Vikings’ George Paton Turns Down Jets
George Paton has completed the hat trick. On Thursday, the Vikings assistant general manager declined to interview with the Jets for the third time in his career, according to Chad Graff, Jon Krawczynski, and Connor J. Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jets GM Search Tracker]
Paton turned down the Jets’ invitation to interview for the GM job in 2013 and again in 2015. The well-respected executive will instead remain with the Vikings, leaving Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, and Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot as the club’s only known candidates.
There’s no word on why Paton has rejected the Jets (for a third time), but many have speculated that the club’s internal discord and Adam Gase‘s control of the 53-man roster could be sticking points for top candidates.
Jets Shopped Before Firing Bowles, Maccagnan
The Jets started their hunt for a new head coach and GM before firing Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Jets To Interview Joe Douglas This Weekend]
Maccagnan, exec Brian Heimerdinger, and agent Erik Burkhardt huddled up with Christopher Johnson at his Manhattan condo in late November and early December to discuss the possibility of hiring former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, Mehta hears. Bowles, meanwhile, was not dismissed until Dec. 30.
During that same four-week window, Johnson also had back-channel conversations with at least two established coaching candidates without the knowledge of Maccagnan. Those coaches would have had the power to either keep Maccagnan or fire him in favor of their preferred GM.
Eventually, Maccagnan got his turn in the barrel. The Jets sacked Maccagnan in May, but they reached out to at least one potential GM candidate a week before he was handed his pink slip, according to Volin.
This latest example of the Jets’ dysfunction may give pause to the team’s current group of GM candidates.
200 NFL Draft Picks Have Signed
When Bengals fourth-round quarterback Ryan Finley inked his rookie deal on Thursday, he became the 200th member of the 2019 NFL Draft class to do so. With that, we have only 54 unsigned picks, meaning that nearly 79% of this year’s picks are officially under contract.
[RELATED: 2019 NFL Draft Results By Team]
Unsurprisingly, most of the remaining stragglers are third-round picks. Third round negotiations tend to drag since there is wiggle room when it comes to base salaries. In fact, only ten of this year’s 31 third-rounders have signed as of this writing: Cardinals defensive end Zach Allen, Bills running back Devin Singletary, Panthers quarterback Will Grier, Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki, Jaguars tight end Josh Oliver, Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, Patriots tackle Yodny Cajuste, Jets linebacker Jachai Polite, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, and 49ers wide receiver Jalen Hurd.
We also have 12 unsigned players in the first-round, which also doesn’t come as a shock. First round picks tend to have the most leverage, which means that agents will often haggle on issues such as offset language. Half of those unsigned first-rounders come from the Raiders and Giants, who have three first-round picks each. It’s possible that the agents for each player are playing a bit of a waiting game to see how the team’s other first-round picks fare when it comes to offsets.
Bengals Sign Fourth-Round QB Ryan Finley
The Bengals have signed fourth-round quarterback Ryan Finley, according to a team announcement. With that, the Bengals are left with just one unsigned draft pick in third-round linebacker Germaine Pratt. 
Finley, an N.C. State product, was one of the older players in this year’s draft at the age of 24. He’ll even celebrate his 25th birthday before the 2019 season is through, but the Bengals still believe in his upside.
Finley started his collegiate career at Boise State, where he graduated inside of three years. When Brett Rypien took the starting job, he transferred to N.C. State and started all 13 games in 2016. He topped 3,000 passing yards in his first season with the Wolfpack and threw for 18 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. Things only picked up from there, culminating in 3,928 yards and 25 touchdowns (against eleven interceptions) in 2018.
In Cincinnati, Finley will learn from longtime starter Andy Dalton. Quarterbacks Jeff Driskel and rookie Jake Dolegala are also on the Bengals’ offseason roster.
Jaguars To Sign Terrelle Pryor
The Jaguars are expected to sign wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Pryor worked out for the Jags on Wednesday and they were quick to make an offer. 
