Week In Review News & Rumors

5 Key NFL Stories: 5/19/19-5/26/19

Reuben Foster tears ACL: The Redskins linebacker went down in a heap during a recent OTA practice, and it was clear right away something was very wrong. Not long after, it was confirmed that Foster had torn his ACL and suffered additional damage to his leg as well. The Redskins claimed to oft-embattled Alabama product off waivers late last season after he was cut by the 49ers following another arrest. Charges were ultimately dropped and the league announced he wouldn’t be suspended, so the Redskins were counting on him playing a huge role on defense in 2019. He’ll now miss the entire season, leaving a huge hole on a Redskins team that has been the league’s most injury-riddled the past couple of seasons.

Buccaneers release Gerald McCoyThe longtime Bucs defensive tackle saw his time in Tampa Bay come to an end earlier this week when the team released him. Things had been heading toward a split for a while now, and the Buccaneers were reportedly shopping him. They were ultimately unable to find a trade partner, so they opted to release him to avoid paying him his $13MM salary. McCoy is now the biggest name left on the free agent market, and is drawing interest from a bunch of contenders. He’s already visited with the Browns, and will reportedly meet with the Ravens soon. One team already offered him a pact worth $11MM annually.

Buccaneers sign Ndamukong SuhThe Bucs didn’t waste much time replacing McCoy. While McCoy became the biggest name left available on the free agent market, Tampa Bay scooped up the previous biggest name. Suh landed a one-year deal worth $9.25MM, with incentives that can push it to $10MM. Suh signed with the Rams on a one-year deal last offseason, and didn’t quite play up to his standards in Los Angeles during the regular season. He turned it on in the postseason, and was a force during their playoff run. Suh is actually older than McCoy is at 32 now, but he showed during the playoffs he still has plenty left in the tank.

Patriots Extend Julian EdelmanNew England locked up a key piece, signing Edelman to a two-year extension. Edelman had been entering the final year of his current deal, so he’ll now be locked up through the 2021 season. The veteran receiver got $18MM in new money over the course of the two years. It’s been speculated that the deal will run to the end of Edelman’s career, and allow him to retire as a Patriot. Edelman, 33, was a huge part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl winning offense after he returned from his four-game suspension last year, racking up 850 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.

Adam Jones retires: Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones decided to hang up his cleats earlier this week, ending an always interesting twelve-year career. Jones will perhaps best be remembered for his string of off-field incidents, but he was a dynamic player at his peak. The West Virginia product was drafted sixth overall by the Titans back in 2005. He missed the entire 2007 and 2009 seasons due to his off-field issues, but he was able to battle back each time. He was a quality starter for periods with both the Titans and Bengals, and was also an electric punt returner at times. He appeared in seven games and made two starts with the Broncos last year, which will end up being the last top of his career.

5 Key Stories: 5/12/19 – 5/19/19

Jets allow Mike Maccagnan to run wild in free agency, then fire him: Maccagnan’s four-plus-year run as Jets GM ended this week after CEO Christopher Johnson picked Adam Gase in an apparent power struggle. Given the fifth year that Todd Bowles wasn’t, Maccagnan doled out north of $175MM in contracts for the second straight offseason. One of those dealsLe’Veon Bell‘s — did not go over well with Gase, nor did Maccagnan’s limiting of his HC’s pre-draft input. New GM candidates have emerged, with Eagles exec Joe Douglas and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah the top names, but Gase may end the offseason with 53-man roster control. It does not look like Peyton Manning will be a candidate.

Jets trade Darron Lee; is Leonard Williams next?: One of Maccagnan’s many underperforming draft picks, Lee is now a Chief. Gase quickly unloaded the former first-round pick for a 2020 sixth-rounder. The Jets passed on Lee’s fifth-year option. While a Lee move could be expected, with C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson entrenched as starters, Gase may have his eye on a higher-profile trade. Williams has now been mentioned as a player the interim GM would be interested in moving.

Patrick Peterson receives six-game ban: The Cardinals’ surefire All-Decade cornerback will have a tough time extending his Pro Bowl streak to nine seasons after this suspension, which is for a positive PED test. No appeal is coming, so the Cardinals will go well into October without their best player. Peterson, whose contract runs through 2020, also asked for guaranteed money to be moved into this season — perhaps to compensate for losses during this suspension. Steve Keim denied the request. This ban will void the remaining guarantees in Peterson’s deal.

