Ravens TE Benjamin Watson Takes Pay Cut
Ravens tight end Ben Watson has agreed to take a pay cut, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Watson is healthy, the deal could improve his chances of making the final 53-man cut. 
Watson was previously slated to make $3MM in the coming season. Instead, he’ll now take in a base salary of $1.25MM with more than half of that sum ($750K) fully guaranteed. The deal also has incentive opportunities that can bring him back up to the original $3MM mark.
Watson could be key for the Ravens in the coming year now that Dennis Pitta is out of the picture. Last year, Pitta battled back from multiple hip injuries to turn in one of the best seasons of his career. Watson might not be able to match his production – Pitta caught 86 passes for 729 yards and two scores – but he could help to fill the void.
Watson, 36, signed a two-year, $7MM contract with Baltimore last spring, but never made it on the field after going down in August. In 2015, he had 74 receptions for 825 yards and six touchdowns for the Saints.
Colts Work Out TE Larry Donnell
The Colts have invited a number of tryout players to minicamp, including cornerback Phillip Adams and former Giants tight end Larry Donnell (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). 
At this stage of the offseason, Donnell stands as one of the most notable tight ends remaining on the open market. The Grambling State product first made a name for himself in 2014 when he had a breakout season with the Giants, catching 63 passes for 623 yards and six scores. Since then, however, he has been hampered by injuries and has been unable to reprise that performance. He missed half of the 2015 season and found himself with a lesser role in the offense in 2016. Donnell is coming off of a season with just 15 catches (22 targets) for 92 yards and one score.
Adams, 29 in July, has played for six different teams across six NFL seasons. In 2016, he was out of a job, but he’s hoping to hook on with someone for the upcoming year.
Jets Auditioning WR Kenbrell Thompkins
He’s not quite Eric Decker, but he could help fill a roster spot at wide receiver. The Jets are auditioning Kenbrell Thompkins this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Thompkins, like former Jaguars running back Denard Robinson, will participate in the Jets’ three-day mandatory minicamp. If Thompkins performs well, he could get a shot at joining the team’s preseason roster.
Thompkins is perhaps best known for his time with the Patriots, but he has also spent time with the Jets and Raiders in the past. Gang Green met with Thompkins in late May and they apparently liked him enough to loop him back in for practice this week.
In 2013 with New England, he caught 32 passes for 466 yards and four scores. In the next season, he split time with the Patriots and Raiders and didn’t have quite the same level of success (21 catches, 262 yards). After a forgettable 2015 effort with the Jets, we did not see Thompkins in live NFL action in 2016.
Jason Peters Wants Restructured Contract
On Tuesday morning, left tackle Jason Peters strongly hinted to reporters that he wants the Eagles to restructure his contract (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Peters explained that he doesn’t want to have to worry about getting cut as he enters each year of his contract and also expressed a desire to retire as a member of the Eagles.
Earlier this offseason, the Eagles approached Peters about taking a pay cut. Those talks were not fruitful, but the Eagles opted to keep him at a base salary of $10.45MM (per Over The Cap) rather than replace him.
The 35-year-old has solid comp over the next two seasons, but he has little in the way of certainty. In 2017, he’s slated to carry a $11.7MM cap number. Next year, he’ll have an $11.25MM cap figure, but the Eagles would be left with just $1MM in dead money if they choose to release him.
Peters doesn’t have leverage, per se, but the two sides could come to terms on a reworked contract that benefits everyone. A revised deal could see Peters take a cut in base salary in the next two years in exchange for a bump in guaranteed money or even years.
Last season, Pro Football Focus placed Peters as the eighth-best tackle in the entire league. His 88.3 overall score on PFF ranks as the third-highest showing of his career. For his career, he has made nine Pro Bowls and is a three-time first-team All-Pro.
Jets Looking At Denard Robinson
The Jets want to see what running back Denard Robinson has to offer. The former Michigan standout is working out for Gang Green this week, according to his agents (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jets Release WR Eric Decker]
Robinson, 27 in September, will participate in the Jets’ three-day mandatory minicamp and try to make a solid impression on coaches. After making a name for himself as a quarterback at Michigan, Robinson converted to running back for the Jaguars.
The fifth-round pick appeared in 55 of the Jaguars’ 64 games in that span and made 13 starts, with the bulk of his career 263 carries coming in 2014. That season, Robinson piled up 135 rushes for 582 yards – good for a quality YPC of 4.3 – scored four touchdowns and totaled a personal-high 23 catches. Unfortunately, Robinson’s production has dipped since then, as he posted the second-worst YPC (3.5) of his career in 2016 off of 41 attempts.
The Jets have a pretty crowded group in the backfield, particularly after adding Jordan Todman on Monday. Still, Robinson is hoping to find his way on to the 90-man roster in New York.
Redskins Announce Front Office Changes
The Redskins are reshuffling things in the front office. On Tuesday morning, the team announced a number of moves, including the promotion of Doug Williams to the title of senior vice president of player personnel. 
In related news, Eric Schaffer has been named vice president of football operations and Scott Campbell will become senior personnel executive. The most notable element here, however, is perhaps the move that wasn’t made by Washington. The team did not announce a new general manager, giving the impression that team president Bruce Allen will once again call the shots and have final say over the roster.
