Bears To Sign Tony Moeaki
The Bears have agreed to sign tight end Tony Moeaki, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Moeaki was one of a handful of players to audition for the Bears this week in minicamp. 
[RELATED: Why The Bears Could Consider Signing Eugene Monroe]
Moeaki, 29, appeared in 11 games with the Falcons last season. The veteran first burst on the scene in 2010 when he caught 47 passes for 556 yards and three touchdowns. After losing his 2011 season to a torn ACL, Moeaki rebounded in 2012 to catch 33 passes for 453 yards and one score. The former third-round pick has also had stints with the Bills and Seahawks.
After the daft, the Bears have been keeping an eye on the free agent market for tight end depth. In addition to Moeaki, the Bears also worked out former Packers tight end Ryan Taylor and UDFA Terenn Houk. Houk played wide receiver in college, but the Bears asked him to add some weight and focus on his blocking after participating in rookie minicamp. It’s unclear whether Houk or Taylor are still in the mix for a spot on Chicago’s 90-man roster.
The Bears have Zach Miller as their primary tight end with Khari Lee, Rob Housler, and Gannon Sinclair plus rookies Ben Braunecker and Joe Sommers in support.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Eugene Monroe
This week, the Ravens parted ways with tackle Eugene Monroe after watching him miss a full season’s worth of games over the past two years. Now, as he looks for his next NFL home, the veteran insists that he is healthy. He’s also not backing down from his campaign to get medical marijuana removed from the league’s list of banned substances, which may have been an ancillary factor in his release. 
[RELATED: 8 Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe]
“I will not be returning to the Ravens this season. It’s never easy moving on – I love Baltimore and its fans – but this is all part of the game. Despite the current uncertainties, one thing is for sure: whatever happens in terms of my professional football career, I will never stop pushing for the League to accept medical cannabis as a viable option for pain management,” Monroe said in a statement (Twitter link). “I will do everything I can to ensure the generations of NFL players after me won’t have to resort to harmful and addictive opioids as their only option for pain management. I’ve been working hard this offseason to recover from my injuries. I am cleared to play and excited to get back on the field and compete.”
Even though the Ravens reportedly weren’t wild about Monroe’s cause, it’s hard to imagine that it was a driving factor in him being placed on the trading block and subsequently released. By the same token, it’s unlikely that any interested team will write him off based solely on that. However, if a team assumes that Monroe is a frequent marijuana user, he then might appear to be at risk of league suspension. Of course, there are plenty of NFL players who enjoy weed and have never failed an NFL-administered drug test.
To gauge public opinion, we polled PFR readers on Twitter earlier today to ask whether Monroe’s advocacy for medical marijuana should be a deterrent for interested teams. So far, 75% of you have said that his pro-pot stance should not cause any team to shy away from him.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Broncos’ Von Miller Threatens Holdout
Von Miller is doubling down on his threat to hold out for the 2016 season if he does not get the multi-year contract he is seeking. Moments ago, Miller posted the following to Instagram (sic): 
“I love my Teammates, Coaches, and My Fans but there is “No Chance” I play the 2016 season under the Franchise tag,” Miller wrote.
[RELATED: Broncos Sign Brandon Marshall To Four-Year Extension]
If Miller opts to sit out the 2016 season, the Broncos will only be able to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and will not have the exclusive franchise tag at their disposal. Typically, a team that is able to pry a player away on the non-exclusive tag would have to forfeit two first-round picks to the former team. Furthermore, if Miller were to sit out, the compensation price would drop from two first-round picks to a first and a third. At least a few teams would consider forfeiting two first-round choices to land Miller but that field will expand further if the price drops to a first- and third-round choice. Of course, signing Miller in this scenario would still require the forfeiture of valuable picks on top of giving him a $100MM+ deal with significant guarantees.
Earlier this month, word leaked out that Miller turned down a proposed six-year, $114.5MM deal from the Broncos. Of course, when it comes to NFL contracts, it’s the true guarantees and cash flow in the first three years that matter more than anything. While the deal would seem to be more valuable that the one given to Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the reality is that the contract is not as appealing as it may sound at first.
