Bengals Open To A.J. Green Extension?
The Bengals sound open to an extension for wide receiver A.J. Green, as Fletcher Page of The Enquirer writes. However, that’s not the case for quarterback Andy Dalton. 
“Oh, I think he’s a proven commodity, isn’t he?,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said. “The price range for him will be something we can figure out, it will come together. It’s true with anyone, if they suddenly get an injury..it reduces them. Well that changes the equation, but I never plan on that happening. I like to think that won’t happen. If A.J. is healthy, he’s as good a receiver as anybody in the league.”
Health, of course, was an issue for Green last year. The perennial Pro Bowler saw his season end in early December, marking the second time in three years that his season ended on IR. Still, Green finished out with 46 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns in nine games, numbers that put him on pace for his usually strong output across a 16-game season.
Green has one year left on the four-year, $60MM extension he inked with the Bengals in 2015. Since then, he’s watched many other receivers leapfrog him in salary. When it comes to yearly salary, seven WRs rank ahead of Green: Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks, Sammy Watkins, and Jarvis Landry all earn more than Green’s $15MM/year average.
Meanwhile, a new deal for Dalton sounds unlikely to happen anytime soon.
“I think it’s a good year for (Dalton) to show like he can, like we think he will. After he re-establishes himself we would want to get together with him and see if we can extend it,” Brown said when asked about Dalton, who has two years to go on his deal. “I think Andy is a good player and that he will rebound off last year. He was hurt. We lost so many other pieces. It fell apart, but if he’s healthy and we stay healthy enough, I have confidence in him.“
Lions Open To New Deal For Snacks Harrison
Damon Harrison wants a new contract from the Lions, and he just might get it. Lions GM Bob Quinn says the club plans to discuss the matter with agent Drew Rosenhaus, though a fresh deal for Snacks is not necessarily No. 1 on the team’s to-do list.
“It’s something that I got to talk to (agent) Drew (Rosenhaus) this week (about), and going into the future,” Quinn said (via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News). “Not something that I need to do right now. My priority right now is the draft. We got another month or so before the draft is here, so that’s something that we’ll probably talk about in May or June.”
Harrison, 30, has two years left on his current deal. Typically, teams explore extensions with players when they are one year away from free agency, but Harrison could be an exception after he delivered for the Lions’ D. For now, he’s slated to carry cap hits of $7MM in 2019 and $9.25MM in 2020, with no guaranteed money left on his pact.
For the Lions, a new deal could give them an opportunity to smooth out Harrison’s cap hit in the coming years. It would also keep one of their top defensive players happy, which would be a good idea after Harrison helped them to average just 3.76 yards per carry to opposing teams in 2018.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Foles, Manning
For a minute there, the Eagles considered tagging quarterback Nick Foles. This week, owner Jeff Lurie confirmed what had been widely rumored – the tag was considered only to stop Foles from potentially leaving for the rival Giants or Redskins (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). However, when it became apparent to the Redskins that Foles would be leaving the conference altogether by signing with the Jaguars, the Eagles opted against the move.
Foles was beloved in Philadelphia, but holding on to him as Carson Wentz‘s backup would have been an expensive proposition. Instead, the Eagles allowed him to fly away while putting their limited cap space into other areas.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- As the Giants evaluate their future at the quarterback position, they have not ruled out the possibility that Eli Manning could be their QB in 2020, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears. If the Giants do not draft a QB at No. 6 or No. 17 overall or trade for Cardinals QB Josh Rosen, this could be the most likely outcome. From there, the Giants would kick the can down the road into 2020, when they would (finally) select Manning’s heir.
- The Cowboys‘ one-year deal with safety George Iloka is a minimum salary benefit contract that will count for just $735K against the cap, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll earn a $930K base salary with just $210K of that amount being guaranteed. The longtime Bengals starter is just the latest one-year addition in Dallas, joining fellow vets Randall Cobb, Kerry Hyder, Christian Covington, Cameron Fleming, Tavon Austin, and Jason Witten on deals that expire after the 2019 season.
