Colts To Sign OT Austin Howard
The Colts are signing free agent offensive tackle Austin Howard, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Indianapolis is in desperate need for protection up front and the hope is that Howard will help to secure the pocket for quarterback Andrew Luck. 
It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $3.75MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Howard can also earn another $500K via incentives, which isn’t a bad haul for a free agent signing in May.
Howard’s option for 2018 was surprisingly declined by the Ravens in March. After joining the Ravens on a three-year, $16.5MM free agent contract last year, Howard responded with a solid year and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 offensive tackle. Overall, Baltimore’s offensive line was extremely effective, grading as top-five unit in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards, and adjusted sack rate, but they opted to go in a different direction at tackle and save $3MM in the process.
Howard, who has also spent time with the Eagles, Jets, and Raiders, will now suit up for his fifth NFL team. He’s the third offensive line newcomer of note in Indianpolis, joining first round left guard Quenton Nelson and second round right guard Braden Smith. All three seem likely to start as Howard projects to slot ahead of incumbent right tackle Denzelle Good.
Top 10 Remaining NFL Free Agents: Offense
The most high-profile free agent signings occurred more than two months ago, but as we near June there are still talented NFL free agents available on the open market. Most of these players (with a few exceptions) won’t command much guaranteed money, and none will factor into the compensatory draft pick formula given that we’ve passed the May 8 deadline for comp selections. Let’s take a look at the offensive players who will try to find a home as training camp approaches:
1. Dez Bryant, WR
Bryant has been available for nearly a month, but so far has yet to generate any serious interest. While teams such as the Cardinals and Packers were mentioned as possible early suitors, the list of clubs who don’t intend to sign Bryant is ever-growing. The Browns, Jaguars, Giants, Ravens, and Bills are among the teams who are reportedly out on Bryant, leaving the 29-year-old with a limited pool of potential new clubs. Bryant rejected a three-year deal from the Ravens last month, as he apparently prefers a lucrative one-year pact that will allow him to hit the market again in 2019. Whether he can attain that goal is an open question, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com recently reported there are “far more” teams unwilling to pay Bryant that league minimum salary than there are clubs open to even considering the veteran wideout.
Possible fits: Cardinals, Packers, Patriots, Redskins, Seahawks
2. DeMarco Murray, RB
Like Bryant, Murray is a former Cowboys star who still has something to offer despite offering declining production in recent seasons. After being released by the Titans, Murray was briefly a hot commodity, as he took meetings with the Lions, Dolphins, and Seahawks inside of a week. All three of those clubs have since added running backs (Kerryon Johnson, Frank Gore/Kalen Ballage, and Rashaad Penny, respectively), so Murray may have to look elsewhere. As Scott Sprat of Pro Football Focus noted in April, Murray is probably best-suited to a third-down back role at this point in his career, especially given that he’s still an excellent receiver and graded as PFF’s No. 1 pass-blocking back in 2017.
Possible fits: Colts, Ravens, Steelers, Texans, Broncos, Chargers
3. Austin Howard, T
Howard has never been a world-beater, but he’s been a competent offensive lineman for awhile. The 31-year-old has made at least 10 starts in six consecutive seasons, and started all 16 games for the Ravens in 2017. Baltimore declined his option in order to save $3MM, and he’s visited both the Colts and Saints. Also capable of playing guard, Howard would be a solid addition to a number of struggling offensive lines, either as an immediate starter or as a top reserve.
Possible fits: Bills, Bengals, Texans, Colts, Giants
4. Dontrelle Inman, WR
The Bears acquired Inman from the Chargers last October in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick, and he went on to produce adequate results for Chicago. In eight games, Inman put up 23 receptions for 334 yards and one touchdown. Inman ranked 38th among 94 qualifying wideouts in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, meaning he was pretty effective on a per-play basis. He’s been hosted by both the Cowboys and Colts this offseason, and while Dallas no longer looks like a suitor after adding Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, and Michael Gallup, Indianapolis is still in dire need of wide receivers. New Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni was Inman’s position coach in Los Angeles.
Possible fits: Colts, Bills, Texans, Titans, Chiefs, Cowboys
5. Orleans Darkwa, RB
Darkwa posted the best year of his NFL tenure in 2017 by setting career-highs in starts (11), rushes (171), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). Still, there’s almost no chance he’s heading back to the Giants after Big Blue not only drafted Penn State’s Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick, but inked veteran runner Jonathan Stewart to a one-year deal. Other clubs that have expressed interest — including the Patriots and Jets — have also added multiple new backs over the past two months. A pounding runner who is also known as an excellent locker room presence, Darkwa should be able to find early-down work even at this late juncture.
