AFC East Notes: Patriots, Gronk, Jets
On Super Bowl week, former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski explained just how dejected he was during his final season on the field.
“I 100 percent lost a step (in my last year). I actually lost like three steps some games,” Gronk told Barstool Sports (Twitter link via WEEI’s Ryan Hannable). “I didn’t even want to be out there on the field. I was like, ‘Yo, I feel like complete ass. Coach, put Dwayne (Allen) in, I don’t even care.’ I was at that point.”
Gronk is retired, for now, but he continues to leave the door open, in case his motivation returns. The tight end’s latest comments shed some light on his mindset in his final games, however, so it might take a lot for Gronkowski to lace ’em up again.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Jets safety Jamal Adams says talks are underway with Gang Green, but ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini cautions that many hurdles remain. As Cimini understands it, Adams doesn’t just want to top Eddie Jackson‘s $14.6MM/year deal with the Bears – he wants to exceed it by a wide margin. Also, Cimini wouldn’t be surprised if Adams aims to surpass Earl Thomas‘ guaranteed mark of $32MM, which currently stands as the highest of any safety. The Jets, meanwhile, can control Adams for three years thanks to the franchise tag, so they won’t necessarily be in a rush to get something done. Adams, in turn, could theoretically drum up leverage with a holdout.
- Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant will be healthy for OTAs, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The dynamic returner was shut down in November with an ankle injury, but he’ll be good to go for the first year of his four-year extension that could pay up to $24MM.
- Tom Brady‘s cryptic Instagram post turned out to be fodder for a Super Bowl commerical in which he told fans that he’s “not going anywhere.” That means the Patriots star will return to the field, but not necessarily with the Pats. When Brady explores free agency, he’ll find tons of interest from other clubs, including the Raiders and Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Patriots are willing to give the superstar $30MM/year to stay.
NFL Waiver System For Veterans Resumes Today
The NFL’s waiver system for the 2020 year resumes today, as Field Yates of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter). That means that all vested veterans (players with four or more accrued seasons) that are released will become free agents right away. The rest, meanwhile, will be subject to the waiver wire.
This is the typical operating procedure for released veterans in the NFL, but it flips each year following the trade deadline. From late-October onward, veteran players are subject to the waiver wire, giving the league’s other 31 teams a chance to claim them.
Waiver priority is based on the inverse of the previous season’s record, which means the Bengals will have top priority on waivers all the way through Week 3. They’ll be followed by the Redskins, Lions, Giants, and Dolphins. After that, waiver priority will based on 2020 records.
Chiefs Notes: Super Bowl, Mahomes, Reid
For the first time in 50 years, the Chiefs are champs. And, after their thrilling come-from-behind victory, many say the Chiefs won’t have to wait nearly as long for their next Super Bowl trophy.
“Two, three, four – we’re going to build a dynasty here,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said last night (via Nancy Armour of USA Today). “To see that confetti fall – but this ain’t the only time. Kansas City, we’re fixing to build something special here.”
“The dynasty is just starting,” tight end Travis Kelce declared. “We’re motivated to do it again. For sure.”
Building a dynasty in the NFL is easier said than done, but the Chiefs are loaded with talent (especially on offense) and have their core players all signed for the foreseeable future. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but it’s also hard to dismiss the possibility that we could be witnessing the start of a dominant run for Kansas City.
Here’s more on the champs:
- After winning the biggest prize in football, Patrick Mahomes reiterated his desire to stay with the Chiefs. “That’s stuff that’s handled with other people,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, I want to be in Kansas City a long time. I want to win a lot of football games.” The Chiefs, obviously, want to lock Mahomes down for years to come, but they don’t necessarily have to hammer out an extension this offseason. Mahomes still has one more year to go on his rookie deal – after that, the Chiefs can use the fifth-year option to hold him through 2021. When the deal finally happens, Mahomes could become the league’s first $200MM+ player with average yearly salaries in excess of $40MM/year.
- Head coach Andy Reid, who secured his first Super Bowl trophy at the age of 61, isn’t thinking about retiring anytime soon. “I’ve got this young quarterback over here that makes life easy,” said Reid, in reference to Mahomes. Thanks to the extension he signed a few years back, the Chiefs have Reid under contract through the 2021 season.
