Mychal Kendricks Visits Vikings
Former Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in Minnesota to visit the Vikings, reports Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Kendricks was released by the defending champs last week after spending the first six years of his career in Philadelphia.
Kendricks’ trip to Minnesota marks his first known visit since becoming a free agent. Kendricks’ release came as a surprise to some, but his relationship with the Eagles had been worsening for a while. After a dip in playing time in 2016, he requested a trade before the 2017 season started but his request was denied. Kendricks went on to have a pretty good season, receiving very high marks from Pro Football Focus. He ended up starting the Super Bowl, notching four tackles in the Eagles’ win over the Patriots.
Still able to play at a high level, Kendricks should have his pick of teams to play for. One possible angle drawing him to the Vikings is that his little brother Eric Kendricks currently plays for Minnesota.
The Vikings are currently a bit thin at inside linebacker, and could definitely use Kendricks. As one of the biggest name free agents left on the market, word on his decision should be coming sooner rather than later.
Kendricks, 28 in September, totaled 73 tackles and two sacks in 15 games last year. He also notched 16 tackles in the playoffs as the Eagles captured their first ever Super Bowl win.
Seahawks To Sign Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall has finally found a home. After struggling to draw much interest after being released by the Giants in April, Marshall has signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks, worth up to $2MM if incentives are reached, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Marshall visited the Seahawks a couple weeks ago, and apparently showed he’s still got enough left in the tank to earn a deal.
Marshall was let go by the Giants after just one injury-plagued season. Signed by the Giants to a two-year $12MM deal, Marshall ended up playing in just five games during his brief stay in New York. He never was able to develop any chemistry with Eli Manning and caught just 18 passes for 154 scoreless yards before an ankle injury ended his season.
The Seahawks were looking to add some receiver help after the departure of Paul Richardson in free-agency. Their depth chart was a bit thin behind starters Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. They signed Jaron Brown in March, but Marshall should be able to beat him out for the starting job opposite Lockett, with Baldwin in the slot, if he’s healthy.
Marshall is 34 years old now, but was still productive in 2016 and was one of the best receivers in football in 2015. That year, he caught 109 passes for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping Ryan Fitzpatrick complete a career resurgence and very nearly leading the Jets to the playoffs.
With Marshall now signed, the veteran free-agent receiver market is even thinner. Dez Bryant continues to be the biggest name left, along with Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker. Those three may sign quicker now that Marshall is off the board and has set the market for the past-his-prime receiver as Schefter points out.
Patriots, Rob Gronkowski Nearing Reworked Deal
The Patriots and tight end Rob Gronkowski‘s contract discussions have progressed to the point where it’s now “likely” Gronkowski will play the 2018 campaign with a new deal in place, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required).
Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski’s agent, is reportedly working with the Patriots on a “tweaked” contract, which could indicate New England is willing to add extra incentives to the All-Pro tight end’s deal. However, it’s not exactly clear how the Patriots intend to address Gronkowski’s pact, as Howe reports it’s not yet known whether Gronk will receive an extension or simply earn a raise.
New England has always shown a willingness to go the extra mile for its players by including additional– and sometimes, more easily attainable — incentives into contracts. The Patriots did just that for Gronkowski a year ago, and the 29-year-old ultimately maxed out his deal by earning a first-team All-Pro nod, allowing him to collect a total salary of $10.75MM.
NFL rules don’t allow teams to rework incentive-laden deals until one year after the last restructuring, and given that the Patriots altered Gronkowski’s contract on May 24, 2017, they’ve just passed the date at which they can change his current deal. Gronkowski, who is signed through the 2019 season, is scheduled to earn an $8MM base salary, $750K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $250K workout bonus for the upcoming season. On an annual basis, Gronk is only the league’s fourth highest-paid tight end behind Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, and Jordan Reed.
Gronkowski, of course, has had an eventful offseason, and reportedly considered retirement after battling a variety of health issues. In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top-five among tight ends.
Reuben Foster’s Marijuana Case Dismissed
Reuben Foster has now seen both of his offseason arrests lead to dismissed cases in a span of three days. The 49ers linebacker is no longer facing a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge after that case was dismissed, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets.
On Wednesday, it was determined Foster would not face a felony domestic violence charge. On Friday, the Tuscaloosa, Ala., district attorney’s office announced the 24-year-old defender’s second-degree marijuana possession charge was being dropped because Foster completed a diversion case, per Barrows.
