Browns Won’t Pursue Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman won’t be on the Browns’ radar this offseason, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. The 49ers cornerback has familiarity with Joe Woods‘ defense, but the Browns are looking to allocate their dollars elsewhere. 
[RELATED: Browns Interested In JJ Watt]
Instead, the Browns are banking on a healthy Greedy Williams to hold down the fort, along with Terrance Mitchell and slot corner Kevin Johnson, if they can re-sign them. Then, they can fill out any other gaps cheaply in the draft, or go for younger corners.
Sherman, 33 in March, enjoyed a solid 2019. After tallying 61 tackles and three interceptions in 15 games, the veteran added yet another Pro Bowl nod to his resume. Then, his 2020 was sidetracked by a calf injury, limiting him to just five games.
It appears that there is some mutual interest between Sherman and the Raiders. In Las Vegas, Sherman would get to reunite with a different ex-mentor in Gus Bradley. The newly-anointed defensive coordinator guided the Seahawks’ famed Legion of Boom era, in which Sherman cemented himself as a superstar player. It’s a situation to watch, though the league office may view Jon Gruden‘s comments as tampering.
This Date In Transactions History: Raiders Release Sebastian Janikowski
Three years ago today, Sebastian Janikowski‘s 18-year Raiders run came to an end. The kicker was out-of-contract but, this time around, the Raiders informed him that he would not be re-signed. 
Janikowski’s Raiders tenure was nearly capped one year earlier. In 2017, he initially rebuffed the team’s request for a pay cut — he later caved to keep his place on the roster. Unfortunately, a preseason back injury would sideline him for the rest of the entire season.
Seabass was synonymous with the organization. After being selected in the first round of the 2000 draft, Janikowski appeared in 268 games for the Raiders, a franchise high. And, before 2017, he had only missed a total of four games throughout his career.
Despite his long-running history with team, the Raiders had concerns about his age and possible decline. In 2016, Janikowski sank 82.9% of his field goals and 37-of-39 extra point attempts. He has not cleared the 83% mark on field goals since 2014. At this time, he was on the cusp of his 40th birthday. It’s possible that the Raiders would have cut him in ’17, if it weren’t for the bad PR that would have come along with it. After announcing the move to Las Vegas, losing Janikowski would have made things especially ugly in Oakland.
With Janikowski out of the picture, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was left as the only player from the 2000 Draft to remain with his original team. The kicker moved on to the Seahawks, unseated Jason Myers, and made 81.5% of his regular season kicks. His final play would come in the Wild Card game against the Cowboys — Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal and suffered a hamstring injury. In April of 2019, Janikowski announced his retirement, capping his NFL career after 19 seasons.
Packers, David Bakhtiari Rework Contract
The Packers converted David Bakhtiari’s $11MM+ roster bonus into a signing bonus, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With a little help from the left tackle, the Packers will save $8.3MM against this year’s salary cap. 
[RELATED: Packers HC Says Rodgers Staying “For A Long Time”]
The adjustment won’t impact Bakhtiari’s income. Instead, his payout will be dispersed over the length of the contract, which runs through 2024. With that extra cash, the Packers will have better odds of retaining their own free agents, including running back Aaron Jones and center Corey Linsley.
Pro Football Focus ranked Bakhtiari as the league’s No. 2 tackle in 2020 before his ACL tear in December. His protection helped Aaron Rodgers secure the MVP award and the top seed in the NFC. Throughout his career, the 2013 fourth-round pick has been a rock for Green Bay, starting in all 118 of his games.
Between Bakhtiari, Linsley (PFF’s No. 1 center in 2020), and Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins, the Packers have one of the stronger front fives in the NFL. The Packers now have the capital to keep the band together, though some of their available cash could go towards a Rodgers extension.
No First-Round Picks Offered For Carson Wentz
It’s unlikely that the Eagles have been offered a first-round pick for Carson Wentz, according league sources who spoke with to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That goes for “this year” or any year “in the future,” Bowen says, which means that the Birds may have to settle for far less than they wanted. 
[RELATED: Broncos Eyeing Carson Wentz?]
The Lions fetched two future first-rounders and a third-rounder for Matthew Stafford, but it’s hardly an apples-to-apples comparison. To get that package, the Lions agreed to take on Jared Goff‘s whopper of a contract. Meanwhile, Wentz has an outsized deal of his own. Wentz, 28, is signed through 2024 with $47.2MM guaranteed through the 2022 season.
