Packers Sign Six Draft Picks
The Packers announced the signings of six draft picks on Monday: 
- WR J’Mon Moore (fourth round)
- G Cole Madison (fifth)
- WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (fifth)
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown (sixth)
- DT James Looney (seventh)
- OLB Kendall Donnerson (seventh)
The Packers already signed fifth-round punter J.K. Scott and seventh-round long snapper Hunter Bradley, leaving only three draft picks left to sign in first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander, second-round cornerback Josh Jackson, and third-round linebacker Oren Burks.
Moore is viewed as a largely green prospect with a tendency to drop passes and has some questions about his maturity, but his physical tools prompted the Packers to use a fourth-round pick on him. Last year, he was Missouri’s leader in catches and receiving yards with 65 grabs for 1,082 yards and ten touchdowns.
Madison started all 13 games at right tackle for Washington State in 2017, but the Packers plan on using him at guard. The position change could suit him well as he lacks the ideal wingspan for a tackle and doesn’t always do a great job of anchoring himself against oncoming defensive linemen.
NFLPA Backs Eric Reid Grievance
The NFLPA will be filing a non-injury grievance for Eric Reid against the Bengals and other parties, according to Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter links). Reid recently filed a collusion grievance against the NFL for blackballing him for his participation in anthem protests and the union is officially entering the ring in support. 
The Bengals find themselves in Reid’s crosshairs after asking him whether he plans to demonstrate during the anthem. Reid and the NFLPA believe that to be an inappropriate – and perhaps illicit – pre-employment question. The NFLPA also has filed a broader “system arbitration” based on the argument that teams are ignoring the absence of a league rule that mandates standing during the anthem, Florio hears.
Here is the complete statement from NFLPA, confirming the news:
The NFLPA has filed a non-injury grievance and a system arbitrator case on behalf of free agent safety Eric Reid. Prior to the start of the current NFL off-season, our Union directed the agents of free agent players who had participated in peaceful on-field demonstrations to collect, memorialize and report any relevant information about potential violations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by teams. These cases were filed based upon the following:
– There is no League rule that prohibits players from demonstrating during the national anthem.
– The NFL has made it clear both publicly and to the NFLPA that they would respect the rights of players to demonstrate.
– The Collective Bargaining Agreement definitively states that League (NFL) rules supersede anyconflicting club rules.
– According to our information, a club appears to have based its decision not to sign a playerbased on the player’s statement that he would challenge the implementation of a club’s policy prohibiting demonstration, which is contrary to the League policy.
– At least one club owner has asked preemployment interview questions about a player’s intent to demonstrate. We believe these questions are improper, given League policy.
Our Union continues to monitor these developments.
It is surprising to see Reid without work at this stage of the offseason, from a football perspective. Then again, longtime starting safeties Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccaro are also unemployed as of this writing.
Last year, Reid started in 12 of his 13 games for the Niners and totaled 66 tackles and two interceptions.
Falcons Look To Extend Matthews, Jarrett
Now that Matt Ryan‘s deal has been taken care of, the Falcons are looking to address other players with contracts that are near expiration. The Falcons will now turn their focus towards new deals for tackle Jake Matthews and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, GM Thomas Dimitroff says (Twitter link via Kelsey Conway of the team website). 
[RELATED: Details On Matt Ryan’s Whopping Extension]
Both players are entering their walk years. Matthews, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 draft, will make nearly $12.5MM after the Falcons triggered his fifth-year option for 2018. The Falcons did not have the same option for Jarrett, a 2015 fifth-round choice, so he is slated to hit the open market after earning $1.9MM this year.
Matthews has a perfect attendance record across four NFL seasons, save for one missed game as a rookie. Last year, the Texas A&M product graded out as the No. 14 tackle in the NFL, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Matthews’ 1,159 regular season snaps was the fourth-highest of any tackle in the NFL last season.
Coincidentally, Jarrett rated as the 14th best interior defender in the NFL last year, per PFF. Last year, he tallied 34 tackles and four sacks while serving as one of the better run-stuffing DTs in the league. It’s safe to say that Jarrett’s next deal will give him a significant pay bump from his rookie pact.
49ers Meet With Terrell McClain
Terrell McClain‘s free agent tour continues. The defensive tackle will meet with the 49ers on Monday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
McClain met with the Dolphins last week and left without a deal, though the door is still open in Miami. Meanwhile, the Falcons have some level of interest in McClain, but have yet to schedule a visit.
The veteran appeared in 12 games with two starts for the Redskins last year, but he did not make a mark in his first season in the nation’s capital. McClain graded out as one of the three worst qualified defensive tackles in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, though he did manage two sacks from the interior. The Redskins terminated McClain’s four-year, $12MM+ deal three seasons early, allowing them to save $3.25MM against the cap.
The 49ers currently project to start Earl Mitchell and DeForest Buckner at defensive tackle with Sheldon Day, D.J. Jones, Chris Jones, and seventh-round pick Julian Taylor in support. The Niners are unlikely to carry more than three reserve DTs, so McClain’s arrival would crowd that group even further.
