Here are today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: OL John Jerry
- Released: OL Rod Taylor
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed (from Jaguars): TE Pharoah McKever
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Caraun Reid
No surprises here, but Texans edge defender Jadeveon Clowney is not expected to attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Minicamp opens tomorrow.
Houston has put the franchise tag, valued at $17.1MM, on Clowney, but Clowney has yet to sign the franchise tender as he continues to push for a multiyear pact. The deadline for the two sides to come to terms on such a deal is July 15.
If and when Clowney gets his contract, it will be a doozy. Given the premium that teams are now paying for edge rushing talent, and given that Clowney is also a force to be reckoned with in the run game, he may well end up making over $22MM per season with $50MM or more guaranteed at signing,
It’s unclear whether the Texans are still actively shopping Clowney, but the fact that the team is currently without a GM is doubtlessly delaying a resolution. But it sounds as though former GM Brian Gaine wasn’t exactly making much progress on a new deal for Clowney, which may have been a contributing factor in Gaine’s ouster.
The Texans have targeted Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio to replace Caserio, but regardless of whom they hire, the first order of business for the new top exec will be addressing the Clowney situation.
Veteran offensive lineman Zane Beadles is retiring, as Beadles himself announced on Twitter. After nine years in the league, the 2012 Pro Bowler has decided to call it a career.
Beadles, 32, entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2010 draft. He promptly became a fixture at left guard, and started all 16 games there from 2011-13.
He parlayed his strong tenure with the Broncos into a five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars after the 2013 season, and his streak of durability continued in Jacksonville, as he started all 16 games for the Jags from 2014-15. But he wasn’t overly effective, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the worst guards in the league in 2015. Jacksonville released him in March 2016.
He quickly caught on with the 49ers and, once again, started all 16 games in the 2016 season. But in 2017, he lost his starting job, and though he played in all 16 games, he started just five, with four of those coming at right tackle as an injury replacement.
He was released by San Francisco last May and signed with the Falcons a few weeks into the 2018 campaign. He was signed to serve as an experienced backup but ended up starting the final five games for the club at right guard.
The Utah product leaves the game with no Super Bowl ring but with just shy of $24MM in career earnings. He put out the following statement on Twitter:
“I can’t thank the people who helped me get there and stay there enough for their support. I am excited for the next chapter for my family and I. I know the lessons learned living the crazy life this great game requires will propel us forward into more greatness.”
We at PFR wish Beadles the best in retirement.
Investigators have determined that the broken arm suffered by the three-year-old son of Chiefs star wideout Tyreek Hill was an accident and was not the result of abuse at the hands of Hill or the child’s mother, Crystal Espinal, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (citing Kevin Kietzman of 810WHB.com) writes. Despite that, and despite the fact that there is no active criminal investigation of the matter, Hill is not out of the woods.
While most assumed the crime that Johnson County DA Steve Howe was referring to when he said he believed a crime had been committed against the child pertained to the broken arm, that was not the case. Instead, as Kietzman reports, the crime pertained to the welts and bruises that Overland Park police found on the child’s body. Investigators determined early on in the process that the broken arm was an accident, but the welts and bruises are evidence of criminal abuse. The problem is that, although both Hill and Espinal have admitted to spanking their son with their hands and a belt, prosecutors cannot determine which parent, or if both, caused the welts and bruises.
This report will not change the NFL’s stance on the situation, as the league was already waiting for the Child Protective Services proceeding that resulted in Hill’s son being removed from Hill’s custody to conclude. But although Florio suggested yesterday that the NFL may be trying to brush this matter under the rug, he is singing a bit of a different tune today. Indeed, the portion of Kietzman’s report revealing that Hill admitted to spanking his son with his hands and a belt could make Hill more susceptible to league discipline, and he can also be disciplined for making threats against Espinal and creating an unsafe environment for his child.
Florio’s earlier opinion notwithstanding, it would be very surprising if the league did not take any disciplinary action against Hill, even if he is not charged with a crime. However, it may be awhile before we know for sure. For the time being, Hill is banned from the Chiefs’ facility.
The Texans have requested permission to interview Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio for their vacant GM job, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV tweets. As has been reported previously, Berman confirms that Caserio is Houston’s top choice.
Houston was in the hunt for a new GM in early 2018 as well, but New England denied the Texans’ request to interview Caserio. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, in order to hire away an executive under contract with a rival club, the hiring team must offer “the primary authority over all personnel decisions related to the signing of free agents, the selection of players in the College Draft, trades, and related decisions; and . . . the primary responsibility for coordinating other football activities with the head coach.” And, even if the hiring team offers those responsibilities, the incumbent club can still block the interview if its season has not yet ended.
It sounds as though the Texans are prepared to offer Caserio full GM responsibilities rather than make him a “GM Light” who would cede significant power to head coach Bill O’Brien. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB tweets, New England was able to prevent Caserio and director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort from interviewing for the Texans’ GM job last year only because the Pats’ season hadn’t ended yet. This time around, though, the Patriots cannot prevent their executives from hearing Houston’s pitch.
