Browns Considering Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant is on the Browns’ radar. Bryant has been discussed as a potential signing by team brass, Browns GM John Dorsey told reporters (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer). 
[RELATED: Browns Sign Denzel Ward To Rookie Deal]
Dorsey says that he watched Bryant work out and came away impressed by his talent and passion for the game. With uncertainty surrounding Josh Gordon‘s wellbeing and availability for this season, the Browns could turn to the biggest free agent wide receiver left on the market.
Bryant, 29, hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2014 and his 12.1 yards per reception in 2017 was the lowest average of his career. But, he can still post up opposing defensive backs near the end zone, and he has some extra motivation to get back to his old form. From 2012-2014, Bryant averaged 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Cowboys. The Browns would be satisfied with even 75% of that stat line on reasonably-priced one-year deal.
The Browns signed Jarvis Landry this offseason, giving them one of the game’s best wide receivers. Gordon, former first-round pick Corey Coleman, Ricardo Louis, and fourth-round pick Antonio Callaway round out the club’s top five.
Lions Meet With Ricky Jean-Francois
Veteran defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois will visit with the Lions on Wednesday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jean-Francois spent last year with the Patriots, so new Lions head coach Matt Patricia is familiar with what he can provide. 
[RELATED: Lions, Browns Audition Jude Adjei-Barimah]
RJF spent last season with the Packers and Patriots. The 2009 seventh-round pick was cut twice by Green Bay and even dropped from the roster once by the Pats, but he was re-signed by New England and stayed with the team through their trip to the Super Bowl. All in all, he had 12 tackles in 12 games between the two clubs.
In March, the defensive tackle discussed a deal with the Lions, but he ultimately left Detroit without a contract. It appears that the Lions have renewed interest as they continue to search for interior defensive line depth. This week, the Lions also met with Sealver Siliga.
Browns Sign Denzel Ward To Rookie Deal
The Browns have officially signed rookie cornerback Denzel Ward. With the No. 4 overall pick in the fold, the Browns have wrapped their entire draft class. 
Ward was widely projected to go in the first half of the first round of this year’s draft, but few expected him to go No.4 overall to the Browns. However, new GM John Dorsey was intent on overhauling the team’s secondary, and Ward is a huge piece of the puzzle.
Ward projects to start at cornerback opposite of free agent pickup T.J. Carrie. They’ll be supported by newcomer E.J. Gaines and possibly other fresh faces in Terrance Mitchell and sixth-round pick Simeon Thomas.
Here’s the complete rundown of the Browns’ draft class, via PFR’s tracker:
- 1-1: Baker Mayfield, QB (Oklahoma): Signed
- 1-4: Denzel Ward, CB (Ohio State): Signed:
- 2-33: Austin Corbett, T (Nevada): Signed
- 2-35: Nick Chubb, RB (Georgia): Signed
- 3-67: Chad Thomas, DE (Miami): Signed
- 4-105: Antonio Callaway, WR (Florida): Signed
- 5-150: Genard Avery, LB (Memphis): Signed
- 6-175: Damion Ratley, WR (Texas A&M): Signed
- 6-188: Simeon Thomas, CB (Louisiana-Lafayette): Signed
Steelers Re-Sign Eli Rogers
Eli Rogers is back in Pittsburgh. The Steelers re-signed the wide receiver to a one-year deal on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Rogers recently worked out for the Browns, Raiders, and Chiefs, but ultimately circled back to the Steelers with Wednesday’s deal. Rogers entered the league as a UDFA with the Steelers in 2015 and broke out in 2016 as he caught 48 passes for 593 yards and three scores in 13 games (eight starts). In 2017, however, Rogers slid down the depth chart following the selection of JuJu Smith-Schuster. Rogers had just 18 receptions for 149 yards last year, though he did chip in as a punt returner.
The Steelers have at least four wide receiver spots locked down with Antonio Brown, Smith-Schuster, third-round pick James Washington, and Darrius Heyward-Bey under contract. Rogers will compete for one of the final WR spots with the likes of Justin Hunter, Trey Griffey, and others.
Bills Sign Rookie QB Josh Allen
Josh Allen is officially in the fold. On Wednesday, Allen inked his four-year rookie contract with the Bills. 
Allen’s negotiations took a while, but a deal was expected to happen this week as there were no signs of acrimony between him and the club. In accordance with his slot, Allen will earn about $21.2MM over the course of his four-year rookie contract.
The Bills went into the draft hoping to land their quarterback of the future, but refused to part with both of their first-round picks in order to make that happen. Their position paid off, as they were able to land the Buccaneers’ No. 7 pick in exchange for their No. 12 choice plus two second-round selections.
It’s expected that Allen will learn from the bench this year – at least, to start the year – behind free agent pickup A.J. McCarron. While Allen’s arm strength is definitely NFL caliber, the belief is that he’ll need some seasoning before taking the reins.
Falcons Sign Dimitroff, Quinn To Extensions
The Falcons signed general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn to three-year contracts extensions, the team announced on Wednesday. Both men are now signed through the 2022 season. 