Pryor has an opportunity to regain his footing in Jacksonville, where the wide receiver group is headlined by the likes of Keelan Cole, Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, and Chris Conley. His history with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo also helps – DeFilippo was the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015, the first year of Pryor’s wide receiver experiment. When DeFilippo left for the Eagles the following year, Pryor exploded for 77 catches, 1,007 yards, and four touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Pryor has not replicated that production over the last two years. In 2017, he joined the Redskins after that on a one-year contract, but he finished out with a 20/240/1 stat line. Last year, he split time with the Jets and Bills and had just 16 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Injuries have been a roadblock for Pryor, but there’s reason to believe that he can be a difference-maker if healthy.
Panthers To Meet With Gerald McCoy
Gerald McCoy is “tentatively” scheduled to meet with the Panthers this week, a source tells Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Carolina will host McCoy beginning on Thursday night, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Panthers first expressed interest in McCoy last week, and that interest “has not waned,” reports Rodrigue. A number of teams, including the Falcons, Saints, Colts, and Bengals have all reportedly at least considered a McCoy addition, but he’s only met with the Browns and Ravens thus far. Cleveland and Baltimore are McCoy’s preferred destinations, although he’s likely to be swayed by financial specifics.
While Carolina already boasts Kawann Short and Dontari Poe at defensive tackle, the club still has room for McCoy along the interior. Short and Poe each played between 50-60% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in 2018, so McCoy could certainly fit into a rotation. McCoy would likely take playing time away from former first-round pick Vernon Butler (who’s already had his 2020 fifth-year option declined) and reserve Kyle Love.
McCoy, 31, ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits in 2018 and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/29/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers: DL Pita Taumoepenu (from 49ers)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: G Kofi Amichia
- Waived: OL Landon Turner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Chidi Okeke
Oakland Raiders
- Waived/Injured: FB Ryan Yurachek
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Marcelias Sutton
- Waived/Injured: RB Adam Choice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DT Stevie Tu’ikolovatu
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Frank Herron
Redskins Sign Montez Sweat
The Redskins have signed first-round pick Montez Sweat, according to a team announcement. With that, the Redskins now have both of their first-round picks under contract after previously signing Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. 
[RELATED: 2019 NFL Draft Results By Team]
The Redskins stood pat at No. 15 and came away with Haskins, who was widely regarded as one of the two best QBs in the draft. After that, they moved back into the first round to snag Sweat at No. 26. Both players could prove to be incredible values – Sweat was pegged as a top 10 choice before a misdiagnosed heart condition hurt his stock. Then, just before the draft, doctors caught the error and OK’d him and his “normal heart” to play football.
Sweat finished his two-year Bulldogs career with 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. He spent his first two collegiate campaigns at Michigan State, where he did not see a whole lot of playing time. In 2019, head coach Jay Gruden says that he expects to use Sweat frequently.
Marvin Lewis Eyeing NFL Return
The Bengals and head coach Marvin Lewis went their separate ways after the 2018 season, bringing his 16-year run to an end. This week, Lewis signed on to serve as an advisor for Herman Edwards‘ Arizona State program, and sources close to Lewis believe he’s keeping his toe in coaching with an eye on getting back into the NFL in 2020 (Twitter link via Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson). 
Lewis, 61 in September, went 131-122-3 with the Bengals, giving him the most wins in franchise history. While Lewis inherited one of the worst teams in the NFL and turned them into a winner, his legacy is marred by the Bengals 0-7 playoff record during his tenure.
In a league obsessed with energetic and young coaching hires, it remains to be seen whether Lewis can garner consideration for head coaching roles. Still, given Lewis’ reputation as a defensive mind and his track record as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, a DC job is certainly not out of the question.
Jets Didn’t Contact Peyton Manning
Shortly after the firing of Mike Maccagnan, it was widely rumored that the Jets had their sights set on Peyton Manning as a potential candidate to take over the GM job. However, Manning says he never heard from the club about the position (Twitter link via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post). 
“Nobody ever contacted me … And I’m not sure I was qualified anyway,” Manning said after playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods in Ohio.
There have been conflicting reports on Manning’s interest level in taking on a GM job. Recently, a source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY that he would not want to pursue such an opportunity, but Manning has indicated in the past that he would want to consider GM openings. Either way, Manning won’t be the next GM of the Jets, despite his relationship with head coach Adam Gase.
Manning apparently isn’t on the Jets’ radar, but we know of five candidates who definitely are: Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, and Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot.