Patriots Sweeten Tom Brady’s Contract
The Patriots will add up to $5MM in performance-based incentives to Tom Brady’s contract, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), allowing him to make up to $20MM. The move is reminiscent of what the Pats did last year with tight end Rob Gronkowski. 
Brady was scheduled to make $15MM in base salary this season, an absolute bargain for the game’s top quarterback. For reference, Brady’s former backup Jimmy Garoppolo will carry a $37MM cap number in 2018. Of course, even with the potential to earn up to $20MM in 2018, Brady is still an absolute bargain for New England.
The Patriots quarterback abstained from voluntary OTAs this offseason and his absence may have been tied to dissatisfaction with his contract. By amending Brady’s deal, it appears the Patriots have mended fences with their star player.
The five-time Super Bowl winner turned 41 this summer, but he hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. Last year, he completed 66.3% of his passes for a league-leading 4,577 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Oprah, Brady indicated that retirement is not on his mind.
“As long as I’m still loving it,” Brady said. “As long as I’m loving the training and the preparation and willing to make the commitment. But it’s also, I think what I alluded to a lot in the docu-series, there’s other things happening in my life, too. I do have kids that I love, and I don’t want to be a dad that’s not there, driving my kids to their games . . . my kids have brought a great perspective in my life. Kids just want the attention. You better be there. And be available to them.”
Brady’s current deal runs through the 2019 season. Prior to Thursday’s agreement, each season called for Brady to carry a cap number of $22MM.
Jets Open To Teddy Bridgewater Trade
Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t shown the effects of his career-defining 2016 injury during his Jets stay just yet, and the team plans to play him extensively in its preseason opener Friday. While this will help the Jets determine where their free agent acquisition is at physically, it also could double as an audition.
The Jets are open to trading Bridgewater, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports, adding the circumstances need to be right.
For that to be the case, Gang Green will need to see that Sam Darnold is ready to take the reins. New York re-signed Josh McCown and added Bridgewater on the same day in March. The team wants to evaluate its No. 3 overall pick — whom Jets officials have repeatedly praised this offseason — during the preseason before pulling the trigger on a Bridgewater deal, Mehta reports. If Darnold impresses, the Jets are absolutely open to cashing in Bridgewater’s one-year contract in exchange for a draft pick.
However, if the USC-developed passer needs more time, the Jets would not hesitate to start Bridgewater in Week 1 and keep his $6MM salary on the books, per Mehta. Darnold’s been rumored as a viable candidate to open the season as the starter, but Bridgewater obviously has the experience edge and hasn’t shown signs he’s struggling physically.
“I know that’s a question that comes up,” Mike Maccagnan recently said about whether he’d trade one of his veteran QBs. “Any time you have a number of players that you like at a position, it’s a natural thing (to think), ‘Hey, they may have a — I’m not saying we have a surplus … but some teams carry two quarterbacks. (So) you have the ability to potentially (think), ‘Oh, hypothetically we could do that.’
“But our big thing, quite frankly, is to see how all these players develop. We like a lot of things that Teddy’s done this offseason. We obviously know Josh from having him last year and what he brings to the table. But I would say from that standpoint, it’s very early. We kind of want to see how these guys still grow and develop.”
Maccagnan also has said the Jets won’t have an issue carrying all three of these veterans into the regular season. The team has $16MM in cap space.
Chiefs S Daniel Sorensen To Miss Time
Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen will miss “the first part” of the regular season after he undergoes an impending knee surgery, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Herbie Teope of NFL.com (Twitter link) was the first to report that Sorensen was dealing with a knee injury, and specified Sorensen did not tear his ACL.
Sorensen had been set to replace Ron Parker in Kansas City’s base defense. Parker, who was released by the Chiefs this spring, had played in at least 95% of the club’s defensive snaps in each of the past four seasons. Sorensen was to take those snaps opposite All-Pro Eric Berry, who is returning from a 2017 campaign which was lost to an ACL tear.
With Sorensen sidelined, Eric Murray will likely step into the Chiefs’ starting lineup. Murray, a 2016 fourth-round pick, saw a 39.8% playtime percentage last season, defensing five passes and posting one sack in the process. A Minnesota product, Murray will be backed up by a combination of Robert Golden, rookie fourth-rounder Armani Watts, and Leon McQuay.
If the Chiefs want to add a free agent to their safety mix, Steven Terrell is perhaps the likeliest option. Terrell, 27, spent the majority of the 2017 season in Kansas City. While he played mostly on special teams, Terrell did see 79 snaps on defense. He’d presumably offer a familiarity with the Chiefs’ scheme, which could prove important with the regular season looming.
If they don’t consider Terrell, the Chiefs could take advantage of a slow-developing free agent safety market to find a veteran on the cheap. Eric Reid is the best defensive back without a contract, while other available safeties include Lardarius Webb, Darius Butler, Mike Mitchell, T.J. Ward, Quintin Demps, and Tyvon Branch, the latter of whom played in Kansas City in 2015.
Dez Bryant “Not Seriously Interested” In Browns?
