Ravens, Jets Discuss Eric Decker Trade
The Jets say they’ll trade or release Eric Decker before the week is through. With that in mind, they’re reaching out to clubs to try and get something for the veteran and the Ravens are among those teams, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jets To Trade Or Release Decker]
The Ravens’ level of interest in acquiring Decker via trade is not immediately clear. From a football perspective, Decker would make plenty of sense for the Ravens after they lost Steve Smith to retirement and did not select a wide receiver in this year’s draft. However, the Ravens might not want to take on the two years remaining on his five-year, $36.25MM contract. In theory, the Ravens could wait things out and try to land Decker as a free agent if he is released.
Decker, 30, had 154 catches, 1,989 yards, and 17 touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Jets. Unfortunately, he missed the majority of 2016 due to injury. Now that he’s healthy, Decker is looking to get back to his old form with another team.
The Ravens project to have Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman, Chris Moore, and Michael Campanaro as their top receivers in the fall.
Giants’ Odell Beckham Pushing For New Deal
Odell Beckham Jr.’s absence from voluntary organized team activities is directly tied to his desire for the Giants to give him a new contract, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Meanwhile, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan that Beckham is expected to attend minicamp. Unlike OTAs, players who miss minicamp are subject to hefty fines. 
Beckham has been one of several Giants players who have missed OTAs, but his absence has garnered the most attention. It has been suspected that a contract dispute is at the heart of his absence, but today’s report from Schefter is our first confirmation of that.
Beckham, one of the game’s very best wide receivers, is slated to make $1.8MM in 2017 per the terms of his rookie deal. The Giants have picked up his fifth-year option for the 2018 season which should pay him ~$8MM, but ODB is looking for dollars and certainty beyond that point. After three straight seasons with at least 1,300 receiving yards, the 24-year-old is likely looking for a deal that will reset the market at his position.
In theory, the Giants don’t have to rush to give Beckham a new deal. Between the aforementioned option and the franchise tag, Beckham could be under team control through at least the 2021 season.
Jeremy Maclin’s Bills Visit Enters Day Two
It’s not a done deal yet, but this might be a good sign for Jeremy Maclin and the Bills. The wide receiver’s Tuesday visit has extended into a second day, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets. 
[RELATED: Bills Meet With Jeremy Maclin]
Earlier this week, it was reported that Maclin would meet with the Bills on Tuesday before possibly heading to the Ravens on Wednesday. Right now, it’s not clear whether a Baltimore trip is still on Maclin’s docket for today. If Maclin was initially scheduled to leave Buffalo on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, then this could be a sign that things are progressing between the two sides. Ultimately, the Ravens, Eagles, Browns, and other interested teams might not get their opportunity to meet with the receiver.
In 2015, Maclin had 87 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chiefs. Even though he is not far removed from that performance, KC cut him in order to avoid paying his $9.75MM base salary for 2017. Last season, Maclin had 44 catches for 536 yards and two scores in 12 games.
Tramaine Brock Charged With Felony Domestic Violence
Free agent cornerback Tramaine Brock was charged Tuesday with felony domestic violence and misdemeanor child endangerment stemming from an April arrest, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office accused Brock of punching his girlfriend in the face and attempting to strangle her multiple times, including when she was holding their 1-year-old child, and he could face up to five years in prison.
Brock is expected to plead not guilty, per Barrows, but it’s clear his NFL career is in serious jeopardy. Almost immediately after Brock’s arrest, the 49ers released the corner, thereby ending his seven-year tenure with the franchise.
In discussing the choice to cut ties with the 28-year-old Brock, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said: “We spent the day trying to figure out all the information as much as you can. You never do get all of it, but there was enough there that we felt it was a decision we had to make and move on from (Brock).”
While the 49ers weren’t willing to continue with Brock on the heels of his arrest, other teams were reportedly “keeping tabs” on him after he reached free agency. Given his strong play in the past, including 31 starts and four interceptions from 2015-16, there were rumblings that Brock would be in line for a contract worth $10MM-plus per year if he were to escape charges. That didn’t happen, though, and it’s now possible Brock has played his last down in the league.
Jets To Trade Or Release Eric Decker
The Jets have told wide receiver Eric Decker that they will either trade or release him this week, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
The departure of Decker will continue a significant offseason shakeup for the Jets, who previously released a slew of notable veterans in receiver Brandon Marshall, center Nick Mangold, cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris, among others. Like those four, Decker is in his 30s (he just turned 30 in March), meaning he doesn’t fit into the Jets’ youth movement. He’s also coming off an injury-shortened season, one in which he missed the Jets’ final 13 games after undergoing hip surgery and an operation to repair his partially torn rotator cuff.
For now, Decker has two years remaining on the five-year, $36.25MM contract the ex-Bronco signed with the Jets in March 2014. Decker, a 2010 third-round pick who broke out in Denver from 2012-13, carried his strong production from the Mile High City to New York in his first two years with the Jets. The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder combined for 154 catches, 1,989 yards and 17 touchdowns (including 12 in 2015) over 28 games during those seasons. And before injuries derailed him last September, Decker again looked on track for a big year, catching nine passes for a whopping 194 yards and two scores.
By trading or releasing Decker, the Jets will save $7.5MM in cap space in each of the next two seasons. His exit will leave the Jets with Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson and two 2017 draft picks (third-rounder ArDarius Stewart and fourth-rounder Chad Hansen) as their top receivers entering the upcoming season. Decker, meanwhile, will join fellow accomplished veteran wideouts Jeremy Maclin, Anquan Boldin, Eddie Royal and Steve Johnson on the open market if the Jets don’t find a taker for him via trade.
