Jets To Re-Sign DE David Bass
The Jets have agreed to re-sign defensive end David Bass, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The news was first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds (Twitter link). 
Bass, 28 in September, hooked on with the Jets prior to their Week 3 game last year. He went on to total 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 13 games (two starts). Bass only had a limited sample of 326 snaps, but for what it’s worth, he did place as the 45th ranked edge defender in the league out of 106 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. His strong 81.6 run coverage score was good for 28th amongst edge rushers and his overall score was the best of any Jets DE in 2017.
In other Jets news, the team dropped wide receiver Jalin Marshall after the conclusion of the draft.
Vikings Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents
The Vikings have agreed to terms with 17 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete rundown:
- Jeff Badet, WR (Oklahoma)
- Mike Boone, RB (Cincinnati)
- Curtis Cothran, DT (Penn State)
- Garret Dooley, LB (Wisconsin)
- Armanti Foreman, WR (Texas)
- Chris Gonzalez, G (San Jose State)
- Holton Hill, CB (Texas)
- Tyler Hoppes, TE (Nebraska)
- Hercules Mata’afa, LB (Washington State)
- Trevon Mathis, CB (Toledo)
- Tray Matthews, S (Auburn)
- Kamryn Pettway, FB (Auburn)
- Peter Pujals, QB (Holy Cross)
- Korey Robertson, WR (Southern Mississippi)
- Roc Thomas, RB (Jacksonville State)
- Jake Wieneke, WR (South Dakota State)
- Jonathan Wynn, DE (Vanderbilt)
Hill received $75K guaranteed in the form of a $15K signing bonus and $60K in base salary, which is the most money received by UDFA since Mike Zimmer became the team’s head coach in 2014, writes Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.
Robertson received $50K guaranteed with his deal, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The wide receiver caught 76 passes for 1,106 yards for Southern Mississippi last season.
Wieneke, a native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, said this week that he is ecstatic about the opportunity to play for the Vikings.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,’’ said Wieneke (via Tomasson). “I get to stay with the team I grew up loving and I get to stay in Minnesota. It can’t be anything better than this.’’
Dooley received $41K in guaranteed money with an $11K signing bonus and $30K in base salary.
Hill may be the most intriguing prospect of the bunch. The cornerback was suspended by Texas for the last month of the season for reasons that are still unknown. In terms of talent, he was regarded as a draftable player.
Meanwhile, running backs Thomas and Boone and fullback/running back Pettway have a reach chance at making the roster after the Vikings declined to select a running back over the weekend. After the departure of Jerick McKinnon, there are no other running backs to support Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray.
Redskins Release DL Terrell McClain
The Redskins have cut defensive lineman Terrell McClain, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McClain had three years left on his contract, but his base salary of $3.25MM for 2018 was not guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Redskins Cut A.J. Francis]
McClain is being pushed out after the Redskins drafted two defensive linemen in Da’Ron Payne (first round) and Tim Settle (fifth round). McClain appeared in 12 games with two starts for the Redskins last year, but he did not make a huge impact in his first season in D.C. 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.
Payne projects to start at nose tackle in the Redskins’ 3-4 scheme with Settle, Ziggy Hood, Montori Hughes, and Ondre Pipkins among those vying for jobs in support. Hood is also coming off of a rough season with marks that were similar to McClain’s, so his spot on the team is not secure either. Releasing Hood would save the Redskins $150K with $1.6MM+ in cap savings.
Raiders’ Donald Penn Accused Of Domestic Violence
Raiders left tackle Donald Penn is a suspect in a domestic violence incident, according to TMZ. Penn allegedly slapped his wife’s behind and poured a drink on her head, which resulted in her calling the police. By the time cops arrived at their Los Angeles home, Penn had already left the scene. 
In a joint statement to TMZ, Penn and his wife downplayed the incident:
“There was a verbal disagreement, there was NO physical altercation. The two are in the middle of a divorce and it is a hard time for both parties.”
New head coach Jon Gruden shook things up this offseason, but Penn remains a big part of the Raiders’ game plan for 2018. He didn’t have his best campaign last year, but he still graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 23 ranked tackle in the NFL. Quality tackles are in short supply in today’s game and the Raiders badly need to have Penn on the field this year.
Last offseason, Penn had some offseason contract drama with the Raiders, but the two sides smoothed things out in time for the start of the season. In September, they agreed to a two-year, $21MM extension that is supposed to him in place through 2019. The revised deal calls for a $8.35MM cap number this year ($3MM guaranteed) and a $10.35MM cap figure in ’19 (non-guaranteed).
Penn is slated to start for Oakland on the left side with first-round pick Kolton Miller manning the other.
Vikings Pick Up Trae Waynes’ Option
On Monday, the Vikings made an easy call. The fifth-year option for cornerback Trae Waynes has been exercised, according to a team announcement.
As the No. 11 pick in the 2015 draft, Waynes will earn $9.069MM in 2019. As shown on PFR’s Fifth-Year Option Tracker, many of the first-round picks from that class have already had the extra season tacked on to their contracts. Teams have until Thursday to make determinations on the remaining players.
Waynes started in all 16 games for the first time in his career last year. He tallied 65 total tackles, two interceptions, eleven passes defensed, and his first career sack.
Waynes will return as the team’s CB2 alongside First-Team All-Pro Xavier Rhodes. The Vikings will also get cornerback Mike Hughes involved after selecting the UCF product with a late first-round choice.
