Latest On Texans, Dolphins, Jadeveon Clowney
If the Texans want Dolphins tackle Laremy Tunsil, they’ll have to pay a hefty price for him. The Texans have dangled a first-round pick and Jadeveon Clowney in a proposed deal for Tunsil, but the Fins want even more, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears from two NFL sources. 
One of those sources tells Jackson that the Dolphins are seeking a high draft pick in addition to Clowney and a first-round choice. This could be a classic example of the old business adage, “Don’t tell them ‘no,’ tell them how much it will cost.”
The Dolphins’ interest in Clowney is very real, but so is their attachment to Tunsil, who is a quality tackle in a league that is largely devoid of them. There’s also this to consider – the Dolphins would have to give Clowney a hefty deal upon acquiring him, so they want to make sure the deal is worthwhile in total.
Will the Texans meet the sky-high asking price? That largely depends on exactly how desperate they are for left tackle help and how much other interested clubs will fork over for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Patriots’ Josh Gordon Cleared For Week One
Great news for Patriots fans and nervous fantasy football players – Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon has been cleared to play for Week One by the league office, per an NFL announcement. 
Previously, Gordon received a conditional reinstatement from NFL HQ, granting him permission to play if he satisfied certain terms. Gordon, apparently, has met the requirements, and he has received the green light for the start of the 2019 season.
Gordon appeared in 11 games for the Patriots last year, catching 40 passes for 720 yards and and three touchdowns. Late in the year, he suddenly revealed he was stepping away from the team, and not long after it was announced that he was being slapped with an indefinite ban.
Despite the many hiccups in his career, Gordon continues to hold serious promise. If he stays on the right track, Gordon could be primed for a massive year in New England.
Texans Discussing Jadeveon Clowney Trade With Five Teams
Trade talks involving Texans pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney are rapidly heating up. The Texans have spoken with at least five teams about the former No. 1 overall pick so far: the Jets and Redskins are in communications with Houston brass, in addition to the previously reported talks with the Seahawks, Eagles, and Dolphins. 
[RELATED: Jadeveon Clowney Willing To Miss Regular Season Games]
The Dolphins believe they are the favorites to land Clowney, and that makes sense given that GM Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores have met with him in recent weeks. At the same time, Clowney is said to prefer the Seahawks and Eagles. Of course, Clowney is not a free agent, but he effectively holds the cards – he has yet to sign his franchise tender and is reportedly willing to miss regular season games until he gets his way.
The Redskins would also make some sense as an interested party, but they’re not in the mix for him at this time, per Wilson. They remain unwilling to trade Trent Williams, and that’s a big barrier when considering the Texans’ need for offensive line help.
The Clowney/Texans beef started sizzling again this week, sometime around when Clowney fired former agent Bus Cook. On that front, Wilson hears that Clowney is willing to represent himself, at least for now.
Dolphins Consider Themselves Favorites For Jadeveon Clowney
The Dolphins believe they are the leaders to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, as Armando Salguero and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald write. We learned earlier today that Clowney has met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, and the team thinks that meeting helped sway Clowney towards South Beach.
As Clowney has not yet signed his franchise tender, he does have some say as to where he gets traded. Sources suggest that Clowney was not initially in love with the idea of coming to the Dolphins, and indeed, today’s report suggested that Clowney prefers the Seahawks or Eagles.
However, the Dolphins believe Clowney is now on board if they can swing a deal with the Texans. Salguero and Beasley say that a potential trade between the two teams would not include a first-round pick heading to Houston, though Miami is also refusing to give up offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
In addition to offensive line help, the Texans are in need of a running back, and the Dolphins could package Kenyan Drake or Kalen Ballage along with some draft capital to make a trade work.
Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Wants Trade To Seahawks Or Eagles
Jadeveon Clowney wants the Texans to trade him, and he has a couple of destinations in mind. The standout edge rusher views the Seahawks and Eagles as his preferred destinations, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) hears. 
