Broncos Sign First-Round Pick Garett Bolles
The Broncos have agreed to terms with first-round tackle Garett Bolles, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Per the terms of his slot, it’s a four-year deal worth more than $11MM. Bolles’ signing bonus is worth more than $6MM. 
Bolles was viewed by many as the best tackle in this year’s draft and he was the first offensive lineman to come off the board when the Broncos selected him at No. 20 overall. In a draft full of surprises, Bolles to the Broncos was one of only a handful of picks that the prognosticators got right. Denver was in desperate need of a left tackle and they got a player who they feel can hold down the position for years to come.
“If Garett turns out to be what we think he is, he solves a big problem for us for a long time — and that’s that left tackle [position],” Elway said. “We really feel like we were fortunate that he was there.”
The Broncos signed a pair of late draft picks on Wednesday, including this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
49ers: NaVorro Bowman Isn’t Being Shopped
On the most recent installment of his podcast (SoundCloud link), former executive Michael Lombardi reported that the 49ers have made it known to rival teams that linebacker NaVorro Bowman is healthy and available via trade. Today, Niners GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan strongly denied such talk. 
“The report that we have been shopping NaVorro Bowman is completely false,” Lynch and Shanahan said in a statement issued to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “From the time we joined the organization, NaVorro has been the consummate professional. It is evident he has been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming season and we have been impressed by what we have already seen on the field. We are looking forward to NaVorro’s future contributions to this team.”
Lombardi is generally well plugged-in on matters such as these and he was the first to report that San Francisco tight end Vance McDonald was on the block, a report that was later verified by Lynch and Shanahan. The duo now wants it known that Bowman is not being shopped to other teams, though denials such as these have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Depending on one’s perspective, a GM letting teams know that a player is available may be different than shopping him outright. And, for what it’s worth, the joint statement stops short of saying that Bowman will definitely be staying put. Lombardi, meanwhile, stands by his report (Twitter link).
Bowman’s deal runs through the 2022 season and calls for him to earn $7.5MM in salary and bonuses this season. In 2018, that number jumps to $9.45MM. The linebacker has four first-team All-Pro honors to his credit but missed the entire 2014 season and the majority of 2016 due to injury.
Ravens Interested In Victor Cruz
It’s not just the Jaguars who are thinking about adding Victor Cruz. The Ravens are interested in Cruz and that interest is being reciprocated by the veteran wide receiver, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record tweets. The two sides are hammering out the details to line up a potential visit in Baltimore. 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Host Victor Cruz On Visit]
Cruz has been on the open market since February but hasn’t attracted a ton of interest. The Panthers met with Cruz shortly after he was released and the Broncos – depending on who you ask – may have discussed him internally, but we have basically gone three months without hearing a peep about the former Giant. Now that the draft is over and teams are getting a better sense of where the roster is, we have at least two teams that are mulling the possibility of Cruz.
Cruz says that he is not at all interested in retiring, but he’ll have to be realistic about where he is at this stage of his career if he wants to move forward. After missing the majority of the 2014 season and sitting out the entire 2015 season, the salsa-dancing fan favorite clearly lost a step in 2016 as he caught 39 passes for 586 yards and one touchdown in 15 games. The 30-year-old (31 in November) might be able to recapture some of that old magic if he is used in the slot, but it’s hard to imagine the Ravens or any other team giving him a significant guarantee on his next deal.
The Ravens would be a logical landing spot for Cruz given their need at the position and their affinity for older receivers. Following Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken‘s free agent departure, the Ravens currently project to go into the season with Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman, Chris Moore, and Michael Campanaro as their top four receivers. Vince Mayle, Chris Matthews, and Navy product Keenan Reynolds are among those jockeying for the final one or two WR spots on the 53-man roster.
Browns’ Josh Gordon Denied Reinstatement
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been denied reinstatement, a source tells Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gordon can re-apply in the fall, but for now he remains in limbo. 
[RELATED: Browns RB Isaiah Crowell Signs RFA Tender]
Gordon applied for reinstatement in March and was left hanging for a bit while the league office considered his case. When he applied, Gordon’s business manager said the wide receiver was living with him and was “in the best place mentally that he has been in…years.” Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for Roger Goodell & Co. after all of Gordon’s off-the-field missteps.
When he’s been on the field, Gordon has performed like one of the very best wide receivers in the NFL. In 2013, his last full season, he totaled 87 receptions, a league-leading 1,646 yards, and nine touchdowns in 14 games. In 32 career games, he has racked up 161 catches, 17.1 yards per reception, and 14 touchdowns. Still, even once he’s reinstated, it’s not a sure thing that the Browns will want to keep him. Top Browns executive Sashi Brown says the club is open to a Gordon return, but multiple have indicated the team may look to trade him.
Earlier this week, we learned that Gordon is currently without an agent. The 26-year-old has gone through three different reps in the last three years.
Jaguars To Host WR Victor Cruz On Visit
Victor Cruz will visit the Jaguars, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. He’ll be in Jacksonville on May 23-24 and he’ll work out for the team while he’s there.
[RELATED: Jaguars Release LB Marcus Rush]
So far, Cruz hasn’t garnered much interest on the open market, but the veteran says that he wants to continue playing and has no plans to retire. It’s possible that he could find a landing spot in Jacksonville where his former coach Tom Coughlin is now calling the shots. Cruz caught 303 passes and 25 touchdowns under Coughlin’s watch with the Giants, so this seems like a natural fit for the 30-year-old.
