Week In Review News & Rumors

Headlines:

• Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was shot at a Dallas nightclub, but the latest reports indicate that Talib may have shot himself.
• The Broncos proposed a six-year, $114.5MM extension to linebacker Von Miller that included $39.8MM in guaranteed money, but Miller and the club couldn’t agree on the structure of the contract.
• Quarterback Andrew Luck is expected to complete an extension with the Colts sometime in July, and the deal will likely make Luck the highest-paid player in the league.
• Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch says he is staying retired, ending speculation that he may return to the NFL in 2016.
• The Rams are working on extensions for both general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher.

Extensions:

• Bengals – Giovani Bernard, RB (through 2019)
• Chargers – Keenan Allen, WR (through 2020)
• Panthers – Ryan Kalil, C (through 2018)
• Vikings – Harrison Smith, S (through 2021)

Injuries:

• Patriots – Michael Williams, TE (torn ACL)
• Ravens – Breshad Perriman, WR (partially torn ACL)
• Saints – Hau’oli Kikaha, DE (torn ACL)

Signed:

• Bills – Dan Herron, RB (link)
• Browns – Patrick Murray, K (link)
• Panthers – Mike Scifres, P (link)
• Rams – Cam Thomas, DT (link)
• Saints – Roman Harper, S (link)

Retired:

• Manny Ramirez, OL (link)

Headlines:

• The Jaguars locked up one of their young stars to a long-term deal, inking wide receiver Allen Hurns to a four-year, $40MM extension that will keep him in Jacksonville through the 2020 campaign.
• Defensive back Walter Thurmond officially decided to retire at the age of 28 after a six-year NFL career with the Seahawks, Giants, and Eagles.
• The Bears are unlikely to reach an extension with wide receiver Alshon Jeffery this summer, meaning he’ll likely play out the 2016 season under the franchise tag.
• Dolphins safety Reshad Jones is considering sitting out the entire 2016 season if Miami isn’t willing to sign him to a new contract.
• Nick Foles is not attending Rams camp, and he’s reportedly unhappy with his role on the team, sparking rumors that he could be dealt.

Free Agent Rumors:

• The Jets are reportedly offering Ryan Fitzpatrick a three-year deal worth $24MM, with $12MM available in 2016. The veteran quarterback would prefer a one-year, $12MM contract, but New York isn’t interested in that option, though the club does have some concern that Fitzpatrick could take less money to play elsewhere.
• Edge rusher Dwight Freeney is “95%” certain he will continue playing in 2016, although he probably won’t be seeing action with the Falcons, who apparently won’t sign Freeney (at least right now).
• Arian Foster isn’t yet at full health, and he’ll likely wait until the end of July before working out for teams and/or signing a new deal.
• Free agent running back Joique Bell says he has two or three offers on the table.
• The Dolphins are not considering free agent defensive backs Leon Hall and Antonio Cromartie, nor running back Knowshon Moreno.
• The Redskins could be in the market for a running back, and a reunion with Pierre Thomas is possible.

Signed:

• Bears – Nate Chandler, OL (link)
• Bills – Jamari Lattimore, LB (link)

Retired:

• Stephen Bowen, DL (link)

Headlines:

• Ryan Fitzpatrick has a three-year offer in hand from the Jets, with $12MM reportedly available in 2016.
• Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch could possibly be rethinking retirement, and he reportedly told a few ex-teammates that he plans to return in 2016.
• Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler plans to push for a new contract prior to the 2016 season.
• Cowboys guard Ronald Leary has requested a trade, but Dallas won’t give him away for “little or nothing.”
• Free agent edge rusher Dwight Freeney met with the Bengals and will take a visit with the Falcons, but the Cowboys aren’t interested in adding the veteran.
• Running back Knowshon Moreno is attempting a 2016 comeback, and would like to play for either the Broncos or Dolphins.

Injuries:

• Bengals – Tyler Eifert, TE (could miss season opener)
• Jaguars – Jalen Ramsey, S (expected to return by training camp)
• Lions – Ameer Abdullah, RB (shoulder surgery)
• Titans – Byron Bell, OL (will miss 2016 season)

Signed:

• Saints – Vincent Brown, WR (link)

Released/Waived:

• Browns – Brian Hartline, WR (link)
• Lions – Tim Wright, TE (link)

Headlines:

• The Patriots reportedly have “preliminary” interest in free agent running back Arian Foster, who might not be able to pass a physical for a week or two.
• The Redskins released wide receiver Andre Roberts, but the 28-year-old pass-catcher has already garnered interest from the Bills and several other unknown clubs.
• The Chargers claimed quarterback Zach Mettenberger off waivers from the Titans — the Bengals and Giants also placed a claim on the signal-caller.
• Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is in line to become the league’s highest-paid safety, as he is reportedly in “deep negotiations” on an extension with the Cardinals.
• The Bears have offered defensive end Willie Young a two-year extension, and he is apparently “50/50” on accepting the deal.

