Steve Smith Announces Retirement
As was expected, veteran Ravens receiver Steve Smith announced tonight that his 16-year NFL career is officially coming to end. “It’s been real,” the 37-year-old Smith tweeted, along with a photo noting many of his career accomplishments.
As a third round pick in 2001, no one could have predicted the kind of career that Smith would have. The wide receiver became the face of the Panthers’ organization in his 13 years there and he played with a chip on his shoulder upon joining the Ravens in 2014. In his age-35 season, he caught 79 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns, silencing doubters who thought his best days were behind him. He lost most of the 2015 season to injury, but he rebounded nicely this season as he caught 67 passes for 765 yards and five scores.
Smith will leave the game as a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection. He’s also one of just eleven players to have 1,000+ catches and 14,000 yards receiving. His legacy of tenacious play coupled with his gaudy stats should make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. We here at PFR wish No. 89 the best in retirement.
Anthony Lynn “Virtual Lock” To Be Bills HC
SUNDAY, 09:27am: Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports goes one step farther than Carucci, reporting that Lynn is a “virtual lock” to be named the Bills’ head coach on a permanent basis. The Bills are, however, expected to interview Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin for the job, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak (citing ESPN colleague Adam Schefter). Schefter tweets that former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is expected to serve as Lynn’s defensive coordinator wherever Lynn becomes a head coach. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bills’ top job is Lynn’s to lose, and he adds Frank Reich and Teryl Austin as possible alternative candidates.
WEDNESDAY, 10:09am: Anthony Lynn will hold down the fort as interim head coach in the Bills’ final regular season game. From the sound of it, he could already be in the lead for the real title this offseason. “There’s every indication” the Bills are settled on sticking with Lynn beyond the interim status he has for Sunday, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. 
[RELATED: Fallout From Rex Ryan’s Firing]
Carucci doesn’t expect the Bills to conduct a real, thorough search because they already have Lynn in mind as their guy. Furthermore, GM Doug Whaley is leading the search process and he will not want to hire any coach who would want control over the 53-man roster. In Lynn, he has a built-in ally who will allow him to assemble the team as he sees fit.
If Whaley is not willing to cede roster control, then that would likely rule out big-name candidates like Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, and Jim Schwartz. Even former Bills quarterback and current Eagles OC Frank Reich would probably object. There may be some head coaching candidates who are willing to let Whaley do his thing, but it won’t be any of the splashy names.
NFL Won’t Reinstate Raiders LB Aldon Smith
The NFL will not be reinstating Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith this season, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The commissioner will revisit the case on March 15, 2017. 
Smith was suspended in November 2015 and has been eligible to return for several weeks now. His camp was pushing Roger Goodell to reach a decision on the matter, but for one reason or another, the league office will table things until the early part of the 2017 league year. Meanwhile, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is playing as he appeals his one-year suspension from the league. The two situations are not exactly identical, but the disparity does not sit well with many fans.
Smith has had multiple run-ins with the league’s substance abuse policy and his latest slip-up led to him spending roughly four months in a rehab clinic. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie indicated in October that Smith’s issues are under control after treatment. Of course, there are two sides to every story and it is possible that Smith has not fulfilled all of the prerequisites for reinstatement.
The Raiders have secured their spot in the playoffs, but they’ll have to forge ahead without the services of Smith or quarterback Derek Carr. On the plus side, they can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed this weekend if they beat the Broncos and the Patriots fall to the Dolphins.
Per the terms of the two-year extension signed with Oakland in April 2016, Smith is under contract with the Raiders through 2017.
Colts’ Robert Mathis To Retire
Colts defensive end Robert Mathis has announced that he will retire after the 2016 season. That means Sunday’s contest against the Jaguars will be his final NFL game. 
[RELATED: Jim Harbaugh A Match For The Colts?]
Mathis, 35, has spent his entire career with the Colts since being selected in the fifth round of the 2003 draft. Across his 14 years (13 seasons) with the Colts, Mathis earned five Pro Bowl nods and one First-Team All-Pro selection. The defensive end will go down as an all-time Colts great, particularly for the first ten years of his career in which he averaged 10.0 sacks per season. In 2013, Mathis led the entire NFL with 19.5 sacks.
Mathis has four sacks and 17 total tackles in 13 games played this season. He also has two forced fumbles and one fumble recovered for a touchdown. The advanced metrics indicate that Mathis has lost a step or three and that this is probably a good time for him to step away from the game. Pro Football Focus ranks Mathis as one of the ten worst qualified edge defenders in the NFL this season.
We here at Pro Football Rumors wish No. 98 nothing but the best in retirement.
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Seahawks, Michael Bennett Agree To Extension
Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett will sign a lucrative three-year extension with the club this morning, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Seattle already had Bennett signed through 2017, so the new extension will take Bennett through the 2020 season, with some of the new money incorporated into ’17.
[RELATED: Seahawks’ Earl Thomas To Return In 2017]
The new three-year block is worth $31.5MM with $17.5MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Perhaps more importantly, the cash flow on the deal is favorable for Bennett. He’ll earn $16MM of the deal in 2017 and $19MM in total by Mar. 5 of 2018.
Bennett has been a staple in the Seahawks’ front seven for years now and had an impressive consecutive games streak of 74 until knee trouble hampered him this season. In 2016, Bennett has appeared in only ten games, but he still has four sacks and 32 total tackles to his credit. Pro Football Focus has the 31-year-old ranked as the No. 9 edge defender in the NFL this year, ahead of notables such as Chandler Jones, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jadeveon Clowney, Olivier Vernon, and James Harrison.
