DeAndre Levy Files Grievance Against Lions
Free agent linebacker DeAndre Levy has filed an injury grievance against the Lions, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press first reported last weekend that Levy would take this route.
Levy’s decision stems from the fact that the Lions passed him on their physical when they released him in March, even though he was dealing with a knee injury. By giving Levy a clean bill of health, the Lions avoided having to pay the 30-year-old the $1.75MM injury guarantee in his contract.
“I figured there was something wrong because they passed me on a physical when I couldn’t even sit down to a chair or get into a linebacker stance at the time,” Levy told Rothstein. “In my mind, I didn’t think about the legal contract part of it. I thought, this is f—– up, like I can’t get into position, how can I pass a physical. I didn’t know it was a physical the first time.”
Levy suffered the injury in Week 1 last year and only made five appearances in 2016 as a result. He underwent meniscus surgery once during the season and again this past April, and now he’s “struggling to get up and down stairs.” In Levy’s view, the Lions treated him unfairly, so he regrets playing through the injury last season and putting himself in an even worse situation physically.
“This set me back another year and has been extremely difficult to deal with,” Levy said. “Physically difficult and then being chewed up and spat on after eight years of sacrificing so much for them.”
Before his mostly lost 2016, Levy missed 15 of 16 games in 2015 with a hip injury. He only played in six of 32 regular-season games during the previous two seasons, then, and will also miss a substantial portion of the 2017 campaign. Levy informed Rothstein that five or six interested teams have contacted him since he became a free agent, but he has held off on signing because he won’t be cleared until November or December. Further, after what happened in Detroit, Levy doesn’t want to put his fate in the hands of an NFL team’s medical staff again.
“I think right now, I’d be foolish, at this point in my career,” Levy said. “To put my health in the well-being of NFL doctors.”
While it’s unclear if Levy actually will play again, any team that signs him would be getting an accomplished defender. Before injuries derailed his career, Levy starred at times from 2009-14, particularly when he intercepted six passes in 2013 and then tallied 155 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pick in ’14 en route to second-team All-Pro honors. The Lions handed Levy a four-year, $33.7MM extension in the ensuing offseason, but he only saw half of that deal through.
Johnny Manziel Pondering Coaching Career
Johnny Manziel still wants to return to the NFL, but he’s starting to consider some alternatives in case that doesn’t come to fruition. The former Browns quarterback would like to coach, “probably” at the college level. 
“I’d do something involved with sports. I can’t get away from it,” Manziel said (via ESPN.com). “I’ve had to ask myself that a little bit as of late over the past year, but at the same time I’d want to be involved in sports in some way, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s doing something like that. So I think that’d be my route.”
Manziel, 24, has no formal coaching experience, though he did serve as a coach at an Elite 11 quarterback camp in February. Despite all of his star power, Manziel’s bad behavior over the years might make it hard for him to get a foot in the door in the coaching world.
At the same time, it doesn’t appear that he has any real interest from NFL teams. The Cowboys did not give any thought to signing Manziel when mulling quarterback options in July and we haven’t gotten a whiff of any concrete interest in the QB since his Super Bowl week meeting with Saints coach Sean Payton. Meanwhile, Manziel personally said that he has only had “a couple of discussions” with teams about a potential return.
Lions’ Matthew Stafford Hasn’t Set Deadline
There’s still a big gap between the Lions and Matthew Stafford in contract talks, but the quarterback is staying patient for now. Stafford says that he has not imposed a deadline for extension talks.
[RELATED: Lions Notes: LTs, Tabor, Quin]
“As far as the deadline goes, it’s something I’ll talk to my agent about,” Stafford told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM. “I’m not worried about it at the moment. The contract, it’s really not too difficult for me to not think about. The only time I really talk about it is with [the media]. Guys in the locker room know it’s all about football. They’ve all been through these situations before. I’m just trying to do everything I possibly can to be as good a football player as I can be and lead our team.”
Sometimes, players will ask that extension talks cease before Week 1 in order to avoid distractions during the season. It’s also a smart way to hurry things along when talks stall. Stafford didn’t guarantee that he won’t set a deadline, but it’s noteworthy that he has not done that yet.
Stafford, 29, is coming off of the best season of his career. An extension with the Lions would likely make him the highest-paid player in the NFL. And, when all is said and done, he could wind up as the league’s top earner of all-time.
Jaguars Put Branden Albert On Retired List
The Jaguars are placing offensive tackle Branden Albert on the reserve/retired list. Albert, who flip-flopped on retiring this week, was previously on the “left team” list. 
[RELATED: Branden Albert To Un-Retire, Report To Jaguars]
The change in designation theoretically allows Albert to play for the Jaguars, but that’s not what the team has in mind. The move essentially means that the Jaguars are not interested in his services right now and, barring something unforeseen, we won’t see him suit up for Jacksonville.
