NFL Reinstates Dion Jordan, Dolphins Place Him On NFI List
SUNDAY, July 31: The Dolphins will place the newly-reinstated Jordan on the non-football injury list, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and Jordan will not earn his $1.7MM roster bonus. Per Florio, Jordan failed a physical on Saturday and is currently recovering from a knee problem that required arthroscopic surgery. Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets that Jordan is expected to be back on the field within two to three weeks.
FRIDAY, July 29: Dion Jordan has been reinstated to the NFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, Jordan’s reinstatement is conditional. The defensive end will be in counseling and will be reevaluated before the start of the season. 
[RELATED: Armando Salguero Of The Miami Herald Talks To PFR About Jordan, Dolphins Offseason]
The 26-year-old needs to prove to the league office that he can stay on the straight and narrow. When it comes to the Dolphins, he needs to prove that he can produce on the field. Through 26 games in 2013 and 2014, Jordan registered only 46 tackles and three sacks.
Jordan is not the only notable name to run afoul of the league’s policy on substance abuse. In recent years, Josh Gordon, Justin Blackmon, Martavis Bryant, Aldon Smith, and Daryl Washington have all been sidelined by the NFL and as Jordan has witnessed, those missteps can sometimes be career threatening or ending. For his part, Jordan has said that he’s not going to squander that opportunity if it is given to him.
“I’m not about to waste it. I can’t waste it. And I (expletive) love doing it,” Jordan said in May. “Who doesn’t love running out in front of 30,000-plus fans and you get that rush? But it’s also things that you can get that rush from that can be very satisfying and can carry you on to a successful life after football…I just turned 26 years old, so life starts to hit you in the face. Who are you outside of those shoulder pads and helmet? And it’s weird, but I feel like it’s a blessing for me at this point in time to think about it, instead of waiting ‘til they really tell me I can’t play football no more.”
In recent weeks, there was a great deal of talk as to whether the Dolphins would pay Dion Jordan his $1.69MM roster bonus if were to be reinstate. As it turns out, the Dolphins don’t really have a decision to make with regards to that payout. While the Dolphins will be required to pay that bonus on Aug. 1, Jordan must also repay his $3.35MM signing bonus to the team as a result of his suspensions. That money has not been fully returned yet and Jordan owes the Dolphins more money than they owe him. So, a reinstated Jordan would not be cut by the team in an effort to save money. However, the Dolphins could theoretically release or trade Jordan if they do not want him on the roster for football reasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears Sign Amini Silatolu
JULY 30, 3:47pm: It’s a one-year agreement, minimum-salary deal for Silatolu, per Biggs (Twitter link). He stands to make $840K this season and received a $80K signing bonus and a $20K base salary guarantee, working out to $100K guaranteed for the former Panthers starter. Silatolu will count $680K toward the Bears’ cap, per Biggs (via Twitter).
JULY 20, 2:57pm: The Bears have agreed to sign guard Amini Silatolu, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran met with Chicago on Wednesday morning and it didn’t take long for the two sides to reach an accord.
As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets, offensive lineman Ted Larsen was sidelined with an undisclosed injury at the end of the offseason program/minicamp. The signing of Silatolu could be a sign that Larsen is still recovering.
A second-round pick in 2012, Silatolu started 15 games during his rookie season and looked to be a mainstay along Carolina’s offensive line for years to come. But he’s been hampered by injuries ever since — torn ACLs ended both his 2013 and 2015 seasons, and he was similarly held back by calf and knee injuries in 2014. Silatolu was largely been relegated to backup duty with the Panthers, having been usurped at guard by Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell.
This offseason, the Panthers didn’t show much interest in retaining Silatolu. Now, the 27-year-old (28 in September) will try and hook on in Chicago.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers OL Anthony Davis Coming Out Of Retirement
SATURDAY, 2:06pm: The NFL reinstated Davis from the reserve/retired list, opening the door for the right tackle to practice with the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
MONDAY, 7:50pm: The “sense” is that the 49ers want to keep Davis on the roster rather than trade him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 12:09pm: Anthony Davis took to Twitter to announce that he has submitted a letter seeking reinstatement to the NFL and the 49ers. Because Davis officially retired in 2015, some paperwork is required before he can take the field again. 
At different points over the last year, Davis has hinted that he wants to return to football. However, he has also bashed the 49ers, making it seem like he does not want to suit up again for San Francisco. If he does return to the NFL, the 49ers will still hold his rights.
Prior to the draft in April, Davis tweeted [sic], “The 49ers should Draft an Offensive Tackle in the top 10. #NFLDraft2016.” After that, he took an even more direct shot at the 49ers by writing, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.”
Davis, 26, was the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2010, coming off the board No. 11 overall. Prior to his retirement, he started 71 games at right tackle for SF, playing all 16 regular season contests in his first four years before being limited to seven games in 2014. Davis dealt with hamstring and knee issues, and also battled concussion problems, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the game temporarily in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions Sign Anquan Boldin
SATURDAY, 9:35am: Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has additional info on Boldin’s contract.
