Odell Beckham Jr. Involved In “Troubling” Video
Star Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. is featured in a potentially disturbing video clip that was leaked on Friday while Beckham was on a Nike-sponsored trip in Europe, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. As Raanan writes, the clip is seven seconds long and shows Beckham in a bed holding what appears to be some sort of brown cigarette or cigar. The video also shows a woman next to Beckham holding a credit card, and there is a powdery white substance aligned in rows nearby.
Needless to say, this video has emerged at a very inopportune time for Beckham. After reportedly seeking a $100MM+ contract before the 2017 campaign got underway — and given how productive he had been in his first three years in the league, those ambitions did not seem unreasonable — Beckham managed to play just four games in 2017 due to a broken ankle, which cast his chances of landing a record-breaking extension into doubt. Nonetheless, he is still hoping for a lucrative long-term deal to come his way this offseason, as he is set to play out the 2018 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him $8.5MM.
The Giants, of course, have a new GM and head coach, both of whom have indicated that they are in Beckham’s corner and want him to be with the club for the foreseeable future. Team ownership has never wavered in its desire to make Beckham a Giant for life, but Big Blue was surely hoping that Beckham had moved past his ankle injury as well as his past enigmatic behavior, and this video will not help matters.
ESPN has been unable to confirm where or when the video was filmed, but the NFL and the Giants are aware of its existence. Both the league and the team have declined to comment beyond that, and Beckham’s camp has not returned requests for comment.
Receiver Notes: Landry, Dez, A-Rob, Evans
No players have dominated the news more in the last two days than Jarvis Landry and Richard Sherman. On Friday, the Browns kicked off their trading spree by landing the Dolphins wideout in a deal for draft picks. Earlier in the day, Sherman was released from the Seahawks and then signed with the division-rival 49ers Saturday Night.
The two possibly could have been connected on the transaction wire earlier in the 2017 season if a blockbuster deal would have gone through. That’s according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who tweets that Seattle rejected a potential Landry-for-Sherman swap in 2017.
At the time of the proposed deal, presumably before the trade deadline, Sherman was healthy and the Seahawks were looking to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive. Trading away a key member of the secondary and an influential figure in the locker room doesn’t appear to make much sense.
Regardless, it is interesting both teams were looking to move on from their respective stars as early as October.
Here’s more receivers making news:
- Before both of those deals went down, Mike Evans grabbed headlines by signing a five-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $82.5 MM. Breaking down the details, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets the Bucs will $5 MM of salary cap space in 2018 and he now takes up $18.25 MM of cap room.
- During a chat with the Dallas Morning News on Friday, Matt Mosley said his gut feeling is that Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will be back in 2018. He said that could change if the team lands a receiver in the first round. Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, among others, could be on the board when the Cowboys pick at No. 19.
- Though they didn’t place the franchise tag on him, the Jaguars do in fact like Allen Robinson and would like to have him back at the right price, general manager Dave Caldwell told Pro Football Talk. “At some point in time, just like other free agents, we’ve walked away. We don’t want to do that with Allen because he’s ours. We’ll see. We have a lot of options on the table with that.”
Seahawks To Release CB DeShawn Shead
The Seahawks plan to release cornerback DeShawn Shead on Monday after his contract tolls to give him a chance to become an unrestricted free agent, 950 KJR in Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree hears from the player’s agent Cameron Foster. 
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link), the Seahawks are honoring their statement to allow him to become a free agent despite the NFL recently deciding that his contract should toll. Shead has a meeting scheduled with the Lions, but Henderson also adds the team is hoping to bring back the veteran cornerback, who missed all but two games in 2017 in his return from tearing his ACL in a playoff game against Atlanta in January. The move is not related to the team’s recent defensive transactions that have seen the departures of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and Jeremy Lane.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, a player’s contract will toll — roll over to the 2018 season — if a player in the final year of his contract remains on the physically unable to perform list past the sixth game of the season. A restricted free agent in 2016, Shead signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks for $1.2 MM. He would be owed that same amount in 2018 if his contract tolled. Foster commended the team for the move.
“They called me and they said, ‘just giving you a heads up that we’re going to release DeShawn on Monday, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want him. That means we are living up to our word and we’re going to release him, otherwise his contract would be required to toll.’ So kudos to the Seahawks for doing the right thing.”
