Raiders To Release Martavis Bryant
The Raiders will release wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is facing another drug-related suspension, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bryant is currently appealing his upcoming ban.
Oakland gave up the 79th overall pick in this year’s draft to obtain Bryant from the Steelers, but will be moving on from the talented receiver without him ever playing a down for the team. Bryant appears to be facing a second indefinite suspension, something that would be incredibly hard to come back from.
If Bryant doesn’t win his appeal and is suspended indefinitely for a second time, it could be the end of his NFL career. It would be an incredibly sad ending to what was a very promising career. Bryant always flashed dynamic play-making ability in Pittsburgh but could never stay out of trouble off the field.
When he returned from his previous indefinite ban last year, he quickly clashed with the Steelers’ coaching staff. Unhappy with his reduced role with the team, Bryant demanded a trade. The Steelers finally found a take in Oakland, and clearly won this trade. Bryant has 17 touchdowns in just 36 career games, but will have a very long road ahead of him if he hopes to ever make it back.
Raiders To Acquire QB A.J. McCarron
The Raiders will acquire quarterback A.J. McCarron from the Bills, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Buffalo will receive a fifth-round pick, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Bills signed McCarron to compete for their starting job this spring, but he quickly fell behind both Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden made clear that the team was in the market for a veteran backup quarterback and that they weren’t happy with the performances of returning players Connor Cook and E.J. Manuel. It’s unclear what the compensation is at this point, but it’s likely nothing more than a late round pick.
The Raiders haven’t announced all their cuts yet, but this means that at least one of Cook or Manuel will be sent packing, if not both. McCarron developed a reputation as one of the league’s better backups while holding Andy Dalton’s clipboard the past few seasons.
He was expected to have opportunities to start this offseason, but he was greeted with a quiet market in free agency. He didn’t draw much interest outside of Buffalo, and ended up signing a two-year deal there. The Bills will now move forward with Allen and Peterman, although they haven’t announced who will start between the two.
Raiders Cut DE Mario Edwards Jr.
The Raiders have cut defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). The 2015 second round pick lasted just three years in Oakland. 
It was reported yesterday that the Raiders were shopping Edwards, but obviously found no takers. Edwards has battled injuries and never shown the pass-rushing prowess he did in college that made him such a high draft pick.
Edwards entered the league very young as a 21-year-old rookie and missed most of his second season with a hip injury. Edwards bounced back last year as he started in each of his 14 appearances, and he set a new career high with 3.5 sacks. Apparently, he never impressed new head coach Jon Gruden this offseason and the team has now cut ties.
Due to his draft status and his age, Edwards should get another shot relatively quickly. While it’s not the end of the road for the former 35th overall pick, he’ll definitely need to start producing soon. The former Florida State Seminole will likely go unclaimed on waivers, as he carries a $1.255MM salary for this season under his current contract.
Seahawks Acquire S Shalom Luani From Raiders
The Seahawks have acquired safety Shalom Luani from the Raiders, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link). Oakland acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
Luani, 24, will now reunite with former Oakland defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who now holds the same position in Seattle. A seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, Luani appeared in 16 games (one start), playing on roughly 17% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps and 68% of the club’s special teams snaps.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, Luani could help the Seahawks as fellow safety Tedric Thompson deals with injury issues.
Jets Made Strong Offer For Khalil Mack
The first known suitor for Khalil Mack did not step aside in this pursuit easily, but the Jets ultimately did not want to match what the Bears were offering.
The Jets, however, did make a “competitive” offer for the superstar edge defender, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. Gang Green expressed serious interest in Mack, but Vacchiano adds its offer did not include two first-round picks like Chicago’s did.
Said offer emerged in the past few days, but the Jets first called the Raiders about Mack more than a week ago, Vacchiano reports, adding the Raiders at that point weren’t ready to make a deal. At that point, the Raiders were “convinced” Mack would return and play out the season on his $13MM-plus fifth-year option salary. However, other reports have indicated Mack was resolute in his stance he would not return to the Raiders unless extended.
As of Thursday, the Raiders were going to keep Mack unless they received a “crazy offer,” per Vacchiano. The Bears’ two first-rounders plus another piece of value probably qualifies as such. The Jets are projected to have around $80MM in cap space next year and do not have a quality edge-rusher situation. However, they did not want to surrender two first-rounders.
Vacchiano notes Shane Ray and Dante Fowler could be options, but the Broncos just waived Jeff Holland, seemingly ensuring Ray will be one of their four edge rushers this season.
Broncos To Release Clinton McDonald
Despite being one of the Broncos’ first free agent additions this offseason, Clinton McDonald will not be part of the Broncos’ 53-man roster.
They’ve released the former Seahawks and Buccaneers defensive lineman, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets.
McDonald signed a two-year, $7MM deal with Denver but restructured it because of an injury he was recovering from at the time. By converting $3MM in salary into per-game bonuses, McDonald did not receive any guaranteed money. It won’t cost the Broncos anything in dead money to part with the veteran defender.
Denver has slowly built some depth on its defensive line, with players like Shelby Harris and Zach Kerr in line to see time as second-stringers ahead of McDonald. The 31-year-old interior defender started for the 2014 NFC champion Seahawks and 2016 Buccaneers but otherwise has mostly functioned as an NFL reserve.
The Raiders, who have signed an NFL-high number of players in their 30s this offseason, were previously interested in McDonald, Mike Klis of 9News notes (on Twitter).
