Corey Davis To Miss Combine With Injury
Former Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis underwent ankle surgery and will not run at the scouting combine, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds Davis’ injury is considered “extremely minor.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported Davis’ ankle ailment earlier this week (Twitter link).
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Last year, Davis had 97 receptions for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. Most mock drafts have him and Clemson’s Mike Williams as the top two receivers in this year’s class. If Williams participates fully in the combine and Davis does not, that could give him a leg up in the bid to become the first WR off the board in April.
The 6’3″, 213-pound receiver has drawn praise for his advanced route-running ability and his performances against quality opposition. Overall, Davis has done quite well against Big Ten teams and that could help ease concerns about his mid-major background. On top of that, MAC receivers like Randy Moss, Greg Jennings, and Antonio Brown have excelled at the next level.
OTHER NFL DRAFT NEWS:
Eric Berry: “Definitely” Won’t Play Under Tag
Last offseason, the Chiefs were unable to strike a long-term deal with Eric Berry and they delayed things by using the franchise tag. The Chiefs could theoretically tag him again at an increased rate, but the safety says he won’t play along if that’s the route KC chooses. He says he’s “definitely not” playing on the franchise tender in 2017 (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
Berry earned $10.86MM on the one-year tender last year, a surprising outcome for many in the football world who looked at a long-term accord as a sure thing. Berry also dragged his feet before putting pen-to-paper, giving the impression that things were a bit frosty between the two sides. In August, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher told PFR that he did not envision a multi-year deal for Berry and the Chiefs.
“It’s difficult to see that at this point. If the Chiefs weren’t willing to satisfy him with a long-term offer [in 2016], why would they do it [in 2017]?,” Teicher said.
This time around, it would cost the Chiefs $12.967MM to use the franchise tag for a second time. With limited cap space, the Chiefs might not be prepared to give Berry the type of accord he’s looking for. The Chiefs have the right to tag Berry twice, but Josh Norman managed to pout his way out of Carolina last year when faced with the prospect of a tag. Berry has a very different personality than Norman, but he seems equally unsatisfied with the specter of a franchise tender.
Panthers HC: Short Will “Probably” Be Tagged
Kawann Short is scheduled for free agency, but the odds are not in favor of him actually getting there. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera admits the Panthers “probably will have to tag” him, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Since making those comments on ESPN, Rivera has clarified his comments, saying only that the tag is an option, not necessarily imminent (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer). 
However, my feeling is that this a matter of semantics. The Panthers have likely already huddled up and decided that they will not let Short get near free agency. That means a franchise tag is in Short’s future if a long-term pact cannot be reached.
[RELATED: PFR’s NFL Free Agent Power Rankings]
Short is ranked No. 3 on PFR’s most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings. Unlike former teammate Josh Norman, Short is on record as saying he’s okay with signing the franchise tender.
Short, who turns 28 today, was the third-best interior defender in the league this season, per Pro Football Focus, and his 87.7 overall score was roughly in line with his 2015 mark, even though he had five less sacks. By PFF’s metrics, only defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Calais Campbell ranked ahead of Short in 2016.
Thanks to the deals signed last summer by Fletcher Cox and Muhammad Wilkerson, Short’s asking price has likely increased. Carolina would probably like to re-up Short at roughly $15MM per year on a multi-year deal, but it might take an AAV of ~$17MM or more to get something done based on how the market looks now.
Placing the franchise tag on Short should cost Carolina approximately $13.468MM in 2017.
Check Out HoopsRumors.com For NBA Trade Deadline Coverage
The NBA trade deadline is just over three weeks away, and our sister site Hoops Rumors is on top of all the latest news and rumors for each of the league’s 30 teams.
Will the Carmelo Anthony era come to an end in New York, given the trade rumors surrounding the Knicks star? Will the Bulls blow things up after several of their marquee players publicly traded barbs? Will the Cavaliers be able to satisfy LeBron James by adding another playmaker to their roster? Is this the year that Danny Ainge and the Celtics finally cash in some of their assets to make a major trade?
For the latest updates on those stories and many more, visit Hoops Rumors today and follow us on Twitter @HoopsRumors!
Eagles To Target WR Kenny Stills
The Eagles need help at wide receiver and they have a big name in mind. If he reaches the open market, the Eagles will pursue Dolphins receiver Kenny Stills, a source tells Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. 
Stills, 25 in April, is eligible for free agency at a time when Miami also has to consider Jarvis Landry‘s long-term future. Landry, the team’s No. 1 receiving option, will be out of contract after the 2017 season. The Dolphins could opt to let Stills go to maintain room for Landry in the long run, but the team also has a good amount of cap space to work with at the moment. As of this writing, the Fins have ~$29MM in projected cap space. The Dolphins also have DeVante Parker and 2016 draft pick Leonte Carroo on the depth chart.
The Dolphins are on record as saying they would like to retain Stills.
“It’s important for us to bring him back. We’d like to have him back,” general manager Chris Grier said. “It’s his right to test the market and see what he can get, but we’d like to have him back.”
South Notes: Titans, Colts, McAfee, Saints
During Wednesday’s press conference, commissioner Roger Goodell indicated that the Titans need to figure out their ownership situation and appoint one individual who will be in charge of all decisions (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com). He also noted that they have been in violation of this policy in the past. For more highlights from Goodell’s presser, check out Wednesday’s post to see his comments on Ezekiel Elliott, Josh Brown, and more.
Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South:
- Punters don’t typically get a lot of credit for what they do, but Pat McAfee‘s retirement leaves a significant void for the Colts to fill, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. For his career, McAfee averaged 46.4 gross yards per punt and 39.8 net yards per punt. He also had 33.6% of his 575 punt attempts land inside the 20.
- Many would say the Saints‘ biggest need is at defensive end, but edge rusher Cameron Jordan would rather see New Orleans put their focus in the secondary. “I’ll take a corner,” he said (link via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune). “I’ll take two corners.” In 2016, the Saints’ nine interceptions were tied for 27th in the league. Meanwhile, they only had 30 sacks, which also placed them No. 27 in the NFL. Jordan, personally, seemed to be pulling his weight as he notched 7.5 sacks, 58 total tackles, and one forced fumble in 2016.
- This week, Texans owner Bob McNair said that he hopes to hammer out long-term deals with both wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback A.J. Bouye this offseason. Bouye is scheduled for free agency in March.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Romo, Giants, Brown
Former Giants kicker Josh Brown admitted publicly to domestic violence for the first time during an interview with Good Morning America, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. However, he insisted that he never hit her. Brown, 37, still wants to return to the NFL, but he admits that he’s not sure if he’ll get that chance. On Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that Brown‘s domestic violence investigation remains open.
More from the NFC East:
- There’s lots of speculation about Tony Romo‘s future, but former NFL coach Mike Singletary believes that his best bet is to stay pat with the Cowboys. “If I’m Tony Romo, I better stay here in Dallas,” Singletary told 105.3 The Fan (link via SportsDayDFW.com). “Let me put it this way: You’re the backup, but that is the best job in the NFL if you’re a backup on the Dallas Cowboys. I think they have one of the best lines, they’ve got a great running game.” The Broncos are said to be Romo’s ideal landing spot and they could pursue him in free agency, if he is available. The Texans are likely to draft a quarterback this year, but they won’t be targeting Romo.
- Mark Bullock of The Washington Post ran down 3-4 defensive ends that could be in play for the Redskins at different price levels. He starts by listing Kawann Short, a high-priced option who lines up as a three-technique defensive tackle in Carolina’s system. Value options for Washington could include Nick Fairley and Bennie Logan. The Redskins reportedly will target Logan in March, if Philly does not re-sign him before that point.
- Is center Jason Kelce on the chopping block? When given an opportunity to dispel rumors, executive vice president Howie Roseman didn’t exactly shoot down the rumors. By cutting Kelce, the Eagles would open up $3.8MM in cap space for 2017.
Bengals’ McCarron Will Be RFA After ’17
Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron has been in trade rumors for months now and he might be a little more valuable than initially thought. As a 2014 draft pick, McCarron was believed to be under contract through the 2017 season. But, because he spent most of his rookie year on the non-football injury list, he’ll only be a restricted free agent after the ’17 campaign, former agent and CBSSports.com columnist Joel Corry tweets. 
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Now that McCarron can be kept for relatively little money for an extra year, he’s simultaneously more attractive as a trade chip and more attractive to Cincinnati as a backup QB. Still, McCarron has indicated that he wouldn’t mind getting traded to a team that would give him a playing opportunity. As it stands, he is blocked behind starter Andy Dalton.
McCarron saw some burn in 2015 when Dalton was out with injury and it was enough to intrigue rival teams about his potential. In the final four games of ’15, McCarron passed for 832 yards and six touchdowns against just two interceptions.
McCarron’s 2017 contract calls for him to carry a modest $735K cap number. It’s not immediately clear how much he is slated to earn in this new 2018 season.
Packers Have No GM Succession Plan In Place
Packers execs Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst were both considered for GM jobs this offseason and it stands to reason that they will continue to be in the mix for those gigs going forward. Despite the fact that they are in high demand, neither man has been told that they will succeed GM Ted Thompson (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Packers Notes: Thompson, Montgomery, Lacy]
“I don’t think you can make promises,” team president Mark Murphy said with regards to the two young scouts and cap guru Russ Ball. “Especially [because] the league changes so much year to year.”
Murphy says that he has an idea of how long Thompson, 64, will stay on the job, but he declined to disclose that timetable publicly. It’s also not immediately clear whether Thompson’s contract runs out after the 2018 season or following the 2019 draft.
On the field, the Packers have built a winning team by building talent from within. That philosophy extends to the front office, where they have multiple young candidates who are ostensibly ready to run the show. Interestingly, the Packers could reportedly change course this offseason and be active on the open market.
Colts Punter Pat McAfee Retires
One of the most colorful personalities in the game is calling it quits. Punter Pat McAfee announced early Thursday morning that he is walking away from the sport after eight years in the NFL. 
In a lengthy farewell letter posted to Twitter, McAfee said that he spoke with Colts owner Jim Irsay at length about his future this week and although Irsay wanted him to continue playing, he is supportive of his decision. The charismatic punter says he will now join Barstool Sports full-time as a personality while continuing to live in Indianapolis.
From a talent standpoint, McAfee feels that he could have continued punting for “a few more years,” but he wasn’t sure if he could continue to boot balls at a high level with his attention split between different interests. McAfee, 29, leaves the game with two Pro Bowl selections and a highlight reel full of memorable celebrations, including his Conor McGregor strut. We wish McAfee the best in retirement.