Foster was arrested for drug possession shortly after his rookie season concluded. He’s now in the clear for this lesser charge as well. However, while Foster has navigated some significant hurdles this offseason, he could still face discipline from the NFL. The Alabama product could be subject to suspension for the January arrest under the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Weeks ago, the 49ers barred Foster from offseason workouts, and the 2017 first-round pick’s future with the team looked bleak. But the tide turned swiftly for the talented linebacker, who now has a clear path back to the 49ers. They will surely plug him back into their first-string group after he’s missed extensive offseason time.
Packers Sign TE Marcedes Lewis
The Packers have officially signed free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis. Lewis first made the agreement public via Instagram on Thursday following his visit to Green Bay’s facilities.
Green Bay, of course, already inked fellow tight end Jimmy Graham earlier this offseason, but Graham is far more likely to be placed in the slot than actually line up and block. While he’ll likely compete for backup tight end snaps with incumbent Lance Kendricks, Lewis may have the advantage, especially in the run game. Indeed, Pro Football Focus graded Lewis as the single-best run-blocking tight end in the NFL in 2017.
Lewis, who turned 34 years old last week, hasn’t been a prolific receiving threat in roughly a half-dozen years, but he won’t be asked to work much in the passing game given the presence of Graham and starting receivers Davante Adams and Randall Cobb. Last season, Lewis posted numbers roughly in line with his age-30+ production, managing 24 receptions for 318 yards and five touchdowns, three of which came in a single Week 3 contest against the Ravens.
The Packers were the only club known to have expressed interest in Lewis, who was released by the Jaguars in late March. Jacksonville’s decision to part ways with Lewis came as a surprise, especially given that the club had exercised his 2018 option just a month prior. Lewis had been set to earn a base salary of $3.5MM for the upcoming campaign, but the Jaguars cleared that entire total by releasing the veteran tight end.
Green Bay won’t have to worry about sacrificing a compensatory pick in exchange for signing Lewis, as the May 8 deadline for free agents to factor into the comp pick formula has already passed. That may have been a more important consideration for former Packers general manager Ted Thompson, as new GM Brian Gutekunst has shown a willingness to explore free agency.
Judge Dismisses Domestic Violence Charge Against Reuben Foster
A judge has dismissed a domestic violence charge against 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Judge Nona Klippen has also dismissed another charge relating to Foster purportedly smashing his ex-girlfriend’s cell phone as she was attempting to contact police, and reduced the weapons charge against Foster from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Foster’s ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, testified last week that she fabricated allegations against Foster. After originally claiming Foster had beaten her and thrown her down stairs, Ennis admitted that her visible injuries had actually been suffered during a fight with another woman. Ennis, angry over a reported breakup between she and Foster, wanted to take Foster “down” by pinning domestic violence charges on him.
Although Ennis recanted her allegations, the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office did not drop charges against Foster. Nevertheless, Judge Klippen made “multiple references” to insufficient evidence in her ruling, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, an indication that she was satisfied with Ennis’ re-telling of events.
The 49ers had been adamant that they would quickly release Foster if any domestic violence accusations were proven true, but that doesn’t appear to be an issue any longer. Foster will need to appear in court for his now-misdemeanor weapons charge, and is also facing a marijuana charge in Alabama. While neither offense may result in much legal action, Foster could still be subject to an NFL-imposed suspension.
Now that the domestic violence charges against Foster have been dropped, he will be allowed to rejoin the 49ers as early as Thursday, the club announced today.
Richie Incognito Placed On Psych Hold
Richie Incognito was involved in an altercation at a Florida gym and was subsequently placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, according to TMZ Sports. The alleged victim says the free agent offensive lineman threw a tennis ball at him for no reason and also tossed a dumbbell. 
In the midst of all of this, the alleged victim claims Incognito was rambling about the government and screaming at the man to “get off” his “[expletive] playground.” Cops came to the scene and took the lineman away, but did not formally arrest him. Instead, he was taken into custody under Florida’s “Baker Act,” which allows officers to submit a person for psychiatric evaluation when it is believed that they may harm someone else. The state’s laws stipulate that Incognito could be held for mandatory psychiatric evaluation for up to 72 hours.
Incognito hit the free agent market this week when he was released by the Bills. The lineman is reportedly looking to play in 2018 – a reversal from his retirement announcement earlier this year – but teams will do some digging into this incident before offering him a deal.
