Branden Albert Arrested
Left tackle Branden Albert was arrested on Wednesday in Atlanta, according to TMZ Sports. The two-time Pro Bowler was cuffed for second degree criminal damages and willful obstruction of a law officer, according to jail records. 
Police say that Albert went to a jewelry store with friends and repeatedly tried to access an area that was not open to customers. When asked to leave the area, Albert allegedly “punched a jewelry cabinet which left a very large hole” and threatened to “kill” the owner. Albert went on to push the security guard, who is an off-duty Atlanta police officer, and was tased. The 6’4″, 315-pound lineman pulled the taser prongs from his body and then got physical with the security guard. The guard suffered minor injuries and Albert was arrested shortly thereafter.
Albert got into an offseason spat with the Jaguars last year that included retirement, un-retirement, and ultimately ended with his release. After being traded from the Dolphins, Albert was hoping to have his contract re-worked to include guaranteed money. The Jaguars were not only unwilling to rework his contract, but they also asked that he play guard with Cam Robinson starting at left tackle. Once Albert hit the open market, he didn’t find the kind of lucrative offers that he was expecting. The Seahawks tried to get him on board, but he turned down a contract in October.
With upwards of $50MM in career earnings, it remains to be seen whether Albert will look to play in 2018. If he does want to return to the NFL, he may have to answer for his run-in with the law this week.
Ohio State OL Billy Price Suffers Injury
Ohio State offensive lineman Billy Price suffered a partially torn pec while doing the bench press on Thursday, sources tell TomPelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that the MRI results are in and a doctor tells Price that surgery is not required (Twitter link via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Price says he will seek a second medical opinion but, as of right now, he believes that he will not miss any time in 2018. 
“I’m not worried about this at all. This is something where I’m gonna come back stronger,” Price said of his “incomplete” tear. “You’re gonna really have to put a bullet between us Ohio State guys’ eyes to put us down. So I’m looking to get back out there and whatever team ends up selecting me, we’re going to be 100 percent going into it.”
Price is one of the draft’s top offensive lineman and widely viewed as a first or second-round prospect. Depending on the news he receives from this point, he could still be in range for the top 64 picks.
Weeks ago, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote that Price was expected to “crush the bench press at the Combine.” Unfortunately, what was meant to be a statement event for Price turned awry. Still, with accolades including the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award in 2017 plus All-Big Ten and/or All-American honors in each year from 2015-17, his future looks bright.
Bears Interested In Jarvis Landry
The Dolphins are working in concert with Jarvis Landry to find a suitable trade and already one potential suitor has emerged. The Bears have interest in acquiring the slot receiver, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Allow Landry To Seek Trade]
The Bears have a clear need at wide receiver this offseason and they also have the cap space to take on Landry’s one-year, $16.2MM tender. Presumably, the Bears would reach agreement on a long-term extension before acquiring Landry, giving them true value rather than a one-year rental.
Recently, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald‘s reported that the return for Landry will likely be a third-round pick, a late second-round pick, or a player. For what it’s worth, the Bears have seven picks in this year’s draft, but do not own a third-round choice. Their second-round pick is rather high (No. 39 overall) and their next pick doesn’t come until the fourth round (No. 105). Of course, that’s only a minor obstacle for a trade and there are other ways for the Bears to convey the value of a third rounder if that is the mutually agreed upon valuation.
Over the last four years, Landry has hauled in 400 passes for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns for Miami.
Latest On Michael Crabtree, Marshawn Lynch
Recent comments from Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Jon Gruden have indicated that running back Marshawn Lynch and wide receiver Michael Crabtree will be with the team in 2018. However, nothing has been decided on either front, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal hears. 
From a talent perspective, both players would be worthwhile contributors for the Raiders. However, their salaries are an issue. Crabtree is scheduled to earn a $7MM salary with just over $1MM in potential incentives. Lynch, meanwhile, is on the books with a $4MM salary plus up to $4MM in bonuses. Those numbers don’t sit right with the team’s braintrust, which is now headed by new head coach Jon Gruden, and it could result in one or both of the players not being a part of the team this fall.
At minimum, we should get some clarity on Lynch’s situation soon. The veteran is due a $1MM roster bonus on March 18, so the Raiders will have to make a call before that date. With free agency getting underway on March 14, it would behoove Oakland to figure things out for both players in the next two weeks.
