ESPN, Fox Pursuing Panthers TE Greg Olsen
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has already begun preparing for his post-playing career, having auditioned to be an analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football last March. At the time, it was also reported that Olsen could be in the mix for FOX’s Thursday Night Football.
Instead, Olsen signed a two-year extension with the Panthers that keeps him under club control through the 2020 campaign. However, his 2018 season was derailed by a foot injury for the second year in a row, and both ESPN and FOX are once again attempting to bring him on board.
Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, both networks have extended multi-million dollar offers to Olsen. Neither offer would match the $3.4MM that Olsen could earn from the Panthers this year if he continues playing, and Marchand suggests that the soon-to-be 34-year-old is presently leaning towards putting retirement on hold. But that could change if the networks increase their offers a bit or if they present him with a clear path to even more opportunities. For instance, Marchand reports that FOX is prepared to put Olsen in the booth as a color commentator, but it would probably need to put him on the No. 2 or No. 3 broadcast team to convince him to sign on.
Olsen’s prospective role with ESPN is less clear, though the worldwide leader did recently drop Charles Woodson from its “Sunday NFL Countdown” program and could be looking at Olsen as a replacement. Marchand also says that CBS met with Olsen but is not pursuing him at this time.
Olsen suited up for only nine games last year after playing in just seven in 2017, and the injuries are doubtlessly taking a toll on him. But he appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Bears and Panthers from 2008-16, and he can still be a productive player when healthy. The three-time Pro Bowler has been one of the best tight ends in the league since joining Carolina via trade in 2011, and he topped 100 targets every year from 2012-16.
He finished the 2018 season with 27 catches for 291 yards and four touchdowns.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory Banned Indefinitely
Cowboys edge defender Randy Gregory has been suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and the terms of his conditional reinstatement, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Unfortunately, this is not the first rodeo for the 26-year-old. 
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Last year, Gregory returned from another ban to appear in 14 games for the Cowboys. In a mostly reserve capacity, the Nebraska product showed why the Cowboys invested a second-round pick in him back in 2015. Gregory finished out the year with six sacks, 25 total tackles, and two forced fumbles, giving the Cowboys reason to be excited for his 2019 campaign.
“The expectation for Randy is the exact same: to get him back on the field playing as soon as possible,”said Gregory’s attorney Daniel Moskowitz (via USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein). “Our personal confidence in him has not wavered. This is about more than football. We appreciate the public recognizing this is a private matter and thank the Jones (family) and Cowboys for their continued support.”
The ban marks Gregory’s fourth career suspension for substance abuse. The league has relaxed its stance on repeat offenders of the policy, but the road back to the field is tough when a player violates the policy while under conditional reinstatement. With that in mind, Gregory’s case probably won’t be revisited until 2020, at the earliest. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Gregory is no longer subject to the standard reinstatement process, which means that it is unclear exactly what he has to do to work his way back onto the field. His fate is entirely in the hands of Roger Goodell, who simply decides if and when Gregory will be permitted to return.
The Cowboys may look to fortify their pass rush in the draft now that Gregory’s status is in doubt. Team VP Stephen Jones said he has known that the indefinite ban was coming for some time, but he obviously declined to comment on how it would impact the club’s draft strategy (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
Gregory’s suspension may also ramp up the pressure on Dallas to get a deal done with DeMarcus Lawrence, who has threatened to hold out if tagged for a second consecutive year. The Cowboys recently made an offer to Lawrence, and they’ll wait up until the March 5 deadline before pulling the trigger on the tag.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
49ers Franchise Tag Robbie Gould
The 49ers placed the franchise tag on kicker Robbie Gould, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Niners become the first team to use the franchise tag this offseason. Gould will earn roughly $5MM in 2019 on the tender, unless the two sides avoid the tag with an extension. 
Gould has nailed 72 of 75 field goal attempts over the last two years with the Niners and he ranks as the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. That’s especially impressive when considering that Gould has spent eleven of his 14 seasons kicking out of Soldier Field with the Bears.
The 49ers last used the tag in 2012 when they kept safety Dashon Goldson from exploring the open market. Last year, they considered tagging franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but they avoided that step by inking him to a colossal five-year extension.
