NFL news: Around the league in 32 plays
By Ben Almquist
Oakland Raiders: Despite having a ton of cap space, the Raiders have not yet reached out to pending free agent tackle Donald Penn. The lack of contact would suggest that the team has no interest in retaining the veteran. The Raiders have released safety Nate Allen. It’s a bit of a surprise given the Raiders problems in the secondary as well as their huge amount of cap space.
- Chiefs’ Take: Penn was one of the free agents that Arrowhead Addict’s Laddie Morse listed as a quality option. Should Penn hit Free Agency, as it appears he will, he would be an intriguing target for KC.
- Chiefs’ Take: A lot of folks have been wondering how the Chiefs would do at safety with Husain Abdullah and Tyvon Branch both in line to hit Free Agency. Nate Allen would be a candidate for the team to bring in.
Philadelphia Eagles: Rumors have come out that new Eagles coach Doug Pederson is wanting to bring Nick Foles back to Philly. The team has denied these rumors (as all teams do in these situations), but the move would make sense given Pederson’s familiarity with Foles. As for the current roster, the Eagles made a big, and popular, move by cutting wide receiver Riley Cooper. Cooper was one of the worst investments made by the Eagles under Chip Kelly.
- Chiefs’ Take: This is an interesting story for Chiefs fans to watch. If Pederson can’t land Foles, don’t be surprised if he makes an offer for Aaron Murray or Tyler Bray, as well as making a play for Chase Daniel as a free agent.
- Chiefs’ Take: There will be an obvious connection made by many for Riley Cooper and Kansas City because of Andy Reid. However, I doubt the Chiefs make that move. Quite frankly, he just isn’t a good enough player for this Chiefs team. Cooper seems more likely to end up in San Francisco with Chip Kelly, if he gets signed anywhere at all.
Seattle Seahawks: Superstar running back Marshawn Lynch appears to have decided to call it a career. After a season that seemed marked by a lot of tension between him and the organization, Lynch, who has always done things his own way, sent out a tweet on Super Bowl Sunday that appeared to indicate that he was “hanging them up”. However, there is a report out now that suggests the Seahawks may think this is a bluff on Lynch’s part.
- Author’s Take: I really can’t see what Lynch would gain from bluffing on this. He’s under contract, so the Seahawks control his rights. There’s no getting around that. He may just want to sit out Training Camp…but that should be easily done just by talking to the team.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans have released safety Michael Griffin. Griffin was once thought to be one of the best players in his draft class, but failed to ever live up to that hype. His camp is telling reporters that they are already receiving interest.
- Chiefs’ Take: Griffin would likely not be a first option, but the Chiefs could certainly be interested in bringing him in as a role player to fill in for either Husain Abdullah or Tyvon Branch.