Saints To Meet With Adrian Peterson
The Saints will meet Adrian Peterson next week, a source tells NFL.com’s Heath Evans (Twitter link). This will mark Peterson’s third free agent visit of the offseason. 
[RELATED: Will The Saints Take An RB At No. 11? Check Out PFR’s Mock Draft]
Previously, Peterson met with the Seahawks and Patriots, but there’s little chance of him landing in Seattle and the odds of him going to New England don’t seem all that high either. The Seahawks are already well set at running back with Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise, and Thomas Rawls on the depth chart. The Patriots, meanwhile, have five running backs under contract after re-signing Brandon Bolden this week.
The Saints have Mark Ingram as their top running back with Travaris Cadet, Daniel Lasco, and Marcus Murphy in support. A backfield starring Ingram and Peterson would be lethal and would help keep defenses honest against the Saints’ pass-heavy offense. The Saints’ exact level of interest in Peterson isn’t clear, but they’re at least curious about him after losing Tim Hightower to free agency. Peterson, meanwhile, is looking to join a contender and, depending on how the rest of the offseason goes, the Saints could fit the bill.
It will be interesting to see whether the Saints are simply meeting with Peterson or if they will also put him through a workout. Peterson’s recent powwow with the Patriots included some drills.
Seahawks Set Asking Price For Richard Sherman
The Seahawks have told teams they’ll only part with Richard Sherman if they receive “a very good player plus a high draft pick,” an NFL source tells Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. When considered in tandem with the cornerback’s hefty contract, that’s a major expenditure for any interested team. 
While the Sherman trade talk has been bubbling for weeks, the latest news on that front has made it seem as though a deal is unlikely. Sherman himself has vacillated between being nonchalant and serious about the trade rumors, but his most recent comments indicate that he doesn’t see a deal going down. Meanwhile, the Patriots seem to be out on Sherman for the time being. Now that we know Seattle is seeking a big haul, the odds of a deal don’t feel quite as high as they did earlier this week.
Sherman’s deal calls for cap hits of $13.63MM and $13.2MM in each of the next two seasons. However, if a team trades for him, they won’t be on the hook for his $2.2MM prorated bonus. With an $11.431MM cap charge (adjusted for the bonus deduction), Sherman would have the ninth-highest cap hit for any corner in the NFL this year, which is a bit more palatable than his current No. 4 position.
Albert Breer On Sherman, Draft, 49ers
Seahawks GM John Schneider says that the trade rumors surrounding Richard Sherman are “real,” but the star cornerback isn’t too concerned.
“Very little chance it happens, but both sides are listening,” Sherman told Albert Breer of The MMQB. “I honestly don’t have much more to say about it than what I’ve already said. We have a great relationship, . . . There is a lot of love and respect. There is no bad blood.”
Now that the Patriots are no longer interested in Sherman, it’s possible that the odds of a trade have decreased. Then again, plenty of teams will be interested in adding a high-level talent like him.
Here’s more from Breer:
- Alabama pass rusher Tim Williams is a Top 10 talent, but Breer would be surprised if he goes in the first round due to his off-field red flags. “He’s up there with the top pure pass rushers,” said one area scout. “The real question is his personality, and the trust factor with teams. The problems aren’t rare, it’s more whether the team can trust the person. Can he work through the problems? Is he smart enough to work through the problems?” Breer notes that problems with previous high-profile pass rushers like Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith, Greg Hardy, and Dion Jordan aren’t helping Williams’ case.Williams admitted at the combine to failing tests in college and has a gun charge in his past.
- Breer expects new 49ers GM John Lynch to try and deal down to get more picks. He has heard “from a number of people” that the Niners like Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster and LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
- Because of the perceived depth of the draft and lack of excitement about the top quarterbacks, it’s a mild market in terms of teams looking to move up.
- Controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is likely to go in round two or three, Breer hears.
Patriots Not Interested In Richard Sherman
For those of you dreaming of Richard Sherman in red, white, and blue, we have some bad news. The Patriots are not interested in trading for him, according to a source who spoke with Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. 
Seahawks GM John Schneider admits that Sherman trade talks is “real” and we know that the Patriots, at one point, called Seattle about a potential deal. Yesterday, was said that the Patriots would only engage in a full-on pursuit if they wound up losing star cornerback Malcolm Butler this offseason. As it stands, however, it sounds like the Patriots have cooled on Sherman overall. That could be an indication that Butler will not be heading to the Saints, but that’s just my own speculation.
Interestingly, as Sherman finds himself in an awkward situation with the Seahawks, he is acting as his own agent. Sherman was a client of agent Ben Dogra when he signed his lucrative extension with Seattle, but he did not bother to hire a new rep after Dogra was hit with NFLPA sanctions.
Jahri Evans Wants To Continue Playing
Heading into the start of free agency, we had Jahri Evans ranked as the fifth-best interior offensive lineman available. One month later, all of the players ranked ahead of Evans and all of the players ranked beneath him on that top 15 list come off of the board, but Evans remains. Undeterred by the way his free agency has played out, Evans says that he still wants to play in 2017. 
“Not at all,” Evans told NFL Network (video link, via Twitter) when asked if this would be the end of the line. “I had a good season last year. We did a lot of good things, and I’m just waiting for that phone call, [waiting for] the right situation. As long I’m playing at an elite level, I’ll still strap on that helmet and give it a go.”
In my mind, the 33-year-old (34 in August) has proven that he still has something left in the tank. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 guard in the NFL. His 78.6 overall score is roughly in line with the work he has done over the past four NFL seasons.
