Saints Expected To Target Jimmy Graham
Could a reunion be on the horizon for the Saints and tight end Jimmy Graham? The Saints are expected to be among the teams with interest in Graham when free agency opens on March 14, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
In line with what we’ve heard previously, Pelissero says that Graham is not expected to re-sign with the Seahawks this offseason. There should be plenty of opportunities out there for Graham, however, as he profiles as one of the top tight ends in this year’s class. Other big names include Eagles free agent Trey Burton (who should draw the most lucrative deal of any free agent TE) and Jets free agent Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Over the last four years, Graham has been the league’s highest-paid tight end with average annual salary value of $10MM. He’ll make less on his next contract, but he figures to do well on a multi-year deal.
The Saints have tight ends Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, Michael Hoomanawanui, Garrett Griffin, Clay Harbor, and Alex Ellis on the roster, but finding a difference maker at tight end is one of the team’s top priorities. Going for a proven free agent such as Graham would make sense, but the Saints also met with some of the draft’s top tight end prospects at the combine last week and they could fill the void there.
“I think there are some players there,” GM Mickey Loomis said of this year’s tight end crop in the draft (via Herbie Teope of the Times Picayune). “I think there’s a good group of players, and so how they fit us, I think that remains to be determined yet. I think, in general, this is going to be a decent draft class.”
Graham, 32 in November, was among the league’s best tight ends while with New Orleans. From 2011-2014, Graham averaged 89 catches for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns per season. He earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods in his two most recent seasons with the Saints, but his production has not been quite the same.
Eagles Offered Second-Round Pick For Nick Foles
An AFC team has offered a second-round pick for Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke with Geoff Mosher of FanRag. The source says that the proposal was made to Philadelphia earlier this offseason. 
The Eagles, ideally, would like to hold on to the Super Bowl MVP, but that’s a luxury they might not be able to afford given their serious numbers crunch. In a vacuum, Foles’ $7.6MM cap charge is completely justifiable, but the Eagles have bigger needs to address than the backup QB role.
The Eagles are already primed to lose tight end Trey Burton to free agency and nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson could also fly the nest. Moving Foles could help the Eagles in their bid to retain Robinson, or at least give them the draft ammo necessary to replace him and fill other holes.
The identity of the AFC team in question is not known, but the Browns, Bills, and Jets would all be logical suitors. The Dolphins, who may not be 100% confident in Ryan Tannehill, could also fit the profile of a team with interest in Foles.
Peter King On Browns, McCarron, Tannehill
Here’s the latest from Peter King of The MMQB:
- The Browns have four picks in the top 35 of this year’s draft, but coach Hue Jackson is still pushing for the team to acquire A.J. McCarron, King hears. If the team does go for McCarron in March, the plan would be for the team to also draft a rookie quarterback to be groomed behind him. The Browns, of course, nearly landed McCarron before last year’s trade deadline before a paperwork snag tanked the deal. One has to wonder if McCarron would be skeptical about the Browns’ level of commitment to him in such a scenario, particularly after seeing how Mike Glennon‘s arrangement worked out with the Bears. Then again, McCarron might be faced with a similar scenario with any team that shows interest him.
- It has been said that the Dolphins are committed to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, but King is not convinced after speaking with executives at the combine. Miami is look at QBs at No. 11 overall and several people who spoke with King believe they’ll select a signal caller there. Tannehill has missed the last 19 Dolphins games with back-to-back ACL tears.
- After speaking with several GMs, scouts, and coaches, this is King’s rough consensus for the top ten player’s in the draft: Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, USC quarterback Sam Darnold, North Carolina State edge rusher Bradley Chubb, Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, and Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith.
Jets Considering Teddy Bridgewater
He’s not their first choice, but the Jets are considering free agent Teddy Bridgewater as they address their quarterback position this offseason, a team source tells Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Jets coach Todd Bowles has said that the Jets have a “Plan A, B, C, and possibly D” at QB, but it’s not clear where the team ranks Bridgewater at this time. 
