Marshawn Lynch Meets With Raiders
Here we go. Running back Marshawn Lynch is at the Raiders’ practice facility today chatting with team officials, a source tells former NFL punter Pat McAfee, who is now with Barstool Sports. The news has been confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
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The Seahawks still hold Lynch’s rights, but they OK’d his meeting with the Raiders (Twitter link). One source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) believes that Lynch will ultimately wind up in Oakland. Today’s meeting with Jack Del Rio represents the final hurdle for Lynch to make his way to the Raiders, Rapoport tweets. If JDR says yes, the dominoes should start to fall, leading Beast Mode to Oakland.
During their meeting, Lynch told the Raiders he intends to un-retire and play again, Rapoport tweets. However, Rapoport cautions that a “long process” must play out before Lynch can actually join the Raiders.
The Raiders and Lynch have been connected to each other for some time now. Returning to play for the Raiders would give Lynch the opportunity to hook on with a contender and finish out his career in his hometown. The Raiders, meanwhile, would add a seasoned power back to help offset the loss of Latavius Murray. The Seahawks frankly don’t have room for Lynch at this juncture with Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls, and C.J. Prosise on the roster.
Lynch spoke with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll last month, but he reportedly did not ask to remove him from team’s reserve/retired list during that chat. Talk of a Lynch return has been swirling for a long time and agent Doug Hendrickson does not deny that the itch to play is still there for his client.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Dolphins Sign QB David Fales
The Dolphins have agreed to terms with quarterback David Fales, as James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Fales was a former draft pick of the Bears and spent the 2015 season with Miami head coach Adam Gase. 
Fales now becomes the third quarterback on the Dolphins’ depth chart, behind starter Ryan Tannehill and backup Matt Moore. T.J. Yates is a free agent and today’s signing is probably an indication that he’ll be headed elsewhere in 2017.
In other Dolphins news, they’re reportedly taking a hard look at front seven prospects in this year’s draft and recently lined up a visit with Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton.
Seahawks GM: Richard Sherman Trade Talk Is “Real”
The rumblings about a potential Richard Sherman deal have some validity, GM John Schneider said in an interview with 710 ESPN. While offering the usual caveats about always being willing to listen on any player, Schneider all but confirmed that the cornerback has been discussed with other teams. And, for the right price, Sherman could be moved. 
[RELATED: Patriots Inquire On Richard Sherman]
“What you’ve seen lately in the news is real,” Schneider said. “That’s on both sides...it’s just open communication. He knows what’s going on. We know what’s going on. I don’t know if anything would ever happen, but like I tell people all the time, 98 percent of the deals that we’re involved with, we don’t follow through with. But at least we’ve opened that door, gone down the road and seen what’s behind Door A or Door B.”
When the trade talk started in March, Sherman was pretty much laughing it all off. Then, in comments last week, Sherman seemed to take a more serious tone, perhaps intimating that he knew he was made available. Coach Pete Carroll also acknowledged that the Seahawks have talked about Sherman with other teams, though he said he did not envision a trade coming together.
Nothing is imminent on this front, a source tells Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald (on Twitter), but it is a very real possibility closer to the draft. Reportedly, the Patriots are among the clubs that have inquired on the outspoken corner, but it could be a few weeks before Sherman’s future is sorted out.
Hoops Player Mo Alie-Cox Drawing Interest
Antonio Gates, Julius Thomas, and Jimmy Graham all came from basketball backgrounds and went on to become top NFL tight ends. VCU’s Mo Alie-Cox is hoping to follow in their footsteps. The 6’7″ forward will be working out for teams on Tuesday, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport writes. 
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“The interest is widespread,” agent Joe Flanagan said. “Twenty clubs are already confirmed to be sending reps, with multiple tight end coaches.”
What makes Alie-Cox particularly interesting is that he is not draft eligible and can be signed by any team. Alie-Cox was “eligible for the 2016 NFL Draft and has remained a free agent since the conclusion of that draft,” a league spokesman confirmed to Rapoport.
Alie-Cox will perform typical pro day drills, then will open up the floor for teams to have him perform other drills, including drills that would showcase him at other positions. There’s no guarantee that the VCU product can make the transition from the hardwood to the gridiron, but more than half of the NFL’s teams are at least curious to see what he has to offer.
Saints To Release QB Luke McCown
The Saints plan to release quarterback Luke McCown today, according to a source who spoke with Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). McCown has been Drew Brees‘ backup since 2013, but he was effectively squeezed out of that role when the team signed Chase Daniel earlier this offseason. 
Comments from Brees late last week seemed to hint that McCown’s time in New Orleans was coming to a close.
“I love Luke. I had four great years with Luke. Luke was such a pro,” Brees said. “He was so great in the room because he’s seen and played so much football. He was really a wealth of knowledge and just a calm presence and just fun to be around.”
In theory, the Saints probably could have kept McCown as a QB3 since he was only slated to carry a $1.75MM cap number. Instead, the Saints are cutting him loose to save $1.5MM with just $250K in dead money. In his four years with the Saints, McCown completed 32 of 40 passes for 335 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. He did not see the field in 2016.
With Daniel in place as a solid QB2, the Saints could now draft a developmental quarterback or perhaps take on a young project player. It will be interesting to see if Johnny Manziel, who met with coach Sean Payton last month, gets any further consideration from the club.