Last season, Crabtree posted his worst season as a Raider, managing only 58 reception and 618 yards in 14 games. Lynch, meanwhile, was excellent down the stretch (perhaps as he got into better condition): the 31-year-old averaged 5.17 yards per carry over Oakland’s final five games and scored twice.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Gordon, Steelers
In a departure from comments made last offseason, Browns coach Hue Jackson says that he wants wide receiver Josh Gordon to be in Cleveland for a “long time.”
“Well, I think the first thing, if we tender him, which we will, that’s where he’ll be,” Jackson said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “But we want Josh Gordon to be a Cleveland Brown for a long time. We’ll see where that all goes, but he has to do his part in that. And we hope he will, and I’m sure he will.”
Gordon is an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that he’ll be back with the Browns on an inexpensive one-year deal. It’s not clear whether the Browns have discussed a multi-year extension with Gordon, but Jackson would be a proponent of a new contract.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- The Steelers recently reached out to safety J.J. Wilcox to express interest in a return for 2018, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Steelers can save $3.125MM by cutting Wilcox with just $675K in dead money, but the Steelers have some interest in retaining him, perhaps under a reduced figure. The Steelers will also have to make a decision regarding fellow safety Mike Mitchell, who is slated to carry a $5MM cap hit.
- With the Rams reportedly set to move on from wide receiver Tavon Austin, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun wonders aloud if the Ravens could bring the former Dunbar star home. The Ravens need to overhaul their receiver corps this season with a particular emphasis on speed. The team has been widely connected to Jarvis Landry, but Austin would represent a much cheaper option in every sense of the word. The Dolphins hit Landry with the $16MM+ franchise tag in February with the hope of trading him, likely for draft compensation. Austin, meanwhile, seems likely to get released outright, even though the Rams would ideally like to recoup something for him. Because of the offset language in Austin’s contract, that means he could probably be had for the league minimum or close to it.
- A deeper look at the contract of Bengals tackle Bobby Hart reveals that he is not a lock to make the team’s final roster.
Redskins HC: We’re Not Trading Cravens
Trade talk surrounding Su’a Cravens came to a boil this week with reports that the Broncos were deep in discussions to acquire him. However, Redskins coach Jay Gruden says that Cravens isn’t going anywhere.
[RELATED: Redskins, Broncos Discuss Cravens Trade]
“We’re not trading him,” Gruden said (via Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post). “I just saw that on the ticker. He’s still a member of this football team and we have every intention of seeing where he’s at. I’ll have to talk to him and see where he’s at mentally. Physically, I know he’s going to be in great shape. The big thing is, is this something that he wants to do? He has to commit to it full time. He’s a good football player, there’s no doubt about it. He’s a great kid. I’m sure it will work out for him.”
Cravens hasn’t taken the field since his rookie year in 2016. His retirement flip-flop last year which resulted in the team placing him on the reserve/left squad list drew the of both the Redskins front office and the locker room. A trade would make sense for all parties involved, but, if Gruden is to be believed, Cravens remains in the team’s plans for 2018.
Playing both linebacker and safety, Cravens notched 33 tackles in 2016.
Taylor Gabriel To Leave Falcons?
It sounds like pending free agent Taylor Gabriel won’t be back with the Falcons. On Thursday, Gabriel took to Twitter to bid farewell to Atlanta fans and the organization. 
“I’m very grateful to the owner, [GM, and] also the coaches for giving me that opportunity, but [I’m excited] for the new team and city that welcomes me with open arms,” Gabriel wrote.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff recently indicated that Gabriel would be allowed to test free agency, but it sounds as though the team has also told Gabriel’s camp that they will not be in on the bidding process. After another solid year, the 27-year-old may be in line for a pay bump.
The Falcons retained Gabriel with a second round tender last year, giving him a $2.81MM salary for 2017. Gabriel responded by catching 33 passes for 378 yards and one touchdown, numbers that were admittedly down from his 2016 stat line (35 passes, 379 yards, and six scores).
This offseason will mark Gabriel’s first turn through free agency. Free agents are permitted to speak with teams beginning on March 12 and can put pen to paper on March 14.
Chris Johnson Not Ready To Retire
Chris Johnson‘s 2017 season ended prematurely when he he was released by the Cardinals in October, but he is not ready to give up on football. The running back says he wants to “give it another go,” according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). 
“I’m not done yet,” Johnson said. “I am still going strong. I got too much juice left.”
