Latest On Texans, Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is entering the final year of his deal, but it doesn’t sound like the Texans will let him get away. There is “a positive outlook” on both sides of the table and it is believed that a blockbuster extension is an “eventuality” this offseason, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. 
For his part, Clowney has been public about his desire to stay with the Texans.
“I want to be [in Houston] forever. It would be great, something I always dreamed of. I don’t want to leave this team,” Clowney said recently. “I’ve been here since the beginning. I want to stay here. I want to finish my career here, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, they lock me in.”
The two-time Pro Bowler is set to earn $12.306MM under the terms of his fifth-year option now that he has been classified as a linebacker rather than a defensive end. Clowney’s next deal figures to be more costly and could make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Currently, that title belongs to Von Miller of the Broncos who is in the midst of a six-year, $114MM deal with $70MM guaranteed. Clowney, Aaron Donald, and Khalil Mack could all surpass Miller in the coming months, meaning that we could see three NFL defenders making $20MM per season.
Clowney, 25, racked up career highs in sacks (9.5) and tackles (59) last year, including an eye-popping 20 tackles for a loss.
Bears GM Ryan Pace On Fuller, Draft
Bears GM Ryan Pace touched on a wide range of topics in an exclusive interview with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune on Thursday. Here’s a look at the highlights: 
On matching cornerback Kyle Fuller’s offer sheet:
We didn’t have a lot of heads up on it. We found out very close to receiving the offer sheet that he was in Green Bay. When he was coming back from that trip he was connecting in Chicago on a layover and he stayed in Chicago.
On announcing the plan to match the sheet hours later:
We could have waited and dragged it out. Hey, we know we like the player. Once we understood the contract and we knew it was a fair contract, let’s just be decisive and go.
On whether he wanted Fuller to sign an offer sheet elsewhere so that another team would work out the long-term deal for him:
We talked about that and the difficulty of negotiating off the franchise tag. So with the transition tag it allowed us a greater possibility (he would sign an offer sheet) and it allowed us the flexibility with the transition tag you can negotiate all the way through the season.
On his ideal scenario for the top seven picks in the draft:
Four quarterbacks go…I don’t know [if that’s realistic]. I think three might be realistic but you never know. We have to prepare for all of those scenarios. We’ll prepare for best case and we’ll prepare for worst case. That’s what is fun this time of year. You have all of your evaluations in. Now we prepare for all of those different things that can transpire.
On whether teams have called about the No. 8 pick:
We haven’t [received inquiries] yet. I’m not surprised. I think that will heat up as you get a little closer. When the Jets came up (from No. 6 to No. 3), they were putting themselves in a position where they know they can (get a player they want) where maybe No. 8 is a little too far back for that. It’s hard to predict.
Lions Sign C Wesley Johnson
The Lions announced that they have signed center Wesley Johnson. He may wind up as the team’s new starter in the middle of the offensive line.
Last year’s starter, Travis Swanson, remains in free agent limbo. Things have been remarkably quiet around Swanson and it’s not clear if the Lions have expressed interest in re-signing him or if any team has reached out with serious interest.
Johnson entered the league a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in 2014. When he was cut by Pittsburgh, the Jets quickly jumped on him and he has been with the team ever since. Although he started 15 games for the Jets last year and made 24 starts in total, Gang Green opted to go in a different (and pricier) direction this month by signing former Redskins lineman Spencer Long.
As shown on Roster Resource, the Lions will start Taylor Decker at left tackle, T.J. Lang at right guard, and Ricky Wagner at right tackle. The Johnson signing should allow Graham Glasgow to remain at his natural position at left guard, though new addition Kenny Wiggins may be given an opportunity to battle for the top job.
Latest On Cowboys’ Randy Gregory
Randy Gregory has been laying the groundwork for his return to football, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes. Representatives of the defensive end are “in the process of doing the work necessary to apply for reinstatement,” Moore adds. 
Gregory has not seen the field since the 2016 season due to multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. However, the latest word on him is positive and he passed drug tests in the fall. Once the right paperwork is in place, it is expected that Gregory will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell. Based on Goodell’s previous handling of players in similar situations, it seems as though Gregory could be allowed back on the field if he can demonstrate that he is drug free.
The former second-round pick out of Nebraska has notched just 15 career tackles. He has one sack to his credit, which came in Dallas’ 2016 season finale.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Moubarak Djeri
New York Jets
- Re-signed: C Jonotthan Harrison
Jets Sign LB Neville Hewitt
Free agent linebacker Neville Hewitt signed a one-year contract with the Jets, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hewitt met with the Jets on Wednesday and it did not take long for a deal to come together.
Hewitt, 24, spent most of 2017 on the Dolphins’ practice squad, but was promoted for the last six games of the regular season. He played only eleven snaps, but saw 66.5% playtime on special teams.
The Dolphins non-tendered Hewitt in March, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. He projects as a special teams player for the Jets, but their lack of quality options at outside linebacker could net him some time on defense.
