Eagles Release Chris Maragos
The Eagles released veteran defensive back Chris Maragos, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Maragos was once a standout special teamer for Philly, but it appears that he is no longer in their plans. The veteran was scheduled for free agency in March, so the transaction basically gives him a head start on his job search.
[RELATED: NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks To Eagles, Others]
Maragos, 32, has been in the NFL for eight years and has spent the last four years with the Eagles. He never lit up the stat sheet as a special teams specialist, but he was considered to be an important locker room figure and a difference-maker in the third facet of the game.
Maragos was limited to just six games in 2017 thanks to a lingering knee injury and spent all of 2018 on the PUP list. It’s not immediately clear whether Maragos will look to play elsewhere or retire.
NFL Allows Banned Prospects To Interview
The NFL will allow Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson, and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams to participate in “limited interviews” at the NFL Draft Combine, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Those three players are still barred from participating in drills, but they will be allowed to speak with teams and undergo medical testing. 
However, the news doesn’t do much for Simmons, a projected first round pick. Simmons will not be able to attend the combine because of to his ACL, so clubs will have to wait before speaking with him (Twitter link).
For Ferguson and Williams, this is potentially good news. All three players were barred from doing drills at the combine due to red flags, but they’ll have an opportunity to clear the air with interested clubs.
Simmons, who stands 6’4″, 300 pounds, appeared in 37 total games in his three-year career with the Bulldogs, managing 159 tackles (30.5 for loss), six sacks, and five forced fumbles during that time. He was named first-team All-SEC in both 2017 and 2018, and this season won the Conerly Trophy as the top college football player in the state of Mississippi. He had buzz as a top-15 selection, but the ACL tear he suffered in training could lower his ceiling.
Patriots’ Jason McCourty To Continue Playing
Safety Devin McCourty is set to continue playing in 2019, and so is his brother, cornerback Jason McCourty. Jason, who also said that he would consider retirement, wants to take the field again in the fall (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: Devin McCourty To Play In 2019]
The two brothers are not necessarily in the same boat, however. Devin is set to earn a $9MM base salary with the Patriots in 2019. Meanwhile, Jason is scheduled for free agency in March.
Jason, 32 in August, appeared in 16 games with 12 starts for the Patriots last season. He registered 70 total stops and ten passes defensed, showing that he still has plenty left in the tank.
For his work, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL last season with an career-best score of 82.3.
NFL Awards Compensatory Draft Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks to several teams, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The full rundown, which is below, includes two third-round picks for both the Rams and Patriots.
The NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained. As the NFL explains:
“Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. No club may receive more than four compensatory picks in any one year. If a club qualifies for more than four compensatory picks after offsetting each CFA lost by each CFA gained of an equal or higher value, the four highest remaining selections will be awarded to the club.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the number of compensatory selections to the number of clubs then in the League (32). This year, six clubs: the Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Rams, Giants, and 49ers qualified for compensatory selections under the net loss formula but will not receive those picks because the final numerical values of the CFAs who were lost by those clubs ranked 33rd through 39thamong the final numerical values of all compensatory selections. Each of those six clubs will receive compensatory selections for other CFAs lost whose final numerical values ranked within the top 32. “
Third Round
- (No. 33 in third round-No. 96 overall) Redskins
- 34-97 Patriots
- 35-98 Rams
- 36-99 Rams
- 37-100 Panthers
- 38-101 Patriots
- 39-102 Ravens
Falcons Sign Blidi Wreh-Wilson To Extension
The Falcons and Blidi Wreh-Wilson have agreed to an extension, according to a team announcement. The new deal is for one year and will keep the cornerback in the fold through the 2019 season. 
“Blidi has been a very versatile player for us over the last three years,” coach Dan Quinn said in a release. “He has experience in our system and adds depth for both the defense and special teams units.”
Wreh-Wilson was initially set to hit the open market in mid-March. The new deal doesn’t give him much in long-term security, but it probably included enough in the way of guaranteed money for him to punt on free agency. This marks the third straight year in which the 29-year-old has signed a one-year deal with Atlanta.
For the Falcons, the deal gives them some semblance of consistency in the secondary. Earlier this offseason, the club cut The Falcons released starting cornerback Robert Alford and elected against tendering slot corner Brian Poole.
Three Teams Inquired On Antonio Brown
Three teams have inquired on trading for Antonio Brown, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told NFL Network (via Yahoo Sports). Still, he does not expect a trade to come together right away. 
Stressing that the process will take time, Colbert indicated that things could pick up over the next week or so as teams gauge the free agent wide receiver market, make their “own free agency evaluations,” and watch prospects at the combine.
