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.
Raiders Sign Mike Glennon
The Raiders have signed quarterback Mike Glennon, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Glennon now appears primed to serve as the backup to starter Derek Carr. 
There has been a lot of talk about the Raiders targeting a top quarterback in the draft, but they now have a pretty full room with Derek Carr, Glennon, and Nathan Peterman on the depth chart. Now, perhaps, the Raiders will shift their attention to Day 3 QBs.
Glennon, entering his seventh year in the league, was originally a third-round selection of the Bucs in 2013. After signing a lucrative, yet ill-fated, free agent deal with the Bears in 2017, he hooked on with the Cardinals in 2018. For his career, Glennon owns a 6-16 record as a starter and was not a first-stringer for any of his appearances last year. Still, coaches have always had a soft spot for the 29-year-old, in part due to his 6’6″ frame.
So, for now, Glennon is set to be the No. 2 QB in Oakland. Of course, much can change between now and September, and some remain unconvinced that Carr will be the team’s starter in Week 1.
Kaepernick, Reid Settled For ~$10MM
In February, the NFL reached a settlement with Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid to put their collusion grievances to bed. All sides were sworn to a non-disclosure agreement with regards to the particulars, but Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal hears that the two former 49ers settled for less than $10MM. 
[RELATED: Kaepernick Interested In Playing For Dolphins]
In the immediate aftermath of the settlement, many speculated that Kaepernick and Reid could have collected tens of millions of dollars. Ultimately, they received a much more modest sum, one that does not amount to much when factoring for taxes and legal expenses.
Kaepernick and Reid accused NFL teams of colluding in order to keep them out of work. Reid eventually found a home with the Panthers in 2018, but Kaepernick has been out of football since the 2016 season.
The deal may not be a precursor to Kaepernick’s NFL return. Recently, the QB’s lawyer predicted that Kaepernick could be nearing a contract, but nothing has come to fruition over the last month. Meanwhile, Kaep reportedly wants $20MM to play in the AAF and we’ve heard nothing about his talks with the XFL since word of those negotiations broke three weeks ago.
Rams To Sign OLB Clay Matthews
Clay Matthews will be returning to southern California. The USC product and longtime Packer linebacker will sign with the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Via some uniform art, Matthews confirmed his decision (on Twitter).
The Rams and Matthews agreed on a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This deal will max out at $16.75MM, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). While it’s unlikely Matthews’ base salary surpasses $8MM, Ian Rapoport notes he was one of the Rams’ top free agency targets (Twitter link). With one of the linebacker’s homes located within minutes of the Rams’ training facility in Thousand Oaks, Calif., this seems like a convenient landing for the free agent sack artist.
More lucrative offers came Matthews’ way, per Garafolo, who adds staying close to home was a priority for the 11th-year linebacker. After entering last season with significant issues at outside linebacker, the Rams now have Matthews and Dante Fowler early in this offseason.
Matthews finished last season with a career-low 3.5 sacks. He saw his Packers job essentially given to younger pass rushers, with Green Bay replacing its Matthews-Nick Perry setup and going with a Preston Smith–Za’Darius Smith combination. Rams rumors emerged last week, and the soon-to-be 33-year-old edge rusher is set to be a key part of Los Angeles’ pass rush.
The former USC Trojan and L.A.-area high school standout went on to record 83.5 sacks with the Packers, en route to six Pro Bowls. While those honors came between 2009-15, the Packers’ all-time sack leader working as a pass-rush specialist in L.A. would be interesting. Matthews, who collected a Super Bowl ring eight years ago, follows Eric Weddle to the defending NFC champions’ defense.
Rams Sign Blake Bortles
After visiting with him today, the Rams have signed embattled signal-caller Blake Bortles to a one-year deal, per a team announcement. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington was the first to report that a contract was being finalized (Twitter link).