On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today.
NFL Owners Pass New Anthem Policy
NFL owners have voted to pass a new policy regarding demonstrations during the national anthem. On Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell announced that teams – not players – will be fined for signs of “disrespect” during the anthem. Meanwhile, players will be permitted to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they choose to do so. 
Here, in full, is the league’s breakdown of its new rules, which were passed via unanimous vote:
1. All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
2. The Game Operations Manual will be revised to remove the requirement that all players be on the field for the Anthem.
3. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed.
4. A club will be fined by the League if its personnel are on the field and do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
5. Each club may develop its own work rules, consistent with the above principles, regarding its personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
6. The Commissioner will impose appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.
Goodell, for his part, is hopeful that the new policy will help to fix things from a public relations perspective.
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic,” Goodell said in his statement. “This is not and was never the case.”
The new policy will shift the onus of anthem rule enforcement and player discipline from the league office to individual teams. However, the new policy is unlikely to satisfy the players, who were not involved in the crafting of the new policy.
“Maybe this new rule proposal that is being voted on is a “compromise” between the NFL office and club CEOs on various sides of the issue,” NFLPA executive George Atallah wrote on Twitter, “But certainly not with player leadership; we weren’t there or part of the discussions.”
The union released a statement shortly after Goodell’s press conference which hints at a forthcoming grievance:
“The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new “policy.” NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about.
The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League.
Our union will review the new “policy” and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.”
Pats Owner: Brady, Gronkowski Will Show
The absence of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski at Patriots OTAs caused a stir this week, but owner Robert Kraft does not seem concerned. Kraft says Brady is excited about being at minicamp, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, which is an apparent confirmation that he will be in attendance at some point. Kraft says Gronkowski will also show for minicamp, despite rumblings of the tight end angling for a new contract (Twitter link). 
It’s not exactly clear why Brady opted to stay home on Tuesday, but speculation has been rampant regarding his relationship with coach Bill Belichick. Some believe that Brady is looking to send a message to the head coach, but Kraft says “nothing’s changed” with regards to their relationship and “everything is good.”
Kraft’s assertion that Gronk will show up for practice jibes with a recent report on the tight end’s plans. It stands to reason that the dynamic pass-catcher could arrive as early as Thursday, which is the one-year anniversary of his last contract restructuring. Per NFL rules, a deal involving incentives cannot be reworked until one year after the last round of adjustments.
Brady’s decision to skip OTAs is unprecedented, but it may not be a hinderance to his performance after yet another brilliant season. Even at age 40, Brady was terrific, leading the league in passing yards on the way to his third MVP trophy. Gronk, meanwhile, had 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.
Chargers’ Hunter Henry Tears ACL
The Chargers’ offense received a brutal blow on Tuesday, and barring an impending second opinion revealing a different diagnosis, Hunter Henry will be lost for the season.
Henry suffered a torn ACL during a drill Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The third-year tight end will seek a second opinion on Wednesday, per Schefter, who adds this injury came during a non-contact sequence.
The Bolts have now confirmed the initial diagnosis for their top tight end.
Expected to make a big leap after the Chargers announced they would not bring back Antonio Gates, Henry will now be out until his contract year of 2019. The former second-round pick amassed 579 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season, emerging as the Bolts’ go-to tight end. He has 12 career TDs.
Gates remains a free agent, and with the calculus changing considerably for the Chargers this week, it can’t be ruled out the 37-year-old could be back for one last run with the team. The Bolts signed longtime Broncos tight end Virgil Green in free agency, but the eighth-year player rarely provided much in the way of receiving production. Instead, Green’s more known for his blocking skills. Gates caught 30 passes for a career-low 316 yards last season, but in the two games Henry missed in December, the future Hall of Famer totaled 127 yards and a touchdown.
This marks the latest setback for the Chargers, who have dealt with a string of injuries to skill-position players in recent years. Danny Woodhead, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have seen seasons nullified or disrupted by maladies in recent years. Now, Henry — who has played 29 of a possible 32 regular-season games as a pro — joins the list. Only the stakes are higher now than they were when those previous injuries occurred. The Chargers have drawn buzz as the AFC West favorite after re-routing their season from 0-4 to the playoff bubble last fall. And the events of Tuesday strip Philip Rivers of one of his top weapons.