Extension Candidate: Falcons LB Deion Jones
With so much attention being paid to a potential extension for Falcons receiver Julio Jones, it’s easy to forget about the Falcons’ other player by the same surname who is pushing for a new deal. Linebacker Deion Jones has been discussing an extension as he enters his walk year, but we haven’t heard much news regarding his situation in recent weeks. 
As a former second-round pick, Jones is slated to earn less than $1.1MM in 2019, with no club option for a fifth season. In theory, the lack of an option is a good thing for players like Jones who have outperformed their draft slot, but the Falcons still have leverage thanks to his laughably low salary for the coming year. Jones isn’t necessarily the priority either – the Falcons are likely putting a greater focus on Grady Jarrett‘s contract and the aforementioned contract of J. Jones.
Jones, who won’t celebrate his 25th birthday until November, has proven to have a nose for the ball. In three seasons, he has eight interceptions to his credit, including three pick-six plays for touchdowns. He was also a tackling machine in his first two seasons, though a broken foot suffered in Week 1 of the 2018 season kept him to a total of six games last year.
The injury undoubtedly hurt his negotiating position, though a broken foot is not as devastating as a ligament tear to the knee. Jones still has serious potential at the linebacker position with plenty of room to grow before entering his prime years.
The Falcons would obviously love to keep Jones in the fold for years to come, but the skyrocketing rate for inside linebackers may prove to be a barrier. In March, C.J. Mosley passed Luke Kuechly on a rocket ship with a five-year, $85MM deal that includes $43MM fully guaranteed. Granted, this was a free agent deal, and Mosley is more accomplished than Jones, but Jones’ camp undoubtedly has those specs in mind. Meanwhile, Seahawks star Bobby Wagner is also in the hunt for a new deal, and the market could balloon even further if he puts pen to paper before Jones.
Ultimately, we expect the Falcons to get something done with their young linebacker, but he might have to wait until the other stars are addressed.
Former Lions Safety Glover Quin Retires
Former Lions safety Glover Quin announced his retirement early Monday morning. At the age of 33, Quin has decided to move on to other endeavors. 
“Playing professional sports was always a dream of mine. Football was the route I chose and God blessed me to be able to persevere through all the hardships and play 10 years in the NFL,” Quin wrote in a text message to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had to play in the NFL with such great players and two great organizations.
“Football was never who I was as a person. It was always what I had done. I wanted to use football as a stepping stone into the rest of my life and not let football be my life. I always only wanted to play 10 years. Said if I was able to walk off the field after the last game in Year 10, it would be really hard for me to walk back on. I’m young, I’m healthy and I got a lot of life to live. So I’m walking away from the game of football.”
The Lions released safety Glover Quin in February, but his run with Detroit could have ended much sooner. Quin actually asked the team to release him in the previous offseason, shortly after the team hired Matt Patricia However, the Lions obviously declined, and kept Quin for the 2018 campaign before cutting ties.
Quin started in all 16 of the Lions’ games in 2018, but saw some of his play time eaten into by rookie Tracy Walker down the stretch. Although his performance dipped near the end, he left the game with a 148-game starting streak, the highest of any active safety in the NFL up until his retirement.
The New Mexico product enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014 when he earned a Pro Bowl nod and registered seven interceptions. Over his decade in the NFL with the Texans and Lions, Quin recorded 24 interceptions and 740 tackles in total.
This Date In Transactions History: Giants Extend Victor Cruz
On this date in 2013, Victor Cruz likely performed one of the most enthusiastic salsa dances of his career. Heading into a contract year worth $2.879MM, the Giants receiver inked a five-year extension worth up to $43MM. 
It was a substantial payout for Cruz, but one that reflected his value to the club as well as the league’s increased appreciation of the slot receiver position. Lining up mostly on the inside, Cruz broke out in 2011 with 82 catches, 1,536 yards, and nine touchdowns. His 2012 encore wasn’t quite as efficient (he posted an 86/1092/10 stat line), but he was still recognized as a vital part of the Giants’ passing attack and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Not wanting to risk losing Cruz to free agency after his one-year restricted free agent tender – particularly after watching him carve up the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game – the Giants moved to lock down Cruz for the long term. Cruz could have gambled by staying on track for free agency after the 2013 season, but the added security of the deal, including nearly $16MM in guarantees, provided him with financial security.
