Broncos K Brandon McManus Signs Tender
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus has signed his restricted free agent tender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will pay him $2.746MM. Schefter adds that a long-term deal is still possible between the two sides. 
The Broncos opted to tender McManus at the second round level this offseason. McManus waited to put pen to paper, however, as he was hoping for a long-term deal instead.
“There’s really no rush for me to sign the tender because it could go through June 15,” McManus said back in May. “I’d love to be here as long as I can and be on a long-term deal here that gives me security. I love Denver. I love the fan base here. I would love to be here four more years so why not see what I can do?”
McManus has appeared in 47 games with the Broncos over the past three seasons, converting 82.9-percent of his field goal attempts. He’s also one of the better kickers in the league for kickoffs, which adds to his overall value. The Broncos would probably like to keep him in the fold beyond 2017, but there’s also no real reason for them to commit right now.
Matt Jones’ Agent Asks Redskins To Cut Him
Matt Jones is not a key part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, so he is (understandably) looking to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Jones’ agent asked the team to release his client, as Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes. 
“Let’s move on,” agent Hadley Engelhard said. “We’re hoping [team president Bruce Allen] sees the light and does the gentleman thing and release Matt.”
Reading between the lines, Engelhard’s decision to go on record with the media on this matter might not be a good sign for his effort to get Jones on the open market. Odds are, Engelhard has been pushing Allen behind the scenes for several weeks to cut the running back but has so far been unsuccessful. Eventually, however, something has to give. The Redskins tried to find a suitable trade for Jones in the spring but did not find much of a market.
Jones was once the Redskins’ starting back but he has been bypassed by Robert Kelley. This year, Oklahoma product Samaje Perine figures to see a good percentage of the carries and Chris Thompson will return as the team’s pass-catching specialist out of the backfield. That leaves little-to-zero room for the talented but fumble-prone Jones.
Steelers Sign First-Round Pick T.J. Watt
The Steelers signed first-round linebacker T.J. Watt, according to a team announcement. After also inking third-round cornerback Cameron Sutton this week, Pittsburgh has become the latest team to wrap up its 2017 draft class. 
“T.J. is a rock solid young man who has a lot of upside,” said Coach Mike Tomlin in a press release. “He doesn’t have a lot of experience at the position, but at the same time we saw some things that were exciting to us. His hand usage in particular for a guy with his short resume at the position was exciting. His production speaks for itself. He’s just a quality guy and a quality pick for us. We’re excited about continuing his development not only as a football player, but as an outside linebacker. That’s probably the most exciting element of the T.J. discussion. We are excited about the potential upside and growth given the short length of time he’s played the position.”
Watt, a Wisconsin product, finished the 2016 season with 17 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks. Last year was his first campaign as a starter and just his second season playing defense after switching from tight end. But, of course, hard-nosed defense runs in Watt’s blood.
“I am a lunch pail kind of guy who yeah, I just got picked in the first round, but I am here to prove that I am worth that pick and I am worth much more than that as well,” said Watt, the younger brother of Texans superstar J.J. Watt. “I think some things come easy for me, like the transition over to defense. It came naturally to me, but at the same time there was so much work behind the scenes that no one ever saw. That’s what it’s so hard to put it into words. It is a lot of God-given ability, but it is so much work that no one will ever see. No one will ever know. It’s an insurmountable amount of work. That is how you get to places like this and get the opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It all pays off. It really does.”
Watt may wind up starting at one of the Steelers’ outside linebackers pots, putting him opposite of James Harrison with Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams in between. Former first-round pick Bud Dupree and Arthur Moats will also be pushing for playing time at OLB.
Browns Sign Rookie QB DeShone Kizer
DeShone Kizer is officially in the fold. The Browns announced that they have signed the rookie quarterback. 
The Notre Dame product has reportedly impressed in practice, leading some to wonder whether he could see significant time on the field in his rookie season. Brock Osweiler – who has also been looking good in camp – and Cody Kessler are also pushing for the starting job. In a recent poll asking PFR readers which rookie quarterback will make the highest impact, Kizer came in second place with 17.36% of the vote. Texans signal caller Deshaun Watson took first place with 44% of the vote.
