Cowboys Won’t Extend David Irving
The Cowboys could, theoretically, work out an extension with defensive end David Irving this offseason. However, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones Stephen Jones isn’t optimistic about that happening. 
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“It’ll be a difficult one and probably, if anything, he needs to put together a full season and consistency and all of that,” Jones said. “Obviously played outstanding when he was healthy. DeMarcus Lawrence put together a full, great year and obviously that’s important. So therefore, I think it’d be real difficult to figure out something long-term with David.”
Last year, Irving turned in a career-high seven sacks, but he missed half of the season with a suspension at the beginning and a concussion at the end. The Cowboys are willing to wait and see what Irving can do over the course of a full season since he will be a restricted free agent this offseason. It seems likely that Dallas will place a second-round tender on him, giving Dallas the option to match any offer and the ability to collect a second-round pick should they choose to not match.
Last year, the second round tender was worth $2.746MM. This year, we’re likely to see an increase in the $2.85MM-$2.95MM range. Meanwhile, the first round tender will probably be north of $4.1MM and the original round tender should approach $2MM. Because he is a former UDFA, it would make little sense for the Cowboys to use the original round tender on Irving.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Steelers, Bell
Armed with the No. 1 overall pick and a ludicrous amount of cap room, could the Browns sign/trade for a big-name veteran quarterback and draft a top prospect? Head coach Hue Jackson won’t rule it out.
“I think all of those things are on the table,” Jackson said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “I think you discuss all of those things and you work through all of those things as you go through this.”
It seems likely Browns will take a quarterback with the top pick in the draft, but it’s hard to imagine them also signing someone like Kirk Cousins and creating an expensive logjam under center. What the Browns realistically could do, however, is acquire a bridge quarterback who could start in 2018, giving their No. 1 pick a year to sit on the bench and learn.
While you consider all of the possibilities in Cleveland, here’s more from the AFC North:
- Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell confirmed that the Steelers have set an artificial deadline of Feb. 20 – the first day of franchise tagging – to get a long-term deal done (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). Bell says that both sides seem determined to get something done between now and then. “That is definitely the goal,” he said. Of course, the real deadline for franchise tagged players to sign extensions doesn’t come until the summer, so Bell could give himself additional leverage by ignoring the Steelers’ artificial deadline if he does not get an offer to his liking.
- There are some concerns about the character of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, but Browns GM John Dorsey doesn’t seem fazed by that talk as others. “Every young man will make a mistake in his life, I bet you,” he said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “And I think he’s very remorseful of that mistake and I think he’s moved forward from that, and he’s trying to make himself a better person, going through the process.” Mayfield made some questionable decisions this past season, including taunting Kansas fans with a crotch grab and a flag on the field after beating Ohio State, right in the middle of the Buckeyes’ “Block O” logo at midfield. Dorsey isn’t ruling out Mayfield, but one scout and one high-level exec told Cabot that they see a lot of Johnny Manziel in him.
- We recently learned that the Ravens discussed a Jarvis Landry trade with the Dolphins last year. With Landry on course for free agency, one has to wonder if Baltimore will make a play for him.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Bills, Wood
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was not spotted on the field at Friday’s walkthrough, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes. Gronk, of course, suffered a concussion in last weekend’s AFC Championship victory over the Jaguars, putting his Super Bowl status in limbo. The good news is that there’s more than a week to go between now and Feb. 4, so the New England star has plenty of time to rest up.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The revised deal that Eric Wood signed with the Bills in August grants him $4.8MM in injury guarantees for 2018, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) points out. Wood is retiring due to a career-ending neck injury, but he’ll be covered financially.
- Wood’s retirement or release would increase his cap number to $10.39MM in 2018, but the Bills may opt to designate him as a post-June 1 release, lowering his 2018 hit to $8.225MM and adding a $2.166MM hit in 2019, as ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak tweets.
- The Bills fired director of analytics Michael Lyons and system analyst Peter Linton, as Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes. It’s not clear if Bills GM Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott will place an emphasis on analytics in their scouting going forward. At the same time, team president Russ Brandon has said in the past that he uses analytics mainly for ticket sales, so the dismissal of Lyons and Linton might not change much of the on-field product at all.