Bridgewater’s last full season came in 2015, when he threw for 3,231 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The former first-rounder also ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries. But, thanks to a gruesome knee injury prior to the 2016 season, the QB has attempted only two passes in the last two NFL seasons.
The Jets are hoping to sign Kirk Cousins when free agency opens up on March 14, but they’re already concerned about chatter that Cousins will join up with the Vikings. The Jets have tons of cap space and are reportedly willing to make Cousins the highest-paid player in the NFL, but the Vikings present him with a better chance to win right away.
If the Jets miss out on Cousins, it’s possible that they could see Bridgewater as the best backup plan in free agency. Bridgewater’s teammates Case Keenum and Sam Bradford may also be considerations, but Bridgewater arguably offers the highest upside of the trio. A.J. McCarron, who recently won his grievance to become an unrestricted free agent, also offers promise, but there is limited game film on him after years spent as Andy Dalton‘s backup in Cincinnati.
The Jets are also armed with the No. 6 pick in the draft, but prospects in their range like Wyoming’s Josh Allen or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield cannot be counted on. Even fellow top QBs like USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen – who may go Nos. 1 and 2 in the draft – are not viewed as slam dunks to be successful.
Antonio Cromartie Retires From NFL
Antonio Cromartie is calling it a career. The longtime NFL cornerback took to Instagram on Monday morning to announce his retirement from professional football. 
“Today is the day I knew I would eventually have to face, but one I never wanted to accept,” Cromartie wrote. “After 27 years of playing football, today I say farewell. God blessed me with the opportunity to play in the NFL for 11 years, and after much consideration and prayer, I’d like to officially announce my retirement.”
Cromartie entered the league as a first-round pick of the Chargers in 2006. He put himself on the map in the following season when he tallied a league-high ten interceptions en route to his first Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections. Later, he went on to spent four seasons with the Jets (2010-2013) and one with the Cardinals (2014) before returning to Gang Green (2015) and finishing out with the Colts (2016).
We haven’t heard Cromartie’s name pop up since his four-game stint in Indianapolis came to a close in October 2016, but the cornerback was apparently hoping to resurrect his career up until today. As his 34th birthday approaches in April, Cromartie will now transition to the next phase of his life.
We here at PFR wish Cromartie, an 11-year NFL veteran, the best in retirement.
Giants Interested In Patrick Robinson
Patrick Robinson could wind up leaving the Eagles while staying in the NFC East. The Giants have interest in signing the free agent cornerback, according to a source who spoke with Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. 
We learned over the weekend that the Giants are planning to move Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from cornerback to safety, leaving a major void at nickel cornerback. Filling the gap with Robinson would be a major win for the Giants. The veteran graded out as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus, and matched a career-high with four interceptions.
The Eagles, naturally, would like to keep Robinson, but the defending champs are placing a serious numbers crunch. The Giants are somewhat limited with just $23.68MM in cap space, but that’s far more flexibility than the Eagles have.
Free agency officially begins on March 14. Teams are permitted to contact agents of players set to become free agents on March 12, that is already happening across the league on the QT.
Steelers Expected To Tag Le’Veon Bell
Despite some early optimism at getting a multi-year deal done, the Steelers are expected to franchise tag running back Le’Veon Bell before the Tuesday deadline, barring a dramatic turn in talks (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Both sides will continue working on a deal, but it sounds like Bell will first be held in place with a one-year, $14.544MM tender. 
If they go through with the tag, this will mark the second straight year in which the Steelers have franchised Bell. Last year, Bell did not take kindly to Pittsburgh’s long-term offers and took his time before signing the one-year placeholder. The running back wound up skipping training camp and the preseason before finally inking the tender in early September. It’s conceivable that Bell could take a similar approach this year if talks stall once again.
For what it’s worth, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert is optimistic about the team’s odds of re-signing Bell.
