Panthers Pick Up Chris Reed’s Option
The Panthers have exercised Chris Reed‘s option for the 2020 season, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Reed figures to provide depth along the interior line, addressing a lower priority item on the Panthers’ offseason checklist.
Reed, 28 in July, was with the Dolphins up until his late-season release. The Panthers claimed him in December and put him on the field for three games down the stretch.
His play got them curious enough to see what he can do in camp. By exercising the option, the Panthers will have Reed under contract for one more season at $1.425MM. The sum is non-guaranteed, however, so the Panthers aren’t necessarily bound to him. Reed will occupy a spot on the 90-man roster and aim for making the 53-man cut in September.
Earlier this week, the Panthers declined the option for wide receiver Jarius Wright, which will free up a few extra dollars in mid-March. Meanwhile, they seem intent on keeping former MVP Cam Newton as their starting quarterback.
Latest On Tua Tagovailoa’s Medicals
So far, so good. After two days of medical testing at the combine, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from clubs that have checked out his dislocated hip, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
As expected, the QB’s MRIs came back clean and showed that his fracture is healed. There’s also been no loss of blood flow, which is equally important as he looks to get back to full strength and withstand the rigors of an NFL season. One source went so far as to tell Rapoport that the hip “looks great.” Indeed, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com says Tagovailoa expects to receive full medical clearance on March 9 and will hold his own pro day one month later, on April 9. Of course, he is not participating in on-field drills at this week’s scouting combine.
Tagovailoa was once viewed as the top prospect in the 2020 class. His hip injury changed his outlook, though the Alabama star still isn’t expected to last long in April. The Dolphins, who own the No. 5 overall pick, have been connected to him for months, though there are rumblings that they may prefer the elite arm strength of Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
Before the injury, Tagovailoa threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions as a sophomore. In that year, he finished in second place in Heisman voting, behind Oklahoma star and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.
After the injury, Tagovailoa has focused on recovery and showing all 32 teams that he’s good to go.
“My main goal is not to win the 40, not to win the bench press, but to win my medical,” Tagovailoa said earlier this year. “I’m going to go over there looking to win my medical and then go in and interview with the teams. That’s pretty much what I’m going to do. And then hopefully there’s a pro day down the line, either late March or early April.”
Bills Interested In Josh Norman
The Bills have checked in with free agent cornerback Josh Norman, GM Brandon Beane says (via the team website). So far, the talks have been informal, though there’s an obvious connection between the longtime Panthers star and the Bills’ regime. 
“We have looked into him and even talked to him,” said Beane. “Nothing more than that. I’m sure he may have some other teams that he’s looking at beyond Buffalo. Probably a similar situation to Greg Olsen, he’s in a spot where he’ll be able to choose where he wants to go. I don’t know what his plan will be of whether we’ll come to any type of agreement.”
Beane and head coach Sean McDermott – formerly with the Panthers – were in the running for Olsen before he signed with the Seahawks. Their familiarity could lead to something with Norman and the cornerback position is on their to-do list.
The Bills are set to return Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson, and Levi Wallace (ERFA) at cornerback while Kevin Johnson is out-of-contract. They’ll have to weigh Norman and other big-name CBs against larger needs, however. The Bills could use a top-end receiver, a reliable tight end (since the Olsen deal didn’t come together), and upgrades on the offensive line.
Panthers To Decline Jarius Wright’s Option
The Panthers will decline Jarius Wright‘s option for 2020, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move will save the club $3MM against the cap. 
Had Wright’s option been exercised, he would have been in line for $1MM in guaranteed pay. Instead, he’ll look for work elsewhere after a so-so year. Wright, 31 in November, had just 28 grabs for 296 yards with no touchdowns in 2019. It was a drop-off from his 2018 season – his first with Carolina – when he had 43 catches for 447 yards and one score.
Wright spent his first six seasons with the Vikings and put together a solid stretch from 2013-15, recording at least 430 receiving yards in each of those seasons. But, once Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen emerged, he slipped in the pecking order.