Kizer was viewed as one of the better quarterbacks in this year’s class and the Browns were excited to land him at No. 52 overall. However, not everyone is sold on him. The dual-threat QB was excellent in 2015, posting 21 touchdowns and completing nearly 63% of his passes while averaging 8.5 adjusted yards per target. Unfortunately, in 2016, his completion percentage dropped by more than four points. Soon enough, we’ll know whether Kizer has what it takes to succeed at the next level.
With Kizer signed, the Browns now have eight of their ten draft picks officially under contract. First round safety Jabrill Peppers and first round tight end David Njoku are now the only stragglers in the class.
Titans Meeting With Eric Decker
Eric Decker is meeting today with the Titans, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks Decker’s first known free agent visit since being released by the Jets earlier this month. 
[RELATED: Broncos Not Interested In Eric Decker Reunion]
Living near Nashville, Tennessee has appeal for the Decker family, Schefter hears. Beyond the live music and great food, Decker is probably also excited about the promise of the Titans’ offense. Marcus Mariota might represent Decker’s best quarterback in some time. Meanwhile, opposing defenses should be kept honest by the running of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. If Decker can stay healthy, this is a situation in which the veteran could get back to his old 1,000-yard ways.
The Titans made a major investment at WR in April by drafting Corey Davis with the No. 5 overall pick. Tennessee also has Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe in the mix, but they could use another playmaker like Decker.
On Tuesday, we learned that the Broncos are not all that interested in reuniting with Decker. Surprisingly, the Ravens are not ruling out a Decker pursuit, even after signing Jeremy Maclin.
Eagles, Jason Peters Agree To Extension
The Eagles and Jason Peters have agreed to an extension, per a team announcement. It’s a one-year addition that should keep the left tackle in Philadelphia through the 2019 season. 
[RELATED: Eagles Didn’t Get Into Bidding War For Jeremy Maclin]
Peters told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted a restructured contract. What he didn’t tell the media was that his reps and the Eagles were apparently on the doorstep of getting something done.
Originally, Peters’ contract took him through 2018 with little in the way of guaranteed money. Now, he has $15.5MM in guarantees over the next three years and can earn a maximum of $32.5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). As a part of that $15.5MM in guarantees, $8MM will come in the form of a signing bonus. The new contract may allow Peters to retire with the Eagles. Meanwhile, the team may get some cap relief.
In 2016, the advanced stats at Pro Football Focus placed Peters as the eighth-best tackle in the NFL. His 88.3 overall score on PFF ranks as the third-highest showing of his career. For his career, he has made nine Pro Bowls and is a three-time first-team All-Pro.
Panthers TE Greg Olsen Seeking New Deal
Greg Olsen has outperformed his contract and he would like a new one. The Panthers tight end, signed through 2018, wants a deal that would pay him like a top tight end in the NFL, sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. 
Prior to the 2015 season, Olsen agreed to a three-year,$22.5MM extension with $12MM guaranteed. Since then, Olsen has turned in two 1,000+-yard seasons, making it three in a row. His cap numbers of $10.35MM and $9.75MM in the next two seasons are nothing to sneeze at, but it’s easy to understand why Olsen is looking for a revised deal now instead of waiting two more years.
Olsen currently stands as one of the league’s best tight ends, but he’ll turn 34 at the start of 2019 free agency. The Panthers don’t necessarily want to rework Olsen’s deal at this point, but they might be willing to do an extension that will smooth out Olsen’s cap hits over the next two years while giving him some guaranteed cash in additional seasons. It might also behoove Carolina to keep one of its biggest stars happy, though Olsen isn’t the type to make a stink over his contract. Even as he discussed his desire for a new deal, Olsen was nothing but polite.
“In the ideal world, that’d be great,” Olsen said when asked about getting a reworked contract. “I’m very confident on where I stand in the league and where I belong. Both productivity and all things considered, there’s nobody that’s been more productive or more consistent than I have. And I’ll stand on that until the cows come home…You can make of that what you may. I feel comfortable with where I belong, and hopefully other people do, too.”
Olsen’s $7.5MM per-year average makes him the seventh-highest paid tight end in the NFL, according to Over The Cap. Meanwhile, he’s 12th among TEs when it comes to guaranteed money.
Extra Points: Luck, Hopkins, Bell, Freeman
As he enters his fifth-year option season, DeAndre Hopkins has nothing but great things to say about the Texans, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes.
