Seahawks Willing To Trade Jimmy Graham?
Texans LT Duane Brown is expected to suit up for Houston for the first time this season as the club takes on the Seahawks in Seattle today. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though, today might be Brown’s last day in a Texans uniform.
Per Rapoport (Twitter links), the Seahawks are continuing their attempts to acquire a veteran left tackle, and Seattle and Houston have engaged in talks involving Brown. Brown, of course, has held out all season to express his dissatisfaction over his current contract, and he has only reported to the team in order to accrue a year of service time; if he missed any more game action, he would not receive any credit for the 2017 season and would remain under club control for two more years instead of being eligible for free agency at the end of the 2018 campaign.
Seattle, though, is pretty strapped for cap space, and as Rapoport points out, if the Seahawks were to trade for a left tackle like Brown — they are also interested in the Bills’ Cordy Glenn and the Colts’ Anthony Castonzo — they would need to cut or trade other players to remain under the salary cap. One player who could be moved is TE Jimmy Graham, who is earning $7.9MM in base salary this year and who is counting for $10MM against the cap. Rapoport says Seattle would be willing to move Graham if such a move would allow them to acquire a left tackle.
However, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll strong denied that Graham would be available before Tuesday’s deadline, calling any reports to that effect “total bull—-“, as Michael Silver of NFL.com tweets. Similarly, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) has been told Seattle has no plans to trade Graham.
Graham, 30, is averaging a career-low 9.6 yards per catch through six games this season, which comes on the heels of an excellent 2016 season, his best in Seattle. The Seahawks continue to believe Graham is a critical part of the offense, but they feel acquiring a quality left tackle is more important.
For what it’s worth, Rapoport says it is unlikely that the Seahawks and Texans agree to a one-for-one swap involving Brown and Graham, but it could be a possibility (Twitter link). Houston, however, is probably more interested in acquiring draft capital than a 30-year-old tight end on an expiring contract.
Martellus Bennett Considering Retirement?
Packers tight end Martellus Bennett is seemingly considering hanging up his cleats following the end of the 2017 season, as he announced on his Instagram account (Twitter link).
“After conversations with my family I’m pretty sure these next 8 games will be the conclusion of my NFL career,” writes Bennett. “To everyone who has poured themselves and time into my life and career. These next games are for you. Thank you.”
Bennett, 30, is in the midst of his 10th NFL campaign, and his first with the Packers, with whom he signed a three-year, $21MM deal in the spring. Fresh off one of the more productive seasons of his career with the Patriots in 2016, Bennett has disappointed this year, as he’s managed only 24 receptions, 233 yards, and zero touchdowns through seven games.
If this is it for Bennett, the former second-round pick will have completed an outstanding decade-long career, a tenure all the more noteworthy given that Bennett was essentially a part-time player through his first four NFL seasons (all with the Cowboys). Over the next five years, Bennett averaged 64 catches, 688 yards, and six touchdowns per season with the Giants, Bears, and Patriots, and earned a Super Bowl ring in the process.
Bennett will finish the rest of his Packers career without quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, so his dismal numbers might not see much of an improvement over the second half of the season. If Bennett does indeed retire, Green Bay will be stuck with dead money in 2018, as $4.2MM in prorated signing bonus cash will immediately accelerate onto the Packers’ salary cap.
Bennett has never been accused of a shortage of interests, and his life off the football field figures to be just as entertaining and refreshing as his NFL career. (For an excellent profile of Bennett and his brother, Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett, check out Mina Kimes’ of ESPN.com’s 2016 piece.)
Jaguars To Acquire DT Marcell Dareus
The Jaguars have agreed to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from the Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Buffalo will receive a 2018 sixth-round pick that change to a fifth-round pick based if Dareus sticks on Jacksonville’s roster for the rest of the season and the Jaguars make the playoffs, per Schefter and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
Dareus had long been thought to be available on the trade market, as the new Buffalo regime — including general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — didn’t believe Dareus’ immense talent was worth his reported motivational lapses. Indeed, the Bills attempted to trade Dareus this offseason, but weren’t able to find a match.
The inability to Dareus until this point was likely due to his massive contract, a six-year, $95.1MM extension that he inked in 2015. It’s incredibly surprising the Bills were able to convince the Jaguars to take on the remaining portions of Dareus’ deal, which includes the rest of his guaranteed $9.75MM base salary this season and a $7.35MM guarantee in 2018. Dareus is also set to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.335MM, $12.335MM, and $12.4MM from 2019-21, with $2MM available in roster bonuses during those three seasons.
Jacksonville can afford Dareus’ contract in 2017, as it still has more than $37MM in reserves, but his 2018 salary will eat into the club’s $13MM worth of cap space next season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is relieving itself of a hefty financial obligation, but will still be forced to eat part of Dareus’ deal. The rest of his prorated bonus money — $14.2MM in total — will accelerate onto the Bills’ salary cap in 2018.
Dareus, who now reunites with former Bills/current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, will join an already stacked defense that leads the league in DVOA. While the unit is excellent, it does rank dead last in run defense DVOA, an area Dareus should help improve. Jacksonville now fields a defensive line that includes Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, and Dante Fowler Jr.