In other Panthers news, the club is reportedly planning to keep Cam Newton as its starting quarterback in 2020. They’ll also evaluate their options when it comes to cornerback James Bradberry, but the pending free agent will be chased by a number of clubs and a reunion with Ron Rivera could be in the cards.
Broncos Ready To Tag Justin Simmons
No surprise here. On Tuesday, Broncos GM John Elway said that he’ll use the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons if he can’t reach a long-term pact with safety Justin Simmons (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
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Simmons has already said that he’s expecting to be tagged, though he’s optimistic about the one-year cuff leading to a multi-year agreement. As our own Sam Robinson noted earlier this week, Elway has used the tag four times during his tenure in order to keep kicker Matt Prater (2012), tackle Ryan Clady (2013), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (2015), and edge rusher Von Miller (2016). Every time, the Broncos were able to follow up and hammer out a longer contract.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged Simmons as the second-best safety in the NFL last year. He’s still only 26 and he has a case to be paid as one of the top players at his position.
Last year, Simmons registered a career-high four interceptions to go along with 15 passes defensed and 93 total tackles. For his part, Simmons wants to stay put.
Chiefs To Talk With Sammy Watkins
The Chiefs want Sammy Watkins back in 2020, but not at his current rate. On Tuesday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirmed that he’ll sit down with Watkins’ agents this week to discuss a new deal that would fit the team’s budget. 
“We’ll sit down and talk about the landscape of where we are and what would make sense to us and how we can make this work and we’ll get feedback from them in regards to what they’re looking for and hopefully we can bridge a gap and make something happen,’’ Veach said. (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher).
Watkins is slated to earn $14MM in 2020, a figure that doesn’t make much sense given his current place in the Chiefs’ offensive hierarchy. Still, Watkins’ presence alongside Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and other weapons gives opposing defenses extra cause for concern, and the veteran came through in some crucial moments for the Super Bowl champs last year.
Recently, Watkins stopped short of saying that he’d take a pay cut to stay, but he seems open to one. Frankly, it’s the only way that he’ll be able to remain in KC – his salary comes with a $21MM cap hit and there’s no conceivable way that the Chiefs can make that work as they get set to defend their throne.
Watkins has posted least 40 receptions, 500 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He’s also been clutch in the playoffs – he’s averaged 92.8 receiving yards across his five postseason contests with the Chiefs.
At one point, Watkins hinted at the possibility of taking a year off from football and returning in 2021. That no longer seems like the plan for him, but he suggested recently that he could skip a portion of OTAs to spend more time with his family.
Lions: Everything On Table For Darius Slay
The Lions have had “good conversations” with Darius Slay‘s camp, but their saga is far from settled. When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Lions GM Bob Quinn explained that all scenarios are being considered when it comes to the cornerback. 
“[We’re] trying to explore a trade. That’s not saying we are definitely trading him,” Quinn said (Twitter link via Chris Burke of The Athletic). “We’re very much in the information-gathering phase of this.”
Quinn noted that a trade isn’t an automatic if a contract extension can’t be reached. Slay still has one more year to go on his four-year, $48MM deal, so the Lions could simply allow him to play out 2020. Still, Slay is slated to earn just $10MM in 2020 and it doesn’t seem like he’d be a happy camper under those terms. Given his performance, Slay is probably looking for something around the $15MM/year mark.
If the Lions aren’t willing to pay that price, many other teams will be. And, in recent days, several players from rival teams have taken to social media to try and court the Pro Bowler. That includes Rams standout Jalen Ramsey (Twitter link), who is daydreaming about forming one of the NFL’s most intimidating secondary duos. Meanwhile, Slay is taking a laissez-faire approach to all of the rumors.
“Whatever happens, happens,” Slay told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein recently. “I’m here to play ball.”