Long, Levitre hang up their cleats: The Eagles’ defensive line became thinner Saturday; the former No. 2 overall pick retired rather than play a 12th season. One of the NFL’s top statesmen, Long enjoyed a rather notable late-career run. After nine playoff-less seasons in St. Louis, Long landed on back-to-back Super Bowl champions — playing auxiliary edge rusher roles with the Patriots and Eagles. The 34-year-old pass rusher also donated his entire 2017 salary to charity. Levitre retired after 10 seasons. The Falcons released him this offseason. Levitre’s career broke down rather interestingly. The Titans gave the former Bills draft choice a massive free agent deal in 2013, but he only played two years in Tennessee. Instead, Levitre resurfaced in Atlanta and played four seasons. The upper-echelon guard started in Super Bowl LI against Long’s Patriots.

Two reunions commence for UFA defenders: Both Jamie Collins and Pernell McPhee will return to where it began for them as NFLers, with Collins making his way back to the Patriots and McPhee rejoining the Ravens. The Pats shipped Collins to the Browns during their Super Bowl LI season, and he went on to sign what was then a high-water contract for off-ball linebackers. The Browns removed that deal from their books this year, and the former Patriots second-rounder spent more than two months in free agency. McPhee has struggled with injuries since his first Ravens run concluded, but after stints with the Bears and Redskins, the versatile linebacker will supply some depth to a Baltimore team that lost Mosley and Terrell Suggs in March. The Ravens also signed Shane Ray.

5 Key NFL Stories: 4/28/19 – 5/5/19

Fifth-year option week unfolds: While some teams made their 2020 options known prior to the draft, many waited. Several franchises — the 49ers (Joshua Garnett), Bills (Shaq Lawson), Cardinals (Robert Nkemdiche), Jets (Darron Lee), Panthers (Vernon Butler), Raiders (Karl Joseph), Redskins (Josh Doctson), Saints (Eli Apple), Seahawks (Germain Ifedi), Steelers (Artie Burns), Titans (Jack Conklin) and Vikings (Laquon Treadwell) — opted this week not to extend their 2016 first-round picks’ contracts into 2020. Most of these were fairly straightforward decisions due to picks not panning out, but the Seahawks and Titans put their starting right tackles into contract years. The Eagles, as you may have expected, picked up Carson Wentz‘s option; the Bears and Lions pushed Leonard Floyd‘s and Taylor Decker‘s respective rookie contracts into 2020.

More developments in Tyreek Hill saga: The embattled Chiefs wide receiver went on the offensive this week (via a leaked letter from his defense attorney). The strategy appeared to be to shift blame for his 3-year-old son’s broken arm onto his fiancee, Crystal Espinal. Another report pointed to Hill, living in a hotel due to a non-contact order with the couple’s son, calling 911 because Espinal was passed out in the couple’s home. The Chiefs have banned Hill from their offseason program thus far, but instead of a quick release, it now looks like this could be a lengthy, messy process for just about everyone involved.

Raiders lose running back: Isaiah Crowell‘s Raiders tenure may never involve him wearing a game uniform. The veteran running back suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon while working out, and the Raiders placed the recently signed back on IR. While Marshawn Lynch was reportedly interested in coming back for a third season in Oakland, the Silver and Black opted to re-sign Doug Martin.

Post-draft roster bolstering commences: A year after finally receiving the long-term deal he coveted, Zach Brown had to again settle for a one-year agreement. After the Redskins released him, Brown caught on with the Eagles for $3MM. He will be a threat to join Nigel Bradham as a three-down linebacker. The Texans lost Tyrann Mathieu in free agency and Andre Hal to retirement; they added longtime Charger starter Jahleel Addae to their safety mix. The Colts did not opt to use their war chest of cap space on a running back before the draft, but Chris Ballard added Spencer Ware post-draft. Ballard was with the Chiefs when they initially acquired Ware.

Cowboys’ priorities coming into focus: The Cowboys appear to view new deals for Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper as front-burner tasks. Both are in contract years. Stephen Jones said the team would like to have its quarterback and top wide receiver re-signed by the time the season starts. As for Ezekiel Elliott? He appears to be behind his aforementioned teammates in this extension queue. Jones said no timetable exists for an Elliott re-up but reiterated any talks for a new deal will probably have to start at Todd Gurley‘s price.

