Johnny Manziel Pondering Coaching Career
Johnny Manziel still wants to return to the NFL, but he’s starting to consider some alternatives in case that doesn’t come to fruition. The former Browns quarterback would like to coach, “probably” at the college level. 
“I’d do something involved with sports. I can’t get away from it,” Manziel said (via ESPN.com). “I’ve had to ask myself that a little bit as of late over the past year, but at the same time I’d want to be involved in sports in some way, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s doing something like that. So I think that’d be my route.”
Manziel, 24, has no formal coaching experience, though he did serve as a coach at an Elite 11 quarterback camp in February. Despite all of his star power, Manziel’s bad behavior over the years might make it hard for him to get a foot in the door in the coaching world.
At the same time, it doesn’t appear that he has any real interest from NFL teams. The Cowboys did not give any thought to signing Manziel when mulling quarterback options in July and we haven’t gotten a whiff of any concrete interest in the QB since his Super Bowl week meeting with Saints coach Sean Payton. Meanwhile, Manziel personally said that he has only had “a couple of discussions” with teams about a potential return.
Lions’ Matthew Stafford Hasn’t Set Deadline
There’s still a big gap between the Lions and Matthew Stafford in contract talks, but the quarterback is staying patient for now. Stafford says that he has not imposed a deadline for extension talks.
[RELATED: Lions Notes: LTs, Tabor, Quin]
“As far as the deadline goes, it’s something I’ll talk to my agent about,” Stafford told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM. “I’m not worried about it at the moment. The contract, it’s really not too difficult for me to not think about. The only time I really talk about it is with [the media]. Guys in the locker room know it’s all about football. They’ve all been through these situations before. I’m just trying to do everything I possibly can to be as good a football player as I can be and lead our team.”
Sometimes, players will ask that extension talks cease before Week 1 in order to avoid distractions during the season. It’s also a smart way to hurry things along when talks stall. Stafford didn’t guarantee that he won’t set a deadline, but it’s noteworthy that he has not done that yet.
Stafford, 29, is coming off of the best season of his career. An extension with the Lions would likely make him the highest-paid player in the NFL. And, when all is said and done, he could wind up as the league’s top earner of all-time.
Jaguars Put Branden Albert On Retired List
The Jaguars are placing offensive tackle Branden Albert on the reserve/retired list. Albert, who flip-flopped on retiring this week, was previously on the “left team” list. 
[RELATED: Branden Albert To Un-Retire, Report To Jaguars]
The change in designation theoretically allows Albert to play for the Jaguars, but that’s not what the team has in mind. The move essentially means that the Jaguars are not interested in his services right now and, barring something unforeseen, we won’t see him suit up for Jacksonville.
After Albert informed the Jaguars of his retirement on July 31st and had a change of heart on August 7th, there was some question as to whether he would be welcomed back. It seems that the Jags are moving on rather than carrying out a deal that had non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018.
If Albert stayed retired, the Jaguars reserved the right to recoup $3.4MM in signing bonus money from him. It’s not immediately clear what the Jaguars can do in that regard or whether they’ll come after those dollars.
In 2016, Albert registered a career-worst 42.2 overall score on Pro Football Focus. He also missed four games due to injury. In his healthier years, however, he vacillated between above average to very good.
If Albert is out of the picture, we’re likely to see rookie Cam Robinson at left tackle.
Vikings Notes: Joseph, Griffen, Spielman
The Vikings have shifted their approach to the salary cap in order to preserve their core, ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert writes. Like most teams, the Vikings previously refused to extend players when they had more than one year to go on a deal. This year, they actually went to defensive end Everson Griffen and nose tackle Linval Joseph with early offers.
By changing up their philosophy, the Vikings got cost certainty on two key defensive linemen who were poised to eventually cash in on the open market. Meanwhile, Joseph was happy to trade in some potential financial upside for security.
