Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed WR Malachi Jones
- Waived: WR Matt Fleming
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Blake Jackson, DL Zaycoven Henderson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Adam Reth
The Patriots are releasing veteran tight end Troy Niklas, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). They’ll replace him with on the roster with free agent wide receiver Paul Turner. 
A 2014 Cardinals second-round pick, Niklas has just 19 career receptions for 203 yards. Niklas has battled injuries throughout his career, twice playing in seven or fewer games in a season. He suited up for 15 last year, however. In April, he hooked on with the Pats.
Interestingly, Pro Football Focus was much fonder of his 2017 receiving skills than when he attempted to block during running plays, grading Niklas as the second-worst run-blocking tight end in football last season. PFF, though, viewed him as a much better run-blocking presence in previous years.
Without Niklas, the Patriots tight end depth chart consists of Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, Jacob Hollister, Will Tye, Ryan Izzo, and Shane Wimann.
Jets wide receiver ArDarius Stewart is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances after testing positive for a diuretic or masking agent, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. On Friday afternoon, the NFL formally announced the ban.
[RELATED: Jets Release WR Devin Smith]
Stewart was the Jets’ third-round pick last season and caught just six passes as a rookie. However, with a glut of receivers, his spot on the roster is not guaranteed. The two-game ban could hurt his chances as he jockeys for one of the last spots with last year’s fourth-round pick Chad Hansen, Andre Roberts, Charone Peake, and Lucky Whitehead. The Jets’ top four WR spots are occupied by Robby Anderson (who will likely face a suspension of his own), Jermaine Kearse, Terrelle Pryor, and Quincy Enunwa.
Stewart will miss the team’s first two games against the Lions and Dolphins. If the Jets choose to keep him on the roster after that, he’ll be eligible to play against the Browns on Sept. 20.
The Titans are giving tight end Delanie Walker a two-year, $17MM extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The deal includes an $8MM signing bonus and $12.76MM guaranteed in total. 
[RELATED: Titans, Taylor Lewan Agree To $80MM Deal]
Walker was set to enter his walk year (no pun intended) with a base salary of $5.4MM. Between the pre-existing season and the two new ones, Walker has himself a three-year pact worth $23.2MM.
Walker has spent the last five seasons with the Titans and earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last three campaigns. Last year, he hauled in 74 passes for 807 yards and three scores. From 2015-2017, Walker has averaged 78 grabs for 898 yards and five touchdowns.
The tight end will celebrate his 34th birthday in August, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. Walker’s new deal locks him up through 2020 and should allow him to retire as a member of the Titans.
This year, Walker will resume his duties as the Titans’ top tight end, though he may cede some targets to young upstart Jonnu Smith. Smith, who is eleven years Walker’s junior, flashed at times last year and scored two touchdowns in his first month of pro football.
The Ravens are “getting more aggressive” with their interest in free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). Breeland is visiting the Browns on Friday afternoon, but the Ravens are pushing to meet with him on Friday night. 
Meanwhile, the Jets have also entered the fray, Anderson hears. There’s no visit currently scheduled with Gang Green, but the Jets have expressed interest throughout the week.
Breeland is among the best defenders left on the free agent market at this juncture. He was originally set to join the Panthers on a three-year deal in March, but a failed physical voided the contract. Now that he’s finally healthy, Breeland has picked up interest from a number of teams, including the Raiders, Chiefs, Browns and Colts. Breeland’s visit with the Chiefs was particularly lengthy, but he left KC without a contract.
The Ravens project to start Brandon Carr and Jimmy Smith at cornerback with support from 2017 first-round pick Marlon Humphrey and fourth-round rookie Anthony Averett. The Jets, meanwhile, have Trumaine Johnson, Morris Claiborne, and Buster Skrine as their top three corners. Neither team is necessarily desperate for cornerback help, but any club in the league would welcome a talent like Breeland at the right price.
Texans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is expected to play out the final year of his deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. There’s still time for an extension to come together, but barring a significant change in talks, Clowney will be on course for free agency next year. 
Clowney is set to earn $12.306MM in 2018, per the terms of his fifth-year option. Naturally, the Texans are interested in moving forward with Clowney, but they want to gauge his performance and health for one more season before making a major commitment.
Clowney is coming off of a full 16-game season, but injuries have been an issue in the past. This offseason, an arthroscopic knee surgery sidelined Clowney throughout the spring and early summer.
Clowney, 25, compiled career highs in sacks (9.5), tackles (59), and fumble recoveries (3) last year. His next deal should position him as one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL, though he’s not expected to top the likes of Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack.
Prior to offseason activities, the Seahawks informed Earl Thomas and his representatives that the team will not address his contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Seahawks were specific and clear in delivering that message and Thomas’ participation in camp would not have altered their stance. 
Things could get ugly as Thomas may be willing to take his holdout into the regular season. With one year to go on his current deal, Thomas wants a multi-year extension that will position him as one of the league’s highest-paid safeties. If the Seahawks won’t give that to him, then he wants to be traded, possibly to the Cowboys.
Thomas is set to earn a base salary of $8.5MM this year while counting for $10.4MM against Seattle’s salary cap. It’s the final year of the four-year, $40MM extension he inked back in 2014, a deal that made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety at the time. Today, that deal puts him sixth among NFL safeties in terms of annual average value.