With the tag in place, the Niners and Gould can negotiate a long-term deal between now and the summer deadline.
Rams’ Andrew Whitworth To Return In 2019
Great news for the Rams. Tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was wrestling with retirement, announced that he’ll return to the team in 2019. 
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“Can’t wait for the opportunity to ride with the boys again!,” Whitworth tweeted.
Whitworth, 37, is set to earn $10.7MM in the final year of his three-year deal. However, he’s worth every penny to the Rams thanks to his veteran leadership and continued level of outstanding play.
Last year, Whitworth ranked as the third-best tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 86.1 overall score. That was his highest posting since 2015 and good for third in the NFL among tackles. Only David Bakhtiari and Terron Armstead finished ahead of Whitworth, and a few places above Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein.
With Whitworth back in the fold. the Rams should continue to have one of the best bookend duos in the NFL. That’s huge for L.A., particularly since guard Rodger Saffold is set for free agency. Whitworth will also be on hand to guide the team’s younger lineman, which is also extremely valuable.
XFL, Colin Kaepernick In Discussions?
Colin Kaepernick is now connected to a third league. On the heels of an unspecified settlement with the NFL, the former 49ers quarterback is in discussions with the XFL, a league spokesman confirmed to Sporting News’ Michael McCarthy.
The 31-year-old passer, who has not played since the 2016 NFL season finale, was in talks with the Alliance of American Football as well.
A report indicated a Kaepernick-AAF relationship was scuttled by the quarterback’s salary demands. Kaepernick was believed to be seeking $20MM to play in the AAF, and McCarthy reports the same figure has surfaced in the XFL talks. Kaepernick, per McCarthy, is targeting $20MM to suit up in the XFL, which is set to respawn in 2020.
With the XFL salaries set to compare to the AAF’s, which has given non-guaranteed, three-year deals worth $250K, Kaepernick’s alleged demand would seemingly be a non-starter here as well. However, the XFL is planning to pay stars “a lot” more.
While anything in the neighborhood of $20MM may even escape the parameters of “a lot”, with McCarthy reporting the Vince McMahon-run operation is eyeing $250K-per-year salaries for starting quarterbacks, the XFL aligning with Kaepernick would obviously put it in position to strongly compete with the AAF and potentially capture interest of a sect of football fans turned off by the former Super Bowl starter’s inability to land an NFL job.
If nothing transpires on the Kaepernick-XFL front, the new league would be in position to woo better quarterback talent compared to the AAF — if, in fact, it can pay $250K salaries to starting QBs.
The word coming out of Kaepernick’s camp has consistently pointed to the passer wanting to continue his career. He has been linked to several NFL jobs, following injuries to starting quarterbacks, but nothing, obviously, led to another opportunity. Kaepernick’s attorney predicted his client would be on an NFL roster soon, even throwing out the Panthers and Patriots as possible landing spots.
Ravens To Release WR Michael Crabtree
The Ravens informed wide receiver Michael Crabtree that he is being released, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Crabtree will hit the open market again, just one year after signing a three-year, $21MM free agent deal with the Ravens last year. 
Crabtree didn’t live up to expectations in his first season with Baltimore and finished out with just 54 catches for 607 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Joe Flacco at times, but his production fell off once Lamar Jackson took over as the team’s starting QB.
Without Crabtree on the roster, the Ravens will save $4.667MM against the 2019 cap. However, they’ll also carry an equivalent dead money hit.
Crabtree will turn 32 in September, so it’s unlikely that he’ll see similar money on his next deal given his so-so stat line and age. He had similar catch and yardage numbers with the Raiders in ’17, but those stats were buoyed by eight touchdown receptions.
On the plus side, this year’s free agent wide receiver crop is softer than in years past. This year’s class is headlined by the likes of Golden Tate, Jamison Crowder, and Tyrell Williams.
Complete 2019 NFL Draft Order
The full 2019 NFL draft order can be found below, sorted by round. The list of 254 selections includes all traded draft picks and compensatory picks. We’ll continue to update the list leading up to the draft if additional deals are made.
