Week In Review News & Rumors

No Le’Veon in Pittsburgh. Nearly every observer expected running back Le’Veon Bell to report to the Steelers last Monday, but that didn’t happen. He didn’t show up during the week at all, in fact, and missed Pittsburgh’s first game (and an $850K+ game check) today. Rookie back James Conner was incredibly impressive in Bell’s absence, but the Steelers surely want to get the All-Pro back on the field. The club has no plans to trade Bell or adjust his contract, so it’s a battle of wills at this point.

Earl Thomas comes back. While Bell didn’t show for the Steelers, the Seahawks appear to have outlasted Thomas in their ongoing stalemate. Thomas, of course, wants a new contact or a trade out of Seattle, but the Hawks have no inclination to honor either request. The veteran defensive back re-appeared in Seattle last week and started against the Broncos today. The Cowboys, for one, reportedly are still interested in acquiring Thomas, but view a second-round pick as their maximum offer.

Falcons lose Keanu Neal. Atlanta sent Neal for a precautionary MRI following Thursday’s loss to the Eagles, but the club felt the safety would be ready for Week 2. That won’t be the case, as Neal was diagnosed with a torn ACL and will now miss the entire 2018 season. For now, the Falcons will roll with 2017 draft pick at strong safety, but other intriguing options are available. Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn has familiarity with the aforementioned Thomas, while Eric Reid is still sitting on the free agent market.

Off-field trouble rears it heads. After being cut by the Raiders last week, wide receiver Martavis Bryant is reportedly facing a yearlong suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. It’s an unfortunate occurrence for Bryant, who was shipped from Pittsburgh to Oakland in the spring in exchange for a third-round pick. Elsewhere, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregoy is today playing in his first game since 2016, but he too could be in for another ban. Sadly, Gregory mye have suffered a drug relapse during the summer, and could be suspended after missing the entire 2017 season with a drug ban.

LeSean McCoy unlikely to be suspended. McCoy was linked to a unsettling incident earlier this year when his ex-girlfriend accused him of involvement in a home invasion incident which left her battered. However, McCoy is not expected to face any criminal charges as a result of the episode. And while the NFL has its own authority to suspend players regardless of legal outcomes, McCoy isn’t likely to face a league-imposed ban.

Redskins add Adrian Peterson. Washington is dealing with numerous injuries at the running back position (including a season-ender to rookie Derrius Guice), so the club opted to take a chance on Peterson, who signed for the league minimum. Peterson, 33, will compete with Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine for early-down work in the nation’s capital. He played in the Redskins’ Friday night preseason game, managing 56 yards on 11 rushes, and is considered a “stone-cold lock” to make Washington’s roster.

Former stars retire. Victor Cruz ended his career in a Bears uniform, but he’ll always be remembered for his excellent years with the Giants. From 2011 through 2013, the former undrafted free agent averaged 80 receptions 1,209 yards, and eight end zone salsa dances per season. Former Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson also hung up his cleats last week, retiring after an 11-year career with the Panthers. He’ll leave the NFL with 62.5 sacks, second in Carolina history to only Julius Peppers.

Dez rejects Browns’ offer. The Dez Bryant-to-Cleveland saga appears over, at least for now, after Bryant reportedly rejected the Browns’ offer, which was for less than $5MM. Cleveland is searching for another wideout to team with Jarvis Landry, Josh Gordon, and Antonio Callaway, and while Bryant came in for a meeting with the club recently, he couldn’t reach a deal with the Browns. However, Cleveland is still interested in Bryant, but presumably only at a price of its choosing.

Cowboys lose their center. Travis Frederick had been dealing stingers in his neck, but a recent diagnosis revealed an even more serious condition. Frederick has Guillain Barre Syndrome, a rare auto immune disease that is expected to cost him time. While Frederick is not expected to miss the entire season, he’s likely to be placed on injured reserve to begin the year. Such a transaction would sideline Frederick for at least eight games, but give him the opportunity to return later in 2018.

George Iloka reunites with Mike Zimmer. Three days after being unexpectedly released by the Bengals, Iloka signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. Instead of waiting out what has already been a stagnant safety market, lloka quickly landed with Minnesota, reuniting with Zimmer — formerly Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator — on a contract that will pay just the league minimum. Iloka figures to start over Andrew Sendejo with the Vikings, although both defenders could see action opposite Harrison Smith.