“This game doesn’t last forever, at the end of the day,” Joseph said. “It was a great opportunity. I felt like I had outplayed my contract. For the Vikings to come to me and try to get something done, I was happy with that.”
Here’s more from Minnesota:
- We have details on Joseph’s four-year, $50MM extension, via Mike Florio of PFT. The deal gives Joseph $11.15MM fully guaranteed at signing with $31.5MM guaranteed for injury at signing. The cash flow of the deal (including the previously standing seasons) has Joseph making $26.9MM through 2019, $38.65MM through 2020, $49.9MM through 2021, and $62.4MM through 2022. In terms of “new money” – which is always a tricky metric – Joseph’s $12.5MM annual average makes him the league’s eighth highest-paid defensive tackle.
- More teams should look into extending contracts ahead of time like the Vikings did, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Meanwhile, he feels that players and agents should be demanding more in scenarios like this. In the case of Joseph, he went from being virtually assured $15.5MM in 2017 and 2018 to getting $19MM, with $15MM of that being fully guaranteed. In essence, Joseph traded in his chance at a free agency payday for a $3.5MM pay bump and no significant guarantees for when the extension actually kicks in.
- Linebacker Eric Kendricks, defensive end Danielle Hunter, and wide receiver Stefon Diggs could be next in line for deals since they have 19 months remaining on their current deals, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune writes. Linebacker Anthony Barr could also be in line for a new deal after the 2018 season, depending on what happens with his $12.3MM fifth-year option. Vikings GM Rick Spielman won’t get into specifics, but it sounds like more extensions could be on the way. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us. There are still some guys that we will be looking at to extend,” Spielman said Sunday. “I don’t know when or where those will take place, but we do have a strategic plan in place.”
Jets To Place WR Quincy Enunwa On IR
This is shaping up to be a long season for Jets fans. The team is expected to place wide receiver Quincy Enunwa on injured reserve, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) hears. 
[RELATED: Josh McCown All But Certain To Start Week 1]
Enunwa re-aggravated a neck injury during practice on Saturday night and it appears that tests have confirmed the worst. The 25-year-old was one of the team’s few bright spots in 2016 and was slated to be the team’s clear No. 1 wide receiver following the departure of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker‘s release.
With Enunwa out of the equation, former Bears receiver Marquess Wilson stands as the team’s No. 1 WR. Robby Anderson and rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen round out the supporting cast. Jalin Marshall won’t be with the team until after he serves his four-game suspension and it remains to be seen how waiver additions Lucky Whitehead and Bruce Ellington will factor into the equation. Neither Whitehead nor Ellington are guaranteed a 53-man roster spot and both players profile more as return specialists than receivers.
Last year, Enunwa had 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns.
Dolphins Considered Teddy Bridgewater
Before the Dolphins brought Jay Cutler out of retirement, they considered a number of other quarterbacks. In addition to Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton, Miami also internally discussed Teddy Bridgewater of the Vikings, Brock Osweiler of the Browns, and Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Sign Jay Cutler]
As far as we know the Dolphins didn’t get far enough to reach out to the Vikings about a potential Bridgewater trade and that makes sense considering his murky medical situation. Bridgewater is currently on the PUP list and no one knows what his status will be to start the season. It’s possible that Bridgewater’s gruesome knee injury from 2016 will keep him off the field until 2018. Even then, no one knows what kind of player he will be once he’s ready to return.
Osweiler was mentioned early on as a possibility when Ryan Tannehill suffered his knee injury, but the Browns rejected at least one trade offer for him this offseason and they’re leaning towards starting him in Week 1. The Browns may reconsider that position if the right offer comes their way, but the Dolphins are no longer a potential suitor after landing Cutler.
Rams Work Out Tyson Jackson
Former Chiefs and Falcons defensive end Tyson Jackson is working out today for the Rams, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This marks Jackson’s first known workout of the offseason. 