It remains to be seen whether the rest of the league agrees with CJ2K’s assessment. Johnson did not draw significant interest last offseason before re-signing with Arizona on a one-year deal just prior to the season opener. When he was cut loose one month later, there were no reports of Johnson getting calls from other teams.
Many assumed that Johnson was on the downslope of his career when he was let go by the Titans after the 2013 season. He answered critics in 2014 by averaging 4.3 yards per carry for the Jets and followed that up with 4.2 yards per tote for Arizona in 2015. When Johnson suffered a suffered a fractured tibia in Week 12, that opened the door for David Johnson, who has since emerged as one of the league’s premier young rushers. Over the last two years, C. Johnson has appeared in just eight games thanks to a groin injury in ’16 and his release last season.
Johnson averaged 1,328 yards per season over his six years with the Titans, including a 2,000+ yard campaign in 2009. His resume, which includes three Pro Bowl selections and one First-Team All-Pro nod, is impressive, but he’ll be celebrating his 33rd birthday in September.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Sherman, Talib
Cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Aqib Talib would be receptive to the idea of joining the Patriots, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Both players are under contract, but it’s possible that the Seahawks could trade Sherman and Talib is a trade/release candidate for the Broncos due to his $11MM cap number in 2018.
Given that Sherman and Talib are both after a second Super Bowl ring, it’s no surprise to hear that they would both be intrigued by the possibility of joining up with the Pats. Both players are under contract, but it’s a situation to watch, particularly since Seattle is in the bottom third of the league in cap space.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Jets have yet to approach cornerback Buster Skrine about taking a pay cut for the 2018 season, Darryl Slater of NJ.com hears. Skrine is slated to carry an $8.5MM cap figure with a $6MM salary. When asked about the possibility in December, Skrine seemed to ball at the idea of taking a trim. “What’s my cap, 8.5 next year?” said Skrine, who turns 29 in April. “So I’m expecting 8.5. I don’t think any player goes into thinking if they’re taking a pay cut. I feel like I’ve been doing well and playing at a high level for what they ask me to do. I’ve just got to continue to play the way I’m playing.” Last year, Skrine ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 85 ranked corner. For what it’s worth, PFF’s metrics have never been high on him and his 65.7 overall score from ’17 was actually a career best.
- Free agent center Travis Swanson has generated the most interest from the Jets and Dolphins, a source tells Howe (Twitter link). Swanson is eligible for free agency for the first time in his career after spending the last four seasons with the Lions. The 2014 third-round pick has 53 appearances with 42 starts to his credit. Jets starting center Wesley Johnson and reserve Jonotthan Harrison are both headed towards free agency in March. The Dolphins have Mike Pouncey as their starter, but they could be looking as Swanson as a reserve option.
- Patriots free agent tackle Nate Solder wants to continue playing, despite some recent hardship in his family.
- The Bills are not giving up on the idea of re-signing cornerback E.J. Gaines, even after signing Vontae Davis.
Browns Open To Trading No. 1 Pick
The Browns, once again, own the top pick in the draft. Many expect Cleveland to stand pat and draft one of this year’s top quarterbacks, but new GM John Dorsey says the team has not ruled out trading the pick, as Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com tweets. 
“Give me a call and see what’s up,” Dorsey said with regards to the top selection.
Of course, the Browns have misfired in each of the last two drafts by trading down instead of selecting franchise quarterbacks themselves. In 2016, they sent the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to the Eagles, who selected Carson Wentz. Last year, they gave up the No. 12 pick to the Texans, clearing the way for Houston to select Deshaun Watson. The trades yielded considerable draft capital for Cleveland – including this year’s No. 4 overall pick, courtesy of Houston – but those deals may haunt the Browns for years to come.
The Browns will likely ask for a king’s ransom if they are to move out of the top spot, but it’s conceivable that Dorsey is not completely sold on Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or Josh Allen, all of whom would be candidates for the No. 1 pick. If Dorsey is higher on a QB such as Baker Mayfield, he’ll likely be able to select him at either No. 4 or a pick further down the line while filling one of the team’s many holes elsewhere. The Browns could also punt on all of this year’s top prospects if they are able to snag an established veteran such as Kirk Cousins in free agency.
Browns fans may not want to hear that Dorsey is willing to trade down from No. 1, but it would be foolish for Dorsey to not at least listen to offers.