Jets To Release LB David Harris
The Jets are planning to release linebacker David Harris, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Harris was slated to head into his eleventh NFL season with Gang Green. 
Harris, 33, started 15 games for the Jets last season and played 250 more defensive snaps than any other Jets linebacker. All in all, he graded out as the NFL’s No. 35 linebacker, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. In terms of the traditional stats, Harris racked up 94 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a half-sack. He’s started 147 contests during his whole Jets tenure, placing him sixth all-time in franchise history.
Harris was due a base salary of $6.5MM in 2017, but none of that total was guaranteed. The team’s decision to move on from him could be a sign that the returning Demario Davis is indeed in their plans for 2017. With Harris out of the equation, Davis could be plugged in as a starting inside linebacker or used as a key sub behind Bruce Carter. Even if the Jets are able to make up for Harris’ production, they’ll be hard-pressed to make up for the loss in locker room leadership.
The Jets cut several veterans at the age of 30 or older this offseason. Only a handful of players on the wrong side of 30 remain, including quarterback Josh McCown (37), running back Matt Forte (31), and wide receiver Eric Decker (30).
Fred Jackson Wants To Continue Playing
Even at the age of 36, Fred Jackson is not ready to walk away from football. The former Bills running back says that he has yet to ink his retirement paperwork and still feels that he can contribute to an NFL team. 
“I want to play, but it’s one of those things where we’ll see what happens,” Jackson told Sal Capaccio of WGR550. “Training camps are around the corner. Some teams lose a back or two and maybe they give me a call. We’ll see what happens. I’m not ready to hang ‘em up yet, but I do know that I’m 36 and a lot of teams are scared of that.”
Jackson spent eight years with the Bills uniform, rushing for 5,746 yards, placing him third on the franchise’s all-time list behind only Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson. He also added 354 receptions for 2,897 yards, good for fifth all-time in Buffalo. The Bills cut Jackson prior to the 2015 season and he had a mostly forgettable run with the Seahawks, though he did appear in his first ever playoff game. In 2016, Jackson was out of football.
For his part, Jackson says that he would love to give it another try with the Bills, though it’s not clear if they have any interest at this time.
Eagles Express Interest In Jeremy Maclin
The Eagles have expressed some level of interest in free agent Jeremy Maclin, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A deal, of course, would mark a homecoming for the wide receiver. 
Maclin spent the first five years of his career in Philadelphia before he departed for Kansas City in 2015. Maclin did his best work with the Eagles in 2014 having caught 86 passes for 1,318 yards and ten touchdowns. He set a new career high in catches in 2015 when he hauled in 87 passes, but he has not replicated that kind of yardage total in the last two seasons with KC. His 15.5 yards per grab in 2014 also stand as a career high.
In addition to the Eagles, the Browns have also shown interest in Maclin, Schefter says. The Browns already made one major upgrade to the receiver group this spring with the Kenny Britt signing, but adding Maclin would give them a formidable 1-2 combo. The Browns are also expecting offensive production from rookie David Njoku, but no pass catcher in Cleveland offers Maclin’s combination of experience and skill.
While the Browns are flush with cap room, the same cannot be said for the Eagles. The Eagles have roughly $5MM in space to work with and they might have to find additional room if they hope to reunite with the 29-year-old.
We now have four known teams interested in Maclin. Maclin is visiting with the Bills today before potentially meeting with the Ravens on Wednesday.
Bills To Meet With Jeremy Maclin
The Bills and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin are set to meet today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After that, Maclin’s next stop could be with the Ravens on Wednesday.
[RELATED: Bills QB Tyrod Taylor Eyeing Maclin]
LeSean McCoy has made no secret of the fact that he wants Maclin in Buffalo and he started recruiting the receiver hard after he was released by the Chiefs. Maclin could help to keep defenders away from star Sammy Watkins and also step up in the event that he is injured again in 2017. The Bills’ depth chart also includes second-round pick Zay Jones, Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, and Corey Brown.