Dareus, 27, clearly has immense talent, as evidenced both by his draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2011) and his prior NFL production, so if Marrone and the rest of Jacksonville’s staff can motivate him, Dareus could prove to be steal. He’s only played 138 defensive snaps on the season, but Dareus has graded as the NFL’s No. 37 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The Alabama product is three years removed from his best overall year, a 2014 campaign which saw him manage 10 sacks from the defensive tackle position.
Anquan Boldin Interested In Playing Again; Bills Open To Trade
Anquan Boldin retired during the Bills’ preseason slate after a brief stay in Buffalo and ruled out a late-season return previously, but the veteran wide receiver looks to have changed his mind to some degree. He’s interested in playing again, and the Bills are open to trading his rights.
The Bills gave Boldin’s agent, Tom Condon, permission to seek a trade. Brandon Beane wrote Condon a letter (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com) Thursday granting him permission to pursue a Boldin trade.
Beane notes in the letter a factor here could be proximity to Boldin’s family. A report emerged over the summer Boldin was looking to play closer to his home in Florida, and while no reported interest is known from the Dolphins, Buccaneers or Jaguars, Beane including this language in his letter adds weight to Boldin being interested in moving south for a possible return. The Florida State alum has never played for a southeastern-based NFL team.
This letter prohibits Boldin from discussing a new contract with another team and does not give the would-be 15th-year veteran permission to make visits. It also notes the Bills’ offer for Boldin’s camp to find a trade partner expires on the Halloween trade deadline. It doesn’t sound like Beane is too interested in relinquishing Boldin’s rights and letting him sign with another team as a UFA.
Cardinals Place Carson Palmer On IR
The Cardinals’ IR has become flush with big names. Carson Palmer joined that contingent officially on Thursday. The team announced the placement of its starting quarterback on IR.
This will put Palmer out for at least eight weeks, with the Cardinals’ Christmas Eve game against the Giants being the earliest the veteran passer could return.
Palmer suffered a broken arm in the Cardinals’ loss to the Rams on Sunday, and while Bruce Arians said this week Palmer believed he could return sooner, the 15th-year signal-caller is on the shelf for the mandated eight weeks. This timeline could well mean Palmer’s season is over. And given that he didn’t announce he was returning to the Cardinals until the offseason was well underway, it shouldn’t be assumed Palmer will return to football.
The Cardinals are 3-4 and vying for playoff positioning out of a competitive division. The Rams lead the NFC West at 5-2, and the Seahawks — qualifiers for five straight NFC playoff brackets — are 4-2 with a road victory over the Rams. Arizona is now without its top quarterback, running back and offensive lineman, with David Johnson and Mike Iupati also on IR.
Arizona can bring Johnson or Iupati back earlier, but the Cardinals falling out of the race would presumably induce the team to err on the side of caution and give the younger talents a fresh start going into the 2018 season.
Palmer is under contract through next season and set to count $20.625MM against the Cardinals’ cap. He contemplated retirement after last season but opted to return. The former Heisman Trophy winner has suffered multiple severe knee injuries, the second damaging the 2014 Cardinals’ hopes. This latest malady figures to induce more deliberation from the passer about his future.
Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower Done For Season?
3:35pm: Hightower underwent surgery to repair the damaged pectoral muscle on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds the veteran linebacker is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2018 season.
10:30am: The Patriots still do not know if Hightower will be out for the year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Hightower will visit Dr. James Andrews to get a better assessment of the damage.
9:51am: Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Pats are expected to formally place him on injured reserve on Thursday afternoon. 
Losing Hightower is a major blow to the Patriots’ defense. As the team’s middle linebacker, Hightower was essentially the leader of the front seven and the extension of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia on the field.
Hightower missed two of the Pats’ games in September and his absence was noticeable. Heading into Week 4, the usually solid Pats ranked dead last in the NFL in points allowed, yards allowed, and defensive DVOA. They can draw from a reserve group including Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts (missed Sunday’s game with an injury of his own), David Harris, Marquis Flowers, and Trevor Reilly, but it would make sense for them to explore available MLBs between now and the Halloween trade deadline.
Hightower, 27, played in 13 games last season and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers. In the spring, he was rewarded with a four-year, $43.5MM deal, including $19MM guaranteed. The Patriots’ decision to keep Hightower and re-sign him on a large contract underscored his importance after they traded away other key defenders such as Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones.
Jaguars Extend LB Telvin Smith
The Jaguars have signed linebacker Telvin Smith to a four-year extension through the 2021 season, the club announced. The deal is worth $44MM and has a maximum value of $50MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Adam Schefter of NFL.com (Twitter link).
“He has earned this second contract,” Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin said of Smith in a statement. “We want to identify the players who will contribute to helping this team win going forward, and reward those who can do that. Telvin is certainly one of those players for us.”
Jacksonville found Smith in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, and he’s been a playmaker since day one. While he’s been a starter for much of his time with the Jaguars, the 26-year-old Smith entered the league’s elite linebacker class in 2016, and has continued his excellent production through seven weeks of the 2017 campaign.
