B.J. Raji Won’t Play In NFL In 2016
1:27pm: As Wood details at PackersNews.com, Raji has issued a full statement explaining his decision and suggesting that his retirement may not be permanent. The defensive tackle’s statement reads, in part:
“I am taking a hiatus from the NFL and will not play during the 2016 NFL season. This decision was made after hours of conversation with close family members and mentors and considerable self-introspection and is one in which I am absolutely certain. I cannot rule out a return to the NFL in the future, but I will definitely not be playing during the 2016 season.”
1:05pm: Longtime Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji, who is a free agent this offseason, won’t be signing with a new team anytime soon. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter), Raji intends to retire from the NFL, ending his playing career.
Raji, 29, was selected ninth overall by the Packers in the 2009 draft, and has been with the team for seven seasons since then. With 91 regular season games (78 starts) on his career resume, Raji was a significant piece of the Packers’ defensive line for the last several seasons. His best years came in 2010 – when he recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks – and 2011, when he earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod.
Raji tells Wood (Twitter link) that he’s turning down a “very, very nice deal” from the Packers, as well as interest from multiple playoff teams, so his decision certainly doesn’t seem to be based on a lack of opportunities. Raji, who missed the entire 2014 campaign with a torn biceps, has had some injury issues in recent years, so it’s possible those are playing a part in his decision.
While Raji is moving on, the Packers did re-sign Letroy Guion to help stabilize the interior of their defensive line. The team typically isn’t active early on in the free agent period, but defensive tackle is a spot where Green Bay could target depth additions later on in free agency, or in the draft.
The Panthers had been among the other teams rumored to be interested in Raji.
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Martavis Bryant Suspended For 2016 Season
MARCH 14, 1:11pm: As confirmed by the Steelers, Bryant will indeed face a suspension of at least a year, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Sources tell Wilson that Bryant is no longer appealing his ban because it was “unwinnable.” The Steelers wideout will be eligible for reinstatement next winter, and could return for the 2017 season.
MARCH 12, 3:29pm: Bryant will check into rehab for depression issues, agent Brian Fettner tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Bryant’s ban stems from multiple missed drug tests, Fettner told Pelissero, and that a successful appeal of the penalty looms a “long shot.” Multiple missed tests appear to have vaulted Bryant past the 10-game suspension stage in the substance-abuse protocol, according to Pelissero.
Fettner also told Pelissero that Bryant has a marijuana problem.
1:08pm: Martavis Bryant could be set for another suspension, with this one set to shelve him for the entire 2016 season. The third-year Steelers wideout faces a year-long ban for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Dejan Kovacevic and Jason Mackey of DKPittsburghsports.com report.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms Bryant is facing another and far more significant suspension (Twitter link).
Bryant has appealed the suspension, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
Should this penalty hold, Bryant would land in the same area Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon have in recent years, with the opportunity to apply for reinstatement after one calendar year, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
The 24-year-old rising talent missed Pittsburgh’s first four games last season due to multiple violations of the substance-abuse policy, with marijuana usage being at the root of the penalty. Upon return, he quickly re-emerged as the Steelers’ No. 2 wide receiver and formed arguably the NFL’s No. 1 wide-receiving corps along with Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton.
Bryant caught 50 passes for 765 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 and added 183 yards and a score in Pittsburgh’s two playoff games.
The mercurial wideout underwent three weeks of counseling in Houston last September before returning from his ban.
A 6-foot-4 target out of Clemson, Bryant began his career midway through the 2014 season due to a separated shoulder but immediately developed a rapport with Ben Roethlisberger, becoming Pittsburgh’s latest receiving find. He has 16 career touchdowns in 24 games, counting three playoff contests.
The Steelers could be forced to turn to second-year wideout Sammie Coates in the event Bryant’s longest slated absence to date goes into effect.
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Lions Re-Sign TE Tim Wright
The Lions have re-signed free agent tight end Tim Wright to a new deal, the team announced today in a press release. Jenna Lane of SportsTalk Florida tweets that it’s a one-year contract.
