Benjamin Watson Interested In Patriots?
If Benjamin Watson returns to the NFL, he could join up with a contender that is badly in need of a tight end. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Watson comes back and signs with the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Ben Watson Considering Comeback]
The Patriots lost one of the game’s very best tight ends when Rob Gronkowski retired earlier this offseason. Rumors continue to swirl about Gronk making a comeback of his own, but for now, the Patriots are moving forward with the belief that Gronk is gone for good.
Watson is 38 years old, but there’s reason to believe he can still be productive if he gets back on the gridiron. In 2017, his lone season with the Ravens, Watson compiled 61 catches for 522 yards and four touchdowns. Last year’s Saints return did not produce a gaudy stat line, but he still managed 35 grabs for 400 yards and two scores.
Only a few tight ends, including Antonio Gates last season, have played past their 38th birthdays. No pure tight end, discounting long snappers, has suited up past his 39th. Watson turns 39 in December.
Falcons Pick Up Keanu Neal’s Option
The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on safety Keanu Neal’s contract, per a team announcement. This was yet another no-brainer fifth-year option decision. 
The 23-year-old (24 in July) has started in all of his games since entering the league as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2017, Neal earned a Pro Bowl nod after racking up 113 tackles, six passes defensed, four tackles for a loss, and one interception. His much anticipated follow-up was wiped out by an ACL tear last year, but he’s set to get back to work in 2019.
A fun fact from the Falcons’ press release: Since the fifth-year option for first-round picks was instituted in 2011, the Falcons have exercised the fifth-year option on each player they’ve selected in the first round. Overall, that’s a good indicator of the Falcons’ success rate inside of the first 32 picks.
Click here for a full rundown of every fifth-year option decision on 2016 first-round picks.
Jets “Determined” To Trade Down
The Jets’ desire to move down from the No. 3 overall pick has been well documented at this point. Apparently, their motivation is reaching a fever pitch in the buildup to Thursday night’s draft. The Jets are “determined” to slide back, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears. 
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan is on the record as saying he’s “open” to the idea of moving back. Apparently, he’s been underselling it.
“They seem to really, really want to move down,” said one NFL exec. “Maybe they’re just keeping their options open, but it sure seems like that No. 3 pick is for sale.”
As of this writing, the Jets have only six picks, which is less than ideal for a club with multiple holes in the midst of an exceptionally deep draft in the first four rounds. Moving back from No. 3 overall could give the Jets an impressive haul of choices, especially if a QB-needy team like the Redskins bite.
The Jets are seeking to at least recoup the second-round pick they surrendered when they moved up for Sam Darnold last year, one source tells Vacchiano. The Jets could easily get that and then some, depending on how far back they’re willing to move. Still, any deal likely won’t happen until draft day and might not transpire until the Jets are called to the podium on Thursday night.
Chris Harris Wants To Stay With Broncos
The Broncos are listening to trade offers for cornerback Chris Harris Jr., Mike Klis of 9News hears. Meanwhile, Harris says his preference is to stay put – though he wants a new contract in order to remain in Denver. 
“Oh, yeah, definitely,’’ Harris said when asked if fences can be mended. “I want to be here so we can salvage it.’’
When asked how his tenuous relationship with the team can be salvaged, Harris replied: “You know how.”
The Broncos, Klis hears, “won’t give him away,” which suggests that this saga could drag on for a while. The Broncos, for now, are unwilling to meet Harris’ demand of a deal that will pay him in excess of $15MM/year.
There will undoubtedly be a market for Harris’ services, but any club considering him will have to factor in the cost of a new contract in addition to the assets surrendered in a trade. Klis hears that one team inquired on Harris earlier this week, before things came to a boil on Tuesday.
Klis adds in a separate tweet that GM John Elway is in no rush to deal Harris, so perhaps the two side can, in fact, find some common ground.
Redskins Exploring Move Into Top 5
The Redskins have explored moving into the Top 5 of the NFL Draft, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). As it stands, the Redskins are set to pick at No. 15 overall, but they could vault up the board between now and Thursday night. 
It’s not immediately clear who the Redskins are targeting, but such a move could put them in range for quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock. It’s also not clear who the Redskins are talking to, though the Jets at No. 3 would make sense given their well-known desire to move down and add draft picks.
If the Redskins are able to get into the Top 5, they’ll sneak ahead of the Giants at No. 6, which would eliminate one of their biggest competitors at QB. Of course, moving up that far will cost the Redskins and history indicates that they may have to part with a future first-round pick to get a deal done. They can also deal from this year’s Round 2 and 3 picks at No. 46, No. 76, and No. 96 overall.
For now, the Redskins are set to go into 2019 with Case Keenum as their QB. Alex Smith, of course, is sidelined after his gruesome leg injury from last year and Colt McCoy is also working his way back from a broken leg of his own.
Whatever the Redskins do from here, it sounds like a Josh Rosen trade won’t be a part of their plans.
Eagles Willing To Trade Nelson Agholor?
