Bills DT Adolphus Washington Arrested
Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington was arrested on a firearms charge outside of Cincinnati on Sunday, according to Bob Strickley of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Washington, a third round pick out of Ohio State in the 2016 draft, allegedly “reached for and displayed a gun while sitting inside his vehicle, just feet away from officers,” and didn’t report the presence of a firearm to the police before the interaction. The 22-year-old was released from custody on Sunday night.
As Strickley notes, Washington has run afoul of the law before, as he plead guilty to solicitation of prostitution while at Ohio State in 2015. While Washington wasn’t handed an NFL suspension for that incident since it happened before he turned pro, he could see a league-imposed ban for the firearm incident, regardless of whether he’s found guilty of a crime.
Washington started 11 games during his rookie campaign, but only played on roughly 30% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. In that time, he posted 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and graded as the league’s No. 72 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Latest On Kirk Cousins Negotiations
The Redskins’ negotiating window with franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins is down to one week, but there have been no new developments in talks between the two sides, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. As such, Washington and Cousins would essentially need to “start from scratch” in order to reach a deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The only positive news to come out talks between Cousins and the Redskins in recent weeks came from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reported in late June that an “improved tone” had enveloped negotiations between the parties. However, a contract still doesn’t appear likely, which would mean Cousins would play out the 2017 campaign while earning a fully guaranteed $23.94MM base salary.
If Washington tags Cousins again in 2018, the 28-year-old signal-caller would be entitled to a 44% raise, meaning he’d be due a salary of roughly $35MM. That fact, combined with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr‘s new five-year, $125MM extension ($40MM guaranteed), means Cousins is likely looking for a deal that averages $25-28MM with $58MM in guarantees, per Jones.
“I hired my agent to do his job,” Cousins tells Stephanie Funkhouser of FOX 17. “I gotta go play football and throw touchdown passes and help our team win. I’ve got plenty to work on there so I’ll let my agent do his job. I’ll do mine and the good news is I’m under contract for this season and in a good place.”
Offseason In Review: Minnesota Vikings
One year after taking the NFC North crown with an 11-5 record, the Vikings witnessed the loss of their starting quarterback, injuries all along their offensive line, and a season-ending health issue to franchise icon Adrian Peterson. Following an 8-8 campaign and a third place divisional finish, Minnesota had several key areas to address this offseason, mostly on the offensive side of the ball.
Notable signings:
- Riley Reiff, T: Five years, $58.75MM. $26.3MM guaranteed.
- Mike Remmers, T: Five years, $30MM. $10.5MM guaranteed.
- Latavius Murray, RB: Three years, $15MM. $3.4MM guaranteed. $2.3MM available via incentives.
- Datone Jones, DE: One year, $3.75MM. $1.6MM guaranteed. $1.25MM available via incentives.
- Terence Newman, CB: One year, $3.25MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Case Keenum, QB: One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives.
- Ryan Quigley, P: Two years, $1.565MM.
- Michael Floyd, WR: One year, $1.41MM. Maximum value of $6MM.
- Will Sutton, DT: One year, $690K.
The Vikings actually boasted enviable depth heading into the 2016 season, but injuries and other factors led the club’s front five to perform like a sieve by the end of the campaign. Phil Loadholt retired before the season got underway, John Sullivan was released, Mike Harris dealt with a mysterious illness that wiped out his entire year, and Matt Kalil and Andre Smith played only six combined games before going down with injury. The result was an over-matched offensive line that started the likes of T.J. Clemmings (among the worst offensive tackles in the NFL), ranked 30th in adjusted line yards, and 17th in adjusted sack rate.
Quarterback Sam Bradford was heavily affected by the lack of blocking up front, as he rarely had time to throw intermediate-to-deep passes and finished 33rd in average depth of target, as Matthew Coller of 1500 ESPN details. An offensive line that performed at just a mediocre level would have done wonders for the Vikings offense, so the club attacked the weakness by bringing in free agents Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers.
Both deals were overpays, to be sure, as Reiff and Remmers both graded in the middle of Pro Football Focus‘ offensive tackle rankings (Nos. 48 and 51, respectively, among 78 qualifiers). Reiff, specifically, is now the eighth-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, and received the third-most guaranteed money. That’s an exorbitant sum for a middling lineman, especially one who didn’t even play on the blindside a year ago.