The Dez Bryant-to-Cleveland train keeps getting stalled. Per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Browns are under the impression that Bryant is “not seriously interested” in joining Cleveland.
Browns general manager John Dorsey first admitted his club’s Bryant intrigue at the end of July, and subsequent reports indicated the two parties had “mutual interest.” However, as of last week, no official date for Bryant to meet with Cleveland had been scheduled, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com added the Browns only have a “modicum of interest” in adding the 29-year-old pass-catcher.
On Sunday, Cleveland traded wide receiver Corey Coleman to the Bills in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick, but that swap wasn’t intended to create space for Bryant, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Additionally, the deal wasn’t indicative of Josh Gordon‘s current status, as the Browns believe he’ll eventually rejoin the team.
Even before Coleman was traded, the Browns had expressed a desire to use Jarvis Landry — who ran 72.7% of his routes from the slot with Miami in 2017, as a part-time outside receiver. With Coleman gone, and Gordon’s status up in the air, Cleveland may have to rely on other options such as rookie Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, and Jeff Janis to fill in the blanks.
While a number of teams have been tangentially linked to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, no clubs aside from the Ravens and Browns have been directly interested in the former first-round pick. In fact, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has reported many teams are unwilling to consider Bryant even at the minimum salary. Bryant had been expected to land a new deal inJuly, so the clock is now ticking on the veteran wideout.
Patriots To Release WR Malcolm Mitchell
The Patriots have released wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Pats put Mitchell on the trade block earlier this summer, but were unable to find any takers for him. 
Mitchell, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, appeared in 14 games and made six starts as a rookie, posting 32 receptions on 48 targets for 401 yards and four touchdowns. The 26-year-old was also extremely efficient during the Patriots’ Super Bowl comeback in 2017, putting up six catches for 70 yards as New England defeated Atlanta.
Unfortunately, injuries have held him back as of late. Mitchell missed all of the 2017 season and was unable to fully participate in practice this offseason after undergoing a minor procedure on his knee.
Even though Julian Edelman is suspended for the first four games of the 2018 campaign and Jordan Matthews is no longer in the picture, the Patriots still have a busy wide receiver depth chart, particular with options such as Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson, and the newly signed Eric Decker available. Kenny Britt, Phillip Dorsett, and rookie Braxton Berrios are also in the mix and each player brings something different to the table.
Browns To Trade Corey Coleman To Bills
The Browns are cutting bait on their 2016 first-round pick, and the Bills will take a chance on a young wide receiver with two years remaining on his contract.
Cleveland agreed to trade Corey Coleman to Buffalo in exchange for a draft pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Browns will receive a late-round pick for Coleman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Browns announced the trade.
Coleman’s shown intermittent promise with the Browns, but for the most part, his first two NFL seasons have not gone well. The Baylor product’s struggled with injuries — most notably, two hand breaks — and saw the GM who drafted him ousted last year. And this offseason, Coleman’s been mentioned as either a trade candidate or a player who needed a strong training camp to have a key role with the Browns this season. He’ll now have to learn a new offense to make an impact in Year 3.
This also continues a Browns/Bills trade pipeline. The sides most notably agreed on a deal that sent the Browns Tyrod Taylor in exchange for a third-round pick, and John Dorsey dealt with the Bills during the 2017 draft as well (albeit with former GM Doug Whaley) in a trade that routed Patrick Mahomes to Kansas City.
This is also interesting because Coleman appears as a starter on the Browns’ first 2018 depth chart. Josh Gordon is away from the team, and Coleman’s name is listed with the first-stringers alongside Jarvis Landry. With the 2016 No. 15 overall pick now Buffalo-bound, players like Rashard Higgins and Antonio Callaway will have clearer paths to playing time. Dorsey also expects Gordon to return to the Browns at some point, and it’s believed the former All-Pro pass-catcher is getting closer to rejoining his team.
Just 24, Coleman is signed through the 2019 season and could be under Bills control through 2020 via the fifth-year option. That decision is due in May, making Coleman’s 2018 season pivotal.
The first wideout chosen in the 2016 draft, Coleman played well early in his career — posting a 104-yard, two-touchdown day in his second NFL game — before breaking his hand in September 2016. He has yet to record another 100-yard game and was not much of a factor for an abysmal Browns passing offense last season.
For his career, Coleman has 56 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll join a Bills receiving corps fronted by Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones. Beyond those two, and Benjamin is only signed through 2018, there isn’t much clarity. The Bills’ activated Jones off their NFI list earlier Sunday.
This trade also comes on the same day the Eagles extended the power structure responsible for trading up to draft Carson Wentz. The Browns traded down out of that No. 2 spot and ended up at No. 15, selecting Coleman. None of Cleveland’s eight first-round picks from 2012-16 is still with the franchise.
Eagles Extend Roseman, Pederson
In two years as a decision-making duo, Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson lifted the Eagles to never-before-seen heights. And ownership wants no part of a near-future breakup.
The Eagles extended both the GM and their third-year head coach on Sunday, with these new deals running through the 2022 season.
“We are thrilled to solidify continuity in our organization’s leadership with the extensions of Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman, whose collaborative partnership helped deliver our city its first Super Bowl championship,” Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said. “Doug and Howie are committed to the success of our franchise by ensuring that we remain competitive, both in the short and long term. That unified vision for the future of our team is what gives us the best chance to win moving forward.”
Pederson’s initial Eagles contract ran through the 2020 season, and the team picked up the HC’s fifth-year option recently (per Jeff McLane of Philly.com, on Twitter). So it’s not a big surprise to see the franchise extend that for two more years. In his second season as a head coach, Pederson guided Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl championship and first NFL title since 1960. And he did so after the team’s starting quarterback was lost for the season in December.
Roseman’s path may be even more stunning. Demoted in 2015 in order to give Chip Kelly decision-making power, Roseman returned in 2016 and set out to fortify the team’s core with a slew of extensions that year. That helped lead to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, and Roseman’s 2016 deal to move into position to draft Carson Wentz has the franchise set up long-term at sports’ premier position. Roseman earned multiple executive of the year honors for his 2017 work.
Pederson, 50, rejoined the Eagles after three years as Andy Reid‘s offensive coordinator with the Chiefs. And after a 7-9 season in Wentz’s rookie year, the Eagles stormed to the NFC’s No. 1 seed and notched three upset (by point spread) victories to secure the Super Bowl LII championship. Roseman, 43, has been with the Eagles since 2000 as a salary cap staffer. He ascended to the GM role in 2010 and was reinstated in that position after Kelly’s ouster late in 2015.
With Wentz back and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles serving as the NFL’s top insurance policy, Roseman and Pederson have the Eagles positioned as a top threat to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2003-04 Patriots.
Eagles Sign Corey Graham
The Eagles have re-signed free agent safety Corey Graham, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM was first to report (via Twitter). Graham signed a one-year pact with the eventual Super Bowl champs almost exactly one year ago, so this has become something of an annual tradition.
Graham, who is entering his 11th NFL season, was a solid third safety for Philadelphia last season, playing 35% of the team’s regular season defensive snaps in support of starters Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins. He was a key special teams contributor as well, as he posted the second-most special teams tackles on the club, and he added two interceptions and four passes defensed. We ranked him as one of the ten best available free agent safeties in March, and now that the safety market has finally started to move a bit, Graham was able to land another one-year deal with the Eagles.
The Eagles deployed three safeties throughout much of their championship run last season, and Graham played 60% of the club’s postseason defensive snaps as a result. Given that Philadelphia did not do much to bolster the depth chart behind McLeod and Jenkins, it was almost an inevitability that Graham would be back.
In addition to Graham, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Eagles have signed tight end Gannon Sinclar, who has not played in a regular season game since entering the league as a UDFA with the Cardinals in 2015. To make room for Sinclair and Graham, Philadelphia waived safety Ryan Neal and waived/injured tight end Adam Zaruba.
Titans Sign Kenny Vaccaro
The Titans have found their starting safety. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed veteran defensive back Kenny Vaccaro. The Titans had been hunting for a safety since Johnathan Cyprien was placed on the injured reserve earlier this week.
We heard the other day that the 27-year-old was set to meet with Tennessee, although it sounded like the front office had other options on their radar. Those reports indicated that the organization was also eyeing safety Eric Reid. However, as Rapoport tweets, multiple flight cancellations prevented Reid from visiting his suitor. With Vaccaro generating interest from other teams, the Titans decided they had to make a move. Vaccaro had already had visits with the Jets, Dolphins, and Colts.
The 2013 first-round pick should immediately contribute to the Titans secondary. While Vaccaro hasn’t been able to put together a healthy season since 2015, he was still plenty productive last year. In 12 starts with the Saints, the safety finished with 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven passes defended, and three interceptions. Due to those numbers, the veteran earned a spot on our list of the best remaining free agents.
With Cyprien out for the season with an ACL injury, the Titans were trying to figure out who to start opposite fellow safety Kevin Byard. Veteran Kendrick Lewis was currently slotted in as the starting strong safety, although the Titans also could have eyed one of Brynden Trawick or Dane Cruikshank for the gig.
Titans To Host S Eric Reid
The Titans aren’t leaving any stone unturned as they search for Johnathan Cyprien‘s replacement at safety. Tennessee will meet with former 49ers defensive back Eric Reid on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier today that his club would consider Reid after losing Cyprien to a torn ACL, so Reid’s visit doesn’t come as a total surprise. In addition to Reid, Tennessee will take a look at fellow safeties Kenny Vaccaro, Lardarius Webb, and Mike Mitchell. As Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com speculates (via Twitter), the Titans could conceivably sign two defensive backs following tomorrow’s tryouts, especially given that backup Kendrick Lewis is also battling an injury.
Reid, of course, hasn’t had much success garnering interest this offseason, and that’s likely due to his intention to signal protest during the national anthem. He met with the Bengals earlier this year, but subsequently filed a collusion grievance after Cincinnati reportedly asked him to end his protests.
Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.