Giants, JPP Won’t Do Extension Today
The Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul could still hammer out a cap-smoothing extension, but it won’t happen today, according to Seth Walder of the Daily News. 
The deadline for a new deal isn’t until July 15th, so there’s still plenty of time. However, the Giants would probably like to clear out that space today so that they can do a little extra work on the free agent market.
As it stands, JPP is slated to be on the books for $16.934MM in 2017. Given that they have already added a decent-sized contract in Brandon Marshall, the Giants don’t have very much space to work with. No one expected the G-Men to go on a shopping spree like they did one year ago, but multiple holes still need to be addressed on both sides of the ball. Right now, it looks like they’ll focus more on the draft to get those upgrades.
Pierre-Paul played in 12 games before his 2016 ended in December on account of core muscle surgery, though he showed well with seven sacks and three forced fumbles. Pierre-Paul also ranked 13th among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified edge defenders and totaled the league’s 15th-most QB hurries (24).
49ers To Sign TE Logan Paulsen
The 49ers plan to sign former Chicago tight end Logan Paulsen, according to Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). Paulsen is known primarily for his run blocking. It’s a one-year deal, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Last year, Pro Football Focus gave Paulsen a 75.2 run blocking score, which put him in the top ten amongst all tight ends. He had a less impressive 68.8 pass blocking grade, putting him 22nd amongst all qualified TEs.
We had Paulsen ranked as one of the 15 best tight ends on the open market.
Bears Release QB Jay Cutler
The Bears are releasing quarterback Jay Cutler, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cutler asked for and was granted his release on Thursday morning. He is now a free agent and free to sign with any team. The Bears have since confirmed the move via press release.
Cutler’s release has been anticipated for some time now and it more or less solidified by the Bears’ free agent deal with Mike Glennon. Because Cutler was the one to ask for his deal to be terminated, it’s possible that the Bears asked him to serve as Glennon’s No. 2 quarterback. Cutler, who has been a longtime starter, presumably would have rejected such a proposal.
Right now, Cutler has to be considered one of the best free agent quarterback options out there along with Tony Romo. Cutler didn’t have such a hot 2016, but he is a starter with experience and teams in need of a short-term option under center will have interest. The Jets are already interested in Cutler, according to Schefter (Twitter link), and New York could conceivably add Cutler as something of a bridge quarterback while developing a younger option.
Cutler, 33, spent most of the 2016 campaign sidelined by injuries, and wasn’t effective when he was on the field. In five starts, Cutler tossed four touchdowns against five interceptions, and posted a Total Quarterback Rating of just 33.1. He’s been loosely to linked to a couple of clubs this offseason, but no team has expressed any known solid interest.
The Bears reportedly tried to trade Cutler earlier this year, but were rebuffed. Meanwhile, Cutler has apparently tossed out the idea of retirement, although that could simply be a negotiating ploy.
Free Agency Rumors: Titans, Hightower, Rams
Let’s round up some of the latest free agency rumors:
- The talk of the Titans pursuing linebacker Dont’a Hightower might not be at the levels some have reported, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. Hightower stands as one of the best free agents left on the board.
- Not a huge surprise, but the Rams are not expected to bring back safety T.J. McDonald, ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes. I have McDonald ranked as the No. 40 free agent on my Top 50 list, in terms of earning power. He’s not my favorite safety in this year’s free agent crop, but he is young and his hard-hitting style should translate into dollars.
- Despite formally declining his option on Thursday, the Chiefs have expressed interest in retaining quarterback Nick Foles, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
- There are still plenty of teams sorting through the offensive tackle market, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. That list includes the Chargers, Jets, Vikings, Giants, and Broncos. It should be noted that JLC’s tweet came before Denver’s acquisition of Ronald Leary. It’s not immediately clear if they’re still looking for high-end linemen.
- Russell Okung probably goofed by not having an agent last offseason, but he has one now, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter links). Cole does not identify the rap by name, but says that he has talked with teams and is not NFLPA-certified.
