Eric Reid Would Accept One-Year Deal From 49ers
Eric Reid finally took his free agent visit on Monday by meeting with the Bengals, but he’d prefer to re-sign with the 49ers, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Indeed, Reid would accept a one-year deal from San Francisco at salary equal to his 2017 compensation ($5.676MM).
It’s unclear if the 49ers have made any sort of offer to Reid, but his affinity for the Bay Area and his teammates means the former first-round pick would like to remain in San Francisco, per Florio. Of course, it’s also fair to wonder if Reid isn’t receiving the sort of contract proposals he was initially hoping for (especially given that free agency is a month old), and is now attempting to reach out to his former team.
Nevertheless, Reid would offer an upgrade in a 49ers secondary that is currently projected to start Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt at safety. Reid, 26, was something of a playmaker during his first two NFL campaigns, as he posted seven total interceptions from 2013-14. While he hasn’t kept up that rate of turnover creation, Reid is still a solid starter, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 30 safety a year ago.
The safety market has developed at a snail’s pace this offseason, as Reid, Tre Boston, and Kenny Vaccaro all remain unsigned. Reid’s meeting with the Bengals was the first known visit for any of those three veteran defensive backs, and it’s unclear why the positional market isn’t generating interest. Reid, for his part, was notably a participant in the Colin Kaepernick-led anthem protests, but has indicated he will no longer continue the practice in 2018.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
On Tuesday, NFL lawyers will depose Colin Kaepernick in New York, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes. Kaep will become the first witness deposed by the NFL in his own complaint. 
No one knows for sure what the NFL will ask the former 49ers quarterback, but a league source tells Robinson that lawyers are likely to concentrate on Kaepernick’s mental outlook during the free agency period last March. Kaepernick says that he was blackballed from the league, but NFL attorneys will question whether he “corrupted his free agent market through a series of factors relating to football skills, contract expectations and motivation to play,” Robinson writes.
It’s expected that he’ll be asked whether he expected to be signed as a starter, what kind of salary he was seeking, and whether his injury history had diminished his skills. League lawyers may also ask him to produce his smoking gun, which would be concrete proof that teams or executives sought to keep him out of the game.
Although the questioning of Kaepernick is a major development in his collusion case, it’s not a sign that the end is near. In fact, Robinson hears that the collusion complaint could drag into 2019 with a number of league execs, owners, and team personnel left on the QB’s deposition list.
Richie Incognito Says He Will Follow Through On Retirement
On Tuesday morning, Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito indicated that he is considering retirement. His latest comments now suggest that it’s a done deal. 
“It pisses me the [expletive] off. The contract and all that pissed me [off] and all that, but (retiring) has nothing to do with that,” Incognito said (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News), which marks a shift from his previous stance that a pay raise could entice him to play one more season.
When asked whether there was a chance he’d change his mind, Incognito said, “Absolutely not.” Just hours earlier, Incognito said that he had until Sunday to figure out his football future, so it’s still a situation worth monitoring.
Incognito, fresh off of a third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, agreed to take a pay cut for the 2018 season. Weeks later, he fired his agents via Twitter. On the surface, Incognito’s retirement threat looked to be an attempt to recoup that lost money. For his part, the veteran says that he is simply prioritizing his health over future earnings. Incognito told Carucci that his liver and kidneys are “shutting down,” so his best option might be to walk away from football.
Bills OL Richie Incognito May Retire
This could be the end of the line for Bills guard Richie Incognito. Days after firing his agents via Twitter, Incognito has told Peter King of The MMQB (on Twitter) that he is strongly considering retiring, though he might be willing to return for one last season at the right price. Meanwhile, he sounded more definitive about the decision in his conversation with another reporter. 
“I’m done. That’s it,” Incognito tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). “It’s been a long career. Went to the doctor. My liver and kidneys are shutting down. The stress is killing me. It’s just about doing what’s right. I just want to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Incognito, who does not seem likely to reach the Hall of Fame after the Jonathan Martin controversy in Miami, is talking to the Bills about his contract and has until Sunday to change his mind about retiring, King adds (on Twitter).
Incognito may also be motivated by a desire to to turn the tables on the Bills. This offseason, the Bills asked Incognito to accept a reduced base salary, bringing him down to $3.65MM from $6.325MM. The Bills gave him a $1MM bonus in the process, but it was still a significant step back for the veteran.