NFL Suspends LB Akeem Ayers
Veteran linebacker Akeem Ayers, who finished the 2017 season with the Giants, has been suspended for the first four weeks of the season, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The reason for the suspension is not yet known.
Ayers finished out the 2016 season with 18 tackles, two sacks, and one interception for the Colts. He graded out as the No. 54 edge defender in the NFL out of 110 qualified players in that season, per Pro Football Focus’ metrics. Last year, he dressed for six games for the G-Men and registered one tackle.
Ayers, who is presently without a team, offers experience as a starter from his time with the Titans (2011-2013) and Rams (2015). In 2014, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.
The 28-year-old linebacker’s played on five different teams since the 2014 season. His work with the Patriots earned him a two-year, $6MM deal with the Rams. Although Ayers started 11 games and played in all 16 St. Louis contests in 2015, the team did not keep him around for its Los Angeles move. Ayers then ventured to the Colts, for whom he played all 16 games in 2016.
The Giants signed him midway through last season, after Ayers spent plenty of time working out for various teams in hopes of another shot.
Chiefs, Browns Cancel Trade
The Dadi Nicolas/Randall Telfer trade won’t be happening after all. The deal has been nullified and both players have been waived by their original teams, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
On Tuesday, the Browns agreed to send Telfer, a tight end, to the Chiefs for Nicolas, a linebacker. It’s not immediately clear why the trade has been cancelled. Failed physicals are often the culprit for cancelled deals and Nicolas, who missed all of January with a ruptured patellar tendon, may not have passed his exam.
The Browns are well set at tight end with holdovers David Njoku, Seth DeValve, and free agent addition Darren Fells, so they are able to move on from Telfer without getting anything in return.
Dolphins Claim QB Bryce Petty
The Dolphins have claimed quarterback Bryce Petty off of waivers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Petty was released by the Jets on Thursday, exposing him to the waiver wire. 
Petty was the victim of a number’s crunch in New York. The Jets are already committed to two QBs between No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold and veteran Josh McCown while Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Hackenberg are among those battling for the final quarterback job.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, were in need of an extra arm for camp behind Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, and David Fales. Petty, who has one season left on his rookie contract, had some buzz behind him heading into the 2015 draft, so the Dolphins are at least curious to see what he can offer.
The Baylor product has gone 1-6 in seven NFL starts and is a career 53.1 percent passer with four touchdown passes against ten interceptions. The Dolphins have assumed Petty’s original rookie contract, which has one year remaining.
Redskins Re-Sign G Shawn Lauvao
The Redskins have agreed to re-sign guard Shawn Lauvao, according to his agency (via Twitter). Lauvao has been hampered by injuries in recent years, but he could serve as Washington’s starting left guard once again in 2018. 
Lauvao has missed 22 games over the last three seasons, including seven missed games in 2017. Last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the ten worst guards in the NFL out of 77 qualified players. Those advanced metrics haven’t rated him well since his first year with Washington in 2014, but the Redskins clearly like what he offers.
The Redskins also have Arie Kouandjio, Kyle Kalis, Tyler Catalina, and guard/center Tony Bergstrom as options to play across from starting right guard Brandon Scherff. They did not use any of their eight picks this year to draft a guard, though they did select Louisville tackle Geron Christian in the third round.
Raiders Cancel Visit With Brian Cushing
The Raiders won’t be meeting with Brian Cushing after all. After agreeing to terms with fellow veteran ‘backer Derrick Johnson, the Raiders have called off their scheduled Sunday summit with Cushing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Initially, it appeared that Cushing would join a revamped linebacker group that includes newcomers Johnson, Emmanuel Lamur, and Tahir Whitehead. That would have been quite a crowd, however, especially since holdovers Cory James, Bruce Irvin, Shilique Calhoun, and Nicholas Morrow are also under contract.
Cushing’s March meeting with the Seahawks appears to be the only visit he’s taken thus far in free agency. With the Oakland visit 86’d, his reps will continue to scour the market for other options.
Johnny Manziel Weighing Options
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL would like to sign Johnny Manziel, but the former Browns standout has reservations about going north of the border. Specifically, Manziel is wary of the CFL’s policy that players must commit for two seasons. With that in mind, Manziel is also considering the upstart Alliance of American Football, Mike Florio of PFT hears. 
[RELATED: AAF To Launch In February 2019]
Manziel is reportedly willing to accept a practice squad deal with no guaranteed money to prove that he belongs in the NFL, but it’s not clear if any teams are interested at this time. It’s possible that teams could give more serious thought to signing Manziel once they start releasing players, including undrafted free agents that aren’t up to par, from the 90-man roster.
The former Heisman Trophy winner would probably draw some serious dollars for the Tiger-Cats and the CFL as a whole, so it’s conceivable that the league could amend its policy to accommodate him. Meanwhile, the Tiger-Cats made a trade with the Montreal Alouettes this week that could give them the cap space necessary to give Manziel a contract worth more than the league minimum.
The AAF will launch in February 2019 – just after the Super Bowl – so Manziel will have to wait a while if that’s the route he plans to take.