Week In Review News & Rumors

Ezekiel Elliott officially files appeal. The Cowboys running formally appealed his six-game suspension, and a hearing is now set for August 29. While that’s still more than a week away, it’s already clear that Elliott and his legal team intend to shed doubt on his accuser’s credentials, highlighting the alleged victim’s inconsistencies and indicating that she sought to profit from her connection to Elliott. Harold Henderson — the man who reduced Greg Hardy‘s ban in 2015 — will hear Elliott’s case.

Tramaine Brock finds a home. After being released by the 49ers earlier this year following domestic violence allegations, Brock will stay in the NFC West after inking a one-year deal with the Seahawks. It’s not often that a starting corner with Brock’s track record reaches the open market this late in the offseason, but San Francisco opted to not wait for a resolution on the charges against Brock (which were ultimately dropped). Brock, 29, will give Seattle options at corner while DeShawn Shead recovers from a torn ACL.

Aaron Donald, Le’Veon Bell still holding out. The Rams control Donald, arguably the NFL’s best defensive player not named J.J. Watt, through the 2018 campaign at a relative pittance. Scheduled to earn just $1.803MM for the upcoming season, Donald wants a raise, and could potentially miss regular season action in order to achieve that goal. Bell, meanwhile, is expected to report before the season gets underway (he’ll earn north of $12MM in 2017). The Steelers reportedly thought they had a long-term agreement with Bell in place earlier this year.

Eagles release Ryan Mathews. As had been expected, Philadelphia finally parted ways with Mathews, only doing so after he could pass a physical so the club wouldn’t be on the hook for injury protection. While the Eagles are set to go forth with LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, and Donnel Pumphrey in the backfield, Mathews is now on the open market, and he may be the perfect backup running back.

Work stoppage possibly on the way. NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith calls a strike or lockout after the expiration of the current contractual bargaining agreement in 2020 “a virtual certainty.” While Smith cautions the stoppage may not lead to the loss of actual games, the strife between the player’s union and the owners is clear, as Smith says the league “lied and cheated” last time around. NFL players, including a union rep, confirmed that negotiations between the two sides will be difficult.

Jay Cutler to the Dolphins. After starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with another ACL injury, Miami turned to former Adam Gase pupil Jay Cutler, luring the veteran signal-caller out of retirement with a one-year, $10MM deal. Cutler was the Dolphins’ primary target from the get-go, but he wasn’t the only candidate discussed, as Miami also talked about Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Teddy Bridgewater, and others. Tannehill, meanwhile, is fully expected to be ready for the 2018 season.

Buffalo takes over the trade market. The Bills are squarely looking towards the future, as they shipped out two of their best players last week in exchange for lesser players plus draft picks. First, Buffalo sent wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a sixth-round choice to the Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a second-rounder. Then, the Bills dealt cornerback Ronald Darby to the Eagles in exchange for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a third-round pick. Buffalo now earns two selections in the first, second, and third round of the 2018 draft.

Zeke finally gets a resolution. The NFL officially brought the hammer down on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, suspending him for six games as punishment for his involvement in a domestic violence episode. The ban, which is lengthier than most expected, reportedly made Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “furious,” and Elliott is expected to appeal the suspension (he has until Wednesday to do so). Elliott is also not ruling out using the court system to fight the penalty.

Falcons extend their running back. Atlanta finally reached a long-term deal with running Devonta Freeman, extending him through the 2022 campaign. The new five-year pact is worth $41.25MM, which means Freeman is now the NFL’s highest-paid running back in a multi-year pact (Le’Veon Bell is earning north of $12MM on the one-year franchise tag). Freeman, 25, received more than $18MM in full guarantees, and will now attempt to top 1,500 total yards for the third consecutive season.

The Branden Albert saga is over. Finally fed up with his antics, the Jaguars officially released left tackle Branden Albert from the reserve/retired list last week. Jacksonville acquired Albert from the Dolphins in the spring, but won’t have to sacrifice a pick now that Albert won’t make the roster. Albert, who un-retired last week and attempted to report to camp, is now a free agent and can sign immediately. The Jaguars will move forward with rookie Cam Robinson on Blake Bortles‘ blindside.

The trials and tribulations of Roberto Aguayo. Just 16 months after trading up in the second round to acquire him, the Buccaneers waived kicker Roberto Aguayo after only one NFL season. Aguayo, who will arguably go down as one of the NFL’s worst draft picks, converted only 71% of his field goal attempts during his rookie season. Luckily for Tampa Bay, the Bears claimed Aguayo today, relieving the Bucs of $428K in guaranteed money owed to Aguayo.