Of course, Miller gained more ammunition for his cause this week when Fletcher Cox inked a fresh six-year, $103MM deal with the Eagles. The deal carries a hefty average annual value and it also gives him $36.299MM fully guaranteed. On top of that, because of the way the contract is structured, he’s unlikely to see anything less than $55.549MM in total when all is said and done.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Sign Brissett, Wrap Up Draft Class
Patriots third round quarterbackJacoby Brissett signed his rookie contract this morning, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Now that Brissett has inked his deal, the Patriots have now signed every player in their nine-man draft class.
The Pats, of course, lost their first-round pick as a result of the Deflategate scandal. The Patriots opted against trading back into the first-round but did do some jostling in the draft to expand the overall size of their draft class. Heading into draft night, the Patriots owned two consecutive second round picks at Nos. 60 and 61 overall with the latter pick coming from the Cardinals in the Chandler Jones trade. After taking Alabama defensive back Cyrus Jones at No. 60, the Pats parlayed No. 61 to the Saints in exchange for Nos. 78 and 112.
Brissett, like many third-round picks this year, took his time in putting pen to paper. The N.C. State product’s negotiations went on longer than most, however, and that may have been because of his additional leverage as a premium position player. Years ago, Russell Wilson‘s camp successfully negotiated for a higher base salary than the seven players taken immediately before him and Brissett’s reps may have pulled off a similar feat. The QB neglected to hire a traditional agent, instead relying on former NFL safety Abram Elam, whom Brissett is consulting as an adviser, and NFLPA director of salary cap and agent administration, Mark Levin.
Here is the complete rundown of the Patriots’ 2016 draft class:
- 2-60: Cyrus Jones, DB (Alabama)
- 3-78: Joe Thuney, OL (North Carolina State)
- 3-91: Jacoby Brissett, QB (North Carolina State)
- 3-96: Vincent Valentine, DT (Nebraska)
- 4-112: Malcolm Mitchell, WR (Georgia)
- 6-208: Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB (Eastern Illinois)
- 6-214: Elandon Roberts, LB (Houston)
- 6-221: Ted Karras, OL (Illinois)
- 7-225: Devin Lucien, WR (Arizona State)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Fitzpatrick, Richardson
Muhammad Wilkerson hasn’t said much about his contract standoff with the Jets, but he has decided to finally break his silence. Wilkerson stands as one of the league’s best defensive tackles but, for some reason, his own team hasn’t expressed a real interest in keeping him beyond 2016. 
“It’s shocking. It’s frustrating,” Wilkerson told Brian Costello of The New York Post. “Because I feel like I’ve earned it and I deserve it. It would be different if I was just a mediocre player. I feel like each and every week I’m dominating and it’s showing. The stats speak for themselves. Basically, what more do I need to do? You know what I mean?”
This week, the Eagles reached agreement on a six-year, $103MM extension with star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Wilkerson, naturally, took notice, and is now seeking a deal that is equal “or better.” Publicly, Jets coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan have both said that they want to keep Wilkerson for the long haul, but Wilkerson doesn’t believe that the team is prepared to give him a similar multi-year deal.
“Do I feel that they want me back? As of right now, no. I don’t feel like they want me,” the 26-year-old said. “I’m a talented guy. Everybody knows that. I feel like they’re going to get the best they can out of me and just let me go. That’s how I feel. Do I like that feeling? No. I’m a New Jersey guy, born and raised and would love to raise my family here.”
Here’s more on the Jets:
- The Jets are monitoring the quarterback market and it sounds as though they will add a veteran if Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t return, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. “Yeah, we’ll entertain that,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We’ve talked about that.” As shown on PFR’s running list of free agents, the biggest names after Fitzpatrick are guys like Michael Vick (who still wants to play), Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Freeman, Jimmy Clausen, and Tarvaris Jackson. A couple of interesting arms could become available down the line, however, like Rams’ QB Nick Foles and Browns signal caller Josh McCown.
