Earl Thomas To Report To Seahawks
Earl Thomas looks to be budging in his offseason-long holdout. The three-time first-team All-Pro safety intends to report to the Seahawks on Wednesday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
This marks a big morning for Thomas news, with the Cowboys having reportedly upped their offer for the 29-year-old defender. They’re now willing to part with a second-round pick after refusing to do so on draft weekend, but the Seahawks refused to make a deal. It also appears the Cowboys have bowed out of the talks after making that offer, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (via Twitter) this prompted Thomas to report.
Seattle still wants a first-round pick for Thomas, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). Considering the Cowboys wouldn’t part with their 2018 second-rounder, it’s understandable they would balk at this price.
The Seahawks are also planning to wipe out the extensive fines (up to $1.6MM) Thomas has incurred during his holdout, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). That’s a notable step in building a bridge for a reunion between the parties, but for a player who formed an extension-or-trade stance, all’s not well between the top Legion of Boom cog and the Seahawks.
Thomas explained as much on an Instagram post.
“I worked my whole life for this….. I’ve never let me teammates, city or fans down as long as I’ve lived and don’t plan on starting this weekend,” Thomas wrote in his latest IG post. “With that being said, the disrespect has been well noted and will not be forgotten. Father Time may have an undefeated record but best believe I plan on taking him into triple overtime when it comes to my career.”
For now, Thomas plans to play on the final year of his 2014-constructed contract. It calls for an $8.5MM base salary. No new agreement is in place, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweets.
This represents big news for a Seahawks team that lost so much of its defensive core this offseason and stands to be without K.J. Wright in its opener against the Broncos. Thomas will slide in back at his free safety spot, likely kicking Bradley McDougald back to the strong safety role he assumed from Kam Chancellor. Thomas has not worked with his teammates since Week 17 of last season.
While the Seahawks as of now are getting back a brooding Thomas, who may well not factor into the team’s post-2018 future, they are undoubtedly much better because of his return. Thomas returned after breaking his leg in 2016 to play in 14 Seattle games last season. He made the Pro Bowl, his sixth, and finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 safety.
Cowboys Increased Offer For Earl Thomas
It was reported recently that the Cowboys were offering only a third round pick for All-Pro safety Earl Thomas and weren’t budging. Now the Cowboys have apparently upped their offer a second round pick, but the Seahawks still want more according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
Thomas, one of the last remaining pieces of the Seahawks’ once legendary defense, has held out all offseason in search of a new contract. Seattle has made it clear they have no intentions of giving him one, leading to the current stalemate with no end in sight.
A second round pick is a hefty offer for a player heading into the final year of his deal, so it’s somewhat surprising the Seahawks turned it down, especially considering a second round pick had previously been said to be their asking price. It’s not clear what Seattle’s endgame is here, since Thomas has no plans of reporting to the team anytime soon and appears certain to miss regular season games.
The Cowboys have the potential to have the best defense the team has fielded in years, but could use some help in the secondary. Acquiring Thomas would go a long way toward solidifying their defense as a top unit, so it makes sense why they’re being aggressive here. With the season just days away, this situation could develop further at any moment. Stay tuned.
Broncos To Cut Paxton Lynch
The Broncos’ Sunday-morning claim of Kevin Hogan will lead to a higher-profile quarterback’s exit. Paxton Lynch survived Denver’s initial cutdown day, but the Broncos are planning to cut him, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Lynch will go to waivers, and the Broncos’ quarterback depth chart now goes Case Keenum, Chad Kelly and Hogan. The latter is a 2016 fifth-round pick. Lynch went off that year’s board at No. 26 overall but failed to make much of an impression in Denver.
While the Broncos only gave him four starts in two seasons, the former Memphis standout consistently looked shaky in preseason games and could not beat out Trevor Siemian in the 2017 offseason. Injuries largely limited Lynch last year, leading to the Broncos’ Brock Osweiler signing, but he had a road map to becoming Keenum’s backup this offseason only to see Kelly — Mr. Irrelevant in 2017 — beat him out.
