Rob Gronkowski To Play In Super Bowl
The Patriots will have the services of Rob Gronkowski on Sunday. The tight end has cleared concussion protocol, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
Members of the press got their first clue that Gronk had cleared concussion protocol when he was announced to be available to media Thursday afternoon. This was the expected outcome as Gronkowski answered in the affirmative on Tuesday when asked if he would play.
Gronkowski was forced out of the Pats’ AFC Championship Game victory against the Jaguars two weeks ago, leading to some question about whether he would be ready to go. With the extra week off between the semifinal and the Super Bowl, the Pats star had enough time to clear the cobwebs and gain medical clearance.
Gronkowski hauled in a team-high 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns this year. Now that the Jaguars know he’ll be on the field, they’ll have to game plan for one of the game’s scariest offensive weapons. The Eagles’ linebackers will do their part to cover Gronkowski near the line, but Philly may be forced to use members of the secondary against him as well.
Zach Miller Hopes To Continue Playing
After a scary leg injury last year, Bears tight end Zach Miller says that he hopes to continue playing. At the same time, he acknowledges that he may be facing an uphill battle. 
“[If it doesn’t happen], then that’s just the way it goes and we’ve got to move on and do something else,” Miller told Scott Voorhees of 1110 KFAB (audio link). “Physically I’ve been through a number of surgeries or whatever it may be. I can recover from that. But the mental aspect is something you’ve got to learn how to work it, how to block out some stuff and really just stay positive, which I’ve done a pretty good job doing.”
After severely dislocating his left knee and tearing his popliteal artery, doctors told Miller that he was at risk for losing his leg. Thankfully, after nine surgeries, Miller’s knee is safe. Of course, playing football represents a much steeper challenge.
Miller has done his best work over the past three years with the Bears. In 2016, Miller caught a career-high 47 passes and 486 yards with four touchdowns. In 2017, he was on pace for similar numbers with 20 catches for 236 yards and two TDs through the end of October.
Larry Fitzgerald Would Only Play For Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald is pondering his future in the NFL, but there’s no question about where he wants to play, according to his father. Larry Fitzgerald Sr. says that his son is only interested in playing for the Cardinals. 
“There’s no chance,” Fitzgerald Sr. told Gil Brandt and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM. “This will be it. If it’s not with the Cardinals, we’ve seen the last of Larry Fitzgerald in the National Football League wearing No. 11.”
Still, it’s not clear when Fitzgerald will make the call on playing versus retiring. At the moment, the 34-year-old (35 in August) has a lot to digest between the team’s hiring of Steve Wilks as head coach and the retirement of Carson Palmer, which leaves the team without a clear successor at quarterback. If Fitzgerald decides to move forward with the new-look Cardinals, there’s already a contract in place thanks to his one-year, $11MM extension signed in November.
Fitzgerald has plenty of incentive to return to football, including his pursuit of a Super Bowl ring and his own personal place in the record books. With another 92 catches and 390 receiving yards, he’ll bypass Tony Gonzalez and Terrell Owens for second all-time on the NFL’s receptions and receiving yards list, respectively.
Latest On Johnny Manziel
Recently, Johnny Manziel‘s agent set a deadline of January 31 for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats to present his client with a deal to his liking. That date has come and gone, but the Ti-Cats say that they will continue to pursue a deal with the troubled quarterback. 
“While the discussions with Johnny Manziel and his representative have been very cordial and informative, there is nothing imminent and nothing to report. We will continue to do our due diligence and will have no further public comment on the matter as we move forward,” the team said in a statement.
Manziel’s camp is trying to play hardball with Hamilton, but the reality is that the QB doesn’t have many options on the table. So far, no NFL team has been willing to take a chance on the former first-round pick, not even on a practice squad deal. The Tiger-Cats hold the CFL’s exclusive negotiating rights for Manziel and the north-of-the-border league is the best professional platform for Manziel to showcase himself. Ultimately, he may have no choice but to accept whatever offer is put in front of him.
In his statement last month, agent Erik Burkhart said that he was seeking a contract in line with what other Ti-Cats QBs have received in recent years. As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, last year’s starter Zach Collaros earned about $500K in 2017.
For his part, Manziel doesn’t seem to think the two sides are far apart in negotiations (Twitter link).