- The Redskins will move former Giants first-round pick Ereck Flowers from tackle to guard, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. They don’t expect there to be much of a learning curve, however. “With his strength and his size and his ability to move I think it will be a natural easy fit,” head coach Jay Gruden said. “[When] we drafted Brandon I remember they came out in the same class and rated right next to each other. Ereck was more a tackle and Brandon projected more of a guard. Both are athletic big and can move. It will be an easy transition.”
Latest On Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill
The NFL is not expected to weigh in on possible discipline for Chiefs star Tyreek Hill until child protective services concludes their investigation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) hears. That could mean that Hill’s fate will be in limbo for a while as authorities sift through the accusations levied against the wide receiver. 
Hill’s three-year old son is said to have suffered injuries, including a broken arm, at Hill’s home. Authorities are looking into Hill’s involvement in the incident, which may not be the first such event in his household. On March 5th, officers were called to Hill’s home to investigate a different incident of “child abuse or neglect.”
Hill has not been placed on the commissioner’s exempt list yet and the league is likely waiting for more information from CPS before proceeding with any discipline. The accusations are troubling, particularly in light of Hill’s pre-NFL track record, but at this point, details are murky.
In 2017, Hill’s second NFL season, he amassed nearly 1,200 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. Then, last year, he set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite his diminutive stature, Hill is among the very best in the league at his position.
Raiders To Meet With LB Brandon Marshall
The Raiders are set to meet with linebacker Brandon Marshall on Thursday, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Marshall has been on the market since being released by the rival Broncos in February. 
Marshall, who compiled 102 tackles and three sacks in 2017, would help a linebacker group that recently added Vontaze Burfict on a low-cost deal. And, like Burfict, he could be a solid value for Oakland. Marshall battled through injuries during the 2018 season and appeared in just eleven games, so his stock is far from its zenith.
Marshall finished out 2018 with only 42 tackles, his lowest total since he became a starter during the 2014 season. Still, the former fifth-rounder proved that he can be a difference maker when he’s at full strength – Marshall finished with at least 100 tackles in each of his three healthiest seasons.
The Ravens have also expressed interest in the ‘backer, who turns 30 in September.
DeMarcus Lawrence Increases Asking Price
The Cowboys recently stepped up their offer to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to meet his $20MM asking price. But, as Marlo Stanfield once famously said in “The Wire,” the price of the brick is going up. 
In the last few weeks, Lawrence has gone from asking for $20MM/year to $22.5MM per annum, according to Calvin Watkins of The Athletic. The Cowboys’ current offer would make Lawrence the league’s highest-paid 4-3 defensive end, but the pass rusher is looking to match the $22.5MM AAV on Aaron Donald‘s deal and inch towards the $23.5MM per year earned by Khalil Mack.
Lawrence, 27 in April, is already the highest-paid 4-3 defensive end in the NFL thanks to his $20.5MM franchise tag. However, he has indicated that he won’t report to the club until he gets a new deal.
This is shaping up to be a challenging negotiation for the Cowboys, but that’s nothing new for owner Jerry Jones.
“This has gone on as far back for me, notably, with Emmitt Smith,” Jones said. “Any of you know my relationship with Emmitt Smith today know that’s a memory we smile about the way we are, 20-something years later and we’re in business together. That’s just part of the business. The main thing, and I don’t want to be cavalier, this is a significant thing for not only our franchise but DeMarcus’ life. It would make anyone be very, very judicious as they are working through the terms of this agreement.”
Giants To Explore Josh Rosen Trade
The Giants have internally considered a trade for Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. However, those conversations have been extremely preliminary, as the Giants are still unsure about Rosen’s availability. 
Rumors of the Cardinals targeting quarterback Kyler Murray have swirled over the last couple of months and nothing is certain on that front with less than one month to go before they take the podium. Recently, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury did his best to quiet talk of the Cards drafting the former Oklahoma quarterback and moving on from Rosen, the UCLA product who was selected with the No. 10 overall pick last year.
“People have said a lot of things that are misconceptions, if you will,” Kingsbury said of the Rosen speculation. “Josh is a tremendous player, I’ve always thought, watching him at UCLA. He played his best football in a spread system, some similarities to what we do. He’s a tremendous thinker, very cerebral, can throw it with anybody.”
