Jermaine Kearse does not plan to re-sign with the Seahawks and is looking forward to finding a new home, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter).

The 26-year-old Lakeland, Wash., native would be one the rare instances of an actual hometown discount occurring in the NFL, only Kearse isn’t interested in taking one to remain with the Seahawks.

Seattle has much of its money tied up on its stellar defense, with three of the four Legion of Boom starters on second contracts, along with several members of its front seven.

Kearse, meanwhile, will be one of the top receivers on a market that’s not loaded with No. 1-caliber wideouts. Marvin Jones, Rishard Matthews and Rueben Randle are the other top young targets in free agency after the Bears franchise-tagged Alshon Jeffery.

Kearse has started 36 games since joining the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and likely stands to be pursued by several teams in need of pass-catching help.

Here’s some more on the Seahawks and other teams as they plan to navigate free agency.

• Bruce Irvin and Russell Okung are “almost certainly” going to join Kearse on their way out of the Pacific Northwest, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Okung probably resides as the left tackle market’s top option now that Cordy Glenn‘s been franchised, and the self-represented blocker will take the best offer, per Condotta (on Twitter). Irvin’s market as well could escalate beyond Seattle’s means, with the interest in pass-rushers being only surpassed by quarterbacks. We heard Wednesday that multiple teams would be thrilled to tab Irvin at $9.5MM AAV, and Condotta doesn’t envision the Seahawks surpassing eight figures annually to keep Irvin (Twitter link).
• The Texans are actively trying to lock down a deal for Brandon Brooks, but no such accord is imminent for the fifth-year guard, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Brooks’ representatives and Houston have been in contact since the Combine. Brooks rated as Pro Football Focus’ 37th-ranked guard in 2015, and he joins a crowded guard class fronted by Kelechi Osemele. The Texans re-signed right tackle Derek Newton last offseason and have $42MM+ worth of cap space this year.
• Houston’s also trying to keep center Ben Jones, according to Wilson. The Houston reporter doesn’t expect Jones to be as pricey. The fourth-round pick in 2012’s started 43 games for the Texans.
• Adam Jones expects interest from the Dolphins, who hired former Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as their DC. Talks between the Bengals and Jones broke down last season, but the maligned 32-year-old corner hasn’t closed the book on a Cincinnati return, according to Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com. “I would think V.J. would be interested,” Jones told Garafolo. “He’s taught me a lot and he knows I know everything in the system. He knows I’m a football guy. If I’m a betting man, I would think he’d try to bring me in there.” 
• The Dolphins plan to move on from Matt Moore as their backup quarterback, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Moore’s been with the Dolphins for five seasons, including his lone stint as a starter during which he went 6-6 and completed 61% of his passes. He’s thrown 30 passes total in the past four years as Ryan Tannehill‘s backup. Miami re-signed Moore to a one-year deal worth $2.6MM last year but may look to allocate less money to the spot. The 31-year-old Moore should have a market for a backup job elsewhere.
• The Patriots don’t plan to tender defensive lineman Sealver Siliga, making him a free agent once the market opens, Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Siliga’s played with the Patriots for the past three seasons, starting 13 regular-season games during that span.
• Joel Corry expects Von Miller to sign a six-year, $120MM deal with the Broncos that includes $65MM in guaranteed money, the former agent writes for CBSSports.com. This would eclipse Ndamukong Suh‘s pact in both total and guaranteed dollars. Corry anticipates Washington paying $100MM over five years for Kirk Cousins, the Bears going five years and $75MM for Jeffery — in a deal that would eclipse those signed by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas last summer as tagged receivers — and Muhammad Wilkerson signing for $100MM over six years.

The latest rumors on a slew of free agents-to-be:

• The Broncos have offered quarterback Brock Osweiler a three-year contract worth ~$39MM, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. That runs a bit contrary to a weekend report that stated the Broncos had offered $45MM for three years.
• Seven teams have expressed interest in Jets running back Chris Ivory, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The Buccaneers and Raiders are among those clubs, per a report from earlier tonight.
• The Raiders “have reached out” to Chiefs corner Sean Smith‘s camp, per Scott Bair CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Smith is the fourth high-profile pending free agent whom the Raiders have been connected to today, joining Ivory, Malik Jackson and Kelechi Osemele (links to Jackson and Osemele stories: 1, 2).
• Bengals veteran corner Adam Jones has several potential suitors, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who lists the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as teams that could end up with the 32-year-old. The Bengals would like to retain Jones, per Florio.
• The Bears are expected to go after Patriots defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and player personnel director Josh Lucas were in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hicks in 2012, Biggs notes.
• The Giants, Eagles, Dolphins and Bears are interested in Chargers corner Patrick Robinson, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

After spending big on cornerbacks in free agency a year ago, the Jets aren’t shying away from exploring the market again this time around. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, New York is among the teams that have shown interest in Bengals free agent Adam Jones. Meanwhile, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that the team is “nosing around” the market, having also inquired on Prince Amukamara and others.

Last March, in Mike Maccagnan‘s first offseason as the team’s general manager, the Jets landed Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine on lucrative, long-term contracts. The team has since parted ways with Cromartie, whose deal didn’t feature any guaranteed money beyond the first year, and now is back in the market for possible help at cornerback.

Jones, 32, is generating plenty of interest, so the Jets will have competition if they decide to make a play for him. On Monday, Florio identified the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as potential suitors for Pacman.

Both Amukamara and Jones ranked among the top five cornerbacks currently available on the free agent market in our look at this year’s top defensive options.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders free agent left tackle Donald Penn says he has not closed the door on coming back to Oakland, as Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes.

“I’ve been open with my plan. My plan is to be a Raider,” Penn told NFL Network. “We’re trying to figure out of the feeling is mutual. They tell me it is. They made a great signing, that’s a great pickup for Derek Carr and everybody., We’re going to see what’s going to happen. Only time is going to tell. The good thing is I’m showing interest from other teams.”

The latest from the AFC:

• Could the Jaguars land the top two defensive ends in this year’s free agent class? Word around the league is that the Jaguars will still chase Olivier Vernon, plus one of the top cornerbacks available, and perhaps a safety, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. PFR’s top cornerbacks (in order) are Janoris Jenkins, Sean Smith, Prince Amukamara, Casey Hayward, and Adam Jones.
• Guard Richie Incognito says he took a discount to stay with the Bills, Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. The Bills and the interior lineman agreed to a three-year, ~$15MM deal on Tuesday afternoon. Incognito says six or seven teams reached out to him, but his “goal was to come back to Buffalo,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
• Jones says that he would like to play at least five more years and possibly six more years, Paul Dehner Jr. of ESPN.com tweets. Pacman believes that his years spent sitting out make him younger in football years than his age would indicate.

Alex Marvex of FOX Sports is “getting strong vibes” from NFL sources that the Dolphins will rescind defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s transition tag at some point (Twitter link). Vernon could be expendable given that Miami signed Mario Williams and plans to keep Cameron Wake.

Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald agrees that the Fins could rescind the tag, and also reports that a league source expects Vernon to sign a long-term deal with another club in the next few days, and the Dolphins aren’t expected to be able to match. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also chimes in, noting that he hears Miami hasn’t made a decision on Vernon yet.

Here’s the latest on the AFC free agent scene:

• The Jets are no longer in contention for free agent corner Adam Jones, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
• The Chiefs are “poking around” on free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Freeman could serve as a potential replacement for Derrick Johnson, who is also a free agent.
• Elsewhere in Kansas City, it looks like Chiefs corner Sean Smith will hit the open market, per Robinson (Twitter link), and the Raiders could be one potential suitor.
• Despite receiving interest from other clubs, receiver Travis Benjamin is still in play for the Browns, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
• Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com believes the Titans are interested in receiver Rishard Matthews — it’s a little unclear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating, but it sounds like there could be a link.
• Free agent safety Tavon Wilson will not return to the Patriots, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. the former second-round pick has been in New England since 2012.

WEDNESDAY, 3:00pm: The Dolphins have tweeted confirmation of Grimes’ release.

2:52pm: The Dolphins are cutting Grimes, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).

9:15am: According to Kelly (via Twitter), the Dolphins have now asked Grimes if he’d be willing to stay in Miami. With the Dolphins/Eagles trade in jeopardy, Miami is presumably exploring a contingency plan in case that deal falls through. As Kelly notes though, the “damage is done” with Grimes, so it’s hard to imagine him wearing a Dolphins uniform in 2016. We’ll see how the situation plays out.