In hindsight, it was the smart play for the former undrafted free agent. Initially slowed by a heel bruise, came two yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark in 2013, despite missing two games. Unfortunately, in 2014, the course of his career changed dramatically. A torn patellar tendon ended his campaign after just six games and a calf injury in the following season put him under the knife before he could take the field.
By the time Cruz returned to action in 2016, the Giants’ offense was fully focused on Odell Beckham Jr., who routinely toasted opposing defensive backs and gobbled up targets, catches, yards, and touchdowns. At this point, Cruz’s trademark speed was no longer there, and neither was his former Rabbi, Tom Coughlin. Cruz took a pay cut to stay in the fold, but registered just 39 catches for 586 yards. The two sides were expected to hammer out a similar arrangement for his 2017 season, but they released him instead.
Cruz moved on to the Bears, but a knee injury in the final preseason game torpedoed his comeback attempt. Later, he tried to lobby the Giants to sign him via the local press, but his request went unanswered. Finally, in August of 2018, Cruz announced his retirement and entry into the world of broadcasting with ESPN.
Although Cruz’s time on top was brief, he left the game with a tremendous highlight reel, multiple productive seasons, a Super Bowl ring, and an iconic touchdown celebration that will forever be remembered by Giants fans.
NFL Release Candidates Series
As NFL rosters begin to take shape this summer, teams will have some difficult choices to make. Despite having varying degrees of potential and upside, many noteworthy veterans will be released between now and the 53-man deadline.
Here at PFR, we’ve been profiling some of the more interesting release candidates from around the NFL. In case you missed them, here are our entries in the Release Candidates series, so far:
- Tavon Austin, WR (Cowboys) – link
- Artie Burns, CB (Steelers) – link
- Kenneth Dixon, RB (Ravens) – link
- Darren Fells, TE (Texans) – link
- Joshua Garnett, G (49ers) – link
- Paxton Lynch/Geno Smith, QBs (Seahawks) – link
- DeMarcus Walker, DE (Broncos) – link
NFL Extension Candidates Series
Here at PFR, we’ve been previewing some of the league’s top candidates for big money contract extensions. Here’s the full rundown of our Extension Candidates entries, with plenty more to come throughout the summer: 
- Tyler Boyd, WR (Bengals) – link
- Tom Brady, QB (Patriots) – link
- Jadeveon Clowney, LB (Texans) – link
- Amari Cooper, WR (Cowboys) – link
- Julio Jones, WR (Falcons) – link
- Austin Hooper, TE (Falcons) – link
- Melvin Gordon, RB (Chargers) – link
- A.J. Green, WR (Bengals) – link
- Marcus Peters, CB (Rams) – link
- Michael Thomas, WR (Saints) – link
- Bobby Wagner, LB (Seahawks) – link
Happy Fourth Of July!
Today, we celebrate the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence from the rule of the British monarchy. It’s a day for picnics, barbecues, fireworks, parades, pool parties, and talking about football, among other things. It’s a day off from work (er, for most of us), and that includes just about everyone in the football world. 
For those of you who are perusing Pro Football Rumors in between burger flips and cannonballs, we’d like to wish you a happy Fourth of July! And, to our international readers: Stay tuned, because the NFL’s offseason calendar will quickly pick up steam.
Today might not bring us news of record-breaking extensions or big-ticket signings, but July will feature plenty of breaking news and insightful analysis on PFR. Remember, we’re just 63 days away from a brand new NFL season.
PFR Glossary: NFI List
The NFL’s “physically unable to perform” (PUP list) allows teams to park seriously injured players for a minimum of six regular season games without taking up a spot on the roster. Meanwhile, a similar designation exists for players who are unable to practice as a result of conditions unrelated to the team’s official football activities.
We’re talking about the NFL’s Non-Football Injury list, more commonly known as the NFI list. The name indicates that the designation is only for injuries that occur off of the gridiron (snowboarding accidents, banana peel slips, etc.), but it also covers injuries that are sustained while partaking in football activities outside of the auspices of the shield. For example, a player who suffered an injury during college football activities could be placed on the NFI list.
There are two types of NFI designations: the Active/NFI designation leaves the door open to returning to practice once the player is medically cleared. Meanwhile, the Reserve/NFI designation is for players who will not return to the active roster during the regular season. With the “Active” tag, players count against the roster max, whether it’s the 90-man or 53-man version. With the “Reserve” tag, they do not.