In addition to the $750K signing bonus, the veteran will also be earning a $1.55M base salary. The wideout can earn an additional $450K via per-game bonuses, and there’s another $1MM on the table if he somehow makes a Pro Bowl or reaches several statistical bench marks.
When all is said and done, Boldin could earn up to $3.75MM for next season.
THURSDAY, 1:49pm: Boldin’s one-year deal will pay him $2.75MM, plus incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The veteran received a $750K signing bonus as part of the deal. With that type of guarantee, I would think that Boldin is a mortal lock to make the 53-man roster.
8:59am: The Lions officially announced that they have signed wide receiver Anquan Boldin. 
The Lions brought Boldin in for a visit one month ago, but they signed Andre Roberts on the very same day. Apparently, one veteran wide receiver was not enough for Detroit and they have rounded out their receiving corps with a notable name today.
Boldin, 35, has reportedly been working out in South Florida and staying in shape as he waits for the right opportunity. Even though he has enjoyed a long career and even has a Super Bowl ring, the veteran has said that he is not thinking about retirement right now. Last season, Boldin recorded only 69 catches for 789 yards and four touchdowns, so he’s probably looking to go out on a higher note. Boldin’s struggles, in large part, can be attributed to the turmoil surrounding the 49ers and their difficulties at quarterback last year.
After joining the 49ers in 2013, Boldin posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with 12 total touchdowns in ’13 and ’14. Over the course of his career, Boldin has made three Pro Bowls while racking up 13,195 yards off of 1,009 catches with 74 touchdowns.
The agreement was first reported byAdam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cardinals Sign LB Donald Butler
SATURDAY, 8:25am: The deal also includes a $40K roster bonus, tweets ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.
FRIDAY, 1:35pm: It’s a one-year, $800K deal for Butler, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
WEDNESDAY, 2:08pm: The Cardinals announced that they have signed linebacker Donald Butler. To make room for Butler on the roster, the Cards released inside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy. 
Butler, who has seven career sacks and three interceptions to his credit, played well enough in both 2012 and 2013 to earn a lucrative extension after the 2013 season. However, he struggled in 2014 and 2015, leading to his release earlier this offseason. Brown, 29, was set to enter his contract year before the Bolts cut him, absolving themselves of a $500K roster bonus, plus a $3MM base salary in the fall. By dropping him, they wiped that entire $3.5MM from their cap.
If he makes the roster, Butler will bring experience to Arizona’s inside linebacker corps. Aside from their latest addition, the Cards have Deone Bucannon, Kevin Minter, Alani Fua, Gabe Martin, and rookie Lamar Louis at inside linebacker, as shown on Roster Resource.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The 49ers have announced the signing of defensive lineman B.J. McBryde to a two-year contract. McBryde, undrafted out of UConn last year, previously spent time on the practice squads of Philadelphia and Green Bay.
- The Seahawks have released offensive lineman Lene Maiava and signed receiver Montario Hunter, an undrafted rookie from Division II Elizabeth City State, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Titans waived undrafted rookie offensive lineman Sam Carlson, leaving them with two open roster spots, as TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick tweets.
- The Titans also signed offensive lineman Ronald Patrick. Patrick has spent time on the practice squads of Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo but has yet to play in a regular-season game.
- The Giants have signed two defensive tackles – Jermelle Cudjo and Davon Coleman – and waived receiver Donte Foster and D-tackle Melvin Lewis, per a team announcement. Cudjo appeared in 45 games (four starts) with St. Louis and Detroit from 2010-15.
- The Bears have signed offensive lineman Dan Buchholz and waived undrafted free agent punter Ben LeCompte, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). This is already the second stint with the Bears for Buchholz, whom the team signed as an undrafted free agent from Duquesne in May.
- The Chargers announced the signing of offensive lineman Marcel Jones.
- The Colts signed tight end Nick Truesdell and waived fellow tight end Mike Miller from the non-football injury list, Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets.
- The Falcons have signed receiver Chris King, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). King went undrafted out of Duquesne this year and then spent some time with Arizona.
Cowboys Not Interested In Nick Foles
Apparently, the Cowboys are content to go into 2016 with Kellen Moore as their No. 2 quarterback. Speaking to reporters today, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Dallas will not be pursuing free agent quarterback Nick Foles, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes. 
“Foles isn’t an option. We wouldn’t get him any snaps. We got four that are going to get the snaps,” the Cowboys owner and GM said, referring to Tony Romo, Moore, Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers.
COO Stephen Jones went a step further, saying that the Cowboys aren’t going to look for outside help at all at QB.
