Bills To Work Out Anquan Boldin
The Bills are set to audition wide receiver Anquan Boldin, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The workout will take place on Monday with other players also involved. 
Boldin, 36, led the Lions with 22 red zone targets last season. He had 67 catches and a career-high eight touchdowns, though he averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per grab (584 yards in total). The veteran is not a deep threat, but he could provide insurance in the event that Sammy Watkins is once again held back by injury.
As it stands, Watkins, rookie Zay Jones, and veteran Andre Holmes are the team’s top receivers. Although Buffalo improved in other areas, it’s possible that the Bills have left themselves a bit thin at WR. Adding Boldin could help to fix that.
It’s worth noting that Boldin has some history with Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Taylor was the Ravens’ backup quarterback while Boldin was in Baltimore.
Cowboys Work Out RB Denard Robinson
The Cowboys worked out former Jaguars running back Denard Robinson on Thursday, Jane Slater of NFL.com tweets. 
Dallas is pretty well set at running back as star Ezekiel Elliott is supported by a pair of former 1,000-yard rushers in Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. It’s possible that the Cowboys are looking at Robinson as someone who can compete for fourth RB spot (if they carry four on the final roster) along with undrafted rookie Jahad Thomas and RB/FB Rod Smith. The Cowboys enjoyed the luxury of having four talented backs on the roster last year, but they’re slightly thinner now that Lance Dunbar is with the Rams. Someone like Robinson could also fill a temporary role on the roster if Elliott is suspended for any length of time.
Robinson, 27 in September, posted the second-worst YPC (3.5) of his career in 2016 off of 41 attempts. In 2014, however, he had a productive year as he averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
The former Michigan star worked out for the Bears in May and the Jets in June, but left both auditions without signing.
NFL Wrapping Up Ezekiel Elliott Investigation
Finally, the Ezekiel Elliott saga could be approaching its conclusion. The league’s investigation is nearing completion, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, and the league has shared its findings with the NFLPA and Elliott’s camp. 
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It still remains to be seen whether Elliott will be suspended and/or fined for the allegations made against him in 2016, but we should know one way or another soon. Of course, the Cowboys and their star running back have both grown impatient as the NFL’s fact-finding process has been going on for a full year.
The NFL will not announce any possible Elliott discipline today, nor this weekend, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, so the Cowboys will report to camp on Saturday with Elliott in limbo.
Elliott was not arrested after a woman filed a police report against him last July and the Columbus City Attorney’s Office declined to file charges. Still, the league office has left no stone unturned, particularly in light of the NFL’s unfortunate history with handling domestic violence cases.
If the league does suspend the Cowboys star, he’ll have to repay a portion of his signing bonus to the team in addition to losing game checks. In related news, Dallas authorities are halting their investigation into the infamous barroom fight from earlier this month that may or may not have involved Elliott throwing a punch.
NFL Suspends Bengals CB Adam Jones
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones has been suspended for one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Jones pled guilty to obstruction of official business stemming from a January 2017 incident.
Jones will appeal the ruling, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Meanwhile, agent Peter Schaffer tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Jones has not yet reached a decision on whether to appeal.
Initially, Jones was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony after an ugly string of incidents. The cornerback allegedly assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye in a late-night argument. Then, he refused to stop when ordered to by police and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicked and head-butted officers. Then, when he arrived at jail, he allegedly spit on a nurse, resulting in the felony charge. Despite all of that, Jones was sentenced only to time served, which amounted to two days in jail.
“The Bengals anticipated this result and are glad to finally put the matter behind us,” the team said in a statement. “Our focus is getting ready for the upcoming season. Adam will participate in training camp and we are counting on him to help our team when he returns from suspension.”
Jones will be out of action for the season opener against the Ravens on Sept. 10. He’ll be eligible to return for Week 2 against the Texans.
All things considered, the one-game ban isn’t a bad outcome for Jones given his history and the severity of allegations from earlier this year. In Week 1, the Bengals will rely a little more on Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard, and William Jackson III to keep opposing receivers in check. Losing Jones isn’t ideal, but a team could do a lot worse than trotting out three former first-round picks at corner.
