Cowboys To Sign RB Darius Jackson
Darius Jackson is back in Dallas. On Wednesday, the Cowboys agreed to terms with their former sixth-round pick, according to Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram. 
Jackson did not see the field with the Cowboys in 2016 as he was buried behind the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. In December, the team cut him to make room for Darren McFadden, who was returning from injury. The Cowboys were hoping to sneak him on to the practice squad, but the Browns claimed him, utilizing their top waiver priority to beat out the Eagles, Giants, and 49ers. Clearly, word had gotten out about Jackson’s impressive performance on the practice field.
Unfortunately, a knee injury cost Jackson all of 2017, which halted his momentum. He’ll now look to compete with Rod Smith, Trey Williams, and seventh-round pick Bo Scarbrough for a backup spot behind Elliott.
Jackson put himself on the NFL map in his senior year at Eastern Michigan. After spending his first three years as a part-time player, Jackson ran for 1,088 yards off of 208 carries, giving him an eye-popping 5.2 yards per carry average. He also had 14 rushing touchdowns plus 21 catches for 201 yards and two scores.
Packers To Sign Byron Bell
The Packers have beefed up their offensive line. Veteran Byron Bell announced on Instagram that he has signed with the Packers. 
Bell spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers before hooking on with the Titans in 2015. He missed all of 2016 with a foot injury, but returned in 2017 with the Cowboys where he appeared in 12 games at left tackle and made two starts. Bell’s 243 snaps last year were the lowest of any of his career seasons. All in all, he has started in 74 games across six years.
Bell has spent the bulk of his pro career at right tackle, but also offers experience at left tackle and left guard. With the ability to potentially play four positions on the line, Bell could be primed for a supersub role in Green Bay. And, with Bryan Bulaga and starting left guard Lane Taylor off the practice field as they recover from injuries, he’ll get plenty of reps this summer to show what he can do.
“I think it’s a heck of an opportunity for guys to rotate in there and do a lot of things now,” offensive line coach James Campen said last week (via Bill Huber of 247 Sports). “We’re getting (in the) team period 14 reps or 16 reps, but it’s the work we get to do on the side with them. Now, they get to have bags in front of them and those type of things. You move guys here and there. You use it as an advantage, because as we’ve seen before at times. You have to put guys in and move guys around. People get really comfortable with guys they’ve worked with. You try to rep a lot of that as well as looking at the evaluations. I look at it as a positive thing. Obviously, you’d love to have Bryan and everybody out there doing their thing, but be that as it may, even if everything was there, there’d still be some rotation and some things going on.”
In theory, Bell could even push for the starting right guard job as last year’s starter Jahri Evans remains in free agent limbo. As of this writing, Justin McCray projects as the team’s top RG option.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/29/18
- Waived: OL Sean Hickey
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Channing Stribling
- Waived/injured: S Michael Cirino
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Eric Pinkins
- Waived: LB Ed Shockley, WR Malik Earl
Panthers Unlikely To Sign QB?
The Panthers don’t have a ton of name recognition behind starter Cam Newton, but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t seem too worried. On Tuesday morning, Rivera told reporters that he believes the team’s backup quarterback will come from the group presently in-house (Twitter link via Bill Voth of the team website). 
Aside from Newton, the only other signal callers on Carolina’s roster are Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke, and undrafted rookie Kyle Allen. Combined, they have thrown exactly one NFL pass. That attempt belongs to Heinicke, who threw one pass for the Texans in relief of T.J. Yates against the Steelers in December. On the second drive of his career, Heinicke suffered a head injury and had to be taken off of the field.
Taken at face value, this may mean that veteran Derek Anderson will not be rejoining the team in 2018. Prior to the draft, GM Marty Hurney said the team was in talks with the veteran, but coaches are apparently warming up to the younger options already in-house. Anderson, 35 in June, has 76 career NFL games to his credit, though he has not seen consistent action since his 2010 season with the Cardinals. For the last seven years, he has serve as Newton’s understudy.
Newton has missed just three games in his seven NFL seasons, which could help explain the Panthers’ lack of emphasis on the No. 2 QB position. Still, it’s surprising that they would not seek a more experienced option in the event of an injury.