Jets To Release LB David Harris
The Jets are planning to release linebacker David Harris, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Harris was slated to head into his eleventh NFL season with Gang Green. 
Harris, 33, started 15 games for the Jets last season and played 250 more defensive snaps than any other Jets linebacker. All in all, he graded out as the NFL’s No. 35 linebacker, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. In terms of the traditional stats, Harris racked up 94 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a half-sack. He’s started 147 contests during his whole Jets tenure, placing him sixth all-time in franchise history.
Harris was due a base salary of $6.5MM in 2017, but none of that total was guaranteed. The team’s decision to move on from him could be a sign that the returning Demario Davis is indeed in their plans for 2017. With Harris out of the equation, Davis could be plugged in as a starting inside linebacker or used as a key sub behind Bruce Carter. Even if the Jets are able to make up for Harris’ production, they’ll be hard-pressed to make up for the loss in locker room leadership.
The Jets cut several veterans at the age of 30 or older this offseason. Only a handful of players on the wrong side of 30 remain, including quarterback Josh McCown (37), running back Matt Forte (31), and wide receiver Eric Decker (30).
Eagles Express Interest In Jeremy Maclin
The Eagles have expressed some level of interest in free agent Jeremy Maclin, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A deal, of course, would mark a homecoming for the wide receiver. 
Maclin spent the first five years of his career in Philadelphia before he departed for Kansas City in 2015. Maclin did his best work with the Eagles in 2014 having caught 86 passes for 1,318 yards and ten touchdowns. He set a new career high in catches in 2015 when he hauled in 87 passes, but he has not replicated that kind of yardage total in the last two seasons with KC. His 15.5 yards per grab in 2014 also stand as a career high.
In addition to the Eagles, the Browns have also shown interest in Maclin, Schefter says. The Browns already made one major upgrade to the receiver group this spring with the Kenny Britt signing, but adding Maclin would give them a formidable 1-2 combo. The Browns are also expecting offensive production from rookie David Njoku, but no pass catcher in Cleveland offers Maclin’s combination of experience and skill.
While the Browns are flush with cap room, the same cannot be said for the Eagles. The Eagles have roughly $5MM in space to work with and they might have to find additional room if they hope to reunite with the 29-year-old.
We now have four known teams interested in Maclin. Maclin is visiting with the Bills today before potentially meeting with the Ravens on Wednesday.
Bills To Meet With Jeremy Maclin
The Bills and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin are set to meet today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After that, Maclin’s next stop could be with the Ravens on Wednesday.
[RELATED: Bills QB Tyrod Taylor Eyeing Maclin]
LeSean McCoy has made no secret of the fact that he wants Maclin in Buffalo and he started recruiting the receiver hard after he was released by the Chiefs. Maclin could help to keep defenders away from star Sammy Watkins and also step up in the event that he is injured again in 2017. The Bills’ depth chart also includes second-round pick Zay Jones, Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, and Corey Brown.
The Chiefs cut Maclin when they couldn’t find another team willing to take on his 2017 base salary of $9.75MM. He’ll likely sign for less with another club, but he should still command a decent salary given the impact that he can potentially have elsewhere. Maclin turned in a decent season in 2016, hauling in 87 catches for 1,000+ and eight touchdowns.
49ers Sign LB Elvis Dumervil
Less than a week after auditioning the veteran, the 49ers are signing Elvis Dumervil. The 49ers announced on Twitter that they have signed the linebacker. It’s a two-year deal for Dumervil, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter. The team has cut rookie offensive lineman Evan Goodman in a corresponding move.
It had been a rather quiet offseason for Dumervil prior to last week’s audition with San Francisco. The 33-year-old had generated little interest across the league since being released by the Ravens in early March. That could partly be attributed to the veteran’s recent injury concerns, as Dumervil only appeared in eight games with Baltimore last season. However, the linebacker still managed to compile three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Prior to 2016, Dumervil was one of the most consistent defenders in the NFL. Since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2006, the veteran had missed a total of six regular season games between nine NFL seasons with the Ravens and Broncos. During his first three seasons in Baltimore, Dumervil averaged more than 38 tackles and 10 sacks a year.
Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Dumervil is expected to play the role of a Leo linebacker with the 49ers, an indication that Aaron Lynch may be on the outside looking in. General manager John Lynch is certainly familiar with Dumervil’s production, as the two played alongside each other for two seasons in Denver.
Giants WR Roger Lewis Arrested For OVI
Giants wide receiver Roger Lewis was arrested on Sunday and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, the Reynoldsburg, Ohio Police Department confirmed (via James Kratch of NJ Advance Media on Twitter). TMZ Sports first reported the arrest yesterday. Neither the player nor the Giants have commented, and Lewis will presumably face potential discipline from the NFL.
Lewis was reportedly pulled over when officers observed him speeding in a vehicle with “overly tinted windows.” The officers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and they observed that the 23-year-old appeared to be impaired. The wideout “was released from jail on his own recognizance,” according to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com.
The 2016 undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green appeared in 13 games (one start) for New York last season, hauling in seven catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also collected five tackles on special teams.
Lewis was competing with Dwayne Harris and Tavarres King for snaps behind Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard.



