Dez Bryant Doesn’t Want To Return To Ravens
Dez Bryant wants to continue playing, but he doesn’t want to move forward with Baltimore. Recently, the wide receiver expressed frustration with the Ravens on social media and indicated that he’ll be heading elsewhere. 
“I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me,” Bryant tweeted. “No bad blood. That’s their way of doing things so you gotta respect it.”
Bryant, who will turn 33 during the 2021 season, had a grand total of six grabs for 47 yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore. After a long layoff, Bryant was hardly featured in the Ravens’ offense across six games. No one expected Bryant to leapfrog Marquise Brown in the pecking order, but the longtime Cowboys star apparently hoped to be on a par with Miles Boykin and Willie Snead IV. He was not, and he feels that his lack of experience with the Ravens’ playbook played a role.
“My chemistry [with quarterback Lamar Jackson] was good on and off the field. But it was guys there before me who understood the offensive concepts better than me,” Bryant said. “You can’t jeopardize that.”
The Ravens seem to agree. Wanting to get younger at the position, the Ravens will allow Bryant to explore new opportunities in March.
Eagles Requested Eric Bieniemy Interview
Earlier this year, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that the Eagles did not submit an officially interview request for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. But, according to the league’s recently-released report, the Eagles did, in fact, submit a formal request (Twitter link via Rob Maaddi of 97.5 The Fanatic). 
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Bieniemy, 51, was said to be among the hottest candidates of the cycle. But, he was passed over for head coaching opportunities yet again, even as his high-octane Chiefs offense returned to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are happy to still have him on board, though Reid would have liked to see him get his big break. Recently, the Chiefs furnished the talented OC with a brand new extension — and, a raise, probably — to keep him in place for 2021.
All seven teams with openings, including the Eagles, asked to talk with Bieniemy. Before the Birds ultimately hired Nick Sirianni, they met with a number of candidates, including Jerod Mayo, Dennis Allen, and the famously indecisive Josh McDaniels.
Texans Cut Duke Johnson
The Texans have released running back Duke Johnson, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The move will save Houston roughly $5.025MM in cap room for the coming year. 
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The Texans traded for Johnson in 2019, sending a conditional draft pick to Cleveland in exchange for the veteran tailback. With more than ten games on the active roster that year, the conditional fourth-rounder turned into a third-round pick.
All in all, Johnson rushed for 645 yards and three TDs on the ground. He also hauled in 72 catches for 659 yards by air, and four receiving TDs, showcasing the soft hands that made him a notable name in Cleveland. This past year, he wasn’t quite as efficient in the rushing game, however. His yards-per-tote average of 3.1 yards per carry didn’t move the needle much and he was hampered by injuries, including an ankle sprain. Meanwhile, new addition David Johnson managed 4.7 yards per run, plus 33 grabs for 314 yards.
Johnson (Duke, that is) won’t turn 28 until September. He shouldn’t have difficulty finding a new job, though he may have to settle for less than his previous three-year, $15.61MM deal given the current climate.
For what it’s worth, David Johnson isn’t guaranteed to stick around either. Even though he enjoyed a bounce back year, he’s set to earn nearly $8MM in base salary this year with just $2.1MM locked in. The rebuilding Texans may choose to move on from him, especially if Deshaun Watson gets his trade request fulfilled.
Rams “Definitely” Value Austin Blythe
In a few weeks, Austin Blythe will be eligible for free agency. Ideally, Rams head coach Sean McVay would like to prevent that from happening. 
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“He did a great job and he’s definitely somebody that we appreciate, we value,” McVay said (via USA Today). “I think there’s going to be a lot of things that we’ve got to really navigate through as we’re trying to figure out the best way to put our team together as we figure out what is that cap? What does it look like specific to some of the things that we’re in the midst of trying to figure out? You even talk about restructuring, some of the guys that have some of those bigger deals and where we can find some of that money.”
Blythe raised his stock in 2019 as he took over for Brian Allen. The Rams re-upped him on one-year deal and he performed as a solid starter throughout the year. Centers like Corey Linsley may draw more attention on the open market, but there would be plenty of suitors for Blythe. Last year, he earned a score of 69.3 from Pro Football Focus, positioning him as the ninth-best center in the NFL.
Giants’ Nate Solder Plans To Play
Count Nate Solder among the 2020 opt-outs who will return in 2021. The Giants veteran tells ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (Twitter link) that he plans to play, “as long as the situation is right.” 
Solder’s decision doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he’ll be back with the G-Men, however. After his 2020 commitment tolled, he’s scheduled to make $10MM and count for $16.5MM against the cap. That’s a lot of money, especially with 2020 first-round left tackle Andrew Thomas in the fold.
Instead, the Giants can trade or cut Solder outright to save $6MM against the cap. If they trade him in the summer or make him a post-June 1 release, they can spread out the dead money hit to create $10MM in breathing room this offseason. In that event, they’d have $6.5MM in dead money this year and $4MM in 2021.
