Raiders Not Ruling Out Khalil Mack Trade
The Raiders have not “slammed the door” on the concept of trading edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds four unknown teams are “seriously” exploring a potential Mack acquisition.
A number of teams have reportedly inquired on Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, but it sounds as though a small group of clubs are interested in taking talks to the next level. Any negotiations involving Mack would surely involve at least one first-round pick, but Florio reports Oakland is playing “coy” regarding its asking price.
As of late July, the Raiders hadn’t made Mack an offer. Mack, for his part, could be waiting for Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald to end his holdout and sign a contract making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender, a deal that Mack could then build upon and surpass. Oakland does not expect Mack to report to the club until he has a contract in hand.
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.
Thus far, the only team that’s been definitively linked to Mack is the Jets, who have asked about not only Mack, but Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler.
Patriots WR Eric Decker To Retire
Patriots wide receiver Eric Decker today announced his intention to retire from the NFL, according to a post from his Instagram account.
“It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football,” reads Decker’s statement, in part. “I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff. This has been a passion inside of me since I was a little boy but I know now this is time to hang my helmet up and start a new chapter in my life.”
Decker, 31, inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with New England earlier this month, but he’d been facing an uphill battle to earn a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. New England, which released fellow pass-catcher Kenny Britt earlier this week, is now down to Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, among others, as it waits for Julian Edelman to return from a four-game suspension.
A third-round pick in 2010, Decker became a starting receiver for the Broncos in 2011, but his career took off the following season when Denver added Peyton Manning under center. Decker averaged 86 receptions, 1,176 yards, and 12 touchdowns per year with Manning, and subsequently inked a five-year, $36.25MM pact with the Jets.
Decker was excellent through two seasons in New York, but injuries limited him to three games in 2016 and led to his release. A one-year accord with the Titans followed, and Decker posted 54 catches, 563 yards, and one score in what will become his final NFL action.
Interestingly, Decker’s name had recently appeared in trade talks, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Decker had reportedly been struggling with the Patriots, so it’s unclear what kind of market may have existed for the veteran receiver.
Broncos Sign CB Adam Jones
The Broncos are signing free agent cornerback Adam Jones after working him out Sunday morning, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was the first to tweet Jones was auditioning for Denver and was likely to land with the club.
Jones received a one-year deal for the 10-year veteran minimum ($1.015MM), according to Mike Klis of 9News. The pact likely qualifies for the minimum salary benefit, meaning that while Jone will collect his full salary, the Broncos will only see the minimum for a two-year veteran ($630K) hit their salary cap.
Denver is in the market for a third corner after trading Aqib Talib to the Rams earlier this year. While the Broncos project to start Chris Harris and Bradley Roby in their base defense, Harris tends to move to the slot in nickel packages, so Denver needs a cornerback capable of playing the outside on nearly 75% of its defensive plays. Veteran Tramaine Brock is competing for that role, but Jones would give the Broncos another option.
Jones should be familiar with Denver’s defensive scheme, as Broncos head coach Vance Joseph served as the Bengals’ defensive backs coach from 2014-15, guiding Jones and the rest of Cincinnati’s secondary during that time. With the regular season just around the corner, that level of comfort could prove crucial.
The Bengals declined Jones’ 2018 option earlier this year, and he hasn’t drawn much interest since that time, with a July Browns workout representing his only known visit. Jones, 35 next month, was limited to just nine games with the Bengals in 2017, and didn’t fare particularly well on 299 defensive snaps.
Pro Football Focus assigned Jones the worst mark (47.1) of his entire career, although he performed relatively better in recent years. Aside from his work on defense, Jones can also be a factor in the kicking game, as he’s posted more than 300 combined kick and punt returns during his NFL tenure.
Dez Bryant Rejects Browns’ Offer
The Browns offered Dez Bryant a deal, but it was not to his liking. The proposed contract was worth less than $5MM, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
By virtue of extending the deal, we know that the Browns are in fact interested in signing Bryant. However, that interest is not necessarily being reciprocated. Some in league circles believe that Bryant is waiting for an offer from a better team, Florio writes.
There could be any number of reasons for Bryant’s potential unwillingness to sign with the Browns. The wide receiver could be looking for a winning situation, which is less than assured with a team that has gone 1-31 over the lsat two years. Bryant may also have reservations about joining a stacked receiver group that includes Jarvis Landry, promising rookie Antonio Callaway, and (hopefully) Josh Gordon. Whatever the reason is, evidence is mounting that Bryant is hesitant about going to Cleveland.