“I believe I am [confident]. … I think with both sides wanting to get something done,” the longtime Steelers GM said. “… I think that certainly aids your ability to get that done.”
Last year, Bell rejected a five-year offer that would have paid him a guaranteed $30MM over the course of the first two years and $60MM overall. No one knows exactly what Bell is asking for this time around, but he has indicated that he would accept a deal with $50MM guaranteed.
Falcons Cut TE Levine Toilolo
SUNDAY, 10:34am: The Falcons will designate Toilolo as a post-June 1 cut, meaning that they’ll see a cap savings of $3.5MM for this year rather than $2.5MM (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). Cap space is at a premium for Atlanta, which currently ranks in the bottom third of the league in that regard.
FRIDAY, 1:46pm: The Falcons are releasing tight end Levine Toilolo, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This comes just one year after Toilolo re-signed on a three-year, $12MM deal one year ago.
Toilolo, 27 in July, has been mostly a complementary piece for Atlanta over the past few seasons. In his contract year, he had 13 catches and two touchdowns, but he stretched the field with 264 yards, good for 20.3 yards per grab. This past season, he had 12 catches for 122 yards and one score.
The Falcons are faced with a bit of a numbers crunch this offseason, which necessitated the release of Toilolo. With Austin Hooper already on board, Toilolo was a luxury they could not afford.
For the second straight year, Toilolo ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 27 ranked tight end. He’ll now join a free agent tight end crop that includes Trey Burton, Jimmy Graham, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Latest On Michigan DT Maurice Hurst
SUNDAY, 9:50am: Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that Hurst has not, in fact, left the combine yet, though he will undergo more tests shortly. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that Hurst will be meeting with one of the nation’s top heart specialists from the Cleveland Clinic, and that there should be more clarity on the situation after next week. For what it’s worth (and hopefully that’s a lot), Hurst himself has said he is not concerned about the tests, and he hopes to participate in Michigan’s pro day on March 23 (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of NFL.com).
SATURDAY, 6:11pm: A potential first-round pick has hit a major roadblock. Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was found to have a heart condition and has left the draft combine in Indianapolis, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) He’ll undergo further testing this week. 
Hurst was cleared to play by medical officials at Michigan, but his condition popped up as a red flag for Saints doctors, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) adds. One source that spoke with Rapoport compared Hurst’s condition to that of former Lions and Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley. Fairley missed all of the 2017 season due to that issue but is now looking to return to football.
Hurst was on the draft radar last year, but analysts told Albert Breer of The MMQB back in December that he helped his draft stock by staying in school for an extra season. That may be the case, but his entire football future may be in flux.
As a senior, Hurst totaled 59 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. In his final three seasons with the Wolverines, he amassed 13.5 sacks in total.
Free Agency Notes: Jets, Colts, Lewis, Burton
Here’s a look at the latest free agency buzz:
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears the Jets and Colts are “possible destinations” for Patriots free agent running back Dion Lewis. The language in Fowler’s report is admittedly soft, but free agents are technically forbidden from talking to rival teams during this time, so this may be a wink-wink acknowledgement that both teams have engaged in some secretive discussions prior to the legal tampering period on March 12. Recently, Mike Florio of PFT indicated that the Texans, 49ers, and Raiders were also potential destinations for the 27-year-old (28 in September).
- No surprise here, but free agent tight end Trey Burton is a popular man. With the Eagles unlikely to retain him, 16 clubs have already checked in on his status this week, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Some executives who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicated that Dontari Poe could be a fit for the Buccaneers. Poe, who did well on his one-year platform deal with the Falcons, may also fit the Redskins, Broncos, and Colts, per JLC.
- More from JLC, who cautions of a potential bidding war between the Bears and Chiefs over backup quarterback Chase Daniel. The Saints would like to retain the veteran, but they might not be able to afford him with a big money extension on the horizon for Drew Brees. The Bears and Chiefs both make sense for Daniel given the ties he has to both coaching staffs.