Remmers’ contract is a bit more manageable, but the fact remains that Minnesota spent large to ensure a baseline level of production — and that’s not a bad idea. With the emergence of quick passing games, it’s more important than ever to simply not be terrible up front. Not every team needs to employ a Tyron Smith or a Joe Thomas to enjoy success, as it’s weak links — instead of All Pro performances — that often differentiate between offensive lines. The Vikings are also paying for availability, as Reiff has only missed three games during his five-year career, while Remmers has played in 32 consecutive contests since becoming a full-time starter.
Running behind Reiff and Remmers will be Latavius Murray, who signed a three-year deal to leave the Raiders. Originally viewed as a replacement for Adrian Peterson, Murray’s role is now murky after the Vikings traded up in the second round to select running back Dalvin Cook. There are certainly still carries to go around, as Minnesota ran the ball 380 times a season ago, but Murray probably isn’t going to be the bell-cow back he thought he signed up to be. Mike Clay of ESPN.com (Twitter link) projects 169 carries for Cook, 111 for Murray, and 69 for Jerick McKinnon.
The Vikings’ final notable offensive addition was wide receiver Michael Floyd, who struggled to find a market after being charged with Extreme DUI last year. Floyd, whose contract with Minnesota doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, is certainly a bounce-back candidate, and could make for an excellent value signing. However, he’s likely to serve a minimum two-game suspension, so he won’t be on the field immediately. The NFL recently held a hearing on Floyd’s case.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings didn’t add much to a unit that already ranked ninth in DVOA and is returning many of its players. One such returnee is cornerback Terence Newman, who miraculously graded as the league’s ninth-best corner in his age-38 season, per PFF. At some point, Newman is going to experience a decline, but until that time, he’ll continue to team with Xavier Rhodes in one of the NFL’s best secondaries. He’ll hold down the fort for 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes, who has disappointed in two pro seasons.
Like Waynes, Datone Jones is a former first-round pick who hasn’t contributed much during his NFL career, but he could be in for a fresh start after coming over from the division-rival Packers. Yanked around from position to position in Green Bay, Jones was even playing outside linebacker with the Packers. In the the Vikings’ 4-3 front, Jones will move back to his more natural end position, and could even see time at three-technique defensive tackle.
Chiefs Name Brett Veach As GM
The Chiefs have promoted executive Brett Veach to the role of GM. Veach is now the seventh GM in franchise history. 
“After a comprehensive search process, I am pleased to announce that we have hired Brett Veach to serve as the next General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chairman/CEO Clark Hunt said in a press release. “Brett has a sharp football mind, a tremendous work ethic and a keen eye for finding talent. Over the last four seasons he’s played a critical role in building our football team. I look forward to working with him to continue to build on the strong foundation we have in place.”
The Chiefs, to the shock of the football world, found themselves with a GM vacancy this summer when they fired John Dorsey. From the get-go, Veach was identified as a frontrunner for the job. After considering other internal candidates plus some out-of-house types, the Chiefs have found their man.
Veach will report directly to Hunt on all player personnel matters, according to the team. Only time will tell whether that will be the true chain of command in Kansas City. It appears that coach Andy Reid had a good amount of say when it came to the 53-man roster and Veach will probably have to negotiate between his own vision for the team and what Reid wants to do. Fortunately for Veach, he has plenty of experience in that department. The two have a relationship that goes back several years to their time in Philadelphia, including a stint where Veach served as a coaching assistant for Reid.
Before deciding on Veach, the Chiefs also considered co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi. Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Seahawks co-diretor of player personnel Scott Fitterer were among the outside candidates to interview for the job. Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down the team’s request to interview and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick was reportedly in the running, though he denied that he was interested in the position.
Latest On Eagles, RB Ryan Mathews
Upon signing running back LeGarrette Blount, the Eagles decided that they would be moving on from Ryan Mathews. Nearly two months later, Mathews remains on the roster. Now, it seems we’re at least two weeks away from a resolution on the matter. 
Mathews’ neck injury will be evaluated when veterans report to camp later this month, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets. If Mathews can pass a physical, the Eagles can release him without being on the hook for injury protection. The Eagles are not interested in releasing him before that point, because they would have to pay out an extra $1.15MM otherwise, leaving them with a $2.15MM cap charge when factoring in the dead money on his deal. By waiting until he passes the exam, however, the Eagles will be left with just $1MM on the cap while saving $4MM.