5 Key NFL Stories: 4/21/19 – 4/28/19

2019 NFL Draft in the books. After three days and 254 selections, the 2019 NFL draft is complete. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray came off the board to the Cardinals at No. 1 overall, while Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa (49ers), Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (Jets), Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell (Raiders), and LSU linebacker Devin White (Buccaneers) rounded out the top-five. PFR tracked all the results, both by round and by team.

Tyreek Hill investigation re-opened. After prosecutors declined to press charges against Hill following allegations of child abuse, audio emerged in which Hill admits to abusing his three-year-old son (who now has a broken arm) and misleading detectives. Hill, who also threatens his fiancée on tape, has been indefinitely banned by the Chiefs but remains on the club’s roster. Meanwhile, authorities have since re-opened the criminal investigation against Hill.

Cardinals trade Josh Rosen to Dolphins. After taking Murray first overall, Arizona found a trade partner for Rosen in the Dolphins, who sacrificed the No. 62 pick and a 2020 fifth-rounder in exchange for the UCLA product. Miami initially balked at surrendering its own 48th overall pick for Rosen, but subsequently turned that selection into No. 62, No. 200, and a 2020 second-rounder. Because the Cardinals already paid Rosen his signing bonus, the Dolphins will owe the 2018 No. 10 pick less than $7MM over the next three seasons.

Chiefs acquire Frank Clark. Kansas City had already traded its own franchise-tagged edge rusher this offseason, shipping Dee Ford to the 49ers for a 2020 second-round pick. Now, they’ve picked up Clark, who was on his own franchise tender with the Seahawks. Kansas City sent a first-round pick (No. 29), a third-round pick (No. 92) and the lower of their 2020 second-round picks to Seattle in exchange for Clark and a third-round choice (No. 84). The Chiefs have since extended Clark on a five-year, $104MM deal that contains $43.8MM guaranteed.

Marshawn Lynch retires, and Doug Baldwin may be forced to follow suit. Lynch has again retired, hanging up his cleats after spending the past two seasons with the Raiders. He originally announced the end of his career after the 2016 campaign, but came back to play for his hometown team. Baldwin, another member of the Seahawks’ championship run, may be forced to end his career after dealing with knee, shoulder, and hernia injuries.

5 Key NFL Stories: 4/14/19 – 4/21/19

Seahawks extend Russell Wilson. As former NFL executive Andrew Brandt likes to say, deadlines spur action. Wilson laid out an April 15 deadline for extension negotiations, and may have indicated he wouldn’t sign any new deal — not in 2019, not next year, never — with the Seahawks had that date passed. The tactic worked, as Wilson and Seattle agreed to a four-year, $140MM extension that makes the veteran signal-caller the highest-paid player in NFL history. Wilson received a full no-trade clause and an NFL-record $65MM signing bonus.

Latest on Frank Clark. Wilson will be in Seattle for the foreseeable future, but the same might not be able to said for Clark, whom the Seahawks assigned the franchise tag earlier this offseason. Trade rumors have swirled around Clark for weeks, but they’ve recently become more pronounced. Several teams are reportedly interested in Clark, and while Seattle may consider trading him, general manager John Schneider & Co. want a first-round pick in exchange. Clark’s fate is expected to be resolved by or during the draft.

Patriots add Demaryius Thomas. Lacking in offensive weapons given the departures of Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan, and Cordarrelle Patterson, plus the uncertain status of Josh Gordon, New England added the veteran Thomas on a one-year deal. It’s an exceptionally risk-averse contract, as most of Thomas’ potential earnings are tied up in per-game roster bonuses and incentives. The Patriots reportedly pursued Thomas at the trade deadline, but he was instead shipped from the Broncos to the Texans. The 31-year-old Thomas is recovering from an Achilles tear but is hoping to be available for training camp.

Draft rumors heat up. We’ve made it! The draft gets underway on Thursday night, and news/speculation is coming in rapidly. The Giants may be zeroing in on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, while the Bengals could also consider taking a signal-caller in the first round. Meanwhile, the Raiders might be in line to take Kyler Murray if the Cardinals pass. And Mississippi State edge rusher Montez Sweat is now off some NFL teams’ draft boards following the revelation of a heart condition.

