Saints To Release Kurt Coleman
The Saints are releasing safety Kurt Coleman, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, the Saints will keep the door open to a potential return later on, Garafolo hears. 
Coleman was due $5.5MM in total compensation this year, a figure that was too high for New Orleans. By cutting him loose, the Saints will save $4MM against the cap with a $3MM dead money hit.
The move leaves the Saints rather thin at safety. The club still has starters Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell under contract, but they have a clear need for backup support. Coleman is out of the picture and Chris Banjo‘s status is up in the air as an unrestricted free agent.
Coleman, 30, had two more years to go on his three-year, $16.35MM deal. It’s safe to assume that his next deal will come in at a much lower average annual value. After starting in every one of his appearances for the Panthers from 2015-2017, Coleman lost his starting job to Bell in 2018 and was first-string for just nine games. All in all, he had 32 tackles and one pass defensed last season.
In previous years, Coleman was extremely effective. In 2015, he reeled in seven interceptions for Carolina. He followed that up with four picks in 2016, plus a career-best 95 tackles.
Extra Points: Giants, OBJ, Kaep, Murray
Will the Giants trade Odell Beckham. Jr. this offseason? Speculation is mounting, and Mike Florio of PFT adds fuel to the fire by suggesting that OBJ and the 49ers could be a match.
The Niners have the No. 2 and No. 36 overall picks in the draft, giving them ample ammo to land one of the game’s most dynamic receivers. An outright swap of the No. 2 pick for OBJ may be too high of a price for the 49ers to pay, but Florio suggests that the Giants could send back a third- or fourth-round pick to balance things out.
Florio also wonders if the already star-studded Rams could reignite their OBJ pursuit. Brandin Cooks seems to have the WR1 position covered, but they could theoretically put together a package with draft capital and a receiver like Robert Woods to make a strong offer.
While you ponder those OBJ possibilities, here’s more from around the NFL:
- Now that Colin Kaepernick‘s collusion grievance has been settled, the door may be open for the quarterback to return to the NFL. With that in mind, the beat writers of The Athletic ran down potential fits with each of the league’s 32 teams. The entire piece is worth a read, though there is a common refrain – Kaep may be a fit for several teams, but PR issues would ultimately 86 the chance of deals in most cases. The Seahawks, who previously explored a Kaepernick signing, may be among the most likely landing spots for the polarizing QB.
- Oklahoma quarterback and dual-sport star Kyler Murray is training for the Scouting Combine, but he is unsure about whether he will throw in Indianapolis, as Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. Murray, presumably, will run the 40-yard dash, and he says he posted an impressive 4.3-second time when he last tried it in 2016. Teams will also be eager to measure the QB. An Oklahoma official recently claimed that Murray comes in at just 5’9″ and 7/8 inches in socks.
- The Steelers might not get all that much for Antonio Brown in a trade, some NFL execs say.
Bengals Hire Lou Anarumo As DC
At long last, the Bengals’ defensive coordinator position has been filled. On Thursday, the Bengals hired Lou Anarumo to serve as the team’s new DC. 
“I’ve always had great respect for Lou, and I know he is a tremendous defensive coach,” head coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He’s a great fit for what we want to build here in Cincinnati. Lou is an excellent communicator who the players will have great respect for, and he will get the best out of them.”
The Bengals have had quite the ordeal when it comes to their DC search. At various points, they thought they had deals with Jack Del Rio, Dom Capers, and Florida DC Todd Grantham for the job. For one reason or another, none of those coaches put pen to paper. After exploring a wide range of other candidates, Anarumo came away with the job.
Anarumo served as the Giants’ defensive backs coach last year, a position he has held at multiple NFL stops. He doesn’t offer the same level of DC experience as Del Rio or Capers, but he did hold that job in an interim capacity with the Dolphins in 2015.
Anarumo will have to get up to speed quickly. Last year, the Bengals finished dead last in total defense with 413.6 yards allowed per game and ranked 32nd against the pass with 275.9 yards permitted per game. The Bengals have work to do on offense, as well, but they won’t get far if they have a repeat of 2018 when they allowed 28.4 points on average to opponents.
Bills Re-Sign LB Deon Lacey
The Bills have re-signed linebacker Deon Lacey to a one-year contract, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. The team also confirmed the move via press release. 
[RELATED: NFL Reinstates Karlos Williams]
Lacey was scheduled to become an exclusive-rights free agent, so the deal doesn’t mean a whole lot on its own. However, the Bills have made a concerted effort to re-sign their own free agents in recent weeks. After inking Lacey to a new deal for 2019, the Bills have only a handful of free agents left to address:
- UFAs: Taiwan Jones, Deonte Thompson, Jordan Mills, John Miller, Ryan Groy, Jordan Phillips
- RFA: Logan Thomas
- ERFA: Eddie Yarbrough, Matt Darr
Earlier this month, the Bills signed Lorenzo Alexander to a new one-year deal, inked offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles to a fresh one-year pact, and locked down long snapper Reid Ferguson. By the time March 13 rolls around, the Bills should have a simplified to-do list that will allow them to focus mostly on the open market and the April draft.
Ravens, Tavon Young Agree To Extension
The Ravens and cornerback Tavon Young have agreed to an extension, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter). It’s a three-year, $25.8MM extension with a max value of $29MM, making him the NFL’s highest-paid nickel back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Young was already signed through the 2019 season, but GM Eric DeCosta has made it a priority is to lock up some of the Ravens’ young players before they reach their walk years. Young is a rising star at slot cornerback and inking him to a new deal this week may prevent them from a much larger expenditure before the 2020 season.
