Raiders To Sign LB Derrick Johnson
For the first time in his NFL career, Derrick Johnson will suit up for a team other than the Chiefs. The veteran linebacker has agreed to terms with the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter). The news was first reported by Michael Silver of the NFL Network (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal, per the Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Redskins’ Bruce Allen Won’t Join Raiders]
Johnson may not be the player that he once was, but last season the 35-year-old still showed that he has something left in the tank. He also offers a great deal of experience and boasts four Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro selection on his resume.
The Chiefs announced this offseason that they would not be re-signing Johnson, their all-time leading tackler. Since entering the league as a first round choice in 2005, Johnson has appeared in 182 games and amassed 1,262 career tackles.
The Raiders currently project to start Bruce Irvin, Tahir Whitehead, and Cory James at linebacker. It’s not clear whether Johnson will be given an opportunity to crack the starting lineup, but he could be a valuable depth piece and a mentor to younger players in the front seven.
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Eagles Pick Up Doug Pederson’s Option
The Eagles picked up an option in coach Doug Pederson‘s contract after the team’s Super Bowl win, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Peterson’s original four-year deal had him signed through 2019, but he’ll now be in place through the 2020 campaign. 
The Eagles hired Pederson in 2016 to replace polarizing coach Chip Kelly. After going 7-9 in his first season at the helm, the Eagles went 13-3 in 2017 before winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Thanks in part to Pederson’s offensive acumen and his ability to mold quarterbacks, the Eagles did not miss a beat even after losing Carson Wentz to a torn ACL in Week 14.
Coming to Philadelphia after at three-year run as Andy Reid‘s OC in Kansas City, Pederson helped craft a dominant Eagles season that peaked with one of the most unique playoff runs in NFL history.
After the Eagles finished the regular season as the league’s No. 7 offense (and No. 4 defense), Pederson helped to cater his offense to the talents of backup Nick Foles. And that helped produce three postseason upsets en route to the Super Bowl title.
Philly is now entrenched as one of the league’s elite teams and will be one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LIII. So, it could have been viewed as a given the Eagles would make arrangements to keep Pederson around via this contract option.
Falcons Sign Matt Ryan To Massive Extension
The Falcons have locked up their franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan has agreed to a five-year, $150MM extension with the team, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The deal includes $100MM guaranteed, setting a new all-time record for signal callers. Ryan is now under contract through the 2023 season, keeping him in place through his age-38 season. 
Ryan has thrown for 41,796 yards over the course of his ten-year career with 260 touchdowns against 126 interceptions. In the 2016 season, he became the first Falcons player to win the league’s MVP award as he guided Atlanta to its second Super Bowl appearance. Ryan threw for nearly 5,000 yards in the regular season and completed 71.4% of his passes in the playoffs with zero interceptions.
Ryan set a high standard with his play in 2016, but he had a strong follow-up effort last year. The 32-year-old (he’ll 33 in two weeks) threw for 4,095 yards and tied for second place with Drew Brees amongst all QBs in terms of performance, per Pro Football Focus.
The Falcons passer is now the league’s highest-paid player, but as it usually goes for quarterbacks, he probably won’t hold that title for very long. Assuming that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are on the same page, Rodgers figures to be next in line for a high-paying extension that will likely top Ryan’s. Ryan’s deal is also good news for young QBs Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the Bucs and Titans look to keep them out of the free agent pool in 2019.
Ryan’s $30MM average annual value tops the $28.8MM AAV of Kirk Cousins‘ free agent deal with the Vikings, making him the highest-paid QB in the league on a per-season basis. After that, Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5MM), Matthew Stafford ($27MM), and Derek Carr ($25MM) round out the top five.
This year, Ryan will look to get the Falcons back in the Super Bowl mix with an offense that is as potent as ever. After losing wide receiver Taylor Gabriel to free agency, the Falcons landed Alabama’s Calvin Ridley late in the first round, a player who many feel could be the best receiver to come out of this year’s class. He’ll learn from superstar Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu while Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman continue to wreak havoc out of the backfield.
Jason Witten Announces Retirement
In an emotional press conference, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten announced his retirement from football. As widely reported over the past week, Witten will be stepping into the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football. 
“After much self-reflection, prayer, and faith, I have decided that the time has come for me to pass the torch to the next generation of Dallas Cowboys and retire from the National Football League,” said Witten to a room full of media members, teammates, and family.
Witten entered the league as a third-round pick of the Cowboys in the 2003 NFL Draft. He missed one game as a rookie due to a broken jaw, but otherwise had a flawless attendance record throughout his 15-year career. With 1,152 catches for 12,448 yards and 68 touchdowns and a franchise record of 235 consecutive games played, Witten has a strong case for the Hall of Fame.