Josh Gordon returns to Cleveland, where Dez Bryant is unlikely to land. Gordon is back with the Browns after taking time to deal with off-field issues, and Cleveland is hoping he’ll be available for Week 1 of the regular season (although he’s not currently allowed to practice). Bryant, meanwhile, finally met with Browns management last week, but he’s apparently “not on the front burner” in Cleveland. The Browns aren’t ruling out a Bryant contract, but it doesn’t sound like a deal is close at this time.

Adrian Peterson gets a workout. Peterson is attracting his first interest of the offseason, as he’s scheduled to audition for the Redskins on Monday. Washington is in dire straits at running back, having already lost rookie Derrius Guice for the year, while backups Samaje Perine and Byron Marshall are also dealing with nagging injuries. Peterson was one of the NFL’s least effective backs with the Saints and Cardinals in 2017, but he’s an option for Washington on early downs. The Redskins also looked at free agent backs Jamaal Charles and Orleans Darkwa.

Rookie quarterbacks in line to start. Free agent acquisition A.J. McCarron suffered a broken collarbone during the Bills’ second preseason game, an injury which should ensure first-rounder Josh Allen starts for Buffalo. Elsewhere in the AFC East, Sam Darnold is now looking like the inevitable starter for the Jets after excelling through two exhibition contests. Veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who has also produced well thus far, is considered a trade candidate.

Bengals cut George Iloka. Cincinnati had begun mixing in second-round defensive back Jessie Bates with the starting defense through its first two preseason games, signalling that it may be comfortable moving on from Iloka. The Bengals did just that on Sunday, cutting the six-year veteran and saving $5.6MM against the salary cap. Iloka offers plenty of starting experience and should easily land a new job, although the flaccid free agent safety market has to be concerning.

The 2018 draft class is fully signed. At long last, Bears rookie Roquan Smith is under contract, meaning every 2018 draft choice now has a deal in place. Smith, the eighth overall pick, was looking for contract language that would protect his financial guarantees in the event of a helmet rule-related suspension. Chicago and Smith ultimately forged a compromise, one that will only void Smith’s guarantees if he’s suspended for three consecutive games.

Bills acquire WR Corey Coleman. Buffalo picked up Coleman, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, from Cleveland for next-to-nothing, as Cleveland will reap just a 2020 seventh-round pick. Coleman hadn’t done much in his first two NFL campaigns, but that’s largely due to freak injuries — a broken hand in each season — that limited his overall production. The Bills, meanwhile, were (and still are) fielding one of the league’s worst receiving corps, meaning Coleman should be favorite for first-team snaps alongside Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones.

Dez Bryant-to-Browns saga continues. After reports emerged that Bryant was “not seriously interested” in joining Cleveland, Browns general manager John Dorsey told reporters the veteran wideout was not returning his calls. Later that night, Bryant tweeted that he’d visit the Browns this week, and now a meeting has been set (likely for Thursday). Both Jarvis Landry and rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway performed well in the Browns’ first preseason game, but Cleveland could use another pass-catcher after dealing Coleman/while waiting for Josh Gordon to return.

Redskins lose RB Derrius Guice. Guice, a second-round selection in this year’s draft, had been scheduled to serve as Washington’s top running back, but he’ll now wait until 2019 to get on the field after suffering a torn ACL in the Redskins’ first preseason contest. The Redskins have depth: Rob Kelley is now slated to be the club’s starter, Chris Thompson is an elite passing back, and 2017 fourth-rounder Samaje Perine is still around. But Washington could consider adding a free agent, and PFR readers think DeMarco Murray (who’d be coming out of retirement) would be the best fit.

Patriots give Tom Brady extra incentives. Brady will earn $1MM each for finishing as a top-five quarterback in five statistical categories (passing yards, touchdown passes, passer rating, yards per attempt and completion percentage). Because Brady was a top-five signal-caller in each of those categories in 2017, his new incentives are considered “likely to be earned,” meaning they’ll count on the Patriots’ salary cap immediately. New England also converted $10MM of Brady’s $14MM 2018 base salary into a signing bonus — that move will not only get Brady more cash immediately, but increase his 2019 cap charge by $5MM.

Jets open to trading Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater was excellent in Gang Green’s first preseason game, completing seven-of-eight passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. But third overall pick Sam Darnold was outstanding as well, and if the USC product earns the Jets’ starting quarterback job, Bridgewater would likely be the club’s third-stringer behind Josh McCown. A trade could make sense for all sides, then, although New York might wait to see if any league-wide quarterback injury causes a rival team to send a high draft choice in exchange for Bridgewater.

