Panthers Release Michael Oher
Michael Oher has been released by the Panthers with a failed physical designation, the team announced. The move has been anticipated for some time. 
The reason for Oher’s failed physical has not been released, but odds are that Oher was cut due to complications stemming from the brain trauma he has suffered as of late. When considering Oher’s concussion history and erratic off-the-field behavior, it’s clear that Oher has bigger fish to fry before he worries about resurrecting his football career. It’s worth noting that Oher has been in the league’s concussion protocol since September, and no player has ever been in protocol this long and managed to return to live action.
By cutting Oher, the Panthers will save $1.69MM against the cap. Meanwhile, Oher will qualify for injury compensation.
In 2015, Oher appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Panthers graded out as a top-30 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. The Panthers rewarded him with a three-year, $21.6MM extension, but that deal has not worked out for Carolina. He was sidelines after three games in 2016 and formally placed on IR around Thanksgiving.
Cardinals Re-Sign RB Chris Johnson
The Cardinals have re-signed running back Chris Johnson, according to a team announcement. It’s a one-year deal, per a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
This offseason, head coach Bruce Arians has appeared to be content with Kerwynn Williams as the primary backup to superstar David Johnson. Apparently, that’s not quite the case. Johnson will now compete with Williams, Andre Ellington, and fifth-round pick T.J. Logan to be D. Johnson’s main understudy.
CJ2K, 32 in September, is coming off of a rough year which ended with a groin injury. It was his second straight year to be cut short by injury, but it’s important to note that he missed only one career game before first signing with Arizona in 2015.
Johnson has six 1,000-yard seasons (including a 2,000-yard campaign) and three Pro Bowl nods on his resume, but the Cardinals are just hoping that he can offer reliable production in a support role. Regardless how the Cardinals view him, Johnson will be fighting hard for significant carries.
“I need to be involved,” the speedster said in June. “At this point in my career, I don’t want to sit on the sideline. I want to get in the game.”
The Cardinals already had one open spot on the 90-man roster, so they will not need to release anyone to make room for Johnson.
Cowboys Re-Sign LB Justin Durant
The Cowboys announced that they have re-signed linebacker Justin Durant. To make room on the 90-man roster, the team has released cornerback Jeremiah McKinnon. 
Durant, a 10-year veteran, has played for four NFL teams, including two stints with the Cowboys. Re-signing him wasn’t necessarily an offseason priority for the Cowboys before, but Durant could provide some depth now that Damien Wilson could face league suspension. It also helps that Durant is familiar with the team’s defense and the 4-3 scheme.
The 31-year-old (32 in September) was a starter for Dallas in 2013 and 2014, but he was a reserve with the team last year. He finished out with 37 tackles and one sack. For his career, Durant has 92 career starts on his resume. He is still looking to replicate his 2012 campaign with Detroit, a season in which he recorded 102 tackles in 16 games. He has not played a full slate of regular season games since.
Outside of an April visit with the Bills, it has been a very quiet offseason for Durant. Now, he’s eager to prove that he still has a place on a 53-man roster.
Rashad Jennings Has Talked With Five Teams
Rashad Jennings has proven that he can dance. Now, he wants to prove that he can still play football at a high level. The free agent running back says that he is anxious to play in 2017 and eager for an NFL opportunity. 
“I know there is a place for me in the league based on my skill set. I want to prove one GM right this year,” Jennings told SiriusXM (Twitter links).
Jennings added that he has had “simple conversations” with the Lions, Packers, Ravens, Rams, and Dolphins. The veteran hopes that those simple conversations will lead to a deal from one of those teams, but for now, he’s in “wait and see” mode.
The reigning Dancing With The Stars champion had a paltry 3.3 yards per carry average last year on 181 rushes, but did record 35 receptions. On the plus side, Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the NFL’s best pass blockers in 2016 and he isn’t too far removed from a productive 2015 season in New York.
Cowboys Notes: Elliott, Smith
The Cowboys should suspend Ezekiel Elliott themselves, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News opines. Under the league’s personal conduct policy, Elliott’s involvement in a Sunday night brawl could still impact a potential suspension, even if he is not found of any legal wrongdoing (after authorities “suspended” the investigation, legal consequences seem unlikely). Cowlishaw seems to think that a two-game suspension is on the way from the NFL for last year’s abuse allegations against Elliott, so he figures the Cowboys might as well get ahead of the situation while sending a stern message to the running back.
