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Denver a finalist to host NFL in 2019 or 2020 By Nick Kosmider Denver Post Feb. 16, 2018

The NFL draft could be coming to Denver. And if the Broncos follow in the footsteps of the , perhaps a victory could follow. The Broncos were informed by Thursday that Denver is one of five finalist cities to host the draft in either 2019 or 2020. The other finalists are Cleveland-Canton, Kansas City, Mo., Las Vegas and Nashville, Tenn. The announcement for the host cities for those two years is expected to come in May during the league’s spring meeting in Atlanta.

“It’s a competitive process, and we’re excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL Draft to Denver,” Broncos CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement released by the team Thursday. “Working alongside Visit Denver and the Denver Sports Commission, we’re confident that Denver would be a tremendous host to showcase the draft and the NFL in a great football environment.”

Ellis told The Denver Post in September that the Broncos had submitted a bid to host the 2020 draft.

“The draft is something we’d really like to see accomplished,” Ellis said then. “I think it’d be nice for Mr. B (owner Pat Bowlen) to know that the city he’s witnessed tremendous support from in terms of what they’ve done for the Broncos and how important the Broncos are to people and how important football is people.

“We’ve put in an application for 2020 and that may or may not come to fruition depending on how the league feels about when they’re going to honor 100th season. … We believe it would be a great thing for the city, a great thing for Colorado, a great thing for this Rocky Mountain region. It would draw a lot of people and would be a really fun event.”

After hosting the draft in City from 1965 to 2014, the NFL branched out in 2015 and held the draft in Chicago. It stayed there in 2016 before moving to Philadelphia in 2017, a spirited event bested only by the Super Bowl parade that marched through the city earlier this month. This year’s draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, beginning April 26.

Hosting the draft can be an economic boon. The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau concluded that last year’s draft drew 250,000 visitors to the city and generated $94.9 million in economic impact, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report. Last year’s draft produced the second-biggest television audience ever, with a combined 9.2 million people tuning into opening-night broadcasts on ESPN and NFL Network.

It’s not yet clear what venue Denver would use to host the draft if selected, though the city’s convention center could be one option.

“As one of America’s best sports cities, we are optimistic that Denver can make a great case for hosting this marquis event,” added Matthew Payne, the director of the Denver Sports Commission. “We are pleased to hear that Denver has made the shortlist of cities still under consideration to host the 2019 or 2020 Draft, and we look forward to further dialogue about the possibilities.”

Denver a finalist to host 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft By Mike Klis 9NEWS Feb. 16, 2018

The city of Denver has been selected as one of the five finalists to host the NFL Draft in either 2019 or 2020.

“It’s a competitive process, and we’re excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL Draft to Denver,'' Broncos president and chief executive officer Joe Ellis said in a statement. "Working alongside VISIT DENVER and the Denver Sports Commission, we’re confident that Denver would be a tremendous host to showcase the draft and the NFL in a great football environment.”

The NFL Draft is a three-day event that is generally held in the final weekend of April. League commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled to preside over the first day of the affair. Almost all the players projected as first-round draft picks are invited to attend.

Day 1 of the NFL Draft, which is limited to first-round selections, has been drawing more than nine million combined viewers on ESPN and the NFL Network. That audience could grow as the Fox Network will start televising the event this year, which will be held April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium, home of the .

Because of the competitive nature of the bid process, specific details regarding hosting the event are not known, including which venue the draft would be held.

The other four finalists for the 2019 or 2020 draft are Cleveland/Canton, Nashville, Kansas City and Las Vegas.

The league is expected to announce the winning bid for its draft event later this year.

“As one of America’s best sports cities, we are optimistic that Denver can make a great case for hosting this marquis event,'' stated Matthew Payne, executive director of the Denver Sports Commission. "We are pleased to hear that Denver has made the shortlist of cities still under consideration to host the 2019 or 2020 Draft, and we look forward to further dialogue about the possibilities.”

AJ McCarron now heads B group of available By Mike Klis 9NEWS Feb. 16, 2018

AJ McCarron, who has four starts in his four-year NFL career, became the league’s hottest available Thursday when it was ruled he is eligible for unrestricted free agency.

The Broncos will be interested in checking him out. Then again, in their current state they'll be watching film of all available quarterbacks.

McCarron was 36-4 with two national championships in three seasons as Alabama’s starting quarterback, yet he wasn’t selected until the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by Cincinnati.