MONDAY, 1:26pm: The Dolphins are expected to release cornerback Brent Grimes in the near future, sources tell Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. According to Kelly, the Dolphins approached Grimes about restructuring his contract, and the defensive back declined, preferring to his unrestricted free agency.

While the move has not yet been made official, it seems the two sides are “past the point of no return,” Kelly writes. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimes in on the story as well, tweeting that the Dolphins figure to officially cut Grimes when they acquire his replacement.

[RELATED: Dolphins, Eagles discussing Byron Maxwell trade]

Of course, it was Rapoport who reported earlier today that the Dolphins have engaged in discussions with the Eagles about a possible trade for cornerback Byron Maxwell. If Maxwell heads to Miami, releasing Grimes would make sense, both in terms of creating a spot on the depth chart and freeing up some cap room to accommodate the move.

Still, it doesn’t sound like anything is done yet between the Dolphins and Eagles, and it’s possible Miami has another replacement in mind for Grimes. Pro Football Talk tweets that the decision to cut Grimes could mean that the Dolphins are confident they have a shot to land free agent cornerback Adam Jones, who played under new Miami defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in Cincinnati. Because the legal tampering window is now open, the Dolphins can engage in talks with Jones’ reps.

Grimes is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl season, so if Miami cuts him, it would be a bit of a surprise. Still, he’ll turn 33 this July, his cap hit is one of the team’s largest, and the new coaching staff may not view him as an ideal fit.

If and when Grimes’ release becomes official, the Dolphins would create $6.5MM in cap savings, or $8MM if he’s designated a post-June 1 cut. He’s currently set to count for $9.5MM against the team’s 2016 cap, with $3MM in total dead money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia, new Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham also received interest from the Browns, Buccaneers and Jaguars, as he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Bradham further stated that his former team, the Bills, backed out of contract talks.

Meanwhile, in addition to having lost out on Bradham, the Browns swung and missed on receiver Rishard Matthews, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan reports that Cleveland was one of several teams in play for Matthews, who agreed to sign with Tennessee on a three-year deal.

After a busy day around the NFL, we still have a few more rumors related to free agents who signed today, and free agents who are still on the market. Let’s dive in…

• The Dolphins aren’t looking to invest much money in a backup quarterback, Marvez tweets. Matt Moore is paying a visit to the Cowboys this week, and it seems Moore may not be back in Miami for the 2016 season.
• The Giants have shown interest in free agent left tackle Donald Penn, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). The reliable Penn has started 16 games in eight straight seasons, including the last two in Oakland.
• Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, whom the Bears cut last month, is garnering “ample interest” in spite of recent shoulder surgery, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He’s planning to visit the Dolphins and Vikings, La Canfora adds.
• Prior to re-signing with the Bengals, cornerback Adam Jones drew the Vikings’ attention, he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. On Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Jones said, “I love Zim. He really treated me well through this, but this is the place where I know.”
• At least four teams – including the Bears – have expressed interest in return man Marc Mariani, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the 49ers and Raiders are also among those clubs in the mix for Mariani, who played the last two seasons in Chicago.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL.

• Mohamed Sanu, WR (Falcons): Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $7MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $1MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6.5MM. (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter). Can earn additional $1.25MM based on receptions, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter).
• Jeremy Lane, CB (Seahawks): Four years, $23MM. $11MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $2MM, $4MM, $6MM, $6MM (Twitter link via Wilson). $7MM fully guaranteed. Lane’s $4MM salary in 2017 guaranteed in February 2017, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
• Mike Harris, OL (Vikings): One year, $2MM. $500K of $1.9MM base salary fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonus. (via Wilson, on Twitter). Can earn $1.05MM in incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
• Mason Foster, ILB (Washington): Two years, $2.5MM. $350K signing bonus. Can earn $1.6MM in playing-time incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
• Adam Jones, CB (Bengals): Three years, $24MM. $16MM in 2016-17, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (on Twitter).
• Kellen Clemens, QB (Chargers): One year, $1.065MM. $80K roster bonus, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter).

