Gerald McCoy Expected To Make Decision Soon
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who was recently released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is certainly not short on suitors. It has been reported that McCoy has met with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens. It also is being reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that a decision could be made sooner than later. While it likely won’t happen Friday or Saturday, it is believed that he is using the weekend to weigh his options. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if he was signed by this time next week.
Broncos and Harris Agree To Rework Contract
The Denver Broncos and Chris Harris finally found some middle ground. The soon to be free agent agree gets a pay bump for his 2019 salary from $8.9 million to just over $12 million. Despite having made demands to either get an extension done or be traded, Harris seemingly is satisfied with simply getting a pay raise. For Denver, they are just thankful to have a key part of their secondary back. Last year, Harris had 49 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions, including one that went for a 53-yard touchdown. The pay raise now makes Harris the 10thhighest paid corner in the game.
While Harris agreed to a raise, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith agreed to a pay cut. He will make a base salary of $2 million in 2019 instead of the $5 million he originally had on his contract; however, he does also get a $1 million signing bonus. The pay cut helps to give the Panthers a little more flexibility in their offseason spending, as they still have to sign their top two draft picks and have also been rumored to have been pursuing defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Last year, in 11 games, Smith had 17 receptions for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Benjamin Watson To Miss First Four Games
The New England Patriots signed a new weapon for quarterback Tom Brady, but they won’t be able to utilize it until the fifth game of the season. Watson, who originally retired before deciding to come back and give it another go, this time with the Patriots, failed a drug test. It appears that while he was retired, he opted to not be as critical with how he took care of himself and ultimately used Bio Identical Testosterone Cypionate, a banned substance of the league. Apparently, the New England Patriots knew before the signing of the issue, but it still will leave them without the services of Watson for the first quarter of the season. Given that Rob Gronkowski is done with football, that could be an early issue. Last season, with the Saints, Watson had 35 reception on 46 targets for 400 yards, 2 touchdowns with no fumbles over the course of 16 games.
Raiders Sign Controversial Richie Incognito
There has never been any doubt that Richie Incognito is good at football. In fact, as recently as 2017 he ranked as one of the top 12 guards in the league by Pro Football Focus; however, he has sadly made a habit of getting into trouble. The most recent issue came after he retired last year to part ways with the Bills and ended up in a mental hospital for throwing weights at a gym and claiming he was being spied upon. Without a doubt, if he is right both mentally and physically, he can be a heck of a pickup considering that he agreed to sign for a minimum salary deal. The concern, though, is that issues will rise up again and this ultimately could be a bad look for the Raiders as they try to rebuild their team under coach Jon Gruden.
Pacman Jones Calls It A Career
Speaking of controversial figures, Adam “Pacman” Jones has decided to call it a career. At 35 years old, it was unlikely that anyone was going to pick him up. Last season, Jones played for the Broncos for a brief stint but was ultimately released late in the season. Like Incognito, on the field, Jones was an absolute force, but his career has largely been marred by off the field issues (including a shooting in Atlanta). Still, when healthy, Jones was unquestionably an All-Pro talent that could be a game-changer when on the field.
Chad Kelly Suspended For Two Games
Once again, Kelly is a case of a player who has talent on the field but has had issues off the field. One of those incidents appears to have gotten him suspended for a couple of games. After an issue where he found himself in another person’s home sitting on their couch (one that ultimately got him arrested), he has been suspended by the league for two games. He was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts, mostly with the mindset that he could be a developmental project. While it is uncertain that he will make the final roster anyway, this incident probably does not help those chances.
Packers Coach Suffers Injury
Most times NFL teams and fans are holding their breaths that players, particularly rookies, don’t get injured at OTA’s. Not too many fans, though, expect that it could be their coach that has to hit the sidelines. For Green Bay Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur, though, that is exactly what has happened. While playing a game of basketball on Wednesday on a court at Lambeau, the newly hired head coach suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon. Like any player who suffers the same injury, he will be undergoing surgery and will be sidelined for the rest of OTA’s and minicamp, coaching from a cart.