The only time he had significant playing time with the Bengals was late in the 2015 season in place of the injured . McCarron had three regular-season starts, including one against a Broncos’ team that went on to win Super Bowl 50.

McCarron played well in Denver but Brock Osweiler played better in a 20-17 Broncos victory. A little more than three years later, the Broncos are looking to replace their quarterback likes of Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch with a franchise-type guy.

McCarron’s stock has soared in part because of his encouraging brief audition in 2015 – besides his three regular-season starts, he played well in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh -- and because the were willing to acquire him last season for the hefty price of a second- and third-round draft pick.

The trade fell through and now McCarron is expected to become a free agent – providing Cincinnati doesn’t apply the franchise tag on him.

McCarron would not replace or Case Keenum on the Broncos’ priority list. But a case can be made McCarron now heads the B group of available quarterbacks.

Here is how I rank the list of quarterbacks who might be available either through trade or free agency when the 2018 league season opens on March 14:

A Group

1. , Saints

He is 39 and a half season away from becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yards. He’s also a Super Bowl champion.

However, Brees has let it be known he will only play for New Orleans. Until he re-ups, though, he is officially the top player available. 2. Kirk Cousins, Washington

After averaging 27 passes against just 12 in his past three full seasons as a starter, he will play at the relatively young age of 30 in 2018.

His 26-30-1 career record, though, will bring pause to teams who understand it will take no less than a five-year, $140 million contract -- $28 million per – to sign him.

3. Case Keenum, Vikings

Through his first five NFL seasons, Keenum was 9-15 as a starter with 24 passes against 20 interceptions.

In year six with Minnesota, Keenum was 11-3 – plus an exhilarating second-round playoff win against Brees’ Saints – with 22 touchdown passes against just 7 interceptions.

Keenum will turn 30 on Saturday. His first NFL head coach was Broncos’ front-office advisor Gary Kubiak when both were employed by the in 2012-13.

B Group

1. AJ McCarron, Bengals

If longtime Tampa Bay backup QB got a three-year, $45 million deal with the Bears last year, McCarron’s contract floor will be $16 million a year.

2. , Vikings

A solid, young, NFL starter – until a devastating knee injury caused him to essentially miss the past two seasons. It’s unlikely the Vikings will allow both Keenum and Bridgewater to walk away. They’ll keep one.

3. Tyrod Taylor, Bills

He and backup Paxton Lynch could operate a similar, offensive system of play-action from the shotgun while the Broncos groom the rookie quarterback they would take with their No. 5 overall draft pick.

4. , Dolphins

He’ll turn 35 on April 29. There is some question about his commitment to the game after he nearly retired last year, but he looked pretty good in a 35-9 rout of the Broncos in early December.

He would be ranked higher in the B group if not for his bridge-burning past with the Broncos.

AB Group

1. , Eagles

In a group unto himself, Foles is either a B-lister journeyman backup or A-list Super Bowl MVP.

Has one year and $7 million left on his contract which is good backup money, but inexpensive as reigning postseason superstars go.

With Carson Wentz returning from his knee injury, the Eagles could ask for a first- or second-round draft pick from any team wishing to acquire Foles in trade.

C Group

1. Sam Bradford, Vikings

A No. 1 overall draft pick talent who is still an accurate passer but has also essentially suffered three, season-ending knee injuries.

Can’t be counted on as a No. 1 QB.

2. Josh McCown, Jets

A quintessential journeyman starter who can bring respectable quarterback play to struggling teams. He’ll turn 39 on July 4.

Broncos need more cap space if they want to make free- agency splash By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Feb. 16, 2018

As the crunch the numbers this offseason, big-ticket contracts for some of their most notable players are under scrutiny.

The uncomfortable truth is the Broncos are going to need more cap space if they plan on entering the Kirk Cousins derby or if they’re even going to be a major player in free agency beyond what they do at quarterback. They also have to keep the roster deep enough to attract free agents in the first place.

That means if they release some veterans in the coming weeks -- or let some of their own free agents move on -- they’ll need some of their younger players to be prepared to fill the gaps left behind. They can't afford to get those decisions wrong.

Last season, it was safety Justin Simmons, a third-round pick in 2016, whose readiness to play put the Broncos in position to release T.J. Ward. The Broncos have young players who are similarly ready to step up this year -- players they hope are prepared for more, such as and .