That is, of course, if they are even interested. It would be difficult for an exec to leave the friendly confines of Foxborough for uncharted waters elsewhere, and the quick and unexpected firing of former Houston GM Brian Gaine would certainly be cause for concern. On the other hand, the Texans do have a roster that looks capable of immediate contention, and with a young and promising QB in Deshaun Watson, a first-time GM could certainly do worse than land with Houston.
The Texans have already interviewed Ray Farmer and plan to interview Martin Mayhew. One name that is not on the agenda as of yet is Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, as Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Watkins expects Houston to reach out to McClay, but he does not expect McClay to leave his current position.
Colts tackle Antonio Garcia has been suspended for the first four games of season for a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, according to a team announcement. The ban will cost Garcia a month’s worth of game checks and may cost him his spot on the team. 
[RELATED: Colts QB Swag Kelly Suspended Two Games]
The former Patriots third-round pick has yet to find his footing in the NFL. He missed all of 2017 on the NFI list after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and lost 40 pounds while sidelined. The Jets claimed him off waivers in May of 2018, but he missed the club’s final cut. The Colts added him to the practice squad before Halloween 2018 and gave him an extended look with a reserve/future deal in January.
Garcia is still looking to make his true NFL debut, but it won’t happen any sooner than October.
Arthur Moats is calling it a career. On Monday, the former Bills, Steelers, and Cardinals linebacker announced that he is walking away from the NFL. 
“I have to give a big thanks to the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me this opportunity to play nine seasons in the NFL,” Moats wrote on social media. “Last but certainly not least, I have to give a big shoutout to #BillsMafia & #SteelersNation for all the support!”
Moats entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Bills out of James Madison in 2010. After four years with the team, he hooked on with the Steelers where he spent the next four seasons. Last year, he joined the Cardinals, but landed on injured reserve before the start of the season.
Moats leaves the game with 228 career tackles, 16.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. His most productive seasons came in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back four-sack campaigns in 2014 and 2015.
The Packers have wrapped up their 2019 NFL Draft class. On Monday, the club signed tight end Jace Sternberger, according to an announcement from his agent. 
Sternberger, a third-round pick, started his collegiate career at Kansas but wasn’t given much of an opportunity. He left to sign with JUCO program Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and put together a solid game tape that elicited attention from top schools such as Florida State and Boise State. When Jimbo Fisher moved on to the Aggies, he brought Sternberger with him.
In Sternberger’s one and only season at Texas A&M, he caught 48 passes for 832 yards, good for a 17.3 yards per catch average. He also reeled in ten touchdowns, proving that he can be a difference-maker in the red zone. For now, Sternberger will be stationed behind veterans Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis.
Here’s the full rundown of the Packers’ class, courtesy of PFR’s tracker:
- 1-12: Rashan Gary, DE (Michigan): Signed
- 1-21: Darnell Savage, S (Maryland): Signed
- 2-44: Elgton Jenkins, OL (Mississippi State): Signed
- 3-75: Jace Sternberger, TE (Texas A&M): Signed
- 5-150: Kingsley Keke, DT (Texas A&M): Signed
- 6-185: Ka’dar Hollman, CB (Toledo): Signed
- 6-194: Dexter Williams, RB (Notre Dame): Signed
- 7-226: Ty Summers, LB (TCU): Signed
49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould will not attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gould’s situation is different than most, however, as he has not yet signed his franchise tag. 
The saga between the Niners and their kicker has been going on for some time. Gould was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason with the understanding that the two sides would eventually agree to an extension. However, a new deal still hasn’t materialized, much to the dismay of the kicker.
“The bottom line is, I’m unsure if I want to play there anymore,” Gould said earlier this year. “At this point, I have to do what’s best for me and my family back home.”
Later, Gould’s agent indicated that if Gould were to report at all, he would not show up before the club’s season opener. GM John Lynch has said that he wants to sign Gould to a multiyear deal, but there apparently has been much progress on that front.
At one point, the Niners expressed interest in Stephen Gostkowski before he re-signed with the Patriots, so they’ve at least contemplated a future without Gould. They may have to scour the open market again if the standoff continues.
The Jaguars will not have Yannick Ngakoue as they begin their mandatory minicamp. On Monday, the defensive end announced that he will stay at home in hopes of getting a better deal. 
“I will not be attending minicamp as my contract has not been resolved,” Ngakoue said. “I remain committed to Jacksonville, the fans and my teammates. My hope is to be with Jacksonville for years to come.”
Ngakoue reported to the Jaguars for the start of the club’s voluntary workouts in May but stopped showing up after a few days. Now, the 24-year-old is showing that he is serious about his desire for a new deal by absorbing nearly $90K in fines.
Ngakoue is entering a contract year and is set to make just $2.025MM, making him criminally underpaid given his production. Over the last three years, Ngakoue has racked up 29.5 sacks, and he wants to be compensated as one of the best young DEs in the NFL.
The going rate for quality young edge rushers continues to skyrocket. Earlier this offseason, Frank Clark inked a five-year, $105MM deal with the Chiefs after coming over from the Seahawks. Days prior to that, Demarcus Lawrence signed a similar deal to remain with the Cowboys.