Poll: Should The Chargers Re-Sign Gates?
Earlier this year, the Chargers informed Antonio Gates that they would not re-sign him for a 16th season with the Bolts. However, their situation has changed in recent days after Hunter Henry‘s season-ending ACL tear. 
“We’ll look at all the options that are out there. We’ve got time to do it right now,” GM Ted Telesco said when asked about Gates earlier this week.
Gates, 38 in June, isn’t quite the player he was in 2009, but he was highly productive as recently as two years ago when he caught 53 passes for 548 yards and seven scores. On a limited snap count, Gates could help replace some of Henry’s production in 2018, even if he doesn’t match his 12.9 yards per catch average.
Gates’ familiarity with the Chargers’ offense and personnel also shouldn’t be discounted. He’s been catching passes from Philip Rivers since 2004 while earning eight Pro Bowl nods and three First-Team All-Pro selections along the way.
The 6’4″ tight end probably represents the splashiest move they could make, but he’s not the only noteworthy tight end available. Julius Thomas, Brent Celek, and Coby Fleener are all out there for the taking and it’s possible that one of those three players would be more amicable to playing in a limited role than Gates.
Alternatively, the Chargers could patch things up at TE by shifting sixth-round rookie Dylan Cantrell from receiver to tight end. Cantrell has the height (6’3″) and may have blocking ability ability to make the move, but he’s untested.
All things considered, do you think the Chargers should change course and re-sign Gates? Cast your vote below and support your decision in the comment section.
Should The Chargers Re-Sign Antonio Gates?
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Yes 77% (748)
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No 23% (228)
Total votes: 976
This Date In Transactions History: Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice is best remembered for his remarkable 16-year career with the Niners, in which he earned a dozen Pro Bowl nods and ten First-Team All-Pro selections. After that, Rice had some less remarkable – but still productive – seasons with the Raiders. His final NFL games were spent in a Seahawks uniform, but that wasn’t the original plan. On this date in 2004, Rice signed a one-year contract with the Broncos. 
“For so many years there was so much pressure on me,” Rice told Denver beat reporters on a conference call after signing his deal (via The Associated Press). “I had to set a certain standard and I still carry on that standard. But I had a lot of weight on my shoulders. I had blinders on. I couldn’t hear the crowd. I couldn’t hear them chanting my name and I couldn’t see little kids in the stands. I was so focused on what I had to do. The last couple of years, though, he has been more of a role player. The ball was not coming my way every down and I’m really enjoying the game and having fun.”
Rice was 42 years old at the time, meaning that his plans to continue playing were ambitious, even by Jon Gruden‘s standards today. In 2004, the legendary receiver totaled just 30 catches for 429 yards and three touchdowns. Even though he still averaged an impressive 14.3 yards per reception, he was no longer the player that he once was, and Denver head coach Mike Shanahan did not guarantee his place on the roster.
“I told Jerry that I don’t know if he’s lost a step or two steps, but you’re going to come here for one reason and that’s to compete with the other guys,” Shanahan said. “And if you’re one of our top five guys at the end of camp, then you’re going to be on our football team. If you’re not, I said I’d have one of the toughest jobs in the world.”
As the season drew near, Rice realized that he would be no higher than fourth or fifth on the Broncos’ depth chart. After serving as a role player in ’04, Rice decided in September that he would rather retire than be a role player in Denver.
The receiver left the game with remarkable league-record totals of 1,549 catches for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns – numbers that are in no danger of being eclipsed anytime soon, unless Larry Fitzgerald changes course and decides to play into his 40s.
So, Rice’s run with the Broncos never came to pass, but if you happen to have his replica orange-and-blue jersey hanging in your closet, you can probably fetch a nice price for it on eBay.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rosen, 49ers
Sam Bradford is slated to be the Cardinals‘ starting quarterback..for now. Between now and September, rookie Josh Rosen could very well beat him out for the top job, coach Steve Wilks says.
“Smart, this guy is extremely smart,” Wilks said of Rosen, the No. 10 overall pick (via Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic). “His ability to see certain things from the defense and pick it up quickly and execute … I don’t want to say this, but he has the mindset of a vet, the way he sees the game. He’s not playing like a vet. Make sure you guys understand that. He’s still a rookie, OK? But he sees things from a different lens.”
So far, Bradford is healthy “and when he’s healthy, he’s great,” Wilks said. Still, Wilks believes in competition and is not ready to hand him the job here in May.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Meanwhile, Wilks acknowledges that new Cardinals cornerback Jamar Taylor is the leading candidate to start opposite of Patrick Peterson (via The Associated Press). For his part, Taylor says he’s excited about the opportunity. “It’s just more plays for whoever’s over there,” Taylor said. “More plays, that’s how you’ve got to look at it. More opportunities for you to get picks. When I went to Cleveland, I played opposite Joe Haden. That meant more plays that year. I made a lot of plays on the ball. Playing opposite from a guy like Pat, it’s a huge deal, you’ve got to hold your own.” Taylor must be enthused about the opportunity after accepting a drastic pay cut to facilitate the trade with the Browns.
- The 49ers have a glut of inside linebackers after building a contingency plan for Reuben Foster, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The Niners will still have use for Brock Coyle, free agent pickup Korey Toomer, and third-round pick Fred Warner this year, but the numbers game could affect former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith. The 28-year-old joined the Niners on a five-year, $26.5MM contract last year, but his deal doesn’t include any guaranteed money in 2019. After that, the final two seasons on his pact are option years.
- Rams defensive end Morgan Fox suffered a torn ACL that will keep him off of the field in 2018.
Rams’ Morgan Fox Suffers Torn ACL
Rams defensive end Morgan Fox tore his ACL on Thursday, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Naturally, the injury will rule him out for the entire 2018 season. 
Fox appeared in all 16 games (376 snaps) for the Rams last season and tallied 2.5 sacks and 19 total tackles. Fox, 24 in September, was set to offer support off of the bench this season for L.A., behind the likes of Michael Brockers, Ndamukong Suh, and Aaron Donald.
The Rams may bring in another defensive lineman to compete for a job, but they could be able to get by with what they have in-house. Ethan Westbrooks and Dominique Easley figure to be heavy in the rotation while Day 3 picks John Franklin-Myers and Sebastian Joseph probably have improved odds of seeing the field this fall.
This week’s round of OTAs have been costly for teams as Fox is the third player to succumb to serious injury in recent days. Eagles linebacker Paul Worrilow and Chargers tight end Hunter Henry will also miss the entire season with ACL tears.
Packers Meet With TE Marcedes Lewis
Free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis is met with the Packers on Thursday, a source tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Silverstein notes that the Packers’ level of interest is unclear at this time. 
Lewis, 34, would be a logical fit for the Packers since they could use a quality blocking tight end. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s best run blocker, ahead of Patriots star Rob Gronkowski.
The Packers will rely on Jimmy Graham heavily in the passing game while using Lance Kendricks as an H-Back but they’ll need some blockers at the tight end position. They could get what they need out of a group including Robert Tonyan, Ryan Smith, and Kevin Rader, but no one in that trio offers a resume like Lewis’.
Although he has not put up big numbers since 2012, Lewis still managed to appear in all 16 games as he reeled in 24 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Offensively, his best season came in 2010 when he had 58 caches for 700 yards and ten touchdowns en route to his first and only Pro Bowl selection.
Cardinals Sign WR Christian Kirk
The Cardinals signed second-round pick Christian Kirk to his rookie contract, the team announced. Per the terms of his slot, Kirk will earn roughly $5.9MM over the course of his four-year deal. 
Heading into the draft, Kirk had some buzz as a potential first-round selection. The Cardinals, who needed to fortify their wide receiver group after selecting quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round, were delighted to land Kirk at No. 47 overall.
Kirk certainly performed like a top-flight talent in his three years at Texas A&M as he amassed nearly 2,976 all-purpose yards across three seasons. With a solid work ethic and tough on-field playing style, the Cardinals believe that Kirk can be molded into a reliable threat, even though he does not possess the same top-end speed as other wide receivers in his class.
The Cardinals project to use Kirk as a supporting piece behind No. 1 wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald this year. J.J. Nelson and free agent addition Brice Butler also figure to see a significant number of targets in Sam Bradford‘s offense.