Booker, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, is headed into the third year of his rookie deal and is scheduled to count $725,848 against the cap for the upcoming season -- far less than C.J. Anderson ($4.5 million). Butt was a fifth-round pick in last April’s draft but missed his rookie season as he continued to recover from a knee injury he suffered in his last game at Michigan. His cap figure ($555,237) is far less than what Virgil Green's would be if the Broncos elected to re-sign Green as an unrestricted free agent.

The Broncos face another tough decision at . While ’s cap figure for 2018 is $8.526 million, it’s still much less than ’s $12 million. The Broncos would save $11 million if they believe Roby is ready to start and release Talib.

The Broncos, with 59 players under contract for 2018, project to have roughly $26 million to $29 million worth of salary-cap space with things like their draft class still to be included as well. That puts them below the league average and roughly 18th overall.

If they plan to be active in free agency -- especially for a player like Cousins, who is expected to get a deal averaging $30 million per year or more -- they need to make more cap room. Their options include renegotiating hefty contracts or releasing players while keeping an eye on minimizing the impact of “dead money" (salary-cap charges for players no longer on the roster).

To make that work, Denver has to be right on players who might be ready to ascend such as Booker, Butt and Roby. Right now, the Broncos have just under $366,000 worth of dead money charges on the books for 2018, a low figure that gives them flexibility some other teams don’t have. Talib's deal is structured in such a way that the Broncos will face a $1 million dead money charge if he's released. The Broncos would take on no dead money if Anderson were released.

As president of football operations/general manager John Elway mulls what the Broncos' next moves will be, he hopes to avoid making a 5-11 team weaker before it gets stronger. “I don’t like taking away from strengths" is how Elway put it last month.

The Broncos’ salary-cap status could force them to take some risks as they move forward.

Broncos, city of Denver, finalist to host NFL drafts in 2019, 2020 By Troy Renck KMGH Feb. 16, 2018

Late last season Broncos officials traveled to to talk about the draft with NFL bigwigs. Not about their pick, but rather hosting the league's annual selection party.

They clearly impressed the league's top brass. The team announced Thursday the Broncos and the city of Denver are a finalist to host the drafts in 2019 and 2020. The NFL expects to reveal the host cities during the spring league meeting May 21-23 in Atlanta. Denver is competing with Cleveland-Canton, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Nashville.

"It is a competitive process, and we're excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL draft to Denver," said Broncos president Joe Ellis. "Working alongside Visit Denver and the Denver Sports Commission, we're confident that Denver would be a tremendous host to showcase the draft and the NFL in a great football environment."

The draft blends the passion of and NFL fans, leading to a rowdy, entertaining environment. After a five-decade run in New York City, the NFL opted for new locations. Chicago hosted in 2015 and 2016, Philadelphia staged the event in 2017, and Dallas will hold the upcoming draft on April 26-28.

It is expected league officials will make a site visit to Denver in the future as they size up the candidates. The Broncos are not sharing particulars about their bid until a selection is made. The Broncos and the city remain optimistic about their chances. Denver has been angling for the draft since the NFL opened up the process. The Broncos feature the type of fan base and city facilities that make them attractive suitors. The Broncos are working with Visit Denver and the Denver Sports Commission in attempt to land the high-profile event.

"As one of America's best sports cities, we are optimistic that Denver can make a great case for hosting this event. We are pleased to hear that Denver has made the shortlist of cities still under consideration to host the 2019 or 2020 draft," said Matthew Payne, executive director of the Denver Sports Commission. "We look forward to further dialogue about the possibilities."

A.J. McCarron joins growing list of free agent quarterbacks Broncos could pursue By Troy Renck KMGH Feb. 16, 2018

Are you OK with A.J.?

Another quarterback joined the growing list of potential free agent candidates for the Broncos. A.J. McCarron won his arbitration case against the on Thursday, casting him as a free agent.

McCarron provides an interesting resume as a longtime qualified backup to Andy Dalton. However, according to NFL sources, he ranks behind Kirk Cousins and Case Keenum on the Broncos' wish list. The list remains fluid because there is no guarantee Denver will land Cousins, and Minnesota might keep Keenum.

That's why McCarron cannot be dismissed out of hand. He fits snugly in the category that includes Buffalo's Tyrod Taylor, Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford. McCarron, a fifth-round draft choice in 2014 out of Alabama, started three games in 2015, going 2-1. His loss came at Denver. He delivered a strong first half as the Bengals built a 14-3 lead, but struggled after halftime in wet conditions.