The Giants signed Solder to a then-record four-year, $62MM deal in 2018. He was the centerpiece of GM Dave Gettleman‘s offensive line overhaul, but he did not live up to the contract in his first two seasons. Now, the 6-foot-8 veteran could wind up making his return elsewhere.
Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Marcus Cannon To Return
The Patriots are getting three of their key players back for 2021. After opting out of the 2020 season, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon all plan to retake the field in 2021, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Hightower, 31 in March, was slated to make $8MM in base salary last year in what would have been his walk year. Instead, his contract tolled, tying him to the Pats through 2021. His deal isn’t necessarily cheap, but Hightower is one of the better on-ball linebackers in the NFL. Even with the numbers crunch, the Pats are expected to keep him.
And, besides, releasing Hightower would save only $9.95MM, and it wouldn’t be easy to replace his production. The same goes for Chung. Cutting him would save just $1MM on the books and he could still have a role on defense alongside the likes of Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips.
Cannon, meanwhile, isn’t guaranteed to remain on the roster between now and September. The Patriots could pocket $7MM by cutting him and sticking with Michael Onwenu at right tackle. Cannon has impressed in the past, but he showed signs of decline in 2018 and 2019. Alternatively, the Patriots could keep Cannon as their RT and slot Onwenu at left guard, provided that Cannon is willing to take a pay cut.
NFLPA Encourages Agent Collusion
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith urged agents for free agents at the same position to collude and increase leverage in a virtual meeting this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Smith anticipates that teams will try to cut players and dollars with the salary cap decreasing. With a bit of teamwork, Smith hopes to lessen the impact. 
The cap floor has been set at $180MM, once thought to be the potential cap ceiling. Still, the maximum is expected to be less than the $198.2MM limit from 2020. From this point forward, the cap will be largely dictated by the outcome of the league’s TV negotiations. Interestingly, Smith indicated that the cap for future seasons could still be impacted.
At the corporate level, collusion is an illegal practice. However, workers are free to collude, and use the term freely. Agents will occasionally work together to inform negotiations, but competition between player representatives sometimes gets in the way. In this unusual year, Smith wants players to be on the same page in order to get the largest deals possible.
The cap figure may fall somewhere between $182-$183MM, slightly above the agreed upon floor. It’s unlikely that the number will reach $185MM. No matter where it lands, the league will record its first salary cap decrease in over a decade.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/25/21
We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:
Houston Texans
- Released: DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Jullian Taylor
- Waived: CB Breon Borders, DB Chris Milton
Seahawks’ Russell Wilson Open To Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, Bears
Russell Wilson has not demanded a trade, agent Mark Rodgers tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). However, the quarterback has told the Seahawks that if a trade were to be considered, he would be willing to join the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, or Bears. Wilson, armed with a no-trade clause, will not consider any team outside of that group. 
The Jets, Dolphins, and Panthers have been heavily linked to Deshaun Watson and would surely be interested in Wilson. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t make the cut. Ditto for the Broncos, Patriots, 49ers, and the Washington Football team, who were runners-up for Matthew Stafford. Of course, it’d be difficult to imagine Wilson in San Francisco, anyway.
Given the Bears’ recent struggles, their inclusion on Wilson’s short list is a bit surprising. Ditto for the Raiders, though they could parlay their current top two quarterbacks — Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota — into additional offensive support for Wilson. The Saints would be especially intriguing for Wilson, though Drew Brees has yet to make his retirement official. Meanwhile, Wilson-to-the-Cowboys would spin this year’s quarterback carousel out of orbit and send Dak Prescott elsewhere.
Wilson, 32, has been the face of the Seahawks for years. He’s also been sacked at an alarming rate. Recently, Wilson expressed frustration with the Seahawks’ inability to protect him. As a pro, Wilson has been sacked 394 times with 40+ sacks in each season since his rookie year.
The Seahawks furnished Wilson a brand new deal less than two years ago. Today, his average annual value of $35MM/year makes him the third-highest paid player in the NFL. So far, the Seahawks have rejected all trade inquiries on him, but that hasn’t stopped teams from trying.
Packers’ Corey Linsley Doesn’t Expect To Return
Packers center Corey Linsley tells SiriusXM that “all signs are pointing to” a change of teams this offseason. Linsley, a pending free agent, made similar comments after the Packers’ playoff ouster. 
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“We’re not closing the door for anything,” Linsley said (via PFT). “Obviously we’d never do that for any team, especially the Packers, but yeah it definitely feels weird. It looks like all signs are pointing towards snapping the ball somewhere else next year.”
Linsley, has spent his entire career in Green Bay since being selected in the fourth-round of the 2014 draft. Fresh off of his first All-Pro nod, he’s now positioned for free agent riches. The Packers, meanwhile, have other matters to address and limited resources to work with. Their own free agent list includes running back Aaron Jones, who could be on track for the franchise tag.
Linsley, 30 in July, has a chance to top Ryan Kelly‘s new high-water salary mark for centers with a deal worth more than $12.4MM per year on average.