Last season wasn’t Witten’s best, but he still had 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns and secured his eleventh Pro Bowl selection as a replacement for Zach Ertz. When Witten informed Jerry Jones of his plan to transition into broadcasting, the Cowboys owner begged him to reconsider and reportedly made it a tough call for the tight end. Ultimately, Witten did not want to miss his opportunity to grab one of the most prestigious broadcasting jobs in the NFL.
Witten’s retirement will leave a serious void in the Cowboys’ locker room, as well as their tight end depth chart. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones has indicated that the team can get by with a group that includes Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and Rico Gathers, but it stands to reason that they will also comb the free agent market for tight ends. Antonio Gates stands as the most recognizable TE available in a thinned-out group, but roster cuts between now and September could present some quality options for Dallas.
Witten’s eleven Pro Bowl selections are good for second amongst any tight end in league history, trailing only Tony Gonzalez (14). After that, Gates and Shannon Sharpe are tied for third with eight selections. Given that Sharpe is in the Hall of Fame, it seems probable that Witten is also Canton-bound.
Eagles’ Timmy Jernigan To Miss 4-6 Months
Eagles’ starting defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan underwent surgery on a herniated disc in his back last week, league sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Recovery from that operation will take a while and he is expected to be out for four-to-six months. 
Even in a best case scenario, Jernigan’s availability for the season opener is in jeopardy. If it takes Jernigan closer to six months to recover, he could wind up missing the first half of the season
The good news for the Eagles is that they have a solid Plan B for Jernigan after signing Haloti Ngata this offseason. If Jernigan misses time, the Eagles will still have a formidable front four with Brandon Graham and Michael Bennett at defensive end with Ngata and Fletcher Cox in the middle.
The Eagles acquired Jernigan from the Ravens last April by moving down 25 spots in the third round of the draft. That proved to be a brilliant move for the Eagles, who later signed him to a four-year, $48MM extension.
Meanwhile, the Eagles and Jernigan have agreed to revise that contract, Yates reports (on Twitter). The final three years on the defensive tackle’s contract are now option years with no guaranteed money. The Eagles, he writes, will evaluate his health as part of the decision going forward.
Jernigan remains slated to carry a $5MM cap charge in 2018. He’ll carry cap hits of $13MM, $14MM, and $14MM in the following three seasons if he remains on board.
Cowboys’ Jason Witten To Retire, Join ESPN
It’s a done deal. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has informed owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett that he will retire in order to join the Monday Night Football broadcast booth, multiple sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Witten first informed the Cowboys of the offer to join MNF before the draft, but Jones implored Witten to think it over for a few days. Although it was believed from the get-go that Witten would follow through on retirement, the veteran struggled with the decision for the last week, Archer hears.
Witten leaves the game with the fourth-most catches in NFL history (1,152) behind only Jerry Rice, Tony Gonzalez, and Larry Fitzgerald. He’s also leaving football without the Super Bowl ring he has chased since 2003, which is probably part of what made the decision difficult for him.
Top tier broadcasting jobs such as the color commentary position in the Monday Night Football booth rarely become available and Witten did not want to let this opportunity pass him by. He’s also not taking much of a pay cut – he would have earned $6.5MM in total from the Cowboys this year, but ESPN will pay him in the range of $4MM to $4.5MM.
Witten was a hot commodity in broadcasting this year as another mystery network also pursued him. Witten ultimately settled on ESPN, meaning that each of the NFL’s big three broadcasting partners will employ ex-Cowboys as their top color commentators.
Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2019
The deadline for teams to pick up the fifth-year options for players passed earlier today at 3pm CT, meaning each NFL club needed to decide on the status of its former first-round picks by that time. 20 of 32 players had their options exercised, while 10 saw the options declined.
Of course, just because a player has his option exercised or declined, that doesn’t necessarily dictate his future earnings. These fifth-year options are only guaranteed for injury only for now, so assuming a player stays healthy, his team could still release him by March 2019 without being on the hook for any ’19 salary, even if his option was exercised today. Conversely, a player who had his option declined could have a bounce-back year and do well on the open market next March.