McCarron triumphed over the Bengals in his case, arguing that a shoulder injury suffered during his rookie season came during his time with the team, increasing his accrued service time. The Bengals could place the franchise tag on McCarron, but it is considered unlikely given the investment in Dalton. Cleveland attempted to acquire McCarron last season before a last-minute paperwork snafu snuffed out the deal.

The Broncos have identified finding a starting quarterback as their top priority. General Manager John Elway said bouncing back will remain difficult without significant improvement from the position.

Cousins continues to keep an open mind about his suitors. The Broncos represent a strong landing spot, but lack the salary cap room of the Browns and . The Vikings are considered a darkhorse for Cousins if they move on from Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater.

Jimmy Garoppolo's five-year, $137.5 million contract with San Francisco figures to provide the floor for a Cousins deal. However, Cousins insists he wants to play for a contender, making it possible he would show flexibility with his cap number in the first two years of the contract. Keenum is considered a candidate for a deal similar to the one Brock Osweiler signed with Houston 23 months ago (four-year, $72 million, $37 million guaranteed).

Leverage exists for the Broncos.

They own the fifth overall pick in the draft, creating the possibility they select a quarterback from the group of , , and . Denver should be a no-brainer choice to host NFL draft By Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette Feb. 16, 2018

Late last season Broncos officials traveled to New York City to talk about the draft with NFL bigwigs. Not about their pick, but rather hosting the league's annual selection party.

Is the NFL draft coming to Colorado?

Denver has been named one of five finalists to host the NFL draft in 2019 or 2020, according to the Broncos. The other finalists: Cleveland-Canton, Kansas City, Nashville and Las Vegas. With a nod of appreciation for booming Nashville and league newcomer Las Vegas, the soon-to-be home of the Raiders, Denver should be a no-brainer to host the draft. The winners are expected to be announced in late May.

“It’s a competitive process, and we’re excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL draft to Denver,'' Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. "Working alongside 'Visit Denver' and the Denver Sports Commission, we’re confident that Denver would be a tremendous host to showcase the draft and the NFL in a great football environment.”

Denver announced as finalist to host NFL Draft in 2019 or 2020 By Staff DenverBroncos.com Feb. 16, 2018

The city of Denver has been selected as one of five finalists to host the NFL Draft in either 2019 or 2020, the league informed the Broncos on Thursday.

The bids for Denver, Cleveland-Canton, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Nashville will be considered in the coming months. The NFL is expected to announce the host cities for both the 2019 and 2020 drafts during the Spring League Meeting in Atlanta that will take place from May 21-23.

STATEMENT FROM JOE ELLIS, BRONCOS PRESIDENT & CEO

“It’s a competitive process, and we’re excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL Draft to Denver. Working alongside VISIT DENVER and the Denver Sports Commission, we’re confident that Denver would be a tremendous host to showcase the draft and the NFL in a great football environment.”

STATEMENT FROM MATTHEW PAYNE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DENVER SPORTS COMMISSION

“As one of America's best sports cities, we are optimistic that Denver can make a great case for hosting this marquis event. We are pleased to hear that Denver has made the shortlist of cities still under consideration to host the 2019 or 2020 Draft, and we look forward to further dialogue about the possibilities.”

Bengals QB McCarron wins grievance, becomes free agent By Joe Kay Feb. 16, 2018

AJ McCarron won his grievance against the Cincinnati Bengals and will become an unrestricted free agent next month, making him one of the more attractive quarterbacks on the market.

McCarron challenged the Bengals' decision to put him on a non-football injury list as a rookie in 2014, when the fifth-round pick had a sore passing shoulder. The move meant that the season wouldn't count toward free agency and McCarron would have to stick around as Andy Dalton's backup for one more year in 2018.

Instead, an independent arbitrator ruled in McCarron's favor on Thursday, a decision announced by the NFL players' association.

The Bengals could keep him for one more season by applying a transition or franchise tag, which is highly unlikely given the cost. Instead, the 27-year-old McCarron is set to find a place where he can start.

Could it be Cleveland?

The Browns arranged a deal for McCarron shortly before the trade deadline on Oct. 31 but failed to submit the paperwork on time, scuttling the trade. Browns coach Hue Jackson was McCarron's offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, giving him a firsthand assessment of the quarterback's abilities.

The Browns went 0-16 last season with rookie DeShone Kizer struggling. They're looking for stability at their most elusive position.

McCarron was a two-time national champion at Alabama. The Bengals drafted him to be Dalton's backup, and he rarely played except in the preseason. During his four seasons, McCarron has appeared in only 11 games, most of them in the final minutes with a lopsided score.