Vernon set a surprising standard for 4-3 defensive ends like Bennett when he signed a five-year, $85MM contract with the Giants this past offseason. Bennett is four years older than Vernon, so it makes sense that he is not getting quite as much on his new deal. Instead of $17MM/year, his $10.5MM average annual value falls closer to the $11MM/year deal that Cameron Jordan got from the Saints last year.
The Texas A&M product is currently playing on the four-year, $28.5MM deal he signed prior to the 2014 season. Bennett made headlines when he began pushing for a new contract in the spring of 2015, just one year after he signed that team-friendly pact, but Seattle refused to re-open talks. This fall, with the deal winding down, the Seahawks and Bennett’s reps came to the table.
Bennett is now the latest key Seattle player to agree to a lengthy extension with the club, keeping the team’s core intact.
Tyrod Taylor Not Looking To Leave Bills
Tyrod Taylor will be benched for the Bills’ season finale in an effort to protect him from injury and protect the team from being saddled with his guaranteed salary for 2017. It doesn’t seem like Taylor is too pleased about what is going on in Buffalo, but he tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter) that he isn’t looking to leave the team in the wake of the surprising decision. 
The Bills effectively hold an option on Taylor that would kickstart a new five-year deal worth more than $80MM. Now that advocate Rex Ryan has been fired and E.J. Manuel is starting ahead of him, it seems unlikely the Bills will exercise that clause. Still, in theory, Taylor could circle back to the Bills for a lesser deal. GM Doug Whaley may have other things in mind, but Taylor wants to keep all options open.
Meanwhile, for the past month, Taylor has been fighting through a severe groin injury that could need more attention in the offseason (Twitter link). If that means surgery for Taylor, that will be a situation to watch as he heads towards free agency.
Jets Audition RB Bernard Pierce
Bernard Pierce, who spent time with the Jets in training camp, worked out for them on Wednesday, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The Jets are banged up at running back with injuries to Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. Pierce could help fill the gap for the team’s season finale and, theoretically, this could be an opportunity for him to audition for the 2017 roster. 
[RELATED: Jets To Retain Todd Bowles]
Pierce also auditioned for the Jets on Dec. 13, but that tryout didn’t lead to a deal. Same goes for his workouts for the Seahawks and Broncos. All year long, the veteran has been looking for an NFL home, but he has not seen the field in 2016.
The 25-year-old showed potential as a rookie in 2012 with the Ravens, averaging 4.9 yards per carry on 108 attempts. He spent another two seasons with Baltimore but his performance was up-and-down in his reserve role. In 2015, he hooked on with the Jaguars and totaled just six carries for 11 yards. It remains to be seen whether he can still be a contributor in the NFL.
Eagles, Nolan Carroll Talking Extension
Nolan Carroll is scheduled to reach free agency in March, but the Eagles are already working to lock him up for 2017 and beyond. The cornerback says that extension talks are underway. 
[RELATED: Brandon Graham Hints At DeSean Jackson Returning To Eagles]
“They’re starting,” Carroll told Mark Eckel of NJ.com. “I have a new agent so we’ll see how it goes.”
Last year, Carroll suffered a fractured fibula and found a weak market for his services. Unable to scare up a significant deal, he re-signed with Philly on a one-year deal worth roughly $2MM. After a healthy season in which he has 51 total tackles, one interception, and 14 pass breakups, Carroll has put himself in a much better position.
If re-signed, the Eagles may ticket Carroll for a reserve role rather than a starting job. Still, he can provide rotational depth and he’s plenty familiar with the playbook.
Through 15 games, Carroll is Pro Football Focus’ No. 91 ranked CB in the NFL this year. Leodis McKelvin is the team’s top-ranked corner this year and he is ranked as just the 82nd best player at the position.
Jags Haven’t Made Offer To John Cyprien
John Cyprien‘s rookie contract expires after Sunday’s season finale, but the Jaguars have yet to discuss an extension with him, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. The Jaguars are likely to let him hit the open market in March. 
“There’s not too much to think about, really,” Cyprien said. “My contract is up here with the Jags. The Jags will have the opportunity to try and keep me here, but other teams will [have the chance to sign him]. I’m not even sure what other teams will be interested.”
Strong safeties don’t command as much money as free safeties, but Cyprien should still be in line for a decent payday. Teams looking for strong safety help this spring may be able to shop in a free agent class including Cyprien, Barry Church (Cowboys), Tony Jefferson (Cardinals), and T.J. McDonald (Rams). As of this writing, Cyprien is ranked as the No. 8 safety in the NFL this year by Pro Football Focus, slotting him ahead of the aforementioned players.
In his contract year, Cyprien is second on the team in tackles (120), behind only linebacker Paul Posluszny (127). Although Posluszny is under contract through 2017, it’s possible that neither defender will be back in Jacksonville next year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/16
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Cardinals signed cornerback Brian Dixon off the Saints’ practice squad, NOLA.com’s Herbie Teope reports. Dixon has spent most of this season on the Saints’ practice squad after the 2014 UDFA during the first two seasons of his career resided on New Orleans’ active roster. The 26-year-old Division II product played in five games for the Saints this season.
- The Titans placed defensive end Mehdi Abdesmad on IR and added rookie defensive tackle Antwaun Woods to the 53-man roster. Signed as a UDFA in May, Woods has bounced on and off the Titans’ practice squad this season.
- The Jets signed running back Brandon Burks off of the practice squad. The rookie out of Troy gained 1,300-plus yards from scrimmage as a senior last season.