Latest On Khalil Mack Trade
One of this decade’s biggest blockbuster NFL trades came together in part because of something another team accomplished Friday.
Aaron Donald‘s $22.5MM-AAV Rams extension helped set up the Raiders’ choice to trade Khalil Mack to the Bears, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link).
The Raiders spent recent weeks and months pondering what Mack’s contract would ultimately cost them at least that, with Rapoport reporting Mack was not going to take anything less than what Donald received. Once the Donald deal occurred, the Raiders “certainly” knew they weren’t going to be able to authorize that kind of contract, per Rapoport. No progress had occurred on this front for months.
Teams then began contacting the Raiders about Mack again, despite previously being told he was not available. Upon receiving a Bears offer that included “at least” two first-rounders, the Raiders believed they “had to” accept it, Rapoport reports.
A two-first-rounder offer occurred within the past 24 hours, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (video link). Another offer involving a first- and third-round pick, and one including a player, occurred earlier this week. But once teams heard the Raiders received a proposal including two first-rounders, other teams dropped out, per Pelissero.
Mack’s fifth-year option salary of $13MM-plus is now off the books, and the Bears have a lead pass rusher to anchor a Leonard Floyd-fronted supporting cast. As for the Raiders, their prized 2014 draft class splinters. They agreed to a then-record deal with Derek Carr and signed Gabe Jackson for eight figures per year in June 2017, but because of Mack’s fifth-year option, they waited on an extension for the 2016 defensive player of the year. And they ultimately decided they were better off with the draft picks and cap space than paying Mack.
Raiders Trade Khalil Mack To Bears
Khalil Mack is heading to the Windy City. The Raiders have agreed to send Mack, a 2020 second-round round pick, and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick to Chicago in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick, 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 third-round pick, and a 2019 sixth-round pick.
Furthermore,NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Bears have permission to negotiate a long-term deal with Mack. They’re expected to ink him to a deal that would eclipse the record-breaking deal that Aaron Donald signed with the Rams yesterday.
We heard late last night that the chances of a Mack deal were “very real,” with the Jets and Browns among the teams connected to the defensive end (SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano confirms that the Jets called about Mack). However, it sounds like there was a difference in opinions among the Raiders staff, with owner Mark Davis apparently in support of keeping the disgruntled 27-year-old. On the flip side, head coach Jon Gruden was “far more open” to the idea, believing the financial commitment would be far better used on multiple players (via SI’s Michael Silver on Twitter).
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that several potential suitors dropped out of the sweepstakes last night as the Bears seemingly ramped up their pursuit, with the Raiders telling other teams that they had at least two first-rounders on the table. Rapoport tweets that the reported asking price was two firsts and a player, a price that only Chicago was willing to pay.
Mack was engaged in a contract dispute with Oakland throughout the preseason, and it was expected to last into the regular season. One of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM in 2018 before hitting free agency next spring. If Chicago is going to make him the highest-paid defender in the NFL, then the contract would need to exceed the deal that Donald signed with the Rams yesterday. That contract is worth $135MM, including $87MM in rolling guarantees. The deal represents the richest defensive deal in NFL history.
Mack has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender. A deal for Mack certainly indicates that the Bears are ready to win now, as no team would give up such a haul if they weren’t eyeing the playoffs. Mack will slide into the starting lineup alongside either Akiem Hicks or Jonathan Bullard.
Chances Of Khalil Mack Being Traded Are “Very Real”
The odds that Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack is traded this weekend are “very real,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds the market for Mack is unsurprisingly “robust.”
Mack is currently engaged in a contract dispute with Oakland, one that’s expected to last into the regular season. One of the NFL’s best pass-rushers, Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM in 2018 before hitting free agency next spring.
The Raiders’ asking price for Mack is believed to start with two first-round picks, but it’s unclear if any club is willing to meet that price. While teams have inquired on Mack, and offers have been coming in, Oakland has yet to make a trade. The Jets, for one, are known to be interested in acquiring Mack, as are the Browns.
Mack, 27, has been a wrecking ball since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Mack has totaled 40.5 sacks over his first four NFL seasons. In 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Mack as the NFL’s seventh-best edge defender.
Colts’ Austin Howard, Eagles’ Chance Warmack Among OL On Trade Block?
Colts tackle Austin Howard, Eagles guard Chance Warmack, Bears center Hroniss Grasu, and Raiders tackle Jylan Ware are among the offensive linemen who could be made available via trade this weekend, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.
Trade candidates are often simply players who will be released if no offer is made, and Howard is a clear case of that principle. The Colts already invested $1.3MM guaranteed in Howard, but he’s not a lock to open as Indianapolis’ starting right tackle or even make the club’s 53-man roster. A veteran of 92 NFL games, Howard wasn’t medically cleared until late July and has struggled in camp and during the preseason.
Warmack, too, looks like a candidate for release, as he hasn’t been included on numerous Eagles roster projections. Philadelphia extended Warmack last September, adding an extra year (2018) to his contract while guaranteeing $500K of his $1MM base salary. A trade would be especially beneficial to the Eagles, then, as an acquiring team would take on that base salary guarantee. Philadelphia could use the cap space, as it ranks a bottom-five team in financial reserves.
Both Grasu and Ware are also on the roster bubble with their respective teams. Neither offers much experience: Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, has been beset by injuries and appeared in just 14 games, while Ware, a 2017 seventh-rounder, has just one contest under his belt.