While the sub-$5MM offer was not suitable for Bryant, no one knows exactly what the wide receiver is looking for. And, barring an injury to a star wide receiver, he might not get an opportunity to top that elsewhere.
Bengals Release DT Chris Baker
The Bengals have released veteran defensive tackle Chris Baker, the club announced today.
Cincinnati inked Baker to a one-year, $2.45MM deal in March in the hopes that he’d become its starting nose tackle opposite All-Pro three-technique Geno Atkins. Not only has Baker struggled during the preseason, often getting defeated in both the run and pass game, but he’s been severely outplayed by third-year pro Andrew Billings, who will now play alongside Atkins on the Bengals’ defensive line.
Baker, 30, spent the 2017 campaign with the Buccaneers after signing a three-year pact last March. Although he’d played like of the league’s better interior defenders from 2015-16, Baker struggled in 2017, grading as just the No. 96 defensive tackle among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, and was subsequently released after only a single season in Tampa Bay.
Baker will now join a list of free agent interior defenders that’s still rather deep, as options such as Johnathan Hankins, Courtney Upshaw, Jared Crick, and Tony McDaniel still reside on the open market. With just a few weeks until the 2018 regular season begins, Baker could struggle to find a job immediately (especially given that he’s been cut twice in the span of six months), and may need to wait for an injury to open up a job.
The Bengals will trot out Atkins and Billings as their starting defensive tackles, while 2017 fourth-round pick Ryan Glasgow will now become the clear third man on the depth chart. Baker’s release opens up a roster spot for rookie fifth-round selection Andrew Brown, who’d been on the roster bubble in recent weeks.
Baker collected a $300K signing bonus when he signed with Cincinnati, and he’s also picked up $150K in workout bonuses. That $450K will become dead money on the Bengals’ salary cap, but they’ll clear $1.5MM in base salary and $500K in per-game roster bonuses by cutting ties with Baker.
Baker becomes the second veteran player — and one-time projected starter — released by the Bengals this week, as Cincinnati cut safety George Iloka on Sunday.
Steelers Sign Vince Williams To Extension
The Steelers have signed linebacker Vince Williams to a new three-year extension, the team announced. The new pact, which will keep Williams under contract through the 2021 season, is a three-year add-on worth more than $20MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
“I feel like the Rooney family gave me an opportunity to play professional football,” Williams said in a statement released by the team. “It’s a great culture here. A great fan base. I take pride in being in Pittsburgh. It’s a hard-nosed group of individuals who work here. I feel like the people here are no nonsense, hard-working individuals. They are proud people too. I love this place.”
Last year, Williams set a single-season career high with eight sacks last season, second only on the team to Cameron Heyward. The former sixth-round pick started in all 16 games and finished out with 88 tackles in total.
It’s possible that Williams’ loyalty to the Steelers has cost him some serious free agent upside. After compiling eight sacks, the linebacker would have sailed past $6MM/year on the open market with a repeat performance. Still, he does gain financial security through the extension, and that has value in a violent sport.
It has been a busy day for the Steelers. Minutes before announcing Williams’ extension, they also signed kicker Chris Boswell to a new four-year extension.
Cowboys C Travis Frederick Has Guillain Barre Syndrome
Cowboys center Travis Frederick revealed on Twitter Wednesday night that he’s been diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome, a rare auto immune disease.
“In the last 48 hours, I have received two treatments that address my condition, and I am feeling much better from an overall strength perspective. I will continue these treatments over the next few days.
I am very optimistic about my condition and the immediate future, as I have been told that the illness was detected at a fairly early stage. My doctors have told me that it is not possible to determine a time table for a return to the field right now, but I am hopeful that I will be able to play as soon as possible.”
Frederick is dealing with neck stingers, and had been searching for more recovery options, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News recently reported. A “level of concern” reportedly existed with Dallas’ front office, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t exhibit any unease during a Tuesday interview with 105.3 The Fan. “[Frederick] had a good day yesterday,” Jones said, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “[The results] were positive for the future.”
Frederick is the second Cowboys offensive lineman to deal with injury this week, as All-Pro right guard Zack Martin went down during Saturday’s preseason game, but ultimately escaped with just a hyperextended left knee. Frederick’s ailment is clearly more serious nature, and it sounds as though he’ll be sidelined for the foreseeable future. For now, Dallas will turn to backup center Joe Looney, where he’ll be joined by Martin, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, and Connor Williams on one of the league’s best front fives.
