Here are today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Redskins
Labeled as a frontrunner in the bidding to become the new Panthers owner, businessman Ben Navarro will make a visit to the team’s facilities next week, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter link). Person also notes another suitor, Alan Kestenbaum, was in on Wednesday.
A vote on a new owner is expected to take place during late-May meetings in Atlanta, according to David Newton of ESPN.com, who adds a reported sale price of $2.5 billion could potentially be a bit inflated. The last franchise that was sold, the Bills in 2014, went for $1.4 billion.
According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, Navarro is already being vetted by the NFL. The South Carolina businessman is the founder of Sherman Financial, but some owners have had concerns about how Navarro made his money.
Navarro and Kestenbaum are joined by Steelers minority owner and hedge-fund billionaire David Tepper as the perceived top contenders to acquire the franchise. The reported sale price has already helped one potential suitor, Michael Rubin, withdraw his name from the running. Rubin’s group reportedly included Sean “Diddy” Combs and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
Some details on recent free agent deals:
Former Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls is set to visit the Jets on Thursday, a source told Brian Costello of the New York (Twitter link). 
At the outset of the period, Rawls was not tendered by the Seahawks as a restricted free agent.
The visit marks the second stop in free agency for the third-year running back, who also met with the Chiefs earlier this month. The Jets have recently added former Browns running back Isaiah Crowell to their backfield, pairing him with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire.
Undrafted coming out of Central Michigan in 2015, Rawls enjoyed a strong start to his career as a fill-in for Marshawn Lynch, posting 830 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games as a rookie. That season he also led the league in yards per attempts with 5.6. He has yet to replicate that success, however, gaining just 506 yards in 21 games over the last two seasons. In 2017, he featured in a revolving-door backfield in Seattle with Eddie Lacy, Chris Carson and J.D. McKissic.
At this week’s owners’ meetings, the NFL moved to ratify several proposed changes to on- and off-field rules. Here’s the full rundown:
Playing Rules Changes:
Approved 2018 Bylaws Summary
3. By Denver; Amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 to permit clubs to trade players from Reserve/Injured.
4. By Minnesota; Amends Article XVIII, Section 18.1 to replace the 10-day postseason claiming period with a 24-hour period.
The change to this year’s catch rule, naturally, has garnered the most attention given the number of controversies around iffy catches last season. The new language means that the “survive the ground” verbiage will not survive in the new league year.
From a transactions standpoint, the rule change to allow players to be traded from the injured reserve list is an interesting one. Many deals have been scuttled in the past due to this restriction, but this adjustment could result in even more NFL trades going forward.
Conspicuously absent from the list is the “Josh McDaniels rule” that would have allowed assistants to be hired while their teams are still in the postseason. That proposal has been tabled until May, according to NFL.com’s Judy Battista (on Twitter).
Baltimore made a big splash in free agency on Friday, signing veteran receiver Michael Crabtree a day after his release from the Raiders. The move potentially gives the team a go-to, possession receiver that it hasn’t had in a number of years.
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said as much after the completion of the three-year deal worth up to $21MM. According to the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec (Twitter link): “Michael has played very well against the Ravens, so we know firsthand the attributes he brings to the game. He is a smart, tough, physical receiver who battles for the ball.”
Newsome remembers well, as Crabtree has topped 80 yards in three out of four regular-season meetings with the Ravens and has posted five touchdowns. That included a three-score outing vs. the typically stingy defense in 2016.
Known for utilizing his big arm early in his career, quarterback Joe Flacco has worked closer to the line of scrimmage in recent years and has posted at least a 64% completion rate in each season in 2015. That is likely to continue with a reliable option like Crabtree joining the hold.
Here’s more from Baltimore:
The Raiders are in the mix to sign Jordy Nelson, but it’s not a done deal just yet. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions not to count out the Seahawks in the Nelson chase, given John Schneider‘s history with the wide receiver.
In 2008, the Packers traded back with the Jets in the second round in order to select Nelson. Schneider was a big reason for that deal as he advocated for Nelson in the war room. Now, Schneider is at the helm in Seattle with a very real chance at signing the veteran.
The Saints, reportedly, are also pushing to sign Nelson.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
No players have dominated the news more in the last two days than Jarvis Landry and Richard Sherman. On Friday, the Browns kicked off their trading spree by landing the Dolphins wideout in a deal for draft picks. Earlier in the day, Sherman was released from the Seahawks and then signed with the division-rival 49ers Saturday Night.
The two possibly could have been connected on the transaction wire earlier in the 2017 season if a blockbuster deal would have gone through. That’s according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who tweets that Seattle rejected a potential Landry-for-Sherman swap in 2017.
At the time of the proposed deal, presumably before the trade deadline, Sherman was healthy and the Seahawks were looking to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive. Trading away a key member of the secondary and an influential figure in the locker room doesn’t appear to make much sense.
Regardless, it is interesting both teams were looking to move on from their respective stars as early as October.
Here’s more receivers making news:
The Lions met with tight end Eric Ebron on Thursday to discuss his future, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Team officials let him know that they are are open to dealing him and didn’t not guarantee that he’ll be back with the team for 2018.
Ebron, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 draft, has had an up-and-down career in Detroit. On the plus side, he had less issues with dropped passes in 2017 than in years past.
There’s reason to believe that Ebron, who doesn’t turn 25 until April, can grow from here. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 57 catches for 642 yards and it’s possible that a change of scenery can help him reach the next level.
Here’s more from around the NFL on a busy Friday:
A few figures about the 2018 NFL salary cap have emerged over the past few months. Now that the date a universal number will lock in as the new salary ceiling, a more specific figure has surfaced.
The 2018 cap will exceed $178MM and may come in north of $179MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. If the cap settles north of $179MM, it would mark a record increase in the cap era.
This report comes after a December estimation the cap would fall between $174-$178MM. A January report pegged the new cap as potentially being higher than $180MM, and this one doesn’t necessarily refute that. But this marks the most specific range to date about the ’18 cap. The NFL and NFLPA decided on a $167MM cap last year, and the new number will emerge soon.
Here’s what the league’s salary cap has looked like over the last few years:
Florio notes that despite a decline in ratings, the NFL will likely see continued growth in future spending allotments. A growth in the cost of the Thursday Night Football package — from $450MM annually to at least $550MM — illustrates the commodity the league remains.