[RELATED: Dominique Easley Done For Season]
Jackson was cut loose by Atlanta at the start of free agency, terminating his deal with two years and $8.5MM left on his contract. The defensive tackle signed a lucrative five-year, $25MM deal with Atlanta heading into 2014, but he was viewed as a likely cap casualty after weak production last year.
In 2016, Jackson finished out with 13 total tackles and two pass deflections in 16 games (seven starts). The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus rated him as just the No. 67 interior defender in the NFL out of 127 qualified players. His grades for run defense, pass rush, and coverage were all poor in his 389 total snaps.
Still, Jackson offers some promise as a former No. 3 overall pick. And, in the wake of Dominique Easley‘s season-ending knee injury, he could help provide some badly needed depth at nose tackle.
Vince Wilfork Retires From NFL
Vince Wilfork is moving on from football. The longtime defensive lineman took to Twitter on Monday morning to announce his retirement. 
All offseason long, Wilfork has wrestled with the decision.
“Mentally, I’m where I’ve been all this while, I’m 50-50,” Wilfork said in June, while maintaining that he could pick things up late in the summer if necessary. “Camp now is like ‘Camp Cupcake.’ You’re only in pads for 10 days,” he said. “I mean, it’s so different now, so anybody that thinks I’m missing because I want to miss training camp or preseason, man, that is baloney.”
Wilfork, a 13-year veteran, spent his first 11 seasons in New England and the previous two in Houston. Last year, he completed his 12th straight year in which he started in all of his appearances. The 35-year-old took part in 15 of the Texans’ regular-season games in 2016 and picked up 21 tackles along the way.
Although he had only 16 career sacks, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus show that he was among the game’s elite between 2006 and 2012. Once he’s eligible, Wilfork is a candidate to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Wilfork leaves the game with five Pro Bowls, one First-Team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl ring from the 2014 season. We here at PFR wish him the best in retirement.
Bills To Sign Anquan Boldin
The Bills are set to sign Anquan Boldin, as Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. As one would expect, it’s a one-year deal for the veteran wide receiver. 
[RELATED: Cordy Glenn Timetable Still Uncertain]
Boldin’s deal will pay him $2.75MM in 2017 plus another $1.25MM in incentives, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter links). Schefter adds that Boldin agreed to a deal with Buffalo last week and backed out before having another change of heart on Monday morning.
Boldin, 36, isn’t quite as dynamic as he once was, but he showed last year that he can still be productive. Boldin had 67 catches and a career-high eight touchdowns, though it should be noted that he averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per reception.
Boldin will be counted upon to serve as insurance for Buffalo in the event that star Sammy Watkins has to miss time this season. Aside from using a second round pick on Zay Jones in the spring, the Bills didn’t do a whole lot to beef up their thin wide receiver group. Now, they’re in better shape with Boldin.
You can jot Boldin down as the team’s No. 2 or No. 3 wide receiver, depending on how Jones fares in practice for the rest of the month. After that, free agent additions Rod Streater, Corey Brown, Andre Holmes, and Jeremy Butler are among the names pushing for spots on the 53-man roster. Dezmin Lewis and Brandon Tate are also fighting for jobs while Walt Powell must serve a four-game suspension to start the year.
Dolphins’ Jarvis Landry Accused Of Battery
On Monday morning, Dolphins coach Adam Gase confirmed to reporters that wide receiver Jarvis Landry is under investigation for battery. The news was first broken by Andy Slater of WINZ.
The incident in question took place earlier this year with the mother of Landry’s child, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) hears. Police were called to the scene, but ultimately local authorities chose not to prosecute Landry. The wide receiver cooperated with police and also provided the Dolphins with information, Rapoport hears.
The news comes at a particularly poor time for Landry since he has been pushing the team for a contract extension. The Dolphins have yet to make an offer to him (or even indicate that an offer is on the way), but Gase insists that is unrelated to any unresolved legal issue.
Of course, Landry can still face league discipline even though he will not face legal consequences for the alleged incident.