Bears Trade RB Jordan Howard To Eagles
There were rumors earlier this month about the Bears exploring a trade of running back Jordan Howard. On Thursday, those rumblings were proven true as the Eagles are acquiring the back for a 2020 draft pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. 
According to Schefter, the pick is a sixth-round selection that could become a fifth-round pick.
In early March, it was reported “multiple teams” approached Chicago about a potential deal for the 24-year-old back and that discussions were ongoing. With less than a month to go until the NFL Draft, the Bears found a taker in the Eagles, who would appear to be out of the running to reunite with Jay Ajayi.
Howard is entering the final year of his contract and will make about $2MM this season. Linked to running backs early in many mock drafts, the Eagles could still land a back in the middle rounds and let him develop under Howard. Like he did in Chicago, Howard is expected to fill first- and second-round duties with Philadelphia, while a collection of Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and Josh Adams vie for third-down responsibilities. Obviously, this could change if the team looks to add another back in the draft.
With the Bears, Howard burst on the scene in 2016, finishing second in the league in rushing yards with 1,313 yards and earning a Pro Bowl nod. He again topped the 1,000-yard mark in Year No. 2, tallying 1,122 yards and nine touchdowns. Though trade rumors swirled last season about this time, Howard returned to the team and amassed 935 yards and nine touchdowns on 250 carries, averaging just 3.7 yards a tote.
With the move, the Bears appear to be confident in the one-two punch of Tarik Cohen and the newly signed Mike Davis. Cohen broke out in 2018, tallying 1,169 yards from scrimmage and eight total offensive touchdowns. Davis impressed in limited work with Seattle in 2018, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and tallying 34 receptions.
Patriots DC Greg Schiano Steps Down
This offseason, the Patriots thought they had their new defensive coordinator in Greg Schiano. Now, the search continues. On Thursday, Schiano and head coach Bill Belichick released a joint statement to announce that Schiano is stepping down from the role. 
“I have informed Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick that I am stepping down from my position at the Patriots,” Schiano said in the statement. “This is not the result of any one event, but rather a realization that I need to spend more time on my faith and family. I don’t want to look back years from now and wish I had done things differently. Therefore, I am taking time away from the game to recalibrate my priorities.”
Meanwhile, longtime friend Belichick offered words of support.
“I respect Coach Schiano greatly and appreciate his contributions to our staff and team,” Belichick said. “He is a friend who we support completely.”
Ironically, Schiano was never formally announced as the Patriots’ new DC. However, it was widely reported that he had accepted the job.
The Patriots have been close to hiring Schiano for key assistant roles in the past, only to see the deal fall apart at the last minute. Once again, this appears to be the case for the former Rutgers and Buccaneers head coach.
The Pats’ last DC, Brian Flores, left the club after the Super Bowl to take over as the Dolphins’ new head coach.
Cowboys Trade For Dolphins’ Robert Quinn
The Cowboys are set to acquire pass-rusher Robert Quinn from the Dolphins, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Dolphins will receive a 2020 sixth-rounder in return, tweets ESPN’s Todd Archer. 
The Saints also showed interest in Quinn, but he’ll take his talents to Dallas instead. He’ll receive a new one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets that the deal will reduce Quinn’s salary from $11.1MM to $8MM. The Dolphins also picked up the veteran’s $1.12MM roster bonus, according to Albert Breer (via Twitter).
The Cowboys tagged Demarcus Lawrence earlier this month, but the star edge defender has said in the past that he will not sign a one-year tender. Lawrence also recently upped his asking price, which further complicates matters. Meanwhile, Randy Gregory and David Irving have both been hit with indefinite suspensions, so the Cowboys badly needed someone like Quinn on the D-Line.
In 2013, Quinn earned All-Pro acclaim with 19 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He hasn’t matched that level of production in recent years, though Quinn still has a respectable 15 sacks combined over the last two seasons. He did his best work in a 4-3 scheme, so there’s reason to believe that he can thrive in Dallas.
Quinn’s 6.5 sacks in 2018 weren’t a head-turner, but he did tie for 20th among DEs with 24 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, assigned Quinn the 19th-highest pass-rush grade among 103 qualifying edge rushers. Quinn is still only entering his age-29 campaign, so he’s a player that could be in the Cowboys’ plans for years to come.
Jordy Nelson Retires From NFL
Jordy Nelson is calling it a career. The longtime Packers standout wide receiver is retiring from football, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). 
Nelson leaves the sport with more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring.He spent the majority of his career with the Packers – from 2008-2017 – before hooking on with the Raiders last year. He didn’t look like his old self in Oakland, however, as he finished out with just 63 catches and 739 yards with one score. He also had a down year in 2017 (53/482/6), though most of his passes were thrown by quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers in his final year with the Packers.
The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers. But, as he approaches his 34th birthday in May, Nelson wants to move on to other endeavors.