Zach Miller announces retirement. Miller, of course, suffered a devastating knee injury during the 2017 season, and doctors at one point told him he was at risk for losing his leg after he severely dislocated his left knee and tore his popliteal artery. The 34-year-old has undergone nine surgeries and, as of earlier this year, hadn’t ruled out an NFL return. But he’s now decided to hang up his cleats, and PFR wishes Miller the best in retirement.

5 Key NFL Stories: 4/7/19 – 4/14/19

Vikings sign Adam Thielen to extension. Thielen has been one of the best stories in the NFL the past few seasons, and he cashed in with a major extension that’ll pay him $64MM over four years. It can be worth up to $73MM and includes $35MM in guaranteed money. An undrafted free agent back in 2013, Thielen barely played his first few seasons in the league. He’s since become one of the best receivers in the league, with back to back seasons with at least 1,276 receiving yards. Thielen still had two years remaining on his previous deal, so he’ll be under Minnesota’s control for the next six seasons.

No suspension for Reuben FosterThe Redskins finally caught a break, as the league announced there would be no suspension for linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster was cut by the 49ers after being arrested for his latest domestic violence incident, and claimed by Washington. Charges were ultimately dropped, and the league’s investigation concluded he didn’t do anything wrong. If Foster can stay healthy and stay out of trouble, the former first round pick will provide a big boost for the Redskins’ defense next season.

Giants extend Sterling ShepardThielen wasn’t the only receiver to get a new deal this week. The Giants locked up Shepard with a four-year extension worth $41MM. Shepard is coming off a career year where he had 66 receptions for 872 yards and four touchdowns, but the sum he got was still a bit larger than most people were expecting. There was some talk that the Giants considered trading Shepard, but they ultimately decided to make him the focal point of their passing game with Odell Beckham Jr. no longer in the picture. New York will be counting on Shepard to do a lot more next season.

Patriots re-sign Stephen GostkowskiGostkowski and the Patriots had a bit of a stalemate, as the longtime New England kicker was a free agent for a lot longer than most expected. But the two sides finally got on the same page, agreeing to a new two-year deal. Soon after, word came out that Gostkowski was getting $8.5MM over the two years. Gostkowski has been one of the league’s more reliable kickers for a while now, but the Pats played hardball with him. He apparently drew some interest from the 49ers, but ultimately ended up back home.

Panthers sign Chris HoganHogan didn’t land the deal he likely imagined he would’ve a year or two ago. He ended up signing with Carolina, getting just $2MM for a one-year pact. The former Patriots standout has struggled with injuries and inconsistency the past couple of seasons, but is still very talented. He could prove to be a nice pickup for a Panthers team that had a very young receiving corp. In 2016, Hogan led the league with 17.9 yards per reception, and he has plenty of big game experience. Free agency had mostly died down by this point, and Hogan was one of the biggest names left available.

 

5 Key NFL Stories: 3/31/19 – 4/7/19

Cowboys sign DeMarcus Lawrence to extension. Roughly a week after reports surfaced that Lawrence had increased his asking price, the franchise-tagged defensive end agreed to a five-year, $105MM deal to stay in Dallas. Lawrence had been set to earn $20.572MM on his second consecutive franchise tender, but he’ll now average $21MM for the next five seasons, an AAV that places him second among all defensive players (behind only Khalil Mack). The former second-round pick received a $25MM signing bonus, $48MM fully guaranteed, and $65MM in practical guarantees.

Russell Wilson gives Seahawks contract deadline. Wilson is entering the final season of his current deal, and he’s set an April 15 deadline for extension talks. While it’s not entirely clear what will happen if that date comes and goes with no new pact in place, Wilson could choose to shut down negotiations until after the 2019 season. Seattle wasn’t blindsided by the deadline, as Wilson conveyed his intentions to the club in January. As of earlier today, the Seahawks reportedly aren’t close to an extension with their star quarterback.

Trade alert! The Chiefs and Browns last week consummated the 13th trade of the NFL offseason, with Cleveland sending defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah to Kansas City in exchange for safety Eric Murray. Ogbah had been on the trade block ever since the Browns acquired fellow edge rusher Olivier Vernon, and he’ll now head to the Chiefs to complete his rookie contract. Murray has a chance at starting in Cleveland, but he’ll likely have to compete with recent free agent addition Morgan Burnett.