After Albert informed the Jaguars of his retirement on July 31st and had a change of heart on August 7th, there was some question as to whether he would be welcomed back. It seems that the Jags are moving on rather than carrying out a deal that had non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018.
If Albert stayed retired, the Jaguars reserved the right to recoup $3.4MM in signing bonus money from him. It’s not immediately clear what the Jaguars can do in that regard or whether they’ll come after those dollars.
In 2016, Albert registered a career-worst 42.2 overall score on Pro Football Focus. He also missed four games due to injury. In his healthier years, however, he vacillated between above average to very good.
If Albert is out of the picture, we’re likely to see rookie Cam Robinson at left tackle.
Brandon Flowers To Retire
Veteran cornerback Brandon Flowers will formally announce his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Flowers, 31, is currently a free agent and had drawn interest since being released by the Chargers earlier this year. He met with the Cardinals last month, but Arizona chose another experienced defensive back — former Brown Tramon Williams — over Flowers. Additionally, the Steelers and Patriots both put in calls to Flowers and his representation, but neither team ever set up a (known) visit.
Originally selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2008 draft, Flowers became an instant starter for Kansas City, teaming with fellow 2008 draftee Brandon Carr to give the Chiefs one of the league’s more underrated corner duos. Flowers started 87 games for Kansas City over the course of six years, posting 17 interceptions during that time. A scheme change in 2013 led to a down season for Flowers, and he was subsequently released.
Flowers stayed in the AFC West, inking a one-year deal with the division rival Chargers. After an excellent San Diego debut in 2014, Flowers signed a new four-year, $36MM pact to stay with the Chargers. Injuries began to take their toll the following season, however, as Flowers missed five games in 2015 before concussions limited him to six contests in 2016. The Chargers cut ties this spring, and Flowers had sat on the open market since.
While he may have never been a household name, Flowers was an outstanding defensive back for nearly a decade. From 2008-15, Flowers was the NFL’s 21st most valuable cornerback in terms of weighted approximate value, Pro Football Reference’s catch-call metric. PFR extends Flowers all the best in retirement and congratulates him on a superb career.
Branden Albert To Un-Retire, Report To Jags
Offensive tackle Branden Albert has informed the Jaguars he will reverse his decision to retire and instead report to camp, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, there are many “moving parts,” and Albert is not yet officially a member of Jacksonville’s roster, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the Jaguars are interested in welcoming Albert back to the club, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Albert, 32, originally announced his retirement a week ago today, a decision that leave Jacksonville with something of a void at left tackle. Second-round rookie Cam Robinson had been set to protect quarterback Blake Bortles‘ blindside, but he now figures to shift back to left guard, with Albert taking over tackle once again. Overall, it’s a marked improvement for a Jaguars offensive line that will be essential to the club’s success in 2016.
Jacksonville acquired Albert from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2018 seventh-round pick earlier this year, and the veteran offensive lineman requested a new contract almost immediately upon becoming a Jaguar. General manager Dave Caldwell & Co. refused to rework Albert’s pact, and could have sought to recoup $3.4MM in signing bonus money had Albert stayed retired. While entirely speculative, its possible the idea of losing those funds led Albert to report to camp.
Albert, who met with the Jaguars over the weekend (Twitter link via Garafolo), will enter his 10th NFL campaign if his decision to return sticks. Miami will also see a small benefit from Albert’s resolution, as the club should acquire that aforementioned 2018 draft choice if Albert says on Jacksonville’s roster for at least three games.
At present, Albert is scheduled to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018.
Jay Cutler To Sign With Dolphins
Jay Cutler has come out of retirement to sign a one-year deal with the Dolphins, the team announced on Monday. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Schefter tweets that Cutler will earn $10MM, plus incentives, in 2017, and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets that the incentives could raise the total value of the contract to $13MM.
Cutler’s base salary will be $5MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. With incumbent Fins backup Matt Moore making $1.75MM in base salary, this suggests Adam Gase expects his former pupil to become the starter and also suggests that Ryan Tannehill will miss an extended period of time.
Salguero reports Tannehill, again, has a partially torn ACL. The sixth-year passer suffered the same injury late in the 2016 regular season. It’s uncertain if the Dolphins’ franchise passer will undergo surgery this time to repair the damage or opt for more non-surgical treatment, but he will be out for a while.
Tannehill, 29, spent the past several days consulting with experts about continuing to delay a surgery instead of going under the knife and ending his season, per Salguero. The Miami-embedded reporter adds Tannehill is likely to need surgery, because Cutler didn’t want to step into a situation where Tannehill would come back this season. As of now, Tannehill is almost certain to miss the season, with Salguero tweeting the start of the 2018 campaign is in question.
In Cutler, Dolphins managed to sign a quarterback who possesses high-end physical tools (even if other aspects of Cutler’s game have been scrutinized) and knowledge of Gase’s system. The 34-year-old, who retired from football in May after receiving limited interest as a free agent, has a good relationship with Gase from their time in Chicago in 2015. Then the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Gase helped Cutler to one of his best seasons, in which he completed 64.4 percent of passes, averaged 7.58 yards per attempt and threw 21 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions.