- Fellow standout defensive linemen Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams make Wilkerson expendable, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News opines. The Jets selected Williams with the No. 6 pick in last year’s draft as insurance for Wilkerson and they have seen great development out of him already. Richardson, meanwhile, has matured a great deal, according to defensive line coach Pepper Johnson.
- Matt Forte says that he signed with the Jets in part because of receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Sign Drake, Wrap Up Draft Class
The Dolphins officially signed third-round pick Kenyan Drake today, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Drake was previously the last unsigned rookie in Miami’s 2016 class, so the Dolphins now have every rookie under contract. 
Drake’s signing marked a rather eventful day for the rookie running back. In practice on Wednesday afternoon, Drake suffered a hamstring injury during a special teams drill. At this time, there is no definitive word on his status. The Dolphins are keeping their figures crossed that Drake is alright since he figures to be an important part of their backfield in both the future and present. The Dolphins will start Jay Ajayi at running back this year but Drake has been trumped up as the clear-cut No. 2 option. Behind Ajayi and the Alabama product, the Dolphins also have Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas, and Isaiah Pead on the roster. If Drake’s injury is serious, Miami may circle back to the likes of Arian Foster as they weigh their depth options.
The biggest name in the Dolphins draft class, of course, is first-round pick Laremy Tunsil. The Ole Miss product was considered a virtual lock to go in the top seven picks before his social media accounts were hacked just minutes prior to the start of the draft. While the Ravens and other teams passed on the opportunity to take the the 6’5″, 315 pound lineman, the Dolphins were delighted to have him fall to No. 13.
Here is the complete rundown of the Dolphins’ 2016 rookie class:
- 1-13: Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)
- 2-38: Xavien Howard, CB (Baylor)
- 3-73: Kenyan Drake, RB (Alabama)
- 3-86: Leonte Carroo, WR (Rutgers)
- 6-186: Jakeem Grant, WR (Texas Tech)
- 6-204: Jordan Lucas, DB (Penn State)
- 7-223: Brandon Doughty, QB (Western Kentucky)
- 7-231: Thomas Duarte, TE (UCLA)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Cut Eugene Monroe; Giants In Pursuit
8:41pm: The Giants began pursuing Monroe as soon as the Ravens released him, and there’s a “decent chance” New York will land the lineman, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
4:33pm: Monroe is in no hurry to find his next team, a source told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. He is fully healthy, according to the source, who confirmed to Schwartz that the Giants did try to trade for him (Twitter links).
3:20pm: The Ravens officially announced Monroe’s release.
2:30pm: After trade talks with Giants fell through, the Ravens have elected to release offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’s now a free agent and the Giants, Chargers, and Seahawks are among the teams that could have interest. 
[RELATED: 8 NFL Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe]
This week, the Ravens decided to shop veteran the left tackle after watching him miss a great deal of games in recent years. Monroe has also been extremely vocal about his pro-medical marijuana stance and his efforts to have marijuana removed from the league’s list of banned substances did not sit well with team ownership. The 29-year-old Monroe has missed 16 games with injury over the past two years and had cap charges approaching $9MM in each of the next three years.
By releasing Monroe, the Ravens will be left with $2.2MM in dead money while realizing $6.5MM in cap savings this year. They’ll also be on the hook for a combined $4.4MM in dead cash the next two seasons, though they’d save $13.5MM in that time. Prior to releasing Monroe, the Ravens attempted to get Monroe to accept a salary cut, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Monroe has obviously not lived up to the expectations set for him when he inked a five-year, $37.5MM contract with Baltimore prior to the 2014 season, but he could be an impact addition for another club if he can stay healthy. One also has to imagine that other clubs could be more accepting of Monroe’s pro-pot crusade.
Earlier today, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the most logical fits for Monroe.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Bears’ Marquess Wilson Suffers Broken Foot
Bad news for the Bears as wide receiver Marquess Wilson has suffered a broken left foot, coach John Fox told reporters. That’s the same foot that Wilson broke in 2015 and that injury ended his season in December. Now, Wilson is scheduled to begin training camp on the active/physical-unable-to-perform-list and he could go into the regular season on the PUP list if he does not make a quick recovery. 