AAF shuts down operations. The Alliance of American Football last week closed up shop midway through its inaugural campaign, with majority league owner Tom Dundon shutting down the organization against the wishes of founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian. AAF alums are now free to sign contracts with NFL teams, and ex-Orlando Apollos cornerback became the first AAF veteran to land an NFL contract by signing with the Chiefs.

Josh Sitton hangs up his cleats. Sitton, who is most known for his time with the Packers but also played for the Bears and Dolphins, announced his retirement after 11 NFL seasons. The 32-year-old earned one first-team All-Pro berth and four Pro Bowl nods at guard, and will end his career with more than $50MM in earnings. Sitton is the fourth former Packers Pro Bowler to retire this offseason, joining fellow guard T.J. Lang, receiver Jordy Nelson and fullback John Kuhn.

5 Key Stories: 3/24/19 – 3/31/19

Gronk will retire (or maybe not?): This era’s tight end kingpin will leave the game shy of his 30s. Rob Gronkowski informed the Patriots he will retire at just 29. This would make him a candidate to join Jim Brown and Gale Sayers as Hall of Famers by their mid-30s, in the event Gronk stays retired. However, the Pats icon might not be 100 percent committed to this venture just yet. At least, his agent doesn’t think so. Drew Rosenhaus’ gut feeling is his client will come back at some point, though Gronkowski informed Rosenhaus he is “done, done, done.” The Patriots placed Gronk on their reserve/retired list, ensuring they would hold his rights if he reconsiders.

Patriots DC backs out: Greg Schiano reversed course on his commitment to become the Pats’ defensive coordinator. The former Buccaneers head coach decided this week to vacate his new role, barely a month after accepting it. Schiano spent the past three seasons as an Ohio State assistant head coach. His decision has Bill Belichick rumored to be taking on more responsibilities next season. The Pats lost longtime DC Matt Patricia during last year’s hiring period and de facto DC Brian Flores is now the Dolphins’ head coach, putting the defending Super Bowl champs in a bit of a bind.

Eagles, Cowboys add veterans via trade: In an offseason that seen the Eagles bring back DeSean Jackson and Vinny Curry and sign Malik Jackson, Philadelphia made another move to bolster its 2019 roster. Jordan Howard is now an Eagle, with the Bears set to receive merely a 2020 sixth-round pick for their three-year starting running back. This adds a big name to Philly’s backfield. The Cowboys, conversely, have been quiet. But they made a deal to acquire Robert Quinn late this week. The rebuilding Dolphins shed another veteran and will pay some of his salary. The Cowboys and Quinn also agreed to a pay reduction, with the eighth-year edge defender now set to make $8MM in 2019.

Nelson, Lechler, Lang say goodbye: More Pro bowlers are leaving the game. Jordy Nelson, Shane Lechler and T.J. Lang announced their respective retirements this week. All three players were free agents. Nelson will call it quits after 11 seasons — 10 of which in Green Bay. Although Nelson was only a one-time Pro Bowler, he was one of this era’s premier scorers at the receiver position. He finished as a top-five Packer in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown grabs. Lechler did not play last season but logged 18 years as a punter, one of the best the NFL has ever seen. The former Raiders and Texans specialist finished with six first-team All-Pro nods — the most ever for a punter. A two-time Pro Bowler, Lang spent two seasons with the Lions after an eight-year Packers run. The veteran guard ran into injury trouble in Detroit, most notably dealing with concussion issues in recent years.

Trouble on the DeMarcus Lawrence front? The franchise-tagged contingent had not produced much news this offseason … until this week. It no longer appears the Cowboys’ negotiations with Lawrence are going smoothly. While that is not uncommon for players attached to a tag, Lawrence’s asking price may be an issue. Once thought to not view Lawrence as a $20MM-AAV player, the Cowboys have now seen their standout defensive end ask for more than $22MM on average. Dallas had increased its offer to Lawrence and has addressed the fact that the gulf between Khalil Mack and Von Miller ($23.5MM per year to $19MM AAV) is an issue. Now, the sides are at an impasse, with Lawrence’s shoulder surgery (which calls for around a four-month recovery) still yet to be scheduled.

