Greg Olsen Hopes To Hear From Bears
Greg Olsen has drawn tons of interest on the open market, but there’s one call that he’s still waiting for. In an interview with ESPN 1000 (Twitter link), Olsen said that he would like to hear from the Bears. 
[RELATED: Seahawks, Bills, Redskins Interested In Greg Olsen]
“I’ll be honest. In my heart I was hoping they would have been one of the first calls,” the tight end said when asked about the Bears. “To my knowledge we have not heard from them. Whether or not they do or not is hard to say.”
Olsen started his career in Chicago as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2007 draft and played four seasons for the Bears. The University of Miami product started paying dividends immediately and went on to average roughly 49 catches, 495 yards, and five touchdowns across four seasons with the club. Then, in the summer of 2011, the Bears shipped him to the Panthers for a third-round pick.
A reunion would make sense, and not just for nostalgia reasons. Last year, Bears tight ends Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, and Ben Braunecker all finished the season on injured reserve. Olsen would make lots of sense for Chicago, but, so far, they’ve yet to show interest.
Meanwhile, plenty of other clubs would love to have Olsen. Since his release from the Panthers, Olsen has booked visits with the Seahawks, Bills, and Redskins. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says Olsen will take his time with his decision and is not expected to sign quickly (video link).
Dolphins Sign WR Ricardo Louis To Extension
The Dolphins re-signed wide receiver Ricardo Louis to a one-year extension to take him through the 2020 season, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Louis missed the last two seasons due to neck and knee injuries, but he won’t turn 26 until March and the Dolphins believe in his talent. 
Louis entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016. As a rookie, he hauled in 18 grabs for 205 yards. In 2017, he took another step forward with 27 catches for 357 yards.
The Dolphins signed Louis as a free agent last April, but he never got the opportunity to suit up for his new team. He’ll get a shot to stick this year, though the competition will be fierce. Already, the Dolphins’ WR room has DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Allen Hurns, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, Albert Wilson, Gary Jennings, and Mack Hollins. On the plus side, the Dolphins recognize that they’re deeper at wide receiver than most other positions and they’re not planning on using a high pick to add another.
The Dolphins will, however, scope out a quarterback with their No. 5 overall pick. They’ve been linked to Tom Brady quite a bit in recent days, but it doesn’t sound like Tom Terrific will be taking his talents to South Beach.
Dolphins Rumors: Draft, Howard, WR
The Dolphins have lots and lots of holes to fill this offseason, but they’re more or less set at wide receiver, a league source tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Currently, the Dolphins have DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Allen Hurns, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, and Albert Wilson on the WR depth chart, though they’ll likely ask Wilson to restructure his deal, Jackson writes. There’s others in the mix, too, including Gary Jennings – who didn’t really get a chance to show his stuff in Miami thanks to a season-ending injury – and former Eagle Mack Hollins. Given their depth at the position, Jackson doesn’t see the Dolphins using a Day 1 or 2 pick on a receiver.
Some have wondered about the team’s need at WR after Williams suffered an ACL tear in November. However, Williams says he’ll be good to go for the 2020 season, giving him an opportunity to build off of his strong eight-game showing. Before his early exit, Williams caught 32 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns. Grant will also be ready to roll for OTAs, so they have plenty of options from which to choose.
Here’s more from Miami:
- Cornerback, meanwhile, is a higher priority. Jackson hears that the Dolphins are intent on addressing the position in free agency and/or the first two days of the draft. The Dolphins still plan to move forward with Xavien Howard, but they are looking to find him a suitable partner that can step up if Howard is suspended for his late December arrest. Rising NFL sophomore Nik Needham could be part of the solution, but he’s still green. The Dolphins believe that they can use their ample cap room and draft stockpile to fortify, and improve, at corner.
- Frank Gore will turn 37 in May, but he’s not ready to give up football. After wrapping up his one-year deal with the Bills, the veteran recently said that he wouldn’t mind returning to the Dolphins as a free agent this offseason. Since entering the league in 2005, Gore has amassed more than 15,000 rushing yards with 79 touchdowns on the ground and 18 more scores through the air. Last year, he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in Buffalo, but continued to show his durability as he appeared in all 16 games.
- Speaking of 37-year-olds, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has confirmed that he’ll return in 2020. The Dolphins are happy to have him back and plan to pair him with a young QB to be groomed for the future.
Chargers Re-Sign OC Shane Steichen
It’s official. On Tuesday, the Chargers formally re-signed offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to a brand new deal that will keep him on board for the 2020 season and beyond. 
[RELATED: Chargers’ Anthony Lynn Signs Extension]
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Steichen’s pact almost certainly will take him through the 2022 season, and possibly longer. Steichen started last season as the team’s quarterbacks coach, but he was bumped up to the OC job – with play-calling responsibilities – after Ken Whisenhunt was canned in October.