[RELATED: Why The Bears Could Sign Ravens OT Eugene Monroe]
The news is a significant blow to the Bears as Wilson turned in a career-high 464 yards off of 28 catches with a touchdown in 11 games last year. Wilson went under the knife to stabilize his foot towards the end of 2015 and another surgery is on the way for the 23-year-old (24 in September).
Wilson was widely expected to hold down the Bears’ fourth wide receiver spot in support of star Alshon Jeffery, blue chip prospect Kevin White, and veteran Eddie Royal. Now, the Bears will hope to see quality play out of Josh Bellamy and Cameron Meredith to help fill the void. The injury could also open things up for seventh-round pick Daniel Braverman and Marc Mariani.
If Wilson misses significant regular season time, the injury could impact his long-term prospects. Wilson is scheduled to hit the open market after the 2016 season and this year was a chance for him to prove that he can stay healthy for a full year and produce. Wilson missed the home stretch of the 2015 campaign with the aforementioned foot problem and a broken clavicle in 2014 limited him to just seven games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Aqib Talib
More than a week after Aqib Talib was shot in Dallas, the specifics of the incident are still shrouded in mystery. The Dallas Police Department is still struggling to gain intel into what happened on the morning of June 6th and few people, if anyone, are talking, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter links). As of this writing, police have not recovered the weapon used the night Talib was shot and there are few or no witnesses. Furthermore, the club where Talib was supposedly frequenting hasn’t confirmed that he was there. 
The five Ws of the ordeal (what/who/where/when/why, for those of you who pursued better majors in college) of the situation are still up in the air, but what we do know is that Talib emerged relatively unscathed. The bullet entered and exited Talib’s leg without hitting any arteries or tearing any ligaments and the cornerback has reported back to the Broncos. Talib is not participating in this week’s minicamp, but if all goes well he may be able to suit up for the start of training camp later this summer.
Details of what transpired could impact Talib and the Broncos in 2016. Needless to say, commissioner Roger Goodell is not crazy about players being linked to gunplay and Talib has a history of running afoul of league policy. Specifically, Talib has a history with weapons and it would appear that Talib was intoxicated on the night/early morning in question. The lax gun laws in Texas probably mean that Talib will not face criminal charges even if the nature of the event was of the Plaxico Burress variety. However, the league office could still take action against the 30-year-old.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Dolphins, Dion Jordan
On Tuesday, one report claimed that the Dolphins are skeptical about Dion Jordan‘s commitment to football and perhaps his overall wellness as he looks to return. Jordan, who was banned from the league in 2015 due to his latest violation of league substance abuse policy, was eligible to apply for reinstatement in late April but did not get the ball rolling until June, which raise eyebrows in Miami. 
[RELATED: Reshad Jones Reports To Dolphins Minicamp]
The account from Omar Kelly of The Sun Sentinel indicated that the Dolphins could consider moving on from the former No. 3 overall pick or, at the very least, negotiate with him to reduce or eliminate his upcoming ~$1.7MM roster bonus. For what it’s worth, Jordan’s agent tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the league is ready to welcome his client back and the league office will almost certainly green light his return by the end of July.
“I feel very strongly he will be reinstated without question,” agent Doug Hendrickson said. “He’s done everything he has been asked to do. We feel very good where we’re at. We expect Dion to start training camp with the Dolphins…They are excited to have him back. Every team wants top talent.”
Jordan is slated to earn $600K in base salary and is due a $1.69MM signing bonus if he’s on the roster on the fifth day of training camp. Hendrickson seems to believe that Jordan is virtually guaranteed to have a place with the Dolphins in 2016, though he’s not sure where he’ll be used in the front seven. The Dolphins could keep Jordan at his original defensive end position or they could shift him to linebacker. Jackson notes that despite the team’s defensive end depth, DE might be the way to go for this year since there would be a steep learning curve in changing positions after spending a year away from the team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.