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NFL News and Notes: May 24. 2019

Julian Edelman and Patriots Agree To New Deal

The New England Patriots are rewarding one of Tom Brady’s most reliable wide receivers with a new contract. NFL’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport have reported that he is set to earn a two-year, $18 million extension with the Patriots, with $12 million being guaranteed. Not too shabby for someone who was entering his final year of a deal that was set to only pay him a base salary of $2 million. In 2018, Edelman played 12 games and caught 74 passes on 108 targets. Those 74 catches went for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also had 9 rushing attempts for 107 yards. Edelman has played his whole career with New England and has been part of the mix since 2009 when he was drafted. His best season came in 2013 when he had 105 catches for 1,056 yards and 6 touchdowns. One concern with Edelman has been durability. He has played 14 or fewer games in 7 seasons, missing all of 2017. Still, for a team that consistently is playing for a Super Bowl appearance, Edelman is about as stable as they come.

Buccanneers Release Gerald McCoy, Not Short On Suitors

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have parted ways with one of their most tenured veterans in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. After nine seasons with the Bucs, they have decided to move on without McCoy and his $13 million contract. The Bucs did try to trade him, but was without a suitor. In 2018, McCoy played admirably. In 14 games, he had 28 tackles, 6 sacks, 6 tackles for a loss and 21 quarterback hits. While those stats aren’t too bad, the Bucs decided that the stats did not justify the price tag.

Now that McCoy is on the open market, it appears as if there is no shortage of suitors. Early reports indicate that Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals all have varying degrees of interest in the defensive tackle.

Ndamukong Suh Finds New Home

Even though the Buccaneers got rid of Gerald McCoy, it did not take them long to find a replacement. On Thursday, it was announced that the Bucs had signed defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a one year, $10 million deal. For the Buccaneers, it makes sense. Suh will come in a few million dollars cheaper than McCoy while offering similar production. In 2018, with the Los Angeles Rams, Suh played all 16 games, compiling 59 sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks. He also had 2 fumble recoveries and 4 tackles for loss. The Buccaneers are hoping that Suh can be a veteran force in the middle to ease the pain of parting with their most veteran defensive member in McCoy.

Chris Long Calls It A Career

Chris Long is finally calling it quits. After flirting with the idea for a couple years, Long announced his retirement via Twitter. Long enjoyed a very successful eleven years in the league, winning two Super Bowls in back-to-back years with the Patriots and the Eagles. He is also known for some of his contributions off the field, having won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last year and donating his 2017 salary to charities. Last season, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Long played in 16 games, finishing the season with 23 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 20 quarterback hits. The first 8 seasons of Long’s career were all with the Rams, where he enjoyed his best seasons in 2011 and 2012. In 2011 he had 37 tackles and 13 sacks while in 2012 he had 33 tackles and 11.5 sacks. It will be interesting to see where the Eagles go from here as the loss of Long hurts an already depleted pass rush.

Reuben Foster Out With Torn ACL

Reuben Foster’s season may have ended before it even began. On Monday, the Washington Redskins’ linebacker had to be carted off the field after the first drill during OTA’s. Foster has been a very controversial figure in his brief career. He was cut by the San Francisco 49ers last season after a domestic violence incident when the Redskins decided to take a flyer on him and submitted a claim (also very controversially). Foster has one year left on his rookie contract, although the Redskins hold the rights to a fifth-year option, a decision they will have to make by next May. Especially with him likely missing this entire season, that could be a tough decision to make. Foster is still expected to see other specialists for another opinion, but it appears that he will be out in 2019.

49ers Dealing With A Pair Of Injuries

OTA’s have not been kind to the San Francisco 49ers early on. On Thursday, San Francisco’s number two overall pick Nick Bosa was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring. It appears that he will be out for several weeks, most likely including any remaining OTA’s and the minicamp. He should have more than enough time to be ready by the time the season rolls around; however, given the unpredictable nature of hamstring issues, it makes sense to error on the side of caution.

Also getting injured on Thursday for the 49ers was safety Jimmie Ward. While diving for a ball, Ward broke his collarbone. He is scheduled to have surgery on Friday, but like Bosa, should have no problem being ready by the time that training camp rolls around.

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