MARCH 15, 8:09am: Nearly a week after it was agreed upon, the deal between Jones and the Bengals has been signed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the two sides had to finalize certain language and payout dates. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweeted last week that Jones’ three-year deal is worth $24MM, including $16MM paid out in the first two years.

MARCH 9, 7:11pm: Jones’ deal is worth upward of $20MM, per Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer (Twitter link).

MARCH 9, 5:56pm: The Bengals will keep cornerback Adam Jones in the fold, according to FOX Sports’ Mike Garafolo, who tweets that the two sides have agreed to a three-year contract. Financial details are not yet available.

Jones, 32, generated plenty of interest entering free agency, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio identifying the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as potential suitors for the 32-year-old. However, he will remain a Bengal instead of joining the likes of Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Reggie Nelson on the way out of Cincinnati. Sanu and Nelson have not yet reached agreements with other teams, but don’t appear likely to return to Cincinnati.

Since joining the Bengals in 2010, Jones has appeared in 75 regular-season games and recorded 43 starts. He started all 14 games he suited up for in 2015-16 and amassed three interceptions, giving him 14 in nine seasons. His overall performance earned him the No. 15 position among 111 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus. He also finished with the fifth-best quarterback rating against, per PFF (Twitter link), and made his first Pro Bowl.

As successful as Jones’ regular season was, a crucial playoff mistake somewhat overshadowed it, as the 15-yard penalty he took when he bumped into an official while jawing with Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter helped set up a chip-shot field goal for Pittsburgh. Chris Boswell converted the 35-yard kick to seal an 18-16 win and knock Cincy from the wild-card round for the fifth straight year.

The Bengals have clearly forgiven Jones, though, and will now retain a quality defender and return man on a day otherwise defined by key losses for the club. Before free agency began, PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Jones as the 36th-best player available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here are several of the latest contract details on deals which were agreed upon or signed within the last week. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

AFC West:

• Russell Okung, T (Broncos): Five years, $53MM. No guaranteed money. Option after year one. $2MM base salary, $1MM workout bonus, and $2MM Week 1 roster bonus for 2016. Up to $3MM in incentives available in 2016 ($1.5MM for 80% of snaps, $3MM for 90% of snaps). Option must be exercised between fifth day after Super Bowl and first day of 2017 league year. If option is exercised, $2MM salary for 2017 and $9.5MM salary for 2018 become fully guaranteed, and an $8MM roster bonus is paid out (links via Pro Football Talk, ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Tom Pelissero of USA Today, and Wilson)
• Donald Penn, T (Raiders): Two years, $11.9MM, $5.5MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus due 20th day of 2016 league year. $300K in annual weigh bonuses (six weigh-ins worth $50K each). Up to $750K in annual playing-time, Pro Bowl, and playoff incentives (Twitter links).
• Andre Holmes, WR (Raiders): One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $250K of $1.25MM base salary guaranteed. $250K workout bonus. Up to $1MM in catch, yardage incentives (Twitter links).

AFC North:

• Adam Jones, CB (Bengals): Three years, $22MM. $6MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $4MM roster bonus due March 18. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. $500K playing-time escalator for 2017. $750K playing-time escalator for 2018. $200K punt return average incentive for 2018. 2018 option to be exercised by last day of 2017 league year. (Twitter links).
• Demario Davis, LB (Browns): Two years, $8MM. $4.1MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. Annual $100K workout bonus (Twitter link).
• Ryan Harris, T (Steelers): Two years, $3.9MM. $675K signing bonus (Twitter link).
• Pat Sims, DT (Bengals): Two years, $2.3MM. $250K guaranteed roster bonus due March 18. $200K in annual playing-time incentives. $200K playing-time escalator for 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson and Pelissero).

AFC East:

• Andre Branch, DE (Dolphins): One year, $2.75MM. $2.5MM guaranteed base salary. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $250K in incentives (Twitter link).
• Nate Ebner, S (Patriots): Two years, $2.4MM. $500K guaranteed. $125K in annual per-game roster bonuses. $250K first-day camp reporting bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time, Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter links via Wilson and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
• Frank Kearse, DT (Patriots): One year, minimum salary benefit. $30K signing bonus. $30K first-day camp reporting bonus. $20K in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
• Robert Blanton, S (Bills): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).

