Week In Review News & Rumors

Tony Romo hangs up his cleats. Instead of attempting to land with a team like the Texans or Broncos, Romo announced his decision to retire from the NFL to join CBS as a broadcaster, where he’ll replace Phil Simms as the network’s No. 1 color commentator. The Cowboys have officially released Romo, waiving its rights to the veteran quarterback if he ever decides to attempt a comeback — something he hasn’t entirely ruled out. Romo said “never say never” in regards to an NFL return, but another source says “it’s over” for the 36-year-old.

Richard Sherman still on trade block. Seahawks general manager John Schneider opened up about the Sherman trade discussions, confessing that the rumors are “real.” Sherman, in fact, appears to have been the instigator in the trade talks, as he reportedly asked for a trade. Seattle, meanwhile, has set its asking price: a “very good player plus a high draft pick.” One possible suitor, the Patriots, aren’t interested in dealing for Sherman.

Beast Mode to Oakland? The Raiders are continuing their pursuit of retired running back Marshawn Lynch, and the veteran runner met with Oakland brass at their facility last week. During that visit, Lynch reportedly told the Raiders he’s ready to return to the NFL. The final hurdle apparently rests with head coach Jack Del Rio, who must sign off on a Lynch acquisition. Consistent with what we’ve heard, Lynch only has interest in playing for Oakland if he comes out of retirement.

Adrian Peterson market heating up. After drawing little to no interest during the first month or free agency, Peterson will now meet with two teams in the span of a week. Peterson took a visit with and worked out for the Patriots last week, but left town without a deal. New England is stocked with running backs, and has an offer out to LeGarrette Blount. Meanwhile, the Saints will meet with Peterson at some point this week.

Zach Brown finds a home. One of only four PFR Top 50 free agents who remained unsigned, Brown has now landed with the Redskins on a one-year deal. Reportedly looking for a contract in the $6MM range, Brown didn’t come anywhere near that with Washington. He’ll earn a base value of $2.25MM and $700K guaranteed, while another $2.3MM is available via statistical and team performance incentives.

Viva Las Vegas. As expected, NFL owners approved the Raiders’ plan to relocate to Las Vegas by a tally of 31-1, with the Dolphins registering the only “no” vote. While the club is expected to remain in Oakland for the next two seasons, San Antonio has also been mentioned as a possible interim site. The Raiders’ new stadium is expected to cost $1.9MM billion, but the team secured a record $750MM in public money to put towards the effort.

Seahawks discussed Richard Sherman trade. While Pete Carroll admitted Seattle had listened on offers for Sherman, he indicated that no deal was likely to take place. One team which reportedly called on Sherman was the Patriots, who subsequently signed free agent Stephon Gilmore and are now presumably not interested in the Seahawks All Pro. Sherman, for his part, was comfortable with his name coming up.

Browns open to Josh Gordon return. Although nearly every report out of Cleveland has indicated the Browns are likely to trade or release Gordon if he’s reinstated, executive vice president Sashi Brown said last week that his club is willing to accept Gordon once again. “We’re not in position at wide receiver to turn down a guy like Josh if we feel he’s settled himself,” Brown said. Gordon, still only 25 years old, hasn’t played a full season since 2013, when he led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards.

TV wants Tony Romo. Both CBS and FOX are thought to be courting Romo, who has yet to be either released or traded by the Cowboys. CBS, specifically, is willing to hand Romo its top commentator job, where he’d take the place of Phil Simms. Romo would slide into the network’s No. 1 broadcasting team, working with Jim Nantz on the week’s top game.

Eagles add a pair of veterans. In need of help both up front and in the secondary, Philadelphia inked defensive end Chris Long and cornerback Patrick Robinson last week, fortifying its defense with a duo that teems with experience. Long didn’t plan to re-sign with the Patriots as he searched for a larger role, while Robinson was cut by the Colts last month. Despite adding Long, the Eagles are still expected to target pass rushers in the draft.

