Colts To Sign Basketball’s Mo Alie-Cox
Mo Alie-Cox is going from the hardwood to the gridiron. The Colts have reached agreement on a contract with the former Virginia Commonwealth University forward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Based on what we’ve been hearing, Alie-Cox is most likely to pursue a career as a tight end. However, given his athleticism and size, he could theoretically play other positions. When auditioning for teams earlier this spring, Alie-Cox’s camp allowed clubs to work him out at various drills for different spots on the field.
Regardless of where he lines up, it’s safe to assume that he will be regarded as more of a project player than immediate help for the 2017 season. The Colts are a bit thinner at tight end after trading Dwayne Allen to the Patriots, but the VCU hoopster obviously can’t be expected to fill his shoes. The Colts now have four tight ends in total with starter Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, and Brandon Williams also in the mix.
Nearly every team watched Alie-Cox work out before today’s deal with the Colts. On Tuesday, he met with the Seahawks and left without a deal, so they might be the most disappointed runner-up of the bunch.
Raiders To Exercise Khalil Mack’s Option
The Raiders are exercising the fifth-year option on linebacker Khalil Mack, Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. This was, of course, a no-brainer for the Raiders. 
Before Mack’s option kicks in for the 2018 season, it’s widely expected that the two sides will hammer out a long-term extension. Mack quickly blossomed into a superstar for the Raiders and he has been vocal about his desire to stay for the long haul. The Raiders appear to be a legitimate contender for 2017 and Oakland fans are struggling to cope with the team’s impending move to Las Vegas, so the organization has every reason in the world to lock down the former No. 5 overall pick.
Last season, Mack earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods. He finished out the season with 73 total tackles and 11 sacks and, unsurprisingly, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ top ranked edge defender. Mack’s 93.9 overall score edged out notable names like Brandon Graham, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Chandler Jones.
The Raiders have lots of cap room to work with as they talk extension with Mack and quarterback Derek Carr. Deals could go down quickly for both players, but there almost certainly won’t be any signed contracts between now and the draft.
Bills Still Mulling Mike Gillislee’s Offer Sheet
It’s widely believed that the Bills will not match Mike Gillislee‘s offer sheet from the Patriots, but no final call has been rendered. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters today that the team is still in deliberations on the matter. 
[RELATED: Bills’ Kouandjio Involved In Strange Incident]
“Mike’s a good player. We’re in the process of evaluating the offer sheet and we’ll have a decision in a few days,” the coach said (Twitter link via team account).
Earlier this week, the Patriots inked Gillislee to a two-year offer sheet worth $6.4MM over two years. Complicating matters for the Bills is that the deal is worth $3.96875MM in year one (exact figure via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, via Twitter). That’s less than ideal for the Bills since matching the bid will tack on another $2.2MM for the coming year over his previously scheduled $1.797MM rate. Currently, the Bills have $10.8MM in space but they still have to consider the upcoming draft and filling potential holes in late stage free agency (Twitter link).
If Gillislee is plucked away by the Patriots, the Bills will receive a fifth-round draft choice, per the terms of the original round tender. For another $1MM or so, the Bills could have placed the second-round tender on the promising young running back and likely warded off any suitors. After Gillislee averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season and proved himself a potential successor to LeSean McCoy, that probably would have been the smart play.
Bills’ Kouandjio Involved In Strange Incident
Bills offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio was involved in a bizarre incident with police earlier this week, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Details on the incident are sparse, at the moment, but the tackle was found “not fully clothed” and in a field not far from the scene of a car accident. Kouandjio, who had climbed over an electric fence, screamed “Shoot me!” when approached by police. 
“We are aware of the matter involving Cyrus and are carefully monitoring his condition and gathering more information,” the Bills said in a statement. “We don’t have all of the details, so we won’t have any further comment at this time.”
Police suspect that Kouandjio pulled off of Route 400 and ran when he saw police lights. His exact role in the accident is not clear and there’s also no word on any potential mind-altering substances being involved. One has to presume that Kouandjio has undergone psychiatric evaluation and drug testing since the incident on Tuesday.
Kouandjio, 24 in July, has appeared in 25 games for Buffalo since being drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft. The DeMatha Catholic High School and University of Alabama product has been a solid contributor for the Bills, earning a higher score from Pro Football Focus last season than guys like Jake Matthews, Russell Okung, Doug Free, Andrus Peat, and other notables.
Kirk Cousins Wants To Stay With Redskins
Kirk Cousins isn’t expecting to be traded this offseason and he isn’t rooting for a deal either. In a conversation this week with Peter King of The MMQB, Cousins reaffirmed his desire to stay with the Redskins. 
“I want to be where I’m wanted, and that’s what I’ve said all along,” Cousins said (transcript via Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). “When a team is willing to step up and commit to me fully for the long haul, then why would I want to be anywhere else? I mean, this is an incredible fan base. It’s one of the top five fan bases in the history of the NFL. It goes all the way back to the early 1930s. There’s three Super Bowl trophies, there’s multiple Hall of Famers, there’s high character players still living in the area — Darrell Green, Art Monk, guys that we can learn from. I love this organization and want to see us get back to those glory days that they had with Coach (Joe) Gibbs in the ’80s and early ’90s. And I want to add to that great history. There’s really no reason to want to look elsewhere. It’s a matter of wanting to be where you’re wanted, and I think that’s what all of us want — not just in football but in any walk of life.”