Injuries:

• Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson will undergo shoulder surgery after suffering an injury in practice. Lawson is expected to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list.
• More bad news out of Buffalo, as Bills receiver Sammy Watkins suffered a minor foot fracture. Unlike Lawson, however, Watkins is projected to be ready for training camp.
• Jaguars safety Jalen Ramsey could have a rocky start to his career, as a knee injury might knock him out for up to six months.

Extended:

• Bengals – Shawn Williams, S (through 2020)

Signed:

• Rams – Dominique Easley, DT (link)
• Ravens – Vlad Ducasse, G and Josh Johnson, QB (link)
• Saints – Connor Barth, K (link)

Released:

• Panthers – Brandon Boykin, CB (link)
• Saints – Josh Scobee, K (link)

Free Agent Visits:

• Falcons – Brandon Boykin, CB (link)
• Patriots – William Moore, S (link)
• Saints – Vincent Brown, Denarius Moore, Hakeem Nicks, and Nathan Palmer, WRs (link)

Retired:

• Jarryd Hayne, RB (link)

Headlines:

• Sam Bradford ended his holdout by reporting to Eagles camp and rescinding his trade request. Bradford’s agent admitted that the veteran quarterback was hoping to be dealt to the Broncos.
• The Eagles hired former Bears executive Joe Douglas as personnel chief, bringing to an end their search to find a complement to de facto GM Howie Roseman.
• Las Vegas is looking more and more like a legitimate option for the Raiders, but the Chargers could be a second-place prize for the city.
• The Cardinals have reignited extension talks with safety Tyrann Mathieu, while the Panthers have also begun discussing a long-term deal with defensive tackle Kawann Short.

Signed:

• Dolphins – Jason Jones, DE (link)
• Jaguars – Bjoern Werner, DE (link)
• Raiders – Damontre Moore (link)
• Ravens – Jerraud Powers, CB (link)

Traded:

• Lions – acquired LB Jon Bostic from the Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.

Retired:

• Jarryd Hayne, RB (link)
• Ricardo Lockette, WR (link)

Draft Signings:

• Follow all the latest draft pick signings by bookmarking our team-by-team tracker.

A look back at PFR’s biggest stories of the last week..

Headlines:

• The Dolphins signed Cameron Wake to a two-year extension. The deal is worth $15MM over two years with $10MM in fully guaranteed money.
• Guard Matt Slauson was deciding between the Bills and Chargers last week and he ultimately went with the better weather. San Diego signed Slauson to a two-year deal with the hope that he can bolster their offensive line, which placed dead last in the NFL in 2015.
• Cordy Glenn has a massive new deal with the Bills. Ditto for the Saints and tackle Terron Armstead.
• Tight end Delanie Walker inked a deal with the Titans that will keep him in place beyond 2016. Walker, 31, enjoyed a career year and earned his first Pro Bowl berth in 2015, his 10th NFL season.
• The Seahawks officially placed Marshawn Lynch on the reserve/retired list.

Signed:

• Steelers – Bruce Gradkowski, QB (link)
• Chargers – Matt Slauson, C/G (link)

Released:

• Dolphins – Damontre Moore, DE (link)

Option Decisions:

• Last week marked the deadline for teams to decide on fifth-year options for players taken in the first round of the 2013 draft. Click here for a full rundown on all 32 players.

Draft Signings:

• Many of the players taken in last week’s draft have already signed their rookie contracts. Click here for a team-by-team breakdown.

NFL Draft:

• After the Rams picked Jared Goff with the first overall pick, and the Eagles selected Carson Wentz No. 2 overall, Laremy Tunsil‘s fall to No. 13 following a social media snafu became arguably the biggest story of the weekend. Other headlines included the Titans trading back up to No. 8 for offensive tackle Jack Conklin, the Broncos moving up to select quarterback Paxton Lynch, and the Cowboys reportedly considering trades up to acquire a long-term franchise QB. We’ve posted the complete results of the draft both by round and by team, and you can follow all the weekend’s news by visiting our 2016 NFL Draft page.

Headlines:

• An appeals court reinstated Patriots quarterback Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension — Brady is said to be mulling oer options with his legal team.
• Sam Bradford has requested a trade out of Philadelphia, but the Eagles are unlikely to honor his demand.
• Dolphins safety Reshad Jones is holding out in the hopes of landing an extension.
• The Raiders seem to be one step closer to relocating to Las Vegas.