Vikings extend Stefon Diggs. Diggs is just the latest would-be free agent to receive a new deal from Minnesota, joining the likes of defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Eric Kendricks. After averaging 67 receptions, 824 yards, and five touchdowns over his first three NFL seasons, Diggs received a five-year, $72MM extension that contains $16.907MM in full guarantees, including a $15MM signing bonus. On an annual basis, Diggs is now the NFL’s ninth-highest-paid wideout, and his new deal makes fellow receiver Adam Thielen‘s three-year, $19.246MM pact look especially affordable.

Safeties get signed. Kenny Vaccaro finally landed a contract last week, although it unfortunately took a season-ending injury to fellow defensive back Johnathan Cyprien for a deal to get done. The Titans searched for safety help after losing Cyprien to a torn ACL, and Vaccaro led a workout session that also included Mike Mitchell, Lardarius Webb, and Steven Terrell. Former 49ers safety Eric Reid was also supposed to audition for Tennessee, but a delayed flight forced him to cancel his Titans visit. Vaccaro, meanwhile, inked a one-year contract and will presumably start opposite Kevin Byard in Tennessee’s secondary. He wasn’t the only safety who found a new deal last week, as veteran Corey Graham re-upped with the Eagles.

Patriots make a change at wide receiver. Jordan Matthews has been considered something near a lock for New England’s 53-man roster, but an injury forced him off the squad. Indeed, while there was initially some confusion as to whether Matthews was released or placed on injured reserve, the Patriots later announced that he’d officially been cut. In his stead, New England signed former Bronco/Jet/Titan Eric Decker, who figures to see action in the slot, at least until Julian Edelman returns from suspension.

Packers lose a defender. Green Bay got bad news last week, as the club learned starting linebacker Jake Ryan will miss the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. Ryan, who had started 27 games over three seasons after the Packers selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, was expected to play inside next to Blake Martinez. After Ryan went down, Green Bay reportedly considered adding a veteran such as NaVorro Bowman, but no appear set to give youngsters like third-round rookie Oren Burks more playing time.

Brandon LaFell hits free agency. The Bengals rarely release veterans before their contracts expire (they currently have the fourth-least dead money in the league), but LaFell was standing in the way of younger and cheaper options on Cincinnati’s wide receiver depth chart. With LaFell out of the picture, the Bengals have moved 2017 No. 9 overall pick John Ross into the starting lineup opposite A.J. Green, while Tyler Boyd will man the slot. Josh Malone, Auden Tate, and Cody Core are among the other Cincinnati pass-catchers vying for opportunities.

Todd Gurley resets the running back market. The Rams still haven’t extended All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but they have locked up parts of their offensive core. After inking receiver Brandin Cooks to a new deal earlier this month, Los Angeles signed Gurley to a four-year extension that will keep him in southern California through 2023. The deal is worth $57.5MM in total, and Gurley’s new average annual value of $14.375MM is the new league-high for a running back on a multi-year pact. Gurley’s deal will now surely affect negotiations for other running backs such as David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, and Ezekiel Elliott, each of whom will hit free agency within the next few years.

Offensive tackles get paid. Three left tackles — the Titans’ Taylor Lewan, the Falcons’ Jake Matthews, and the Seahawks’ Duane Brown — each received new five-year contracts last week, and both deals should help propel the offensive tackle market forward. Lewan, notably, will collect an average salary of $16MM annually, a new high-water mark for tackles (Nate Solder got $15.5MM/year from the Giants this offseason). Although Lewan had skipped minicamp, he reported for Tennessee’s training camp last week, which may have sped up negotiations.

Julio Jones get a raise. Although talks looked on the verge of a breakdown at one point, the Falcons finally relented and agreed to bump up Jones’ compensation for the 2018 campaign. Jones, who had not reported for many of Atlanta’s offseason activities and was threatening to skip training camp, received a $4.4MM signing bonus. The reworking will give Jones more money for the upcoming campaign, but won’t overly affect the Falcons’ books for years to come. Jones, 29, is signed through the 2020 season.

