By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The word out of Frisco, Texas, is that Jaylon Smith‘s future is as bright as ever. Cowboys brass is going to make sure you know and believe it, too.

A day after a former Chargers team doctor published a piece that expressed doubt that Smith would ever reach the lofty bar set for him, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones doubled down on the team’s stance on the linebacker, saying the team views Smith as a “franchise player that will be around for many, many years,” per the Dallas Morning News. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Seattle is trimming its roster, and a notable name is looking for work again.

Cornerback Perrish Cox was among the eight players cut by the Seahawks on Tuesday.

It’s the second release for Cox in the last seven months. The corner was cut by the Titans in late November after recording 42 tackles and three interceptions in 11 games for Tennessee. Seattle signed Cox in January after DeShawn Shead suffered an ACL injury in the Seahawks‘ playoff loss to Atlanta. Around the NFL’s Chris Wesseling wrote in January that the 30-year-old Cox had a chance to carve out a role with a strong training camp, but he won’t get that opportunity in Seattle. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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There are approximately three star athletes who we can pencil in right now for life-sized bronze likenesses in the near future.

Well, make that two.

Cross Peyton Manning off the statue-in-waiting list, as the Colts announced Tuesday they’ve commissioned a monument in the likeness of the quarterback and will unveil it on Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. ET. The team will also retire Manning’s No. 18 jersey and induct him into the team’s ring of honor during halftime of the Colts‘ Oct. 8 game against San Francisco. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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There’s no sweeter time for new additions to the NFL than during rookie minicamps.

Every team is excited to have them. Reviews are glowing. The acclimation process is friendly and measured.

But as the fresh crop of quarterbacks receive their first playbooks — imagine the yellow pages back when landlines and answering machines were still hot — the sheer amount of information can be initially overwhelming. New Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t shy about the increased difficulty in his first 72 hours of marriage with Kansas City’s offense. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Victor Cruz just wants to play ball.

Cruz’s star rocketed into the night sky during the 2010 preseason, disappeared for a year, then re-emerged to shine bright for most of 2011-2013 before injuries started to become a regular problem for the wideout. Those same issues, coupled with younger talent at the position in New York led to Cruz’s divorce from the Giants. Months later, the receiver is still without a job.

“I just want to play,” Cruz told The New York Post on Tuesday. “I’m just anxious to get on a team, anxious to play some football and anxious to see where I end up.” Continue reading →

By Chris Wesseling and Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Jamaal Charles will get two shots against his former team in 2017 because he’s staying in the AFC West.

The former Kansas City Chiefs running back signed a one-year contract with the Broncos, the team announced Tuesday. The deal is worth up to $3.75 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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After going through the pre-draft process, Air Force wide receiver Jalen Robinette will not be playing professional football in 2017 — and he has plenty of good company.

Add in every other aspiring service academy athlete who was hoping to immediately turn pro in any sport.

That became official on Monday when U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis signed an order to rescind the government’s pro sports policy for service academy athletes. The policy went into effect last July and allowed an immediate path to professional sports for this group of athletes, but didn’t survive a full calendar year. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Buffalo Bills have parted ways with general manager Doug Whaley after four seasons, the team announced Sunday. The news comes hours after the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Bills owner Terry Pegula issued the following statement:

Whaley joined the team as assistant general manager in 2010 and was later hired as general manager in 2013 after Buddy Nix stepped down following that year’s draft. In Whaley’s four seasons as general manager, the team finished 30-34 and had just one winning season (2014). Continue reading →