Possible fits: 49ers, Eagles, Colts, Texans, Saints
6. Jahri Evans, G
2017 marked the first of Evans’ 13 NFL campaigns not to be spent in New Orleans, as the veteran guard signed a one-year, $2.25MM contract to play for the Packers last season. As noted by Chase Stuart of Football Perspective, Evans was arguably the best player selected in the 2006 draft despite not having been picked until the fourth round. He currently boasts 111 points of weighted career approximate value, Pro Football Reference’s attempt at a wins above replacement metric. While Evans’ legacy likely won’t affect negotiations for his next deal, the 34-year-old is still a durable and high-quality lineman. He’s played fewer than 14 games just once in his career, and last year ranked as the league’s No. 30 guard among 77 qualifiers, per PFF.
Possible fits: Packers, Redskins, Vikings, Seahawks, Bills, Broncos
7. Marcedes Lewis, TE
Lewis had spent his entire 12-year career with the Jaguars, and looked to be ready for a 13th seasons with the club after Jacksonville exercised his 2018 option on February 20. Exactly one month later, the Jags made the decision to release Lewis following their signing of fellow tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Lewis wasn’t happy with the decision, but he stopped being a prolific receiving threat roughly a half-dozen years ago. He can still help out a new team, however, especially one that profiles as a run-heavy club: PFF graded Lewis as the league’s best run-blocking tight end in 2017, assigning him an 87.1 mark that ranked him just ahead of Rob Gronkowski.
Possible fits: Broncos, Cowboys, Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Chiefs, Falcons
8. Eric Decker, WR
Quietly productive on 72% playtime, Decker posted 54 receptions for 563 yards during his lone season with the Titans. Tennessee doesn’t have any interest in re-signing Decker, and the only clubs to meet with the veteran wideout — the Ravens and Raiders — have since made enough pass-catching additions that they’re likely out of the picture. Decker has expressed interest in a reunion with the Broncos, with whom he spent the first four years of his career, but Denver drafted both Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton in the top four rounds. The 6’3″ Decker ran nearly half his routes from the slot in 2017, so he could give his next team another dimension from the inside.
Possible fits: Bills, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Cowboys
9. Antonio Gates, TE
Of the 10 free agents listed here, Gates is perhaps the most likely to retire in the coming months. Gates should almost certainly be able to find some sort of free agent deal, but he’s been accustomed to a certain pay level, and it’s unclear if he’s willing to accept something close to the veteran minimum (or even a $2.25MM deal like Evans took last season). Don’t ask the nearly 38-year-old Gates to block, but he can still be an effective complement to an offense. The Chargers aren’t planning to re-sign Gates to play alongside Hunter Henry, meaning Gates will finish his career elsewhere.
Possible fits: Cowboys, Broncos, Falcons, Vikings, Texans
10. Jeremy Maclin, WR
Maclin has garnered a bit of interest since being released by the Ravens earlier this year, but the clubs that took a look at him — the Eagles and Cowboys — have made other additions to their respective wide receiver depth charts. There’s still room, theoretically, on both the Philadelphia and Dallas rosters for a player like Maclin, but he may have to look elsewhere. Maclin posted career-lows in receptions and yards in 2017, but he put up the 22nd-fastest maximum speed among wideouts last year, per researcher Anthony Staggs. Those speed-based numbers come from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, and indicate Maclin still has some quickness remaining.
Possible fits: Bills, Seahawks, Redskins, Cowboys, Colts
Deadline Passes For Free Agents To Count Against Compensatory Pick Formula
Any club that signs an unrestricted free agent during the remainder of the offseason will no longer have to consider the loss of a 2019 compensatory pick. The second Tuesday after the draft marks the deadline for UFAs to factor into the compensatory pick formula, as Nick Korte of Over the Cap points out in an analysis of where the 2019 comp selection process stands.
Compensatory picks are given to teams that lose a greater number of compensatory free agents (or, a greater quality of free agents) than they acquire. The complicated formula that dictates how the picks are dispersed is not disclosed to the public, but teams are wary of signing even lower impact UFAs while it is in effect.