Meanwhile, Clowney has also met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wilson hears the same thing, though he notes that the Dolphins are not his first-choice destination. On the flipside, the Dolphins would be open to working out a lucrative extension with Clowney, once he’s eligible.
As an unsigned franchise player, Clowney does have some leverage in this matter. The Texans have been unwilling to commit to him for the last few offseasons and he might have enough juice to force a trade to the Seahawks, Eagles, or another contender.
The Texans, ideally, would like to keep Clowney, though they’ve previously set an asking price. In the spring, it was believed that Clowney could be had for a second-round pick (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB).
After firing his agent on Tuesday afternoon, it appears that Clowney is serious about landing the long-term deal he desires.
Rob Gronkowski Leaves Door Open For Return
When Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retired from the NFL this year, few believed that he would stay off the field. Now, Gronk personally admits that a return to football could be in his future. 
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At a press conference to promote his new partnership with a CBD company, Gronk said that he’ll play football again if he’s feeling better and recovered from his injuries at some point (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN). That could be the case in six months, or two years, he says, though he can’t envision an NFL return in the next week or month.
Gronkowski went on to say that he “didn’t retire from life” and could consider suiting up again if he finds that he has that fire “week-in and week-out,” (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). At the same time, Gronk suggested that he would be alright with never stepping on the gridiron again.
“Physically, I could do it. But mentally, it’s not there. … If I’m just enjoying my life… maybe never,” Gronk said.
With enough cash to support generations of Gronkowskis and opportunities to make money elsewhere, the game’s most talented tight end has plenty of options. Still, he’s not ready to rule out a second act with the Patriots.
Raiders Sign Corey Liuget, Place Doug Martin On IR
The Raiders have signed free agent defensive tackle Corey Liuget, the team announced. Oakland has also placed running back Doug Martin on IR, which contradicts reports that surfaced earlier today indicating that Martin was released.
Liuget has generated plenty of interest on the open market this offseason. He met with the Jaguars, Giants, Seahawks, and Cardinals before signing with Oakland, his former division rival.
Liuget spent the first eight years of his career with the Chargers after the Bolts made him the 18th-overall pick of the 2011 draft. Earlier in his career, Liuget made noise as a defensive end and managed 18 sacks for the Chargers between 2011-2014. His sack totals, predictably, plummeted when he was moved to the interior on a full-time basis, and his 2018 suspension for PEDs further diminished his stock. However, he should serve as a quality rotational piece for Oakland’s D-line.
As for Martin, Oakland may indeed end up releasing him with an injury settlement, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says that Martin will be healthy soon and will be ready to play somewhere (Twitter link). The Raiders, meanwhile, will open the season with rookie Josh Jacobs as their No. 1 RB, with DeAndre Washington serving as Jacobs’ backup.
In addition to those moves, Oakland also signed UDFA linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams and waived long snapper Andrew DePaola.
Antonio Brown Loses Second Grievance
Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has lost his second helmet-related grievance, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). AB will wear a league-approved helmet in 2019 and beyond (Twitter link).
This was the expected outcome, and the ruling should resolve this issue once and for all. Brown has been practicing and seems to be past the foot malady he suffered during a cryotherapy mishap, so Raiders fans just have to cross their fingers and hope that Brown has put his off-field matters behind him.
Indeed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that no further proceedings are expected (Twitter link). Pro Football Talk tweets that Brown is close to selecting a new helmet, and that it will be a custom-made model. Brown is also going to get an endorsement deal from the maker, so, once again, AB lands jelly-side up.
The 31-year-old wideout has not played this preseason, though he is expected to be ready to go for Week 1. The Raiders are not favored to make the playoffs this year, but this year’s “Hard Knocks” outfit should at least be interesting to watch.
The club opens the season at home against the Broncos on September 9.
Texans RB Lamar Miller Tears ACL, Possibly MCL
Texans running back Lamar Miller suffered a torn ACL in Saturday’s preseason contest, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Per McClain, Miller may have also torn his MCL. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported last night that Houston feared an ACL tear for their No. 1 RB (Twitter link).