Bortles will earn just $1MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), but that doesn’t make much of a difference for the QB since his previous Jaguars contract contained offset language. The $1MM sum will eat into the $6.5MM he’s owed by the Jaguars, which results in the same income for Bortles and a bit of relief for Jacksonville.
Bortles will certainly test the theory that Rams head coach Sean McVay can make any quarterback successful, and he will serve as the backup to starter Jared Goff. This signing also likely means that Goff’s 2018 backup, Sean Mannion, will be moving on. Mannion is an unrestricted free agent.
The third overall selection in the 2014 draft, Bortles hasn’t come close to living up to his draft status. Since Bortles entered the NFL with the Jaguars, 17 quarterbacks have attempted at least 2,000 passes: among those signal-callers, Bortles ranks dead last in adjusted net yards per attempt, quarterback rating, and interception rate, and is second-to-last in touchdown rate.
Bortles has never worked with McVay, but the two do have a tangential connection. Greg Olson was Bortles’ Jacksonville offensive coordinator from 2015-16 before taking over as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach under McVay in 2017. Olson left for Oakland after one year in Los Angeles, but it’s fair to assume he’s given McVay a Bortles scouting report that McVay apparently likes well enough. Plus, Bortles’ first OC, Jedd Fisch, is an offensive assistant on the Rams’ staff.
The Jaguars will certainly be interested to see how much money the Rams will be paying Bortles. Bortles still had guaranteed salary remaining on his Jacksonville deal, but thanks to offset language, the Jags will receive a cap credit equal to the amount of Bortles’ base salary (up to $6.5MM).
Eric Berry To Visit Cowboys
Former Chiefs safety Eric Berry is visiting the Cowboys tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). After a long-rumored reunion of sorts with Earl Thomas never came to fruition, Dallas is still in the market for safety help, and the club is looking at another former First Team All-Pro.
Berry, 30, was cut by Kansas City after the Chiefs inked fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu to a lucrative free agent contract. Berry has always been a terrific player, but he has had difficulty staying on the field throughout his career.
In five of his nine pro seasons, Berry has failed to play more than five games. He’s been available for only three total regular season contests over the past two years after rupturing his Achilles in September 2017, but in spite of that, Berry doesn’t plan to undergo offseason surgery to correct his nagging heel concerns.
That is enough to give any team pause, but the Cowboys need a safety and may see Berry as a worthwhile gamble. The club met with Clayton Geathers earlier today, and while there is probably room in the defensive backfield to add both talented but injury-plagued talents, that is not an especially likely scenario.
This marks Berry’s first scheduled visit since he was cut.
Redskins Sign Ereck Flowers
The Redskins have signed free agent offensive tackle Ereck Flowers, per Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that it will be a one-year, $4MM pact.
Washington hosted the fifth-year pro yesterday, and the club elected to pull the trigger today. Flowers, of course, was selected by the division-rival Giants in the first round of the 2015 draft, but he never lived up to his pedigree. New York cut him last October and he subsequently caught on with the Jaguars, starting seven games at left tackle for Jacksonville.
His tenure with the Giants was marred by penalties and a matador-like approach to pass blocking, and even after Big Blue switched Flowers from left tackle to right tackle, they did not see an uptick in performance. But his improved play with the Jags caught the Redskins’ eye, and John Keim of ESPN.com says the club plans to to slide Flowers inside to guard.
However, he will also serve as a swing tackle and insurance policy for left tackle Trent Williams and right tackle Morgan Moses, while 2018 third-rounder Geron Christian — whom the team prefers at swing tackle — recovers froma torn MCL.
Bengals Release Vontaze Burfict
It’s the end of an era in Cincinnati. On Monday, the Bengals released linebacker Vontaze Burfict. 
Burfict, one of the league’s most controversial players, has been a pillar of the Bengals’ defense throughout his seven year career.