Any player that inks a new contract won’t be entered into the 2019 formula, but that doesn’t mean the compensatory picks have already been distributed. Contract terms and annual value play the most important role in determining which clubs earn which selections, but playtime and postseason honors are also considered. Additionally, any previously qualifying UFA that is cut before Week 10 will not factor into the 2019 formula.
That being said, Korte has an excellent track record of predicting future compensatory selections, as he’s reverse-engineered the private formula used by the league. At present, Korte projects both the Rams and Patriots to collect two 2019 third-round comp picks (the highest possible selection), while the Redskins, Panthers, and Vikings should each earn one third-rounder. The full 2019 projected comp pick slate is available at the link above.
NFL Suspends Saints RB Mark Ingram
The NFL has suspended Saints running back Mark Ingram four games. Ingram, per a league announcement, has violated the league’s PED policy. 
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Ingram will be permitted to take part in all of the Saints’ offseason work, training camp, and the preseason, but he will not be able to practice or play in the first four weeks of the season. Ingram did not show up for the Saints’ voluntary offseason workouts to this point, so he could be rather rusty by the time the fifth game of the season rolls around.
Ingram posted arguably the best campaign of his seven-year career in 2017. Pairing with dynamic rookie Alvin Kamara, Ingram managed career-highs in carries (230), yards (1,124), rushing touchdowns (12), and receptions (58). Ingram ranked seventh in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, meaning he was effective on a per-play basis, and also finished as a top-15 pass-blocker among running backs, per Pro Football Focus.
Fortunately for the Saints, they have Kamara to pick up the slack in Ingram’s absence, though they may want to take a closer look at other running backs to help bridge the gap in reserve. Trey Edmunds, Daniel Lasco, Jonathan Williams, and sixth-round pick Boston Scott are also under contract.
For Ingram, it’s a bad look as he heads into his contract year. He was already looking at an uphill battle given that he is entering his age-29 season and the free agent market for running backs is weaker than most other position groups.
Ingram will miss games home games against the Buccaneers and Browns and road contests against the Falcons and Giants. He’s now slated to make his season debut in a Week 5 contest in New Orleans against the Redskins.
Panthers Sign RB C.J. Anderson
The Panthers have agreed to sign running back C.J. Anderson, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter) adds. 
Anderson turned in his first career 1,000-yard season in 2017 after tearing a meniscus in 2016. However, with no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, the Broncos released him this offseason in order to save $4.5MM against the cap.
Anderson reportedly drew interest from eight clubs after hitting the open market in mid-April. The Dolphins showed interest in trading for Anderson before the Broncos cut him and, depending on who you ask, the two sides may have been close to a deal that would have sent right tackle Ju’Wuan James to Denver.
In Carolina, Anderson will serve as a depth piece behind rising sophomore Christian McCaffrey. His arrival could lead to the displacement of backup Cameron Artis-Payne or Fozzy Whittaker. The Panthers did not add a running back in the draft, but the addition of Anderson should fortify their RB group in a major way.
Patriots, Gronk Discussing Contract
Tight end Rob Gronkowski has confirmed that he’ll suit up for the Patriots in 2018. Now that Gronk has put the retirement rumors to rest, the Patriots appear willing to improve his contract in some fashion. Agent Drew Rosenhaus is in discussions with the Patriots on “tweaking” his deal, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald hears. 
Injuries have also limited Gronkowski of late, as he has played just 22 regular season over the last two years. With that in mind, it only makes sense that one of the game’s best tight ends would seek additional financial security. Gronkowski has probably also given himself a bit of additional leverage this offseason with rumors of him eyeing a career in acting or professional wrestling.
Last year, the Patriots and Gronk struck a deal to add incentives to his contract that protected them against another major injury. The 28-year-old (29 next Monday) achieved the top tier of the bonuses, securing a total salary of $10.75MM by earning a First-Team All-Pro selection.
This time around, the Pats and Gronk could hammer out a similar agreement. With the right incentives package, the Pats can ensure that Gronkowski keeps his focus on the gridiron rather than the silver screen or the squared circle.
Gronkowski has caught 10+ touchdowns in five of his eight NFL seasons and has the most postseason receiving touchdowns for a tight end in NFL history with 12. This year, he figures to once again serve as one of Tom Brady‘s favorite targets.
Saints Release TE Coby Fleener
The Saints have released tight end Coby Fleener, a league source tells Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The timing of the move is curious since $3.4MM of his base salary became guaranteed in February. The Saints, in theory, could have saved $3.2MM against the cap by releasing him months earlier. 