AFC South:

• Antwon Blake, CB (Titans): One year, $1.5MM. $200K signing bonus. Up to $750K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).

The latest out of Cincinnati, where the Bengals have started 1-2 on the season:

• Bengals cornerback Adam Jones says he was “somewhat” close to signing with the Dolphins in the offseason, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. Miami was rumored to have interest in Jones, and the connection made sense given that former Cincinnati secondary coach Vance Joseph is now the defensive coordinator in South Beach. However, the Bengals prioritized Jones in free agency, re-signing him to a three-year deal that contains $6MM guaranteed.
• Speaking of Bengals defensive backs, some in the club’s secondary room aren’t happy with the coaching techniques of new DBs coach Kevin Coyle, the former Miami DC who essentially swapped roles with Joseph, writes Beasley in a full article. One player, according to Beasley, believes Coyle is “coaching [the Bengals] not to lose instead of coaching them to win.” Cincinnati was lit up by the Broncos and Trevor Siemian on Sunday, and ranks 19th in defensive passing DVOA.
• The Bengals have a roster exemption for linebacker Vontaze Burfict which will expire on Thursday, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Burfict is coming off a three-game suspension for repeated violations of the NFL’s safety protocols. Head coach Marvin Lewis says Cincinnati will make a roster move on either Wednesday or Thursday, but wasn’t sure whether Burfict would play against the Dolphins on Thursday, tweets Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bengals cornerback Adam Jones was arrested for three misdemeanors and a felony last night, as Paul Dehner Jr. and Kevin Grasha of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Jones, through his attorney during arraignment, said he “vehemently denies” the accusations brought against him. 

[RELATED: Bengals QB A.J. McCarron Wouldn’t Oppose Trade]

It’s alleged that Jones assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye. Cops say he refused to stop when ordered to and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicking and head-butting officers. The misdemeanor charges against him are for his alleged assault, disorderly conduct, and obstructing of official business. The felony charge is for “harassment of a member of the medical staff in the justice center with a bodily substance,” which is for spitting on a nurse at the jail.

Given Jones’ history, these charges could have serious legal ramifications and could lead to a lengthy suspension for the 2017 season. Jones is under contract with the Bengals through 2018 after signing a three-year, $22MM deal in March.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

While the Colts are set for a front-office transition, they are set to return most of their offensive coaching staff, with one exception. The Bills’ previous wide receivers coach, Sanjay Lal, will make the move to Indianapolis to work in the same capacity, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Lal coached Buffalo’s wideouts for two seasons. Between 2009-14, he worked with the Raiders’ and Jets’ receiving corps. Lal replaces Lee Hull, whom the team dismissed.

Aside from that switch, the Colts will return OC Rob Chudzinski‘s staff. Former Dolphins HC Joe Philbin will remain in charge of Indianapolis’ offensive line, Quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer will return as well. Although, no such assurances are made to this staff beyond the 2017 season, and per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, the assistants are exhibiting a sense of relief at the Senior Bowl that Ryan Grigson‘s firing did not come with a sizable staff shakeup.

Here’s more from the AFC.