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Houston Texans
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Houston Texans, who finished 4-12 after posting a 9-7 record for three consecutive seasons.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Angelo Blackson, DE (RFA)
- Alfred Blue, RB
- Chris Clark, T
- Andre Ellington, RB
- Bruce Ellington, WR
- Breno Giacomini, T
- Marcus Gilchrist, S
- Ben Heeney, LB (RFA)
- Jelani Jenkins, LB
- Josh Johnson, QB
- Johnathan Joseph, CB
- Ufomba Kamalu, LB (ERFA)
- Shane Lechler, P
- Greg Mancz, C (RFA)
- Corey Moore, S (ERFA)
- Brian Peters, LB (RFA)
- Eddie Pleasant, S
- Tom Savage, QB
- Xavier Su’a-Filo, G
- Jordan Todman, RB
- Marcus Williams, CB
- T.J. Yates, QB
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- J.J. Watt, DE: $15,000,000
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR: $14,000,000
- Jadeveon Clowney, DE: $13,846,000
- Kareem Jackson, CB: $9,000,000
- Brian Cushing, LB: $8,840,625
- Jeff Allen, G: $7,375,000
- Lamar Miller, RB: $6,750,000
- Whitney Mercilus, LB: $5,956,250
- C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE: $5,156,250
- Andre Hal, S: $3,750,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $56,665,767
- No first-round pick
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for CB Kevin Johnson
Three Needs:
1) Rebuild the offensive line: The Texans’ porous offensive line didn’t play a role in rookie sensation Deshaun Watson‘s torn ACL, as the first-year quarterback suffered the non-contact injury during a practice session. However, if Houston wants to protect its investment under center for the long-term, the club needs to do something about its front five, which ranked among the league’s worst and traded away its best player — left tackle Duane Brown — at midseason.
Nearly every individual and team metric was down on the Texans’ offensive line in 2017. Football Outsiders ranked the unit 20th in adjusted line yards and 30th in adjusted sack rate, while Houston finished dead last in pressure rate allowed. The club allowed 54 sacks (second-most in the NFL), while no Texans offensive lineman received a grade greater than 45 (on a 100-point scale) from Pro Football Focus. Players such as Breno Giacomini, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Greg Mancz, Jeff Allen, and Chris Clark — none of which are household names — garnered at least 45% playtime in what became a lost Houston season.
As such, the Texans are looking at a complete offseason revamp of their front five: Giacomini, Su’a-Filo, and Clark are all free agents and don’t figure to attract much interest, while Mancz is a restricted free agent and Allen is a candidate for his release. However, Houston will have to do nearly all of its offensive line rebuilding through free agency, as the 2018 draft lacks impact lineman (and the Texans don’t own a first- or second-round pick, anyway).
The free agent tackle class doesn’t offer many special options, either, but Texans head coach Bill O’Brien‘s Patriots connections could make Houston a player for Nate Solder, Cameron Fleming, or LaAdrian Waddle. Solder is clearly the prize among that group, and given that he’s far and away the best blindside protector on the open market, Houston would have to outbid several other clubs in order to land him. With nearly $60MM in cap space, the Texans have the ability to do just that, but Fleming and/or Waddle could also be viable solutions at cheaper cost.
The only other free agent tackles worth considering are the Giants’ Justin Pugh and the Steelers’ Chris Hubbard, but each come with concerns. Pugh has generally played guard and right tackle at the NFL level, so he could be stretched if asked to play on the left side full-time, while Hubbard had never started more than four games before last season. Other free agents at the tackle position include Greg Robinson, Donald Stephenson, Garry Gilliam, and Andre Smith, none of which would represent significant upgrades over the Texans’ current line.
Unrestricted free agency isn’t flush with left tackles, but the Texans could take an unorthodox approach and pursue Redskins restricted free agent Ty Nsekhe. Nsekhe isn’t a conventional pickup, as he’ll turn 33 years old during the 2018 season and has started only 11 games during the course of his career. But Nsekhe was incredibly successful as a fill-in for Trent Williams in 2016, and Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus told me last spring that Nsekhe has the “kind of power and athletic mix that makes him a fit for any scheme.” Andy Benoit of TheMMQB.com, meanwhile, called Nsekhe a “good North/South run-blocker” who is “athletic enough to contribute in an outside zone game.”
One other tackle who could potentially help Houston is already on the club’s roster: Derek Newton tore both patella tendons in October 2016 and hasn’t been on the field since, and while there’s been no recent update on his health, Newton was reportedly optimistic at this time last year that he’d be able to play again at some point. Medical professionals have called Newton’s injury a “once-every five year” outcome, so there’s no guarantee Newton will ever return, let alone play at the same level. The Texans have more information than the general public on Newton’s status, and their offseason moves at right tackle should reflect their opinion of his health.