It might benefit Lynch to receive a fresh start, and a team potentially claiming him would get two more years of club control. And, while unlikely at this point, Lynch has a fifth-year option that covers the 2020 season as well. The 24-year-old quarterback has only thrown 128 career passes, completing 79 of them, in five games across his two-year career. He’s averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt.
It will cost the Broncos more than $4MM in dead money to waive Lynch. They are already eating more than $5MM in dead-money charges upon parting with Menelik Watson last month. It’s telling that Hogan (60 of 101 passing in eight career games with the Browns) will take Lynch’s spot, perhaps indicating the Broncos could not get any team to take their first-round bust off their hands.
Chargers To Sign Antonio Gates
The Chargers and Antonio Gates are getting back together. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Bolts and the future Hall-of-Famer have agreed to a deal that will allow Gates to return to LA. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that the pact includes some reachable incentives to make it worth Gates’ while.
After young tight end Hunter Henry went down with a torn ACL in May, the Chargers, who had previously told Gates that he would not be re-signed for a 16th season with the club, reconsidered their position. The two sides have been in contact over the past several months, and while the Chargers had hoped to have Gates in the fold before training camp, they were finally able to get a deal done today.
The 38-year-old is coming off a career-low 316 receiving yards, but the rapport between him and quarterback Philip Rivers cannot be understated. And while Gates is obviously not the same player he was in his prime, he still represents a credible receiving threat at the tight end position, which the playoff-hopeful Chargers desperately needed. Although the club has plenty of talent at the wide receiver and running back positions, having a security blanket like Gates will help the offense reach its full potential.
Gates’ accomplishments in the league are well-known. The former basketball star has amassed over 11,500 receiving yards, third-highest among tight ends in league history, to go along with 114 touchdowns, three First Team All-Pro bids, and eight Pro Bowls.
The Chargers are still hopeful that Henry could return late in the season, and if he does, that will make the team all the more threatening down the stretch and potentially into the postseason.
Mike Gillislee To Visit Saints
Running back Mike Gillislee, whom the Patriots released yesterday, is visiting with the Saints this morning, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Herbie Teope of NFL.com tweets, New Orleans would be a logical fit for Gillislee, as the club currently has just two running backs on the active roster after yesterday’s cuts (Alvin Kamara and rookie Boston Scott).
Last offseason, Gillislee signed with New England as a restricted free agent after an excellent 2016 campaign in Buffalo. But despite a three-touchdown debut for the Pats in the 2017 season opener, he could not carve out much of a role in Foxborough, and his release yesterday was anything but surprising. He finished his New England tenure with 383 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) and five touchdowns.
But the 27-year-old has plenty of ability, and he and Kamara could form a nice 1-2 punch in the Big Easy. When Mark Ingram returns from suspension, that trio would represent one of the best RB corps in the league, especially as they have complementary skill-sets.
Gillislee, a Florida product, was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He has spent his entire career in the AFC East, having played two seasons in Miami, two in Buffalo, and one in New England.
49ers RB Jerick McKinnon Tears ACL
49ers running back Jerick McKinnon has suffered a torn ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Earlier today it was reported McKinnon suffered a “concerning” leg injury. The injury “did not look good” a source told Matt Barrows of The Athletic (Twitter link). It now sounds like McKinnon will end up missing the entire season.
If McKinnon does end up missing the year, recent free agent signing Alfred Morris and Matt Breida will fill in. It’s also possible the team could look to add one of the many available veteran backs, like Orleans Darkwa. Kyle Shanahan specifically sought out McKinnon in free agency as a pass-catching back he thought would be great for his offense, and signed him to a massive contract.
McKinnon signed a four-year $30MM contract in March, but hasn’t been able to stay on the field since. He missed the entire preseason with a calf injury, and only returned to conditioning drills earlier this week. Needless to say, this would be a big blow to the 49ers’ new-look offense.