As we wait to see how the latest round of option decisions looks a year from now, let’s recap the action. Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2019:
Exercised:
- Jameis Winston, QB, $20.922MM (Buccaneers): Exercised
- Marcus Mariota, QB, $20.922MM (Titans): Exercised
- Amari Cooper, WR, $13.924MM (Raiders): Exercised
- Brandon Scherff, G, $12.525MM (Redskins): Exercised
- Leonard Williams, DE, $14.2MM (Jets): Exercised
- Vic Beasley, DE, $14.2MM (Falcons): Exercised
- Todd Gurley, RB, $9.630MM (Rams): Exercised
- Trae Waynes, CB, $9.069MM (Vikings): Exercised
- Andrus Peat, G, $9.625MM (Saints): Exercised
- DeVante Parker, WR, $9.387MM (Dolphins): Exercised
- Melvin Gordon, RB, $5.605MM (Chargers): Exercised
- Kevin Johnson, CB, $9.069MM (Texans): Exercised
- Arik Armstead, DE, $9.046MM (49ers): Exercised
- Marcus Peters, CB, $9.069MM (Rams): Exercised
- Nelson Agholor, WR, $9.387MM (Eagles): Exercised
- Bud Dupree, LB, $9.232MM (Steelers): Exercised
- D.J. Humphries, T, $9.625MM (Cardinals): Exercised
- Shaq Thompson, LB, $9.232MM (Panthers): Exercised
- Byron Jones, DB, $6.260MM (Cowboys): Exercised
- Damarious Randall, DB, $9.069MM (Browns): Exercised
Declined:
- Dante Fowler, DE, $14.2MM (Jaguars): Declined
- Kevin White, WR, $13.924MM (Bears): Declined
- Ereck Flowers, T, $12.525MM (Giants): Declined
- Danny Shelton, DT, $7.154MM (Patriots): Declined
- Cameron Erving, OL, $9.625MM (Chiefs): Declined
- Cedric Ogbuehi, T, $9.625MM (Bengals): Declined
- Shane Ray, LB, $9.232MM (Broncos): Declined
- Breshad Perriman, WR, $9.387MM (Ravens): Declined
- Laken Tomlinson, G, $9.625MM (49ers): Declined
- Phillip Dorsett, WR, $9.387MM (Patriots): Declined
- Stephone Anthony, LB, $9.232MM (Dolphins): Declined
- Malcom Brown, DT, $7.154MM (Patriots): Declined
Jerrell Freeman Retires From NFL
Jerrell Freeman is calling it a career. On Wednesday, Freeman announced his retirement via Twitter. 
“I will be retiring from the NFL today,” Freeman wrote. “My health and my family are my top priorities. . . . Thank you Bears, Colts, Roughriders, and yes, even the Titans (where I only had a cup of coffee, haha). You will always be like family. Its been a long and rewarding journey.”
Freeman, who turned 32 on Wednesday, inked a three-year pact with Chicago prior to the 2016 campaign. Unfortunately, injuries and suspensions limited him to just 13 games over the past two years. Last season, Freeman suffered a torn pectoral in Week 1 and was subsequently banned for 10 games due to his second performance-enhancing drug policy violation. Had he continued playing, the ban would have carried over to the first two games of 2018.
When his suspension was announced last October, Freeman said that he had been suffering from memory loss and other side effects due to head trauma. Hopefully, Freeman will be able to mount a recovery as he steps away from the gridiron.
Freeman’s first NFL came in 2008 when he signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent. After that, he hooked on with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and did not return to the NFL until 2012 when he signed on with the Colts. Freeman went on to start in all 70 of his NFL games and tallied nearly 650 tackles in total.
Patriots Decline Options For Brown, Dorsett
The Patriots had to make the call on three players with fifth-year options for the 2019 season. They have declined all three of them. 
[RELATED: Patriots Decline Danny Shelton’s Option]
In addition to turning down the option for defensive tackle Danny Shelton, the Pats have also declined an extra season for defensive tackle Malcom Brown and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Turning down Dorsett was something of a no-brainer and Shelton was something of a 50/50 proposition, but the decision to decline Brown’s option comes as a surprise.
Brown, the final pick in the first round of the ’15 draft, would have earned $7.154MM had his option been exercised. The Patriots may look to hammer out an extension to keep him in the fold beyond 2018, but it would likely be at a lesser rate per season. The 24-year-old defensive tackle has started in 37 of his 45 games for the Pats over the last three seasons. In that time, he has managed 8.5 sacks from the interior. In each of the last two seasons, he graded out as a top-32 player at the defensive tackle position, per Pro Football Focus.
The Patriots are known for crafty cap maneuvering, so they could be eyeing cheaper replacements in 2019 for their young defensive tackles. They would also stand to gain compensatory picks by losing either player to free agency after the 2018 season.
The option on Dorsett, 25, would have cost New England nearly $9.4MM in 2019. After Dorsett played sparingly in 2017 and amassed just 194 receiving yards, the team gave no real thought to extending him through 2019.