While Houston may not be able to use free agency to pick up a starting tackle, the team should make hay in the free agent guard market, which offers more serviceable options. Andrew Norwell figures to land the largest contract among the group, and the Texans should be interested, as signing the former Panther would allow the club to correct its mistake in signing Allen two years ago. Weston Richburg could be another interesting addition, although his presence would force Houston to move either him or incumbent center Nick Martin to guard.
Other guard/centers that could require multi-year contracts include Josh Kline (Titans), Jack Mewhort (Colts), and Ryan Jensen (Ravens), but the Texans could also ink a few older players to one-year pacts in an effort to solidify their front five. Given Watson’s cheap contract and the overall weakness of the AFC South, Houston should try to compete immediately, so signing veterans for a single-season run isn’t the worst idea. Among the candidates for such a deal could be Brandon Fusco, Matt Slauson, Alex Boone, or Jahri Evans.
2) Bolster the secondary: The Texans were still in the mix for cornerback A.J. Bouye in the spring of 2017, but eventually lost him to the division-rival Jaguars after not using the franchise tender. Granted, Houston entered last offseason with only $25MM in cap space, so the club didn’t have unlimited funds to use on re-signing Bouye, but his absence was felt last year. None of Kareem Jackson, Johnathan Joseph, nor Kevin Johnson played well, and the Texans ranked 24th, 30th, and 24th in DVOA against No. 1, No. 2, and slot receivers, respectively. Overall, Houston surrendered the second-most passing touchdowns and yards per attempt in the NFL in 2017.
Joseph (33) and Jackson (29) aren’t part of the Texans’ long-term plans, and neither may be on the team’s roster next season. Joseph is a free agent, and given his recent lack of production, it probably doesn’t make sense for Houston to re-sign him. According to the 2018 Pro Football Focus Free Agent Guide, Joseph ranked 88th among 126 qualified corners with a 99.1 passer rating last year, and finished 105th in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.45). Jackson also struggled in 2017, and given that the Texans can save $6.75MM by cutting him in the coming weeks, he could be a cap casualty.Read more
Cardinals Expected To Cut Adrian Peterson
The Cardinals are expected to release veteran running back Adrian Peterson this offseason, according to Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com.
Arizona acquired Peterson from the Saints in October for the price of a 2018 sixth-round pick, and installed him as its starting running back in the absence of superstar David Johnson. Peterson, who will turn 33 years old in March, managed 3.5 yards per carry on 129 rushes and scored twice in the desert. However, he was among the least effective backs in the league: Football Outsiders ranked Peterson 46th among 47 running backs in both DYAR and DVOA, metrics which measure overall and per-play value, respectively.
With Johnson expected back from injury in 2018, Peterson wouldn’t have been handling many carries, which makes his $2.881MM cap charge relatively untenable. The Cardinals’ new coaching staff may have also played a role in Peterson’s ouster, as former head coach Bruce Arians had said the future Hall of Famer would be part of Arizona’s 2018 plans. However, new head coach Steve Wilks and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy may have had other ideas, and presumably believe they can find a cheaper — or more effective — backup running back.
Peterson has already stated that he intends to continue his career in 2018, so he’ll be looking for work after he hits the free agent market. While it may be a bit early to speculate on potential destinations, the Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants all expressed interest in Peterson before he signed with New Orleans last year. Additionally, the Ravens reportedly discussed trading for Peterson before the Saints shipped him to Arizona.
Browns Offered Second-Rounder For Smith
A report Tuesday night indicated the Browns were in the mix for Alex Smith, but it was unclear how willing John Dorsey was to reunite with his former quarterback.
However, the Browns appeared rather serious in their pursuit, with ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon reporting the team offered the Chiefs a second-round pick for Smith.
The Browns, who own three second-round selections, weren’t willing to give Smith the kind of contract the Redskins were. McManamon notes Cleveland wouldn’t match Washington’s extension for Smith.
It’s unclear which of the Browns’ second-round choices was offered. Cleveland owns picks 33, 35 and 63. The Redskins acquired Smith for a mid-third-round selection and emerging cornerback Kendall Fuller. The defender being under contract for two more seasons may have been a key bargaining chip against Cleveland, which has not been said to have offered a player as well as the Round 2 pick.
The Browns were not the only non-Redskins team in the mix for Smith, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN reported was pursued by as many as six franchises. The Cardinals and Broncos were also in on the veteran quarterback.
This marks the second time in less than six months the Browns were willing to fork over a second-round pick for a quarterback they didn’t end up getting.