An every-down linebacker, Smith has remained on the field for 99% of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps, helping the club to a No. 1 overall DVOA ranking and a 4-3 record. On an individual level, Smith grades as the No. 3 linebacker in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Fast enough to play in coverage, Smith is the prototypical 21st century ‘backer, but he’s also spectacular against the run (No. 2 behind Lavonte David, per PFF).
While the specifics of Smith’s new deal aren’t in just yet, his $11MM annual average value would place him behind only the the Browns’ Jamie Collins and the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly as the highest-paid off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Contract structure and guarantees will impact analysis of the pact, but at first glance, Smith has met market expectations.
The Jaguars have not been shy about extending players whom they feel have a long-term impact with the club, and the 2014 class is no exception. Along with Smith, Jacksonville has also locked up center Brandon Linder and wide receiver Allen Hurns (who was signed as a undrafted free agent) to multi-year deals.
Hawks, Bills Discussed Cordy Glenn Trade
As part of their ongoing search for offensive line help, the Seahawks approached the Bills about left tackle Cordy Glenn, but those talks “fizzled,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Glenn returned to Buffalo’s lineup on Sunday having been sidelined by injuries since Week 2, and despite some questions as to whether Glenn would regain his starting job over rookie Dion Dawkins, Glenn did indeed play a large role in the Bills’ victory (85% of offensive snaps). But Buffalo clearly is pleased with Dawkins’ production thus far, creating an opportunity to possibly move Glenn.
General manager Brandon Beane isn’t afraid to deal veteran assets, as evidenced by his preseason trades of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. And the Bills probably wouldn’t mind getting Glenn’s contract off their books as they retool their roster in the mold of head coach Sean McDermott over the next few years. An acquiring club would take on the rest of Glenn’s $9MM salary for 2017, plus base salaries of $9.25MM, $7.25MM, and $7.25MM over the next three seasons (Glenn also has $2MM roster bonuses in each year).
Like Beane, Seattle general manager John Schneider has shown a willingness to trade, and he recently said the Seahawks are “constantly in talks” with other teams regarding possible swaps. Seattle’s front five once again ranks as one of the NFL’s least productive, and several of the club’s projected starters — George Fant, Luke Joeckel — are now sidelined with injuries. Rees Odhiambo, the Seahawks’ current blinside protector, has graded as the league’s worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Other options to help the depleted Seattle line have been discussed. The Seahawks reportedly focused on disgruntled Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown in recent weeks, but Brown has since ended his holdout and Houston may not have any inclination to deal their best offensive lineman during a competitive season. Free agent Branden Albert, meanwhile, turned down Seattle’s contract offer last week and is still on the open market.
Latest On Steelers’ Martavis Bryant
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant was told by team brass that he should expect to be inactive on Sunday (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). This comes on the heels of word that Bryant was practicing with the scout team on Wednesday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). 
When asked why he won’t be playing this weekend, Bryant told reporters (Twitter link) that it all stems from “social media.” Earlier this week, Bryant got into it with a fan on Instagram who asserted that teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster was the superior wide receiver.
“JuJu is no where near better than me, fool,” Bryant wrote. “All they need to do is give me what I want and y’all can have JuJu and whoever else.”
Of course, that social media spat came in the midst of Bryant’s very vocal dissatisfaction with his role in the offense. Bryant’s reps requested a trade earlier this month, but the Steelers say they will not part with him between now and the Halloween deadline.
For now, Bryant has been demoted in practice while Justin Hunter takes his reps.
Chargers Trade WR Dontrelle Inman To Bears
The Chargers have traded wide receiver Dontrelle Inman to the Bears, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Los Angeles will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in the deal, based on Inman production this season. 
On Sunday against the Panthers, Mitch Trubisky completed just four passes out of seven attempts. The Bears have multiple issues to address on offense, and that includes a lack of receiving weapons. Enter Inman, a pass-catcher with experience who has not seen a ton of action so far in 2017.
Inman has been with the Bolts for the last four seasons following a post-college stint in the CFL. The 28-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2016, with career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (810), and touchdowns (four).
Despite that performance, he slipped in the Chargers’ pecking order this year thanks to the re-emergence of Keenan Allen and a lingering hamstring injury. Hamstring issue aside, there wasn’t a clear path for Inman’s usage to improve now that first-round pick Mike Williams is with the team. The Bolts saw this coming, which is why they first started shopping Inman over the summer.
Top receivers Kevin White and Cameron Meredith have both landed on IR with major injuries. Markus Wheaton, meanwhile, is out through at least Week 9 with a strained groin. Given the lack of options in Chicago, Inman could slot in as the Bears’ WR2 behind Kendall Wright and ahead of Josh Bellamy, Tre McBride, and Tanner Gentry.
Inman has extra incentive to produce as he approaches unrestricted free agency. In the interim, he’s playing on the one-year, $2.746MM deal he received as a restricted free agent tendered at the second-round level.
The trade deadline is on Oct. 31. We’ve been seeing more trades than ever in the NFL, so this could be an eventful week.