Bears Extend Khalil Mack
Aaron Donald‘s run as the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player didn’t last long, as new Bears edge rusher Khalil Mack now holds that honor. Mack has inked a six-year, $141MM extension that includes $90MM guaranteed and $60MM at signing, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Chicago sacrificed a bevy of picks to land Mack, and there was never any doubt general manager Ryan Pace would hand his new addition a fresh contract. Mack, of course, held out of Raiders’ camp in search of a new deal, and was dealt after Oakland decided an extension wasn’t in the cards.
The Bears were granted a window to extend Mack after agreeing to a trade in principle. Pace and his team then worked with Mack’s representatives throughout last night and today in order to come to an accord.
By signing after Donald, Mack was able to top the Rams defensive tackle’s $22.5MM annual average by $1MM. The Bears shouldn’t have a problem fitting in Mack’s new contract onto their books, as they rank in the top half of the league in cap space in each of the next two seasons.
Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.
Raiders To Release Martavis Bryant
The Raiders will release wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is facing another drug-related suspension, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bryant is currently appealing his upcoming ban.
Oakland gave up the 79th overall pick in this year’s draft to obtain Bryant from the Steelers, but will be moving on from the talented receiver without him ever playing a down for the team. Bryant appears to be facing a second indefinite suspension, something that would be incredibly hard to come back from.
If Bryant doesn’t win his appeal and is suspended indefinitely for a second time, it could be the end of his NFL career. It would be an incredibly sad ending to what was a very promising career. Bryant always flashed dynamic play-making ability in Pittsburgh but could never stay out of trouble off the field.
When he returned from his previous indefinite ban last year, he quickly clashed with the Steelers’ coaching staff. Unhappy with his reduced role with the team, Bryant demanded a trade. The Steelers finally found a take in Oakland, and clearly won this trade. Bryant has 17 touchdowns in just 36 career games, but will have a very long road ahead of him if he hopes to ever make it back.
Vikings CB Terence Newman To Retire
Vikings cornerback Terence Newman has announced his retirement, the club announced today. Newman will join Minnesota’s coaching staff.
A 15-year veteran, Newman agreed to terms with the Vikings earlier this year on a one-year deal that would allow him to play an age-40 season. He will turn 40 in three days. Prior to this announcement, he was the NFL’s oldest defensive player.
Mike Zimmer coached Newman for most of his career, so it stands to reason the former first-round pick would be a quality addition to Minnesota’s staff. A 2003 Cowboys first-round pick, Newman played nine seasons in Dallas before latching in with Zimmer — his original DC with the Cowboys — with the Bengals in 2012. Newman caught on the with the Vikings in 2015, Zimmer’s second HC season, and served as first a starter then a nickel defender.
Newman’s 42 receptions represent the most among active players. The Kansas State product started 205 of the 221 career games he played and made two Pro Bowls — both for Cowboys playoff teams in the late 2000s.
One of four first-round picks among Minnesota’s cornerback contingent going into the preseason, Newman will step aside and let the younger highly valued cogs lead the Vikes’ coverage effort. Mike Hughes joins the Xavier Rhodes–Trae Waynes starting duo this year, and former second-rounder Mackensie Alexander is also still with the team.
Newman presumably will provide additional instruction to this group, only doing so in Vikings coaching gear rather than in shoulder pads.
Cowboys Cut K Dan Bailey
The Cowboys have released kicker Dan Bailey, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Bailey has been the Cowboys’ kicker for the last seven years, so the move is a stunner.
With Bailey out of the picture, the Cowboys will move forward with Nebraska product Brett Maher as their place kicker. Maher nailed a 57-yard field goal against the Texans the other night, and that moment may have influenced the Cowboys’ final decision.
Bailey, 30, nailed just 75% of his field goal tries last year, a career low. On the whole, however, he’s been outstanding for Dallas. In 2015, he led the league with a 93.8% field goal completion percentage. He’s also nailed 276 of 278 career extra point tries.
As a vested veteran, Bailey will hit the open market immediately without having to go through waivers.