The Colts and the Bears have been linked to Wentz. In theory, teams that missed out on Stafford like the Broncos, Panthers, and 49ers could get in the mix. The Patriots were also one-time Stafford suitors, but they’re not interested in the former No. 2 overall pick.
The Eagles claim that they want to move forward with Wentz, but, by all accounts, he still wants out. It may behoove Howie Roseman to make a deal sooner rather than later. If Wentz is on the roster by the third day of the league year in March, the Eagles will owe him a $10MM signing bonus. They can escape that obligation by dealing him beforehand, though they’ll still be on the hook for $33.8MM in dead cap charges.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/12/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: DT Woodrow Hamilton
- Waived/failed physical: S Natrell Jamerson
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Da’Mari Scott, CB Shakial Taylor
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: WR River Cracraft
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to futures deals: RB C.J. Prosise, DT Sam Renner, C Donell Stanley
Kendall Wright Signs With CFL’s Toronto Argonauts
Former Titans first-round pick Kendall Wright has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Wright, 32 in November, signed his last NFL deal in 2018 when he had a cup of coffee with the Cardinals.
[RELATED: Shane Ray Signs With Toronto Argonauts]
Wright, a 5’10” veteran receiver, does his best work out of the slot. The Titans used a first-round pick on the Baylor standout in 2012 and saw some promising results early on. In his second pro year, Wright tallied 1,079 yards and two touchdowns off of 94 grabs. But, after that, he never topped 1,000 yards in a season – or 800, for that matter. Despite the drop off, he did manage a career-best six touchdowns in 2014.
Wright’s last live NFL action came in 2017 with the Bears, but he’s been pushing for a return ever since. In that season, he was one of the Bears’ very few bright spots on offense as he racked up 59 catches for 614 yards.
In other Argos news, Toronto recently welcomed ex-Broncos first-rounder Shane Ray. Ray’s last regular season game came in 2018. After that, he inked a deal with the Ravens, but did not make their final cut in 2019.
Bucs GM: Blaine Gabbert Could Eventually Take Over For Tom Brady
At some point, Father Time will catch up with Tom Brady. Whenever that happens, the Buccaneers could turn to backup Blaine Gabbert as his heir, according to GM Jason Licht. 
[RELATED: Shaq Barrett Eyeing Bank-Breaking Payday]
“First of all, I love his energy,” Licht told Pewter Report. “I’ve really gotten close to Blaine this year just being on the sidelines. He’s a really smart guy but he is one guy, my scouts and I talk about this a lot, he’s just one guy that I love to watch throw every day in practice because he has got a cannon. He’s very accurate with his throws as well and he can just really whistle them in in tight windows. If he had been forced to play, he played in the Detroit game, but if he had been forced to play more I think that he would have really opened a lot of people’s eyes about how talented he is, especially being in the same system for a couple of years.”
Gabbert, 32 in October, came into the league as a first-round pick of the Jaguars in 2010. Since then, he’s compiled a career 13-35 record as a starter with the Jags, 49ers, Cardinals, and Titans. Needless to say, he hasn’t lived up to his draft status or built a resume to rival Brady’s. The Bucs aren’t about to anoint Gabbert as Brady’s heir, but Licht is “not going to rule anything out right now.”
Fortunately, the Bucs won’t have to consider such a scenario anytime soon. Brady is signed through the 2021 season and, as he’s said repeatedly, he plans to play for as long as possible. Right now, the Bucs will keep the focus on their pending free agents. Among their out-of-contract star contributors: Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Lavonte David, Ndamukong Suh, Antonio Brown, and Leonard Fournette.
Texans CEO: We Expect To Keep Deshaun Watson
The Texans delivered a stunner on Friday morning, releasing longtime star J.J. Watt. It’s fair to wonder whether disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson will be the next superstar to go, but CEO Cal McNair says he’s still very much in the team’s plans.
[RELATED: Texans Release J.J. Watt]
“There is a lot of misinformation out there, I’ll leave it at that,” McNair said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “Today we want on focus on J.J. Deshaun is our quarterback, he is a Texan, and we expect him to remain a Texan, and we’ll leave that.”