Shead signed with the Seahawks in 2012 after going undrafted coming out of Portland State. The following season he was promoted from the practice team and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos. In 2016, he started 15 games and registered an interception with 14 passes defensed.
Richard Sherman Signs With 49ers
Well that didn’t take long. Just a day after being released from the Seahawks, Richard Sherman found a new home by signing a three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (Twitter link). 
Sherman’s deal is worth $39 MM over three seasons, including a $5 MM signing bonus, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets the deal includes a $2 MM base salary, $2 MM in 46-man roster bonuses, $1 MM playtime incentives and a $3 MM Pro Bowl incentive. He adds that if Sherman makes the Pro Bowl in 2018, another $16 MM in base salary for 2019-20 becomes guaranteed.
The veteran cornerback told ESPN’s Josina Anderson earlier in the day that he was discussing a deal with the Bay Area side (Twitter link). Less than an hour later, the deal was done.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials.
The results of the physical must have been good. The cornerback is currently rehabbing from a torn Achilles in one leg and had surgery to remove a bone spur in the other. Sherman tabbed June as a potential timeframe for when he can return to training.
Sherman reportedly had drawn interest from a number of teams and was even said to be scheduling a visit to meet with the Lions, but the 49ers didn’t let the star cornerback leave the room. He will now get to suit up for the team he tormented for seven seasons with its NFC West division foe. With the move, Sherman will also reunite with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was a defensive assistant in Seattle from 2011-13.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Sherman Discussing Three-Year Deal With 49ers
Richard Sherman‘s first meeting of free agency must have gone well. The veteran cornerback is discussing a potential three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Josina Anderson hears from Sherman (Twitter link). 
At 7:30 P.M. EST, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager also tweeted the Sherman was currently in a room with 49ers executives, including general manager John Lynch.
After being released from the Seahawks yesterday, Sherman scheduled a meeting with the 49ers for Friday night and met with team brass. Though it was reported the three-time First Team All-Pro was looking to set up a meeting with Detroit, it sounds like he might have to cancel those plans. This is not your typical rumor, also, since the reported source is Sherman himself.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials. The veteran cornerback is still rehabbing from an Achilles injury and a minor surgery to remove a bone spur. He has put his own timeline on when he expects to be back, penciling in a return to training in June.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Nothing is official but it appears an agreement to keep Sherman in the NFC West could come down at any time.
Richard Sherman To Visit Lions?
Two stops on Richard Sherman‘s itinerary have now emerged. The free agent cornerback has scheduled a visit with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Sherman’s 49ers meeting began on Friday night and is ongoing, but the three-time All-Pro is doing due diligence as a first-time free agent, it appears.
Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, however, tweets Sherman told her he and the Lions have not slotted a date for this summit yet.
It’s unclear if Sherman is planning to examine the market through a wide lens or if he would be open to completing a deal after one of his early stops. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported the 49ers could end up being Sherman’s only visit, but preliminary interest has come Sherman’s way from the Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers and Packers thus far.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman appeared in indicate he’d like to survey the market.
“This will be an ongoing process and I am excited to take on this challenge,” the 29-year-old corner wrote (on Twitter). “To the fans urging me to join your team, I am humbled but I can only look at the teams that have reached out.”
The Lions have an entrenched CB1 in Darius Slay, a 2017 All-Pro, but have a need opposite the recently extended talent. Sherman, who will turn 30 later this month, landed on the All-Pro team from 2012-14.
Holding around $27MM in cap space, the Lions are well behind the 49ers ($70MM-plus) in this running. But this could develop into more than a two-team race for a strong candidate to land on the 2010s’ all-decade team.
Muhammad Wilkerson To Visit Redskins
A fourth known suitor for Muhammad Wilkerson has emerged, and others are on the horizon. The former Jets defensive end will visit the Redskins after his Chiefs summit concludes, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
The eighth-year defensive lineman has already met with the Packers and Saints, and La Canfora reports other teams are hoping to speak with the 28-year-old free agent.
Wilkerson planned on casting a wide net as a first-time unaffiliated NFLer, and he’s proceeding on that schedule. The Redskins, like the Packers and Chiefs, use a 3-4 scheme. The Saints are the only team he’s met with thus far that do not, but it doesn’t sound like that would be a deal-breaker for he nor a team judging by the market that’s developed for the seven-year Jets cog.