Williams, of course, is a Redskins legend for his Super Bowl XXII MVP performance following the 1987 season. In that game, the former first round pick helped the Redskins put up 42 points as they downed John Elway and the Broncos. Williams, who has spent eleven years in various scouting and personnel roles with the Buccaneers and Redskins, says that he is excited for the new challenge.
“You want this day to come. You hope it comes. It’s here today,” Williams said at a presser on Tuesday morning. “I’m blessed and I’m going to embrace it.”
At least for this year, the expectation is that Williams & Co. will report to Allen, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. More tweaks could be on the way, however. Redskins’ Director of Pro Personnel director Alex Santos is one of the execs that could be primed for a bigger role, per Pelissero.
Ravens Sign WR Jeremy Maclin
The decision is in. Jeremy Maclin has signed with the Ravens, according to a team announcement. It’s a two-year deal for the wide receiver worth $11MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll earn $6MM in year one of the deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) says, adding that there isn’t a lot of “funny money” in the contract. 
The Ravens aren’t done adding to the receiver group, either. Even though Maclin has been signed, the Ravens continue to be in the mix for Eric Decker, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Jets have informed Decker that he will either be released or traded in the coming days, but it is not clear whether the Ravens are looking to make a deal with Gang Green or wait to see if he is cut loose. The Ravens and the Jets had preliminary trade talks about Decker last week.
Baltimore surprised many during the draft when it did not select a wide receiver. The patient approach has paid off for the Ravens as they have landed a former Pro Bowler in the late stages of the offseason. The Ravens will now roll into 2017 with a receiver group led by Maclin, Mike Wallace, and Breshad Perriman. Joe Flacco will have nothing but speed at his disposal and that could mean big things for this Ravens offense.
The Ravens are hoping that the addition of Maclin will help to mitigate the loss of tight end Dennis Pitta. Pitta was released earlier this month after he suffered yet another hip dislocation. Last season, he returned to his old form and became one of Flacco’s top targets. Although Pitta will be missed, the Ravens passing attack is likely in better shape than it was in 2016.
In 2015, Maclin had 87 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chiefs. Even though he is not far removed from that performance, KC cut him in order to avoid paying his $9.75MM base salary for 2017. Last season, Maclin had 44 catches for 536 yards and two scores in 12 games.
Jets To Sign RB Jordan Todman
The Jets are expected to sign veteran running back/kick returner Jordan Todman, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but this is likely a one-year pact. 
[RELATED: Jets Release WR Eric Decker]
Todman, 27, has bounced around between four teams in six years. Most recently, he spent the 2016 season with the Colts where he carried the ball only nine times and contributed mainly on special teams. Todman had 16 kick returns for a total of 478 yards in 2016, giving him a strong 29.9 yards-per-return average. That total includes one spectacular 99-yard return for a touchdown against the Packers in November. Jets fans looking to forget about their troubles can view the impressive play on YouTube.
The Jets already have a big group of running backs, including main guys Bilal Powell and Matt Forte plus reserves Brandon Wilds, Elijah McGuire (rookie), Brandon Burks, and Romar Morris. As a return specialist, Todman may have a leg up on making the 53-man roster.
Colts Claim Tyvis Powell
The Colts claimed safety Tyvis Powell off waivers from the Browns, according to a team announcement. To make room on the roster, Indianapolis has waived cornerback Reggie Porter. 
Powell appeared in eight games as rookie with Seattle last season and recorded three tackles. He did not make it into the postseason with the Seahawks, however, as Seattle dropped him from the roster just prior to the playoffs in order to clear a spot for Devin Hester. In February, Cleveland picked him up off of waivers. Roughly four months later, it’s a familiar scene for the Ohio State product. He’ll be starting over with a new team and hoping to make it through the fall.
With an 8-8 record last season, the Colts were roughly in the middle of the pack in terms of waiver priority. Powell will now look to hook on as a reserve behind Clayton Geathers and rookie Malik Hooker, a fellow former Buckeye.
Jets Release WR Eric Decker
The Jets have released wide receiver Eric Decker, according to a team announcement. The Jets informed Decker last week that he would be either released or traded, so it seems that the Jets were unable to find a suitable trade. 
[RELATED: Ravens Still On Decker, Even After Adding Jeremy Maclin]
The Jets worked hard to find something for Decker instead of releasing him for nothing, but a release was always the most likely outcome. The Jets were willing to eat money in a potential Decker trade, but they could not eat enough to make a deal work, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Jets were reportedly waiting to see where Jeremy Maclin would sign before giving up and releasing Decker. After Maclin signed with the Ravens, the trade market for Decker still did not materialize. Interestingly, the Ravens are not ruling out a Decker signing even after adding Maclin, so Baltimore could pounce quickly. If the Ravens are able to lure in Decker and make everything work under the cap, they’ll have one of the most intriguing WR groups of any team in 2017.
Although the veteran may be poised for a bounce-back year, teams were probably unwilling to part with anything of value to take him on at a high salary. Now, contenders will vie for Decker’s services and likely offer deals that are less expensive than the two years that were left on his five-year, $36.25MM contract.
Decker never missed significant time in his NFL career until the 2016 season. Hip and shoulder injuries limited him to just three games last season. He finished out the year with nine grabs for 194 yards and two touchdowns.
By dumping Decker, the Jets will save $7.5MM in cap space in each of the next two seasons.