Viva Las Vegas. The Raiders appear all but certain to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas, as team owner Mark Davis is reportedly “dead set” on moving his club to Sin City. NFL owners are expected to vote on the issue tomorrow, and the Raiders will likely pay a far cheaper relocation fee than either the Ram or Chargers did. Commissioner Roger Goodell and Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf have sent each other dueling letters, with Schaaf attempting to lay out the city’s argument for keeping the team and Goodell arguing that no such solution exists.

Saints looking at Johnny Manziel. As New Orleans tries to find a successor to Drew Brees, it’s apparently checking out an unorthodox option, as head coach Sean Payton was seen having breakfast with former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel, of course, flamed out of the league after multiple off-field incidents and ineffective play, but is reportedly making a renewed commitment to sobriety. Reports earlier this month indicated league-wide interest in Manziel, and while the Saints may not sign him at this time, Manziel could make a comeback in the near future.

The Jets find a quarterback. While he’s a not a particularly inspiring option, Josh McCown will give the Jets more stability at the quarterback position than they had in 2016 after agreeing to a one-year, $6MM contract last week. Gang Green has been linked to Jay Cutler and other veteran signal-callers this offseason, but after inking McCown, the club is unlikely to add another experienced option. McCown, 37, has struggled to stay healthy recently, so Bryce Petty and/or Christian Hackenberg could conceivably garner starts in 2017.

Adrian Peterson is still waiting. Although some reports have indicated Adrian Peterson‘s asking price is keeping him on the open market, Peterson himself took to Twitter to say he’s not demanding an $8MM salary and wants to play for a winning club. The Packers have some interest in Peterson, but likely won’t have him in for a visit until the draft is complete, at which point Green Bay can further assess its options in the backfield.

Beast Mode to Oakland? The Raiders are still trying to lure former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch out of retirement, and Lynch is interested in a return, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported it’s the “Raiders or bust” for Lynch, meaning the 30-year-old won’t play for any club besides Oakland. Lynch’s agent claims he hasn’t spoken to his client about a comeback, but didn’t that the itch to play football is still there.

Saints talking with Malcolm Butler. While the Patriots acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Saints without sacrificing restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler, New Orleans is now coming after Butler, whom New England tendered at the first-round level. Butler, 27, is reportedly looking for a Stephon Gilmore-level contract (five years, $65MM) and is frustrated by the Patriots’ lack of movement on a new deal. The Saints, meanwhile, have met with Butler and are working towards a pact, although it seems unlikely they’d part with the No. 11 pick through the RFA process. A trade involving lesser compensation is probably the more palatable outcome.

Beast Mode in Oakland? After sitting out the 2016 campaign as part of his “retirement,” running back Marshawn Lynch may return to the league in 2017 to play for the Raiders. Oakland wants to pursue Lynch, but it won’t part with any significant draft assets in order to acquire him from Seattle. Lynch would count $9MM on Seattle’s cap if he returns, and because the Hawks don’t have much financial wiggle room (and already signed Eddie Lacy), they wouldn’t be able to keep Lynch on the books for long. For his part, Lynch has reportedly stayed in shape and has the “itch” to play again.

Dont’a Hightower heads back to New England. Following flirtations with the Jets, Steelers, and Titans, linebacker Dont’a Hightower eventually ended up where he started, agreeing to a four-year, $35.5MM deal with the Patriots. While the Jets reportedly had the largest offer on the table, Gang Green also had concerns with Hightower’s physical. Hightower can max out at $43.5MM with New England if he reaches all his incentives and bonuses.

Adrian Peterson done in Minnesota. Now that the Vikings have agreed to a three-year deal with running back Latavius Murray, franchise icon Adrian Peterson will not return to the club in 2017. Minnesota had already declined its 2017 option on Peterson, but until Murray was inked, a Peterson reunion was still possible. Instead, Peterson will remain on the open market and keep searching for a new club. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson, while the Seahawks visited with him but then opted to sign Lacy instead.

Poe in ATL. After taking visits with the Colts, Jaguars, and Dolphins, free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe finally found a landing spot by agreeing to a one-year, $8MM deal with the Falcons. Poe, 26, can make up to $10MM through incentives. Not only will Poe be reuniting with Atlanta assistant general manager Scott Pioli (who drafted Poe in Kansas City), but he’ll be shifting to 4-3 scheme for the first time in his career. The Chiefs, meanwhile, replace Poe by adding former Eagles interior defender Bennie Logan.