- Dolphins star wide receiver Jarvis Landry doesn’t anticipate re-signing with the team.
- Recently, PFR previewed the Jets‘ offseason and the team’s top three needs (Note: This was written before Jeremy Bates was promoted to offensive coordinator).
Giants Coach Endorses Eli Manning
It sounds like Eli Manning still has a place in New York. During his introductory press conference on Friday, head coach Pat Shurmur said that he is “looking forward” to working with the veteran quarterback, indicating that he is very much in the plans for 2018. 
“I think he’s got years left – how many, I don’t know,” Shurmur said (via the New York Post). “With regard to the draft, I’m not ducking that question … we’ve got to travel down that road of evaluation. … We’ve got a guy here (Eli) who’s helped this organization win Super Bowls, he’s an outstanding player and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
At this point, all of the key players have expressed interest in moving forward. Back in December, owner John Mara said that he wanted Manning back in the fold, though he stopped short of guaranteeing his return since he had yet to hire his new GM and coach. Before the New Year, Manning himself said that he wanted to stay with the Giants, despite a bumpy 2017. Then, this week, Manning pick up endorsements from GM Dave Gettleman and Shurmur.
Manning, 37, is under contract with the team through 2019 with cap numbers of $22.2MM and $23.2MM. Critics might argue that Manning has lost a step or two, but a good QB is hard to find and his salary isn’t that high compared to others. Manning’s $22.2MM cap hit is still less than that of Matthew Stafford ($26.5MM), Derek Carr ($25MM), Joe Flacco ($24.75MM), Andrew Luck ($24.4MM), Russell Wilson ($23.8MM), and Ben Roethlisberger ($23.2MM).
Of course, even with Manning on board, the Giants could still target Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or another top quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
Bills’ Eric Wood To Retire Due To Neck Injury
Bills center Eric Wood will announce his retirement on Monday due to a career-ending neck injury (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The injury is partly due to wear and tear, but one source tells Schefter that it is a “complicated medical situation.” 
Wood, 32 in March, has been Buffalo’s starting snapper since entering the league in 2009. He stands as Buffalo’s second-longest-tenured active player behind defensive tackle Kyle Williams and has been the team’s top center under six different head coaches (seven if you count Anthony Lynn‘s one game as interim head coach.
Remarkably, he started in all 16 of the Bills’ regular season games last season plus their playoff game against Jacksonville. Wood managed to play through the pain all year, but the malady is too serious for him to continue on the field.
Wood graded out as the No. 16 center in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. In 2015, the season in which he his first and only Pro Bowl, PFF had him ranked in the top five league-wide.
We here at PFR wish Wood the best as he deals with his medical situation.
Vince McMahon Announces XFL Reboot
The XFL is back. Roughly 17 years after its closure, WWE boss Vince McMahon announced that he is making a new foray into professional football.
In a press conference, McMahon declared that the XFL will return in 2020. Much like the first incarnation of the XFL, the introductory presser was sparse on details. However, as McMahon noted, the league is giving itself significantly more time to plan for the launch.
The league, McMahon says, will have fewer commercial breaks and move faster than the NFL’s version. The XFL will “start conservatively” with eight teams and 40-man rosters, but host cities for the teams have not yet been identified.
Surprisingly, McMahon’s “re-imagined” brand of football will not feature him as a brand ambassador. The WWE CEO vowed to bring in experienced football executives to run the show and said that the press conference might be the last we see of him with regards to the league. He added that there will be no crossover of talent from the wrestling organization to the football league, a stark difference from 2001 when Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler served as a commentary team.
There was some speculation that McMahon could position the league as a more patriotic alternative to the NFL, but he says the league “will have nothing to do with politics and nothing to do with social issues.” Instead, McMahon says the league will focus on its on-field product, though he was non-committal when asked if standing for the anthem will be mandatory.
Already, former University of Kentucky star Jared Lorenzen has volunteered his services for the XFL. “Well well well, how are you doing over there [Vince McMahon] and [Alpha Entertainment]?,” the Hefty Lefty wrote (on Twitter). “I see you may be looking for some athletes. I got ya. May be I do have 1 more comeback left me. #HeAteMe“
Redskins Re-Sign LB Mason Foster
The Redskins have re-signed linebacker Mason Foster, according to a team announcement. It’s a two-year deal with a base value of $4MM and a max value of $7MM, agent Blake Baratz tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). 