- Before the Super Bowl, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy confirmed that he is still eyeing a head coaching job. Given what he’s helped to build in KC, his big break can’t be far off.
Vernon Davis Announces Retirement
This is the end of the line for tight end Vernon Davis. The Redskins tight end casually announced his retirement during a pre-Super Bowl sketch with Rob Gronkowski on Sunday and, soon after, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) confirmed that Davis is, in fact, walking away from the game.
This marks the end of Davis’ 14-year run in the NFL, which was mostly split between the Redskins and the runners-up to Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers. All in all, Davis hauled in 441 receptions for 583 receptions for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns.
In between his runs in D.C. and SF, Davis spent half of the 2015 season with the Broncos. In that magical year, Davis earned a Super Bowl ring as the Broncos went on to top the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Davis’ career began in 2006, when the Niners chose him with the No. 6 overall pick. His true breakout year came in ’07, when he posted a 52/509/4 stat line as the team’s season-long starter. He’d go on to capture two Pro Bowl nominations, starting with the 2009 season in which he co-led the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns.
This past season, Davis was limited to just four games after suffering a concussion. Davis has endured several brain injuries over the years, which was likely a factor in his retirement.
Davis, who just turned 36, should have ample football-adjacent opportunities ahead of him. We here at PFR wish Davis the best in retirement.
Dak Prescott Likely To Be Franchise Tagged
The Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott could be on course for the franchise tag, ESPN’s Adam Schefter hears. The two sides have been discussing a long-term deal, but, at this time, it doesn’t sound like they’ll be able to hammer out a new deal between now and March.
Publicly, both sides have expressed optimism about reaching agreement on a contract that would keep Prescott in Dallas for years to come. However, there’s a major gap to be bridged – Prescott, reportedly, was looking to beat Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM/year average during his phenomenal first half to the 2019 season. Even though things fell apart down the stretch, Prescott is still looking for a contract that will position him as one of the highest-paid QBs in the game.
Prescott, a two-time Pro Bowler, threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns, setting new career watermarks in each category. Realistically, there’s no scenario in which the Cowboys would allow him to reach unfettered free agency. If they can’t lock him down, the Cowboys will cuff him for roughly $27MM in 2020.
If tagged, Prescott could theoretically stay away from the team’s offseason program until he puts pen to paper. It’s hard to envision a Melvin Gordon-type scenario where Prescott misses regular season games, however, so that threat probably won’t move the needle for Jerry Jones & Co.
Prescott probably won’t be a free agent this offseason, but there are plenty of other intriguing QBs on course for open waters, including Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater, and Case Keenum.
Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady
The Raiders are preparing to make a run for Tom Brady this offseason, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears. The Raide
rs have been less-than-thrilled with Derek Carr, and Brady would represent a major step up at the quarterback position.
Brady, for the most part, has kept mum about his future plans. His Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, however, indicated that he’ll continue playing in 2020.
The Raiders already have Derek Carr signed through the 2022 season, but they’re not necessarily stuck with him. If they release him midway through his five-year, $125MM deal, they’ll be left with just $5MM in dead money versus $16.5MM in cap savings. That money could be redirected towards Brady, who can command one of the highest salaries in the NFL.
The Patriots are prepared to give Brady a deal worth $30MM per annum, which would at least put him in the range of his true market value. The Raiders, meanwhile, can offer him something in the same neighborhood by clearing most of Carr’s salary from the books.
Brady may be past his prime, but that sort of thing has never dissuaded Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Brady, 42, would give the Raiders a proven winner and tons of star power in their inaugural Las Vegas season.
The competition for Brady figures to be fierce and will extend beyond the Patriots and Raiders. The Chargers, Dolphins, and Titans (depending on how things shake out with Ryan Tannehill) figure to be just some of the teams that will weigh the future Hall of Famer this offseason.
Greg Olsen To Consider Redskins?
If longtime Panthers star Greg Olsen continues his playing career, he could wind up with an old friend. The tight end would consider reuniting with Ron Rivera by signing with the Redskins, a person familiar with the situation tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post. 