The Jaguars have a solid receiver group headlined by Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee. There has been some talk of the Jags using rookie Dede Westbrook as their slot receiver this year, but it might also make sense for them to bring in a vet like Cruz to help him get acclimated to the role.
Cowboys’ Scott Linehan Received Head Coaching Interest
Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan says that he received head coaching interest in the offseason. Instead of pursuing those opportunities, however, he signed a contract extension with Dallas to make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL. 
“There was interest,” Linehan said (via Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News). “But I’ve been through that before. My wife and I talked about it. If it’s not something that’s getting more serious then that’s not … I’m 53 years old, I’ve got a great job. If there was a great opportunity after this season … I would certainly look into that. But it’s not really what drives me, it’s being the best I can be here.”
Linehan, 53, helped mold rookie Dak Prescott into a top quarterback last season and led Dallas’ offense to the third highest DVOA in the league, so it’s not a huge surprise to hear that he got some bites for head coaching jobs. He also has previous head coaching experience thanks to his time with the Rams from 2005-08.
Linehan is now signed through the 2019 season, but it sounds like he would consider leaving for the right opportunity to be a head coach again. If the Cowboys offense dominates again in 2017, the veteran coach could be a top candidate league-wide.
Questions About Ziggy Ansah’s Age Emerge
There have been whispers about Ezekiel Ansah‘s true age ever since he was drafted in 2013. The Ghana native, some have said, was actually born in 1987, which would mean that he is on the cusp of his 30th birthday rather than his 28th birthday. When the latest round of rumors picked up, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reached out to the Lions for clarity. 
“We believe our published information is accurate — born May 29, 1989,” a team spokesman said in a text message.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, teams around the league viewed Ansah’s passport back during the draft process and confirmed his age. This may not be a 100% foolproof way to verify the age of a player born outside of the U.S., but it’s the best info that the league has as its disposal and the belief remains that he was born in 1989.
Ansah certainly doesn’t want any questions about his age to linger as the team looks to sign him to a long-term extension. The difference between 30 and 28 may seem like splitting hairs to some, but it makes a major difference in the NFL and a discrepancy here would likely cost Ansah millions of dollars.
Ansah was hampered by ankle and shoulder issues in 2016, but he should be in for a bounce back year if he stays healthy. In 2015, Ansah recorded 14.5 sacks and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Patriots Apply Tender To LeGarrette Blount
The Patriots have applied a May 9 tender to running back LeGarrette Blount, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The tender is worth 110% of his total pay in 2016, which means that it is a one-year deal with a $1.1MM base with another $1MM in incentives tied to rushing yards. The rarely-used device could pay dividends for the defending champs. 
[RELATED: Top 8 Fits For RB LeGarrette Blount]
The move gives the Patriots exclusive negotiating rights with Blount starting on July 22, provided that he doesn’t sign elsewhere first. Starting on that date and going all the way through Week 10 of the regular season, Blount will not be able to sign with any club but New England. If Blount does sign with a team before 7/22, the signing will count towards the compensatory draft pick formula for 2018. Without the tender, Blount would have been free to sign somewhere else today and that club would not have had to worry about hurting its standing in next year’s draft.
At last check, the Lions and Giants were the two teams with the most interest in the veteran running back. Last week, I ran down eight potential fits for Blount in the event that he does not wind up with the Patriots.
Vikings To Sign WR Michael Floyd
Michael Floyd has found a home. The wide receiver is signing with the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth roughly $1.5MM, Rapoport tweets. The deal could pay as much as $6MM if he reaches all of his incentives. 
Floyd was once viewed as a future star in Arizona, but his production slipped in recent years and the team gave him the boot last year after he was arrested on a DUI for the second time in his life. The wide receiver was claimed by the Patriots and although he was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl, the team did express some interest in retaining him. Ultimately, it’s the Vikings making the low-risk, high-reward move for the 2017 season.
Minnesota seems pretty set from WR1-WR4, but Floyd could push Isaac Fruechte and late draft picks Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley for a roster spot. Ahead of that group, the Vikings have Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Jarius Wright, and Laquon Treadwell as their top receivers. Floyd will be confined to house arrest until June, so he’ll have to wait a bit before showing his stuff in Minnesota.
Floyd had 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games before the Cardinals cut him loose. In 2013, his best NFL season, he had 65 catches for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns.
The pact marks a homecoming for Floyd who was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and played his high school ball at Cretin-Derham Hall.
Eagles’ Brandon Graham Planning Holdout?
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham is expected to skip organized team activities later this month and might even abstain from mandatory minicamp in June unless the Eagles renegotiate his contract, two NFL sources tell Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that there is no contract dispute between Graham and the team. 
Graham, 29, is midway through a four-year, $26MM deal signed with Philly in 2015. He’s scheduled to carry cap numbers of $7.5MM in each of the next two seasons, but he apparently wants more dollars and/or more years. As it stands, the Eagles would only have to carry $1MM in dead money if they were to release him after the 2017 season, so he’s likely looking for some form of increased security.
Last year, Graham finished out with 5.5 sacks, but he had a much better season than the standard numbers would suggest. Pro Football Focus rated Graham as the No. 2 edge defender in the NFL last season with a stellar 93.3 overall score and he was edged only by Raiders star Khalil Mack. In the two years prior, PFF cast him as a top 15 or 20 edge rusher in the league, so Graham has a history of producing at a high level. Still, with two years to go on his current deal, he won’t have a ton of leverage in talks unless he stays away from the team this summer.