Former Ravens RB Justin Forsett Retires
Justin Forsett is retiring. The longtime NFL running back is hanging up his cleats after nine seasons. 
“It’s time. I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I love,” Forsett wrote. “Its been an amazing ride and I’m grateful for every moment. My career has brought so many great people into my life, and I asked some of them to join me in saying goodbye. Against all odds, critics, and naysayers, I accomplished something great. Scouts measured my height and said I was too short. They measured my 40-yard dash and said I was too slow. They looked at my build and said I wouldn’t last. But they couldn’t measure my heart, my faith, and my perseverance. I am living proof that dreams come true and God answers prayers, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to live out my dream.”
Forsett was a backup for the first six years of his career until 2014 when he got his big opportunity with the Ravens. As Baltimore’s lead back, he ran for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
After being held back by injuries in 2015, the Ravens cut him loose early in the 2016 season. In 44 combined carries for the Lions and Ravens in the fall, he posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on 44 tries. When he later hooked on with the Broncos, he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. Entering what would have been his age-32 season, it was clear that Forsett’s best football was behind him.
Forsett will be fondly remembered for his impressive 2014 campaign and his positive locker room influence. PFR wishes Forsett all the best in retirement.
Bills Hosting TE Gary Barnidge On Visit
The Bills are hosting tight end Gary Barnidge on a visit today, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Barnidge was cut by the Browns this week following the selection of Miami tight end David Njoku. 
[RELATED: Bills Decline Sammy Watkins’ Option]
Barnidge broke out with the Browns in 2015 when he recorded 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl selection. Before fantasy football fanatics learned his name, however, he spent several seasons with the Panthers. His final two years in Carolina overlapped with Sean McDermott‘s first two years as their defensive coordinator, so his shared history with the Bills head coach could lead to a deal.
The Bills currently project to have Charles Clay as their lead tight end. Tight ends Nick O’Leary, Gerald Christian, Logan Thomas, and Blake Annen are also under contract.
Cardinals To Work Out QB Blaine Gabbert
The Cardinals are in talks with quarterback Blaine Gabbert, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Arizona will work out Gabbert this week, reports Kent Somers of the Republic.
Gabbert, 28 in October, went 1-4 in five games as the 49ers’ starter last season. His completion percentage of 56.9% and five touchdowns against six interceptions left much to be desired.
The Cardinals already have three QBs on the roster in Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, and Zac Dysert. If Gabbert is signed, it’s not immediately clear what that could mean for the two backups already in the fold.
Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in 2011, hasn’t yet experienced success in his six-year NFL career, and he hasn’t drawn any other known interest since free agency opened in March. Gabbert is PFR’s No. 6 free agent quarterback.
Broncos Sign Jamaal Charles
This year, Jamaal Charles will be facing off against the Chiefs. The rival Broncos will sign the veteran running back, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $1MM: $900K of that total will come in base salary, while another $100K is a workout bonus, reports Mike Klis of 9News. Incentives can bring the maximum of the pact to $3.75MM. The Broncos have confirmed the signing via press release.
[RELATED: Broncos Exercise Bradley Roby’s Option]
The Broncos huddled up with Charles at team headquarters on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to materialize. Charles now joins a running back group which already features C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, and sixth-round pick DeAngelo Henderson, but he figures to see a good percentage of the team’s carries. At this stage, Charles can’t be counted on as a bell cow, but he could certainly be a difference maker in a split backfield.
Charles, 30, has appeared in a total of eight games in the last two seasons. When he was healthy in 2014, however, he managed to average 5.0 yards per carry behind a porous Chiefs offensive line. In the year before that, he recorded a career-high 1,980 yards from scrimmage and scored 19 touchdowns. The Broncos will hope to see a reprise of that electrifying performance, though that’s not necessarily what they are expecting.
With Charles off the board, LeGarrette Blount stands as the undisputed top veteran running back on the market. Other notables include Rashad Jennings, DeAngelo Williams, and Chris Johnson.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Bills Claim CB Charles James
The Bills announced on Tuesday that the team has claimed cornerback Charles James off waivers. James was cut by the Colts on Monday. 
[RELATED: Bills Decline Sammy Watkins’ Option]
James, a 5’9″, 186-pound Charleston Southern product, took the field for 12 of the Giants’ contests as a rookie in 2013 and another 21 with the Texans from 2015-16, including 12 last season. While with Houston, James enjoyed some celebrity as the standout star of 2015’s “Hard Knocks.” The hard knocks of the league have caused him to bounce around a bit, but he’ll look to stick with Buffalo.
The Bills added another veteran corner this week with the signing of Shareece Wright.
Lions To Audition Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata has a workout scheduled with the Lions, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). In fact, Asiata will participate in Detroit’s upcoming rookie minicamp, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. This marks Asiata’s first known audition since he became a free agent in March. 
