Latest On Lucky Whitehead
What a strange week it has been for Lucky Whitehead. First, an arrest warrant was issued for the wide receiver when he failed to appear at the arraignment for a previously unknown shoplifting charge. Hours later, the Cowboys decided to release him. Today, agent Dave Rich says that all charges have been dropped against his client and the warrant has been rescinded (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). According to Rich, the cops had the wrong guy. 
The good news Whitehead is now clear of any serious legal trouble. The bad news is that Whitehead’s name has been sullied by a bogus accusation and he may or may not be out of a job.
Apparently, the Cowboys did not file the paperwork on Whitehead in time to make his release official for Monday (Twitter link). If they still go through with releasing him, teams will have the opportunity to claim him on Wednesday afternoon. If they opt to retain Whitehead in light of today’s news, they’ll have to first mend a bridge with a player who may be harboring some bad feelings against the team.
Whitehead also has a bone to pick with the Prince William County Police Department. In a statement from Sergeant Jonathan L. Perok (link), the department says that they cuffed a man for petit larceny who provided Whitehead’s date of birth and social security number, but did not produce identification. The cops crosschecked the info with Whitehead’s DMV photo and decided to take the man at his word.
The Cowboys probably moved to quickly dump Whitehead because of the other headaches they are also dealing with. The team is still waiting for a ruling on the league’s Ezekiel Elliott investigation while linebacker Damien Wilson deals with the fallout from his 4th of July blowup.
Broncos Bring Gary Kubiak Back
The Broncos are bringing back Gary Kubiak. The former head coach will join the organization as a senior personnel executive where he will essentially fill a scouting role, a source tells Mike Klis of 9News. 
[RELATED: Broncos, John Elway Agree To Record-Breaking Extension]
Kubiak stepped down as Broncos coach in January due to health concerns. His new role with the team should allow him to work a much leaner schedule while staying close to his family. He’ll be based near his home in Houston, Texas with only occasional visits to Broncos headquarters. He’ll be tasked with scouting college players for the draft and also pitch in for free agent evaluations.
Kubiak took over as Broncos coach in 2015 and guided the team to victory in Super Bowl 50. In his two years in charge, Kubiak’s Broncos posted a combined 21-11 record in the regular season. As an NFL head coach, Kubiak left the sidelines with an 82-75 regular season record and a 5-2 postseason mark, including his one Super Bowl win.
Greg Olsen Says He’ll Play Out Contract
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was hoping to have his deal reworked this offseason and even intimated that he might sit out during training camp to get what he wanted. On Tuesday morning, Olsen said he’s changing course. He’ll instead play out his contract so as to not cause further distraction to the team, the tight end tells Tiffany Blackmon of the NFL Network (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Panthers TE Greg Olsen Won’t Hold Out]
It’s not uncommon for players to back off of holdout threats, but it’s rare that a player will entirely abandon his pursuit of a better contract at the same time. Apparently, Olsen does not want to rock the boat in Carolina days after the team fired Dave Gettleman and brought back Marty Hurney to serve as interim GM.
Olsen was facing an uphill battle in trying to get his deal reworked with two years to go, but he also had a compelling case to make. His three-year, $22.5MM extension signed prior to the 2015 season was a reasonable deal at the time, but it now seems drastically under market for a player coming off of a third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
With another quality season, Olsen and the Panthers can be expected to discuss an extension that will allow him to end his career in Carolina. In the interim, Olsen will put his contract qualms aside and focus on football.
Bills Sign Sam Barrington, Baccari Rambo
The Bills have signed linebacker Sam Barrington, safety Bacarri Rambo, and offensive lineman Karim Barton, according to a team announcement. To make room, linebacker Anthony Harrell has been cut and center Patrick Lewis has been waived/injured. 
Barrington spent the first three years of his career with the Packers but was waived before last year’s 53-man cut. The Chiefs claimed him off waivers, but he did not record an official statistic in his two games there and was quickly discarded. In November, he signed with the Saints and finished out the year there. It has been a quiet offseason for Barrington. Before today, the only mention we heard of his name was a May workout for the Jaguars.