Still, the Steelers don’t have all the time in the world. Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17 and it would make little sense for them to pay that bonus and then trade him. A deal could take time, but, realistically, the Steelers have less than a month to get something done.
Some NFL executives believe the Steelers won’t get more than a third-round pick for one of the game’s most dynamic talents. Naturally, the Steelers want more.
“By no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to Pittsburgh Steelers organization,” Colbert said recently.
Between Brown’s shots at the Steelers on social media and his other off-the-field issues, it will be interesting to see how much leverage the Steelers have in trade talks. Any team in the NFL would probably like to have Brown, but clubs also know that his relationship with the club appears to be irreparably damaged.
Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards and a league-leading and career-high 15 touchdown receptions.
Robert Kraft Charged With Soliciting Prostitutes
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting prostitution by Jupiter, Fla. police. A police spokesperson tells reporters that Kraft, and the others implicated in the sting, were caught on camera “in the act” at a massage parlor. 
Kraft, 77, is alleged to have solicited a prostitute on at least two occasions. He was one of several men implicated in the sting, which lasted roughly eight months and led to the identification of more than 100 suspected “Johns.”
“The tentacles of this go from here to New York to China, in Florida from here to Orange County,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said earlier this week. “I think it’s very safe to say without any hyperbole that this is the tip of the iceberg.”
Kraft’s lawyers, meanwhile, deny any wrongdoing on the part of their client:
“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”
In a statement, the NFL said the league is “aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments. Kraft may be subject to league discipline, depending on how things unfold.
Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994. Since then, the franchise has won six Super Bowl championships and made ten overall Super Bowl appearances.
According to Forbes, Kraft is worth roughly $6.6 billion. Police say he will be charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the sting.
Saints’ Michael Thomas Hires Agent
Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has signed with agent Andrew Kessler of Athletes First, according to Josh Katzenstein. Thomas was without representation since November of 2018 when he cut ties with David Mulugheta. 
His dropping of Mulugheta in November raised eyebrows since Thomas is in line for a big extension this offseason. However, he has an agent once again with talks about to get underway.
Thomas, 26 in March, topped 1,100 yards receiving in each of his first two campaigns. In 2018, he exploded for a league-leading 125 catches and a career-high 1,405 yards, plus nine touchdowns. The Saints have the former second-round pick under contract through 2019, but there’s no question that both sides would prefer a long-term deal. It’s also clear that the Saints will have to come to the table with a deal that is near the top of the wide receiver market.
Currently, Odell Beckham Jr. leads all wide receivers with deal worth $90MM overall, $18MM in average annual value, and a $40.959MM total guarantee. Antonio Brown ranks second in AAV with $17MM/year and Mike Evans is the closest in total value with $82.5MM.
Steelers, Tyson Alualu Agree To Extension
The Steelers and defensive end Tyson Alualu have agreed to an extension, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The new two-year attachment will keep Alualu under contract through the 2020 season. 
Alualu spent his first seven seasons with the Jaguars before signing with the Steelers in 2017. The 31-year-old (32 in May) has since appeared in 31 games (seven starts) for the Steelers. In ’17, he logged four sacks, but had zero sacks last season and a career-low 22 tackles.
Alualu’s unimpressive stat line may have led him to re-up with Pittsburgh rather than testing the open market. He also played in just 311 snaps, so he didn’t have a ton of film for other teams to review. The advanced metrics weren’t keen on Alualu in 2018 either, though Pro Football Focus has never given him a great score.
Patriots’ Devin McCourty To Play In 2019
Before the Super Bowl, Patriots safety Devin McCourty openly pondered retirement. But, on Thursday night, McCourty said he’s “going to play,” (Twitter link via the Sports Spectrum Podcast). 
“At that point, that was Media Night when Deion said that to me, and it’s like, yeah, man, if we won a Super Bowl, I don’t know what else could top that,” he said. “I think in that moment I kind of forgot that I don’t play this game just to win Super Bowls. There’s so much more that comes from me playing the game that I love. I think once you get a chance to step away for a couple weeks, you’re like, yeah, I still do want to be around these other young guys that come in.”
McCourty is set to earn $9MM in the final year of his deal, though its possible the Patriots will ask him to take a pay cut. Of course, without the threat of retirement, McCourty might not have much in the way of leverage.
Last year, McCourty registered 82 tackles, four passes defensed and a pick six across all 16 games.
The rest of the key secondary players – Patrick Chung, Obi Melifonwu, Nate Ebner, and Duron Harmon – are also set to return to the Pats in ’19.