Under Whisenhunt, the run game was downright pitiful: The Chargers went four straight games without achieving 40 yards rushing and their spotty aerial attack had them ranked No. 23 in the league in points. With Steichen at the helm, things improved somewhat – they converted on more red zone opportunities, placed No. 12 in DVOA on the year, and averaged nearly three more points per contest in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Steichen’s effect on wide receiver Mike Williams was immediately apparent – the former first-round pick had an iffy start to the year, bu the helped kick off the OC’s promotion with three catches for 111 yards against the Packers in Week 9. All in all, he had 582 receiving yards in the back half of the season and finished with a league-leading 20.4 yards per reception.
Steichen’s relationship with Philip Rivers could help to facilitate a reunion. The veteran is scheduled for free agency and recently bought a home in Florida, but the Chargers are still open to keeping him via a new deal or the franchise tag.
Greg Olsen To Visit Seahawks
Greg Olsen will visit the Seahawks as a part of his free agency tour, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. As previously reported, Olsen will also be checking in with the Bills and Redskins as he weighs his options. 
[RELATED: Greg Olsen To Visit Redskins, Bills]
Olsen, 35 in March, parted ways with the Panthers earlier this winter. The veteran wasn’t interested in being a part of a rebuild and the Panthers elected to cut him loose in order to save $8.1MM against the cap.
Olsen might not be quite as effective as he was during his prime years, but he still profiles as a productive vet who could be of use in Seattle. The Seahawks aren’t quite sure what they’ll have in Will Dissly, who is coming off of a torn Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, Ed Dickson could be released in a cost-cutting move, Luke Willson is headed towards the open market, and Jacob Hollister will be an RFA.
Olsen caught 52 passes for 597 yards and two touchdowns in 2019, showing that he can still play at his advanced age. He was also healthy, for the most part – he appeared in 14 games after missing a combined 16 contests between 2017 and 2018.
Before the injuries, Olsen was one of the league’s most consistent and reliable tight ends. Olsen topped 1,000 yards receiving in three straight seasons and was a no-brainer choice for the Pro Bowl in each of those campaigns.
Release Candidate: Trumaine Johnson
The Jets will have some tough decisions to make in the months ahead. Will they part ways with running back Le’Veon Bell, even though that would result in an absurdly high dead money hit? Will they give safety Jamal Adams a top-of-the-market deal, stand pat, or open up the phone lines on trade inquiries, as they did before last year’s trade deadline? And how about free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson, who is gunning for big bucks after posting a so-so stat line? 
Those are just some of the issues that need to be addressed by GM Joe Douglas this offseason. However, there are also easier calls to be made, including the future of cornerback Trumaine Johnson.
In 2018, former GM Mike Maccagnan inked Johnson to a five-year, $72.5MM deal with $34MM guaranteed at signing. Previous to that, Johnson performed as one of the league’s better cornerbacks with the Rams across six seasons. In New York, Johnson fell way, way short of expectations.
In his first year with Gang Green, Johnson missed significant time with a quad injury that some Jets staffers believe he could have played through. He did come away with four interceptions in 2018, but that stat doesn’t tell the whole story – Johnson struggled in coverage and looked like a shell of his former self.
Things deteriorated even further in 2019 – Johnson appeared in only seven games before landing on IR in early November. He was also benched for performance reasons and, unsurprisingly, they were unable to find any takers for him at the trade deadline.
Coach Adam Gase was vocal about his frustration with Johnson, but there was no sense in releasing him last year due to his deal. Cutting Johnson in 2019 would have resulted in $24MM in dead money with zero cap relief. This year, they’d still be saddled with $12MM in dead money, and they’d only save $3MM by dropping the 30-year-old, but that’s exactly what the Jets will do, in all likelihood.
The $3MM saved won’t be enough to sign a new starting cornerback, but it’s at least something. Expect Douglas to tack that on to his existing ~$50MM in cap room, a number that could grow even further by cutting vets like guard Brian Winters, cornerback Darryl Roberts, wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, and linebacker Avery Williamson.
Dolphins Unlikely To Make Strong Push For Tom Brady
Will Tom Brady join up with the Dolphins this offseason? Owner Stephen Ross says that’s not likely to happen. 
“We’re a team that’s building, and I don’t know why he’d really want to come to the Dolphins,” Ross said recently (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “He’s been one of the fiercest competitors there is and we’re at the stage with the Dolphins trying to really build a team for the future,” Ross said.
That’s more or less what you’d expect to hear from an owner who doesn’t want to deal with tampering accusations, but Jackson hears that Ross was telling the truth – he’s not expecting Brady to walk through that door and the Dolphins are unlikely to make a strong push for him.
For the last couple of weeks, there has been increasing buzz about the future Hall of Famer taking his talents to South Beach. The theory goes something like this: Brady is close to Bruce Beal, a business partner of Stephen Ross. Beal holds an option to buy the Dolphins from Ross and could, in turn, sell a minority stake in the team to Brady. Brady, potentially, could boost the value of the club in his twilight years by playing in Miami, but Ross, 79, says he plans on being the Dolphins’ owner for the rest of his life.
The Dolphins might not build their offseason around a Brady pursuit, but the Raiders are expected to make a strong push for him and there’s also buzz around the possibility of the Chargers making a play for him as Philip Rivers nears free agency. Meanwhile, the incumbent Patriots are prepared to pay Brady upwards of $30MM/year on his next contract, if he’s willing to stay.
