafted out of Illinois this year. He saw action in each of his four years there, racking up 26.5 tackles for loss and six sacks along the way. Pro Football Focus offered a tepid review of his game in a pre-draft scouting report. Kidder only spent three and a half months with the Vikings, who signed him May 1 as an undrafted free agent from Montana.
- The Ravens have added cornerback Reggie Porter, an undrafted rookie from Utah, and waived/injured wide receiver Aaron Bailey. Porter signed with the Colts after the draft, but they cut him in early June. Bailey, also an undrafted rookie, signed with the Ravens out of Northern Iowa back in May.
Cowboys Work Out Ronnie Hillman
Denard Robinson isn’t the only veteran running back getting consideration from the Cowboys. The team also auditioned Ronnie Hillman on Thursday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Cowboys Work Out Denard Robinson]
It appears that the Cowboys are looking into reserve running backs on the cusp of training camp. While they arguably have the best trio of running backs in the NFL (Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden, and Alfred Morris), the Cowboys are still looking at ways to bolster the unit.
Hillman, 26 in September, was a surprise cut by the Broncos before the 2016 season. Last year, he spent time with the Vikings and Chargers, but he didn’t do a whole lot with his 41 combined carries. Hillman’s 131 rushing yards left him with a career-low 3.2 yards per carry average and he had zero touchdowns for the first time in his five-year career.
Ravens To Sign WR Griff Whalen
The Ravens are signing veteran wide receiver Griff Whalen, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Whalen visited the Ravens and took a physical with the team earlier today. After that, it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. 
[RELATED: Bills Meet With Ex-Ravens WR Anquan Boldin]
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but this is likely a one-year deal with little-to-no guarantees. Whalen will push to make the roster as a supporting wide receiver, vying with Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds, Chris Matthews, Michael Campanaro, and others for just two or three potential spots.
Whalen’s experience in the return game could help his bid to make the 53-man roster.
Bills To Work Out Anquan Boldin
The Bills are set to audition wide receiver Anquan Boldin, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The workout will take place on Monday with other players also involved. 
Boldin, 36, led the Lions with 22 red zone targets last season. He had 67 catches and a career-high eight touchdowns, though he averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per grab (584 yards in total). The veteran is not a deep threat, but he could provide insurance in the event that Sammy Watkins is once again held back by injury.
As it stands, Watkins, rookie Zay Jones, and veteran Andre Holmes are the team’s top receivers. Although Buffalo improved in other areas, it’s possible that the Bills have left themselves a bit thin at WR. Adding Boldin could help to fix that.
It’s worth noting that Boldin has some history with Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Taylor was the Ravens’ backup quarterback while Boldin was in Baltimore.
Cowboys Work Out RB Denard Robinson
The Cowboys worked out former Jaguars running back Denard Robinson on Thursday, Jane Slater of NFL.com tweets. 
Dallas is pretty well set at running back as star Ezekiel Elliott is supported by a pair of former 1,000-yard rushers in Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. It’s possible that the Cowboys are looking at Robinson as someone who can compete for fourth RB spot (if they carry four on the final roster) along with undrafted rookie Jahad Thomas and RB/FB Rod Smith. The Cowboys enjoyed the luxury of having four talented backs on the roster last year, but they’re slightly thinner now that Lance Dunbar is with the Rams. Someone like Robinson could also fill a temporary role on the roster if Elliott is suspended for any length of time.
Robinson, 27 in September, posted the second-worst YPC (3.5) of his career in 2016 off of 41 attempts. In 2014, however, he had a productive year as he averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
The former Michigan star worked out for the Bears in May and the Jets in June, but left both auditions without signing.
NFL Wrapping Up Ezekiel Elliott Investigation
Finally, the Ezekiel Elliott saga could be approaching its conclusion. The league’s investigation is nearing completion, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, and the league has shared its findings with the NFLPA and Elliott’s camp. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Re-Sign LB Justin Durant]
It still remains to be seen whether Elliott will be suspended and/or fined for the allegations made against him in 2016, but we should know one way or another soon. Of course, the Cowboys and their star running back have both grown impatient as the NFL’s fact-finding process has been going on for a full year.