• Jim Irsay continues to consult with former Colts GM Bill Polian, per Holder, about the search to replace Grigson. Holder isn’t certain the Hall of Fame executive will sit in on the interviews, but it’s clear he’s functioning as a sounding board for his former boss.
• When Doug Whaley listed some of the Bills‘ free agents, he categorized three players (Stephon Gilmore, Robert Woods and RFA punter Colton Schmidt) as starters before pointing to the other 25 players in that grouping as performers brought in for depth purposes. “The rest of those guys, we brought in for backup depth purposes and they’ve played extremely well, and that’s a compliment to our pro personnel department,” Whaley said, via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. “But we feel we have confidence that we can get a lot of those guys back on extended contracts.” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com points out UFAs like Lorenzo Alexander, right tackle Jordan Mills and Zach Brown enhanced their value this season (Twitter links) and won’t likely be regarded as depth players once they hit free agency. Rodak (via Twitter) also doesn’t see Alexander, used as an outside linebacker in Rex Ryan‘s 3-4 scheme, as a fit in Doug McDermott‘s 4-3.
• The Jets are almost certainly set for some type of negotiation with Darrelle Revis about reducing his contract, but should he return in 2017, a transition to safety is in play. New Jets secondary coach Dennard Wilson said he “wouldn’t think it would be a problem” for Revis to take up playing on the back line, per Connor Hughes of NJ.com. Wilson demurred when asked whether he wants Revis on the 2017 team. The Jets can save $9MM by cutting Revis before the second day of the new league year but will incur a $6MM dead-money hit — one that would be alleviated, due to offset language, if Revis lands elsewhere.
• Gang Green has done “extensive homework” on former Texans OC George Godsey, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport views Godsey, who mutually parted ways with the Texans after the team’s divisional-round loss to the Patriots, as a strong candidate to succeed Chan Gailey.
• One of the Jets’ considerations with their No. 6 overall pick will be North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com notes. However, Pauline said upon discussions at the Senior Bowl that labeling the Jets as being infatuated with the early-entry Tar Heels talent may be a bit overblown, noting the Jets are part of a “pack of teams” at the top of the draft considering Trubisky.
• Adam Jones could face a suspension next season after his profanity-laced tirade against police officers was captured on video. The Bengals cornerback issued an apology statement, via the Associated Press, following the franchise’s apology. Jones will be set for his age-34 season next year, which doubles as the second year of his latest Bengals contract.

Adam Jones‘ recent arrest casts a shadow over his status with the 2017 Bengals. Despite the Bengals having signed the 33-year-old cornerback to a three-year deal last year, team sources told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer a consensus about Jones’ status in Cincinnati next season hasn’t been determined.

The controversial corner signed a $22MM deal last March, but this event could end his time with the Bengals. Jones may face a suspension for his actions on Jan. 3, and the Bengals do not plan to finalize their decision on Jones returning until a review of all the information surrounding the case concludes, Owczarski reports. The team has yet to make any public comments, other than an apology on Jan. 23, but is considering a potential future without him.

Cutting Jones before June 1 would save the Bengals $6.8MM while costing them $1.3MM in 2017 dead money. Cincinnati’s employed Jones since 2010 and has Dre Kirkpatrick as an impending UFA. But the Bengals still employ two former first-round picks in Darqueze Dennard and William Jackson III. Jones and Kirkpatrick rated as the Bengals’ top corners in 2016 in the opinion of Pro Football Focus, with 2015 fourth-rounder Josh Shaw being tabbed as the team’s No. 3 most productive player there.

Jones faces a felony charge for harassment with a bodily substance, along with misdemeanor charges for assault, disorderly conduct and obstructing police. He will turn 34 in September.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Josh McCown, who was recently released by the Browns, would endorse the team trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.

“I’ve seen him on tape because we had a common opponent in Miami,” McCown said. “He made some high level throws and did some things that would get you excited about his ability to maybe carry a franchise. That’s definitely on the tape.”

Garoppolo, reportedly, is a leading target of the Browns’ front office this offseason. The 25-year-old made two starts while Tom Brady was suspended last season, completing 43 of 63 pass attempts for 502 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s not a large sample size to go on, but execs around the league have been raving about the youngster for some time now.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

• Will the Ravens ask Dennis Pitta to take a pay cut after a solid season? He was willing to do it last year because he missed an entire season of action, but it’s not clear if he’ll go for a repeat of that after a quality 2016, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. If the Ravens ask him to take a pay cut and he says no, they could gain $3.3MM by releasing him. There’s also $3MM to be saved if they release Benjamin Watson, but Hensley seems to think they’ll exercise patience and see what they have in the veteran.
• Bengals cornerback Adam Jones is getting more time to work on alcohol and anger issues before anything happens with his criminal case, The Associated Press writes. Now, court records show the date for possible grand jury action has been delayed from Friday until March 23. Jones was arrested for three misdemeanors and a felony last month after he assaulted a man, kicked police officers, and spit on a nurse in jail. The Bengals, understandably, are unsure about whether they want him back.
• The Steelers want to re-sign linebacker Lawrence Timmons, though they have higher priorities to assess first.