Frederick, 27, has started 80 consecutive games for the Cowboys. A four-time Pro Bowler, Frederick graded as the league’s No. 3 center in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. He inked a six-year, $56.4MM extension in 2016, a deal that now ranks fourth on an annual basis among centers behind Ryan Jensen, Brandon Linder, and Weston Richburg.
Raiders Sign CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
After working him out earlier today, the Raiders have signed veteran cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Oakland has added considerable depth to its cornerback room this offseason, but it’s difficult to argue the club has anything close to a No. 1 corner on its roster. Rodgers-Cromartie isn’t viewed in that light, either, but he will give the Raiders another option in the slot. Oakland ranked just 30th in pass defense DVOA in 2017, per Football Outsiders, and performed poorly against opposing slot receivers, finishing 29th in DVOA against inside options.
Currently, 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley and free agent acquisition Rashaan Melvin are projected to start for Oakland at outside corner. DRC will now enter a battle to start in the slot, where he’ll be competing with Daryl Worley, Leon Hall, Nick Nelson, and others for playing time. As Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets, the Raiders will likely keep six cornerbacks on their roster, especially because Worley is likely facing a league-imposed suspension.
In 2017, Rodgers-Cromartie appeared in 15 games (six starts) for the Giants, managing 31 tackles, a half-sack, and one pass defensed while grading as the NFL’s No. 58 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. On 25 targets, DRC allowed 7.2 yards per pass, more than double his 2016 average of 3.5.
Jets Express Interest In Khalil Mack
The Jets reached out to the Raiders to express their interest in trading for Khalil Mack, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears. Naturally, the Jets aren’t the only team to ask about Mack – Mehta hears that more than a dozen teams have called, and several of those clubs have reached out multiple times. 
The Jets have yet to make an offer, but it’s clear that they are being aggressive in their mission to address their pass rush. Right now, the Jets’ pass rush is arguably their biggest weakness, and Mack is one of the very best in that department.
So far, the Raiders have brushed off the army of suitors. However, as Mack’s holdout nears the 30-day mark, and the season fast approaches, nothing can be ruled out.
The Jets been in the league-wide cellar for sacks in each of the past two seasons, which explains their interest in Mack and Dante Fowler Jr. of the Jaguars. Even head coach Todd Bowles admits that it’s an area that can be improved on.
“Well, we don’t have the name guy,” Bowles said. “We don’t have the Lawrence Taylor, so to speak, but we have guys that work hard and are very tough at the point of attack. You don’t need a name guy. You just need a guy with production. And the production will make the name. Disrupting the quarterback is the big thing as well as setting the edge. We have certain guys that can do a lot of things right now. We’re mixing and matching to get a feel for what guys can and can’t do right now.”
Patriots Release WR Kenny Britt
Kenny Britt‘s time with the Patriots has come to an end. On Wednesday, the Patriots released the wide receiver, according to an announcement from his agency. 
Britt was expected to take on a larger role with the Pats following the departure of Danny Amendola and the four-game suspension handed to Julian Edelman. However, he was never able get on the field during training camp with due to his hamstring, and the Pats ran out of patience.
The Pats removed Britt from the PUP list a couple of weeks ago. At the time, the soon-to-be 30-year-old indicated that he was close to being ready, though he declined to speculate on his Week 1 status.
In 2016, Britt had breakout campaign and recorded a 1,000-yard season with the Rams. He parlayed that success into a lucrative free agent deal with the Browns, but that proved to be a disaster. In his first act as the Browns’ new GM, John Dorsey axed Britt, leading him to sign with the Patriots in December.
The Patriots’ wide receiver group was thinned out even further this summer when they axed Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell. They have since signed Eric Decker, but this WR group has decidedly less star power than it did four weeks ago.
The Patriots should now have an easier time when it comes to roster cuts on Sept. 1. Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and special teams ace Matt Slater all figure to be on the 53-man roster, while sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios and Decker could convince the Pats to carry six receivers into the season opener. Of course, the math can change if the Patriots add a notable veteran such as Dez Bryant.
Britt already earned $200K in offseason roster and workout bonuses this year, so he won’t leave New England empty handed. In three games for the Patriots last year, he caught two passes for 23 yards.