Ravens, Patriots Interested In Delanie Walker
One of the best tight ends left on the market is ready to go. Delanie Walker is 100% healthy and ready to play, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Walker sees the Ravens as a fit, per JLC, and the Patriots also have him on their radar, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 
Walker – who turns 36 on Aug. 12 – has battled injuries over the past two seasons, but he still profiles as a useful weapon in the passing game and an adept blocker. The Colts, Packers, and Redskins were rumored to have interest in him earlier this year, but the Ravens may be among his top choices at this stage.
The Ravens’ offense relies heavily on tight ends and they could use some reinforcements after trading Hayden Hurst to the Falcons. They’re evaluating Walker, Jordan Reed, and other options as the season draws near, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears.
The Patriots, meanwhile, could use another TE following Matt LaCosse‘s decision to opt out. Currently, their group is headlined by third-round rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, plus the relatively inexperienced Ryan Izzo. Both Walker and Reed would profile as low-risk, potentially high-reward signings to add veteran savvy.
Walker posted four straight 800-yard seasons from 2014-2017, but the 14-year veteran has played in just eight games since. The ankle injury he suffered in September 2018 held him back last season as well. In 2019, Walker finished out with 21 grabs for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
Patriots’ Matt LaCosse Opts Out
Matt LaCosse has decided not to play in 2020, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. With that, the tight end becomes the eighth Patriots player to opt out.
LaCosse was supposed to provide veteran help at the position while guiding Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in their rookie seasons. Instead, the Pats are left with the third-rounders, plus Ryan Izzo and a handful of other options at tight end. LaCosse’s contract will toll into 2021, when he’ll be set to return and earn $1MM in base salary.
The Patriots are now heading into the season without inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, right tackle Marcus Cannon, and new wide receiver Marqise Lee. Running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny Vitale, offensive lineman Najee Toran, and LaCosse round out the eight opt-outs, and the list could grow larger from here. The official deadline is still TBD, but it’s at least a few days away.
After joining the Patriots last year, LaCosse recorded 13 catches for 131 yards and one touchdown. For his career, LaCosse has notched 40 grabs for 403 yards and two scores for the Pats, Giants, and Broncos.
Patriots’ Marqise Lee To Opt Out
Patriots wide receiver Marqise Lee will opt out of the 2020 season, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Lee is now the seventh Pats player to make this decision, leaving lots of holes to fill in New England. 
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker]
“We just feel like it wasn’t smart for us to go out and play this year,” said Lee, who became a first-time father earlier this year.
Lee joined the Patriots in April on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. The 28-year-old (29 in November) was expected to support a wide receiver group led by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. It was a low-risk and potentially high-reward pickup for the Patriots. Lee totaled 1,551 receiving yards between 2016-17 as the Jaguars’ top receiver. He parlayed that performance into a four-year, $38MM deal, but he was derailed by a knee injury in 2018, plus ankle and shoulder trouble last year.
The April signing of Lee allowed the Patriots to focus on other positions in the draft. They went defense with their first three picks before snagging two tight ends (Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene) in the third round. They didn’t use any of their choices on wide receiver, and that’s good news for their incumbents. Damiere Byrd, special teams ace Matthew Slater, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, and Quincy Adeboyejo are among those jostling for roster spots and WR snaps.
Here’s the full rundown of the Patriots’ opt out list, via PFR’s tracker:
- RB Brandon Bolden (story)
- T Marcus Cannon (story)
- S Patrick Chung (story)
- LB Dont’a Hightower (story)
- WR Marqise Lee
- OL Najee Toran
- FB Danny Vitale (story)
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to reserve/NFI list (after being waived/injured): CB Tre Roberson
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: QB Brian Lewerke
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/retired list: T Nate Wozniak
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Domenique Davis
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: T Leonard Wester
- Waived: DL Alex Barrett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: S Deiondre’ Hall, TE Jordan Leggett
Washington Football Team
- Claimed off waivers (from Dolphins): CB Ryan Lewis
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon. With teams having until August 16 to cut their rosters from 90 to 80 players, many are doing so before on-field camp work begins.
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): LB Kyahva Tezino
- Waived: OL Juwann Bushell-Beatty
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: RB Jordan Chunn, DT Garrett Marino
Denver Broncos
- Waived/NFI: WR Zimari Manning
Houston Texans
- Waived: LB Jamir Jones, LS Anthony Kukwa, QB Nick Tiano
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: TE Matt Lengel
Las Vegas Raiders
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): G Jordan Roos
- Waived: DE Ade Aruna
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Broncos): DB Shakial Taylor
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: LB Joey Alfieri, CB Jermaine Kelly, S Derrick Kindred, QB Broc Rutter, OL Ray Smith
- Waived/NFI: WR Chris Finke
- Waived/non-football illness: Willie Henry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived/NFI: LB Kendell Beckwith (as of Sept. 2019, the former starter was not planning to play again)
Washington Football Team
- Signed: OL Kevin Pamphile, LB Donald Payne
Patriots’ Patrick Chung Opts Out
Patriots safety Patrick Chung will opt out of the 2020 season, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). That makes Chung the sixth Patriots player to opt out, a list that also includes middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower and right tackle Marcus Cannon. 