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson took to Instagram in an effort to combat a recent report that he’s “terribly out of shape” (via Connor Hughes of NJ.com). “They say I’m fat and out of shape?” Wilkerson said while running on a treadmill. “Haha. Keep sleeping on me. I’m telling you.” It seems the scout who assessed Wilkerson’s conditioning was exaggerating, as photos (links here) the 27-year-old posted on Instagram earlier this month shoot down the idea that he’s in poor shape. Still, though, Wilkerson is coming off a disappointing 2016 – the first season of a five-year, $86MM contract – and could end up a cap casualty as early as next offseason if he doesn’t bounce back. Wilkerson notched 4.5 sacks last year (down from 12 in 2015) and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 15th-worst qualified edge defender (109 qualifiers).

More from the AFC:

• Bengals cornerback Adam Jones is no longer facing a felony charge over a January confrontation with hotel security guards, police and a nurse, reports Lisa Cornwell of the Associated Press. The felony charge resulted from Jones’ alleged “harassment of a member of the medical staff in the justice center with a bodily substance.” Specifically, Jones was accused of spitting on a nurse at the jail. If found guilty, he could have gone to jail for six to 12 months. Jones is still up against three misdemeanor charges, including assault, and the Bengals aren’t sure if they’re going to retain him.
• One of Jones’ Bengals teammates, reserve quarterback A.J. McCarron, wouldn’t mind a trade out of Cincinnati. But Andy Dalton‘s backup isn’t going to cause problems if the Bengals don’t deal him to a starter-needy team. On the possibility of once again reporting to camp in a No. 2 role, McCarron told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “It’d be tough at first. Like, because I know I’m having to go through the whole backup process again. But at the same time, that’s my job. I need to be the best backup quarterback in the league and I’m going to go there and work my [butt] off to prove that and show that I am so that they’re proud, as an organization, to sit back and say at practice if they’re watching ‘like man, I’m glad we had that guy as our backup.’ I still want to make everybody proud.” McCarron, though, expects to end up a starter sometime. “Whether it’s this year or when I’m a free agent, I think somebody’s going to take a chance on me to be a starter,” said McCarron, who’s under Bengals control for two more years.
• Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reached out to commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday night about continuing the discussion to keep the Raiders, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). There has been no significant progress on that front, however. Despite Schaaf’s efforts, it appears the Raiders’ departure from Oakland is inevitable.
• Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso‘s three-year extension adds an even $25MM to the $3.91MM he’ll earn in 2017, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The $28.91MM deal includes $16MM in fully guaranteed money for Alonso, who’s now slated to remain with the Dolphins through the 2020 season.
• Wide receiver Kamar Aiken‘s one-year pact with the Colts is worth $2.6MM – $1.5MM of which is guaranteed – and features up to $600K in per-game roster bonuses, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Although cornerback Adam Jones was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors and a felony (the latter of which was later dropped) earlier this year, Bengals owner/general manager Mike Brown is standing behind the 10-year pro, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Based on Brown’s comments, it sounds exceedingly unlikely the Bengals will part ways with Jones this offseason.

“It’s a bigger picture than one incident,” said Brown. “And I get to be the one that sits in the chair to decide [Jones’ fate]. So I have chosen to decide it the way I am deciding it. I’m going to give him a chance. I hope it comes out right for him, for his family and for us. I know there are critics. I understand. But that is a full answer.

“I’m not condoning his actions. They were in all honesty embarrassing. He was out of control. He misbehaved. He made a fool of himself. No one knows that more than he does…He knows full well what he has done to himself. He regrets it. But it’s been made into a public issue and maybe I am overly tolerant. If so, so be it.”

Jones has a history of off-field incidents here, but it’s only fair to note that — until recently — Jones had stayed out of trouble for a good amount of time. But his most recent incident, which included an alleged assault, disorderly conduct, and an extremely unbecoming encounter while in police custody, was especially disturbing, and the Bengals understandably hadn’t made a decision on Jones’ future with the club as of late January.

Now, Jones figures to return to Cincinnati as a starting corner opposite the recently re-signed Dre Kirkpatrick. Jones, 33, posted a down season in 2016, grading as only the league’s No. 37 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. But most of the Bengals’ cornerback unit is inexperienced, so Jones will add a veteran presence to a group that includes Darqueze Dennard, Josh Shaw, and Willam Jackson III. Jones will count for $8.167MM on Cincinnati’s salary cap in 2017

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

On Tuesday, Bengals cornerback Adam Jones pleaded guilty to obstructing official business in an incident that took place in early January. Meanwhile, the judge dismissed more serious charges against the player formerly known as Pacman, meaning that he will avoid serious jail time. 