The Raiders dropped Nelson on March 14, despite a late-December proclamation that he would return to the club. In fact, the Raiders even gave him his $3.6MM roster bonus early, a seemingly sure sign that he would be on the roster this year. However, things changed in March after the Raiders acquired Antonio Brown and signed slot weapon Tyrell Williams in free agency.
We here at PFR wish Nelson the best in retirement.
Colts Sign Justin Houston
The Colts have reached agreement on a deal with former Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year, $24MM deal, Schefter adds (Twitter link). 
The deal includes $18.5MM in total guarantees, according to Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter). That’s a larger-than-expected guarantee for Houston, who did not have a ton of suitors following his release from Kansas City.
The Chiefs tried to trade Houston this offseason, but no club was willing to take on his $15.25MM base salary. On March 10, they released him outright. By cutting Houston, the Chiefs saved $14MM in cap space while absorbing $7.1MM in dead money.
Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, but his free agent market has been eerily quiet over the last couple of weeks. Now, he’ll join the Colts as he enters his age-30 campaign.
The Colts recently explored a trade for Dee Ford, Schefter notes (on Twitter), but they ultimately held on to their draft picks and landed his former Chiefs teammate.
Houston can still be an effective player, as evidenced by his 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 14th-best edge defender last year, and his presence should go a long way towards bolstering the Colts’ lackluster pass rush. And, while a 4-3 scheme might not be a perfect fit for Houston, he can still be a disruptor in Matt Eberflus‘ system.
The addition of Houston may also alter the Colts’ draft plans. The Colts may still look for a young edge rusher in April, but having Houston on the roster may allow them to stand pat at No. 26 rather than trading up for an upper-echelon prospect.
Saints To Sign Jared Cook
The Saints are close to a deal with free agent tight end Jared Cook, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). When the deal is inked on Tuesday, it’ll be a two-year contract worth $15.5MM, including $8MM fully guaranteed in Year 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With incentives, Cook can earn up to $19MM between now and the end of the 2020 season.
Cook, 31, just wrapped up the best season of his NFL career, leading the Raiders in receptions (68), receiving yardage (896), and receiving touchdowns (6). Cook ranked as a top-five tight end league-wide in all three of those categories, while Pro Football Focus grades him ninth at his position. Additionally, Cook finished fifth among NFL tight ends in Football Outsiders’ DYAR — which measures value over a replacement level player — and 11th in DVOA, which quantifies value on a per-play basis.
The Saints are losing Ben Watson to retirement, but still have Josh Hill, Garrett Griffin, and Dan Arnold at tight end. Cook, clearly, would represent an upgrade over any of those options, and would project to see the majority of snaps and targets at the position in New Orleans.
A number of free agent tight ends — Jesse James, Tyler Kroft, and Nick Boyle among them — received multi-year deals worth $6-7MM annually, and Cook managed to top figures. Heading into free agency, he was widely viewed as the top tight end available on the open market.
New Orleans originally hosted Cook when the free agent market opened last Wednesday. At the time, both the incumbent Raiders and the Patriots were believed to be “monitoring” Cook’s market. There was some speculation that the Patriots would circle back to Cook in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, but Cook kept his word and remained committed to the Saints.
Raiders Sign LB Vontaze Burfict
The Vontaze Burfict-to-Oakland rumors turned out to have legs. The Raiders met with Burfict on Tuesday and are signing the veteran linebacker, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (Twitter link). It’s a one-year, $2MM deal that includes $300K guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears.
Despite a polarizing reputation, the 28-year-old linebacker could roughly earn up to $5MM on this deal, Rapoport tweets. Incentives are involved, and it’s unclear yet how much of $5MM figure for which those account.
A day after the Bengals released him, Burfict will receive another chance. He will reunite with DC Paul Guenther in Oakland and be in position to be one of the Raiders’ first-string linebackers. While Burfict has often lined up on the outside in past Guenther schemes, the Raiders plan for him to play middle linebacker and have Tahir Whitehead stay outside, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM tweets. Burfict called Guenther soon after being cut, he said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic, on Twitter).
The new Raider, obviously, comes with a controversial past. He is a perpetual suspension risk, having paid more than $4MM in fines.
Burfict has not played more than 11 games in a season since the 2013 campaign. He has completed just two 16-game seasons — 2012 and ’13 — and saw suspensions and on-field struggles in 2018 lead to his Cincinnati exit. This also places Burfict on the same team as Antonio Brown. The two have a history, with the linebacker concussing the wide receiver during a 2015 playoff game. That hit led to Brown missing the Steelers’ subsequent divisional-round game and Burfict drawing a suspension to start the 2016 season. He was also suspended to start the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
The Bengals cut bait on Burfict with two years remaining on his deal. In addition to having a reputation for delivering dirty hits, the former UDFA has reportedly sustained seven concussions himself. These factors do not paint a picture of reliability, but the Raiders are going to take a chance on Burfict’s skills.