Free agency opens! The busiest week of the NFL calendar was as crazy, as the free agent period officially opened on Thursday after a two-day legal tampering period. The sheer magnitude of signings means we won’t be able to go over all of them (or even a fraction of them) here, but there are several ways you can look back on the week that was. First, our Transactions tag will allow you to read stories that simply focus on actual moves, filtering out all rumors. The Newsstand tag, meanwhile, will show you the most important posts of the week. Check out our Top 50 Free Agents list, which is constantly being updated when each player signs, and bookmark our master list of 2017 free agents, which is also updated after each transaction.

The Browns go Moneyball. Cleveland made the first NBA-style trade in league history last week, acquiring quarterback Brock Osweiler, his contract (an entity unto itself), a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2017 sixth-round pick from the Texans in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round choice. The Browns effectively bought a second-round pick by taking on Osweiler’s fully guaranteed $16MM base salary, but Cleveland has little interest in Osweiler himself. The club is already trying to trade the 27-year-old (and are willing to pay roughly half his deal to do so), and will release him if no takers are found.

Patriots wheel and deal. The Browns weren’t the only club to operate in the trade market last week, as the Patriots made three (three!) of their own deals. First, they acquired tight end Dwayne Allen from the Colts to replace Martellus Bennett, and then picked up defensive end Kony Ealy from the Panther to bolster their pass rush. New England saved the largest move for last, however, sending a first- and a third-round pick to the Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. You can keep track of all the moves by bookmarking our list of 2017 NFL Trades.

Redskins in turmoil. Washington fired general manager Scot McCloughan on the first day of free agency, a highly unusual decision even for a franchise known for making them. McCloughan’s status with the club had been in question for some time, and while the longtime evalutor’s admitted alcoholism may have played a role in his demise, the move may have simply been a power grab by others in the Redskins’ front office. While the distrust within the organization might have disrupted its free agency plans, Washington still signed a number of players including Stacy McGee, Terrell McClain, and D.J. Swearinger.

AP still waiting. Adrian Peterson remains unsigned and only has one visit scheduled (Seahawks), as more teams have indicated they’re not interested in Peterson than called to express intrigue. The Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants, and have all said “thanks, but no thanks” to Peterson, who could still return to the Vikings even after they declined his 2017 option. Peterson, 32 later this month, is the No. 2 running back on PFR’s board.

AFC standouts receive record paydays: Two players that angled for extensions for a while signed them this week, and the contracts are now the standard at their respective positions. Antonio Brown finally signed the Steelers pact the team delayed until he had one year remaining on his previous deal, and Eric Berry reached an agreement with the Chiefs on the day before the franchise tag deadline. Berry was adamant about not wanting to be tagged again. This is the eighth-year player’s second Chiefs long-term deal. Also an eighth-year performer, Brown signed his third Steelers pact. Brown raises the per-year wide receiver bar to $17MM AAV, while Berry’s deal surpasses Tyrann Mathieu‘s in total and per-year money; the league’s new highest-paid safety will earn $13MM annually.

Pro Bowlers, potential Hall of Famers axed: The long-rumored Adrian Peterson/Vikings divorce occurred this week when Minnesota passed on the Canton-bound running back’s 2017 option. The Chiefs parted with ninth-year running back Jamaal Charles. Amid a major house-cleaning effort, the Jets will separate from Darrelle Revis for a second time. They also became the fourth team to part with Brandon Marshall. The former Broncos, Dolphins and Bears wide receiver will leave a team via release for the first time after being traded in 2010, 2012 and 2015. The 33-year-old wideout declined a Jets extension offer and requested a release. Peterson’s been linked to the Giants and Raiders in free agency, although the latest coming out of New York/New Jersey is Big Blue will pass on him. Charles could have interest from former Kansas City OC Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, and Marshall has been linked to a few teams, including the Patriots.

