Jerry Jones: Jason Witten Might Not Retire
Jerry Jones said Friday he’s met several times with Jason Witten and that no decision has been made. The Cowboys owner said the future Hall of Fame tight end will take a few days before he makes an official decision, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Although, Rapoport adds Witten has made his decision to step away after 15 seasons.
ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that Witten plans to move into broadcasting, joining the revamped Monday Night Football crew for the 2018 season. If Witten follows through on his retirement plans, it stands to reason that the Cowboys will select a tight end in Round 2 or 3 of the draft on Friday night. However, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones‘ comments indicate that might not happen.
“We feel really good about our tight ends,” Jones said on 105.3 (on Twitter). “With what we have on our roster with [Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and Rico Gathers], we got some really good football players. We don’t think we’re going into a season without a good tight end.”
The Ravens selected Hayden Hurst in the first round, but top tight ends Dallas Goedert, Mike Gesicki, and Mark Andrews remain available should the Cowboys look to fortify the position. Having just released Dez Bryant, the Cowboys are in need of wide receiver help as well. Both Witten and Bryant being out of the picture will signal a major changing of the guard in Dallas, creating key needs in the process.
49ers Sign Jaquiski Tartt To Extension
The 49ers are operating in high gear on Friday, having already traded one starter. Now, they’ve signed another to an extension.
The team announced a two-year re-up for safety Jaquiski Tartt. This will pay Tartt $13MM and could max out at $15MM, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. With Tartt having one more year left on his rookie deal, he’s now under 49ers control through the 2020 season.
A second-round pick in 2015, Tartt has only been extension-eligible for a few months now. But the franchise has evidently seen enough from him to make a commitment.
“Since we arrived last year, Jaquiski has impressed us with his play, his work ethic and the kind of teammate he is,” GM John Lynch said. “We believe he’s a natural fit in our defensive system and his abilities will allow him to flourish. It is always exciting when we are able to extend our own young players like Jaquiski who are dedicated to their craft, this team and our community.”
A part-time starter for his first two seasons, Tartt broke into a full-time role in 2017. Although he suffered a forearm injury that ended his season after just nine games, the 49ers appear to have had this on their agenda for a bit now. The Samford product joins Jimmie Ward, tentatively since Ward consistently vacillates between cornerback and safety, as San Francisco’s starting safeties.
The 26-year-old defender has 167 career tackles and two interceptions. He now figures to have a big role on higher-profile 49ers defenses after playing his career thus far on rebuilding San Francisco teams.
Jay Cutler Expected To Retire
It sounds like Jay Cutler is retiring, again. The former Dolphins quarterback is expected to leave football, potentially to begin a reality show with his wife Kristin Cavallari, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. FOX also has interest in signing Cutler as a color commentator for NFL games, which was the position he was set to begin before signing with Miami last year. 
Cutler will turn 35 on Sunday and he has ample money after 12 years as a starting QB in the NFL. Cutler’s short-lived retirement didn’t bring about the results the Dolphins were hoping for, however, as he compiled a 6-8 record in his 14 starts and threw for just 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 35-ranked quarterback out of 39 qualified players, a sign that he probably didn’t have much quality football left in the tank.
In December, Cutler indicated that he was still interested in playing football, though he did not want to return as a backup QB. Even as Cutler evaluates his options in television, one can’t help but wonder if a summer injury to a QB could lead to his return. Cutler is no longer starter material, but he could be the best option an NFL team can find in an emergency situation in August.
The quarterback carousel that sent several bridge options to other teams in March did not include Cutler. While his career endured some interesting twists and only featured one Pro Bowl, the former Vanderbilt standout and 2006 first-round pick outlasted his draft-class peers and was a starter for nearly his entire career.
Cutler started two full seasons for the Broncos, beginning his first-string run as a rookie late in the 2006 season, before being involved in a high-stakes trade. The Broncos shipped him to the Bears for two first-round picks in April 2009. Cutler’s 2008 season in Denver, though, doubled as his only Pro Bowl bid. Cutler did lead the 2010 Bears to the NFC championship game before being hurt during that contest — one that doubled as Chicago’s most recent playoff game. He threw a career-high 28 touchdown passes in 2014, and his 2015 work with Adam Gase (21 TDs, 64 percent completion rate) helped secure the $10MM Dolphins gig last year.
For his career, Cutler threw 227 touchdown passes and totaled 35,133 air yards, completing 62 percent of his passes. He holds Bears franchise records for career passing yards (23,443) and TD tosses with 154.
Cowboys TE Jason Witten To Retire?
Jason Witten could go from the field to the broadcast booth. The Cowboys tight end is planning to retire after 15 years in the NFL to join ESPN’s new Monday Night Football broadcast team as a lead analyst, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. However, he’ll meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday before finalizing his decision. 
Witten has spent his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and has been selected to eleven Pro Bowls. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (1,152), receiving yards (12,448) and most consecutive games played (239).
Witten, 36 in May, has missed one regular season game for Dallas as a rookie, but has a perfect attendance record dating back to 2004. His 2017 numbers were not his gaudiest, but he was still productive with 63 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He was also among the ten best run blockers at the tight end position, per Pro Football Focus.
News of Witten’s potential retirement comes as a surprise. Just last week, Witten indicated that he had some football left in the tank.
“There’s been a lot of things [said] over the years, especially the last few months. I guess that’s what happens when you get old,” Witten said (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “Hopefully I can play until I’m 40. I’ll take it one day at a time. My plan is to be here with the Cowboys. Absolutely.”