The 33-year-old saw his production slip a bit in 2016, grading as only the league’s No. 37 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. In 2015, PFF had him ranked as the NFL’s 15th best corner.
Panthers Sign Trai Turner To Extension
It didn’t take long for acting GM Marty Hurney to get to work. The Panthers have agreed to an extension with offensive guard Trai Turner. 
“Beyond excited today!!,” Turner tweeted. “Thank you to Mr. [Jerry] Richardson and the Panther family, I’ll be a Panther for four more years!!!”
The four-year deal is worth $45MM with $20.5MM guaranteed, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal gives Turner a yearly average of $11.25MM per year and will enable him to be a free agent again at the age of 28.
Turner’s new deal gives him the third-highest yearly average of any guard in the NFL. Next year’s guard market will likely see the top guys eclipse Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM/year average, so it’s a solid deal for the Panthers from a cap perspective. Meanwhile, Turner should be in position for another mega contract just as he enters his prime.
Turner, a former third round pick, was previously set to play out the 2017 season at a $1.931MM cap number. Presumably, the new deal will kick in starting with the 2018 season, giving him a sizable pay bump while keeping him under Panthers control through the 2021 campaign.
“Any time you’re able to secure someone like Trai, a two-time Pro Bowler and a staple of our offensive line, you’re very fortunate,” Hurney said in a statement. “The offensive line is a key to the team’s success and Trai is a very integral part of that. We’re extremely excited to have Trai under contract for the next five seasons.”
The ceiling for guards has been pushed higher thanks to recent free agent contracts inked by Zeitler (five years, $60MM) and Kelechi Osemele (five years, $58.5MM). Guards like Joel Bitonio (five years, $51.2MM), David DeCastro (five years, $50MM), Kyle Long (four years, $40MM), and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (five years, $42.4MM) also did their part by signing lucrative extensions with their respective teams.
Turner, 24, has started in every possible game over the last two years, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus only gave him a so-so 72.2 overall score last season, placing him as just the 38th best guard in the NFL, but the Panthers believe he’s a much better player than that. In 2015, PFF rated Turner as one of the very best guards in the league.
Ravens Work Out WR Griff Whalen
The Ravens worked out veteran wide receiver Griff Whalen on Friday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Whalen is taking a physical for the team and there is mutual interest in a deal, he adds. 
Whalen, 27, spent the first four years of his career with the Colts before being bounced around like a pinball in 2016. He first latched on with the Dolphins, but he was dropped just after the 53-man cutdown deadline. He then hooked on with the Chargers and spent eight games on their roster before getting the ax to make room for Ronnie Hillman. He signed with the Patriots in December, but his stay lasted only one week.
For his career, Whaley has 47 catches for 509 yards and three scores with all but two of those receptions coming in his four seasons with Indianapolis. On the plus side, Whalen also offers experience in the return game.
The Ravens have Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin, and Breshad Perriman as their top three wide receivers. After that, things are pretty wide open for the No. 4 and 5 spots. It sounds like Whalen could be thrown into the mix to battle it out with Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds, Chris Matthews, and Michael Campanaro for those final openings.
Eagles Notes: Matthews, Agholor, Kendricks
Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com sees six players as potential trade candidates for the Eagles. The list includes wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews, two players who were once viewed as future pillars of the Eagles’ offense. When it comes to Matthews, the Eagles seem content to let him play out the final season of his contract, and that’s not a good sign for his future. Meanwhile, the Eagles would be taking a significant dead money hit by releasing Agholor, but it’s conceivable that they could trade him for a late draft pick if he has a strong preseason. Other players on the trade candidate list include linebacker Mychal Kendricks, center Jason Kelce, offensive lineman Allen Barbre, and defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Here’s more on the Eagles:
- The Eagles failed to make major upgrades to the secondary this offseason and that unit stands as the Eagles’ biggest weakness, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. In essence, the Eagles are hoping that the additions to the pass rush will help take some pressure off of the secondary. That may be the case, but they’ll be in trouble if starting safeties Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins get injured. The Eagles’ may want to make an August signing to augment a group of reserve safeties currently headlined by Jaylen Watkns, Terrence Brooks, and Chris Maragos.