- Packers free agent guard T.J. Lang is likely going to have to take some trips before signing, Cole tweets. He had hip surgery in January and teams want to check that out before signing him. This jibes with earlier word that Lang will have to wait a bit before signing elsewhere.
Cardinals Sign S Antoine Bethea
The Cardinals have reached agreement with strong safety Antoine Bethea on a three-year deal, a source tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). With that signing, the Cards have replaced the departing Tony Jefferson.
Bethea will see a three-year commitment despite being set for his age-33 season. The 49ers cut the 12th-year veteran earlier this week, and instead of having another role on a rebuilding team, Bethea joins a veteran roster that is one year removed from being on the Super Bowl precipice.
The three-time Pro Bowler has a Super Bowl ring already, earning it as a full-time rookie starter for the 2006 Colts, and brings plenty of experience to Arizona’s secondary. Bethea has started all 162 games he’s played since entering the league as a sixth-round pick. Bethea made his most recent Pro Bowl in 2014 for the 49ers. He joins a star-powered secondary behind Patrick Peterson and alongside Tyrann Mathieu.
This agreement comes after the Cardinals moved quickly to extend the franchise-tagged Chandler Jones.
Mutual Interest Between Raiders, Bennett
Is Martellus Bennett Oakland-bound? There is “heavy mutual interest” between the tight end and the Raiders, a source tells Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald (on Twitter). The Raiders’ interest in him has been known for about a week now, but it sounds like things are getting serious today. 
On Wednesday night, we learned that the Bills and Giants are among the clubs who are also in pursuit of Bennett. The Titans and Lions are also known to be fishing for help at the position, but it’s not clear if they have Bennett in their sights.
Bennett wants seeking $9MM annually and he just might get that as the offseason’s No. 1 available tight end. He had a solid contract year, recording 701 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for New England as Rob Gronkowski‘s fill-in. This week, Jack Doyle re-signed with the Colts for nearly $7MM per season, and that should help his market. On the flipside, the Patriots are already known to be out of the bidding after acquiring Dwayne Allen via trade.
Bennett seemingly has every right to ask for $9MM, but a report last month indicated a “real possibility” that Bennett won’t be returning to the Patriots in 2017. Now that New England has acquired Dwayne Allen, Bennett is almost assuredly not returning to the Patriots.
Bennett ranks as PFR’s No. 20 overall free agent and top available tight end.
Calais Campbell Still Deciding Between Jaguars, Broncos
Despite reports to the contrary, it sounds like Calais Campbell‘s deal with the Jaguars is not set in stone. The defensive lineman could take less money to return to his birthplace of Denver rather than join up with Jacksonville, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Right now, the Broncos are offering him $13MM per year on a new deal. The Jaguars are offering upwards of $14MM per season. Right now, Campbell and his wife are weighing the Jaguars against the Broncos (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS). 
The Jaguars are armed with ample cap space this offseason and they were hoping to beef up their front seven with the addition of Campbell. The former University of Miami star, they hope, will join up with Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue to form a fearsome front four.
Recently, we identified the Broncos as a logical contender for Campbell. Now, they’re making a real play for him. The Broncos arguably would offer Campbell a better chance to win right away, and that’s probably a big factor for him as he enters his age-31 season. Campbell has been in nine playoff games with Arizona but has never won a ring.
Campbell, who played his high school ball in Denver, finished as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 3-4 defensive end last season. The Broncos had persistent trouble filling Jackson’s spot, and the gulf between Campbell and the other defensive end options could be sizable. Chris Baker also appeared on the Broncos’ radar, but Campbell has been a better player during his career.
Denver’s three-pronged strategy of Vance Walker, Adam Gotsis and Jared Crick to replace Jackson backfired when Walker tore his ACL and Gotsis proved too raw. Crick is under contract for another season but would fit more in a depth role. The Broncos still finished with the league’s top DVOA defense but struggled to stop the run, plummeting from third in 2015 to 28th last season.