The cornerback already had approximately $2MM on the books for 2019, so the “new money” for this deal comes in at $25MM+, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. All in all, that gives him a new money average of $8.6MM per year.
Young played much of last season with a sports hernia injury, but managed to gut it out and appear in 15 of the Ravens’ 16 regular season games. He proved to have a nose for the ball with three fumble recoveries, two of which were taken the other way for touchdowns. He also recorded an interception, giving him three in total for his career.
The former fourth-round pick graded out as the No. 75 cornerback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The advanced metrics weren’t necessarily wild about him, but that ranking did place him above the likes of Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Jets Concerned About Le’Veon Bell’s Weight?
Armed with $100MM+ in cap room, the Jets have been heavily connected to Le’Veon Bell. However, they have some concerns about the former Steelers running back’s weight, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News. 
[RELATED: Jets Won’t Break The Bank For Bell]
Rumor has it that Bell, who typically plays around 225 pounds, beefed up to 260 pounds at one point during his holdout. It’s not clear whether Bell is still carrying extra weight, but the Jets are concerned regardless.
Bell’s trainer has since disputed Mehta’s report, calling it “ridiculous,” per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that Bell has never approached 260 pounds and isn’t near that weight currently.
With that said, Mehta hears the Jets would still sign Bell at the right price. Mehta hears that Bell is seeking $48MM over the first three years of his upcoming deal, which might be too rich for Gang Green’s blood. The Jets, as previously reported, are not looking to break the bank for the 27-year-old.
Even with the potential red flags, Bell still profiles as a game-changing dual-threat running back for any team that signs him. Bell personally believes that he can spark the Colts’ offense, but their level of interest is unclear, so the Jets may be his best bet for a big payday.
NFL Reinstates Former Bills RB Karlos Williams
Former Bills running back Karlos Williams has been conditionally reinstated by the NFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Williams has not played since his rookie year in 2015, but he may now have an opportunity to get his career back on track. 
The letter informed Williams of the good news and noted he was humbled and committed to not squandering his second chance. Provided that Williams stays clean following his substance abuse suspension, he should be able to sign with a club and suit up.
Williams averaged 5.6 yards per carry as a rookie (with nine all-purpose touchdowns) and showed serious promise. But, before the 2016 season, he was a surprise cut when he showed up to Buffalo out of shape. He later hooked on with the Steelers, but never played a down for Pittsburgh.
Broncos Haven’t Asked Sanders For Pay Cut
The Broncos have yet not approached Emmanuel Sanders or his agent about taking a pay cut, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. At this time, it sounds like Sanders will be a Bronco in 2019, Pelissero adds. 
Sanders made waves this week when he indicated that he will not consider taking a pay cut from Denver. The Broncos could still theoretically make that request, but as of this writing, they have not done so. Ultimately, Sanders might not have much to worry about as the Broncos appear to still have him in their plans.
Sanders recorded in 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns last season. He also rushed for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass. Those numbers weren’t in line with his previous career bests, including a 101-catch, 1,404-yard season in 2014, but big numbers were hard to come by on a listless Broncos offense in 2018.
In theory, the Broncos could cut Sanders and save his full $10.25MM salary against the cap while eating his bonus proration of $2,687,500. But, cap space is not at a premium, even when factoring in Joe Flacco’s contract. We should know the score in a matter of weeks – $1.5MM of Sanders’ $10.25MM salary becomes fully guaranteed if the Broncos exercise his option and a decision must be made by March 12.
Vikings’ Adam Thielen Wants New Deal
Adam Thielen is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He’s also among the most underpaid players in the league. Thielen’s agent, Blake Baratz, says he’s optimistic about getting an extension hammered out this offseason, but added that his client will not engage in a holdout. 
“Adam’s not that type of person,” Baratz told SKOR (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I would never condone a player to hold out or be disruptive if it wasn’t for a very valid reason, and [what’s not] a valid reason, to me, is both sides working in good faith to come to a conclusion that makes sense for everybody.”
Without a holdout, it’s hard to see the Vikings caving. Thielen’s under-market extension has him under contract for just $5.85MM in base salary this season and $6.5MM in 2020. Often times, teams elect to hold off on extension talks until the final season, meaning that the 28-year-old (29 in August) may have to play out one more season at a bargain rate before pushing for a new deal.
“This team has a lot of really good things in place for it, and I know they want to take care of Adam and I know they want Adam there and I know they want to reward Adam,” Baratz said.
Thielen followed up his 91/1,276/4 line in 2017 with a 113/1,373/9 stat line in 2018. The Vikings disappointed on the whole in 2018, but Theilen had an exceptional year en route to his second-straight Pro Bowl appearance.
Browns Sign WR Jaelen Strong
The Browns have signed wide receiver Jaelen Strong, according to a team announcement. Strong, a former third-round pick, did not play in the 2018 season. 
Strong spent his first two seasons in the NFL with the Texans, but was released by Houston in September of 2017 and landed with the Jaguars as a depth signing. He was activated in the wake of injuries to starters Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns and responded by catching a touchdown pass in the first half. Unfortunately, he went down with a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee in that game. In April of 2018, the Jaguars cut him loose.
If Strong has fully recovered, he could be an intriguing weapon for quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Browns could use some fortification in their receiver group anyway – Jarvis Landry led the way with 81 catches last year, but no other Browns receiver topped 45 grabs.
Strong, an Arizona State product, has played in 20 career games with just three starts. Overall, he’s tallied 31 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns.