AFC West Notes: Broncos, Paradis, Raiders
Broncos center Matt Paradis said the team has not begun negotiations on a contract extension yet, but he would welcome those talks as he wants to stick around beyond 2018 (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic). Paradis signed a restricted free agent tender with the team earlier this offseason, keeping him under contract for one more year at a rate of $2.9MM. Paradis, 29 in October, has had operations on both hips, but has not missed a snap since taking over at center in 2015. The Broncos would ostensibly like to hold on to Paradis, though other impending free agents such as cornerback Bradley Roby will be a higher priority.
Here’s a look at the AFC West:
- Bad news for Raiders safety Obi Melifonwu as he looks to carve out a role on Jon Gruden‘s team this year. The UConn product and former second-round pick is apparently a long way from 100% health as he looks to return from hip surgery. “It doesn’t look close at all,” Gruden said (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area). “I’ll leave it at that. He doesn’t look close, to me, at all...I haven’t seen much of Obi except in the training room.” The Raiders have plenty of other options at safety with Karl Joseph, Reggie Nelson, and Marcus Gilchrist at the front of the line, so Melifonwu will push to get on the practice field as soon as possible.
- As the Chargers deal with Hunter Henry‘s injury, they remain open to a potential reunion with Antonio Gates.
- A former agent says the Chiefs could come to regret their expensive signing of wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
Chargers Won’t Rule Out Antonio Gates
After losing Hunter Henry to a torn ACL, the Chargers say they will search high and low for potential replacements. That could include a reunion with Antonio Gates, even though the team previously told the veteran that he would not be re-signed. 
[RELATED: Chargers’ Henry Suffers ACL Tear, Will Miss 2018 Season]
“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 (Twitter link via Greg Beachem of the Associated Press).
Gates, 38 in June, still intends to play and it would only make sense for him to return to the only NFL team he has ever known. He’s no longer the elite option that he was in his prime, but he showed last year that he still has something to offer and he stands as one of the better available options at this juncture of the offseason.
Last year, Gates saw less targets than Henry and finished out with 30 catches for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Those were his lowest totals in each category since his 2003 season.
Gates’ last deal paid him roughly $11MM between 2016 and 2017. A new deal with Gates would surely be a one-year pact and would likely cost the team less than $5.5MM. Right now, the Chargers’ tight end depth chart is headlined by Virgil Green, who is more of a blocker than a pass-catcher. After that, they have a pair of former UDFAs in Sean Culkin and Braedon Bowman.
Richie Incognito Placed On Psych Hold
Richie Incognito was involved in an altercation at a Florida gym and was subsequently placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, according to TMZ Sports. The alleged victim says the free agent offensive lineman threw a tennis ball at him for no reason and also tossed a dumbbell. 
In the midst of all of this, the alleged victim claims Incognito was rambling about the government and screaming at the man to “get off” his “[expletive] playground.” Cops came to the scene and took the lineman away, but did not formally arrest him. Instead, he was taken into custody under Florida’s “Baker Act,” which allows officers to submit a person for psychiatric evaluation when it is believed that they may harm someone else. The state’s laws stipulate that Incognito could be held for mandatory psychiatric evaluation for up to 72 hours.
Incognito hit the free agent market this week when he was released by the Bills. The lineman is reportedly looking to play in 2018 – a reversal from his retirement announcement earlier this year – but teams will do some digging into this incident before offering him a deal.
On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today.
Browns, Duke Johnson Discussing Extension
Duke Johnson says that he and the Browns are in discussions about a contract extension (Twitter link via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com). The running back also says he is “very optimistic” the two sides will come to an agreement. 
Johnson, 25 in November, has averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his three NFL seasons while playing largely in a backup capacity. In 2017, the Browns often utilized him as a pass-catcher and the results were tremendous. Johnson set new career highs in catches (74) and receiving yards (693) and was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating season for Cleveland. This year, he’ll serve as the Browns No. 2 ball carrier behind free agent addition Carlos Hyde.
Johnson is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal which will carry a modest $2.084MM cap number. Because he was a third-round pick and not a first-round selection, the Browns do not have the option of extending his deal via the fifth-year option. The franchise tag is technically still in play, but the Browns want to keep that possibility open for other players who are scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season.
In addition to Hyde and Johnson, the Browns further bolstered the running back group by drafting former Georgia standout Nick Chubb in the second round of last month’s draft.
Steelers Sign Rookie QB Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph is officially a member of the Steelers. On Wednesday, the Steelers agreed to terms with the third-round quarterback on his rookie deal. 
Rookie contracts are mostly a formality these days, but contracts for third-round picks tend to be a bit trickier thanks to flexibility regarding offset language. Regardless, the Steelers hammered out their deal with the Oklahoma State well in advance of mandatory training camp sessions.
The Steelers are hopeful that Rudolph can develop into their quarterback of the future after Ben Roethlisberger retires. For his part, Roethlisberger isn’t necessarily enthused about the team selecting a QB high in the draft this year.
“I was surprised when they took a quarterback because I thought that maybe in the third round, you know you can get some really good football players that can help this team now,” Roethlisberger said. “Nothing against Mason; I think he’s a great football player. I don’t know him personally, but I’m sure he’s a great kid. I just don’t know how backing up or being a third [string] — well, who knows where he’s going to fall on the depth chart — helps us win now.”
For now, Rudolph projects as the team’s No. 3 QB, behind Big Ben and Landry Jones. Last year’s fourth round pick Joshua Dobbs is also fighting for a spot on the roster.
The deal with Rudolph leaves first-round pick Terrell Edmunds as the last remaining unsigned Steelers draft selection.
Packers To Meet With Marcedes Lewis
The Packers are interested in tight end Marcedes Lewis, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears. With that in mind, Green Bay expects to meet with the free agent this week. 
The Jaguars released Lewis in March after 12 seasons with the team. Over the past six weeks, we’ve heard very little regarding the veteran.
“I think I deserved a little better than I got,” Lewis said after learning of his release. “I wish they would have done it sooner.”
Lewis, who just turned 34 last week, would be a logical fit for the Packers as they look for a quality blocking tight end. Lewis hasn’t topped 25 catches in each of the last five years, but he offers the protection and veteran leadership that the Packers are seeking.
Although he he has not been consistently used as a pass-catching weapon since 2012, Lewis still managed to appear in all 16 games as he reeled in 24 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s best run blocker, edging out Patriots star Rob Gronkowski.
The Packers already have Jimmy Graham and Lance Kendricks on board, but Graham does little in the way of blocking and Kendricks has been deployed mainly as an H-back int he past. Beyond those two, the Packers have a tight end group of young undrafted players including Robert Tonyan, Ryan Smith, and Kevin Rader.
Cowboys’ Martin May Not Show For OTAs
Guard Zack Martin was not present for the Cowboys’ first round of organized team activities on Tuesday and it’s not clear if he will take part in any of them, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. OTAs are voluntary, but it’s a sign that Martin is likely waiting things out as his reps discuss a new contract with the team. 
The Cowboys and Martin’s agents have been in talks regarding a long-term deal over the last few weeks, Archer hears, but he’s not necessarily on bad terms with the club. Martin has been at The Star working out since the captains’ sessions started almost a month before the official start of the offseason program, so Martin’s absence is less about discord with Cowboys brass and more about properly protecting himself while he waits for the multi-year deal he’s after.
“We’ve had really good conversations about this,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “I know there’s ongoing dialogue between him and his representatives and the Joneses about getting his contract done. He’s one of the best players we have. He represents everything we want, but there is a business side to this that both sides are working toward.”
Martin has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of his four NFL seasons and two First-Team All-Pro selections. In 2017, he rated as the best guard in the entire NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He was among the league’s top interior linemen from 2014-2016 and but he set a new personal best in terms of the advanced metrics with an excellent 92.2 overall score.