So, what’s the real difference between NFI and PUP? The biggest distinction is that teams can withhold part of the player’s salary while on NFI. This isn’t frequently done, but it’s an option for teams who feel that a player’s personal irresponsibility caused their condition.
Extension Candidate: Texans OLB Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is no stranger to PFR’s Extension Candidates series. Last year, Clowney seemed poised for the big bucks, but the Texans elected to have him play out the 2018 on his $12.3MM fifth-year option. This year, they employed the $15.967MM franchise tag to cuff him, but Clowney has yet to sign his tender. 
The two sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If Clowney is not signed to an extension by that date, Clowney will be on course for free agency after the season. While he has been kept in limbo and away from free agency riches, he is not completely without options. Last year, Le’Veon Bell elected to stay at home rather than signing his one-year tender with the Steelers and signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in March.
Clowney’s situation is complicated by a number of factors. Unhappy with the club’s lack of action, he abstained from the team’s mandatory minicamp. And, unless he signs his tender or gets the extension he wants, it’s unlikely that he’ll be involved in the team’s full training camp. Meanwhile, the Texans are without a GM following their surprising dismissal of Brian Gaine and failure to land Patriots exec Nick Caserio.
Will the Texans’ front office revamp breath new life into the longstanding standoff between the club and one of its top defenders? So far, that doesn’t appear to be the case – we’ve yet to hear any recent developments on a deal and the team, presumably, is still wary of a long-term commitment that would make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid edge rushers.
Depending on who you ask, the Texans may have shown a willingness to trade Clowney earlier this offseason. At this point, the Texans may have to commit, or get off the pot. Or, in other words, their only options may be to fork over a massive contract to the former No. 1 overall pick or trade him to a team that will.
Release Candidates: Seahawks QBs Geno Smith, Paxton Lynch
The Seahawks’ quarterback room has some serious name value. Behind starter Russell Wilson, the club is currently rostering both Geno Smith and Paxton Lynch. 
The odds of both players making the final cut is slim. Historically, the Seahawks have carried only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster and both players have their warts.
Smith, a former second-round pick of the Jets, has yet to do much at the pro level. Once positioned as the Jets’ starting quarterback, his last attempt at NFL relevance was stopped by the fist of a teammate and a subsequently broken jaw. Lynch, a former first-round pick of the Broncos, lost the starting QB competition twice to former seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian.
To date, Lynch has four career starts on his resume with a 61.7% completion rate, 792 passing yards yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. Smith – who has 40 career appearances with 31 starts – hasn’t fared much better in a larger sample. He’s completed 57.7% of his throws with just 29 touchdowns against 36 picks.
One of these QBs will probably be out of Seattle by the time September rolls around, and there’s a chance that both will be gone. Last year, the Seahawks traded for Brett Hundley in the preseason and installed him as Wilson’s backup, so the Seahawks’ next No. 2 QB could be with another team as of this writing.
If things don’t work out for Lynch or Smith, they’ll have options. Despite their missteps, they’re both on the right side of 30 and may still hold appeal for evaluators who considered drafting them just a few years ago. And, if an NFL opportunity doesn’t present itself, both players may find a home in the upstart XFL.
“We’re watching the backup quarterback camp battles. One of these guys is going to get cut,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said of the Smith/Lynch situation. “There’s a bunch of those going on. We might not get all of those guys, the quote-unquote loser of those, but a Geno or Paxton is not going to end up on a practice squad. There are a bunch of 3-4-5-year guys that are in that boat. They’ve been on rosters, practice squad, been yo-yo’d two years. They need to play, and that’s my argument to them, that it’s very doable here.”
Both players have just $25K guaranteed on their one-year deals, so the Seahawks wouldn’t lose much by releasing either player.
Dolphins’ Kendrick Norton Injured In Car Crash
Defensive tackle Kendrick Norton was involved in a “serious car accident,” according to an announcement from the Dolphins. The 22-year-old had to have his arm amputated at the scene of the crash, Andy Slater of 640 AM (on Twitter) hears. It’s unlikely that Norton will play football again, though his life is not believed to be in danger.
Norton, a University of Miami product, entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2018. Last December, the Dolphins signed him off of Carolina’s practice squad, but he has yet to appear in an NFL game.
Norton spent three years at the U of M, racking up five sacks and 18 tackles for a loss during his time there. Athleticism, and fighting, is in his blood – he’s the son of Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton and the grandson of former heavyweight champion Ken Norton Sr.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Norton and his family.