Holdouts from star players. Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald didn’t report to training camp last week as he seeks a new contract, and he wasn’t the only player to fail to report. Left tackle Donald Penn didn’t show at Raiders camp, and the veteran offensive lineman is reportedly looking for top-10 positional money. Donald, meanwhile, presumably wants to be paid like the NFL’s best defender, but Los Angeles controls his right for two more years.

Ravens hit hard by injuries. Having already witnessed Dennis Pitta and Tavon Young go down with serious injuries, Baltimore lost several more significant players to health questions this week. Running back Kenneth Dixon is out for the year with a torn meniscus, leading the Ravens to sign Bobby Rainey. Tight end Crockett Gillmore also has a meniscus injury (severity unknown), so Baltimore added Larry Donnell, while quarterback Joe Flacco‘s back issue could lead the Ravens to bring in Colin Kaepernick.

Extensions galore. With the regular season fast approaching, many clubs are working on long-term deals that will lock in key players for the years to come. Among the players who’ve signed new pacts over the past weeks: Cowboys tackle La’el Collins (link), Jaguars center Brandon Linder (link), Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (link), Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva (link), Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (link), Viking cornerback Xavier Rhodes (link), and Lions safety Glover Quin (link).

Not so Lucky Whitehead. Whitehead had one of the more eventful weeks for an NFL player in recent memory, and it all began with a case of mistaken identity. An arrest warrant was issued for the former Cowboys wideout after he failed to appear for an arraignment, but Whitehead wasn’t actually involved in the case. Nevertheless, he was still waived by Dallas. The Jets subsequently picked him up, but Whitehead is understandably miffed about the entire incident.

AFC retirements. Patriots defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich and Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel both announced their retirements over the past week, but each player is an entirely separate case. While Ninkovich is 33 years old and perhaps nearing the end of his road, Urschel is just 26. The former Baltimore center acknowledged a recent study showing the prevalence of CTE in ex-NFLers played a role in his decision, and could also be affecting the status of Steelers safety Daimion Stafford, who is also mulling retirement.

Panthers make a front office change. Carolina shocked the NFL world last week by firing general manager Dave Gettleman and re-hiring former GM Marty Hurney in an interim capacity. Gettleman was known to be a “brusque” contract negotiator, and his personality often rubbed others the wrong way. Hurney has worked quickly, as he’s already finalized a contract extension for guard Trai Turner and released tackle Michael Oher. New deals for linebacker Thomas Davis and tight end Greg Olsen could also be on the table, as Gettleman wasn’t inclined to address either veteran’s pact before his ouster.

No deals for remaining franchise players. Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, and Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson all failed to reach extensions with their respective clubs by last week’s deadline, meaning all three will play out 2017 under one-year tenders. Washington claimed it offered Cousins $53MM in guarantees, but Cousins wants more time to evaluate the organization following this year’s front office changes. Bell, meanwhile, reportedly rejected a five-year, $60MM proposal from Pittsburgh.

Ezekiel Elliot saga nears a resolution. The NFL is wrapping up its investigation into Elliott, and has already shared its findings with the NFLPA and the Cowboys running back. A suspension would not only cost Elliott games, but money, as Dallas would have the right to recoup a portion of his signing bonus. Earlier today, Elliot’s domestic violence accuser addressed her allegations against the second-year pro. Meanwhile, Elliott was reportedly involved in a recent bar fight, but Dallas police are dropping their investigation due to a lack of evidence.

RG3 drawing free agent interest. Robert Griffin III could soon be joining a new club, as teams have reportedly expressed “mild” interest in the veteran quarterback. The only team to express public intrigue in Griffin so far this season had been the Seahawks, but they went in another direction by signing journeyman Austin Davis. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report indicated NFL clubs are curious to see what RG3 has left to offer after numerous injuries have limited him in recent seasons.

Anquan Boldin takes a visit. The Bills are planning to work out Boldin on Monday as they seek a another receiver to add to their uninspiring pass-catching unit, which is currently lead by Sammy Watkins and second-round rookie Zay Jones. Boldin, 36, reportedly may seek to sign with a club that plays closer to his Florida residence. Perhaps seeking to avoid the grind of training camp, Boldin is apparently willing to wait for a new deal, and could look to ink a contract later in the offseason.

Veterans hope to continue careers. With the regular season fast approaching, three well-known players are vying to keep their NFL tenures active. Running backs DeAngelo Williams (link) and Rashad Jennings (link), plus cornerback Darrelle Revis, are all intent on playing in 2017 despite the fact that they all remain unsigned. At this point, it’s hard to imagine any of that trio earning much more than a minimum salary, but each of the three can still contribute in the right role.