Rambo, 27, hooked on with the Dolphins midway through the 2016 season. In nine games (five starts), he recorded 39 total tackles, one interceptions, and three passes defensed.
Barton has bounced around for a few years, being signed to reserve/futures deals by the Browns (2015), Texans (’16) and Titans (’17). The 25-year-old has never played in a game.
The Bills claimed Lewis off waivers from the Seahawks in late August and, in an unorthodox move, signed him to a one-year extension less than two weeks later. Per the terms of that deal, Lewis was slated to earn $1.2MM in 2017.
Dolphins Work Out CB Alterraun Verner
The Dolphins are working out veteran cornerbacks on Tuesday, including former Bucs star Alterraun Verner, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Tony Carter, best known for his time with the Broncos, is also among those auditioning. 
Verner worked out for the Jaguars back in May, but the Jags passed in part because of his poor conditioning. Months later, one would hope that Verner is back in football shape. Verner was regarded as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL a few years back when he signed a four-year, $25.5MM deal with the Bucs in 2014. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old never lived up to that big money contract while in Tampa Bay.
Verner and Carter can both play the slot and Miami may see them as potential alternatives to Bobby McCain. Overall, cornerback is one of the Dolphins’ thinnest areas. The Dolphins project to start Byron Maxwell and rising sophomore Xavien Howard with converted wide receiver Tony Lippett, third-round pick Cordrea Tankersley, and McCain in support.
It was expected that Miami would look into cornerbacks before the start of training camp, but one has to wonder if the Dolphins will also kick the tires on some backup defensive tackle options. It has been said that rookie defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor are too raw right now to be counted upon as rotation players. The Dolphins took a look at Roy Miller last week, but they did not sign him after the workout.
Ravens Sign RB Bobby Rainey
With Kenneth Dixon set for meniscus surgery, the Ravens are getting some reinforcements at just the right time. Baltimore will sign running back Bobby Rainey, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon Done For Season]
Rainey, 29, spent the 2016 campaign with the Giants but he only got to carry the ball 17 times while adding 20 receptions. On special teams, he averaged 6.5 yards per punt return and 25.5 yards per kick return. A five-year NFL veteran, Rainey’s most notable pro seasons came with the Buccaneers in 2013 and 2014, as he rushed for more than 400 yards in each year. Rainey didn’t get a lot of opportunities with the G-Men last year, but he has shown that he can be a decent runner with pass catching ability.
Rainey will now slot in behind Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, Buck Allen, and Lorenzo Taliaferro on the Ravens’ running back depth chart. There could be a chance for him to stick in Baltimore now that Dixon has been ruled out for the season.
The signing actually marks Rainey’s second go ’round with the Ravens. Rainey’ broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Baltimore in 2012 and even spent time on the 53-man roster, but he was never on the active gameday roster. His time with the Ravens ended when he was cut prior to the 2013 campaign.
Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon Suffers Injury
Bad news for the Ravens. Running back Kenneth Dixon suffered a tear in his meniscus, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll undergo surgery with the hope that the meniscus only needs to be trimmed. After the operation, we should know more about Dixon’s condition and timetable for a return. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign RB Bobby Rainey]
Dixon was already slated to miss the first four games of the season due to a PED suspension. Now, he’ll have to miss valuable camp time that he was hoping to use to separate himself from some of the other running backs on the roster.
Dixon, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, was part of a committee backfield employed by the Ravens last season. He was on the short end of the stick, however, as he finished out with only 88 carries. The 23-year-old put up a solid 4.3 yards per carry average on those limited attempts and also added 30 receptions.
Terrance West, free agent addition Danny Woodhead, and Buck Allen are expected to be the top backs for Baltimore to start the year. Lorenzo Taliaferro profiles as the RB4 to begin the season while the newly-signed Bobby Rainey will try to push for a roster spot.