Elliott may be guilty of some poor decision making, but he has not been found guilty of any crimes since joining the Cowboys. The running back’s odds of avoiding suspension could be a lot better than Cowlishaw seems to think, and I think it would be foolish for the Cowboys to take him out of action for 1/8th of the season instead of riding things out.
More from Dallas:
- According to a recent electromyogram, the nerve in the leg of Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is continuing to regenerate, Todd Archer of ESPN.com hears from a source. Smith will take the field with the team in training camp and there is hope of a full recovery months down the road. For his part, the Notre Dame product says he feels as good as he did pre-injury.
- The Cowboys have the seventh-best roster in the NFL, Nate Davis of USA Today writes. Davis assessed the talent of each unit of all 32 teams and gave the Cowboys a composite ranking of 12.9. Davis personally fears that Dak Prescott could be in for a sophomore slump and, apparently, the team’s departures in free agency have set them back in his mind.
- If Elliott is suspended, he’ll have to repay the team a portion of his signing bonus.
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Freeman
Despite what Marty Hurney says, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer isn’t convinced that he’ll leave after one year if the Panthers wind up making the playoffs. Of course, if the Panthers fall flat and finish with a losing record again, it’s likely that the team follows through on the plan to hire a successor.
As unorthodox as the entire situation may be, Person believes that hiring Hurney was the right move for Carolina.
“I think one of my strengths is dealing with people and I do have a familiarity with a lot of people here,” Hurney said at his introductory presser. “Anytime you’re leading or managing you have to have that ability to communicate with people. Not only talk to people, but listen to people. So I do think that’s a strength and I’m hoping that’s one of the reasons I’m here.”
Here’s more from the NFC South:
- Panthers tight end Greg Olsen says contract talks with Dave Gettleman were never contentious and he doesn’t believe that Gettleman’s negotiations with him or Thomas Davis were tipping points in his standing with the team (Twitter links via Person). Olsen added that he never had a problem with Gettleman and says he respects the fact that he stuck to his guns in contract dealings. Some believe that Olsen is more likely to get the revised deal that he is seeking now that Hurney is in charge. For what it’s worth, Hurney says he is going to be more practical and less emotional in his second stint running the Panthers.
- We haven’t heard any updates on Falcons running back Devonta Freeman over the last few weeks, but Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com still expects a deal to happen either before or during training camp. Earlier this summer, Freeman said that he was willing to wait patiently for the right extension offer to come his way. Meanwhile, both sides have expressed confidence in striking a deal.
- There’s not a lot of pressure on the Saints to extend Drew Brees, one beat writer opines.
- Depending on who you ask, running back Charles Sims may or may not be on the Buccaneers‘ roster bubble.
Dolphins Audition DT Roy Miller
The Dolphins recently worked out free agent defensive tackle Roy Miller, according to Mike Kaye of First Coast News (on Twitter). Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) confirms the news, adding that the workout took place on Tuesday. 
Miller is still recovering from Achilles surgery, Salguero says, and he left Miami without a contract. It’s not immediately clear whether the Dolphins are still thinking about adding him to the 90-man roster.
Back in June, Miller indicated that he was starting to get bites from teams.
“There’s a few teams that have shown some interest here and there,” Miller said. “I believe my agent has a few – there’s a couple of trips I have to take – this month. It was always [the plan] to kind of wait until mid-July, so I can go out there with enough time to heal and time to get back in shape and then go out there and compete.”
From the sound of it, Miller might not be as far along in his recovery as he anticipated. His best bet might be to wait a couple more weeks before auditioning for other clubs.
Miller, 30, made 50 starts for the Jags from 2013 through 2016. After an injury-shortened season, the Jaguars didn’t show much interest in retaining him. Still, Miller offers lots of experience and he’s not far removed from a productive 2015 season in which he had 4.0 sacks and 40 total tackles.
Raiders, Gareon Conley Talking Contract
Rookie Gareon Conley could conceivably face sexual assault charges stemming from his pre-draft incident. That issue complicates things when it comes to his contract, but the Raiders are not necessarily going to wait for a resolution to things before hammering out a deal. Talks are underway and ongoing, Mike Florio of PFT hears. 
The Raiders investigated the allegations against Conley as thoroughly as possible in the days leading up to the draft. Presumably, the Raiders felt that any sexual conduct Conley engaged in was consensual. They likely assumed that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing before the start of training camp, but that might not happen with a little over week to go.