Cooks trade market ignites: The Saints may be dangling Brandin Cooks in trades. The league certainly seems to be operating on the assumption the two-time 1,100-yard wideout is available. After interest emerged from the Eagles and Titans, the Patriots are believed to have offered a package including their 2017 No. 32 overall pick for a receiver they’ve admired for years. New Orleans, though, wants a “real significant” return for the 23-year-old target who could be under team control for two more seasons. Saints management is said to be targeting a mid-first-round pick. Several teams have offered second-rounders. The Eagles attempted to trade for Cooks at the 2016 deadline.

Tags change pass-rusher market: While players at other positions received franchise tag designations — Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Le’Veon Bell (Steelers) and Trumaine Johnson (Rams) — the tag fail-safe measure mostly affected the pass-rushing market. As expected, the Cardinals and Panthers respectively tagged Chandler Jones and Kawann Short. But the Giants and Chargers both opted to prevent sack artists Jason Pierre-Paul and Melvin Ingram from reaching free agency. The edge defender market looks drastically different as a result. Pittsburgh and Washington, though, protected their offensive assets the most, being the only two franchises to deploy the exclusive tag this year.

Salary cap makes record leap: After months of rumors pegging the 2017 cap between $163-$170MM, the number teams will use this year was revealed this week. As free agency approaches, teams will be working off a $167MM salary ceiling. Moving from $155MM to $167MM makes this the largest single-year leap since the cap was implemented in 1994. That continues the substantial elevation pattern that’s formed over the past several years. In 2013, the cap settled in at $123MM, and that came after it stagnated following the uncapped year of 2010. The Browns now have more than $102MM in cap space to lead the league going into free agency.

Dolphins, Jaguars swap assets. After a deal that would have sent left tackle Branden Albert to Jacksonville and tight end Julius Thomas to Miami fell through, the two clubs simply agreed to trade the players in separate transactions, with the Fins getting a 2018 seventh-round pick for Albert and the Jags receiving a 2017 seventh-rounder for Thomas. In Albert, Jacksonville gets a replacement for Kelvin Beachum, on whom the Jaguars declined their option last week, while Thomas — who has since passed his physical — is now reunited with Adam Gase, who coached Thomas in Denver.

Bears trying to trade Jay Cutler. Chicago is attempting to acquire any sort of compensation for Cutler, although a deal seems extremely unlikely after the 33-year-old quarterback struggled with injuries and ineffective play in 2016. Further complicating mattes is that Cutler is reportedly considering retirement, and could threaten to end his career if he somehow gets dealt to a destination he doesn’t prefer. Cutler is expected to be able to pass a physical by next month, which could be one bit of good news for any interested parties.

Jets begin roster purge. Gang Green is entering a rebuilding stage, and started that process by cutting ties with several veterans last week. After previously declining left tackle Ryan Clady‘s option, the Jets released right tackle Breno Giacomini (link), center Nick Mangold (link), kicker Nick Folk (link), and declined their 2017 option on linebacker Erin Henderson (link). New York is likely to retain linebacker David Harris, but cornerback Darrelle Revis is probably on the outs, especially after his hearing on assault charges was postponed.

Left tackle market continues to evolve. Both Clady and Beachum will now hit free agency after seeing their options declined by the Jets and Jaguars, respectively, and another blindside protector will be joining them on the open market. The Broncos opted not to exercise the remainder of Russell Okung‘s contract, which he notably negotiated without an agent last spring. Okung’s option bonus was worth only $1MM, but the mechanism would have locked in an additional four years, $48MM, and $20.5MM in guaranteed money. Okung will now join a free agent tackle class that includes Andrew Whitworth, Ricky Wagner, and Riley Reiff.

Latavius Murray will reach the market. The Raiders aren’t going to agree to an extension with Murray before free agency begins next Thursday, meaning the 27-year-old running back will hit the open market and potentially land with a new club. Oakland isn’t completely moving on from Murray, who’s only averaged four yards per carry over the past two seasons, but it will let him establish his value in free agency before trying to work out a new deal. Murray will compete for a contract along with other free agent backs including Le’Veon Bell (who is likely to be franchised), Eddie Lacy, and LeGarrette Blount.