It’s common for teams to delay extension talks when a player has two or more years remaining on his contract. However, with a year to go, this should be the prime time for the Seahawks to discuss a fresh deal with one of their biggest stars. Given Thomas’ age and the weakness of the free agent safety market, the Seahawks’ valuation of Thomas is likely far apart from his own appraisal. Opening up contract talks with Thomas could make the relationship even worse, which is probably why the Seahawks are holding off.
The Falcons and left tackle Jake Matthews are finalizing a five-year, $75MM deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal positions Matthews as one of the three highest paid left tackles in the league. 
[RELATED: Julio Jones Reaches Compromise With Falcons]
Matthews, 26, has started every game he’s played in for the Falcons since entering the league as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Last year, the Texas A&M product graded out as the No. 14 tackle in the NFL, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Matthews’ 1,159 regular season snaps was the fourth-highest of any tackle in the NFL last season.
Initially, Matthews was scheduled to earn $12.496MM in 2018 before hitting the open market. With the new deal, he’ll earn even more – $15MM/year – while remaining under club control through 2023. It’s a whopper of a deal for a left tackle, and one that is only topped by Taylor Lewan‘s fat new contract with the Titans and Nate Solder‘s recent four-year, $62MM pact.
Next up for the Falcons may be a new deal with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Jarrett, a fifth round pick back in 2015, is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Taylor Lewan will be a member of the Titans for years to come. On Friday, the two sides agreed to a five-year, $80MM deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal includes $50MM in guarantees and makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in history. 
The left tackle stayed away from the club earlier this summer, but he reported to camp this week. Ultimately, Lewan was able to get what he wanted without a costly holdout.
Lewan, who just turned 27, was set to play out the the 2018 season at a cost of $9.341MM before potentially hitting the open market. Now, he’s under contract through 2023 at a much higher rate.
Lewan’s $16MM/year average tops Nate Solder‘s four-year, $62MM free agent deal signed with the Giants back in March. It’s a hefty price to pay, but kicking the can down the road via the franchise tag wasn’t really a viable option for the Titans. Next year’s franchise tag for offensive linemen may cost nearly $15MM and the 20% increase for a second tag would have meant a $17.5-$18MM payout for 2020. In that scenario, the Titans would have been left with no leverage in extension talks (a third tag would be far too expensive) after having shelled out about $33MM.
A first-round pick in 2014, Lewan has been a full-time starter since the 2015 campaign. Overall, he’s appeared in 58 games and made 53 starts for Tennessee. Lewan graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the NFL in 2016 and placed 16th last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers may be far apart when it comes to an extension, but the franchise quarterback doesn’t sound like he’s all that bothered by the lack of progress. Talking to Genaro C. Armas of the Associated Press, Rodgers said he never planned on holding out as he pursued a new deal.
“I don’t really operate like that. I have two years left on my deal,” Rodgers said. “They’re obviously more than willing to talk about an extension. There wasn’t any animosity on either side.”
The 34-year-old is set to earn an average annual salary of $19.9MM in the final two years of his deal. Once the contract expires, the Packers would seemingly be in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiations. As our own Zach Links explained, the organization could franchise him in 2021 and 2022, bumping that average annual salary to $25MM per season.
Let’s take a look at more notes from around the NFC…
- Vikings center Pat Elflein was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list yesterday, and Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune says that was due to a pair of offseason shoulders. It was previously announced that the 24-year-old would undergo surgery to repair his fractured left ankle, but the Elflein also underwent a procedure to fix a lingering shoulder injury. Goessling tweets that while the offensive lineman wouldn’t commit to a return date, his health isn’t expected to be a major concern. ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds (via Twitter) that former third-rounder is simply “waiting for medical clearance” before he returns to the field.
- Last month, Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham was slapped with a one-game suspension stemming from his 2016 involvement in an alleged assault incident. While the 28-year-old is set to miss the team’s season-opener, it sounds like he could have been out a whole lot longer. Bradham told John McMullen of 97.3 ESPN that he was originally facing a six-game suspension (via Les Bowen of Philly.com). His side ultimately appealed and got the suspension reduced to a single game.
- Rams offensive guard Jamon Brown was suspended for the first two games of next season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The former third-rounder told Rich Hammond of Orange County Register that the suspension was related to a speeding violation and marijuana possession (Twitter link). As Hammond points out, the 25-year-old was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence.
- The Bears worked out former Assumption wideout Ashton Grant today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The six-foot-two receiver set a number of school records during his four years with the program, including receiving yards (3,204) and receiving touchdowns (36). Chicago is currently rostering 10 receivers, including rookies Anthony Miller and Javon Wims.
- Speaking of Bears rookies, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders why Bears first-round pick Roquan Smith remains unsigned more than a week after the team’s training camp started. Florio cites PFT’s previous report that “then-unsigned players at the bottom of the top 10 were being delayed both by roster bonuses structure and by language that would void the guarantees in the fully-guaranteed four-year contracts.” What does this mean? If the linebacker is suspended for violating the league’s helmet-related tackling rules, the contract’s guaranteed money would “go away.” This would make it considerably easier for the Bears to move on from Smith down the road. Of course, neither side is hoping it’d ever get to that point, as the organization clearly has high hopes for the eighth-overall pick. However, as Florio explains, it’d make sense for the rookie’s camp to stand firm in removing this language from the rookie contract.