The Chiefs cut Maclin when they couldn’t find another team willing to take on his 2017 base salary of $9.75MM. He’ll likely sign for less with another club, but he should still command a decent salary given the impact that he can potentially have elsewhere. Maclin turned in a decent season in 2016, hauling in 87 catches for 1,000+ and eight touchdowns.
Jets Place WR Quinton Patton On IR
The Jets announced today that they have placed wide receiver Quinton Patton on the injured reserve. To replace him on the roster, the organization has signed wideout Devin Street.
Patton joined the Jets this offseason after spending his first four seasons with San Francisco. After playing in only 10 combined games during his first two seasons in the NFL, the former fourth-rounder saw an increased role in 2015 and 2016. This past season was arguably his best, as the 26-year-old finished the campaign with 37 catches for 408 yards. Patton also has brief experience as a running back, kick returner, and special teamer.
Meanwhile, Street saw a reduced roll with the Colts this past season. After appearing in 31 games with the Cowboys between 2014 and 2015, the 26-year-old only made five appearances in 2016, hauling in a single catch for 20 yards. Over his career, the 2014 fifth-round pick has collected 10 receptions for 152 yards and one touchdown. Besides the Colts and Cowboys, Street also had two separate stints with the Patriots.
Street could have an opportunity to contribute behind Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, and Robby Anderson. The Jets are also rostering ArDarius Stewart, Chad Hansen, Charone Peake, and Jalin Marshall, who is facing a four-game suspension.
NFC Notes: Morris, Packers, Lions, Bradberry
Alfred Morris only played 112 snaps during his first season with the Cowboys, and Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the veteran running back’s future with the organization “remains murky.”
According to the writer, the Cowboys believe Morris has more success when he has more carries, but that isn’t a possibility in Dallas. Ezekiel Elliott should see even more responsibility in his second NFL season, and the team also re-signed veteran Darren McFadden this offseason.
Despite the uncertainty, running backs coach Gary Brown said the 28-year-old continues to keep his head high.
“Straight pro,” he said. “Doesn’t talk about it. Doesn’t mention it. Comes out has fun with it. Enjoys being around his teammates. That’s the kind of guys you need.”
As Williams points out, Morris is set to make $1.2MM next season and count for $2.14MM against the cap. While that would seemingly make him expendable, Brown said he’d love to keep all of his players.
“You just don’t know from year to year what’s going to happen, so you try to keep as many great players around as you can and then the business takes over after that,” Brown said. “Obviously, we would like everybody to stay, but that’s not realistic. We’ve got to make sure we’re training everybody, and we’re covering all our bases, and let whatever happens happen.”
Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFC…
- Packers running back Jamaal Williams‘ four-year rookie contract includes a $565,992 signing bonus, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes that that’s the only guaranteed money in the deal. The fourth-rounder’s contract could be worth up to $2.96MM, and Williams is set to earn a base salary of $465K in 2017.
- If he isn’t looking for a lucrative contract, then ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes free agent wideout Jeremy Maclin would be a logical fit for the Lions. The hypothetical acquisition would allow the team to roll a versatile three-wideout set that could include any combination of Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and/or tight end Eric Ebron. Rothstein also points to the relative experience among the team’s other wide receivers.
- Panthers cornerback James Bradberry fractured his left wrist today and will be in a cast for the next six weeks, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion told Max Henson of Panthers.com that the defensive back could still participate in next week’s minicamp, and he’s expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp. The 2016 second-round pick started 13 games for the Panthers last season, compiling 59 tackles and two interceptions.
- Former Minnesota Gophers linebacker Jack Lynn is “close” to signing with the Falcons, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The four-year player finished his collegiate career with 77 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 13 games.
Ravens Release CB Kyle Arrington
The Brandon Boykin signing isn’t the only shakeup to the Ravens cornerback depth chart today. The Ravens announced that they’ve also signed Al-Hajj Shabazz, and they subsequently released veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington on a failed physical designation. ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley points out that releasing Arrington will save the organization around $2.1MM in cap space.