The bar is set high in Minnesota after the team finished out as the league’s No. 1 defense in 2017, but the unit looks as fierce as ever thanks to the addition of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
Jaguars Release P Brad Nortman
The Jaguars announced that they have released punter Brad Nortman. The move indicates that the Jaguars expect seventh-round pick Logan Cooke to handle punting duties in 2018. 
Nortman, 29 in September, spent the first four years of his career with the Panthers before signing a free agent deal with the Jaguars in 2016. His contract was set to run through 2019, but Jacksonville has opted to bail in order to save $2.1MM+ in cap room. However, they will be left on the hook for $250K in dead money.
Nortman averaged 45.3 yards per kick for the Jaguars over the last two years, though his average dropped slightly in 2017. Overall, the move appears to be less about Nortman’s ability and more about saving money as the Jags believe they have found a comparable talent at a cheaper rate in Cooke.
Browns Sign QB Joel Stave
The Browns signed quarterback Joel Stave on Monday, per a team announcement. To make room for Stave and other signings to come, they waived wide receivers Matt Hazel and Kasen Williams and free safety Kai Nacua.
Stave, a 6’5″ QB, first entered the league with the Vikings in 2016 as an undrafted free agent. Since then, he’s made stops with the Vikings, Seahawks, Chiefs, Redskins, and the Jets. GM John Dorsey was at the helm in Kansas City two years ago when the Chiefs signed Stave, so he’s curious enough to check in on him. Stave finished his career Wisconsin’s all-time winningest quarterback (31-10 record), but he remains untested at the pro level. He also faces long odds of making the final cut in Cleveland with Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield, and Drew Stanton ahead of him.
Williams was one of the standouts of the 2017 preseason when he reeled in nine catches, 208 yards, and one touchdown for the Seahawks. Seattle tried to sneak him through waivers in order to sign him to the practice squad, but the Browns jumped at the chance to sign him to the active roster.
Kasen Williams became one of the preseason’s success stories. The Seahawks wanted to pass the wide receiver through to their practice squad then, but the Browns swooped in and signed him to their active roster. Williams had nine catches for 84 yards in seven games for Cleveland, but spent the rest of the year on the taxi squad. The old regime had some interest in Williams, but Dorsey no longer sees a spot for him on the expanded roster.
Texans Re-Sign RB Alfred Blue
Alfred Blue is officially back with the Texans. Houston has re-signed the running back to a one-year deal, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. 
The Texans will start Lamar Miller at running back, but Blue will help to provide support further down the depth chart, particularly with D’Onta Foreman recovering from a torn Achilles. As a No. 3 or No. 4 RB, Blue would offer occasional relief for both players while also pitching in on special teams.
Blue, 27, did his best work in 2015 when he rushed for 698 yards in nine starts for Houston. The addition of Miller reduced his role, however, and he was decidedly less effective last year. In 2017, Blue played on 21% of the Texans’ offensive snaps but managed only 3.7 yards per carry.
Things were pretty quiet for Blue this offseason, though he reportedly did hear from multiple teams, including the Steelers. Ultimately, the Texans circled back to him after they did not select an RB in the draft. It’s still possible that they could sign veterans or UDFAs to compete with Blue for a spot as a backup running back, however.
Chargers Won’t Re-Sign TE Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates’ time with the Chargers appears to be over. The Bolts informed the tight end this offseason that they do not plan to bring him back to Los Angeles, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. However, Gates wants to continue playing, so it sounds like he’ll finish his career elsewhere.
Gates will turn 38 in June, but he believes that he still has something left in the tank. The Chargers do not necessarily agree. Last year, he saw less targets than youngster Hunter Henry and finished out with just 30 catches for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Those were his lowest totals in each category since his 2003 season.
The NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions among tight ends with 114, Gates served in a complementary role last season. He caught three TD passes to eclipse Tony Gonzalez in this category, but the 30 receptions and 316 yards marked significant production dips from his 2016 slate.
The eight-time Pro Bowl pass-catcher has only played for one team since coming into the league as a UDFA out of Kent State. But the Bolts look set to turn to Henry, who has emerged as their go-to tight end in his two seasons. Gates signed a two-year deal with the Chargers in 2016 and made $11MM. He’ll surely have to play on a one-year commitment if he lands elsewhere.
Jerry Jones: Jason Witten Might Not Retire
Jerry Jones said Friday he’s met several times with Jason Witten and that no decision has been made. The Cowboys owner said the future Hall of Fame tight end will take a few days before he makes an official decision, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Although, Rapoport adds Witten has made his decision to step away after 15 seasons.
ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that Witten plans to move into broadcasting, joining the revamped Monday Night Football crew for the 2018 season. If Witten follows through on his retirement plans, it stands to reason that the Cowboys will select a tight end in Round 2 or 3 of the draft on Friday night. However, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones‘ comments indicate that might not happen.
“We feel really good about our tight ends,” Jones said on 105.3 (on Twitter). “With what we have on our roster with [Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and Rico Gathers], we got some really good football players. We don’t think we’re going into a season without a good tight end.”
The Ravens selected Hayden Hurst in the first round, but top tight ends Dallas Goedert, Mike Gesicki, and Mark Andrews remain available should the Cowboys look to fortify the position. Having just released Dez Bryant, the Cowboys are in need of wide receiver help as well. Both Witten and Bryant being out of the picture will signal a major changing of the guard in Dallas, creating key needs in the process.