Titans Pick Up Marcus Mariota’s Option
No surprise here, but the Titans will exercise Marcus Mariota‘s fifth-year option. Titans GM Jon Robinson confirmed the news in a radio interview on Wednesday (Twitter link via Paul Kuharsky). 
“The plan is over the next couple of days to exercise Marcus Mariota’s fifth-year option,” Robinson said in a press release. “He is an important part of this team, as are a lot of players. We’re excited to have him around here for the next couple of years and hopefully after the next season we can start to figure something out to keep him around him even longer.”
Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, is coming off of another solid season in which he conducted four game-winning drives, the most of any QB in the NFL. Mariota’s numbers weren’t great overall (his 13:15 TD/INT ratio leaves much to be desired), but many of those missteps can be forgiven in light of the injuries he played through last year. Mariota went into the offseason dealing with hamstring, leg, and ankle issues and managed to miss just one start and played through the pain in both of Tennessee’s playoff contests.
In his playoff debut, Mariota led the Titans on a remarkable second half comeback to top the Chiefs in the Wild Card round. In the next round, the Patriots largely kept Mariota in check as he completed less than 60% of his passes and threw for only two touchdowns.
The fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Titans can escape the additional 2019 season in the event that his performance suffers for non-health reasons.
Agent Denies Steering Saquon Barkley Away From Browns
Saquon Barkley‘s handlers at Roc Nation do not want the Browns to draft him at No. 1 or No. 4, according to Ben Baskin of Sports Illustrated. However, Barkley’s agent Kim Miale says that’s simply not true. 
“I can say on behalf of our entire team that we would be thrilled for Saquon to go to whichever team drafts him,” Miale wrote to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We know he will be a resounding success for any team fortunate enough to select him.”
Of course, this could wind up being a non-issue with the Browns. Cleveland is widely expected to take a quarterback – probably Sam Darnold – with the No. 1 overall pick. If Darnold goes at No. 1, there is increasing chatter that the Giants will pounce on Barkley at No. 2, which would satisfy Roc Nation’s goal of putting him in the No. 1 media market, according to SI’s report. However, in the event that the Giants do not take Barkley and the Jets take a QB at No. 3, as expected, this is a story to keep an eye on.
For what it’s worth, Basking hears that Barkley would in fact be “happy” to play for any team that selects him. Meanwhile, Roc Nation may have to do a bit of damage control as they also represent Browns head coach Hue Jackson.
Tom Brady Has Not Committed To Playing For Patriots In 2018
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady still has yet to commit to playing in 2018, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears. Those close to Brady believe that he will suit up again, but there is some room for doubt since Brady has not pledged to play. 
“My money would be on him playing football for the foreseeable future, but what goes on away from the football field, I don’t know,” one source told ESPN.
Brady, 41 in August, still wants to continue playing. However, Schefter hears that some around Brady want him to retire. That may include close family members who would rather see Brady enjoy his millions of dollars instead of risking brain trauma.
Before the Super Bowl, Brady said that he would continue playing next season. Apparently, some combination of the loss, the deterioration of his relationship with coach Bill Belichick, and the opinions of his inner circle have swayed him over the last ten weeks.
Even at age 40, Brady was terrific in 2017, leading the league in passing yards on the way to his third MVP trophy. The veteran is signed through the 2019 campaign with a team-friendly $15MM base salary ($22MM cap hit).
Meanwhile, teammate Rob Gronkowski is also considering retirement. It’s not clear whether the standout tight end is serious about walking away or if he is angling for a new deal.
Panthers’ Greg Olsen Seeking New Contract
For the second offseason in a row, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is looking for a new contract. In an interview with Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Olsen indicated that he wants a contract that will take him beyond the 2018 season. 
“My preference would be to know my future here in Carolina past this year, if I’m being honest. Whether or not that happens, we’ll see,” Olsen said. “But that would be the ideal situation and then that would answer a lot of these unknown questions.”
Last year, made waves when he auditioned to become an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Panthers officials believed that Olsen was looking into the position for something down the road, but that timeline could conceivably be accelerated if Olsen doesn’t get the revised contract he wants.
“The reality of it is there’s not a lot of those jobs out there and when they ask you to come in and go through that audition process and go through those motions, it’s a great opportunity,” Olsen said. “My mind and my prep has always been on playing. But the reality is those jobs do get your attention a little bit and you’ve at least got to look behind the curtain.”
Last year, Olsen pushed for an extension that would give him a raise over the remainder of his three-year, $22.5MM deal. At one point, he even intimated that he would consider staying home during training camp. Ultimately, he showed up for work and got some incentives added to his deal that could have given him an additional $2MM in 2018. Unfortunately, a broken foot prevented the tight end from reaching those bonuses.
For now, Olsen is under contract for one more year with a cap hit of $9.75MM.
Aaron Rodgers Frustrated With Packers
The Packers’ relationship with their franchise quarterback is not in a great place right now. Aaron Rodgers is upset with the organization after being left out of discussions that resulted in major changes this offseason, multiple league sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Specifically, Rodgers wanted to be consulted with before the team released wide receiver Jordy Nelson and parted ways with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. 
“Both of those decisions [with Nelson and Van Pelt] were made without him,” one source close to Rodgers said. “In both situations, he had no influence with [the front office] before anything went down….I know he’s thinking about that stuff when it comes to the next contract because he should have earned a voice by now. In other places with [elite] quarterbacks, consideration is given to those guys. I think Aaron wants to be engaged in some decisions. But that’s just not the way it works [in Green Bay]. I think that’s obviously frustrating and it’s going to keep coming out.”