Arrington will finish his tenure with the Ravens having played in only 15 games over two seasons. Following six seasons with the Patriots, the former undrafted free agent out of Hostra joined Baltimore on a three-year deal. He started four of his 15 games during the 2015 season, compiling 28 tackles and one forced fumble. However, the 30-year-old was forced to sit out the entire 2016 campaign recovering from a concussion.
Shabazz has spent time with the Colts, Buccaneers, Steelers, and Texans since going undrafted in 2015. He played in eight games between Houston and Pittsburgh last season, compiling a single tackle.
When you consider these moves, the Boykin signing, and the fact that Tavon Young is now out with a torn ACL, the Ravens cornerback depth chart looks drastically different than it did only a week ago. Boykin and Shabazz will presumably be competing with Lardarius Webb and Maurice Canady for the team’s nickel corner spot.
49ers Sign LB Elvis Dumervil
Less than a week after auditioning the veteran, the 49ers are signing Elvis Dumervil. The 49ers announced on Twitter that they have signed the linebacker. It’s a two-year deal for Dumervil, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter. The team has cut rookie offensive lineman Evan Goodman in a corresponding move.
It had been a rather quiet offseason for Dumervil prior to last week’s audition with San Francisco. The 33-year-old had generated little interest across the league since being released by the Ravens in early March. That could partly be attributed to the veteran’s recent injury concerns, as Dumervil only appeared in eight games with Baltimore last season. However, the linebacker still managed to compile three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Prior to 2016, Dumervil was one of the most consistent defenders in the NFL. Since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2006, the veteran had missed a total of six regular season games between nine NFL seasons with the Ravens and Broncos. During his first three seasons in Baltimore, Dumervil averaged more than 38 tackles and 10 sacks a year.
Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Dumervil is expected to play the role of a Leo linebacker with the 49ers, an indication that Aaron Lynch may be on the outside looking in. General manager John Lynch is certainly familiar with Dumervil’s production, as the two played alongside each other for two seasons in Denver.
Seahawks Sign QB Austin Davis
The Seahawks have added a backup quarterback… and no, it isn’t Colin Kaepernick. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed signal-caller Austin Davis. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets that the team has waived quarterback Jake Heaps to make room on the roster. Davis had reportedly visited the Seahawks last week.
The 28-year-old didn’t play in a single game for the Broncos during the 2016 season, and he was ultimately waived by the organization in December. The former undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi does have some NFL experience, as he played in 13 games (1o starts) with the Rams and Browns between 2014 and 2015. Over his career, Davis has completed 62.4-percent of his passes for 2,548 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The quarterback reportedly met with the Giants and Ravens earlier this offseason.
Barring another addition, Davis will be competing with Trevone Boykin to serve as Russell Wilson‘s primary backup. The Seahawks had actually added Heaps last week to compete for the backup gig, although it seemed unlikely that the former undrafted rookie would be sticking around for the long haul.
This acquisiton will presumably put to rest the persisting Kaepernick rumors. We learned last week that the organization wouldn’t be signing the veteran quarterback, with coach Pete Carroll citing the 29-year-old’s ability to still start in the NFL. Subsequent reports indicated that the two sides were actually in disagreement over money, although some wondered if the Seahawks were looking to avoid a potential quarterback controversy.
Ravens Sign CB Brandon Boykin
The Ravens have found a replacement for injured cornerback Tavon Young. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the team has signed veteran defensive back Brandon Boykin.
Boykin hasn’t appeared in the NFL since he played in 15 games with the Steelers in 2015. The former fourth-round pick caught on with both the Panthers and Bears during the 2016 offseason, but he landed on Chicago’s injured reserve after suffering a pectoral injury during training camp.
Prior to last season, the 26-year-old hadn’t missed a single regular season game during his four-game career. His best season came in 2013, when he finished with 47 tackles, six interceptions, and 16 passes defended. Boykin compiled a career-low 25 tackles during his lone season in Pittsburgh during the 2015 campaign.
Young tore his ACL during practice last week, presumably ending his season. The Ravens revamped their cornerback depth chart this offseason, adding free agent Brandon Carr and first-round pick Marlon Humphrey. Boykin will presumably be competing with Lardarius Webb and Maurice Canady for the team’s nickel corner spot.