[RELATED: Bengals Sign First-Round Pick John Ross]

“I truly apologize for what I did, my actions. I’m trying to get better every day,” Jones said (Twitter link via Terry Helmer of WCPO).

Initially, Jones was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony after a late-night dustup. The cornerback allegedly assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye. Then, he refused to stop when ordered to and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicked and head-butted officers. Then, when he arrived at jail, he allegedly spit on a nurse, which landed him the felony charge of “harassment of a member of the medical staff in the justice center with a bodily substance.” Despite all of that, Jones was sentenced only to time served, which amounted to two days in jail.

Jones is pretty much in the clear when it comes to legal ramifications, but it seems likely that he will face discipline from the league office. Bengals GM Mike Brown indicated back in March that the team will stand by the embattled veteran.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bengals cornerback Adam Jones has been suspended for one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Jones pled guilty to obstruction of official business stemming from a January 2017 incident.

Jones will appeal the ruling, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Meanwhile, agent Peter Schaffer tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Jones has not yet reached a decision on whether to appeal.

Initially, Jones was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony after an ugly string of incidents. The cornerback allegedly assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye in a late-night argument. Then, he refused to stop when ordered to by police and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicked and head-butted officers. Then, when he arrived at jail, he allegedly spit on a nurse, resulting in the felony charge. Despite all of that, Jones was sentenced only to time served, which amounted to two days in jail.

“The Bengals anticipated this result and are glad to finally put the matter behind us,” the team said in a statement. “Our focus is getting ready for the upcoming season. Adam will participate in training camp and we are counting on him to help our team when he returns from suspension.”

Jones will be out of action for the season opener against the Ravens on Sept. 10. He’ll be eligible to return for Week 2 against the Texans.

All things considered, the one-game ban isn’t a bad outcome for Jones given his history and the severity of allegations from earlier this year. In Week 1, the Bengals will rely a little more on Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard, and William Jackson III to keep opposing receivers in check. Losing Jones isn’t ideal, but a team could do a lot worse than trotting out three former first-round picks at corner.

The 33-year-old saw his production slip a bit in 2016, grading as only the league’s No. 37 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. In 2015, PFF had him ranked as the NFL’s 15th best corner.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

When the NFL handed Bengals cornerback Adam Jones a one-game suspension last week, it appeared he would fight the ban. That won’t be the case, though, Jones announced Thursday. “You know, I take all accountability for what I did and my actions and my words. I accept it — the one game suspension — and I’m ready to move on, man,” Jones told reporters, including Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 33-year-old’s suspension came after he was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony, though he was able to avoid jail time after pleading guilty to a lesser offense.

More from Cincinnati’s division…

• Although the league conditionally reinstated Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant from a year-plus suspension in April, it still hasn’t cleared him to participate in training camp. General manager Kevin Colbert addressed the situation Thursday, stating: “Upon his conditional reinstatement in April, Martavis Bryant was made aware it was only the beginning of a process toward a return to being a full contributing member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have been informed by the NFL that Martavis is still in the process of being fully reinstated. Until that time, Martavis will be permitted to take part in off-the-field team activities at training camp, but he will not be permitted to practice or play in any games.”
• As expected, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell did not show up at training camp Thursday, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com was among those to report. The franchise-tagged star has not signed his $12.12MM tender, meaning he’s under no obligation to attend camp. Bell could follow in the footsteps of Chiefs safety Eric Berry and not report until the regular season is on the verge of beginning. That’s what Berry did last summer when he was unhappy with the fact that he had to play the season under the tag in lieu of a multiyear contract.
• Browns wide receiver Ricardo Louis has hired super-agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (Twitter link). As a fourth-round rookie last year, Louis started in three of 16 appearances and logged 18 catches for 205 yards. With three years left on his rookie deal and unspectacular production to date, a pay raise isn’t imminent for Louis.

Zach Links contributed to this post.