Jeff Fisher not ready to give up coaching. Like the three veteran players listed above, Fisher also wants to keep his NFL career alive. Fisher, 59, is tied for the most losses in NFL coaching history with 165, and owns a lifetime winning percentage of .512. He’s never won a Super Bowl, and hasn’t guided a team to a postseason appearance in nearly a decade.

Sam Darnold could wait until 2019. Darnold, considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the country and a contender for the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, could potentially hold off declaring for the draft until 2019. The USC product tossed 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions a year ago, and teams eyeing a quarterback upgrade surely hope he’ll enter the league in 2018.

Chiefs GM search ongoing. While Kansas City has yet to find a new general manager after firing John Dorsey two weeks ago, incumbent co-director of player personnel Brett Veach is increasingly viewed as the favorite for the position. In fact, Veach could be promoted to GM before the start of training camp. While Veach has a working relationship with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Reid reportedly isn’t involved in KC’s GM hunt.

Dorial Green-Beckham clears waivers. After being waived by the Eagles last week, Green-Beckham cleared waivers, meaning every NFL team declined the chance to pick him up. Any club that claimed DGB would have been on the hook for a base salary under $1MM, but even a cheap contract wasn’t enough to entice teams. Green-Beckham is now a free agent and can sign at any time.

Raiders continue to lock up core players: The Raiders now have two players from their excellent 2014 draft class signed long-term after the team and Gabe Jackson agreed on a five-year, $56MM contract. This makes Jackson the sixth member of the $10MM-AAV club for guards, and he joins fellow Raider blocker Kelechi Osemele in that group. The Raiders already have Rodney Hudson signed to a top-market center contract and Donald Penn on the books for $7.15MM in 2017. But Reggie McKenzie said the team wanted to extend Jackson despite Derek Carr (and almost certainly Khalil Mack) set to take up a sizable percentage of future Raiders caps, and the parties completed a deal that keeps Oakland’s interior line together. Carr left money on the table to help the Raiders sign Jackson.

But Mack will have to wait: Despite being the most accomplished of the Raiders’ three standout 2014 picks, with two first-team All-Pro distinctions and the 2016 defensive player of the year honor, Mack will have to wait until 2018 to receive his landmark extension. This could end up costing the Raiders in the long run due to the annual cap spikes, and it’s likely Mack will be in line to surpass Von Miller‘s six-year, $114MM deal and set a new benchmark for defenders. Mack not having a fifth-year option would make him a higher priority, but with the dominant defensive end signed through ’18, his extension may be delayed by a numbers game.

Zach Orr to unretire; several teams inquire: From a volume standpoint, Orr became the week’s centerpiece news item. The former Ravens linebacker announced he was considering unretiring after receiving more positive medical news on his congenital spine condition that initially forced him to retire. Then, the Lions, Colts and Jets each set up visits. Orr’s agent also said about half the league’s teams contacted him about the 2016 Baltimore tackles leader. The Ravens are divided on whether to renew interest in Orr, whom they did not tender as an RFA. However, the process is moving slowly. The Colts visit was more of an exploratory session, and the team has concerns about Orr’s condition. For his part, Orr said he’s feeling better than ever. Teams will obviously be careful in this pursuit, though.

Nick Fairley to miss 2017 season: After speaking with at least three doctors, the Saints defensive tackle will not play in 2017. The team placed the seventh-year veteran on the NFI list due to his heart condition, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports Fairley’s career may be over. The 29-year-old defender played well for the Saints in 2016 and signed a four-year, $28MM deal to stay in New Orleans after agreeing to one-year pacts in both 2015 and ’16.

Franchise tag drama persists: Three tagged performers remain unsigned, and this week brought updates on each’s status with his respective team. Kirk Cousins and the Redskins don’t appear to be much closer to a deal, with Schefter reporting an extension by July 17 looms as a long shot. However, he adds that the tone of the talks improved, even if progress hasn’t accompanied it. ESPN’s Diana Russini noted later that the sides aren’t particularly enamored with one another but realize they need to work together. Meanwhile, Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers are likely going down to the wire. Schefter estimates this could go either way. The fifth-year running back is recovered from his groin surgery and didn’t seem stressed by the tag deadline being two weeks away. Trumaine Johnson, however, doesn’t look to be set to sign a Rams extension. The odds are now incredibly slim the cornerback and his team will agree on a contract before the deadline, meaning Johnson would again play a season on the tag.