While financial terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, Wright had been eligible for restricted free agency this offeason, and wasn’t offered a contract tender by the Lions. A low-end RFA tender would have been worth $1.671MM, so it’s reasonable to assume that his new one-year deal is worth less than that — it’s likely for the minimum salary, or close to it.
Wright, who turns 26 next month, broke into the NFL scene in 2013 with an impressive rookie year, racking up 54 receptions, 571 yards, and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers. However, he has changed teams twice since then – first traded to New England, then claimed off waivers by Detroit – and has seen his role reduced along the way. In 2015, he caught just nine balls for 77 yards and two TDs for the Lions.
Wright will have the opportunity to earn a roster spot and possibly compete for playing time for Detroit in 2016.
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Chris Long To Visit Patriots
MONDAY, 11:57am: Long is expected to visit three teams this week – including the Patriots and Cowboys – before regrouping to weigh his options and make a decision, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
SUNDAY, 10:01pm: The Patriots haven’t added any big names this offseason, but that might change soon. Free agent defensive end Chris Long will visit the team and hold a workout Monday, ESPN’s Trey Wingo reports (on Twitter).
Long’s previous team, the Rams, cut him Feb. 19 after he endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. The soon-to-
be 31-year-old suited up for just 18 of 32 regular-season games during that span, but he’s reportedly “100% healthy” and says that he only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender. The Patriots certainly fit the bill in that respect, and they have a connection to Long in in defensive assistant Brendan Daly, who was the D-line coach in St. Louis from 2009-11 (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com). Further, the Pats lost a talented defensive lineman Sunday when Akiem Hicks agreed to a deal with the Bears.
Unlike Hicks, Long has been a pass-rushing force at his best. The former second overall pick added 41.5 sacks from 2010-13, including a career-high 13 in 2011, before dropping to a combined four over the past two years. In New England, the eight-year veteran would further beef up a pass rush that already features Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard and Rob Ninkovich coming off the edges. The Patriots finished last season with the second-most sacks in the NFL (49).
Since his Rams tenure ended, Long has visited with Washington and the Falcons. He also has a meeting with the Cowboys scheduled for the upcoming week.
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FA Rumors: Okung, Galette, Raji, Forte
Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung has offers on the table from the Lions, Steelers, and Giants, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Okung is talking to Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak today. Meanwhile, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) hears that the Giants are probably an underdog for the former first-round pick, who has no other visits scheduled for now.
While La Canfora doesn’t indicate that the Seahawks have made a formal offer to Okung, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Seattle is out of it. We heard last week that the Seahawks were making a push to bring back their tackle, and it’s possible he’ll give his longtime team a chance to match offers he receives from rival suitors. Since he’s representing himself, Okung’s time on the market has lasted a little longer than it otherwise might have, but it looks like there’s a decent chance of him getting something done this week.
Let’s round up a few more free agent rumors from around the NFL…
- Junior Galette remains in a holding pattern, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reports that the pass rusher would like a one-year deal that would pay him in the $7-9MM range. Jones writes that Washington has made one-, two-, and three-year offers to Galette, but they’re all low on base salaries and heavy on incentives.
- The Panthers are in the market for players to contribute to their defensive tackle rotation, and David Newton of ESPN.com says that the team has interest in B.J. Raji. Carolina also brought in Paul Soliai for a visit over the weekend, as we previously heard.
- In a conversation with reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Matt Forte said today that the Buccaneers and Cowboys were among his suitors, and the Patriots and Packers also expressed “minor interest.” Forte, who ultimately signed with the Jets, added that not receiving an offer from the Bears was a “hard pill to swallow.”
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill is the latest in a series of interior defenders to visit the Seahawks, who are looking to beef up the middle of the line in the wake of Brandon Mebane‘s departure.
Cardinals Re-Sign Jermaine Gresham, Red Bryant
MONDAY, 10:52am: The Cardinals have confirmed their deal with Gresham, and added that they’ve officially re-signed veteran defensive lineman Red Bryant as well (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Bryant played sparingly in Arizona last year after serving as a full-time starter in Seattle and Jacksonville in previous seasons.