The 6-foot-8 Campbell forced two fumbles, recovered three and registered eight sacks in 2016. Campbell would add to a Broncos team already tilted toward defense, financially and productivity speaking, if he backtracked on his Jaguars agreement and ventured back home. Without a franchise quarterback, the Broncos have most of their capital tied up in defense, having extended the likes of Von Miller, Chris Harris, Derek Wolfe and Darian Stewart over the past two-plus years.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Saints To Sign WR Ted Ginn Jr.
The Saints have plucked two players from the rival Panthers in a matter of minutes. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. will be signing with New Orleans, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team announced that the wideout has been signed to a three-year deal.
Ginn, 32 in April, hasn’t quite justified his selection at No. 9 overall in 2007. However, he has bounced back in the last two years with Carolina. In 2015, he had 44 catches for 739 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Last season, he had 54 grabs for 752 yards and four scores.
On Thursday morning, the Saints also signed linebacker A.J. Klein away from Carolina.
This move could signal a more seismic transaction from the Saints, because they now have four notable contributors at wide receiver in Ginn, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas and Willie Snead. Cooks, though, has been the subject of incessant trade rumors for over a week now despite having produced consistently in New Orleans. The 23-year-old talent has griped about his role in the offense, and as the 2016 season went on, Thomas showed he could have the makeup of a No. 1 receiver in the future.
The Saints and Patriots are reportedly discussing a Cooks-for-Malcolm Butler swap of players in the final year of their rookie contracts. Although, Cooks — being a former first-rounder — has a fifth-year option. Butler will need to be extended soon to give the Saints value in that deal.
Saints To Sign LB A.J. Klein
The Saints are signing linebacker A.J. Klein, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints have been prioritizing defensive help this offseason, particularly help in the front seven.
Klein might not be the only defensive pickup the Saints make today if the rumored Malcolm Butler-for-Brandon Cooks deal is completed.
Klein was said to be seeking a starting job this offseason. He will move on from the Panthers after playing alongside the likes of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis and join a Saints team that’s had issues at this position. Former first-round pick Stephone Anthony has not been able to provide clear evidence he’s going to be a long-term answer, and the Saints moved him from middle ‘backer to the strong side in the offseason.
A 25-year-old fifth-year player, Klein will join a linebacking corps that houses Anthony, Dannell Ellerbe and Craig Robertson. Kuechly’s 2016 injury opened the door for more Klein playing time; he made seven starts but only accumulated 29 tackles. As a part-time starter in 2014-15, Klein made 39 and 48 stops, respectively, while vacillating from the middle to the outside in Carolina’s 4-3 scheme. New Orleans pivoted back to a 4-3 look recently, so Klein won’t have as steep of a learning curve as he would going to a 3-4 team.
Kirk Cousins Wants Redskins To Trade Him
After being hit with the exclusive franchise tag, Kirk Cousins is not free to negotiate with teams this week. However, he wants out. Cousins appealed personally to owner Daniel Snyder for a trade, but was told not to get his hopes up, sources tell ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). Washington has shown “zero inclination” to trade Cousins, adds Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Cousins has been the subject of trade talk for some time with the 49ers often linked to him. The Redskins have been reluctant to commit to Cousins on a long-term deal, but the Niners would presumably be happy to give him the kind of monster deal he is seeking – provided that they also wouldn’t have to give up too much to acquire him via trade. The Browns, who have even more cap room than the Niners, have also been brought up as a possible landing spot.
On Wednesday, we learned that Snyder may be holding up a potential trade to San Francisco due to his bad relationship with the Shanahans, Kyle and Mike. Snyder reportedly still holds a grudge against the Shanahans after firing the pair following the 2013 campaign, per Jones, and especially dislikes that the duo’s prediction of a failed Robert Griffin III career ultimately proved true. As such, Snyder has no interest in “helping” Kyle Shanahan in any regard, including sending him a ready-made franchise quarterback in Cousins.
Ultimately, Cousins may have no choice but to sign the franchise tender and hope he can reach the 2018 free agent market unfettered. If he chooses that route, he’ll play out the 2017 campaign while earning nearly $24MM.