- David Murphy of the Daily News wonders if the Eagles really need to keep six receivers. Free agent additions Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith are locks to make the roster and the same pretty much goes for Matthews and Agholor, barring a trade. Fourth-round pick Mack Hollins seems to have a firm grip on his place, leaving fifth round rookie Shelton Gibson, Paul Turner, and a few others to vie for a sixth WR spot. Murphy argues that a No. 6 WR might not be necessary with a trio of tight ends to use and running backs Donnel Pumphrey and Darren Sproles to utilize in the passing game.
- ESPN.com’s Tim McManus predicts that this will be the year the Eagles part with former first-round pick Marcus Smith. By cutting him before the third day of training camp, the Eagles can avoid paying his $594K roster bonus and clear nearly $1.5MM in cap space. The defensive end has yet to make a start at the professional level.
NFC Notes: Cards, Falcons, Panthers, Hawks
If Carson Palmer retires after the 2017 season, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter) could see a scenario in which the Cardinals make a run at Kirk Cousins or perhaps Sam Bradford. Both players would be a schematic fit for the Cardinals and there won’t be a ton of other established quarterbacks available. If Cousins is an unrestricted free agent, the Cardinals could have a hard time bidding against the rival 49ers as they will be loaded with cap space.
A few more items from the NFC:
- The popular belief for the past several months is that Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will sign a contract extension prior to the season, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk isn’t so sure anymore. Evidenced by the fact that Freeman still isn’t under contract past 2017, Florio observes that it hasn’t been an easy negotiation between the two sides, and he wonders if the 25-year-old will roll the dice and go without a new deal this season in hopes of upping his stock even more. As such, the Falcons might have to decide next offseason whether to place the franchise tag on Freeman for $12.1MM – a marked increase over his $1.8MM salary for this year – or let him hit the open market.
- Panthers kicker Graham Gano is on the bubble thanks to the addition of seventh-round pick Harrison Butker, David Newton of ESPN.com writes. The selection of the Georgia Tech product was the first time the Panthers have ever drafted a place kicker and it’s a sign that they could be moving on from the veteran. Gano missed several big kicks last season and converted on just 78.9% of his attempts.
- Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin still has to appear in front of a judge in August for his March arrest, but he has some good news on another front. Boykin has skirted jail time for a separate potential parole violation, as Gregg Bell of The News Tribune writes. Boykin was facing up to a year in jail for that charge, but he’ll pay a small fine instead. The Seahawks reportedly are not expecting Boykin to be disciplined by the league for his actions, so his off-the-field missteps shouldn’t impact his job security as Russell Wilson‘s backup.
- It was a busy afternoon in Carolina, which signed guard Trai Turner to a big-money extension and said goodbye to offensive tackle Michael Oher.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Rams To Sign QB Dan Orlovsky
The Rams have agreed to sign Dan Orlovsky, the quarterback tells ESPN producer Jason Romano. He’ll now try to make the final 53-man cut as a backup to youngster Jared Goff.
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As it stands, Sean Mannion is slotted in as the primary understudy to Goff. There has been no indication that the Rams are dissatisfied with the 25-year-old signal caller, so Orlovsky could be looking at a QB3-or-bust situation.
Orlovsky has spent time with the Texans, Colts, and Buccaneers, but he is best known for his two stints with the Lions. Since being drafted in 2005, Orlovsky has made just 12 career starts. He’ll turn 34 next month.
To the surprise of some, Orlovsky has found work in 2017 while quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III remain unemployed. Orlovsky has also signed ahead of fellow ex-Lions QB Shaun Hill.
Rams To Hire Brian Xanders
The Rams are expected to hire former Broncos GM Brian Xanders to a senior personnel role, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Xanders was most recently with the Lions. 
Xanders served as the Broncos’ GM from 2009 through 2012. Some time after that, he found his way to the Lions. When they shook up the front office in 2016, Xanders stayed on board but lost a lot of his power. With no connection to GM Bob Quinn, it made sense for the two parties to go their separate ways.
Xanders comes to the Rams during a pivotal year for Rams GM Les Snead. Snead was retained as former coach Jeff Fisher was shown the door, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll get to stick around for Sean McVay‘s second year as coach. Xanders will be in the building to help advise Snead, but he also has the credentials to interview for the job if a change is made.