Signed:

• Bears – Brian Hoyer, QB (link)
• Broncos – Garrett Graham, TE (link)
• Chiefs – Mike Williams, WR (link)

Released:

• Bengals – A.J. Hawk, LB (link)
• Chargers – Mike Scifres, P (link)

Traded:

• Browns – acquired CB Jamar Taylor from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round pick

2017 Fifth-Year Options:

• Giants – Justin Pugh, OL (exercised)
• Lions – Ziggy Ansah, DE (exercised)

Headlines:

• The Eagles made a jump to the top of the draft, acquiring the No. 2 overall pick from the Browns in exchange for a bevy of picks. Philadelphia is thought to be targeting North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz.
• After the Panthers surprisingly rescinded Josh Norman‘s franchise tag, the star corner agreed to a five-year, $75MM deal with Washington.
• Justin Houston underwent ACL surgery earlier this offseason, but the Chiefs pass-rusher is expected to play in 2016.
• Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

2017 Fifth-Year Options:

• Chargers – D.J. Fluker, T (exercised)
• Cowboys – Travis Frederick, C (exercised)
• Falcons – Desmond Trufant, CB (exercised)
• Jets – Sheldon Richardson, DL (exercised)

Signed/Re-Signed:

• Broncos – Ronnie Hillman, RB (link), Shiloh Keo, S and Brandian Ross, S (link)
• Falcons – Chris Chester, G (link)
• Giants – Josh Brown, K (link)
• Packers – Don Barclay, OL (link)

Released:

• Cardinals – Cory Redding, DT (link)
• Jaguars – Sergio Brown, S (link)
• Texans – Brian Hoyer, QB (link)

Waivers:

• Dolphins – claimed DT Chris Jones off waivers from the Patriots

Headlines:

• The Rams made perhaps the biggest move of the offseason, moving up to No. 1 in the draft through a trade with the Titans. Los Angeles will meet with both Jared Goff and Carson Wentz ahead of the draft as it determines which quarterback to select.
• Even after trading down, the Titans might be working to move back into the top 10 picks. Meanwhile, the Browns are rumored to have made the No. 2 overall pick available.
• Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon‘s petition for reinstatement was denied — he can apply again on August 1.

Signed/Re-Signed:

• Patriots – LeGarrette Blount, RB (link)
• Rams – Greg Zuerlein, K (link)
• Saints – Tim Hightower, RB (link)
• Seahawks – Brandon Browner, CB (link)
• Washington – Greg Toler, CB (link)

Released/Waived:

• Patriots – Dominique Easley, DL (link); Chris Jones, DL and Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, DL (link)
• Steelers – Cortez Allen, CB (link)
• Texans – Brian Hoyer, QB (link)

2017 Fifth-Year Options:

• Bears – Kyle Long, G (exercised)
• Bengals – Tyler Eifert, TE (exercised)
• Saints – Kenny Vaccaro, S (link)
• Texans – DeAndre Hopkins, WR (exercised)

Retired:

• Mike DeVito, DL (link)
• Percy Harvin, WR (link)
• Jason Hatcher, DL (link)

Headlines:

• The Jets acquired offensive tackle Ryan Clady and a seventh-round pick from the Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
• The Jets’ acquisition of Clady was necessitated by the departure of left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who has decided to retire.
• The Bengals extended the contract of head coach Marvin Lewis through the 2017 season.
• Former Saints defensive end Will Smith was tragically murdered in New Orleans.
• Bills running back LeSean McCoy was not charged in relation to a February altercation involving off-duty police officers.

Signed/Re-Signed:

• 49ers – Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL (link)
• Bills – Zach Brown, LB (link); Sterling Moore, CB (link); Fernando Velasco, OL (link)
• Broncos – Jared Crick, DE (link)
• Chargers – Jeff Cumberland, TE (link)
• Eagles – Stefen Wisniewski, OL (link)
• Giants – Kelvin Sheppard, LB (link)
• Jets – Jeremy Ross, WR (link)
• Panthers – Kyle Love, DT (link)
• Raiders – Reggie Nelson, S (link) and Aldon Smith, LB (link)
• Saints – Tim Hightower, RB (link)
• Texans – Quintin Demps, S (link)

Waived:

• Packers – Nate Palmer, LB (link)

Suspended:

• Falcons – Jalen Collins, CB (four games)
• Jaguars – Aaron Colvin, CB (four games)

Retired:

• Tyler Polumbus, T (link)