It remains to be seen whether the Raiders will actually ink Conley to a contract before his case is resolved. If they do, they may push for protections that wouldn’t ordinarily be in a rookie’s contract. Conley’s camp may bristle at the notion of accepting less guaranteed money than a typical No. 24 overall pick or allowing the Raiders to have extra escape hatches in the deal.
Beyond the murkiness of his legal situation, the two sides could also butt heads over the guarantees of Conley’s slot versus the guarantees of players drafted around him. Jarrad Davis, taken with the No. 21 overall pick, had his full four-year deal guaranteed. Dolphins rookie Charles Harris, taken No. 22 overall, has 97.31% guaranteed. Giants rookie Evan Engram, selected with the 23rd pick, has more than 96% of his deal locked in. The Raiders may not be inclined to give Conley a deal like Engram’s in light of his off-the-field circumstances.
NFC Notes: Cousins, Brees, Panthers
Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins could hit free agency next offseason, which would force the team to engage in a bidding war if it wants to retain him, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Cousins re-sign in 2018, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The standoff between the Redskins and Cousins isn’t personal, notes Graziano, who expects him to stay with them if they make him the best offer. Otherwise, Graziano runs down a slew of other potential suitors that could make Cousins one of the richest players in the game if he reaches the open market in March. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that a Cousins derby could look a bit like Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White’s trip to free agency in 1993, when most of the league pursued him before he signed with Green Bay, as well as the sweepstakes for quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012. Manning drew vast interest before joining the Broncos.
More from the NFC:
- In theory, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is in the same situation as Cousins. Except, Brees has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to play anywhere but New Orleans, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. The 38-year-old could have become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and cashed in on a weak QB market, but he instead gave up his leverage by signing a one-year, $24.25MM extension just before the 2016 opener. For a morale boost, Triplett thinks the Saints should do the same thing before the 2017 season kicks off. Then again, since Brees hasn’t given the team any real reason to think he’ll bolt in free agency next year, there isn’t a ton of pressure to get that done.
- Brandon Beane, who spent 19 years in Carolina’s front office before taking over as the Bills’ general manager in May, endorses the Panthers’ decision to bring in Marty Hurney as the interim GM. “Hiring Marty is an excellent move for the Panthers,” Beane told David Newton of ESPN.com. “He knows the organization inside and out and has great relationships with many people in their front office and coaching staff. I wish him nothing but the best in his return to Carolina.” Most of Beane’s tenure in Carolina was spent working under Hurney, who first served as the team’s GM from 2002-12.
- Free agent running back DeAngelo Williams would be willing to pull a Hurney and return to the Panthers, with whom he played from 2006-14, but the club should stay away, argues Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. Not only do the Panthers have a full complement of running backs (Jonathan Stewart, Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel, Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne), but Fowler points out that Williams has badmouthed the Panthers since his departure and, at 34 years old, has taken a pounding during his career.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Packers Notes: Allison, Guion, Davis
The latest from Green Bay:
- The NFL announced Wednesday that it has suspended Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison one game for a violation of its substance abuse policy. Allison was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in December and pleaded no contest in April, when he paid a $330.50 fine to reduce the charge to an ordinance violation, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Allison’s Week 1 ban will cost him far more – a $31,764 game check. As a rookie in 2016, the undrafted free agent from Illinois racked up 12 catches, 202 yards and two touchdowns in 10 regular-season games. Allison will enter training camp as the fourth option in a packed receiving corps.
- Defensive tackle Letroy Guion will go to trial next month in Hawaii for intoxicated driving, reports the Associated Press. Guion was arrested in June on a driving under the influence charge, and his attorney is now seeking witnesses to the arrest, according to the AP. Guion had a blood alcohol content of .086 an hour after the arrest and smelled of both alcohol and marijuana at the time. He’s already set to serve a season-opening four-game suspension for a separate infraction – a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
- The Packers will have a new director of player development with Rob Davis having left the organization, Demovsky tweets. Davis spent 12 seasons as a long snapper in the NFL, including 11 with Green Bay, before embarking on a front office role with the Packers for nine years. He’s on to a “special opportunity,” though team president Mark Murphy declined to say where Davis is headed.
- In case you missed it, the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have not begun extension talks.
Zach Links contributed to this post.