Cowboys Release Dez Bryant
The Cowboys have released wide receiver Dez Bryant, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer (on Twitter). Despite hope that the two sides would be able to work out a revised deal, the plan going into today’s big meeting was to part ways with Bryant. 
Bryant was slated to earn a base salary of $12.5MM this season, a number that was too high given his recent play. With free agent additions Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in the fold, the Cowboys feel they can afford to cut ties with Bryant and explore other WR options in the draft. In addition to Hurns and Thompson, the Cowboys will also return with Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley.
Bryant, 29, averaged 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns between 2012 and 2014. Over the last three years, those averages have plummeted to 50 catches for 678 yards and 6 TDs. He also missed ten games due to injury between 2015 and 2016.
Bryant has failed to live up to the five-year, $70MM extension he signed with the Cowboys prior to the 2016 season, but he still figures to attract interest on the open market. Bryant will have to temper his salary expectations, however, since his performance has declined and much of this year’s cap room around the league has already been spent on free agents.
The Cowboys will release Bryant straight away, according to Archer (on Twitter), which will create $8.5MM in cap space with $8MM in dead money. If they had designated Bryant as a post-June 1 cut, it would have carved $12.5MM in cap room that would have been available starting June 2.
Browns Meet With Lamar Jackson
The Browns will meet with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson on Friday, according to a press release from the team. Jackson is not believed to be in consideration at No. 1 or No. 4 overall, but the Browns could consider him later on if he is still available. 
The Browns are armed with three picks in the second round at Nos. 33, 35, and 64 overall. As unlikely as it seems, the Browns could opt to use both of their top picks on non-QBs and package two of those selections to move up and snag Jackson if they are especially impressed by him.
Taking, say, Sam Darnold at No. 1 overall and using a later pick on Jackson would make little sense since the team already has two QBs with guaranteed money on the roster in Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton. However, if Jackson goes into a free fall in the draft, the Browns could select him with the notion of moving him to wide receiver. Jackson has resisted such talk, but many evaluators feel that he has the athleticism to succeed as a receiver.
Will the Browns target Jackson over one of this year’s big four QBs? Occam’s razor dictates that they won’t and are simply doing their due diligence on one of this year’s most intriguing prospects.
Seahawks Sign QB Stephen Morris
The Seahawks have signed quarterback Stephen Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has signed contracts with multiple teams but has yet to play in an NFL game. 
Morris, a University of Miami product, first entered the league as a UDFA with the Jaguars. Since then, he has inked deals with the Eagles, Colts, and Redskins. Morris spent time on the taxi squads of the Jaguars, Eagles, and Colts and spent one game on the Colts’ active roster after Andrew Luck suffered a concussion.
The signing comes on the heels of their last-minute decision to cancel a workout with Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks are reportedly skittish about signing Kaepernick without knowing whether he plans to kneel for the national anthem this season.
Still, the Seahawks have not closed the door on signing Kaepernick and sources say they would like to meet at him at a later date when he has formulated a plan for his social activism. Morris’ deal is likely non-guaranteed, so it is probably not a barrier to a future deal with Kaep.
Saints Pick Up Andrus Peat’s Option
The Saints have officially exercised the 2019 fifth-year option on offensive lineman Andrus Peat, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Peat has become the first 2015 first round draft pick to formally have it picked up. 
The decision to pick up Peat’s contract for 2019 was something of a no brainer. After previous experiments with the former No. 13 overall pick at left tackle, he switched over to left guard over the past two years and performed well. Peat has 29 starts to his credit between 2016 and 2017.
Per the terms of the fifth-year option, Peat’s 2019 season will be guaranteed for injury only. Should his performance decline, the Saints can get out of the deal with no fiscal penalty.
For first-rounders picked outside the top 10, the option is determined by the determined by the average of the third through 25th top salaries at that position. In time, we’ll know Peat’s exact figure.
Peat finished the year on injured reserve after he suffered a broken ankle in the first round of the playoffs.
Cardinals Cut Center Max Tuerk
Max Tuerk‘s time in Arizona has come to an end. On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that the offensive lineman has been released from his contract. 
Tuerk, a third round pick of the Chargers in 2016, signed with the Cardinals in November. He played in just one game, a 23-0 romp over the Giants in December.
In 2016, injuries kept Tuerk off of the field. Last season, he missed the first four games of the year after violating the leagueâs PED policy The Chargers waived him before he was eligible to return and later stashed him on the practice squad. Curious about his potential and in need of offensive line depth, the Cardinals swooped in.
Tuerk was a standout at USC where he played guard, tackle, and center. His versatility should allow him to find another opportunity, but his injury and suspension history may hurt his market.
Jets Notes: Rosen, Johnson, Minter, Dozier
If the Jets are looking to play it safe at quarterback, Josh Rosen would be the smart choice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com argues. Of course, that’s assuming that Rosen will be on the board for Gang Green at No. 3 overall, and that’s far from a certainty.
That’s also not to say that Rosen is a slam dunk. Although Rosen has great mechanics, the Jets do have concerns about his accuracy. Conversely, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield has been lauded for his precision. The UCLA star also doesn’t have the arm strength of Wyoming product Josh Allen.