Dolphins get an offseason head start. Miami began clearing cap space with a fervor last week, releasing defensive linemen Mario Williams and Earl Mitchell, and — after deciding not to cut him — are now working on a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to the Jaguars. Additionally, the Dolphins handed veteran defensive end Cameron Wake another extension, and have begun pondering their plans for the next few months. A trade for a high-profile cornerback could be on the itinerary, while Miami is also expected to target edge help.

Roster purge for Big Blue. The Giants made several personnel moves last week, parting ways with veterans Victor Cruz (link) and Rashad Jennings (link), while another report indicated the club won’t make a push to re-sign free agent tight end Larry Donnell. Running back Adrian Peterson also doesn’t appear to be on New York’s radar, even though the veteran back posted a cryptic tweet indicating possible interest in the Giants. Meanwhile, the Giants want to retain defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency begins.

Left tackle market evolves. Before last week, the free agent list of left tackles consisted of Andrew Whitworth, Riley Reiff, and a bunch of uninspiring options. Recently, however, the market has grown, as both the Jets and Jaguars declined their respective options on offensive linemen Ryan Clady and Kelvin Beachum, respectively. Along with Albert (who, as noted above, could be traded), left tackles are becoming a bit more available, and should face a healthy market.

Patriots mulling Tom Brady extension. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, New England wants to work out a new deal with Brady, who is already signed thorough the 2019 campaign. The two sides have begun negotiations, but no contract is imminent at the moment. By hammering out a new pact, the Patriots could theoretically reduce Brady’s upcoming cap charges, which come in at $14MM, $22MM, and $22MM over the next three seasons.

Tony Romo expects to be released. While the Cowboys could aim to trade Romo over the next weeks, the quarterback himself expects to be cut rather than dealt away. Such a move could be preferable to Dallas, as well, because a post-June 1 release of Romo would save the club more money than a trade. Plus, cutting Romo would allow him to choose his next destination, which would represent a professional gesture by the Cowboys given Romo’s contributions to the team.

Patriots win the Super Bowl. In one of the greatest title games ever played, quarterback Tom Brady led the Patriots back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Falcons in the first Super Bowl overtime by final score of 34-28. Brady was named MVP after passing for a Super Bowl-record 466 yards, while running back James White added 14 receptions and three total touchdowns. Brady and New England head coach Bill Belichick now boast five Super Bowl rings, and the Patriots have now won two of the past three NFL championships.

Changes in Atlanta. Having been dealt a crushing loss in the Super Bowl, the Falcons quickly began making changes to their coaching staff. Former Alabama assistant Steve Sarkisian was hired to replace Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator, while ex-Atlanta secondary coach Marquand Manuel was promoted to take the place of the fired Richard Smith. The Falcons will also tackle personnel moves this offseason, possibly by making Matt Ryan the league’s highest-paid player and inking cornerback Desmond Trufant to an extension.

Shanahan goes west. The 49ers made official the NFL’s worst-kept secret, hiring former Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan as their new head coach, signing him to a six-year deal. Along with first-time general manager John Lynch, Shanahan will control San Francisco’s fate for the next half-dozen years (Lynch handles the 90-man roster while Shanahan has final say over the 53). In addition to personnel control, Shanahan is handling other duties, as the 49ers won’t hire an offensive coordinator and are bringing in several inexperienced offensive coaches.

Getting the band back together. Quarterback Carson Palmer became the second Cardinals veteran to fend off retirement, announcing this week that he’d follow wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald‘s lead and return for the 2017 season. 2016 was certainly a down year for Palmer, as his Total Quarterback Rating dropped by nearly 25 points, but Arizona is still in win-now mode and doesn’t have a ready-made successor on the roster. Palmer, 37, is signed through 2018 with cap charges north of $20MM in each year.

A reward in Oakland. After leading the Raiders back to the postseason for the first time in 12 years, head coach Jack Del Rio was handed a new contract on Friday night. Oakland essentially ripped up Del Rio’s old deal, which had him locked up through 2018, and signed him to a new pact that runs through the 2020 campaign. Del Rio, 53, won 12 games for the second time in his career in 2016, and has posted an overall record of 87-84 as an NFL head coach.