Washington has the most cap space of any of the known prospective Wilkerson buyers, sitting at $31MM-plus. The Redskins have some capable defensive ends but no one on Wilkerson’s level, at least Wilkerson at his best. While it’s not known if he’ll return to that form, several teams are betting he can help their defensive fronts.
Browns Trade DT Danny Shelton To Patriots
Another day, another Browns trade. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland has traded defensive tackle Danny Shelton to the Patriots for a conditional draft pick. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Browns will receive a 2019 third-round pick from the Patriots, while New England added a 2018 fifth-round pick from Cleveland. The two teams had been discussing the trade for several days, reports TheMMQB’s Albert Breer (via Twitter).
The 2015 first-round pick has spent the past three seasons in Cleveland, starting 45 of his 46 appearances. Following a productive campaign in 2016, Shelton’s numbers took a step back in 2017, as he finished the season with 33 tackles and zero sacks in 14 games. After ranking Shelton favorably during his sophomore season, Pro Football Focus listed him 35th among 122 interior defender candidates following his 2017 performance.
Still, 6-foot-2, 335-pound Shelton will provide the Patriots with a big-body replacement for Alan Branch. The 24-year-old, who is set to earn a base salary of $2.03MM in 2018, will presumably slide into the Patriots starting lineup, displacing either Lawrence Guy or former first-rounder Malcom Brown. New England is also rostering Vincent Valentine and Adam Butler. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweets, Shelton has shown the ability to perform in various schemes, and Bill Belichick will surely appreciate the lineman’s versatility. The Patriots will also have to decide whether they want to pick up Shelton’s fifth-year option by early May. As NESN’s Doug Kyed tweets, the project cost for a defensive tackle will be around $7MM.
This is the Browns fourth trade in less than 24 hours. Yesterday, the Browns completed deals for Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall, and they sent out 2017 second-rounder DeShone Kizer in the process. With Shelton now out of the picture, the Browns are rostering four defensive tackles: Larry Ogunjobi, Trevon Coley, Caleb Brantley, and Jeremy Faulk.
49ers To Meet With Richard Sherman
Could Richard Sherman be joining another NFC West team? It sounds like he’s at least considering the idea, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the veteran cornerback is set to meet with 49ers officials today.
San Francisco wants to confirm that Sherman is recovering from his Achilles injuries, and if everything goes well, the two sides will “try to get a contract done.” In another tweet, Schefter says there’s a good chance that this is Sherman’s only visit. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says (via Twitter) Sherman’s apparent interest in the 49ers makes sense. The cornerback has “a strong affinity for the West Coast,” and he’s already familiar with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh‘s scheme.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Sherman has received “preliminary interest” from a list of additional teams: the Lions, Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers, and Packers.
Sherman’s seven-year tenure with the Seahawks came to an end yesterday, as the team released the defensive back with a failed physical designation. The veteran is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles and remove a bone spur, but he expects to be ready by June. The three-time First-Team All-Pro was relatively productive in nine games last season, compiling 35 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Browns Deal Kizer For Damarious Randall
In the deal that sent 2015 first-round cornerback Damarious Randall to the Browns, the Packers received in return quarterback DeShone Kizer, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets. 
In addition to Randall and Kizer, the teams agreed to swap picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
A second-round selection in 2017, Kizer started 15 games with Browns as a rookie and did not win a game, posting just 11 touchdowns with a league-leading 22 interceptions. The writing appeared on the wall that the Notre Dame product was not in the Browns’ future plans after the team swung a deal for Tyrod Taylor on Friday. Just moments later, the team was able to find Kizer a new home in the Randall deal.
Boasting prototypical size and a cannon for an arm, Kizer entered the 2017 NFL Draft as a potential franchise signal-caller who could go in the first round. With the move to Green Bay, he will be able to learn the ropes from one of the best in the business in Aaron Rodgers while battling Brett Hundley, who has one year remaining on his rookie deal, for backup duties.
With the deal, the Packers cleared $1.4 MM in cap space. The Browns will have a fifth-year option on the cornerback they will have to declare by May 3, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reports (Twitter link).
A first-round selection (No. 30 overall) in 2015, Randall has appeared in 39 games with 30 starts in Green Bay and has made 10 interceptions. In 2017, the cornerback registered four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in 12 starts.
The trade can be made official as early as Wednesday.
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