Mathews‘ season ended in December when he suffered the painful neck injury. Even with that injury plus the MCL sprain he was dealing with, he still managed to turn in an okay season. In 13 games, he had 661 yards off of 155 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. He also had eight rushing touchdowns plus 13 catches for 115 yards.
With Mathews out of the picture, the Eagles plan to use Blount, Darren Sproles, and Wendell Smallwood as their top backs. Fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey and Byron Marshall are also on the 90-man roster.
Steelers Notes: Bell, Shazier, Williams
Don’t be surprised if the Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell need the full seven days between now and the deadline to reach terms on an extension, Ray Fittpaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette opines. Bell would like the security of a long-term deal and the Steelers would like some cost certainty, but finding middle ground could be a challenge.
If Bell is willing to bet on himself and his health, he is pretty much looking at a $26MM worst-case scenario by playing on two consecutive franchise tags between this year ($12.12MM) and next ($~14MM). Or, alternatively, the Steelers could allow him to test the open market next year where he would almost certainly top the $18.25MM guaranteed at signing in LeSean McCoy‘s contract. If Bell’s team is pushing for something around $31MM in cash flow between 2017 and 2018, and that’s a number the Steelers are probably uncomfortable with. As the deadline draws near, however, each side could bend a bit to find a compromise.
Here’s more from Pittsburgh:
- Steelers Ryan Shazier is entering a potential contract year, but he says that’s far from his only motivation to perform. “I just want to have a full year in general just for myself,” said Shazier (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). “I feel like I have the capability of being one of the best players in the NFL. People can’t really see what I can do when I’m not on the field. Your best ability is availability.” The Steelers exercised the linebacker’s fifth-year option for 2018, but that is guaranteed for injury only. Shazier has turned in back-to-back seasons of 87 tackles and 3.5 sacks for Pittsburgh. For his work last year, Pro Football Focus ranked Shazier as the 32nd best linebacker in the NFL last year, tying him with Mark Barron of the Rams and Danny Trevathan of the Bears. There’s no question that he has been a quality player, but he is looking to take a big leap in 2017. If he takes his game to the next level this year, there will be little question about whether the Steelers will trigger his one-year, $8.718MM option.
- Former Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams made his pro wrestling debut earlier this month, but he says he still wants to continue playing in the NFL. He’s also not ruling out a return to Pittsburgh, but the Steelers’ current level of interest is unknown.
- Will the Steelers be among the 2016 division winners to miss out on the postseason this year? Click here to cast your vote.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Staley, Cowboys
Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley enjoys his job, but he also feels that he is ready to get a chance to be an offensive coordinator somewhere. “Yeah, definitely,” Staley told CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank.
“You never know how that works for you. I do know that you wait on those opportunities and hopefully those chances will come. If not, I love what I’m doing. Can’t say anything bad about what I’m doing. I love it. That’s when you know it’s not a job…I live vicariously through my players, still, to this day. I catch them out there running and making moves and I catch my knees shaking a little bit, I’m making the move with them. You can’t replace that feeling.”
Staley started out on Andy Reid‘s staff and was promoted to RB coach under Chip Kelly. He kept that job under Doug Pederson, making him the only coach to be a part of all three coaching regimes in Philly. Since Staley became the Eagles’ running backs coach in 2013, the Eagles have posted the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL (8,114). Staley certainly has a strong resume to work with if he gets calls for OC jobs next offseason.
More from the NFC East:
- If Dak Prescott were to suffer an injury that keeps him out of action for a serious stretch of time, the Cowboys could be motivated to go shopping for a quarterback, Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News writes. Cowboys coaches continue to sing the praises of Kellen Moore, saying that they have confidence in his football IQ and ability to lead the team. However, he has played in just three games as he enters his sixth season in the league. If the Cowboys have to forge on without Prescott for some reason, they may want to go for a more dynamic quarterback with more on-field experience.