Miller will obviously miss the entire 2019 campaign, so Duke Johnson will become the team’s top running back for now. The Texans acquired Johnson from the Browns a few weeks ago, but he isn’t necessarily a workhorse type of back (though as McClain adds in a separate tweet, Johnson will get all the playing time he can handle).
The Texans don’t have much else on the depth chart behind Johnson at the moment. They have veteran Taiwan Jones, who has mostly been a special teamer in recent years, and then a bunch of unproven young/UDFA types. It’s quite possible that they’ll look to acquire a veteran either through a trade or from what’s left on the free agent market. Indeed, the club could ask for an RB in the Jadeveon Clowney trade that is expected to be consummated soon.
Among available free agents, Jay Ajayi is probably the biggest name. Ajayi would make some sense, although he obviously has a significant injury history of his own.
Miller was entering the final year of the four-year, $26MM contract he signed with Houston back in 2016, so this is a tough blow to his open market value entering next offseason. He’ll be 29 in April, and coming off a major injury, he will likely have to settle for a prove-it deal.
Andrew Luck Retiring From NFL
Truly shocking news, as Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is retiring from the NFL, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter reports there will be a press conference on Sunday to formally announce the news. He writes that Luck “is mentally worn down, and now checking out.”
To say this is stunning news would be a massive understatement. In a separate tweet, Schefter writes that Luck has already met with Colts owner Jim Irsay to tell him of his decision. Luck has been dealing with a mysterious calf/ankle injury, although it wasn’t thought to be serious. The latest reporting indicated that the Colts were still hoping Luck would be ready for Week 1.
Indianapolis had known for “at least two weeks” that Luck was seriously considering retirement, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). While the news apparently didn’t completely catch the organization off-guard, it doesn’t make it all that much easier to swallow for them.
In one of the most unprecedented moves in recent league history, Luck will be hanging up his cleats at the age of 29. There will be endless discussion in the coming days about what caused him to step away, although injuries are obviously part of it. Luck was plagued with a shoulder injury that lingered for a couple of years and ended up costing him the entire 2017 season. The process was mentally exhausting and always shrouded in secrecy, but he eventually worked his way back onto the field for the start of last year.
He made a triumphant return to Indy, leading them to wins in nine of their last ten games to sneak into the playoffs. He helped the Colts topple the Texans in the first round of the playoffs before they fell to the Chiefs. The team has a lot of good young talent and made major strides under head coach Frank Reich last year.
They were expected to be a Super Bowl contender heading into 2019 and were one of the most buzzed about teams this offseason. Luck’s lower leg injury was starting to get concerning due to the limited information available, but obviously nobody ever saw this coming. With Luck stepping away, Jacoby Brissett will now take over as the team’s starter.
Brissett is widely regarded as one of the league’s best backups, so things could be worse for the Colts. The team has been expressing confidence in Brissett all offseason, which in hindsight might’ve been foreshadowing this news. After being acquired in a trade with the Patriots, Brissett started most of the 2017 season for Indy. He finished with 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, making his situation all the more interesting.
Luck’s retirement is obviously a huge boost to the rest of the AFC South, and he was 11-0 in his career against the Titans. The Colts will still have a chance to be competitive given Reich’s coaching and Brissett’s competence, but it’s hard not to see this as removing them from the list of AFC contenders.
Even with Brissett in tow, the Colts will likely be in the market for a veteran quarterback now. Their only backups are Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly, and neither has ever attempted a regular season pass. Kelly is also suspended for the first two games of the season, so he won’t be able to backup Brissett until Week 3.
It’s anyone’s guess as to what Luck will do now in his post-playing career. Given his young age, there will surely be rumors of a comeback for as long as he stays retired. Luck was apparently on the field at the Colts’ preseason game when the news broke, casually chatting with teammates, according to a tweet from Stephen Holder of The Athletic.