Broncos, John Elway Agree To Extension
The Broncos and John Elway have agreed to a new five-year contract, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The new deal ties him to Denver through the 2021 season. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it is expected to make him the NFL’s highest paid GM (Twitter link).
Elway, one of the franchise’s all-time great players, has furthered his legacy as Denver’s GM. Since taking over as executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos in 2011, the team has gone 67-29 in the regular season with five playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances, and a championship following the 2015 season.
“During these last six seasons, John’s clearly established himself as one of the best general managers in all of sports,” President and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. “He’s demonstrated impressive football instincts, a strong business acumen and a consistent ability to build competitive teams…There’s no doubt John means a great deal to the Broncos, our fans and the entire community. It was important for us to reach this long-term agreement, and we’re all excited to now turn our full attention toward the 2017 season.”
In total, Elway has won three titles for the Broncos – two as a player and one as an executive. The 1983 first-overall pick spent his entire 16-year career in Denver, and the Hall of Famer holds at least 30 franchise records. He finished his career with 51,475 passing yards (sixth all-time), 300 touchdowns (10th all-time), and 226 interceptions. Following the Broncos’ 2016 Super Bowl victory, Elway became the first person to win a ring as a player and as a general manager.
Since Elway joined the Broncos’ front office in 2011, the team has selected only three Pro Bowlers in linebacker Von Miller, tight end Julius Thomas, and cornerback Chris Harris (undrafted), although he did draft a number of capable NFL starters. Elway has seen the majority of his success in free agency, where he’s brought in a number of Pro Bowl veterans, including Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders. This past offseason was highlighted by the hiring of Vance Joseph, who becomes the third head coach during Elway’s tenure (following John Fox and Gary Kubiak). The organization also signed running back Jamaal Charles and offensive linemen Ronald Leary and Menelik Watson.
Panthers Fire Executive Mark Koncz
After the Panthers fired GM Dave Gettleman, there was speculation that longtime pro personnel director Mark Koncz could be the man to take over. Now, Koncz also finds himself out of work after being fired by interim GM Marty Hurney, sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Koncz, 50, started with the Panthers as an intern in the ticket office in 1994. He became the team’s pro scouting director in 2000 and he was just promoted to his latest role in May. Besides Gettleman, Koncz joins a list of executives who have departed the organization this offseason. Former president Danny Morrison left the team back in February, and Brandon Beane later went to Buffalo to become the Bills general manager. Despite all of the turnover, a report from earlier this month indicated that owner Jerry Richardson remains high on coach Ron Rivera.
If Gettleman lands a GM job in the next offseason cycle, it’s a good bet that Koncz could follow him. In the meantime, Koncz finds himself on the unemployment line at an awkward time on the NFL calendar.
Cardinals To Meet With CB Brandon Flowers
Former Chargers and Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers is visiting the Cardinals on Wednesday, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Flowers has also been talking with the Patriots, Schefter adds. 
Flowers was released by the Chargers just prior to the start of free agency. The Steelers expressed some interest in Flowers that week, but this is the first time that we’ve heard of other teams reaching out.
Flowers parlayed a strong 2014 season into a lucrative four-year deal with the Chargers before the 2015 season. He was unable to repeat that success in his first year with San Diego and his 2016 season was marred by concussion issues. Assuming that he is clear of any symptoms of brain trauma, he could be a valuable addition for teams in need of secondary help.
The Cardinals are presently without an established option to start at right cornerback opposite star Patrick Peterson. Justin Bethel and Brandon Williams have been battling it out for the job, but it’s possible that Bruce Arians is underwhelmed by what he’s seen so far this summer.
The Patriots have a lethal 1-2 combo of Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore at cornerback, but they’re always on the lookout for additional depth. Eric Rowe, Justin Coleman, Cyrus Jones, and Jonathan Jones are among the other cornerbacks on the 90-man roster.