Cleveland offered Cincinnati second- and third-round choices for A.J. McCarron and nearly acquired the Bengals backup, with the deal infamously falling apart at the 11th hour. The Browns were also reportedly willing to surrender a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. Although expected to draft a quarterback at No. 1 overall, Cleveland remains without a proven passer despite extensive efforts to land a veteran.
Chiefs To Acquire CB Kendall Fuller
The Chiefs will receive cornerback Kendall Fuller from the Redskins as part of the Alex Smith trade, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Kansas City is also acquiring a 2018 third-round pick from Washington.
The Redskins’ decision to part with Fuller in exchange for Smith is fairly surprising given that Fuller is still only 22 years old and performed like one the NFL’s best cornerbacks in 2017. Fuller played two-thirds of Washington’s defensive snaps a season ago and graded as the league’s No. 6 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders was also a fan of Fuller’s work, as the former third-round pick ranked second in success rate and eighth in yards per pass allowed.
Fuller’s contract situation is also appealing, as he still has two years left on his rookie deal. While the Redskins have agreed to a four-year, $94MM extension with Smith, Fuller will earn less than $1.5MM from 2018-19. That’s incredibly important for the Chiefs, who were projected to be nearly $10MM over the cap when the 2018 league year began in mid-March.
Now that he’s in Kansas City, Fuller figures to step immediately into the club’s starting lineup opposite fellow cornerback Marcus Peters. The Chiefs ranked just 23rd in pass defense DVOA in 2017, but they now have the opportunity to revamp their secondary, as Terrance Mitchell, Kenneth Acker, and Phillip Gaines are all scheduled to hit free agency in roughly six weeks. Veteran Darrelle Revis is technically under contract for 2018, but he’ll be released before his $10MM guarantee kicks in on March 14.
Browns Tried To Trade For QB Alex Smith
Before the Chiefs sent Alex Smith to the Redskins, the Browns made a play for the veteran quarterback, according to Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. As many as six teams may have expressed interest in Smith, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Broncos had some level of interest in Smith, but it’s not clear if Denver actually discussed an acquisition with Kansas City, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link).
Washington ultimately acquired Smith in exchange for a 2018 third-round pick and an unidentified player, so Cleveland presumably was unwilling to meet that asking price. The Browns not only own higher draft choices than do the Redskins, but also possess more total selections, meaning general manager John Dorsey & Co. had the ammunition to make a deal. Dorsey, notably, previously acquired Smith from the 49ers as Kansas City’s general manager in 2013.
Cleveland is fully expected to pursue quarterback upgrades this offseason, and may be open to adding a veteran signal-caller via trade or free agency and using an early-round pick on a passer. Smith would have given the Browns a competent starter under center, allowing the club to either bring in a first-round rookie — such as USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield — or give 2017 second-rounder DeShone Kizer more time to develop.
But now that Smith is on board in the nation’s capital, the Redskins won’t be signing fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will now hit the open market. The Browns expressed interest in trading for Cousins during the 2017 draft, and while Cleveland now has a new front office in place, it’s fair to assume the club will have pursue Cousins now that he’s a free agent. The Browns are second in the NFL with nearly $110MM in available cap space, meaning they’ll have the flexibility to offer him a hefty contract.
Redskins To Extend QB Alex Smith
The Redskins have agreed to a new four-year contract with newly-acquired quarterback Alex Smith that will keep him in the nation’s capital through the 2022 campaign, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
The new deal will pay Smith $23.5MM annually and features $70MM in guarantees, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That guarantee figure likely doesn’t refer to full guarantees, as no player has topped the $61MM mark in full guarantees. However, Smith will still become the sixth-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual salary.
Smith had only one season remaining on his former contract: he would’ve earned a $14.5MM base salary next season, and because he was acquired via trade, Washington wouldn’t have been on the hook for any of his signing bonus proration. Whether Smith’s new deal alters his 2018 cap charge is unclear, but he’s likely to pocket some extra cash this year thanks to a fresh signing bonus.
The Redskins rank near the top of the league in available cap space with more than $52MM in reserves, so they’ll be able to afford to give their new quarterback a raise. While Smith is coming off arguably the best season of his career, he’s also 33 years old, so he may not have had the leverage to become the league’s highest-paid quarterback. Washington and Smith likely agreed to an extension prior to the trade that will significantly increase Smith’s salary, but keep him below the $25MM+ average that currently tops the quarterback market.
Washington was famously resistant to inking former starter Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal, and had assigned the Cousins the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons. As such, Cousins earned nearly $44MM from 2016-17, and would have taken home north of $34MM in 2018 had the Redskins opted to deploy the franchise tender again.