Chargers’ bad luck continues. The Chargers just can’t seem to get away from the injury bug, and cornerback Jason Verrett has been especially afflicted. Verrett, who missed most of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with knee injuries, will be sidelined for the entire 2018 campaign after tearing his Achilles during a conditioning drill. A former first-round pick, Verrett will have only played in 25 of a possible 80 games by the time the 2018 season is over. Verrett will reach free agency next spring, and his injury issues will almost assuredly affect his next contract.

A safety gets signed! There was finally movement in the safety market last week, as the Cardinals signed Tre Boston to a one-year deal. The pact is worth just $1.5MM, and Boston can max out at $3MM overall. It’s a cheap contract for a 26-year-old defensive back coming off the best season of his career, but safeties have had an especially difficult time getting signed this offseason. Eric Reid (whose status may be affected by his national anthem protest stance) and Kenny Vaccaro are among the best back end defenders still available.

Franchise tag extension tag deadline passes. Four franchise-tagged players — Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, and Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner — all failed to reach long-term deals with their respective teams by last Monday’s deadline, meaning they’ll each play out the 2018 campaign on a one-year fixed price. It’s the second consecutive tag for Bell, and his agent says the upcoming season will likely be Bell’s last in Pittsburgh. Lawrence, for his part, is not open to spending the 2019 season on the franchise tag.

Rams extend WR Brandin Cooks. Los Angeles sent a first-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for Cooks earlier this year, and now they’ve locked up him for the long haul. Cooks agreed to a five-year, $81MM extension last week, and his $16.2MM new money average ties him with DeAndre Hopkins for third among wideouts, behind only Antonio Brown and Mike Evans. His total guarantee of $20.5MM, however, ranks just 11th among pass-catchers.

Darrelle Revis hangs up his cleats. A surefire Hall of Famer, Revis was not only arguably the greatest corner of his generation, but one of the more astute contract negotiators in the league. Never afraid to hold out or take a risky — but possibly lucrative deal — Revis ultimately earned roughly $125MM over the course of his career. Revis, a former Jet, Buccaneer, Patriot, and Chief, retires with seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro nods, and one Super Bowl under his belt.

NFL rescinds national anthem policy. The NFL and NFLPA issued a joint statement on Thursday indicating the league’s new anthem policy — originally endorsed by owners in May — will not be enforced for the time being. The policy, which called for players to either stand for the national anthem or remain in the locker room, could have led to fines for teams. The NFLPA’s grievance against the policy has also been put on hold.

Andrew Luck ready for training camp. After missing the entire 2017 season with a shoulder issue, Luck won’t be forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, an excellent sign of his health. Although he’ll likely take some days off over the next few weeks, Luck won’t have any severe restrictions on his workout and throwing regimen.

LeSean McCoy faces domestic abuse allegations. McCoy’s ex-girlfriend, Delicia Gordon, has accused the Bills running back of being involved in an incident which left her with brutal injuries. While McCoy wasn’t in the same state when Gordon was the victim of a home invasion, Gordon is claiming McCoy orchestrated the attack. McCoy has hired a defense attorney with experience in NFL cases, and it’s possible he’ll be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list while the case plays out.

DeMarco Murray announces retirement. Despite taking multiple offseason visits, Murray surprisingly decided to hang up his cleats — although not everyone is sure he’ll stick with retirement. As of last week, reports emerged that Murray was hoping to land with a new team soon, and a number of clubs looked like obvious fits. He met with the Lions, Seahawks, and Dolphins during the offseason, but declined an opportunity to work out for the Saints.

Darren Sproles will play one more season. Just this afternoon, Sproles announced that he’ll play just more season before heading into retirement. Sproles, now 35, had hinted at retirement at this time last year, but after his 2017 campaign was ended by both a torn ACL and a broken arm, the veteran running back decided to come back for one more year. He’ll handle passing game work in an Eagles backfield that also includes Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, and others.

2018 supplemental draft results. Although the NFL’s supplemental draft had been a boring affair in recent years, that wasn’t the case in 2018. The Giants sacrificed a 2019 third-round pick in order to land Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal, while the Redskins used a 2019 sixth-rounder on Virginia Tech corner Adonis Alexander. Mississippi State defensive back Brandon Bryant, meanwhile, went undrafted but has since landed with the Jets.

Marcell Dareus sued twice for sexual assault. Dareus is facing not one, but two sexual assault civil suits. Both women claim Dareus had sex with them after they’d fallen asleep or blacked out, while one woman says Dareus transmitted an STD. So far, no criminal charges have been pressed, but Dareus could still be subject to NFL discipline regardless of the legal outcomes of his cases.