Foster was starting for the Redskins when a torn labrum ended his season after five games. When he was placed on IR, Foster fired off a string of tweets voicing his frustration with the team. Later, he walked back his comments, saying that he was “too emotional” at the time and that he still wanted to be with the Redskins.
“I’m a Redskin until they tell me I’m not a Redskin,” Foster said. “That’s how I feel about it. I love this team. This is where I wanna be. We handled it internally, and I appreciate Bruce sitting down with me and [senior vice president of football operations] Eric Schaffer so that we could get it squashed and go about business.”
Part of Foster’s frustration could be chalked up to his impending free agency. In 2014, he played through an injury that severely impacted his stock on the open market. This time, he felt that he was not given enough of an opportunity to gut it out and demonstrate his value.
In his five games last season, the former third-rounder totaled 31 tackles. 0.5 sacks, and one interception.
Lions May Target Paul Pasqualoni
Boston College defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni could be a candidate for the Lions’ staff and possibly their defensive coordinator vacancy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Pasqualoni has been a mentor to new head coach Matt Patricia, making him a natural fit. 
After Patricia was hired, DC Teryl Austin left to join up with the Bengals, leaving the position vacant. While Austin had most of the control over Detroit’s D under the previous administration, the next hire might not have the same level of autonomy. As a longtime DC himself, it’s possible that Patricia will be the one calling plays.
Pasqualoni, 68, previously served as the DC of the Dolphins and Cowboys. He joined the Texans’ staff in 2015 as their defensive line coach, but stepped down after just one season, citing family reasons.
Latest On Johnny Manziel
Johnny Manziel’s agent says that he is giving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL until Jan 31 to work out a ”fair deal.” The Tiger-Cats say they will not abide by any deadline. 
“A lot of stuff happens in the negotiation process,” Hamilton GM Eric Tillman said (via Alex Marvez of The Sporting News). “We have a lot of respect for Erik. Our meetings with Johnny have been good. We’ll be patient. I know the deadline is there but will be fluid. There’s a lot of time between now and the beginning of camp (in May).”
The Tiger-Cats, who own Manziel’s CFL rights, showed interest in signing the quarterback to a deal last year However, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie blocked the deal, saying that Manziel would first have to satisfy certain off-field conditions. In late December, Ambrosie opened the door for Manziel to join the league. The Tiger-Cats remain intrigued by Manziel’s potential, though they are unwilling to cave to demands by Manziel’s agent.
“I see a lot of good in Johnny. We see a lot of upside in him,” Tillman said. “We visited with him and looked him in the eye. I think he’s a guy who wants to reestablish himself even more as a person than a player. If he comes, I think it will be a win-win situation.”
Manziel, 26, has not played in the NFL since the 2015 season and the CFL could be a launching pad for his NFL return. If his camp can’t come to terms with Hamilton, he could always look into joining the XFL 2.0.
Chiefs To Retain Bob Sutton
Plenty of teams have ousted their defensive coordinators this offseason, but the Chiefs won’t be joining them. This week, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Bob Sutton will remain stay on as the team’s DC in 2018. 
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“There’s nothing going on there,” Reid said when asked directly if Sutton will return (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). “I know everybody has their opinion on everything, just like they did when they wanted me to bench Alex Smith. That turned out pretty good. So [replacing Sutton] is not where I’m at or have ever been. I don’t listen to any of that. I do what I think is right for the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Sutton has been the Chiefs’ DC since 2013. In the last five years, the play of the defense has fluctuated quite a bit. the Chiefs had the No. 7 defense in the NFL in both 2014 and 2015, but they slid back into the bottom third of the league over the past two seasons. Last year, the Chiefs finished 28th in total defense, leading many to point the finger at Sutton.
Of course, it’s not really fair to blame it all on Sutton given the rash of injuries the Chiefs had in 2018, including maladies suffered by safety Eric Berry and edge rusher Dee Ford. The team is also probably looking to maintain some continuity after losing offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to the Bears.