- More from Hairopoulos, who wonders if Alfred Morris‘ roster spot with the Cowboys may actually be in jeopardy. Morris, of course, offers serious veteran talent behind Ezekiel Elliott and Darren McFadden, but his inability to really contribute on special teams can hurt him. Earlier in the offseason, exec Stephen Jones said that “in a perfect world,” your third running back would be helping out in the third facet of the game. So far, we’ve heard positive talk about undrafted free agent Jahad Thomas and he could theoretically wind up as the team’s No. 3 running back. Then again, if Elliott winds up getting suspended by the the league office, the Cowboys may not be willing to lose a runner of Morris’ caliber.
- One surprising factor could steer Kirk Cousins towards staying with the Redskins long term.
- The Giants are not prioritizing a new deal for star Odell Beckham Jr.
Redskins Notes: Cousins, Sudfeld, McCoy
The latest on the Redskins:
- One potential factor in Kirk Cousins‘ long-term future with the Redskins will be the birth of his first child in September, ESPN.com’s John Keim writes. Both Cousins’ family and his wife’s are on the East Coast and that could help him lean towards remaining in Washington. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t look to join up with another team like the Niners, but it could be a factor to keep him in D.C. if everything else is kosher between him and management and if a contract offer is to his liking. Still, the rumblings about Cousins being unhappy with the Redskins have only grown louder this summer. Keim still does not see the quarterback signing a new deal with the Redskins before the deadline later this month.
- Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com is confident that the Redskins will carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, meaning that Nate Sudfeld‘s job is safe. However, things may get interesting during the year if Cousins is not signed long term and the team is out of contention. In that scenario, the Redskins may want to get Sudfeld on the field to find out what they have in him. Colt McCoy, the team’s No. 2 QB, could also be a candidate to step into the starting role in 2018 if Cousins goes and he might not be thrilled about getting leapfrogged. McCoy is under contract with the team through ’18.
- More from Tandler, who looks way down the road to preview the Redskins’ defensive core in the 2020 season. He has first round defensive end Jonathan Allen listed as a “blue chip” player for Washington three years down the road, alongside cornerback Josh Norman. Although Allen slid down draft boards due to concerns about his shoulders, that’s an issue that could catch up with him in five or six years, not three years, Tandler reasons. Of course, it’s a difficult exercise to project any team’s defense three years in advance and a whole lot can change between now and then.
Latest On Browns, Jabrill Peppers
Browns first rounder Jabrill Peppers is still without a contract. One of the primary reasons for that is because the two sides are still negotiating over the amount of guaranteed money in the deal, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Rumors. 
[RELATED: Latest On Raiders’ Gareon Conley]
It might be easier for a deal to come together if Gareon Conley, the Raiders’ first round pick at No. 24, had his deal done. Without direct comps on either side of the Michigan product, there is a lot open to interpretation. Giants tight end Evan Engram (No. 23 overall) has a $1.55MM guarantee for his fourth season. Meanwhile, at No. 26, Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley is guaranteed just $900K. Peppers’ reps are probably pushing for something close to Engram’s fourth-year guarantee while the Browns see McKinley as the better comp.
Florio notes that last year’s No. 25 overall pick, Steelers cornerback Artie Burns, received an $800K roster bonus due on the third day of training camp in his fourth year in lieu of a partial guarantee. Peppers, based on that precedent, could be pushing for the same thing.
There are still seven unsigned first round picks as of this writing with five of those players in the top 10.
Latest On Raiders’ Gareon Conley
Two and a half months ago, Gareon Conley met with authorities regarding a woman’s allegation of sexual assault against him, and the rookie Raiders cornerback’s attorney expected a resolution on this case to come six to eight weeks from that meeting.
No such resolution has emerged, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Conley has not been charged in connection with this alleged incident, but no word has come out whether he will be or not. After 10 weeks, the cornerback’s future is still clouded because of this matter.
Conley is one of the seven first-round picks who hasn’t signed his rookie deal. The Raiders may be waiting for this matter to be resolved before signing the corner to a deal, Florio offers, noting the $5.5MM-plus signing bonus that will come Conley’s way as part of this impending agreement.
A woman accused Conley of sexual assault at a Cleveland hotel in April, and it affected the Ohio State product’s draft stock. Conley said he did have a consensual sexual encounter with the woman on April 9, an act his attorney specified was not intercourse, Conley’s vehemently denied her allegations.
The Raiders open training camp July 29, and this process dragging on past then would push it firmly into distraction territory for a team that gambled and selected Conley 24th overall.