[RELATED: Patriots’ Hightower, Cannon Opt Out]
The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he has spent all but one year of his career with New England. In that time, he’s started in 112 regular season games and collected three Super Bowl rings. Unlike Hightower, he’s never been selected for a Pro Bowl, but he’s an important member of the Patriots’ D nonetheless.
In May, the Patriots re-upped Chung on an extension that would allow him to earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. Now, he’s effectively under club control for five years. Chung’s contract will toll for 2020 and resume in 2021.
Last year, Chung appeared in 13 games and recorded 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss.
Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower To Opt Out Of 2020 Season
Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will opt out of the 2020 season, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hightower wrestled with the decision, but ultimately decided to skip the season in order to protect his 2-week-old son. 
“Me and my fiancée are just more concerned with the health of our family than football — especially the new addition to our family,” Hightower explained.
With that, Hightower becomes the fifth Patriots player to opt out. Running back Brandon Bolden, right tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale, and guard Najee Toran have also decided against playing. Hightower is the highest profile player of the Pats bunch, and one of the more notable players league-wide to opt out.
Hightower was slated to make $8MM in base salary before reaching free agency in March. Now, his contract will toll, with that final year being moved to 2021. With Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts out of the picture, the Patriots were counting on Hightower to hold down the fort at linebacker. There aren’t a ton of impact off-ball linebackers left on the open market, so the Patriots will likely have to work with what they have on hand.
Hightower, 30, has been a staple in the Patriots’ starting lineup since entering the league in 2012. Injuries aside – including a mostly lost 2017 – he’s served as the club’s locker room leader and the point guard of the defense. Last year, Hightower earned his second Pro Bowl trip and even managed 5.5 sacks from the middle.
Hightower’s opt-out falls under the “voluntary” label, meaning that he’s entitled to a $150K salary advance (likely negated by his 2020 earnings to date). Cannon, meanwhile, is “higher risk,” which means he’ll get a $350K stipend (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Cannon had two years to go on his current deal with a total of $9.5MM in base pay. His contract will also toll, with his 2020 season being bumped up to 2021.
Patriots FB Danny Vitale To Opt Out
A fourth player has decided to opt out this afternoon. Patriots fullback Danny Vitale informed the team of his intentions to bypass the 2020 season, Jarrett Bell of USA Today reports.
Thus far, Vitale is the fifth overall player to opt out. He follows Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Ravens wideout De’Anthony Thomas, Seahawks guard Chance Warmack and Cowboys cornerback Maurice Canady.
Vitale has played four NFL seasons — two with the Browns, two with the Packers — and signed with the Pats this offseason. The Patriots lost longtime fullback James Develin to retirement earlier this offseason.
Vitale played 170 snaps last season with Green Bay, catching 12 passes for 97 yards. His one-year Patriots contract will toll to 2021. Since he is not believed to be at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, Vitale is set to receive a $150K stipend — rather than his $1MM base salary — and see his contract toll to 2021.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: TE/FB Parker Houston
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: WR Greg Dortch, S Jake Gervase, C Nate Trewyn, TE Ethan Wolf
New England Patriots
- Released: CB Lenzy Pipkins
AFC East Notes: Oliver, Dolphins, Thuney
Montgomery County (Texas) authorities are dropping charges against tackle Ed Oliver, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports (on Twitter). The Bills defensive tackle was arrested on charges of DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon in May. Attorney Gary Patterson said, via Berman, a lack of evidence prompted the charges to be dropped. Oliver may still face NFL punishment, but the 2020 CBA limited Roger Goodell‘s disciplinary powers on personal conduct issues. It is now certainly possible Oliver will be available for the Bills in Week 1.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The NFL gave teams the option of having rookies report to training camp Tuesday, but Dolphins first-year players are set to arrive at the team’s facility Thursday, Barry Jackson and Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald note. Florida has become a global hot spot for the coronavirus, and the NFLPA had expressed concerns about teams opening up camp in certain areas. South Florida, Houston, Phoenix and Los Angeles were the locales the union mentioned, per Jackson, and it called for an emergency meeting of team doctors whose franchises reside in the most-affected areas. But the medical experts did not indicate camps in those places needed to be moved.
- Minutes before the legal tampering period began in March, the Patriots surprisingly used their franchise tag to keep Joe Thuney off the market. The Patriots joining 11 other teams in opting not to sign a franchise-tagged player to an extension last week could point to Thuney being on the trade market. But the post-Tom Brady Pats are only carrying a $4.4MM combined cap charge at quarterback — a league-low figure, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes this will allow for more flexibility to carry Thuney’s $14.78MM tag number this season. While some major changes occurred in New England, the Pats are set to return five starting offensive linemen.
- While Bills, Giants and Jets players will not have to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to the tri-state area, Patriots players who have spent their offseasons outside the New England region will need to do so upon arrival in the state where they work.