Teams believe that Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor could be available via trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Agholor, a versatile weapon, carries a $9.4MM fully guaranteed price tag and could be moved if the Eagles draft a receiver early in this week’s draft. 
This is a change in thinking from where the Eagles were just six weeks ago. Even after the Eagles acquired DeSean Jackson and gave him a lucrative three-year extension, the belief was that Agholor would remain with the club. Now, the Eagles seem to be a bit more future-minded at the WR position and they could use this opportunity to get younger while cutting down on costs.
The former USC pass-catcher has been a key component of the past two Eagle passing attacks. Even with the midseason arrival of Golden Tate, Agholor still managed a career-high 64 receptions for 736 yards and four touchdowns.
Bengals Pick Up William Jackson’s Option
The Bengals have exercised their fifth-year option on cornerback William Jackson, according to a team announcement. The additional year keeps him under control through 2020, though it is guaranteed for injury only. 
Chosen with the No. 24 overall pick in 2016, Jackson missed his entire rookie year due to injury. In his re-do year, he mostly served as a backup. However, he started in all 16 of the Bengals’ games last year and tallied 41 tackles. For his work, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 26th best cornerback in the entire NFL, despite the fact that he did not record a single interception.
Jackson is just the latest 2016 first-round pick to have his fifth-year option exercised. To keep track of every decision, check out PFR’s running list, which will be updated between now and the May 3 deadline.
Redskins Not Interested In Josh Rosen?
Previously, we heard that the Redskins have cooled on Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen. Now, it sounds like they could be out of the chase entirely. The Redskins do not have any plans to trade with the Cards, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Somehow, the market for last year’s No. 10 overall pick seems rather soft, even though there are several teams in need of a promising young quarterback. The latest word is that the Dolphins have done more homework on Rosen than anyone else, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would be willing to fork over a first or even second-round pick for the UCLA product.
The Cardinals could be hours away from selecting Kyler Murray as their quarterback of the future, but they haven’t been active in trade talks on Rosen recently. That could support word that the Cardinals are comfortable with keeping Rosen on the roster until they get the right offer, even if Murray is the pick. It could also be an indication that the Cardinals are ready to take a defender with the No. 1 choice, though that would be a shock to many.
The Chargers and Giants have also checked in on Rosen, though the G-Men have the draft ammo necessary to get a rookie QB of their own. That could leave the Chargers – who pick at No. 28 overall – as the more likely landing spot for Rosen.
Giants Restructure Kevin Zeitler’s Contract
The Giants have restructured the contract of guard Kevin Zeitler, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The revised contract should give the Giants some much needed flexibility with the anticipated signing of two first-round picks on the horizon. 
The tweaked contract will convert $7.5MM of Zeitler’s $10MM salary for 2019 into a signing bonus. By doing that, the G-Men have freed up $5MM in cap room for the upcoming season.
Beyond that, Zeitler is signed through 2021 with non-guaranteed salaries of $10MM and $12MM. But, by easing the blow in 2019, his cap hits will go up $2.5MM in each of those seasons. That’s a bridge the Giants can potentially cross next offseason, if they are still in need of wiggle room.
The Giants acquired Zeitler via trade with the Browns in a swap that sent Olivier Vernon to Cleveland. Later, that trade was merged with the Odell Beckham Jr. blockbuster, resulting in the following mega-trade:
Browns acquire:
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- DE Olivier Vernon
Giants acquire:
- G Kevin Zeitler
- S Jabrill Peppers
- 2019 first-round pick (No. 17)
- 2019 third-round pick (No. 95)
Latest On Broncos, Chris Harris
Chris Harris wants a new contract from the Broncos that will pay him more than $15MM/year or a trade to a club that will give him the deal he desires. Right now, it sounds like the latter scenario is more likely. The Broncos are unwilling to meet his demands, Mike Klis of 9News hears. 
Harris is entering the final year of a five-year extension he signed in December 2014. The deal has him tied for 24th in the league in terms of average annual value. Meanwhile, he’s among the very best at his position.
Harris felt slighted by the Broncos’ decision to ink free agent Kareem Jackson to a three-year deal worth $11MM per year before addressing his own contract, Klis hears. Jackson, 31, is one year older than Harris and has not played anywhere near Harris’ level, so his frustration is understandable.
The Broncos, ideally, would love to keep Harris, but they’re a bit limited with just $11.7MM in cap space. In the past, the Broncos have made small concessions to keep Harris happy, but that likely won’t get the job done this time. Last year, the club tacked a $3MM incentive package on to Harris’ contract. A similar compromise seems unlikely to work this offseason.
Broncos GM John Elway, meanwhile, says he has bigger fish to fry.
“I don’t have time right now,” Elway said Tuesday when asked about negotiating a fresh deal for the cornerback. “I’m busy with the draft. We’ll talk about Chris. He’s under contract, so we’ll talk about that when the draft is over. When I say this, I said we’re going to talk about it. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.”
Meanwhile, the Broncos have yet to give Harris permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of The Athletic).