ESPN nearly poached another big name tight end for its broadcast booth earlier this year. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen auditioned for the job and appeared to be giving it real consideration before signing a lucrative extension with Carolina on Thursday.
Ravens Acquire No. 32 From Eagles
Baltimore’s wrapped up a busy evening with another trade. Sam Farmer of the LA Times reports (via Twitter) that the team has acquired the No. 32 pick from the Eagles. Baltimore has acquired the first-rounder and No. 132 (fourth round), and they’ll be sending No. 52 (second round), No. 125 (fourth round), and a 2019 second-rounder to Philly.
The Ravens have used the pick to select quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Louisville product and former Heisman winner is the fifth quarterback taken during the first round. He had another productive season in 2017, completing 59.1-percent of his passes for 3,660 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also added another 1,601 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 232 carries. Barring some unexpected transaction, Jackson will likely serve as a backup to Joe Flacco for at least the upcoming season.
This is the third trade of the night for Baltimore, who also completed deals with the Bills and Titans. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen like Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller, although there were whispers that the organization could pursue a future starting quarterback.
Titans Acquire No. 22 From Ravens
The Ravens are moving down… again. After trading down to the No. 22 pick earlier tonight, Baltimore is once again dealing their first-rounder. The Ravens are sending that No. 22 pick to the Titans, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tennessee will also receive No. 215 (sixth round), while Baltimore will get No. 25 and No. 125 (fourth round), via ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
The Titans are using the pick on linebacker Rashaan Evans. The Alabama product is one of the top defensive prospects in the draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him 20th overall in his top-50 rankings. Evans had a breakout campaign as a senior, compiling 74 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Derrick Morgan, Wesley Woodyard, Jayon Brown, and Brian Orakpo are currently listed as the team’s starting linebackers, but Evans could work his way into the lineup.
After starting the night with the No. 16 pick, the Ravens sent the selection to Buffalo, acquiring picks No. 22 and No. 65. This recent trade will give the organization 10 picks for the entire weekend
Steelers Trade Martavis Bryant To Raiders
Martavis Bryant‘s tenure in Pittsburgh has come to an end. The Steelers announced that they have traded the wideout to the Raiders for a third-round pick (No. 79).
The 2014 fourth-round pick had spent his entire four-year career with the organization. His tenure was tumultuous, as he missed the entire 2016 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The 26-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance during his brief career, including a rookie campaign where he caught eight touchdowns. He had another solid season in 2017, catching 50 passes for 603 yards and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Bryant, a trade doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll see a bigger role. Rather, the wideout will slot in behind Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson on the Raiders’ depth chart, and he’ll compete with Seth Roberts to be the team’s third wideout.
Packers Acquire No. 18 From Seahawks
The Packers have acquired the No. 18 overall pick from the Seahawks, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Green Bay will pick up No. 18 and No. 248 (seventh round) from Seattle, which will acquire No. 27, No. 76 (third round), and No. 186 (sixth round) per Jason Wilde of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Packers are using the pick on cornerback Jaire Alexander. The Louisville product was considered to be one of the top defensive back’s in the entire draft despite the fact that he was limited to only six games last season. He did appear in 13 games during the 2016 campaign, compiling 39 tackles and five interceptions. Green Bay acquired the No. 27 pick earlier tonight in a trade with the Saints.
We had heard several times that the Seahawks were interested in trading back in the draft. Seattle previously only had one pick during the first three rounds, and this trade will now give them a second selection during this span.
Bills Acquire No. 16 From Ravens
The Bills are having a busy night. After acquiring the No. 7 pick earlier this evening (which they used on quarterback Josh Allen), the team has now acquired the No. 16 pick from the Ravens. The team tweeted that they’ll be sending Baltimore picks No. 22 and No. 65, and Buffalo will also be receiving No. 154. ESPN’s Mike Rodak was the first with the news (via Twitter).
The Bills are using the pick on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Virginia Tech product is considered to be one of the top defenders in the entire draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him sixth in his top-5o rankings. Edmunds had a productive junior season, compiling 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. The rookie will likely compete with Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo for a starting gig.
The trade will give the Ravens a second third-rounder, and it will give the organization nine picks for the entire weekend. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller. With the two off the board, the team switched their focus to a trade.
Saints Acquire No. 14 Pick From Packers
The Saints and Packers have pulled off a deal. New Orleans has acquired the No. 14 pick from Green Bay, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Packers will receive No. 27, No. 147, and a 2019 first-rounder.
The Saints have used their selection on UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport. We heard earlier today that the pass rusher could end up being selected earlier than initially thought, although he was listed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s prospect rankings. Davenport had another productive season in 2017, finishing with 55 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. The rookie will provide the Saints with another talented defensive end to play alongside Cameron Jordan and Alex Okafor.
There were rumblings earlier today that the Saints had made a number of calls in an attempt to move up in the first round. It was thought that New Orleans could be targeting a potential Drew Brees replacement, but the front office apparently focused in on defense.
Instead of moving down in the draft, we had heard rumors that the Packers may instead move up. Reports indicated that the Packers were among a handful of teams “plotting a potential trade up…for a top-tier talent.” Green Bay’s targets were apparently off the board by the time they got to their selection, and they ended up bailing on the pick. The trade now gives the Packers 13 selections this weekend.