[RELATED: Julio Jones Won’t Report To Camp]
“The partnership between Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff has proven to be as successful as we envisioned back in 2015,” said Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank. “I believe continuity in leadership is vital to achieving the highest levels of success in any organization and, with these extensions, we ensure these two leaders will be at the helm of our franchise for years to come. Their shared vision and long view plan has already delivered on a variety of levels and has positioned our team for success into the future. My expectations for our team to represent our city and fans well on and off the field remain very high and so does my confidence in Dan and Thomas to make that happen.”
Things have gone well in Atlanta, for the most part, since Dimitroff joined the team in 2008. The Falcons enjoyed five consecutive winning seasons and three consecutive playoff appearances from 2008-12. Clearly, Dimitroff’s emphasis on building through the draft has paid off. As the Falcons noted in their press release, the Falcons had 17 starters in last year’s playoffs – nine on defense and eight on offense – who were either drafted or signed by the team as college free agents.
Quinn, meanwhile, joined the Falcons in 2015. He has a 29-19 record in his three seasons at the helm, including two postseason appearances and a Super Bowl appearance.
Last year, the Falcons enjoyed a playoff win over the Rams, but fell to the Eagles in the divisional round. As they look to improve upon that, they’ll forge ahead with their current GM/Coach duo.
Eagles To Sign WR Kamar Aiken
The Eagles are signing wide receiver Kamar Aiken, according to a tweet from his agent. Aiken spent last season with the Colts, though you could be forgiven for forgetting that. 
[RELATED: Darren Sproles To Retire After 2018 Season]
Aiken had a disappointing 2017. Instead of running with the Colts’ second wide receiver job, he managed only 155 catches and 133 yards in 15 games (seven starts). His last meaningful production came in 2015, when the former undrafted free agent put up nearly 1,000 yards with the Ravens.
We haven’t heard a ton about Aiken this offseason, save for his June audition for the Jets. With the Eagles, he’ll try to make the cut behind Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Mike Wallace, Mack Hollins, and Markus Wheaton. He’s hardly a shoe-in for the roster, but the recent release of Marquess Wilson and Jeffery’s nagging rotator cuff injury may help his case.
Titans’ Taylor Lewan To Report To Camp
Titans tackle Taylor Lewan skipped minicamp in an effort to pressure the team for a new deal, but he won’t skip training camp on Wednesday, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com hears (on Twitter). There’s no word on whether a new deal is close, but it’s a promising sign. 
[RELATED – Extension Candidate: Taylor Lewan]
Lewan may be looking for a deal that puts him near top of the heap for all left tackles, and he specifically referenced Nate Solder‘s new contract when discussing his own situation in late May. Lewan, the former No. 11 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is presently set to earn $9.341MM in 2018 before becoming eligible for free agency. Solder’s new contract with the Giants, meanwhile, will pay him an average of $15.5MM per year.
Lewan graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the NFL in 2016 and placed 16th last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The 27-year-old has proven that he is among the best left tackles in today’s game and he’s in line for a massive payday as he enters his prime years.
Earlier this year, Lewan indicated that he’d be willing to negotiate during the season if nothing gets done this offseason. So, in theory, the two sides could move forward on the current deal with the hope of completing an extension in the fall.
Cardinals To Meet With Mike Mitchell
Former Steelers and Panthers safety Mike Mitchell is scheduled to visit with and take a physical for the Cardinals on Wednesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If he signs, the deal would reunite Mitchell with Steve Wilks, who was the Panthers’ defensive backs coach during his best career season in 2013. 
The 31-year-old has spent the past four seasons in Pittsburgh, where he’s started each of his 61 games. Mitchell appeared in 13 games this past season, finishing with 53 tackles and two passes defended. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 62nd among 87 safety candidates.
Mitchell was slated to carry a $5MM salary in 2018, which was not workable for the Steelers given their limited room. Given the nature of the free agent safety market this offseason, a deal with the Cardinals would be for considerably less.
The Cardinals’ secondary will look quite different this year without Tyrann Mathieu moving between safety and cornerback. Mitchell, if signed, would serve as a backup behind Antoine Bethea and Budda Baker.
Latest On Patriots WR Malcolm Mitchell
Although Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell did recently undergo an operation on his knee, it was not a surgical procedure, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Instead, the operation was designed to “accelerate healing” on Mitchell’s knee, which has sidelined him for the entire 2017 season.
Mitchell is now on the trade block, although this most recent procedure — even if it wasn’t surgical in nature — figures to reduce any possible interest other clubs may have expressed. Nevertheless, Rapoport indicates New England is “poised to move on from the [Mitchell] and his health issues,” which sounds as though the Patriots are prepared to waive Mitchell if no team decides to take a flier via trade.
Even though Julian Edelman is suspended for the first four games of the 2018 campaign, the Patriots still have a busy wide receiver depth chart, with options such as Chris Hogan, Jordan Matthews, and Cordarrelle Patterson available. In his most recent look at New England’s roster, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com predicted Mitchell would not make the club’s 53-man squad, which could open a spot for Kenny Britt, Phillip Dorsett, or rookie Braxton Berrios.
Mitchell, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, appeared in 14 games and made six starts during his rookie campaign, posting 32 receptions on 48 targets for 401 yards and four touchdowns. The 26-year-old was extremely efficient during the Patriots’ Super Bowl comeback in 2017, putting up six catches for 70 yards as New England defeated Atlanta.