Latest On Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin
After undergoing three offseason surgeries, it’s unlikely that Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin will take the field again. However, we should not expect to hear an official announcement from Baldwin anytime soon, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) explains. 
If Baldwin were to formally retire today, he could potentially forfeit the signing bonus allocation in his deal over the final two years of his contract. Also, if he waits until the Seahawks release him, he could collect on $1MM in injury protection.
In short, it seems likely that Baldwin will retire from football this offseason. However, he won’t make any of this official until the remainder of the cash on his deal is secure.
If this is the end of the line for Baldwin, he’ll leave the game with 493 catches for 6,593 yards and 49 touchdowns – all with the Seahawks. He’ll also walk away with two Pro Bowl nods (2016 and 2017) plus a Super Bowl XLVIII ring.
Steelers Place Ryan Shazier On PUP List
On Monday, the Steelers officially placed Ryan Shazier on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List. By taking this step, the Steelers will ensure that Ryan Shazier will continue to collect his salary for the 2019 season. For cap purposes, he’ll count for $473K against the books. 
Shazier has remained steadfast in his insistence that he wants to return to the field one day, but it won’t be in 2019. The Steelers, meanwhile, are doing right by the linebacker, who was lauded for his leadership and on-field abilities before a devastating injury suffered in 2017.
The former first-round pick out of Ohio State tallied 68 tackles and 11 pass defenses before he was nearly paralyzed in 2017. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection despite playing in only 12 games. Prior to that, he logged 55 tackles in each of the previous two seasons.
“We will continue to support Ryan’s efforts to return to play,” Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in a statement earlier this offseason. “Although he won’t be able to help us on the field in 2019, his leadership, insight, and emotional support have always been very valuable to us, and we look forward to his contributions in our pursuit of a championship.”
Lions Pick Up Taylor Decker’s Option
It’s officially official. On Monday, the Lions announced that they have picked up the fifth-year option on Taylor Decker‘s contract. With that, the offensive tackle is now under club control through the 2020 season. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2020 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
The fifth-year option enables teams to tack an additional year on to the standard four-year rookie contract for first-round picks. The additional year is guaranteed for injury only, giving the Lions an escape hatch if Decker regresses for non-health reasons.
After missing half of the 2017 season, Decker bounced back to start in all 16 games for the Lions last year. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged him as the 36th best tackle in the NFL, giving the Lions enough confidence to extend his pact for another season.
Jets Tried To Trade Up For Mecole Hardman
The Jets did not fortify their wide receiver group in the draft, but that was not by design. The Jets had their eye on Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman, Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) hears, but the Chiefs beat them to the punch. 
[RELATED: Grading The Jets’ Draft]
Apparently, the Jets were ready to pull the trigger on a trade with the Eagles that would have allowed them to grab Hardman at No. 57 overall, but the Chiefs beat them to the punch by moving up to the No. 56 pick. The Chiefs now have the speedster as a potential replacement for Tyreek Hill, who is expected to be released any moment now. Meanwhile, the Jets are left to sift through what remains of the wide receiver market to find support for Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, and Jamison Crowder.
The Jets also explored moving up to the top of the second round to get in on cornerback run, but they found the asking price to be too steep. They eventually took a cornerback in the sixth-round when they plucked oft-injured Rutgers corner Blessuan Austin from about 30 minutes down I-95.
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Stick, Broncos
On Saturday, the Chargers drafted their first quarterback since 2013 when they tapped North Dakota State University quarterback Easton Stick. Stick, who rushed for 2,523 yards and 41 TDs, was pegged by some as a Taysom Hill type who could be deployed more as a trick play type than a traditional QB, but the Bolts say that’s not how they plan on using him.
“He’s going to play quarterback for us. We have running backs,” head coach Anthony Lynn said (via the Associated Press). “We don’t a need a quarterback that can run all over the place, but he can certainly create when he has to.”
Of course, as a fifth-round pick, nothing is guaranteed for the mobile signal caller. Stick will look to stick on the Chargers’ roster by proving himself between now and the start of the season in September.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Giants GM Dave Gettleman raised eyebrows everywhere when he selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall. After the draft, he defended the pick by saying that two teams were prepared to select Jones before the Giants’ next pick at No. 17. So far, it has been hard to identify who these two teams might be, and Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter) confirms that the Broncos were not one of them. The Broncos, he hears, ruled out taking any QB at No. 10 overall and, furthermore, had Drew Lock as their top-ranked QB – not Jones.
- The Raiders provided the draft’s other major first round surprise when they tapped Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Many feel that the Raiders reached for the defensive end, but that’s not how defensive coordinator Paul Guenther sees it. “It wasn’t about his 40-time or his three-cone drill or any of that [BS], it was about the whole package,” the DC said (via The Athletic). “There just aren’t a lot of guys like this. Some guys are great standing up, but you have to get down and dirty in the NFL. They are not just going to let you run up the field all day, you know what I am saying? Then you hear him talk and you’re like, ‘Damn, this guy is a pro.’”
- Over the weekend, longtime Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski announced his retirement from the NFL.
This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys Rule Out Re-Signing Greg Hardy
On this date three years ago, Greg Hardy officially blew his second chance. In the midst of the 2016 draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters that he had officially ruled out the possibility of re-signing the embattled defensive end. 
Hardy was long considered to be one of the NFL’s most imposing edge rushers, but things took a turn in May of 2014 when he was arrested for allegedly abusing and strangling his ex-girlfriend. After suiting up for the first game of the 2014 season, Hardy was parked on the commissioner’s exempt list and did not return to play in another game for Carolina. The Panthers decided they were done with Hardy, but the Cowboys rolled the dice on him by inking him to a one-year, $11.3MM contract prior to the ’15 campaign.