This saga went in a different direction than an ESPN report indicated it probably would on Saturday. Cutler will pivot away from the FOX job he secured earlier this year. And, after piloting some lower-profile Bears teams during his final few seasons in the Windy City, the former first-round pick will become a key component in the AFC playoff race.
The closest Cutler came to a post-Chicago landing spot was with the Jets, who had some interest but did not want to pay franchise-passer money and opted for ex-Cutler teammate Josh McCown instead. Now, Cutler will be thrown onto a playoff-contending outfit. And the skill-position cadre of Jay Ajayi, Julius Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker stands to double as one of the best in Cutler’s now-12-season career.
Cutler has one Pro Bowl to his credit, with the 2008 Broncos, and has guided a team to one playoff berth (2010 Bears). His salary will place him in a barely explored middle ground between backup quarterbacks and franchise starters. Cutler’s $10MM in 2017 places him 22nd among quarterbacks, in between the previous gulf that existed between Mike Glennon and Tyrod Taylor in this hierarchy.
Tannehill will earn $20.3MM in 2017, making the Dolphins more committed to two passers financially than any NFL team.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Jets To Place WR Quincy Enunwa On IR
This is shaping up to be a long season for Jets fans. The team is expected to place wide receiver Quincy Enunwa on injured reserve, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) hears. 
[RELATED: Josh McCown All But Certain To Start Week 1]
Enunwa re-aggravated a neck injury during practice on Saturday night and it appears that tests have confirmed the worst. The 25-year-old was one of the team’s few bright spots in 2016 and was slated to be the team’s clear No. 1 wide receiver following the departure of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker‘s release.
With Enunwa out of the equation, former Bears receiver Marquess Wilson stands as the team’s No. 1 WR. Robby Anderson and rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen round out the supporting cast. Jalin Marshall won’t be with the team until after he serves his four-game suspension and it remains to be seen how waiver additions Lucky Whitehead and Bruce Ellington will factor into the equation. Neither Whitehead nor Ellington are guaranteed a 53-man roster spot and both players profile more as return specialists than receivers.
Last year, Enunwa had 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns.
Malcolm Smith Out For Season
The MRI Malcolm Smith underwent after a chest injury Saturday revealed the worst for the seventh-year linebacker. He tore a pectoral muscle and is expected to miss the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The team formally announced that he will be placed on IR. To take his place, former Villanova linebacker Austin Calitro was signed to a two-year deal.
The 49ers signed Smith to a five-year, $26.5MM deal but will now move on to other options at weakside linebacker. Reuben Foster, who has been working with the second-team defense at Smith’s spot, stands to be the highest-profile talent of those vying for next-in-line status in San Francisco.
Both Rapoport and Matt Maiocco from CSNBayArea.com (Twitter links) expect the Alabama linebacker, a player the new-look 49ers brass said they considered at No. 3 overall, to move into that spot alongside NaVorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks.
Smith, who missed just one game during his two-year Oakland stint, led the Raiders in tackles in 2015 and ’16 but was given mediocre grades from Pro Football Focus. The 49ers, who hired former Smith position coach Robert Saleh as DC, nonetheless submitted a lucrative contract offer to the 28-year-old off-ball ‘backer.
Smith is set to make $3.7MM this season and carry a cap number of $4.7MM in 2018. It would cost the 49ers $8.1MM in dead money to release Smith in 2018, so the objective for the team and Smith will be a recovery that puts him on course to contribute next season.
The 49ers also have former Raider Ray-Ray Armstrong and ex-Bronco Dekoda Watson in the fold. Former Seahawks backup Brock Coyle resides behind Bowman at middle linebacker.
Vince Wilfork Retires From NFL
Vince Wilfork is moving on from football. The longtime defensive lineman took to Twitter on Monday morning to announce his retirement. 
All offseason long, Wilfork has wrestled with the decision.
“Mentally, I’m where I’ve been all this while, I’m 50-50,” Wilfork said in June, while maintaining that he could pick things up late in the summer if necessary. “Camp now is like ‘Camp Cupcake.’ You’re only in pads for 10 days,” he said. “I mean, it’s so different now, so anybody that thinks I’m missing because I want to miss training camp or preseason, man, that is baloney.”
Wilfork, a 13-year veteran, spent his first 11 seasons in New England and the previous two in Houston. Last year, he completed his 12th straight year in which he started in all of his appearances. The 35-year-old took part in 15 of the Texans’ regular-season games in 2016 and picked up 21 tackles along the way.
Although he had only 16 career sacks, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus show that he was among the game’s elite between 2006 and 2012. Once he’s eligible, Wilfork is a candidate to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Wilfork leaves the game with five Pro Bowls, one First-Team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl ring from the 2014 season. We here at PFR wish him the best in retirement.