His career-turning opportunity came in December 2015, when Dalton broke the thumb on his passing hand. McCarron started the last three games and led the Bengals to the playoffs. He then rallied the Bengals in a first-round game against Pittsburgh and had them in position to get their first playoff victory since the 1990 season, but fumbled and penalties on Vontaze Burfict and Adam "Pacman" Jones set up the Steelers for a winning field goal in the final seconds.

In four seasons, McCarron has completed 86 of 133 passes for 920 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Bengals have as a backup to Dalton. He broke his hand in the preseason and was on an injury list. Driskel hasn't played in a regular season game during his two seasons in Cincinnati. 's 2018 NFL Draft position rankings By Mike Mayock NFL.com Feb. 16, 2018

Quarterback 1. Sam Darnold, USC 2. Josh Allen, Wyoming 3. Josh Rosen, UCLA 4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma T-5. , Louisville T-5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

Running Back 1. , Penn State 2. Derrius Guice, LSU 3. Ronald Jones II, USC 4. Sony Michel, Georgia 5. Nick Chubb, Georgia

Wide receiver 1. , Alabama 2. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M 3. Courtland Sutton, SMU 4. James Washington, Oklahoma State T-5. , Washington T-5. DJ Moore, Maryland T-5. Anthony Miller, Memphis

Tight end 1. , South Carolina 2. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State 3. , Penn State 4. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma 5. Will Dissly, Washington

Tackle 1. Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame 2. Orlando Brown, Oklahoma 3. Connor Williams, Texas 4. Tyrell Crosby, Oregon T-5. Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State T-5. Kolton Miller, UCLA

Interior OL 1. Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame 2. Isaiah Wynn, Georgia 3. , Iowa 4. , UTEP 5. Billy Price, Ohio State

Interior DL 1. Vita Vea, Washington 2. Da'Ron Payne, Alabama 3. Maurice Hurst, Michigan 4. Taven Bryan, 5. Harrison Phillips, Stanford

Edge rusher 1. Bradley Chubb, N.C. State 2. Marcus Davenport, UTSA 3. Arden Key, LSU 4. Harold Landry, Boston College 5. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State

Linebacker 1. Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech 2. , Georgia 3. Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State 4. Rashaan Evans, Alabama 5. Uchenna Nwosu, USC

Cornerback 1. , Ohio State 2. Josh Jackson, Iowa 3. Mike Hughes, UCF 4. Isaiah Oliver, Colorado 5. Jaire Alexander, Louisville

Safety 1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama 2. Derwin James, Florida State 3. Ronnie Harrison, Alabama 4. Jessie Bates III, Wake Forest 5. , Stanford

NFL teams to get league-wide data from in-game player tracking By Tom Pelissero NFL.com Feb. 16, 2018

NFL teams are about to be bombarded with data that could change the way they scout opponents and evaluate free agents.

The NFL's Competition Committee recently signed off on a plan to release in-game player-tracking data on every NFL player to all 32 teams, and it's anticipated the league will begin releasing the data this spring, people with knowledge of the plan told NFL.com on Thursday. These people spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been communicated to clubs, which had access to data only on their own players the past two seasons. The plan is to send league-wide data from 2016 and '17 to every team beginning in mid-April, and teams will receive the league-wide data on a weekly basis during the 2018 season, according to these sources.

While some NFL coaches and scouts remain skeptical of the value, access to league-wide data has "massive scouting potential," said an analyst for one NFL team that has been using the data. "More new metrics. Understanding if certain fields are slower or faster. Fatigue and injury prevention. Seeing which players are really explosive but maybe don't make plays because the scheme is bad."

The NFL has gathered the data since 2014 through tiny sensors in players' shoulder pads -- a partnership with Zebra Technologies that also generates the Next Gen Stats that networks have integrated into broadcasts.

Some teams have dedicated more resources to analyzing the data than others, and thus figure to get far more use out of the league-wide data. That has led to pushback in recent years from less-invested clubs about distributing any data because of the potential competitive impact. But after the Competition Committee's approval, the full data release is expected to proceed this year.

Agent’s Take: 10 players under contract who could be on new teams next season By Joel Corry CBSSports.com Feb. 16, 2018

Job security in the NFL isn't as great as it is in the NBA and MLB because player contracts aren't fully guaranteed as they are in those sports. NFL players are released and occasionally traded every offseason because their performances aren't deemed to measure up to their pay.