“It’s a business so it should be looked at as a business aspect of it. If it was up to me, I would love to be here my whole career,” Slay continued. “But one thing about a lot of stuff that comes, first is my family so I’ll do what’s best for my family, for them first and put my family in great position to never have to want for nothing. So that’s my goal, and if that’s being here, I’m here. If it ain’t, then I ain’t.”
Jets Want To Keep Jamal Adams “For Life”
Throughout the season, the conflict between the Jets and star safety Jamal Adams played out on the pages of New York tabloids. For his part, GM Joe Douglas hopes that drama is in the “rear-view mirror.” And, with that in mind, he believes a long-term deal could be on the horizon. 
“The plan is for Jamal [Adams] to be a Jet for life,” Douglas told reporters on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).
Douglas reiterated that there have been preliminary discussions with the Pro Bowler’s camp, but he didn’t offer up much detail beyond that. Adams has been lobbying for a new deal for a long time and he’s open to staying with Gang Green. Still, he wants to be paid appropriately, which would mean a substantial raise from his rookie deal. Per the terms of his rookie deal, Adams is set to earn just $3.5MM in 2020.
Both sides are keeping mum on details, but it’s safe to say that Adams’ camp has Eddie Jackson‘s four-year, $58.4MM deal in mind. That pact, which includes $33MM guaranteed, is the richest deal for any safety in the NFL on a per-year basis. Landon Collins‘ six-year, $84MM contract is the highest overall sum for any safety in the league, but guaranteed dollars and AAV are the true measures of a contract’s value. Besides, Adams won’t turn 25 until October and the salary cap is set to skyrocket even further, so a four-year deal or something similar would make sense for him.
The Jets shopped Adams before last year’s trade deadline, even after he told the team that he wanted to stay put. This rankled the Jets’ defensive superstar and led many to label him as a trade candidate this offseason. Until a new deal is signed to make him a “Jet for life” (or, something close to it), the speculation will continue.
Vikings GM Shoots Down Stefon Diggs Trade Talk
Stefon Diggs is staying put. At least, that’s what Vikings GM Rick Spielman told reporters on Tuesday morning at the NFL’s draft combine.
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“There is no reason to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking,” the GM said (Twitter link via Nick Shook of NFL.com).
Reports of drama with Diggs raged throughout the 2019 season. The wide receiver indicated that he wasn’t happy with his role early on in the year and even after he walked back some of his comments, many still believed that he wanted out. At this juncture, it sounds like the Vikings are committed to smoothing things out with the ultra-talented offensive weapon.
Diggs, entering his age-27 season, is signed through 2023 thanks to his five-year, $72MM re-up. He didn’t always get as many looks as he wanted last year as the Vikings put a greater emphasis on the run. This year, it’s possible that they’ll look to Diggs more often with Gary Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator.
Last year, Diggs caught 63 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted just 94 times – down from his 149 targets in 2018 – but he was more efficient than ever as he averaged 17.9 yards per catch.
Colts’ Anthony Castonzo To Continue Playing
Anthony Castonzo isn’t going anywhere. The left tackle has been mulling retirement, but GM Chris Ballard told reporters on Tuesday that he’ll return in 2020 (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). 
Now, the two sides will have to has out a new contract. Ballard says they’re discussing a new deal for the pending free agent in order to keep one of the league’s best offensive lines in tact.
Castonzo is coming off of a four-year, $43.8MM deal. But, even has he mulled retirement, he was not considering the possibility of playing for another team. For the 31-year-old (32 in May), it was the Colts or nothin’. He’s going with the former, and a lucrative new contract should be just around the corner.
The 2011 first-round pick has never made the Pro Bowl, but he’s started in all 132 of his games with consistently strong play. Last year, the Boston College product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked tackle in the entire NFL. His 81.3 overall score was even stronger than his 2017 and 2018 showings, proving that he still has plenty of football left in the tank.
With Castonzo (likely) in the fold, the Colts can apply their ample cap room towards other areas on their to-do list. That list, of course, starts with figuring out their quarterback situation.