Jordy Nelson Retires From NFL
Jordy Nelson is calling it a career. The longtime Packers standout wide receiver is retiring from football, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). 
Nelson leaves the sport with more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring.He spent the majority of his career with the Packers – from 2008-2017 – before hooking on with the Raiders last year. He didn’t look like his old self in Oakland, however, as he finished out with just 63 catches and 739 yards with one score. He also had a down year in 2017 (53/482/6), though most of his passes were thrown by quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers in his final year with the Packers.
The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers. But, as he approaches his 34th birthday in May, Nelson wants to move on to other endeavors.
The Raiders dropped Nelson on March 14, despite a late-December proclamation that he would return to the club. In fact, the Raiders even gave him his $3.6MM roster bonus early, a seemingly sure sign that he would be on the roster this year. However, things changed in March after the Raiders acquired Antonio Brown and signed slot weapon Tyrell Williams in free agency.
We here at PFR wish Nelson the best in retirement.
Raiders Balking At Doug Martin's Price?
- With Isaiah Crowell set to visit the Raiders on Thursday, the futures of Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin may soon become even more uncertain. However, Jon Gruden said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, subscription required) the door remains open on Lynch. Martin, however, may see Crowell — if Gruden gets his wish and he signs — push him aside. Martin’s asking price may have been too high, per Tafur (on Twitter). The Raiders had wanted to re-sign Martin, but not much has transpired on this front since free agency opened. Martin bounced back after consecutive seasons of 2.9 yards per carry, averaging 4.2 per tote and being the Raiders’ primary rusher following Lynch’s injury.
Raiders Did Not Make Offer To Jared Cook
The Saints won the Jared Cook pursuit, with the Patriots being their top challenger. Jon Gruden said in January the Raiders would be in on this bid to bring Cook back, but they look to have bowed out early.
Cook never received an offer from the Raiders, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required), and the team stopped returning calls from the tight end’s agent.
After trading Amari Cooper, the Raiders relied heavily on Cook last season. He finished with 896 receiving yards, far and away a career-high total and the most a non-Todd Christensen Raiders tight end has ever recorded. Cook, 32 next week, now joins the Saints, who needed some help to provide a supporting cast for Michael Thomas.
Gruden on Tuesday called it “sickening” the Raiders could not keep Cook, but Tafur indicates they were not all that serious about doing so. He had also indicated in November a desire to retain the well-traveled tight end. Cook signed for two years and $15.5MM (with $8MM fully guaranteed). The Raiders landed Cook for barely $5MM per year in 2017.
The Raiders will give Darren Waller a chance to succeed Cook, per Gruden. He of multiple suspensions, Waller caught six passes for 75 yards with the Raiders last season. It appears likely the Raiders, who also have Derek Carrier on their roster, will draft a tight end.
Isaiah Crowell To Visit Raiders
The Raiders have made some splash moves in free agency but still have openings at running back. Isaiah Crowell will make a trip to Oakland as a potential solution, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Jon Gruden, in particular, wants the Raiders to sign Crowell, Rapoport adds. So this partnership appears to have a good chance of happening. Crowell’s visit, his first in this free agency period, will occur Thursday.
The Jets released Crowell earlier this offseason, doing so after one season. Crowell did well on a per-carry basis in New York, matching his career high with 4.8 yards per carry. But the Jets gave the 2018 free agent acquisition a career-low 143 carries. Crowell, 26, finished with 685 yards. The Jets replaced him with Le’Veon Bell, who was also on the Raiders’ radar. Although, the Silver and Black did not appear to make a serious run at the longtime Steeler.
Crowell has 27 career rushing touchdowns and surpassed 850 ground yards in his final two Browns seasons, doing so despite the team often trailing in a 1-31 stretch.
Marshawn Lynch‘s status with the Raiders is up in the air, and despite Gruden indicating he was in favor of a Doug Martin return, that has not come to fruition. Jalen Richard has yet to sign his second-round tender, but the fourth-year passing-down back doing so would appear likely. DeAndre Washington remains on the team as well.
Raiders To Sign QB Landry Jones
The Raiders signed quarterback Landry Jones, according to a team announcement. He’ll join Derek Carr, new addition Mike Glennon, and Nathan Peterman in a suddenly crowded QB room. 
Ben Roethlisberger‘s backup for a few seasons, Jones saw the Steelers go with Joshua Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph in 2018. Jones landed with the Jaguars, but the stay was brief. He also worked out for the Redskins, Bills, 49ers, Patriots, Cowboys, and Bucs last year.
Up until the Jags deal, Jones spent his entire NFL career with the Steelers. In a limited sample of playing time, Jones completed 64% of his throws with eight touchdowns against seven interceptions. Among the quarterbacks who have thrown at least 160 passes between 2013 and 2017, Jones ranked 35th in passer rating and 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, but it’s difficult to assign much relevance to those numbers given his lack of reps.