[RELATED: Lions In On LeGarrette Blount]
Asiata, 30 in July, first broke into the NFL as a UDFA signing in Minnesota in 2011. After several years with the team, the Vikings decided to part ways with Asiata this spring and allow him to go elsewhere in free agency. As has been the case with other veteran running backs, his market has been very slow to develop.
The Lions already have four running backs under contract in Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, and Dwayne Washington. However, they’re looking to add to the group, as evidenced by their interest in Asiata and LeGarrette Blount.
Asiata saw an increased workload in 2014 and 2016, seasons in which Adrian Peterson missed the majority of games. Last year, Asiata finished out with 402 yards off of 121 carries and six touchdowns. He also added 32 catches for 263 yards.
Victor Cruz Plans To Continue Playing
Victor Cruz hasn’t garnered much interest on the open market, but he’s not about to retire from football. The former Giants wide receiver says that he has no plans to quit and insists that he can “still play,” (Twitter link via Zach Braziller of the New York Post). 
Cruz was on the field for 15 regular season games last year but the Giants still released him this offseason in order to free up $7.5MM in cap space. The salsa dancing wide receiver visited the Panthers soon after being cut, but he left Charlotte, North Carolina without a deal. The Panthers have added three wide receivers this offseason via free agency, but that door theoretically could still be open after they did not select a wide receiver in the draft. Former Buccaneer Russell Shepard has the ability to play in all three wide receiver spots, but Cruz could be a consideration as a slot specialist.
Cruz caught 303 passes and 25 touchdowns as a member of the Giants. With millions of dollars in the bank and a Super Bowl ring, no one would blame the 30-year-old for retiring, but he sounds determined to take the field in 2017.
Bills Decline WR Sammy Watkins’ Option
The Bills are declining Sammy Watkins‘ fifth-year option, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The move was expected, but we did not have confirmation of it until today. 
[RELATED: PFR’s Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]
Watkins has been great when on the field, but injuries have limited him to just 37 of 48 possible regular season games since entering the league. In 2016, he only appeared in eight contests.
Watkins is currently recovering from foot surgery and that was reportedly a major factor in Buffalo’s decision. If they exercised Watkins’ option and he suffered an injury, they would be saddled with him at a $13.26MM salary for 2018. Conversely, if he’s healthy and productive in 2017, they can retain him for another season via the franchise tag, which would cost an estimated $16MM.
In his three seasons, Watkins has averaged 66 catches, 1,064 yards, and seven touchdowns per 16 games. Unfortunately for Watkins and the Bills, he hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since his rookie season in 2014.
Cardinals Sign 17 Undrafted Players
The Cardinals announced that they have signed 17 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete list:
- WR Carlton Agudosi (Rutgers)
- DT Collin Bevins (NW Missouri State)
- C Lucas Crowley (North Carolina)
- S Ironhead Gallon (Georgia Southern)
- S Gump Hayes (Arizona State)
- WR Krishawn Hogan (Marian)
- S Drico Johnson (Central Florida)
- OLB Tre’Von Johnson (Weber State)
- QB Trevor Knight (Texas A&M)
- CB Ryan Lewis (Pittsburgh)
- T Jonathan McLaughlin (Virginia Tech)
- S Cyril Noland-Lewis (Louisiana Tech)
- TE Ricky Seals-Jones (Texas A&M)
- CB Sojourn Shelton (Wisconsin)
- RB James Summers (East Carolina)
- DT Pasoni Tasini (Utah)
- TE Steven Wroblewski (Southern Utah)
The Cardinals apparently had some competition to sign Shelton as they gave him $25K to sign (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). Coming out of Florida, Shelton was a four-star recruit and he went on to be a four-year starter for the Badgers. However, his lack of size probably prevented him from being drafted. The 5’9″, 177-pound corner will now look to make it from the Cardinals 90-man roster to the 53-man version.
49ers Cut 13 Players
The 49ers have released 13 players, including linebacker Jayson DiManche and wide receiver Eric Rogers. Here’s the full list:
- OL Alex Balducci
- S Marcus Ball
- LB Carl Bradford
- LB Jayson DiManche
- TE Je’Ron Hamm
- WR Chris Harper
- LB Wynton McManis
- P Brock Miller
- DL Zach Moore
- NT Mike Purcell
- WR Eric Rogers
- CB JaCorey Shepherd
- LB Shayne Skov
DiManche was just signed on April 7th, so his stint in San Francisco lasted less than one month. We haven’t seen DiManche in live action since 2015 when he appeared in one game for the Browns. Prior to that, he spent two seasons with the Bengals.
Rogers, a former CFL standout, was a practice field favorite of Chip Kelly last offseason until an unfortunate injury shut him down for the season. This week, the 49ers signed undrafted Baylor wide receiver K.D. Cannon and that only further crowded the wide receiver position in SF. With Rogers and Harper out of the picture, the team still has nine receivers under contract.