So far, the Texans have rebuffed all inquiries on Watson, even though the quarterback has asked for a trade. Watson is reportedly interested in going to the Dolphins or the Jets. The Panthers have also jumped in, and ex-teammate Kareem Jackson says that Watson has interest in joining the Broncos. Both AFC East teams could offer the Texans a ton of draft picks to make the trade work. Or, the Dolphins could dangle rising NFL sophomore Tua Tagovailoa to make it a blockbuster for the ages. Still, the Texans say they’re keeping No. 4.
The Texans still have some leverage here. Watson would be subject to daily fines if he abstains from camp and the Texans could also 86 his $82.5MM in remaining guarantees. Still, if Watson doesn’t want to be in Houston, it’s hard to imagine a realistic path forward. It’s also possible that the Texans have privately resolved to trade Watson while putting on a strong face publicly to net the best trade package possible.
Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey, Chargers’ Mike Pouncey, Retire From NFL
Maurkice Pouncey and Mike Pouncey have retired from football. The Pouncey twins made the announcement on Friday, via Maurkice’s longtime teammate Ramon Foster (Twitter link). 
“It’s my honor that my brothers from another asked me to announce the next stage in their life. After over a decade Maurkice Pouncey and Mike Pouncey are retiring from the NFL,” Foster tweeted.
They came into the world together and they’re leaving the NFL together, but they actually turned pro in separate years. Maurkice entered the league in 2010 when the Steelers drafted him No. 18 overall. In 2011, the Dolphins tapped Mike with the No. 15 selection. They both went on to enjoy long careers as starting interior linemen, playing predominantly in the middle.
Maurkice spent his whole 11-year career with the Steelers and earned a reputation as one of the game’s best centers. He leaves the sport with nine Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections. Mike, meanwhile, was limited to nine seasons by injury, but still managed five Pro Bowl appearances.
“We began this journey at 6 years old and now, at 31, we will close this chapter of our lives.” Mike wrote. “I am thankful for everything football has taught me and everywhere it has taken me! Dream big, kids, because [dreams] do come true..Never be afraid to make a mistake, learn from them, and fix it!“
Texans Release J.J. Watt
The Texans have released J.J. Watt. Watt, 32 in March, recently suggested that he does not want to be part of a rebuild. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to join a contender. In a video posted to Twitter, Watt reflected fondly on his time in Houston and thanked fans for their years of support. 
“I can’t imagine my life without Texas in it. The way you guys treated me — besides draft night, you guys booed me on draft night — every day after that you treated me like family and I truly feel like you are my family,” Watt said. “Since that day, I have tried to do everything in my power to work and earn your respect, and try and make you proud on and off the field. You guys have given me everything and more, and I can only hope that you feel like I’ve given you everything I have.”
With a new coaching staff and front office, things were already expected to look a whole lot different in Houston next season. In the last year, the Texans have parted ways with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, head coach Bill O’Brien, executive GM Brian Gaine, and longtime president Jamey Rootes. Even if the Texans don’t trade Deshaun Watson, they’ll be down at least one superstar in 2021.
“Change is never easy, especially when it involves the ones you love,” Texas CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “J.J.’s impact on not only our organization, but the entire Houston community, is unlike any player in our franchise’s history. I told J.J. earlier this week that we will forever consider him a Texan. We take solace in knowing that this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you soon.’ For now, we will build upon the foundation that J.J. created here and forge ahead with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston.”
Watt, a self described “kid from Wisconsin,” was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 draft. He went on to appear in 128 games for the Texans across ten seasons, earning five Pro Bowl nods, multiple First-Team All-Pro selections, and three DPOY trophies. He leaves Houston as the team’s all-time leader in sacks (101), tackles for loss (172), quarterback hits (281), and forced fumbles (25).
Per the terms of Watt’s contract — a record-breaker, at the time of signing in 2014 — Watt was set to earn $17.5MM in 2021, which would have been his walk year. However, that sum was completely non-guaranteed, so the Texans will be left with $0 in dead money as they begin a brand new era.
There have been rumblings about a Watt departure, but the news is stunning nonetheless. Watt resonated with Houstonians in a way that few athletes ever have. Between Watt’s impressive work on the field and his humanitarian efforts off of the field, he’ll always be beloved in Texas, even as he finishes his career elsewhere.