“Those talks are between the Texans and my agent, but this city has embraced me just like my hometown in South Carolina has,” said Hopkins, who’s represented by Creative Artists Agency. “I love being here. I love playing for this team, great organization. Bob McNair and Cal McNair, they do a great job at having an organization that speaks for itself. I thank those guys all the time for picking me 27th when nobody knew who DeAndre Hopkins was.”
Hopkins and Houston are expected to hammer out a new deal this offseason. For now, he’s set to play out the year at a $7.915MM figure.
Let’s check out some other notes from around the league…
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck underwent offseason shoulder surgery, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that he may not be ready for training camp in July. “To be honest, I have not thought about it,” Luck told Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. “If I’m ready for it, then great. If I’m not, then that’s the way it is. I’m certainly hopeful for it. In my mind all I can do — and I truly feel this way — with this rehab, with my shoulder, I can’t look five months down the road, three months down the road, a week down the road. To me it’s about the next rehab session, the next day. That’s where my focus is and that’s where I think it needs to be to truly get back to 100 percent.” If Luck was forced to miss any time, Scott Tolzien would presumably take starters reps.
- Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t signed his franchise tender with the organization, and ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio wonders what it’d take to sign the Pro Bowler to an extension. Using the franchise tag as a guide, the writer guesses that Bell would request at least a two-year contract worth $26.6MM, with team options accounting for the subsequent years. Of course, considering the player’s injury and suspension history, Florio guesses that the Steelers would request some type of per-game bonuses. He also assumes that Bell would be seeking a lucrative roster bonus in an attempt to immediately pocket as much as money as possible.
- Brandon McManus hasn’t signed his restricted free agent tender contract with the Broncos, but Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that the veteran kicker is not “protesting,” noting that the 25-year-old is participating in minicamp. McManus has appeared in 47 games with the Broncos over the past three seasons, converting 82.9-percent of his field goal attempts.
- Former NFL quarterback Josh Freeman worked out with the Montreal Alouettes today, reports Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette (via Twitter). The former first-rounder’s last NFL appearance came in 2015, when he threw for 149 yards and one touchdown in a start for the Colts. Between 2010 and 2012, Freeman started 47 games for the Buccaneers.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Chancellor, Fairley, Packers
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters today that he’s focused on finalizing a long-term extension with safety Kam Chancellor.
“We would very much like to work something out,” he said (via ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia). “We’re working at it. And that’s really all we’ll say. But we are working at it with every intention of taking care of business. It takes awhile. Things take awhile. His frame of mind and our frame of mind are in a really good place. And we’re going to work hard to get something done. We’ll see if we can.”
The four-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract. The defensive back held out for two games during the 2015 season before signing a new four-year, $28MM deal with the Seahawks. In late May, our own Connor Byrne discussed Chancellor’s extension candidacy.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…
- Saints defensive lineman Nick Fairley is still waiting for results from his third medical opinion regarding a heart condition. Today, coach Sean Payton acknowledged that the team hasn’t received any updates on his availability. However, Payton did say that the organization would consider all of the opinions as they determine what to do with the veteran. “We will weigh in on all of those things,” he said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “We will meet with him and his agent and kind of weigh in on the three different opinions. Like I said, I anticipate that being sooner than later.”
- Will the Packers keep seven receivers on their roster for a second-straight season? “I’d like to think we’ve got more than seven guys there who can play,” receivers coach Luke Getsy said today (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky on Twitter). Behind starters Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb, the Packers are rostering wideouts Jeff Janis, DeAngelo Yancey, Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis, Malachi Dupre, and Max McCaffrey.
- Last week, the Packers waived cornerback David Rivers with an injury designation. Today, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reported (via Twitter) that the player reached an injury settlement with the organization, thus removing himself from the team’s injured reserve.
Draft Pick Signings: 6/13/17
The latest draft pick signings:
- The Steelers announced that they have signed third-round cornerback Cameron Sutton. The former Tennessee standout was a starter throughout his four-year collegiate career, setting a school-record in passes defended along the way. Sutton was one of two cornerbacks taken by Pittsburgh during this past year’s draft, as the team also selected Brian Allen in the fifth round. First-round linebacker T.J. Watt is now the lone Steelers rookie without a contract.
- The 49ers announced (via Twitter) that they have signed quarterback C.J. Beathard. The organization invested a third-round pick in the Iowa product, although he figures to start the season behind Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley on the depth chart. During his senior season, Beathard completed 56.5-percent of his passes for 1,929 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.