After serving a four-game ban to start the 2015 season, the Cowboys’ faith in Hardy was not necessarily rewarded. Yes, Hardy managed six sacks across 12 games and, yes, he still managed to grade out as the league’s 28th-best edge defender, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he was not nearly as dominant as he was during his peak years and Hardy was routinely late to team meetings and practices. After dealing with the attitude issues and the PR headaches, the Cowboys decided that they wanted out of the Hardy business.
The rest of the NFL reached a similar conclusion. Teams, for the most part, steered clear of the one-time Pro Bowler. The Jaguars briefly considered signing Hardy, but shut the door on him in August.
“Well, I mean, to me, there are a lot of issues,” Jags owner Shad Khan said. “You have to understand them all and the only way is to experience them first-hand. What the upside/downside might be – I think we’re not even close to a decision like that.”
Hardy failed to reboot his career after that, but you can still find him on ESPN. The 30-year-old (31 in July) recently turned his attention to mixed martial arts and is now a member of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Over the weekend, Hardy defeated a Russian journeyman by the name of Dmitry Smoliakov who, frankly, looked defeated before the first punch was thrown. Hardy now boasts a professional record of 4-1 in MMA with many fans calling for a step up in competition in his next bout.
His next opponent is TBD, but this much is clear: Hardy’s future is confined to the cage and his NFL playing days are undoubtedly over.
Poll: Grading The Jets’ Draft
It’s hard to find fault with the Jets’ top pick – Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was regarded by some as the best overall talent in the 2019 class and the Jets’ decision to forgo an edge rusher to pounce on him at No. 3 overall makes plenty of sense. After that, however, things get a little bit murky. 
The Jets were already behind the 8-ball in this year’s draft thanks to last year’s move up for Sam Darnold. In order to jump from No. 6 to No. 3 last year, Gang Green forfeited their 2019 second-round pick (No. 34 overall) to the Colts (and then some), meaning that their second pick in this year’s draft did not come until the third round at No. 68 overall.
Here, they took Florida linebacker Jachai Polite, a player who once had first round buzz but slipped after bombing at the combine. Polite also dropped like a stone thanks to rumblings about his work ethic and unwillingness to do what was asked of him by coaches, but GM Mike Maccagnan seems to think that he can get more out of him.
“We know some of the risk in him,” Maccagnan said of Polite after the draft. “We also think there are some very good qualities about him.”
From there, the Jets used their remaining selections on USC tackle Chuma Edoga, West Virginia tight end Trevon Wesco, Minnesota linebacker Blake Cashman, and Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin. Edoga – who served as one of Sam Darnold‘s primary protectors – has some NFL potential, but did not fill the Jets’ need for a center. Cashman offers the kind of hard-nosed playing style that coaches love, but it’s hard to get juiced about a player who is one year removed from double shoulder surgeries. Ditto for Austin, a corner with great size and tools who has not played much over the last two years thanks to knee injuries. Wesco, meanwhile, is a quality blocking tight end, but the Jets probably would have been better served by tapping a developmental wide receiver here.
How would you grade the Jets’ draft? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users):
How would you grade the Jets' draft?
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B 40% (675)
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C 34% (577)
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D 10% (164)
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A 9% (146)
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F 7% (112)
Total votes: 1,674
Titans To Sign DL Brent Urban
The Titans have agreed to sign Brent Urban, according to a team announcement. It’s a one-year deal, tweets Paul Kuharksy. The deal comes roughly ten days after Urban first visited with the team. Better late than never, as they say.
The Titans are clearly committed to boosting the defensive line after drafting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the first round and adding Urban. At 6’7 and 300 pounds, Urban gives the Titans size and experience up front.
Last year, Urban started 16 games for the Ravens and finished with 27 tackles and a half sack. Across four pro seasons, he has appeared in 41 games with 52 tackles in total. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but he did grade out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 49 ranked interior defender in 2018 thanks to his solid run defense.
Jets Eyeing Round 2 Trade Up
The Jets are looking to make a splash on Friday night. Gang Green is seeking to make a move all the way from the third round into the early second, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, in order to pull that off, the Jets would need to give up significant capital in future draft picks.
It’s not clear who the Jets are targeting, but Garafolo (Twitter link) estimates that they’re going for a pass rusher. The Jets have spoken to the Seahawks, who own the No. 37 overall pick, Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) hears, which would represent a significant jump from No. 68 overall in the third round.
Of course, the Jets had a big opportunity to improve their pass rush with the No. 3 overall pick last night, but they opted for Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams over Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Michigan’s Rashan Gary, and other impact edge players.
Criminal Investigation Against Tyreek Hill Re-Opened
The criminal case against Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his fiance has been reopened, according to KCTV5. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed as much at Friday afternoon’s introductory press conference for the newly-acquired Frank Clark, per Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Prosecutors dropped charges against Hill earlier this week, but the case is back on after audio of a conversation between Hill and partner Crystal Espinal was leaked. 
After the recording of the duo detailing their son’s broken arm, the Chiefs moved to ban Hill from team activities. It seems probable that Hill will be released altogether, but that hasn’t happened just yet.
“We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation],” said general manager Brett Veach in a statement. “We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for Crystal. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child.”
Hill, who has a history of domestic violence accusations dating back to his college days, is alleged to have punched and used a belt to strike his three-year-old son. The Johnson County District Attorney’s office previously indicated that there was not enough evidence to press ahead with the case against Hill. Now, they may have enough ammo to bring charges against him.