Fleener finished the 2017 on injured reserve due to a concussion and his 2018 salary was guaranteed for injury. It’s possible that Fleener was not medically cleared by his guarantee date in February, which would have prevented New Orleans from shedding his salary. Fleener signed a five-year, $36MM free agent deal with New Orleans in 2016 that was supposed to keep him under control through the 2020 campaign.
Before last year’s concussion, Fleener had not missed a game since his rookie season, suiting up for all 16 of the Colts’ contests from 2013-15 and each of the Saints’ games last season. Last year, he was on the field for eleven games before a big hit from Rams defensive back Blake Countess put him on the sidelines.
Fleener wasn’t a primary target of Drew Brees in 2017, but he was the Saints’ leading receiver at tight end at the time of his injury. From 2013-2016, Fleener averaged a healthy 52 catches and four touchdowns per season.
The Saints signed Benjamin Watson in March and he now projects as the team’s leading TE. Behind him, the Saints have a group of tight ends including Josh Hill, Michael Hoomanawanui, Garrett Griffin, and Alex Ellis that will jockey for playing time and roster spots.
OL Orlando Franklin To Retire
A day after the Redskins released him, Orlando Franklin is ready to call it a career.
The former second-round pick and six-year NFL starter will not attempt to play an eighth NFL season. Franklin, 30, posted on Instagram that he will retire to spend time with his wife and son in Denver.
Franklin’s best seasons came with the Broncos, who selected him in the second round in 2011. He served as Denver’s starting right tackle for three seasons before the team relocated him to left guard prior to the 2014 season. That move helped Franklin, who enjoyed a solid contract campaign and signed a five-year, $36.5MM deal with the Chargers that came with $20MM guaranteed.
While Franklin could not replicate the success he had in Denver with San Diego, he started for two seasons with the Bolts. Injuries limited him to 10 games with the Chargers in 2015, but he returned to man their left guard spot for 16 contests in ’16. The Chargers released him last year, which led to short stays with the Saints and Redskins. Franklin played in one game with Washington last season.
Overall, the former Miami Hurricane started 89 of the 90 regular-season games in which he played. He also started for the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Raiders Cut Cory James, Armonty Bryant
The Raiders announced that they have waived linebacker Cory James with a failed physical designation. The Raiders also cut defensive end Armonty Bryant with a non-football illness designation.
Oakland drafted James in the sixth round two years ago and deployed him as a starter frequently over the past two years. The former Colorado State linebacker started 14 games during his first two seasons and could be an intriguing offseason waiver addition.
Although James’ play didn’t stop the Raiders from continuing to look for additional linebacker starters, he saw action on 455 snaps last season. He finished last season on IR, though, with a knee injury. The nature of this exit could well stall an immediate path to another team.
Entering what would be a sixth NFL season, Bryant has struggled to stay on the field because of suspensions. The NFL suspended the edge defender three times since 2016, and the Lions parted ways with him after his most recent ban ended. Bryant signed with the Raiders in April.
Seahawks Release Cliff Avril
The Seahawks announced they have released defensive end Cliff Avril with a failed physical designation. Avril lost half of the 2017 season to a neck injury which reportedly could keep him from returning to the field.
In January, Avril said that he would push to continue playing.
“I believe so,” Avril said when asked if he will return to the NFL. “Right now it’s all about recovery. I had surgery. I’m in the process of recovering. It’s a long process, a long journey. When I get to the end of that, then I’ll figure out what’s next.
“I mean, it’s something I love to do. It’s what I’ve been doing forever and, just as a competitor, I want to show that I can come back if it’s possible, you know? You do see all the injuries. You see the game from a different perspective when you’re on the sideline. And those thoughts do definitely pop into my head of ‘should I come back or not?’ But again, right now it’s all about recovery.”
Avril, a 10-year veteran, was slated to carry a cap charge of nearly $8MM in 2018. By releasing him, the Seahawks will be left with just $500K in dead money.
In 2017, Avril played only 151 defensive snaps before going down and garnered a disappointing 44.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. That was the lowest mark of Avril’s career, and he’d been an exceptional player as recently as 2015. In his nine seasons leading up to ’17, Avril totaled 73 sacks, including 20.5 between 2015 and 2016.
Right now, it’s unclear as to whether another team would risk putting Avril on the field given his recent injury history.