Here’s the complete 2019 NFL draft order:
Updated: 4-23-19 (12:50pm CT)
Round 1:
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- New York Jets
- Oakland Raiders
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Giants
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Detroit Lions
- Buffalo Bills
- Denver Broncos
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Green Bay Packers
- Miami Dolphins
- Atlanta Falcons
- Washington Redskins
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Giants (from Cleveland)
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tennessee Titans
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Houston Texans
- Oakland Raiders (from Chicago)
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Indianapolis Colts
- Oakland Raiders (from Dallas)
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City)
- Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans)
- Los Angeles Rams
- New England Patriots
Round 2:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Indianapolis Colts (from New York Jets)
- Oakland Raiders
- San Francisco 49ers
- New York Giants
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Buffalo Bills
- Denver Broncos
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Washington Redskins
- Carolina Panthers
- Miami Dolphins
- Cleveland Browns
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tennessee Titans
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Philadelphia Eagles (from Baltimore)
- Houston Texans (from Seattle)
- Houston Texans
- New England Patriots (from Chicago)
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Dallas Cowboys
- Indianapolis Colts
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams)
- New England Patriots
Three Teams Inquired On Antonio Brown
Three teams have inquired on trading for Antonio Brown, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told NFL Network (via Yahoo Sports). Still, he does not expect a trade to come together right away. 
Stressing that the process will take time, Colbert indicated that things could pick up over the next week or so as teams gauge the free agent wide receiver market, make their “own free agency evaluations,” and watch prospects at the combine.
Still, the Steelers don’t have all the time in the world. Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17 and it would make little sense for them to pay that bonus and then trade him. A deal could take time, but, realistically, the Steelers have less than a month to get something done.
Some NFL executives believe the Steelers won’t get more than a third-round pick for one of the game’s most dynamic talents. Naturally, the Steelers want more.
“By no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to Pittsburgh Steelers organization,” Colbert said recently.
Between Brown’s shots at the Steelers on social media and his other off-the-field issues, it will be interesting to see how much leverage the Steelers have in trade talks. Any team in the NFL would probably like to have Brown, but clubs also know that his relationship with the club appears to be irreparably damaged.
Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards and a league-leading and career-high 15 touchdown receptions.
Bengals Hire Lou Anarumo As DC
At long last, the Bengals’ defensive coordinator position has been filled. On Thursday, the Bengals hired Lou Anarumo to serve as the team’s new DC. 
“I’ve always had great respect for Lou, and I know he is a tremendous defensive coach,” head coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He’s a great fit for what we want to build here in Cincinnati. Lou is an excellent communicator who the players will have great respect for, and he will get the best out of them.”
The Bengals have had quite the ordeal when it comes to their DC search. At various points, they thought they had deals with Jack Del Rio, Dom Capers, and Florida DC Todd Grantham for the job. For one reason or another, none of those coaches put pen to paper. After exploring a wide range of other candidates, Anarumo came away with the job.
Anarumo served as the Giants’ defensive backs coach last year, a position he has held at multiple NFL stops. He doesn’t offer the same level of DC experience as Del Rio or Capers, but he did hold that job in an interim capacity with the Dolphins in 2015.
Anarumo will have to get up to speed quickly. Last year, the Bengals finished dead last in total defense with 413.6 yards allowed per game and ranked 32nd against the pass with 275.9 yards permitted per game. The Bengals have work to do on offense, as well, but they won’t get far if they have a repeat of 2018 when they allowed 28.4 points on average to opponents.
Latest On Steelers, Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown is on the trade block, but the Steelers won’t just give him away. When speaking with reporters on Wednesday, GM Kevin Colbert made it known that the Steelers will only consider offers with significant draft capital in return. 
“By no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to Pittsburgh Steelers organization,” Colbert said (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com).
That same message has also been relayed directly to Brown and his camp, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. Brown, she hears, has been advised to stop airing his grievances in public and to stop hurting his trade value. Ultimately, if the Steelers cannot trade Brown, they say they’ll keep him under contract and aim to mend fences.
“We will not be discounting you on the trade market and we certainly will not be releasing you,” Colbert said of his message to Brown. “All of that being said, we will take a positive approach and if someone has a sincere interest and want to make a move – either a significant pick, set of picks, significant player, and picks, and we think it will benefit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the long run, then we are all in. If not, then we will make that decision at that point.”