It’s not clear where Evans will wind up, but it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll return to New Orleans after sending out a farewell to Saints fans via social media earlier this year. Evans has never played a regular season (or playoff) game for another franchise since being drafted by the Saints in 2006. Over the course of his eleven seasons in New Orleans, Evans racked up six Pro Bowl nods and four First-Team All-Pro selections.
Ravens Rumors: Mangold, Draft, Mixon
The Ravens had a good meeting with center Nick Mangold and are comfortable with his medicals, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. There’s nothing imminent on that front, JLC reports, but a deal could emerge at some point.
Mangold, 33, could be the Ravens’ replacement for Jeremy Zuttah in the middle of the offensive line. Although he missed half of the 2016 season, the veteran has been largely healthy over the course of his NFL career. On Wednesday, GM Ozzie Newsome hinted that the team could be on the verge of adding a free agent soon and that free agent just might be the former Jets standout.
Here’s more out of Baltimore:
- Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta believes Mike Williams and John Ross both have a grade that could put them in the mix for the No. 16 overall pick (via Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com). DeCosta said that Corey Davis and JuJu Smith-Schuster were also somewhere in that range. The Ravens used their 2015 first-round choice on a wide receiver (Breshad Perriman), but that wouldn’t necessarily preclude the team from going that route again in 2017.
- DeCosta was diplomatic when asked about Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon as a player, but “you can be that Mixon’s name is nowhere to be found on the team’s draft board,” Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Naturally, the Ravens are not going to consider Mixon after going through the Ray Rice ordeal a few years ago. Speaking of Rice, he has found a new job.
- More from Zrebiec, who gets the sense that the Ravens not content with having just seven picks in such a deep draft. Newsome has said that teams have asked about potentially moving up to the Ravens’ No. 16 pick if a certain player is available. Zrebiec notes that in five of the past 12 drafts, Newsome has either moved up, back, or out of the first round entirely.
- On Thursday morning, we learned that the Ravens are on the verge of re-signing defensive back Lardarius Webb. Webb was a cap casualty earlier in the offseason but the fan favorite has agreed to return at a lower price. Before circling back to Baltimore, Webb also drew interest from the Vikings.
Patriots Re-Sign RB Brandon Bolden
The Patriots re-signed running back Brandon Bolden, according to the league’s transactions wire. The signing could impact a pair of high-profile free agent backs previously connected to the team. 
LeGarrette Blount remains in free agent limbo and Bolden’s return could be a sign that Blount’s time in New England is through. The Pats now have five running backs under contract – Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis, James White, D.J. Foster, and Bolden – so there might not be room for Blount. Bolden isn’t a high-profile player like Adrian Peterson, but the Pats might not be especially motivated to add to this already crowded RB group.
Bolden had just one carry last season with four targets. He probably won’t do much on offense in 2017, but he figures to be a key special teams piece.
Packers Cut DT Ego Ferguson
That was fast. Ego Ferguson failed his physical with the Packers and was released, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. Green Bay claimed Ferguson off waivers from the Bears just days ago. 
Ferguson, a former second-round pick, was waived by the club late last week. He played in only four games in 2015 due to injuries and a ban for performance-enhancing drugs. Then, he missed all of 2016 with a shoulder injury. In total, he played in only 20 NFL games since being drafted in 2014. In that time, the 25-year-old (26 in September) compiled 26 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended. The Packers wanted to see what he could bring to the table, but he’s apparently got a ways to go before he can take the practice field.
In other Packers news, the team recently met with controversial running back Joe Mixon. The Packers also added a former Arena League guard.
West Rumors: Lynch, Raiders, Chiefs, Kizer
Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC West:
- Consistent with what we’ve heard before, Marshawn Lynch would only return for the Raiders and no one else, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Raiders still need to figure out some things on their end, including how Lynch would mesh with their young locker room. Lynch met with Oakland brass on Wednesday afternoon and approval from coach Jack Del Rio was said to be the “final hurdle” to getting all of the Raiders decision makers on board with acquiring the running back.
- The Chiefs recently had Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer in for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In Dallas Robinson’s mock draft, the QB comes off the board with the final pick in the first round.
- Ohio State defensive back Marshon Lattimore is in San Francisco to meet with the 49ers today (Wednesday), a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll visit all of the top five teams, Rapoport adds. His visits with Tennessee and Chicago were previously reported, but we now know that he’ll also huddle up with the Jaguars and Browns. As buzz continues to build around Lattimore, it seems increasingly likely that he won’t make it out of the top five.
Patriots Rumors: Sherman, Peterson, Gronk
The latest on the Patriots:
- The Patriots didn’t just have Adrian Peterson in for a visit on Monday, they also put him through a tryout, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. Peterson left New England without a contract, but it has been said that the two sides could revisit a deal later. New England’s running back group currently consists of free agent addition Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis, James White, and D.J. Foster. The team could also still circle back to LeGarrette Blount and Branden Bolden.
- The Patriots have some interest in Richard Sherman, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter), but they’re not expected to engage in a full-on pursuit unless they lose Malcolm Butler. Other teams have pursued the Seahawks star more aggressively to this point, Howe adds. On Wednesday, Seattle GM John Schneider publicly admitted that the trade talk surrounding Sherman is “real.” Sherman, has two years left on a hefty four-year extension he signed in 2014, but any team trading for him would only be on the hook for his base salary and not his prorated signing bonus.
- Earlier this week, we learned that Patriots tight end and professional wrestling enthusiast Rob Gronkowski expects to be ready for OTAs.