The Redskins and Cousins’ camp might have different ideas as to what kind of deal should make him feel wanted. Cousins, for all of his loyalty to the team, is keen on getting what he perceives as fair market value. So far, the Redskins’ offers haven’t enticed him. The most recent pitch has the Redskins proposing a five-year deal worth $20MM annually, but Cousins has turned that down in favor of playing out the season on his one-year, $24MM repeat franchise tender.
If Cousins continues on his current trajectory, the Redskins will lose a great deal of leverage next offseason when a third franchise tag would cost more than $34MM. The 28-year-old (29 in August) wants to stay, but he won’t tie himself down for mid-range QB money.
Cowboys To Sign S Robert Blanton
Former Bills safety Robert Blanton has signed with the Cowboys, agent Jason Bernstein tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Blanton visited with the Cowboys earlier this offseason and, one month later, he has agreed to sign.
Blanton has mostly served as a second-stringer during his five years in the NFL, except for the 2014 season with the Vikings in which he started 13 games and made 105 tackles. He’s only gotten three starts in the last two years, but he could be in for a significant role after the Cowboys’ secondary was picked apart by free agency. The Cowboys now have four safeties on the roster in Byron Jones, Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier, and Blanton. Dallas is expected to add to the thin cast in this month’s draft.
Last year, Blanton appeared in ten games (two starts) for Buffalo, amassing 26 tackles in total. A foot injury halted his season in November.
49ers Host Seahawks OT Garry Gilliam
The 49ers hosted Seahawks restricted free agent offensive tackle Garry Gilliam for a visit today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Seattle tendered him at the original round level. Because Gilliam was undrafted, Seattle will not be entitled to any draft compensation if he is signed away. 
Gilliam, 26, appeared in 14 games for the Seahawks last season and made 13 starts. Unfortunately, his performance left much to be desired as the entire Seahawks offensive line sagged. Gilliam finished out the year with an abysmal 38.0 overall score on Pro Football Focus, framing him as one of the ten worst qualified tackles in the NFL. The Seahawks wound up using him on 939 snaps, which would explain much of their O-Line woes. Fellow Seattle tackle George Fant, who was on the field for 792 snaps, had the worst grade of any tackle in the league at 27.6.
The Seahawks probably do not intend on using Gilliam as a starter again in 2017, but they would like to have him back as a reserve. The Niners, meanwhile, are likely kicking the tires on him as a depth signing. There will be cheaper and younger options in the draft, so the Seahawks would have to be pretty fond of him to sign him to an offer sheet.
Patriots Host Giants DE Kerry Wynn On Visit
The Patriots seem to be getting really into restricted free agents. On Wednesday, New England hosted RFA defensive end Kerry Wynn on a visit, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wynn received the low tender from the Giants last month. 
[RELATED: Patriots Host Mike Gillislee, Damien Williams On Visit]
Because Wynn entered the league as an undrafted free agent, the Giants would not receive a draft pick in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. If Wynn is not signed away, he’ll play on a one-year, $1.797MM deal with the Giants in 2017.
The Patriots also hosted restricted free agent running backs Mike Gillislee and Damien Williams on visits this week, so the always forward-thinking Pats could be giving serious thought to signing some RFAs this year. Typically, there isn’t much activity on RFAs in the NFL, but the Patriots are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for another ring.
Unlike Gillislee, Wynn hasn’t shown a whole lot at the NFL level. Last season, he saw his playing time drop off and he had just eight total tackles and half of a sack in 14 games.
Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney Dead At 84
Steelers chairman Dan Rooney has passed away at the age of 84, the team announced on Thursday afternoon. He leaves behind a resoundingly positive legacy as one of the NFL’s most beloved owners. 
Rooney was the son of Art Rooney, the founder of the franchise. As Judy Battista of NFL.com writes, Rooney’s entire life from birth centered around the Steelers. He worked as a ball boy for the team as a teenager, signed players to contracts as a college student, and even found his way to ticket and ad sales. Before ascending to the top, Rooney worked in every possible facet of the organization.
The Steelers hired Chuck Noll largely because of Rooney’s influence and he also pushed his football operations department to draft Ben Roethlisberger. In addition to revolutionizing the Steelers, he also had a profound effect on the league as a whole. The “Rooney Rule” ensures that black coaching candidates get a fair shake in the interviewing process and commissioners Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue, and Roger Goodell all leaned on him for advice along the way.
We here at Pro Football Rumors extend our condolences to the Rooney family.
Titans Release CB Jason McCourty
The Titans are releasing cornerback Jason McCourty, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). McCourty was the team’s longest tenured player, but he’ll now have to seek work elsewhere. The Titans wanted to redo McCourty’s deal, but the two sides couldn’t agree on terms, a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). 
There was no real buildup for the move, so McCourty’s release comes as a pretty big surprise. In the past, the Patriots inquired on McCourty, but it didn’t seem like a trade was close to happening. Now that he’s a free agent, one has to wonder if New England will get into the mix in an effort to reunite him with twin brother Devin McCourty.
Jason McCourty, selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Titans, appeared in 108 games for the team, including 90 starts. The 29-year-old (30 in October) has long been regarded as a quality talent, but he turned in a so-so year in 2016. That came after a 2015 season in which he missed all but four games due to injury. All things considered, the Titans apparently were unwilling to keep McCourty at a $7MM cap number for the coming season. There will be no dead money left over since there was no guaranteed cash remaining on the deal.
In 2016, Pro Football Focus ranked McCourty as the 55th ranked cornerback in the NFL out of 111 qualified players. In his best years (2010-2013), McCourty was ranked comfortably within the top 30, framing him as a starting caliber corner.
The Titans own the No. 5 overall pick in the draft and they could target a top corner like Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, or Marlon Humphrey.