Brady, 43 in August, completed just 60.8% of his throws last year – his lowest success rate since 2013. His 88.0 QB rating wasn’t anything to write home about, either, though he still managed to throw for 4,057 yards with 24 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
Rams’ Andrew Whitworth To Return
Retirement can wait for Rams veteran Andrew Whitworth. The 38-year-old left tackle is expected to play in 2020, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
Meanwhile, Whitworth is scheduled to reach free agency in March, so the Rams will have to hammer out a new deal with him if they want him back. Whitworth’s last pact paid him $33.75MM over the course of three years and his next/last contract won’t come cheap, either.
It’s become increasingly hard for teams to find quality help at the tackle position and Whitworth represents their best LT, despite his advanced age. Joseph Noteboom and Bobby Evans are on hand for support, but Whitworth is still the finest protector of the bunch.
As per usual, Whitworth turned in a perfect attendance record in 2019. He’s only missed three games since the 2013 season and hasn’t missed major time since his 10-game 2008 campaign with the Bengals. In January, Whitworth underwent ankle surgery, but he expects to be 100% healthy for the upcoming year.
The Rams’ offensive line struggled on the whole last year, but Whitworth was a bright spot for the unit. They’ll look to keep him in the fold for 2020 and uphold the pocket for Jared Goff.
NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Jeff Okudah
Much of this year’s draft buzz is centered around LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young. Beyond those two, however, this year’s crop is chock full of potential superstars, including Young’s teammate Jeff Okudah.
No one was surprised when Okudah, one of the nation’s best cornerbacks, decided to forego his final season of eligibility to go pro. As a junior, Okudah notched 34 total tackles, three interceptions, and effectively turned his side of the field into a no-fly zone. Physically, he checks pretty much every box you could want for an NFL corner – he’s 6’1″, well-built at 200 pounds, and has the speed to keep up with just about any receiver.
Thanks to his tools, the Buckeyes were able to deploy him in man-to-man coverage whenever they wanted. He’s been lauded for his instincts as well. Okudah has a natural feel for guarding defenders and the general belief is that he won’t have a serious learning curve as he adjusts to the speed of the pro game.
Those intangibles were on display throughout the year, but they were especially apparent in Ohio State’s September win over Nebraska. In that game, Okudah came away with two of his three picks on the year. The first interception saw Okudah read the eyes of Adrian Martinez and turn on the jets to come away with the ball – making a huge play when most cornerbacks would have been forced to settle for a completion. The second interception was a SportsCenter producer’s dream – Okudah slips as he covers Wan’Dale Robinson, but continues to keep his eyes on the ball and manages to snag the interception while laying on his back. It’s the sort of thing that you could teach, or drill for, yet Okudah has the natural instincts to make the big play.
He’s also craftier than your average rookie CB, which should help him navigate around NFL zebras.
“Being on an island does not faze him,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently told Ethan Greenberg of the Jets’ team website. “He’s able to make contact without drawing flags and that’s something that’s a subtlety that’s a strength to his game. He’s able to get physical and be aggressive but do so without attracting the yellow flags from officials.”
There aren’t many knocks on Okudah – Brugler notes that he’ll have to improve on his footwork, for example, but evaluators generally view Okudah as a safe top-end choice with the potential to eventually become one of the very best CBs in the NFL.
With all of that said, Okudah probably won’t garner consideration for the top overall pick. At No. 1, the Bengals are widely expected to tap LSU’s Joe Burrow, giving them a signal caller that can usher the club into their latest rebuild. Then, at No. 2, many feel that Chase Young is a slam dunk for the Redskins and new head coach Ron Rivera.
Okudah, who would be a true candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in most drafts, might not have to wait much longer than that. The Lions have the third overall pick and they could certainly use a game-changing corner like Okudah. If the Lions choose to fill multiple defensive holes by trading down, the Chargers and Jaguars are just two of the Top 10 clubs that could consider a top-flight corner just as Okudah. The No. 9 pick – owned by Jacksonville – pretty much represents his floor. And, right now, we’re expecting him to be long gone by that point.
Falcons To Move On From Vic Beasley
This is the end of the line for the Falcons and Vic Beasley. On Monday, the club announced that they will not pursue a new deal with the defensive end, who is scheduled for free agency in March. 
“As we continue to craft our 2020 roster, we’d like to thank Vic for five years of effort on behalf of our organization,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said in the statement.
Beasley, 27, just wrapped up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. The Falcons were hoping to see more from him in 2019, but he was unable to get back to his old form.
Beasley broke out in his sophomore year as pro, recording a league-high 15.5 sacks in 2016. However, things have cooled off ever since – he notched five sacks in 2017 and 2018. This past season, Beasley finished out with eight sacks, though that number was bolstered by a disproportionally strong finish in the final quarter of the regular season.
The Falcons will need to replace Beasley this offseason while potentially retooling the rest of their front seven. Fellow defensive end Adrian Clayborn is scheduled for free agency and defensive tackle Jack Crawford is also on an expiring deal.
They’ll have other issues to tackle as well. Among their top priority items – negotiating a new deal with tight end Austin Hooper, who is coming off of his best statistical season as a pro.