Panthers Add Bonuses To Greg Olsen’s Deal
Greg Olsen still doesn’t have that new deal he was looking for, but he has been given some extra motivation with two years to go on his current pact. The Panthers have added $2MM in incentives to his contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has learned. The bonuses will be tied to catches, receiving yards, average yards per catch, and other honors, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds. Olsen now has the ability to earn $8.75MM in total this year.
Olsen was pushing the Panthers for a revamped deal earlier this offseason and it was even intimated that he could hold out from training camp. However, he backed down from those demands after the team fired GM Dave Gettleman. Citing a desire to keep the team distraction-free, he said that he would play out the remainder of his contract under interim GM Marty Hurney.
“I haven’t talked to Marty about it or anybody about it,” Olsen said. “If something gets done, great. But we’ve got a lot going on now with training camp and preseason and whatnot. So it hasn’t been really something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. But we’ll see over these next couple of weeks what happens.”
The tight end hasn’t missed a game during his six years with the Panthers, and he has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards and five touchdowns per season with the club.
Texans, Andre Hal Agree To Extension
The Texans and safety Andre Hal have agreed to a contract extension, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. It’s a three-year, $15MM deal with $7MM guaranteed, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle adds (on Twitter). 
Hal’s previous deal was slated to expire after carrying a $1.8MM cap number in 2017. The new agreement is more appropriate for him since he has started in 22 of his 31 games over the last two seasons.
Last year, Hal finished out with 46 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. In ’15, he had a career high four picks. For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus weren’t crazy about Hal last year, placing him as just the No. 60 safety in the NFL out of 90 qualified players. However, he did score higher than notables like Tyrann Mathieu and T.J. McDonald.
Hal will be the Texans’ top free safety this year with Corey Moore starting at strong safety.
Broncos To Cut Ward If They Can’t Trade Him
One way or another, the Broncos are about to show T.J. Ward the door. If the Broncos can’t find a suitable trade for the safety by Saturday afternoon’s roster deadline, they’re expected to release him outright, Mike Klis of 9News hears. 
By cutting Ward, the Broncos would take themselves off the hook for his non-guaranteed $4.5MM salary. If Ward’s salary comes off the books, the Broncos may redirect that money towards extensions for kicker Brandon McManus and linebacker Todd Davis, Klis writes.
The Broncos can afford to keep Ward, but they would prefer to give a starting opportunity to sophomore Justin Simmons after his strong showing this summer. While Simmons has soared, Ward has been sidelined with a nagging hamstring injury throughout the preseason.
Releasing Ward could allow the Broncos to keep undrafted rookie safety Jamal Carter, a favorite of Vance Joseph & Co.
Extra Points: Landry, Dolphins, Steelers, Bell
The latest from around the NFL:
- The NFL has video of the alleged domestic incident that took place between Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry and his girlfriend earlier this year, Andy Slater of WINZ writes. Afterwards, Landry’s girlfriend refused to cooperate with authorities and later called it a false story. Still, the matter is under scrutiny from the Broward County State Attorney’s office as well as the league office.
- In 2016, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell demanded $15MM per year in a rap song he made. In a recent freestyle, Bell indicated that he wants $17MM per year, as Adam Bitner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. This offseason, Bell turned down a multi-year contract offer worth $12MM per season, opting instead to earn $12.12MM on the franchise tender. He’s been staying away from the team, but he will end his holdout on Friday.
- 49ers guard Joshua Garnett appears destined for injured reserve to open the season, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Barring any further setbacks, it sounds like he’ll be able to return from IR midseason, however. The news on Garnett likely explains the team’s acquisition of Laken Tomlinson on Thursday morning.
Browns Interested In Jermaine Kearse
The Browns are interested in Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Seahawks have him on the block as Saturday’s roster deadline approaches. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Shopping Jermaine Kearse]
Kearse is coming off of a down year and is set to enter the second year of a three-year, $13.5MM deal. He doesn’t hold as much appeal as he did this time last year, but the Browns could use someone with his experience level to round out their thin receiving corps. Free agent Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman will serve as the top two receivers, but converted running back Duke Johnson and late round 2016 picks Ricardo Louis and Rashard Higgins are the next ones in line.
So far this preseason, Coleman has been the Browns’ only reliable performer. Even Britt has looked shaky, and that has the Browns looking for outside help.
Ezekiel Elliott Decision To Come On Monday?
Finally, we could be getting some closure in the Ezekiel Elliott case. Harold Henderson, the appeals officer in the Elliott hearing, is under pressure to reach a decision by Monday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
The Cowboys are operating under the belief thatElliott will play in the season opener if a ruling doesn’t come by Tuesday at 3pm, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. That could explain why the league is pushing Henderson to wrap things up by Monday.
Of course, if Elliott doesn’t have his suspension overturned or reduced, he may still take his battle to the legal system. It has been reported that Elliott is furious over his six-game ban and is vowing to fight the league on it until he has exhausted all options.