SUNDAY, 2:16pm: Gresham will sign a one-year deal with Arizona after receiving “strong” four-year offers from both the Jets and the Bears, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com.
2:02pm: Jermaine Gresham will spend a second year in the desert, as he’s agreed to re-sign with the Cardinals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per Rapoport, Gresham accepted less money than he could have earned elsewhere to stay with Arizona.
Gresham spent the first five years of his career with the Bengals before joining the Cardinals prior to last year. In 15 games (12 starts) the 27-year-old tight end posted 18 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown. Those totals were a far cry from his Cincinnati days, when Gresham averaged 56 catches for more than 500 yards and five scores from 2010-2014, but it’s fair to wonder if he was still feeling the affects of the surgery he underwent last March to repair a herniated disc.
And though his receiving numbers were down, Gresham did contribute in other ways — he graded as the league’s third-best run-blocking tight per Pro Football Focus, helping pave the way for Chris Johnson and David Johnson on the ground. Gresham will return to a Cardinals tight end group that also includes Darren Fells, Troy Niklas, and Gerald Christian.
Free agency went much smoother this time around than it did last year for Gresham, who ranked as PFR’s No. 11 free agent tight end, as he signs less than a week into the free agent period (he also drew interest from the Jets prior to agreeing to terms with Arizona). In 2015, largely due to his back operation, Gresham sat on the market until the end of July before landing with the Cardinals.
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Latest On Eric Weddle
Negotiations between teams and Eric Weddle‘s camp “went on through the night,” reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (via Twitter). According to Schrager, Weddle has narrowed his list of potential destinations to three teams, and will likely reach an agreement with one of those clubs within the next 24 hours.
We heard last week that Weddle was weighing offers from four teams, and while the Raiders, Steelers, Cowboys, and Ravens had been cited as clubs expressing interest in him, it’s not clear whether those were the same four teams that extended contract offers. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote on Sunday, the veteran safety – who has talked about wanting to join a contender – has opted to keep the identity of his suitors private.
Weddle is one of the top free agents still on the board, having chosen to take his time and do homework on the teams and cities in play for him, rather than rushing to sign a contract as soon as the new league year opened. There was speculation that he would take a couple visits before deciding on his new team, but if he intends to make a decision within the next 24 hours, it seems that won’t happen, unless he has already made unreported visits.
Weddle, 31, has spent all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, capped off by what was perhaps his most unusual year since entering the league. After being told by the team that his contract wouldn’t be extended prior to the season, the three-time Pro Bowler reported to camp and played well during the season, logging 76 tackles and six passes defended in 13 games.
While the contract situation was one point of contention between the two sides, the year ended on an even more acrimonious note, with the Chargers reportedly informing Weddle late in the season that he was being fined $10K for remaining on the field during halftime of a game to watch his daughter perform in a dance ceremony. Weddle and agent David Canter initially declined to go public about the fine, but the agent opened up after the Chargers placed the safety on IR in Week 17, a move that was made against his wishes. Per Canter, the team also informed Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver.
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Free Agent Visits: McLendon, Coples, Hairston
Free agent nose tackle Steve McLendon is taking a visit today with the Jets, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), citing agent Richard Kopelman of KLASS Sports. New York has a hole at the nose tackle position after Damon Harrison signed a five-year deal with the Giants, and while McLendon could be a nice fit, the Jets don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, so we’ll see if they can make something work.
The Steelers, meanwhile, still have interest in retaining McLendon, who has spent his entire six-year career in Pittsburgh. However, the veteran defensive lineman wants to test the market, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Here’s more on free agents around the NFL:
- The Rams are hosting Quinton Coples on a visit today, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). The Rams’ defensive line has been one of the NFL’s best for the last few years, but with Chris Long and Nick Fairley no longer under contract, the team could use some help up front to complement Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers, and William Hayes.