5 Key NFL Stories: 2/24/19 – 3/3/19

Jason Witten returns to Cowboys. After only one — admittedly much-maligned — season as an analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Witten ended his retirement in order to re-sign with Dallas on a one-year, $3.5MM contract. Witten, who can earn up to $5MM via incentives, drew lackluster reviews for his commentary alongside Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland, but could end up moving into a coaching career down the line. In the near term, he’ll give the Cowboys another option at tight end, a position that didn’t offer much production for the club in 2018. In Witten’s most recent NFL campaign (2017), he posted 62 receptions for 560 yards and five touchdowns.

Eagles won’t franchise Nick Foles. The Foles saga has finally reached its conclusion, at least from the Philadelphia perspective. The Eagles exercised their option 2019 option on Foles earlier this year, but he bought back his free agency by returning $2MM to the club. After that maneuver, Philadelphia was thought to be ready to franchise Foles, but it has since decided not to do so, either because the economics didn’t work or because the team couldn’t find a trade partner. Early chatter has linked Foles to Jacksonville, where ex-Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo is now the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator, while the Giants could also be in play.

Latest on Antonio Brown. Now that the Steelers have agreed that a Brown trade is best for all parties, rival clubs have begun to express to interest. Thus far, the Raiders, Redskins, and Titans have shown the most interest in Brown, while the Jets have also placed a call to Pittsburgh. The Steelers will incur a hefty amount of dead money no mater when they deal Brown, but they could avoid having to pay him a $2.5MM roster bonus by trading him before March 17.

Edge rusher market taking shape. Plenty of outstanding pass rushers are scheduled to hit the open market later this month, but how many will actually become available? The Eagles took Brandon Graham off the board by re-signing him to a three-year, $40MM contract last week. The Seahawks are progressing on a deal with Frank Clark, but DeMarcus Lawrence and Dee Ford figured to be franchise tagged by the Cowboys and Chiefs, respectively. Kansas City, notably, could take trade offers for Ford once he signs his tender.

NFL bans David Irving, Randy Gregory. While Lawrence figures to return to Dallas in 2019, two of his fellow defensive ends are facing uncertain futures. The league handed both Irving and Gregory indefinite suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Irving was banned for the first four games of the 2018 campaign, and only suited up for two games all year. Gregory played in 14 games a season ago, but this latest ban marks his fourth NFL suspension.

5 Key NFL Stories: 2/17/19 – 2/24/19

Robert Kraft charged with soliciting prostitution. The Patriots owner was caught as part of a sting operation at a massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida last week. While he’s only expected to be charged with a misdemeanor, Kraft could face more severe consequences from the NFL — a six-game suspension and a heavy fine could both be on the table. Meanwhile, Kraft’s legacy will almost certainly be tarnished, and his eventual Hall of Fame enshrinement is likely to be delayed.

Steelers won’t tag Le’Veon Bell. Although speculation had arisen that Pittsburgh could deploy the transition tag on Bell with the intention of trading him, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert announced that no tender — not the franchise nor transition tag — would be used on Bell. The veteran back would have had to sign the transition tender before the Steelers could have dealt him, and given that Bell sat out the entire 2018 campaign rather than ink his franchise tag, such a scenario never seemed all that likely.

Antonio Brown trade talks begin. Brown with met Steelers owner Art Rooney II last week, and the two sides have agreed that a trade would be the best outcome for all parties. While Colbert said Pittsburgh won’t simply give Brown away, rival executives reportedly believe the Steelers may only be able to get a third-round pick in exchange for the star pass-catcher. So far, three unknown clubs have contacted Pittsburgh regarding Brown’s availability.

Bengals find a DC. Nearly three weeks after Cincinnati hired Zac Taylor as its new head coach, the team finally has a defensive coordinator in place. Taylor selected Giants defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo — who coached alongside Taylor with the Dolphins from 2013-15. Before hiring Anarumo, the Bengals were linked to 11 other candidates, including Jack Del Rio, Dom Capers, and Dennis Allen.

Raiders likely to spend 2019 in Oakland. The Raiders appear set to announce an agreement with the city of Oakland that would keep the club in the Oakland Coliseum for at least one more season. The deal will reportedly come with an option for the 2020 campaign, insurance in case the Raiders’ Vegas stadium isn’t ready on time.