That sort of contract restructuring is not uncommon in the NFL, but it’s a bit unusual for a player who is coming off of a third consecutive Pro Bowl nod. The advanced metrics also project Incognito as a top performer. Last year, Incognito placed as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman of the last three years.
Incognito will turn 35 in July.
Sebastian Janikowski To Visit Seahawks
The Seahawks are set to meet with an acclaimed kicker, and Sebastian Janikowski may have a taker for what would be his age-40 season.
Janikowski will make a Tuesday trip to Seattle to visit the Seahawks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This represents Janikowski’s second visit of the offseason. Both have been on the west coast, with the 40-year-old kicker meeting with Chargers brass last month. The Raiders opted against re-signing Janikowski, having pivoted to Giorgio Tavecchio. The Seahawks aren’t as stable at this position.
Jason Myers signed a reserve/futures contract with the Seahawks. Seattle experienced difficulties last season, with Blair Walsh‘s struggles continuing. Myers is now the incumbent, despite having not yet kicked for the Hawks in a game.
Janikowski was not a much-rumored player from 2000-2016, kicking for the Raiders for 17 straight seasons, but he accepted a pay cut last offseason and then suffered an injury that ended his bid for an 18th season as Oakland’s kicker. The Raiders did not pull Janikowski off IR, instead letting Tavecchio take his place, and he’s now looking for another opportunity.
Eric Reid To Visit Bengals
Eric Reid‘s first stretch of NFL free agency has not been a smooth process, but the veteran safety will make what is believed to be his first visit of the offseason soon.
The Bengals plan to meet with Reid, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The safety market remains in a strange spot, with players like Reid, Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston unsigned a month into free agency and NFL offseason programs beginning.
Reid’s unemployment has been notable because of his involvement in the Colin Kaepernick-led protests that have occurred the past two seasons. Reid acknowledged this may affect his market, but the five-year starter had not been connected to any teams thus far this offseason despite having a Pro Bowl under his belt and having graded well last season.
The 26-year-old safety has made 69 starts in his career. He bounced back from a season-ending 2016 injury to return to San Francisco’s starting lineup last season. The 49ers experimented with Reid at linebacker as well, but his primary work has come at safety since being taken in the 2013 first round.
Cincinnati has both of its 2017 starting safeties, Shawn Williams and George Iloka, under contract for this coming season. Pro Football Focus graded both as slightly above-average safeties, slotting Reid ahead of each. Rapoport reports (via Twitter) the Bengals are hoping to use more three-safety looks, having pursued Kurt Coleman earlier in free agency, and a Williams/Iloka/Reid setup would be one of the better trios in the league if Reid were to agree to terms. Rapoport adds this visit has been planned for a bit.
Titans Sign DT Bennie Logan
The Titans have agreed to sign free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan, the club announced today.
Tennessee has overhauled the interior of its defensive line this offseason, as the team cut ties with Sylvester Williams and Karl Klug while adding Logan. Additionally, the Titans met with star free agent Ndamukong Suh before he signed a one-year deal with the Rams. Logan will now join stalwart Jurrell Casey, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson, Antwaun Woods, and others along the Tennessee front three.
Logan, 28, drew plenty of free agent interest before landing with the Titans. Before taking a meeting with Tennessee last week, Logan also met with the Seahawks. The Redskins, meanwhile, were reportedly eyeing Logan but never set up an official visit.
Logan, a former third-round pick, spent four seasons with the Eagles before inking a one-year, $8MM deal with the Chiefs last spring. During his lone season in Kansas City, Logan appeared in 15 games as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, racking up 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks while playing 55% of the club’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Logan as just the No. 94 interior defender among 122 qualifiers a season ago.
Odell Beckham Jr. To Report To Giants
In the midst of trade talk, in the wake of a video that could get him into some hot water, and coming off a 2017 season largely ruined by an ankle injury, Odell Beckham Jr. will be at the Giants’ facility tomorrow for the first day of the team’s offseason conditioning program, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter). Per Anderson, Beckham wants to “check in, work out in the gym, and meet with some people.”