“At some point you have to develop guys,” the younger Jones said Friday. “I think Cincinnati last year had a really solid football team. You look at what they did with A.J. [McCarron], a fourth-round pick out of the SEC. He came in and had every opportunity and — nothing to do with him — had a chance to win a playoff game for them.”
Last year, when the Cowboys had to rely on Moore, Matt Cassel, and Brandon Weeden, they went 1-11. After seeing what can happen without Romo in the lineup, many assumed that Foles would be a natural fit following his release.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Beat: Vic Carucci On The Bills
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Now, we continue the series by discussing the Bills with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. You can follow Vic on Twitter @viccarucci and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: As you reported this week, the Bills and Tyrod Taylor‘s agent have been in frequent contact with regards to a long-term deal. Taylor is a unique case because while he had a strong 2015, he doesn’t have a long track record of success. What sort of deal do you think would make sense for both sides?
Vic Carucci: I could see something that provides Taylor with enough guaranteed money to satisfy him (and, remember, you’re talking about a player who played under sixth-round contract for most of his career as a backup in Baltimore) but also includes enough reasonable incentives to give him a good chance to move into the pay range he desires ($18MM or so) while also protecting the Bills. The biggest concern, for both parties, is the injury risk from Taylor’s inclination to run, so I think that will be a factor as well in how the contract is structured.
Zach Links: To date, the Bills have not been willing to offer Stephon Gilmore the kind of monster long-term deal that he is after. However, a Gilmore extension would probably give Buffalo enough room to extend Taylor. Do you see the Bills and Gilmore working out an extension sometime soon?
Vic Carucci: I don’t. I think he’s locked into the idea of getting a Josh Norman-like deal, and the Bills aren’t going to give him that. The Bills are compensating him fairly for this season, anticipating the scenario of him potentially playing into the final year of his rookie contract. They will see where they stand cap-wise at midseason, and perhaps they could resume what to date have been stalled talks. As far as the impact on Taylor, I think the Bills view it as a separate situation and, depending on how/if it works out with Taylor, there would likely be other contracts adjusted/restructured to accommodate whatever its resolved with the QB, if it’s resolved.
Zach Links: Do you think the Bills made the right pick when they selected Shaq Lawson No. 19 overall? Does his shoulder issue concern you at all in the long run? 
[RELATED – Impact Rookies: Buffalo Bills]
Vic Carucci: I liked the pick. The health risk was always on the table, and by having the surgery done in the offseason, it at least creates the possibility of having Lawson available for half the season. Although his absence could adversely impact the hopes of Rex Ryan of an immediately dramatic turnaround for his defense, I think you need to take a longer-term view with Lawson. When healthy, he should be a difference-making pass-rusher for many seasons.
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Titans To Sign Andre Johnson
1:36pm: It’s a two-year deal for Johnson, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Colts owed the veteran $2.5MM for this season, but that number will be reduced thanks to the offset language in his previous deal.
11:46am: Andre Johnson is continuing his tour of the AFC South. The veteran wide receiver has agreed to sign with the Titans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
After spending 12 seasons in Houston, Johnson signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Colts a year ago, and looked poised to enjoy the benefits of catching balls from Andrew Luck after playing with a cavalcade of mediocre quarterbacks over the years with the Texans. However, Luck missed more than half the season, and Johnson struggled, averaging a career-low 31.4 receiving yards per game. For the season, he had 41 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, easily the worst full-season marks of his career. For a player who averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards per season during the first 12 years of his career, earning seven Pro Bowl nods during that time, last year’s drop-off was precipitous.
As shown on Roster Resource, Johnson will join wide receivers Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre McBride, and Andrew Turzilli (suspended for the first four games of the season) on the 90-man roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders’ Aldon Smith Checks Into Rehab
Aldon Smith has entered a treatment center, multiple sources connected to the NFL star tell TMZ Sports. It’s not immediately clear exactly what Smith is seeking treatment for. 
Days ago, a man who appeared to be Smith was seen on his Periscope account smoking a blunt. Smith, of course, is suspended until mid-November for violating the league’s substance abuse policy following a DUI last year, so any repeat offense could have serious implications. The video showed an unidentified female and the hands and voice of a man (who is never shown on screen) appearing to smoke marijuana as the man engages in what he calls a “fire up session” and continues to tape the incident despite the woman’s protestations, claiming “we’ve got zero followers.”
The league’s substance abuse policy states that any player in stage three of the plan must engage in “abstinence from substances of abuse throughout the entire period of his banishment,” so if the NFL finds that Smith did indeed use illicit drugs during his suspension, he is unlikely to be reinstated in November. Smith, for his part, appears to have issued a denial through his Twitter account: “Good try, not me.”
An immensely talent player when his head is right, Smith played in seven games for Oakland last season before agreeing to a two-year extension this spring. The deal, worth $11.5MM, contains no guaranteed money and is heavily incentivized, so the Raiders can easily cut bait if they feel the need to.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.