Of course, the Raiders could still go shopping for a quarterback in the draft and they may still be eyeing another former Oklahoma QB in Kyler Murray.
Raiders Sign LB Vontaze Burfict
The Vontaze Burfict-to-Oakland rumors turned out to have legs. The Raiders met with Burfict on Tuesday and are signing the veteran linebacker, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (Twitter link). It’s a one-year, $2MM deal that includes $300K guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears.
Despite a polarizing reputation, the 28-year-old linebacker could roughly earn up to $5MM on this deal, Rapoport tweets. Incentives are involved, and it’s unclear yet how much of $5MM figure for which those account.
A day after the Bengals released him, Burfict will receive another chance. He will reunite with DC Paul Guenther in Oakland and be in position to be one of the Raiders’ first-string linebackers. While Burfict has often lined up on the outside in past Guenther schemes, the Raiders plan for him to play middle linebacker and have Tahir Whitehead stay outside, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM tweets. Burfict called Guenther soon after being cut, he said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic, on Twitter).
The new Raider, obviously, comes with a controversial past. He is a perpetual suspension risk, having paid more than $4MM in fines.
Burfict has not played more than 11 games in a season since the 2013 campaign. He has completed just two 16-game seasons — 2012 and ’13 — and saw suspensions and on-field struggles in 2018 lead to his Cincinnati exit. This also places Burfict on the same team as Antonio Brown. The two have a history, with the linebacker concussing the wide receiver during a 2015 playoff game. That hit led to Brown missing the Steelers’ subsequent divisional-round game and Burfict drawing a suspension to start the 2016 season. He was also suspended to start the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
The Bengals cut bait on Burfict with two years remaining on his deal. In addition to having a reputation for delivering dirty hits, the former UDFA has reportedly sustained seven concussions himself. These factors do not paint a picture of reliability, but the Raiders are going to take a chance on Burfict’s skills.
This signing may result in Brandon Marshall, rumored as a Raider target, to seek another gig elsewhere. Though, considering Burfict’s history and the Raiders’ lack of surefire answers on their defensive second level, the longtime Bronco still may be an option.
George Iloka Unlikely To Return To Vikings
George Iloka has been relatively busy as a free agent, but it sounds like he won’t be returning to Minnesota. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minnesota reports (via Twitter) that while the two sides met at the combine, it’s unlikely the safety returns to the Vikings.
Iloka has met with the Cowboys and Raiders this offseason, with his ability to play both free and strong safety making him a commodity. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes that the 28-year-old ultimately left Dallas without a deal, and we can assume the same about his previous visit with Oakland.
Iloka was a starter for the bulk of his career with the Bengals, but played mostly in a reserve role for the Vikings last year. In 16 games (three starts), the defensive back compiled 16 tackles and one forced fumble. However, he’s only one year removed from an 80-tackle campaign.
Wolfson also notes that the Vikings have not extended an offer to free agent wideout Aldrick Robinson, and the team is looking for other options at receiver. Robinson finished last season with 17 receptions for 231 yards and five scores.
Contract Details: RG3, Glennon, McCarron
Some assorted contract notes from around the NFL…
- Robert Griffin III, QB (Ravens): Two years. Deal is worth $4.5MM. Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
- Mike Glennon, QB (Raiders): One year (full story). Deal worth $2MM, an additional $2MM in incentives. Twitter link via Rapoport.
- A.J. McCarron, QB (Texans): One year, $3MM. $1MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM salary, $1.5MM signing bonus. Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Raiders Sign Mike Glennon
The Raiders have signed quarterback Mike Glennon, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Glennon now appears primed to serve as the backup to starter Derek Carr. 
There has been a lot of talk about the Raiders targeting a top quarterback in the draft, but they now have a pretty full room with Derek Carr, Glennon, and Nathan Peterman on the depth chart. Now, perhaps, the Raiders will shift their attention to Day 3 QBs.
Glennon, entering his seventh year in the league, was originally a third-round selection of the Bucs in 2013. After signing a lucrative, yet ill-fated, free agent deal with the Bears in 2017, he hooked on with the Cardinals in 2018. For his career, Glennon owns a 6-16 record as a starter and was not a first-stringer for any of his appearances last year. Still, coaches have always had a soft spot for the 29-year-old, in part due to his 6’6″ frame.
So, for now, Glennon is set to be the No. 2 QB in Oakland. Of course, much can change between now and September, and some remain unconvinced that Carr will be the team’s starter in Week 1.
Raiders To Sign Curtis Riley
The Raiders have signed Curtis Riley, according to a tweet from the safety himself. Riley, formerly of the Giants, also visited the Packers and Bengals before joining up with Oakland. 
Riley started in all 16 of the Giants’ games last year and reeled in four interceptions. It was a rough year for the Giants on the whole, but Riley had a strong individual showing.
Riley started his career with the Titans, but he truly put himself on the map last year with the aforementioned picks, plus 75 tackles and five passes defended. However, for what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus only ranked him 79th among 93 eligible safeties.