If the Cowboys and Martin can agree to a new deal, it is expected to top the five-year, $60MM deal (with $31.5MM guaranteed) that Kevin Zeitler signed with the Browns as a free agent last year. If they cannot come to terms, then Martin will play out his fifth-year option for 2018 worth $9.3MM. After that, the Cowboys can use the franchise tag to control Martin through 2019, but it would cost them upwards of $14MM.
NFL Owners Pass New Anthem Policy
NFL owners have voted to pass a new policy regarding demonstrations during the national anthem. On Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell announced that teams – not players – will be fined for signs of “disrespect” during the anthem. Meanwhile, players will be permitted to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they choose to do so. 
Here, in full, is the league’s breakdown of its new rules, which were passed via unanimous vote:
1. All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
2. The Game Operations Manual will be revised to remove the requirement that all players be on the field for the Anthem.
3. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed.
4. A club will be fined by the League if its personnel are on the field and do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
5. Each club may develop its own work rules, consistent with the above principles, regarding its personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
6. The Commissioner will impose appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
Goodell, for his part, is hopeful that the new policy will help to fix things from a public relations perspective.
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic,” Goodell said in his statement. “This is not and was never the case.”
The new policy will shift the onus of anthem rule enforcement and player discipline from the league office to individual teams. However, the new policy is unlikely to satisfy the players, who were not involved in the crafting of the new policy.
“Maybe this new rule proposal that is being voted on is a “compromise” between the NFL office and club CEOs on various sides of the issue,” NFLPA executive George Atallah wrote on Twitter, “But certainly not with player leadership; we weren’t there or part of the discussions.”
The union released a statement shortly after Goodell’s press conference which hints at a forthcoming grievance:
“The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new “policy.” NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about.
The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League.
Our union will review the new “policy” and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.”
Pats Owner: Brady, Gronkowski Will Show
The absence of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski at Patriots OTAs caused a stir this week, but owner Robert Kraft does not seem concerned. Kraft says Brady is excited about being at minicamp, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, which is an apparent confirmation that he will be in attendance at some point. Kraft says Gronkowski will also show for minicamp, despite rumblings of the tight end angling for a new contract (Twitter link). 
It’s not exactly clear why Brady opted to stay home on Tuesday, but speculation has been rampant regarding his relationship with coach Bill Belichick. Some believe that Brady is looking to send a message to the head coach, but Kraft says “nothing’s changed” with regards to their relationship and “everything is good.”
Kraft’s assertion that Gronk will show up for practice jibes with a recent report on the tight end’s plans. It stands to reason that the dynamic pass-catcher could arrive as early as Thursday, which is the one-year anniversary of his last contract restructuring. Per NFL rules, a deal involving incentives cannot be reworked until one year after the last round of adjustments.
Brady’s decision to skip OTAs is unprecedented, but it may not be a hinderance to his performance after yet another brilliant season. Even at age 40, Brady was terrific, leading the league in passing yards on the way to his third MVP trophy. Gronk, meanwhile, had 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.
Vikings’ Brian Robison Accepts Pay Cut
Vikings defensive end Brian Robison accepted a pay cut in order to return for another season, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (on Twitter). Robison was initially scheduled to make $3.5MM this season, but he’ll now make a base salary of just $1.015MM, plus a $90K workout bonus. 
[RELATED: Dalvin Cook Ahead Of Schedule]
Robison’s pay cut opens up $2.38MM in new cap space for Minnesota. Somehow, after an offseason which saw the additions of quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, the Vikings have $17.1MM in cap room. The Vikings will try to use that flexibility to extend standouts like linebacker Anthony Barr, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and defensive end Danielle Hunter.
After the season, Robison wouldn’t guarantee that he would return for another year. Last week, he affirmed that he would come back for his 12th campaign. Although he started in six straight seasons for the Vikings, he’ll come off of the bench for a second consecutive year in 2018 as he supports Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter.
Despite playing in a reserve role, Robison still logged 642 snaps in 2017.