NFL news: Around the league in 32 plays
By Ben Almquist
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have re-signed tight end Darren Fells on a one year deal. Fells was mostly a depth player for them this past season, and will likely reprise that role in 2016.
Buffalo Bills: The Bills have signed former Chiefs corner Javier Arenas to a Reserve/Futures deal. This is essentially a Training Camp deal that makes Arenas a camp body for now.
- Chiefs’ Take: There can be zero doubt that John Dorsey came out on top in the Arenas for Sherman trade.
Chicago Bears: Tight end Zach Miller had a bit of a coming out party in 2016 when Martellus Bennett went down, and he is going to play that card headed into Free Agency. Miller is reportedly seeking around $5 million/year on a new deal.
- Chiefs’ Take: The Chiefs could absolutely use a veteran tight end to help provide a stable hand to their group. Miller’s asking price might be a bit high for only one year of quality production, but John Dorsey should absolutely kick the tires and see if he can talk that price down.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert almost became the embodiment of why the Pro Bowl sucks. Eifert suffered a sprained ankle in the Pro Bowl, but it was a situation that many feared would be much worse. The potential for injury is the reason why players will either/both skip the Pro Bowl altogether and/or play half-assed football when they are there.
Denver Broncos: The Broncos sent Practice Squad safety Ryan Murphy home from the Super Bowl after he was questioned in relation to a prostitution sting by the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office. Murphy was cleared by police, but the Broncos decided to eliminate any potential distraction by sending him back to Denver. However, that story may not be nearly as big as the report that private investigators hired by Peyton Manning are harassing the family of the man who broke the HGH allegations against Manning a couple months ago.
- Author’s Take: There is still too much that isn’t known about this Manning story to get into, but it is clearly going to turn into a big thing. Be prepared for this to be one of the prevalent storylines of the offseason.
Detroit Lions: It appears that Calvin Johnson is set to follow through with his potential retirement. Sources are indicating that Johnson had previously informed the team that he intended to retire from the NFL when he turned 30 years old. Of course, this is some major salt in the wound for Lions fans as Barry Sanders also retired at age 30.
Next: Arian Foster's Future