Le’Veon Bell, Steelers Far Apart
So much for the positive updates on talks between Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers. On the eve of the league’s franchise tagging deadline, the running back says that the two sides are far apart in talks (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). Furthermore, Bell added that he was not bluffing in January when he said that he is contemplating retirement if he does not get the kind of deal he is after. 
“We’re not coming to a number we both agree on — they are too low, or I guess they feel I’m too high,” Bell said. “I’m playing for strictly my value to the team, that’s what I’m asking. I don’t think I should settle for anything less than what I’m valued at.”
Instead of looking at his value in terms of what he brings to the Steelers, Bell gets the sense that the team is putting a greater focus on the running back market as a whole. Currently, Falcons tailback Devonta Freeman stands as the game’s highest-paid running back at $8.25MM per year. Bell has previously stated that he wants a deal that reflects his value not just as a runner, but as a lethal pass catcher. He remains more optimistic about talks than he was last year, but he doesn’t see anything coming together between now and Tuesday afternoon.
“We might get something done,” Bell said. “I’m hoping for something to get done but I’m not expecting it to [before Tuesday].”
As it stands, the Steelers are expected to tag Bell for a second consecutive season, this time at the inflated cost of $14.544MM. The mechanism, in theory, would keep Bell in place for the 2018 season, but his retirement threat could throw a wrench into plans, depending on how seriously it is received by the Steelers.
Rams To Tag Either Watkins Or Joyner
The Rams have two franchise tag candidates in wide receiver Sammy Watkins and safety Lamarcus Joyner. One of those players will receive the tag on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, but they have yet to decide which one. 
[RELATED: Sammy Watkins, Franchise Tag Candidate]
By tagging one of the players, the Rams will guarantee that they will not lose both players to unrestricted free agency. However, if they cannot come to terms on a deal with either Watkins or Joyner before March 14, they’ll risk losing a key cog to the open market.
Late last month, it was reported that the Rams are leaning towards tagging Joyner over Watkins. Joyner would represent the cheaper tag as the projected cost for safeties is just over $11MM. Tagging Watkins would be more costly at a rate of about $16.23MM.
There’s more to the decision than just the Rams’ evaluation of each player and the cost. For all of Watkins’ drawbacks, including a dicey health history and a down year in 2017, he stands as one of the best potential free agents at his position. If the Rams do not tag him, they’ll be embroiled in a bidding war with other WR-needy teams and his price could quickly become too rich for their blood. Joyner, meanwhile, may profile as the best safety on the market, but there are other quality options near the top including Morgan Burnett, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and Eric Reid.
Cowboys Apply Tag To Demarcus Lawrence
The Cowboys and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence will not reach a long-term deal before Tuesday’s franchise deadline, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With no long-term deal in place, the Cowboys have followed through on their plan to apply the one-year franchise tag on Lawrence for 2018, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
The one-year placeholder will cost the Cowboys $17.5MM. Per league rules, the two sides still have until July 16 to hammer out a new contract. If no agreement is reached between now and then, Lawrence will remain with the Cowboys at a costly rate for the coming year.
The Cowboys would like to smooth out Lawrence’s cap hit and the defensive end would like to have the financial security of a long-term pact. However, it won’t come cheap. Agent David Canter also represents defensive end Olivier Vernon, who signed the largest contract in NFL history for his position when he landed a five-year, $85MM deal with the Giants in 2016. It is believed that Canter is seeking at least $17MM/year to match Vernon’s contract.
Lawrence racked up 14.5 sacks in 2017, nearly double Vernon’s total from his contract year. He also graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 ranked DE, putting him behind only Cameron Jordan and Von Miller amongst edge rushers.
Extra Points: Bears, Fuller, Seahawks
No surprise here, but Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune hears that the Bears are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Kyle Fuller. Multiple sources tell Biggs that they do not expect the franchise tag to be employed, though he is less certain about whether the transition tag could be in play. It also seems unlikely that Fuller would sign a multi-year contract with the Bears before free agency opens, but there is interest on both sides in moving forward together.
Here’s more from around the NFL on a very busy Monday:
- The Seahawks had open ears at the draft combine last week, sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Among those drawing interest include defensive tackle Michael Bennett and safety Earl Thomas, two players that have been the subject of trade speculation in recent weeks. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Falcons have discussed a Bennett deal with Seattle. Cornerback Richard Sherman, who has a $13.2MM cap charge in 2018, is also a trade candidate.
- The Panthers, Jaguars, and Dolphins are heavily interested in free agent quarterback market, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) hears. The Panthers obviously have a starter in Cam Newton, but they are seeking a quality backup because Newton tends to take a lot of hits. The Jaguars and Dolphins have starters in Blake Bortles and Ryan Tannehill, respectively, but both clubs want veteran backups that can push them. The Dolphins are also exploring the idea of drafting a QB at No. 11 overall.
- Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson has been the subject of tremendous debate in football circles, particularly due to questions about his ability to play QB at the next level. He may have another problem. Jackson did not do well in interviews and white-board work at the combine, Volin hears (Twitter link) and his decision to go without an agent may be the culprit.
- The Bills‘ one-year contract with cornerback Vontae Davis includes an unusual wrinkle, as noted by Volin (on Twitter). Davis is slated to receive a roster bonus of nearly $47K for each game he spends on the 46-man active roster. Meanwhile, he’ll receive a lesser bonus of almost $16K per game that he spends on the 53-man roster. It’s unique for a contract to have separate bonuses for appearing on the 53 and the 46 each week, but it’s a creative structure for Buffalo given Davis’ injury history. One has to wonder if other teams could follow a similar blueprint this offseason when signing veterans with health concerns.
Browns To Meet With CB Sam Shields
Former Packers cornerback Sam Shields is looking to resume his NFL career and will start visiting teams this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Browns will be among his first visits. 
[RELATED: Browns Top 3 Offseason Needs]
Shields, 30, suffered the fifth concussion of his career in Green Bay’s 2016 season opener and hasn’t played since. He didn’t draw any interest in the 2017 offseason, but he began training again this winter with the hope of playing once again.
It remains to be seen if a team will gamble on Shields’ health, but we heard last month that the cornerback is confident that he’ll find a job and at least one personnel executive told Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Shields could land a contract if he is medically cleared by team doctors.
Adding talent to the secondary is among the Browns’ top priorities this offseason, as PFR’s Sam Robinson recently noted. The Browns have the cap room to add big names such as Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler and Kyle Fuller, but Shields could be an intriguing veteran addition, even if he’s not brought in as a Week 1 starter.
Shields, a former undrafted free agent, spent seven years with the Packers. He started 62 games and tallied up 18 interceptions during that span.
Raiders Release LB Aldon Smith
Aldon Smith‘s time with the Raiders has officially come to an end. On Monday, the Raiders announced that Smith has been released from his contract. 
Smith was named as a suspect in an alleged domestic violence incident over the weekend and cops were searching for him as recently as Sunday night. On Monday morning, TMZ Sports learned that Smith has checked into rehab. Given his history, the Raiders didn’t have to think hard about moving on from Smith.
Smith posted 3.5 sacks for Oakland in nine games during the 2015 season before being hit with a one-year suspension. He also served a nine-game ban in 2013 for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies. Despite all of that, GM Reggie McKenzie handed Smith a two-year, $11.5MM deal in the spring of 2016.
The former first-round pick has not seen the field since November 15, 2015. At this rate, he may never don an NFL jersey again. He’s already under suspension for previous off-the-field incidents, so he’s nowhere near the radar of any club at this time.
Smith stands as one of the greatest wastes of talent in recent NFL history. In his second year as a pro, Smith amassed 19.5 sacks and 66 total tackles for the 49ers, en route to Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections. Even in an abbreviated 2013 campaign, Smith tallied 8.5 sacks and 34 tackles in 11 contests.
Eagles Working To Keep DE Vinny Curry
The Eagles want to keep defensive end Vinny Curry and are working to restructure that deal in order to make that happen, a source tells ESPN.com’s Tim McManus (Twitter link). As it stands, Curry is slated to count against the cap for $11MM in 2018.
The Eagles have very little wiggle room to work with this offseason. As of this writing, the Eagles are projected to be over the cap by about $9MM, so Curry will have to be a team player if he wants to stay on board.Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that the Eagles could approach Curry about a reworked contract.
The Eagles could save $5MM by releasing Curry, but they’d still be left with $6MM in dead money, not to mention the task of replacing his production with limited resources. From a monetary standpoint, it would make sense for Curry to stand his ground in any talks with the Eagles. He didn’t have a gaudy stat line in 2017, but he did grade as the NFL’s No. 21 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. Plenty of teams will line up to sign Curry if he hits the open market, particularly given the lack of quality defensive linemen in this year’s free agent crop.
In other Eagles news, the team is reportedly seeking more than a first- and fourth-round pick in a trade for quarterback Nick Foles.
NFL Draft Rumors: Griffin, Lions, Jets
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin did wonders for his draft stock by running a 4.38 second 40-yard-dash, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) reports. Griffin is getting considerable buzz in Indianapolis and one head coach remarked to Rapoport that Griffin may have put himself in consideration as a fourth-round pick. Teams were wary about Griffin’s ability to play at the next level because of his amputated left hand. They’re looking at him in a whole new light now, though Rapoport says that evaluators are now going back to the tape to see if Griffin plays as fast as he looked at the combine. Griffin’s 4.38 was the fastest recorded time for a linebacker at the combine in more than a decade.
Here’s more on the NFL Draft:
- Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, and Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen are all on the rise after strong showings in the combine, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). Allen was once viewed as a second-tier QB in this year’s draft, behind USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen. There’s no longer a clear consensus on the order of this year’s top signal callers with talk that Allen and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield are climbing boards league-wide.
- We’ve been hearing a lot about Vander Esch’s rise in particular in recent weeks. LVE’s 4.65 second 40-yard-dash was faster than expected and Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com hears that he could go as high as No. 14 when the Packers are called to the podium. Pauline’s understanding is that he won’t get past the Steelers at No. 28 and the Eagles, who pick at No. 32, have already come to the conclusion that he’ll be gone by then.
- Delaware defensive tackle Bilal Nichols is a name to watch for the Jets and Lions, according to Pauline. Nichols tweaked his hamstring during the 40-yard-dash and was unable to finish the drill, but he should be ready to go before his pro day on March 20.
Panthers, Gano Discussing Extension
The Panthers are working on a long-term deal with Pro Bowl kicker Graham Gano, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If a deal does not get done by Tuesday at 4pm ET/3pm CT, they’ll likely use the franchise tag on him. 
Early on in the offseason, it seemed likely that guard Andrew Norwell would be the most likely of any Panthers player to receive the franchise tag, a designation that can only be used on one player per team. However, the Panthers do not see room in the budget for a one-year, $14.5MM placeholder on Norwell given that they have already given a lucrative long-term extension to right guard Trai Turner. From the outside, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei also seemed to be a candidate for the tag, but that has also been ruled out by Carolina brass.
It’s not typical for a kicker to receive the franchise tag, but the tag price for kickers – estimated to fall between $4.8MM and $5MM – is more palatable than the cost for offensive linemen or interior defensive linemen.
Gano’s representatives are likely to use Ryan Succop‘s recent accord with the Titans as a framework for his deal. Succop’s extension is worth $20MM over five years with $7.25MM guaranteed at signing and a healthy cash flow of $8.25MM over the first two years. In terms of yearly average amongst kickers, Succop’s $4MM year falls behind only Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots, $4.3MM/year), Justin Tucker (Ravens, $4.2MM/year), and Mason Crosby (Packers, $4.025MM/year).
Gano’s 96.7% field goal percentage led the NFL in 2017 and former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is reportedly hoping to bring him to the Giants. If the Panthers get an extension done with Gano, or if they use the tag on him, Gettleman’s reunion plans will be scuttled.
Eagles Seeking More Than 1st, 4th Round Picks For Nick Foles
The Eagles have set a sky high asking price for Nick Foles. In order to part with the reigning Super Bowl MVP, the Eagles are telling teams they’ll need more than the first- and fourth-round picks they received from the Vikings in the Sam Bradford trade, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Eagles Offered Second-Round Pick For Foles By AFC Team]
With roughly two weeks to go between now and the start of free agency, the Eagles can afford to set the bar high. That’s presumably what the Eagles are doing here. While Foles is a quality quarterback and arguably a stronger option than any free agent QB not named Kirk Cousins, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles netting such a return for him. It’s also hard to see the Eagles holding on to Foles as their backup given his $7MM+ cap hit and the team’s limited financial flexibility. The likely outcome here is that Foles will be traded and it will probably be for less than what the Eagles are currently asking for.
For what it’s worth, Mortensen reports that the Eagles have received multiple offers for Foles, but they have not been actively shopping him. We don’t know the nature of every offer put in front of them, but we do know that one AFC team has already pitched a second-round pick for the 29-year-old.