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com says that Beckham, who is scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to New Jersey later today, wants to make a goodwill gesture. Big Blue is trying to reshape its culture under new head coach Pat Shurmur and new GM Dave Gettleman, and Beckham’s presence will allow the team to take a look at his ankle and will allow him to show that he is buying in to the team’s culture. Shurmur said last month that he expected the star wideout to be present for the offseason program, which is voluntary and which Beckham was not present for last year.
It is in Beckham’s best interests, of course, to be a good soldier at this point. Even after the disappointment of 2017, he could still land a massive contract with up to $60MM in guaranteed money, but the team has never entered into serious negotiations with him. Now, as he is set to play out the 2018 season under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract (for a “modest” $8.5MM), it’s time for the Giants to make a decision about Beckham’s long-term future in New York.
We heard yesterday that the Giants are unlikely to trade the former first-round pick unless they are blown away by an offer, and it is clear they want to keep him in the fold. But they want to see him grow up a bit, and perhaps his attendance at the offseason program is one way of showing his willingness to do that. However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Beckham is mostly reporting tomorrow for a medical check, and that he will not be back for “a long while” without a new contract in hand. Similarly, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets that it is unknown how long Beckham will stay. We will have to wait and see, then, what Beckham’s intentions are.
Latest On Russell Wilson’s Future In Seattle
We recently heard that the Seahawks could explore a new deal with quarterback Russell Wilson next offseason, and that such a contract could carry an AAV of $30MM. However, even if the two sides do ultimately come to terms, the negotiations are not expected to be pretty.
Several weeks ago, Seattle GM John Schneider attended the pro day for Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen — one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft — and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (citing a segment from the NFL Network’s Jim Trotter) writes, Wilson’s camp wanted to know why. Indeed, agent Mark Rodgers or someone on his team called the Seahawks and asked “if there is anything we need to know.”
While Wilson, who is under club control through 2019, will remain under center for Seattle in 2018, Condotta writes that both sides have sent an “opening salvo” in what he believes will be contentious contract discussions. The club is letting it be known that it is exploring quarterback options — even though there is virtually no chance it could land Allen even if it wanted to — and Wilson’s camp is letting it be known that it is taking note.
The last negotiations between player and team were hardly smooth, and the way they unfolded suggested that anything was possible down the road. And, for the first time in Wilson’s career, the Seahawks have made significant changes to their offensive coaching staff, and one of the reasons for those changes was to get more out of Wilson. As such, Wilson’s future in Seattle will largely hinge on what happens this season. If all goes well, then it will be easier for the two sides to commit to each other for the foreseeable future. If not, then both parties will be exploring alternatives.
The Chargers, who have not needed to look for a QB for a long time, are meeting with the top signal-callers in the 2018 rookie class, and Trotter mentioned the Bolts as a potential trade partner for the Seahawks if they try to deal Wilson. Wilson, who typically spends much of his offseason in SoCal, would likely be amenable to that scenario, per Condotta.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the most likely outcome is another long-term deal between Wilson and the Seahawks, but he, like Condotta, expects the road to that deal to be a bumpy one.
Thomas Davis Suspended For Violating PED Policy
Panthers veteran linebacker Thomas Davis announced Friday (on Twitter) that he’s been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. This is Davis’ first suspension for violating the league’s PED policy.
“This is by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career,” Davis said in the tweet, which was accompanied by a video. “I never thought that this would happen to me. I’ve worked extremely hard to do things the right way on and off the field. Panther Nation please know that I am not a cheater.
The Panthers have yet to comment on the suspension. Davis said in the video that he was “caught off guard” when he received a positive test for what he said he was an estrogen blocker supplement.
“I’ve taken the same supplements for the last seven or eight years and never had any issues, been tested numerous times over the years while taking the same stuff,” Davis said in the video. “Unfortunately, this is some of the things that happen when you take supplements. I’ve never tested positive for steroids or HGH. This is not one of those situations.”
Davis, 35, had indicated that 2018 would be his last season but said in the video that it might not be due to the suspension. He’s spent all 13 seasons of his career with Carolina, including three Pro Bowl appearances and winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2014.
Davis was set to start at outside linebacker in the Panthers’ 4-3 scheme, with Shaq Thompson on the other edge and Luke Kuechly in the middle. Ben Jacobs, Richie Brown and David Mayo are likely to see an uptick in playing time during Thompson’s absence.