The Chiefs have already gotten the ball rolling with the NFL's annual roster purge. When the trading period opens at the start of the 2018 league year on March 14, Chiefs quarterback is being dealt to the Redskins for cornerback and a 2018 third-round pick. With this transaction, the Chiefs will create $16,352,500 of 2018 salary-cap space. The impending trade paved the way for Kansas City to release seven-time cornerback . Kansas City freed up $4.5 million of cap room in the process.

A majority of the time, when a player is traded or released there is a residual cap charge. This cap charge for a player that is no longer on a team's roster is commonly referred to as dead money. It exists because the remaining proration of the salary components that are treated like a signing bonus immediately accelerate into his team's current salary cap with a trade or release. Dead money is typically a sunk cost, where money isn't owed to a player. A payment will be associated with dead money only if there are salary guarantees when a player is released.

There are two major exceptions to this general rule of bonus proration accelerating. Only the current year's proration counts toward the cap with players released or traded after June 1. The bonus proration in future contract years is delayed until the following season. A team can also release two players each league year prior to June 1 (known as a post-June 1 designation) that will be treated under the cap as if they were released after June 1. With a post-June 1 designation, a team is required to carry the player's full cap number until June 2 even though he is no longer a part of the roster. The player's salary comes off the books at that time unless it is guaranteed.

Here's a look at 10 players who could be in different uniforms next season because of their contracts.

Tyrod Taylor BUF • QB • 5 2018 salary cap number: $18.08 million 2018 compensation: $16 million ( includes $1 million 2018 base salary guarantee) 2018 dead money: $8.64 million ($7.64 million if traded) 2018 salary cap savings: $9.44 million ($10.44 million if traded)

Head coach Sean McDermott benching Tyrod Taylor for rookie Nathan Peterman prior to a Week 11 game against the Chargers while in the middle of the playoff hunt was a strong indication he wasn't considered the long-term answer at quarterback. Taylor got his job back the following week after Peterman's five- performance demonstrated he clearly wasn't ready to play. Back in the lineup, Taylor helped the Bills snap a 17-year playoff drought. Buffalo is going to try to trade Taylor before his $6 million roster bonus is due on the third day of the 2018 league year (March 16). A potential suitor could be found because the demand for competent quarterbacks exceeds the supply.

Muhammad Wilkerson NYJ • DE • 96 2018 salary cap number: $20 million 2018 compensation: $17 million 2018 dead money: $9 million 2018 salary cap savings: $11 million

Englewood, Colorado: This Brilliant Company Is Disrupting A $200 Billion Industry Using a personalized auto insurance match engine developed by Boston grads drivers can now look for the right coverage for the right price. Wilkerson hasn't come close to living up to the five-year, $86 million deal he signed in July 2016, right before the deadline for franchise players to sign long term. At $17.2 million per year, Wilkerson became the NFL's third-highest paid non-quarterback. Wilkerson was a healthy scratch the last three weeks of the 2017 season primarily because the Jets didn't want to risk him getting hurt, which could have triggered the injury guarantee for his $16.75 million 2018 base salary. This amount is fully guaranteed on March 16, which is the third day of the 2018 league year. Use of a post-June 1 designation shouldn't be necessary because the Jets are expected to have over $75 million of 2018 cap space without factoring Wilkerson's departure into the equation.

Dez Bryant DAL • WR • 88 2018 salary cap number: $16.5 million 2018 compensation: $12.5 million 2018 dead money: $8 million ($4 million with post-June 1 treatment) 2018 salary cap savings: $8.5 million ($12.5 million with post-June 1 treatment)

Dez Bryant hasn't had hit the 1,000 receiving yard mark since signing a five-year, $70 million contract in 2015 after being designated as a franchise player. The rapport Bryant had with has been non-existent during the two seasons 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has been Cowboys quarterback. With Prescott throwing to him, Bryant has averaged nearly 60 catches for 817 yards with seven touchdowns each season while missing three games during this span. This is great production for a number two . Bryant dismissed the idea of a paycut when asked about his contract situation late in the 2017 season. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport has reported that Dallas would rather work out a contract extension to lower his 2018 cap number, which is the NFL's third highest for a wide receiver, rather than release him. It remains to be seen whether Bryant and the Cowboys can get on the same page financially.