Ravens Meet With Nick Mangold
Center Nick Mangold is visiting the Ravens, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). The veteran arrived late Tuesday afternoon and will stay with the team through Wednesday. 
[RELATED: Ravens Trade Timmy Jernigan To Eagles]
The Ravens shook things up at center this offseason when they traded Jeremy Zuttah to the 49ers. As it stands, their only options are the unproven John Urschel and Ryan Jensen. Mangold, of course, would offer tons of experience and a resume that includes seven Pro Bowl nods.
The Jets cut the 33-year-old in February after he missed half of the 2016 season. Before that, however, he missed just four regular season Jets games over the previous nine seasons. Mangold was ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 25th best center last year, but he has posted several top ten and top five seasons over his career.
Even if he’s no longer an elite center, Mangold still stands as the best option available in free agency. If the Ravens pass on signing him, they could instead look to the draft and consider players like LSU’s Ethan Pocic, Ohio State’s Pat Elflein, and West Virginia’s Tyler Orlosky.
Rams To Sign C John Sullivan
The Rams have found their center. Los Angeles is signing veteran John Sullivan, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Rams cut former starting center Tim Barnes last month, leaving them without a quality option in the middle. Now, new head coach Sean McVay has brought in Sullivan, a player that he knows fairly well. Last season, the two were together in Washington where Sullivan mostly served as a backup to Spencer Long. Before riding the pine in D.C., Sullivan was the Vikings’ starter for many years.
It’s hard to quantify a center’s performance, but Sullivan was highly regarded by the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus for his work from 2011 through 2014. Sullivan’s strongest seasons placed him comfortably in the top ten. Even in 2014, a down year by his previous standards, he was still an above average starter, per PFF.
Perhaps more importantly, Sullivan anchored the offensive line for some of Adrian Peterson’s best years in Minnesota. He also offers familiarity with McVay’s offensive system, which should be valuable for this young Rams team.
Tony Romo Won’t Rule Out NFL Comeback
The Texans were said to have interest in Tony Romo and we now know that interest was mutual. Romo has chosen broadcasting over playing, but if he moved forward as a quarterback, Romo says the Texans would have been his top choice. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Release Tony Romo]
“Obviously Houston was at the top of the list of teams that I looked at,” Romo told reporters on a conference call today.
Romo’s affinity for the Texans might not mean much right now, but it is perhaps something to file away in case we have a Brett Favre situation on our hands. Romo stressed that he could “play tomorrow” if he wanted to, so it sounds like we’ll be in for at least a couple of years of will he/won’t he speculation. When asked if this is really the end of the line, Romo said he’s “99%” retired and “never say never” to the possibility of a comeback. He also said that he’s probably healthier now than he was in 2014.
The former Cowboys QB “went back and forth many times” on playing versus retiring, but says he ultimately decided to transition to the booth because of the great opportunity presented by CBS. Only time will tell if Romo can be coaxed into playing again.
Latest On Bills, LeSean McCoy
Bills running back LeSean McCoy raised some eyebrows when he skipped the first day of the Bills’ offseason program. It’s still not clear why he wasn’t in the building, but his absence was not related to any kind of contract holdout, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
This year, McCoy is slated to earn a base salary of $6MM plus nearly $3MM in prorated bonuses and workout incentives. However, his base salary is not guaranteed, so his absence from the team’s voluntary practice led to some speculation that he was pushing for a revised contract. McCoy might have been away from the team to celebrate his son’s fifth birthday or for some other reason, but he apparently wasn’t trying to drum up leverage for a new deal.
So far, new coach Sean McDermott has been publicly enthusiastic about working with Shady.
“LeSean is going to be with the Buffalo Bills moving forward,” McDermott said in early March. “He’s a great player. We worked together in Philadelphia and when you look at the skill set LeSean brings to the table, we’re excited to be working with him.”
McCoy is scheduled to be under contract with Buffalo through 2019.
Eagles Acquire Timmy Jernigan From Ravens
The Eagles have acquired defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and a third-round pick (No. 99 overall) from the Ravens in exchange for the No. 74 overall pick, which is also in the third round. In essence, the Eagles have dropped down 25 spots in the third round in order to add a starting-caliber defensive lineman. 
After losing Bennie Logan to the Chiefs in free agency, this trade makes lots of sense for Philly. Jernigan, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, played in all 16 games last season and managed five sacks. He finished out as the league’s 42nd best interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus, putting him ahead of names like Ricky Jean-Francois, Corey Peters, and Cullen Jenkins. For what it’s worth, that ranking put him more than 40 spots ahead of Logan.
Recently, when asked about rumors that Jernigan could be traded, Ravens coach John Harbaugh did not deny that the 24-year-old (25 in September) could be moved.
“Everybody is up for trade,” Harbaugh said. “It’s part of the conversation in the NFL.”
The Ravens recently made Brandon Williams the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL and they also have Michael Pierce, Carl Davis, and Willie Henry competing for playing time. From their perspective, keeping Jernigan and re-signing him to a pricey deal after the 2017 season didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
“This will allow our young group of defensive lineamn an opportunity to compete and play,” Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said in a statement.
Jernigan will carry a modest cap number of $1.395MM in 2017 before becoming eligible for the open market.