The NFL will not announce any possible Elliott discipline today, nor this weekend, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, so the Cowboys will report to camp on Saturday with Elliott in limbo.
Elliott was not arrested after a woman filed a police report against him last July and the Columbus City Attorney’s Office declined to file charges. Still, the league office has left no stone unturned, particularly in light of the NFL’s unfortunate history with handling domestic violence cases.
If the league does suspend the Cowboys star, he’ll have to repay a portion of his signing bonus to the team in addition to losing game checks. In related news, Dallas authorities are halting their investigation into the infamous barroom fight from earlier this month that may or may not have involved Elliott throwing a punch.
NFL Suspends Bengals CB Adam Jones
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones has been suspended for one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Jones pled guilty to obstruction of official business stemming from a January 2017 incident.
Jones will appeal the ruling, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Meanwhile, agent Peter Schaffer tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Jones has not yet reached a decision on whether to appeal.
Initially, Jones was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony after an ugly string of incidents. The cornerback allegedly assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye in a late-night argument. Then, he refused to stop when ordered to by police and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicked and head-butted officers. Then, when he arrived at jail, he allegedly spit on a nurse, resulting in the felony charge. Despite all of that, Jones was sentenced only to time served, which amounted to two days in jail.
“The Bengals anticipated this result and are glad to finally put the matter behind us,” the team said in a statement. “Our focus is getting ready for the upcoming season. Adam will participate in training camp and we are counting on him to help our team when he returns from suspension.”
Jones will be out of action for the season opener against the Ravens on Sept. 10. He’ll be eligible to return for Week 2 against the Texans.
All things considered, the one-game ban isn’t a bad outcome for Jones given his history and the severity of allegations from earlier this year. In Week 1, the Bengals will rely a little more on Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard, and William Jackson III to keep opposing receivers in check. Losing Jones isn’t ideal, but a team could do a lot worse than trotting out three former first-round picks at corner.
The 33-year-old saw his production slip a bit in 2016, grading as only the league’s No. 37 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. In 2015, PFF had him ranked as the NFL’s 15th best corner.
Panthers Sign Trai Turner To Extension
It didn’t take long for acting GM Marty Hurney to get to work. The Panthers have agreed to an extension with offensive guard Trai Turner. 
“Beyond excited today!!,” Turner tweeted. “Thank you to Mr. [Jerry] Richardson and the Panther family, I’ll be a Panther for four more years!!!”
The four-year deal is worth $45MM with $20.5MM guaranteed, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal gives Turner a yearly average of $11.25MM per year and will enable him to be a free agent again at the age of 28.
Turner’s new deal gives him the third-highest yearly average of any guard in the NFL. Next year’s guard market will likely see the top guys eclipse Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM/year average, so it’s a solid deal for the Panthers from a cap perspective. Meanwhile, Turner should be in position for another mega contract just as he enters his prime.
Turner, a former third round pick, was previously set to play out the 2017 season at a $1.931MM cap number. Presumably, the new deal will kick in starting with the 2018 season, giving him a sizable pay bump while keeping him under Panthers control through the 2021 campaign.
“Any time you’re able to secure someone like Trai, a two-time Pro Bowler and a staple of our offensive line, you’re very fortunate,” Hurney said in a statement. “The offensive line is a key to the team’s success and Trai is a very integral part of that. We’re extremely excited to have Trai under contract for the next five seasons.”
The ceiling for guards has been pushed higher thanks to recent free agent contracts inked by Zeitler (five years, $60MM) and Kelechi Osemele (five years, $58.5MM). Guards like Joel Bitonio (five years, $51.2MM), David DeCastro (five years, $50MM), Kyle Long (four years, $40MM), and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (five years, $42.4MM) also did their part by signing lucrative extensions with their respective teams.
Turner, 24, has started in every possible game over the last two years, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus only gave him a so-so 72.2 overall score last season, placing him as just the 38th best guard in the NFL, but the Panthers believe he’s a much better player than that. In 2015, PFF rated Turner as one of the very best guards in the league.