Aqib Talib DEN • DB • 21 2018 salary cap number: $12 million 2018 compensation: $11 million 2018 dead money: $1 million 2018 salary cap savings: $11 million

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Cornerback Bradley Roby's salary increasing to $8.526 million on his fifth-year option has the Broncos shopping Talib despite him earning his fifth-straight Pro Bowl berth in 2017. The 32 year old is scheduled to make $19 million in the two years remaining on his contract. That type of money is more in line with the top of the number-two cornerback market than a player who possesses Talib's coverage skills. If the Broncos are unable to move Talib and they release him, there has been speculation the Patriots would be interested in bringing him back.

DeMarco Murray TEN • RB • 29 2018 salary cap number: $6.5 million 2018 compensation: $6.5 million 2018 dead money: None 2018 salary cap savings: $6.5 million

Murray went from a Pro Bowl 2016 season in which he led the AFC with 1,287 rushing yards to Derrick Henry cutting into his workload in 2017. A changing of the guard appeared to have taken place in the playoffs when Henry had a Titans playoff-record 191 yards from scrimmage (156 rushing) in a wild-card playoff win over the Chiefs while Murray was out with a torn MCL in his right knee. New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur may look to feature Henry in the same way Todd Gurley was featured last season when LaFleur was coaching with the Rams.

Brian Cushing HOU • LB • 56 2018 salary cap number: $8,840,625 2018 compensation: $8.5 million 2018 dead money: $1.2 million 2018 salary cap savings: $7,640,675

Cushing's 10-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, the second such infraction of his nine- year NFL career, opened the door for 2017 second-round pick to crack the starting lineup. Cunningham remained a starter after Cushing returned. Cushing was used on the outside. With Benardrick McKinney firmed entrenched at one inside position and Cunningham showing promise, Cushing is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Randall Cobb GB • WR • 18 2018 salary cap number: $12,718,750 2018 compensation: $9.5 million 2018 dead money: $3.25 million 2018 salary cap savings: $9,468,750

Davante Adams signing a four-year, $58 million extension right before the end of the 2017 regular season makes it unlikely that both Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson ($12,518 million cap number and $10.25 million salary in 2018) will return next season under their existing contracts. It's unheard of for an NFL team to have three high-priced wide receivers. Collectively, the trio is taking up $35.775 million of 2018 cap room. Nelson's production was dramatically impacted by quarterback being limited to seven games because of a broken right clavicle. His 482 receiving yards were his lowest total since 2009. Both Cobb and Nelson are entering contract years. Although Cobb is the younger of the two by slightly more than four years, Nelson may be more receptive to taking a pay cut. Cobb hasn't had a 1,000-receiving-yard season since 2014 while Nelson's three-year streak of hitting the 1,000-yard mark ended in 2017. Nelson has better chemistry with Rodgers and is also capable of playing Cobb's slot wide receiver role.

Mike Glennon CHI • QB • 8 2018 salary cap number: $16 million 2018 compensation: $15 million 2018 dead money: $4.5 million (includes fully-guaranteed $2.5 million roster bonus) 2018 salary cap savings: $11.5 million

Glennon's three-year, $45 million contract was sizable for such an unproven commodity. His poor play was responsible for him losing his starting job four games into the season to , who the Bears moved up one spot in the 2017 NFL Draft to select with the second-overall pick. The benching sealed Glennon's fate in Chicago. Matt Nagy replacing John Fox as head coach isn't expected to change things. Glennon's contract has a fully-guaranteed $2.5 million third day of the 2018 league year roster bonus payable on March 16. Since the guarantee has an offset, the Bears could recoup the entire $2.5 million (and the cap space) if he makes at least that amount next season from another team.

Doug Martin TB • RB • 22 2018 salary cap number: $6.75 million 2018 compensation: $6.75 million 2018 dead money: None 2018 salary cap savings: $6.75 million

Martin has been a disappointment since signing a five-year, $35.75 million contract (worth up to $42,937,500 with salary escalators and incentives) after finishing second in the NFL during the 2015 season with 1,402 rushing yards. He began the 2017 season serving the final three games of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance enhancing drugs policy. Martin had his second-straight season averaging 2.9 yards per carry in 2017. His last 100-yard rushing game was in 2015 before he signed the contract.

Tavon Austin LAR • WR • 11 2018 salary cap number: $8 million 2018 compensation: $8 million 2018 dead money: $5 million (comes from fully guaranteed $5 million roster bonus) 2018 salary cap savings: $3 million

The Rams inexplicably gave Austin a four-year extension in 2016 averaging approximately $10.5 million per year with $28.5 million of guarantees. The deal also has $14 million of incentives and base-salary escalators. Austin hasn't earned any of his bonuses. The wholesale changes made at wide receiver reduced Austin to spot duty in 2017. His most extensive action came as a overpriced change-of-pace running back. Austin had a career-low 317 yards from scrimmage (combined rushing and receiving yards) last season. He was on the field for only two of the Rams' 68 plays in the wild card playoff loss to the Falcons.