On Wednesday, Elliott personally spoke on the domestic abuse allegations against him. Thursday’s portion of the hearing included analysis from a doctor who has analyzed photos of the alleged victim’s injuries. The multi-day hearing has now concluded and it’s time for Henderson to reach his verdict.
If Elliott does not have the suspension overturned or trimmed down, he will miss games against the Giants, Broncos, Cardinals, Rams, Packers, and 49ers.
Lions Trade G Laken Tomlinson To 49ers
The Lions have traded guard Laken Tomlinson to the 49ers, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Detroit will receive a 2019 fifth-round pick in the swap. 
Tomlinson entered the 2016 campaign as the Lions’ starting left guard but eventually lost his job to rookie Graham Glasgow and only returned to the starting lineup when Glasgow was shifted to center to fill in for the injured Travis Swanson. The Lions were hoping that he would pick things up this summer, but he fell behind both Glasgow and Joe Dahl on the depth chart. Glasgow projects to start once again at left guard with free agent pickup T.J. Lang on the other side.
The Niners, meanwhile, have been on the lookout for guard help and Tomlinson might have a chance to start in Week 1. The right guard spot is up for grabs while left guard Joshua Garnett is likely to be sidelined for the start of the year.
Tomlinson, 25, appeared in all 16 regular games for the Lions in each of his two NFL seasons. In both years, he had atrocious scores from Pro Football Focus. Last year, Tomlinson’s 43.9 mark slotted him as one of the ten worst qualified guards in the entire NFL.
Between this trade and the Cameron Erving swap, we have seen two former first round offensive lineman traded for fifth-round picks in the same week. In total, we have seen a dozen trades go down in the month of August.
Steelers, Kevin Colbert Agree To Extension
First they gave a new deal to Mike Tomlin and now the Steelers have done the same with Kevin Colbert. The Steelers have reached agreement on a two-year extension with their GM that will take him through at least the 2020 NFL Draft. 
[RELATED: Steelers Sign CB Joe Haden]
“I am excited to announce we have extended Kevin Colbert’s contract for an additional two years,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “Kevin’s dedication and diligent work have played a major role in our success. We are pleased he will continue to lead our personnel efforts for at least the next three years.”
Colbert has been with the Steelers since February of 2000, meaning that he is in his 18th year with the organization. He spent the first eleven years as the club’s director of football operations before advancing to the GM position seven years ago. During his time with the Steelers, the team has won two Super Bowl championships, three AFC Championships, and eight division titles.
The Steelers prioritized extensions for both Tomlin and Colbert this offseason, though the coach beat the GM to the punch by signing his deal in early August. Tomlin’s deal is slightly longer as it goes through the 2020 season rather than the 2020 draft.
Seahawks Shopping CB Jeremy Lane, Others
The Seahawks aren’t just shopping Jermaine Kearse. The Seahawks are also actively gauging the trade values of players like cornerback Jeremy Lane and running back Alex Collins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Lane, 27, appeared in all 16 games for the Seahawks last season, including nine starts. It appeared that Lane would be in line for significant playing time yet again as DeShawn Shead heals up from last year’s injury, but he’s fallen out of favor somewhat. The Seahawks signed ex-49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock in August and bolstered depth by drafting Shaquill Griffin (third round) and Michael Tyson (sixth round), so they can get by without Lane if the right deal comes along.
Collins, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft, is entering the second year of a four-year, $2.566MM deal. He’s affordable enough, but he probably doesn’t hold a ton of value. There’s a good chance that Seattle drops Collins outright now that J.D. McKissic has been reclassified as a running back.
Tony Romo Considered Jets
Before Tony Romo took a job with CBS, he mulled some options in the NFL. The lowly Jets were among those clubs, although they were not his top choice. 
“I took a look at them,” Romo said (via Darryl Slater of NJ.com). “I‘m not going to say if they were in the final four. But I did take a look. I went through a lot of teams. There was a lot of discussion. I had narrowed the focus to about four teams. From there, obviously, I made the decision to come to CBS. I felt like the opportunity was just too big to pass up.”
Romo says he is focused on his new gig in the broadcast booth and he reportedly will only consider an NFL return if Dak Prescott gets injured and he gets a call from the Cowboys. The 37-year-old weighed other options and at least thought about playing in the country’s largest media market, but it would have been a shocker if he bypassed one of the league’s best broadcasting jobs to play for a team with little chance of making the postseason.
Unable to land Romo, the Jets will forge ahead with veteran Josh McCown as their starter. For what it’s worth, Romo applauds the Jets for giving the job to McCown over Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty. He also doesn’t think the Jets will be as awful as most pundits predict.
“They can be less bad,” said Romo. “That [McCown starting] is in the best interest of the team. It’s a good thing for them, to send the message to everybody: We’re trying to win in Week 1 and this season. The NFL is a very finite thing between being good and bad. They have some pieces. They’re a little bit away.”