As shown on Roster Resource, the Jets currently project to start Josh Martin and Jordan Jenkins at outside linebacker with Avery Williamson and Darron Lee in between. Meanwhile, edge rushers David Bass and Bruce Carter remain in free agency limbo. The Jets are expected to bolster the group in next month’s draft, though not with their No. 3 overall selection.
Extra Points: Bucs, Hargreaves, Seahawks
A video of Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves smoking a cigarette containing an unknown substance surfaced on Instagram this week, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details. Hargreaves, a University of Florida product, has struggled in the first two years of his young career. Last year, the Bucs tried employing Hargreaves as their nickel cornerback before a hamstring injury ended his season after nine games.
The video alone is unlikely to get Hargreaves into trouble with the law or the NFL, but a positive test for a banned substance such as marijuana would violate the league’s substance abuse policy. All in all, it’s simply not a good look for a player who has failed to make good on his first-round status.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- At the owners’ meetings, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link) heard Mark Sanchez‘s name “as a possibility” for the Seahawks. Someone like Sanchez could serve as a veteran backup to Russell Wilson now that Trevone Boykin is out of the picture.
- The “Josh McDaniels rule” which would have allowed assistant coaches to sign on as head coaches elsewhere during the playoffs did not pass at this week’s owners’ meetings. Surprisingly, Colts GM Chris Ballard was not among those in support of the rule. “When you’re a playoff team, you’re trying to eliminate all the distractions that you can. And we’re going to be a playoff team and we’re going to have these issues,” Ballard said (via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). “It becomes a slippery slope. We have rules in place for a reason. I think they’re good rules. It gives you a chance to interview and then, after the season, whatever happens, happens. In our case, he changed his mind and we moved on.”
- New Broncos defender Su’a Cravens has the ability to play both safety and linebacker, but the team views him strictly as a safety, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Broncos acquired Cravens from Washington on Wednesday in a deal that will net the Redskins a fifth-round pick plus upgraded picks in the fourth and fifth round and a conditional sixth-round choice in 2020.
Latest On Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants are seeking at least two first round picks for Odell Beckham Jr., but right now it doesn’t look like any team will meet that price. Other teams around the NFL believe that GM Dave Gettleman might have to settle for “a couple second-round picks, [or] something in that neighborhood,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). 
Meanwhile, Pelissero (Twitter link) hears that the Rams rumored interest in OBJ is real. There are a few complications, however, including his contract. Beckham Jr. is under contract for this season for about $8.5MM. He could be kept under control through 2020 (and, theoretically, even 2021) through the franchise tag, but Beckham is insistent on getting a contract extension this offseason. Apparently, Beckham is prepared to sit out this year if he doesn’t get the high-priced long-term deal that he is after.
Even beyond the contract, there are concerns about Beckham’s health and off-field behavior. Acquiring teams are well aware of the potential headaches involved here and the Giants’ potential return may be limited by those issues. Still, considering the remarkable performances the LSU product put up before last year’s ankle injury, there will be a market for him.
OBJ’s name started making the rounds in trade rumors in recent days, but this isn’t the first time it has became a topic for the Giants. The G-Men got their first trade offer for the wide receiver right after the viral pizza video surfaced, Rapoport tweets, and it was a lowball offer that was quickly rejected.
Publicly, the Giants insist that they are not shopping the young phenom.
Seahawks Meet With CB Kenneth Acker
The Seahawks are still looking to add to their revamped secondary. On Wednesday, they hosted former Chiefs cornerback Kenneth Acker for a free agent visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Acker, 26, spent the first two years of his career with the Niners before being traded to the Chiefs in 2016. Although he was a starter in ’15 with San Francisco, he has not been a first string player since. Acker appeared in just nine games with KC in 2016 but saw time in each of the Chiefs’ 16 regular season games in 2017, as well as their Wild Card round loss to the Titans.
Last year, Acker recorded 19 total tackles and one interception. His 210 snaps were not enough to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ rankings, but with a larger sample size, he would have ranked 91st in the NFL. Needless to say, Acker would not be in the mix for a starting job in Seattle, but he could offer help off of the bench.
As of this writing, the Seahawks’ top corners are Justin Coleman (who will likely remain with the team following a second-round tender) and Shaquil Griffin. Free agent Byron Maxwell, who quietly had a solid season in seven games with Seattle, remains unsigned.
Lions Host Jets OL Wesley Johnson
Jets center/guard Wesley Johnson is on a free agent visit with the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Johnson, a fifth round pick in 2014, has 24 starts and 41 games in total to his credit.
All of Johnson’s starts came at center, but his ability to play guard gives him additional value. Last year’s starting center, Travis Swanson, remains in free agent limbo, so that top role could be filled by Johnson.
For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics are not high on the Jets free agent. Last year, Johnson graded out as the second-worst qualified center in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Swanson didn’t fare much better, placing fifth from the bottom.