Over the years, Burfict has helped to anchor the Bengals’ front seven with his hard-hitting style. Unfortunately, his aggression blurred the line when it comes to rules and safety regulations. In seven seasons, Burfict racked up whopping 14 total fines and/or suspensions from the league office, including three times in 2018. Last year, his sanctions resulted from PEDs and hits on Antonio Brown, James Conner, and Andy Janovich. All in all, Burfict lost $4.2MM and ten games for his violations.
By releasing Burfict before the final year of his contract, the Bengals will take on $1.8M in dead money. However, they’ll save $5.5M on this year’s cap. Meanwhile, Burfict should find a decent market for his services, though you can expect teams like the Steelers to pass on him given their history together.
Burfict, 29 in September, went undrafted in 2012 thanks to a bad showing at the combine and rumors of a failed drug test. Quickly, Burfict proved that belonged in the NFL. As a rookie, he compiled 127 stops in 16 games (14 starts) and followed up with a Pro Bowl nod and a league-leading 177 tackles in his second pro season.
When on the field, Burfict is a bonafide difference maker as a middle linebacker. But, because of his issues, Burfict may not garner offers with guarantees beyond 2019 like many of his MLB counterparts have this offseason.
Eagles’ Haloti Ngata Retires From NFL
After 13 years in the NFL, Haloti Ngata is calling it a career. On Monday morning, Ngata took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Eagles and the game he loves. 
“Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude,” Ngata wrote. “Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I’m retiring on top. I might be finished playing football, but I’m holding tight to the friendships, memories and wisdom I’ve gained along the way.”
Ngata 35, enjoyed a long run as one of the league’s most feared defensive linemen. Over the course of his 13-year career, Ngata earned five Pro Bowl nods, two First-Team All-Pro selections, and captured a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens.
Last year, Ngata was initially set for a fill-in role with Philly, but he wound up seeing more snaps than expected while Tim Jernigan was sidelined. His final year ended with 17 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 55th best interior defender – a respectable placement for an aging veteran.
Ngata will be missed by the Eagles, though the recent addition of Malik Jackson and the continued presence of Fletcher Cox should offset the loss. It’s also likely that the Eagles will target defensive tackle help in the draft.
Dolphins Sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Dolphins have signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a two-year, $11MM deal that could reach $17-20MM via incentives, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Miami traded former starter Ryan Tannehill and a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Titans on Friday, acquiring a 2019 sixth-rounder and a 2020 fourth-round pick while absorbing $5MM of Tannehill’s $7MM 2019 base salary. That left the Dolphins will only two quarterbacks on its roster: former sixth-rounders Jake Rudock and Luke Falk, who have combined to attempt five passes in the NFL (all by Rudock).
Fitzpatrick was the best signal-caller still available on the open market, especially after the Dolphins reportedly tried — and failed — to land both Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater. Taylor opted to sign a two-year to backup Philip Rivers with the Chargers, while Bridgewater decided to return to New Orleans on a one-year, fully guaranteed $7.25MM contract.
Fitzpatrick excelled — at times — with the Buccaneers in 2018, but after what was an uneven overall campaign, Tampa Bay indicated it would deploy Jameis Winston as its full-time starter for the upcoming season. Ever mercurial, Fitzpatrick started the first three games of the year while Winston was on suspension, and tossed 11 touchdowns against four interceptions while completing more than 70% of his passes.
Things unraveled against a league-best Bears defense in Week 4, and Fitzpatrick lost his job to Winston. The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick relieved a struggling Winston in Week 7 versus the Bengals and threw four touchdowns the following week, but after five total interceptions in Weeks 9-10, Fitzpatrick was permanently demoted. All told, Fitzpatrick finished the year having completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,366 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 12 picks.
The addition of Fitzpatrick shouldn’t preclude the Dolphins from selecting a quarterback early in the 2019 draft, but it’s unclear if they plan to do so. Miami is embarking on a full-scale rebuild, so the club may attempt to bottom out this season in an effort to compile more long-term assets.