[RELATED: Panthers, Greg Olsen Part Ways]
Olsen, 35 in March, will also have is broadcasting opportunities to consider. In the past, Olsen has rejected overtures from ESPN and FOX to consider his pursuit of a Super Bowl ring. The Redskins would not represent his best chance at a championship, but Olsen is at least open to the idea of teaming up with his longtime coach.
Rivera has a good deal of authority in Washington and has already shown a predilection for getting the band back together via his coaching hires. Olsen would be a logical fit for the Redskins, who could use his veteran leadership and help at the tight end position. Thanks to his latest concussion, Jordan Reed missed all of last season.
During his nine season with the Panthers, Olsen enjoyed a streak of three straight 1,000-yard seasons. He was still reasonably productive in 2019, notching 52 catches for 597 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games.
Before that, Olsen spent four seasons with the Bears. All in all, he has 718 catches for 8,444 yards and 59 touchdowns across 13 seasons. Currently, he ranks fifth all-time in catches and receiving yards by a tight end in the NFL.
Shelby Harris Wants To Stay With Broncos
On the cusp of free agency, Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris says he would like to stay put (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). However, he still sounds intent on exploring his options. 
“We LOVE Denver,” Harris said. “But I’m 28. We got one shot at this. This is for my kids, and my kids’ kids.”
Harris might not be a household name, but GMs around the league are well aware of what he brings to the table. Harris, 29 in August, is coming off of a perfectly-timed career year – he notched 49 tackles and six sacks in 16 games (all starts) and showed that he’s worthy of a top-flight deal.
The former seventh-round pick of the Raiders has been an advanced metrics darling since joining the Broncos in 2017. In 2018, the nose tackle graded out as one of the most effective defensive tackles in the game on a per-play basis as he came off of the bench. After finishing out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 interior defender, the Broncos re-upped him on the second-round tender for 2019, worth $3.095MM. He continued to deliver in a larger sample – this year, he finished as the No. 17 ranked interior defender in the NFL, per PFF.
Harris is looking better than ever, but the Broncos won’t be able to keep him on a below-market deal this time around. Meanwhile, Harris knows that this is his best opportunity to score security and multi-generational wealth. The Broncos have upwards of $60MM to work with this offseason and they’ll have to dedicate a decent chunk of that to Harris, if they hope to keep him for 2020 and beyond.
Colts Reinstate Rodney Adams
This week, the Colts reinstated wide receiver Rodney Adams from the reserve/retired list. It’s likely an indication that the former fifth-round pick is planning to play in 2020.
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Adams was parked on the reserve/retired list in April of 2018, months after signing a futures deal with the Colts. He’s yet to see live action, despite spending some time on the Vikings’ active roster and practice squad as a rookie in 2017.
Adams, 26 in September, put himself on the NFL radar after transferring from Toledo to South Florida. As a junior, he caught 44 passes for 816 yards and nine scores. Then, he wrapped his collegiate career with a 67/822/5 stat line. His speed and proficiency in the run game put him on the radar for several teams on Day 3 of the ’17 draft and the Vikings pulled the trigger. Even though he didn’t stick in Minnesota, the Colts were curious enough to give him a spot on their 90-man roster.
No Post June-1 Cuts In 2020
The post-June 1 designation is a key tool for NFL teams in the offseason. In short: it enables teams to spread out the dead money cap hit that comes with releasing a player and divvies it up across two years, instead of one. 
[RELATED: NFL, NFLPA Discussing 17-Game Season With One Bye Week]
As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes, that option won’t be available for teams this offseason, because that provision is not included in this tenth and final year of the current collective bargaining agreement. So, unless the NFL and NFLPA quickly agree to a new CBA, teams won’t be able to kick the can down the road when they release veterans.
The lack of a post-June 1 cut will be felt by every team in the league and could impact the futures of many notable players. Corry points to Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery as a prime example – under the post-June 1 rules, the $26.1MM in dead money that would result from a Jeffery release could be split between the 2020 and 2021 cap. Without that luxury, the Eagles would have to eat all of that dead money this year. So, unless the Eagles are extraordinarily desperate to get rid of Jeffery, they’re unlikely to cut him.
At this time, it sounds like the two sides have a long way to go before they can hash out a new CBA. Currently, they’re discussing an expanded 17-game season that would still only include one bye week. That probably won’t sit well with many of the players, even if the owners agree to give a larger share of revenue.