The relationship between Rodgers and the Packers “isn’t in total disrepair,” but the divide is real. One can’t help but wonder if Rodgers’ discontent could lead to real problems for the two parties in the coming years.
The good news for the Packers is that, contractually, they have significant leverage. Rodgers is slated to earn $20.5MM in 2018 and $21.1MM in 2019 – numbers that are well below market for the two-time MVP – and he can be controlled through 2021 via consecutive franchise tags.
Former Jets C Nick Mangold Retires
Nick Mangold is officially done with football. On Tuesday, Mangold announced that he will be signing a one-day contract with the Jets in order to officially retire with the team. 
“Everything that happened from pee-wee football to high school football to having the good fortune to play at The Ohio State University molded me for my opportunity to play for the New York Jets,” said Mangold. “In my 11 years as a Jet, there were plenty of ups and downs but, through it all, I wanted to be the Steady Eddie. I wanted to be the guy that other guys looked at to see how it was done. I learned this attribute from the vets that I played with.
“My biggest regret is not bringing the Lombardi Trophy to New York but, as I retire, I will continue my efforts to bring the Trophy home in a different capacity. I have no idea what that capacity is but I’m sure I will figure something out in the future.”
Mangold, 34, played for the Jets from 2006 through 2016. In March of 2017, the Jets released him in the midst of a house-cleaning that saw several high-priced vets bounced out of New York. He spent all of last year out of football as he healed up from a foot injury and he indicated earlier this year that he might try to return to the game. At the same time, he has made tons of money over the course of his playing career, so he is able to comfortably walk away from the NFL and in order to spend more time with his family.
Dez Bryant Wants To Sign With Giants
Dez Bryant is out for revenge. The former Cowboys wide receiver went on record with Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan to express his desire to play for a Dallas rival. 
“I’m kinda hoping it’s an NFC East team,” Bryant said. “If it’s somewhere else, that’s fine. But I’d like to play the Cowboys twice.”
Not all of the Cowboys’ divisional rivals make sense for Bryant, however. The Redskins, who already have Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson, do not have him on their radar. And while it’s fun to think about the defending champions adding Bryant to the fold, the Eagles don’t have enough wiggle room under the cap to make that happen. That leaves the Giants, and Bryant is intrigued by their roster.
“The Giants got a helluva defense, they’re going to pay [Odell Beckham Jr.] Playing with him, Sterling Shepard, the tight end [Evan Engram], Eli Manning? Crazy,” Bryant said. “They draft (Penn State running back) Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick)? That’d be crazy!”
Fisher personally gets the sense that the Giants would be Bryant’s No. 1 choice. It remains to be seen whether Giants GM Dave Gettleman feels the same way about Bryant and whether he’s willing to bring such a bold personality into his locker room.
Bucs Exercise Jameis Winston’s Option
The Buccaneers have exercised the fifth-year option on Jameis Winston‘s original rookie contract. The decision was not due until May 3, but the Bucs did not need to take this decision to the wire. 
Winston was less than perfect in 2017, but this was still a fairly easy call for the Bucs to make. Even though Winston went 3-10 as a starter last year, he performed as a better-than-average starting QB and continues to show potential. Across three years in the league, Winston has thrown for 11,636 passing yards, 69 touchdown passes, and 44 interceptions. The Florida State product, who recently turned 24, is the second-youngest passer in NFL history to top 10,000 passing yards. Before his birthday, his 69 touchdown passes set the new watermark for any NFL QB at the age of 23.
Per the terms of the CBA, the fifth-year option is equal to the average of the top 10 salaries in the previous year. The Bucs and Winston will also have the opportunity to hammer out a new long-term extension before the option year kicks in.
The fifth-year option also comes with an escape hatch for NFL teams. The additional year is guaranteed for injury only, so the Bucs can back out if Winston’s performance declines for non-health reasons.
Cowboys Re-Sign David Irving
The Cowboys announced they have officially re-signed restricted free agent defensive lineman David Irving. The tendered deal is for one year at $2.9MM. 
Signed off of Kansas City’s practice squad in 2015, Irving emerged as a playmaker in limited action in 2016 by logging four sacks and four forced fumbles. His 2017, however, was cut short due to a concussion and a four-game suspension at the season’s outset. Despite only playing eight games, he still managed to record seven sacks, the second most on the team behind DeMarcus Lawrence.
With Irving back, the Cowboys return the nucleus of a shockingly effective defensive front from a year ago. The team could also add a pass rusher like Boston College’s Harold Landry or a run-stuffer up the middle with Washington’s Vita Vea in the upcoming draft.
If he delivers another season similar to his 2017 campaign, Irving could be in store for a big payday in the 2019 offseason.
Eagles QB Nick Foles Open To Trade?
The reigning Super Bowl MVP is set to serve as a backup next season. Nick Foles is alright with that, but he sounds like he wouldn’t be opposed to a trade either. 
“We love Philly. I know there was some stuff going around, a possible trade, and I would love the opportunity to be a starter again. I know my spot in Philly. I think I’ve shown what I can do,” Foles told KVUE in Texas. “I’m signed for one more year and I love the team, I love the city. I’m excited for Carson [Wentz] to get back on his feet. I’ll be ready to go whenever they need me. But we’ll see. Just living in the moment.”
The Eagles were reportedly seeking at least a first- and fourth-round pick for Foles this offseason, but that kind of deal never materialized. In late March, head coach Doug Pederson pretty much put the kibosh on any trade talk.
It would be surprising to see the Eagles move Foles at this juncture, but they pulled off a similar move in 2016 when they dealt Sam Bradford to the Vikings in September of 2016. The Eagles value Foles and want to keep him on board in the event that Wentz gets injured again, but it’s possible that a contender will blow them away with an offer in the event of an injury to a starting QB.