The Giants, meanwhile, are armed with the No. 6 and No. 17 overall picks in this year’s draft, but they’re not 100% sold on any of this year’s top QBs. Rosen could be had for a lot less than a first-round pick, and he has some fans in the building.
Jordy Nelson Retires From NFL
Jordy Nelson is calling it a career. The longtime Packers standout wide receiver is retiring from football, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). 
Nelson leaves the sport with more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring.He spent the majority of his career with the Packers – from 2008-2017 – before hooking on with the Raiders last year. He didn’t look like his old self in Oakland, however, as he finished out with just 63 catches and 739 yards with one score. He also had a down year in 2017 (53/482/6), though most of his passes were thrown by quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers in his final year with the Packers.
The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers. But, as he approaches his 34th birthday in May, Nelson wants to move on to other endeavors.
The Raiders dropped Nelson on March 14, despite a late-December proclamation that he would return to the club. In fact, the Raiders even gave him his $3.6MM roster bonus early, a seemingly sure sign that he would be on the roster this year. However, things changed in March after the Raiders acquired Antonio Brown and signed slot weapon Tyrell Williams in free agency.
We here at PFR wish Nelson the best in retirement.
Rams Unlikely To Re-Sign Ndamukong Suh
The Rams are unlikely to re-sign Ndamukong Suh, GM Les Snead says (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry). Bringing the defensive tackle back is “pretty much guaranteed to be off the table” due to “budgetary constraints,” which means that one of the best remaining free agents will be changing teams in 2019. 
The Rams have limited cap space to work with after re-signing outside linebacker Dante Fowler and adding safety Eric Weddle, quarterback Blake Bortles, and linebacker Clay Matthews. Last year, the Rams gave Suh a one-year, $14MM deal, and he could command similar money on the open market.
The Rams also have future extensions to keep in mind. They want to keep cornerback Marcus Peters in L.A. for the long haul and, eventually, they’ll want to sit down with quarterback Jared Goff to discuss a new contract.
While Suh is still an imposing presence, he didn’t look like his old self in 2018. The five-time Pro Bowler finished out with 4.5 sacks from the interior, but the Rams allowed a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry to opposing teams. On the plus side, Suh did seem to get more comfortable with his shift from playing as a 4-3 three-technique tackle to a 3-4 nose tackle as the season progressed.
“There was an early-in-the down transition to that position change and I do think as the season went on he did improve,” Snead said. “And you felt more of the Ndamukong that maybe you had gotten to know over the years.”
It’s also worth noting that Suh was effective in the club’s first two playoff games against the Cowboys and Saints. And, ultimately, Suh finished out as the No. 20 ranked interior defender in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus. That’s not quite as strong as his placement in his prime years – Suh was ranked in PFF’s top 5 as recently as 2017 – but he’s still a productive player at the age of 32.
Colts Sign Justin Houston
The Colts have reached agreement on a deal with former Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year, $24MM deal, Schefter adds (Twitter link). 
The deal includes $18.5MM in total guarantees, according to Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter). That’s a larger-than-expected guarantee for Houston, who did not have a ton of suitors following his release from Kansas City.
The Chiefs tried to trade Houston this offseason, but no club was willing to take on his $15.25MM base salary. On March 10, they released him outright. By cutting Houston, the Chiefs saved $14MM in cap space while absorbing $7.1MM in dead money.
Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, but his free agent market has been eerily quiet over the last couple of weeks. Now, he’ll join the Colts as he enters his age-30 campaign.
The Colts recently explored a trade for Dee Ford, Schefter notes (on Twitter), but they ultimately held on to their draft picks and landed his former Chiefs teammate.
Houston can still be an effective player, as evidenced by his 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 14th-best edge defender last year, and his presence should go a long way towards bolstering the Colts’ lackluster pass rush. And, while a 4-3 scheme might not be a perfect fit for Houston, he can still be a disruptor in Matt Eberflus‘ system.
The addition of Houston may also alter the Colts’ draft plans. The Colts may still look for a young edge rusher in April, but having Houston on the roster may allow them to stand pat at No. 26 rather than trading up for an upper-echelon prospect.