This signing may result in Brandon Marshall, rumored as a Raider target, to seek another gig elsewhere. Though, considering Burfict’s history and the Raiders’ lack of surefire answers on their defensive second level, the longtime Bronco still may be an option.
Rob Gronkowski Announces Retirement
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has announced his retirement via his Instagram page. Gronkowski released a lengthy statement in the caption to the post, saying in part:
It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field. The people I have meet, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been apart of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity I have been giving and learning the great values of life that I can apply to mine.”
Gronkowski has flirted with retirement in the past, but it felt especially sincere this time around, and the recent increased chatter about retirement turned out to be accurate. The surefire future Hall of Fame member was reportedly nearly traded to the Lions last offseason, but threatened to retire in order to block it. We heard earlier this morning that the Patriots “aggressively courted” Jared Cook before he decided to sign with the Saints, which in hindsight might’ve foreshadowed this move.
Gronkowski entered the league as a second round pick out of Arizona back in 2010. He immediately became a star, and was a generational talent at the tight end position. But he was done in by injuries the past handful of seasons, with recurrent back injuries and other ailments. If this really is it, he’ll be retiring at the age of 29. Gronkowski is hanging up his cleats as a three-time Super Bowl champion and a four-time first-team All-Pro.
Gronk had some big moments this past season, but overall didn’t look like his old self. He appeared in 13 games, catching 47 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns. For his career, he’ll finish with 521 receptions, 7,861 yards, and 79 touchdowns. He wasn’t just a pass-catcher, as the Patriots’ running game always ran through his blocking. He’ll go down as one of, if not the, best tight ends of all time. Gronkowski has numerous off-field interests, and has signaled an interest in going into acting in the past.
The Patriots signed former Broncos tight end Matt LaCaosse earlier this month, but are almost certainly not done adding to the position. They’re armed with 12 draft picks, and should be a good bet to take a tight end early next month.
Cowboys To Sign George Iloka
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent safety George Iloka, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports [Twitter link]. 
Expected to be in on the Earl Thomas sweepstakes, the Cowboys instead opted for the versatile Iloka, who is capable of playing both safety spots. Iloka marked the third safety to visit with the team this offseason, after Clayton Geathers, who rejoined the Colts, and former Chiefs All-Pro Eric Berry.
Archer mentions the Cowboys are concerned about their depth at the position, which Iloka’s ability to play both positions will greatly impact. It remains to be seen if Iloka will wrestle a starting spot away from either Jeff Heath or Xavier Woods. Iloka also caught the Cowboys’ attention this past offseason before he decided to sign with the Vikings after beginning his career with the Bengals.
A longtime starter in Cincinnati after being tabbed with a fifth-round pick in 2012, Iloka transitioned into a reserve role in 2018 with the Vikings, where he registered 16 tackles and a forced fumble. During his run with the Bengals, the Boise State product registered nine interceptions and made 446 tackles in six seasons.
One-year deals are the theme of the offseason for the Cowboys, who have now added Iloka to Randall Cobb, Kerry Hyder, Christian Covington, Cameron Fleming, Tavon Austin and Jason Witten among players who have taken a one-year offers.
Iloka continues the Cowboys recent fixation with Boise State products. He joins defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford and Demarcus Lawrence, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to play for the Broncos.
Latest On Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
On Saturday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft released his first statement since being charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. 
“I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard. Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years.”
Documents released by the Palm Beach Attorney’s Office indicate Kraft visited the Orchids of Asia Day Spa twice in a 24-hour span, and on Jan. 20 was videotaped receiving “oral and manual sex” from a woman at the Jupiter, Fla., Spa. According to officials, Kraft gave the woman a $100 bill and another bill before leaving. He flew to Kansas City shortly after this alleged act, being in attendance for the Patriots-Chiefs game later that day.
Earlier this week, the Patriots owner rejected a plea deal that would have had Kraft admit that he would’ve been found guilty had the case gone to court. Kraft and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing at every step so far, and his lawyer William Buck has stated that he believes the video evidence violates the fourth amendment, according to the New York Post’s Emily Smith.
“We’ve looked at…the law around the warrant for the video surveillance inside the spa, and we think it is a violation of the fourth amendment. We also believe the traffic stop [made by police as the men left the spa] was illegal and a violation of the constitution.”
Also this week, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder believes the video evidence will eventually be made public, NBC Sports’ Darren Hartwell writes.
“Once a case is over, it’s not an ongoing investigation,” Snyder said. “There has to be a specific reason not to release a public record. And the fact that there is sexual activity is not an exemption.”
Kraft’s court date is set for March 28. Before he appears, however, he is expected to be in attendance at the NFL’s owner meetings, which begin Sunday.