Currently, all signs are pointing to the Browns selecting Sam Darnold at No. 1 overall and there are rumblings that the Giants are not particularly interested in Rosen at No. 2. Assuming the Browns take Darnold and the Giants go with a non-QB, the Jets will get to choose between three of this year’s top four QB prospects.
Here’s more on the Jets:
- Wide receiver Charles Johnson‘s contract with the Jets is a one-year, $1.5MM pact, Cimini tweets. The deal includes a $250K signing bonus, a $250K workout bonus, and a $1MM base. Johnson spent the 2017 season on the Panthers’ IR after a summer injury. He made some noise in Minnesota, but has not made a noticeable impact since 2014.
- Linebacker Kevin Minter‘s contract with the Jets is a one-year, $880K deal with a $90K signing bonus, Cimini tweets. Same goes for guard Dakota Dozier.
Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict Loses Appeal
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2018 season, per a league announcement. This means that Burfict has lost his appeal to overturn his ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. 
Burfict is no stranger to suspensions, but this marks his first ban for PEDs. In the past, Burfict has been sidelined for violations of league safety rules. Between injuries and suspensions, Burfict has missed 28 regular season games over the past four years. That tally will climb to at least 32 this year.
Despite it all, Burfict remains one of the very best linebackers in the NFL. In 2017, Burfict managed 69 tackles and 1.5 sacks in ten games.
In theory, the suspension could have financial implications for Burfict beyond the missed paychecks. Now that he has lost his appeal, the guarantees in his three-year, $33MM contract will void. With that $11.3MM guarantee off the books, the Bengals have the ability to move on from Burfict without dead money left on the cap. The 27-year-old (28 in September) is slated to be under contract with the team through 2020.
Although he is out for the first four games of the year, Burfict will be permitted to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. This marks the third consecutive year in which Burfict will serve a suspension to start the season.
Packers To Re-Sign CB Davon House
The Packers may be on the verge of re-signing cornerback Davon House. Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter) hears that House has agreed to a new one-year deal. Meanwhile, House tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that that he has a visit scheduled with the Packers for Friday, provided that he can make it in time from his home in Hawaii. He expects to re-sign, but says that no deal is done just yet.
Demovsky reported later a deal to keep House in Green Bay is expected to be finalized soon. The only thing that’s holding this deal up is House passing a physical on his visit, Demovsky reports.
[RELATED: Packers WR Trevor Davis Arrested]
House started in all 12 of his games last year but missed time due to an injury early in the year and a late-season transverse process fracture in his back. He recorded 44 total tackles, six passes defensed, one interception, and one sack on the year, but he struggled in coverage. For the second straight year, he earned a poor grade from Pro Football Focus.
This offseason, the Packers added Tramon Williams in free agency, so House won’t necessarily be in line for a starting role if he returns.
Browns Cut TE Gavin Escobar
The Browns are trimming down the roster in advance of the draft. On Thursday, Cleveland announced that seven players have been cut. Here’s the full rundown:
Released:
Waived:
- LB Max Bullough
- WR Bug Howard
- TE Matt Lengel
- WR Larry Pinkard
- DB C.J. Smith
- RB Kelvin Taylor
Escobar, 27, never lived up his to second-round draft status with the Cowboys. In four seasons with Dallas, he managed just 30 receptions for 333 yards. He inked a minimum salary benefit contract with the Chiefs in March of 2017, but did not make the final cut. He later hooked on with the Ravens, but he did not record an official statistic in his two games with the club.
Bullough spent three years with the Texans and appeared in 29 games with the club between 2015 and 2016. In the summer of 2017, the Texans released him after he was hit with a PED suspension. After his release, the NFL hit the linebacker with another four-game ban. The Michigan State product has not seen the field since Week 17 of the ’16 season.
Seahawks Rumors: Kaepernick, Reid, Carroll
The Seahawks have postponed a scheduled workout with Colin Kaepernick, but the door is not closed on the polarizing quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Seahawks brass, including GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, want Kaepernick to consider how he wants to proceed on his social justice initiatives – not just the anthem protests – before getting together at a later date when his plans are formed. Overall, as Rapoport notes, the Seahawks have been on board with players speaking out for what they believe.
Here’s more from Seattle:
- The Seahawks are still sorting out their backup quarterback situation and have not made any decisions about who they want to bring in to support starter Russell Wilson, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Kaepernick is expected to be among those considered, but there will be other QBs in the mix, Schefter hears.
- The Seahawks are hosting Stanford safety Justin Reid on a visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Within the tweet, Rapoport writes notes that the Seahawks briefly considered his older brother, Eric Reid, earlier this offseason. Reid continues to search for work and he believes that his participation in protests during the anthem are keeping him from landing a deal. The Seahawks, for now, seem set at safety with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. However, there’s still a small possibility that Thomas will be traded and Chancellor’s 2017 neck injury could be an issue moving forward. Meanwhile, some project that the younger Reid could be a first or second round pick in this year’s draft, but he is not ranked in the top 50 by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah. He’d probably be a reach at No. 18 overall, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Seattle move down in order to obtain more picks.