Other notables Sean Smith, CB, Raiders: $8.5 million 2018 salary cap savings

Adrian Peterson, RB, Cardinals: $2.625 million 2018 salary cap savings

Chris Ivory, RB, Jaguars: $4 million 2018 salary cap savings ($6 million with post-June 1 treatment)

Julius Thomas, TE, Dolphins: $5.6 million 2018 salary cap savings

Matt Forte, RB, Jets: $3 million 2018 salary cap savings

NFL teams to get more access to data that tracks players on every play By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk Feb. 16, 2018

Every NFL player wears sensors on his shoulder pads in every game, and those sensors track every move a player makes, resulting in a treasure trove of data: Which player runs the fastest? Which player slows down as the game goes on? Which cornerback sticks the closest to the wide receiver he’s covering? Which defensive lineman gets across the line of scrimmage most often?

The problem is that the NFL has been stingy with the data: Teams are given information about their own players, but not about players on other teams. So tracking data has been of limited use for scouting opponents or making decisions about free agent signings.

That’s all about to change: Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that league-wide tracking data from 2016 and 2017 will be distributed to every team in April. And starting during the 2018 season, teams will receive league-wide tracking data every week.

Teams differ on how much importance they place on tracking data. Some view it as a potential game changer. Others think it doesn’t provide much information that they don’t already know based on their own scouting and tape study. Now that every team is getting access to every other team’s data, we’ll find out if the teams that take it seriously get significant advantages from it.

Unfortunately, the NFL has no plans to make the data available to the general public. Plenty of hard-core fans would love to see that kind of data, but the league, other than occasionally picking out an interesting “Next-Gen Stat” to publish, will still keep the data under wraps.

Will Roger Goodell continue to announce the first round draft picks? By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk Feb. 16, 2018

So with the draft heading to Dallas and FOX ready to broadcast the event into millions of additional homes, an important question regarding the execution of the draft comes back to the front burner: Will Commissioner Roger Goodell continue to announce the first-round picks?

It’s one of the most public aspects of the Commissioner’s job. In recent years, however, the crowds at the draft have incessantly booed him. The bigger the crowd, the louder the boos.

Last year in Philadelphia, he heard it from 70,000 Eagles fans who had no particular reason to be upset with him. This year in a Dallas-area stadium that can hold more than 100,000, Cowboys fans still salty about the suspension of Ezekiel Elliott will have extra motivation to make themselves heard.

Goodell, for his part, embraces the opportunity to show everyone he can take it. He has, at times, opted to encourage fans to “bring it on,” and bring it on they do. Others in positions of power and influence within the NFL don’t like it, and for good reason. It’s a very bad look for the league to have the Commissioner booed so relentless and mercilessly — and for the Commissioner to openly challenge those booing him to boo him more with more passion and zeal.

Now that the draft will be televised by a broadcast network, the time has come for a not-so-graceful exit by the Commissioner from the task of announcing the picks. In his place, the NFL should hire a professional host who would either announce the picks or introduce others (like former players from a given team or a celebrity fan of that team) to announce each selection.

Steps already have been taken to thin the flock of boo birds. Last year in Philly, the Friday night activities began with Eagles legend Ron Jaworski accompanying Goodell. Jaworski was cheered; Goodell was once again booed. The next day, there was no sign of Goodell at the podium, and there was no booing.

With the 2018 draft destined to have both the biggest crowd and largest TV audience ever, the time has come to acknowledge that the Commissioner of the sport shouldn’t be serving as the master of ceremonies for the NFL’s biggest non-game night of the year.

Denver, Las Vegas among finalists to host 2019, 2020 drafts By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk Feb. 16, 2018

The NFL Draft will be in Dallas this year for the first time and there will be two new hosts in 2019 and 2020.

The league has announced that it has narrowed the choices to host the next two drafts to five finalists. They are Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, Cleveland/Canton and Kansas City. None of the cities have hosted the draft before.

The Raiders are set to play their first season in Las Vegas in 2020, so the draft could coincide with their first year in their new city.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the choices are expected to be revealed during the league meetings in May. The NFL said last year that 23 cities expressed interest in hosting the draft, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find bidders to join the three cities left out when selections are made.