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that offensive lineman Chris Hairston is scheduled to meet with the Steelers later in the week. However, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says (via Twitter) that the team doesn’t currently have a meeting set up with Hairston. It’s not clear whether the visit isn’t happening at all, or whether it still needs to be formally scheduled.
- Free agent defensive tackle Brandon Thompson is visiting the Seahawks today, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Thompson has been a solid reserve for the Bengals so far in his career, but suffered a torn ACL in January, so he’s unlikely to be healthy for a few more months.
Bears Sign Akiem Hicks To Two-Year Deal
MONDAY, 9:23am: Hicks’ two-year contract with the Bears is worth $10MM, with $5.5MM guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
Most of Hicks’ guarantee comes in the form of a $1MM signing bonus, a guaranteed $1MM base salary for 2016, and a $3MM roster bonus due later this month. The defensive lineman also has up to $700K in annual playing-time and sacks incentives, plus an annual $250K in Pro Bowl incentives.
SUNDAY, 9:12pm: The Bears and free agent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks have agreed to a two-year contract, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Financial details are not yet available.
Hicks is the third significant front seven addition the Bears have made this week, joining linebackers Danny T
revathan and Jerrell Freeman. The four-year veteran has been a role player throughout his career (33 starts, 9.5 sacks in 61 games), but he’s coming off a breakout season with the Patriots. After the Pats acquired him from New Orleans last fall, Hicks totaled three sacks in 13 regular-season games and earned positive marks for his performance from Pro Football Focus. The site (subscription required) ranked Hicks as its 14th-best D-tackle and awarded him high grades for the pass-rushing and run-stopping abilities he displayed. The 26-year-old is likely to serve primarily as an end in Chicago, which differs from New England in running a 3-4 base defense.
Hicks entered the NFL as a third-round pick in 2012, when current Bears general manager Ryan Pace and personnel director Josh Lucas were members of the Saints’ front office. By adding Hicks, the Bears have kept him from the NFC North rival Lions – who were reportedly “working to secure” Hicks as of Friday. The 318-pounder subsequently visited the Bears, who were able to beat out Detroit for his services.
With Hicks, Trevathan and Freeman in the fold, the Bears’ defense looks much more formidable on paper than last year’s unit, which finished 14th in the league in yardage, 20th in points and a horrid 31st in DVOA during a 6-10 campaign.
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Colts Sign Scott Tolzien
MARCH 14, 9:20am: Tolzien’s two-year deal is worth $3.5MM, with a $500K signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
MARCH 11, 5:39pm: Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (on Twitter) that Tolzien’s deal is for two years, and Silverstein writes that he doesn’t expect Tolzien to have to fend off a prospective rookie for the Colts’ No. 2 job.
5:17pm: The Colts and Scott Tolzien have agreed to a deal, owner Jim Irsay tweets. It looks like Andrew Luck‘s backup quarterback 
will indeed be much younger, and Tolzien jumps from sitting behind Aaron Rodgers to a role as Luck’s understudy.
The Colts had a visit with former Dolphins backup Matt Moore scheduled for Monday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It’s not known at this time whether they’ll keep that appointment. Former Dolphins coach Joe Philbin now resides on the Colts’ staff, but Indianapolis may already have Matt Hasselbeck‘s successor in mind.
Originally a 2011 UDFA of the 49ers’, Tolzien served as Rodgers’ backup for the past three seasons, going 0-1-1 as a starter. However, when Rodgers missed several games due to injury in 2013, Tolzien was replaced by Matt Flynn and hasn’t started a game since. The 28-year-old career reserve threw one touchdown pass and five interceptions in relief of Rodgers in 2013.
Tolzien threw one pass in the past two seasons for the Packers. Luck’s backups needed to do a lot more than that during a disappointing Colts season. Hasselbeck served as Luck’s backup for the past three seasons but retired this week to accept and ESPN analyst position.
Luck’s injury resulted in five different quarterbacks throwing at least 10 passes for the Colts last season, with late-season addition Josh Freeman starting Indianapolis’ Week 17 contest after Hasselbeck’s slew of injuries caught up with him.
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