April 2018 - Football Wiretap

ESPN, FOX Pursuing Peyton Manning For Primetime Game Analyst Openings
ESPN is seeking a replacement for Jon Gruden on Monday Night Football while FOX added Thursday Night Football for 2018.

Andrew Marchand/New York Post

Drew Brees, Saints Have March 14th Deadline To Agree Upon New Deal
The Saints would be hit with a cap penalty if they don't agree upon a new deal with Drew Brees by March 14th.

Dan Graziano/ESPN

Panthers QB Coach: Cam Newton 'Doesn't Need Changing'
The Panthers don't want Cam Newton to change the way he plays.

Kevin Patra/NFL.com

Joe Thomas Lobbies Kirk Cousins To Consider Browns
Joe Thomas wants Kirk Cousins to consider signing with the Browns when he hits the free agent market next month.

Marc Sessler/NFL

Josh McDaniels' Decision To Stay With Patriots Wasn't About Family
When Josh McDaniels went back on an agreement to become the head coach of the Colts to remain with the Patriots, one of the reasons given was that he didn't want to uproot his family.

Michael David Smith/Pro Football Talk

Steelers Prefer Long-Term Deal For Le'Veon Bell
The Steelers could still use the franchise tag on Le'Veon Bell, which would be worth approximately $14.5 million.

Jeremy Fowler/ESPN

AJ McCarron Wins Arbitration Case, Will Become UFA
AJ McCarron argued the Bengals should have activated him from the non-football (NFI) injury list during training camp in 2014.

Adam Schefter/ESPN

2018 Franchise Tag Projections Based On $178M Salary Cap
Le'Veon Bell is likely to receive the franchise tag again in 2018.

Albert Breer/Sports Illustrated

Jon Gruden Unsure If Marshawn Lynch Will Play In 2018
Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement last season to join the Raiders.

Jerry McDonald/Oakland Tribune

Larry Fitzgerald Confirms He'll Play In 2018
Larry Fitzgerald is owed $11 million for 2018.

Darin Gantt/ProFootballTalk

Jets Promote Jeremy Bates To Offensive Coordinator
Jeremy Bates was previously quarterbacks coach.

Nick Shook/NFL.com

Chris Kiffin Leaving Florida Atlantic For Job With 49ers
Florida Atlantic defensive coordinator Chris Kiffin is leaving the school to take a job with the 49ers.

ESPN

Raiders Won't Bring Back Sebastian Janikowski
The Raiders informed Sebastian Janikowski on Wednesday that they won't bring the kicker back for the 2018 season, according to a source.

Paul Gutierrez/ESPN

Su'a Cravens Reinstated By NFL
Su'a Cravens sat out the 2017 season after telling Washington in early September that he was pondering retirement.

Field Yates/ESPN

FOX To Televise 2018 NFL Draft
Fox, NFL Network and ESPN will each air the 2018 NFL Draft.

Kevin Draper/New York Times

Johnny Manziel Announces He'll Play In The Spring League
Approximately 150 pro football hopefuls will be divided into four teams, practice daily and play games on weekends.

Kevin Patra/NFL.com

Carson Wentz: Knee Injury Won't Change How I Play
Carson Wentz won't change his style of play despite tearing his ACL and LCL late in the regular season.

Kevin Patra/NFL

Bears-Ravens To Face Off In Hall Of Fame Game
The Bears and Ravens will face off in the NFL's annual Hall of Fame Game on August 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Marc Sessler/NFL

Chiefs Won't Re-Sign Derrick Johnson
The Chiefs do not plan to re-sign Derrick Johnson, but the veteran linebacker wants to keep playing.

ESPN

Jane Goodell Included On Colin Kaepernick's Deposition Request List
Jane Goodell had been surreptitiously using the Twitter account @forargument to defend her husband.

Charles Robinson/Yahoo! Sports

Tom Brady, Michael Strahan Launch Sports Media Startup
The Religion of Sports is founded by Tom Brady, Michael Strahan and Gotham Chopra.

Jonathan Shieber/Tech Crunch

Giants Hire Mike Shula As Offensive Coordinator
Mike Shula had been offensive coordinator of the Panthers since 2013.

Kim Jones/NFL.com

Luke Kuechly To Undergo Surgery On Right Shoulder
Luke Kuechly skipped last month’s Pro Bowl because of an unspecified injury.

Joseph Person/Charlotte Observer

Jason Kelce Worried About Jeffrey Lurie's Response To Parade Speech
Jason Kelce entered himself into Philadelphia lore last week when he delivered an impassioned speech from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the end of the Eagles' Super Bowl parade.

WMMR

Colts To Name Nick Sirianni New Offensive Coordinator
Nick Sirianni will coach under Frank Reich, who he worked with when both were with the Chargers.

ESPN

Jaguars To Get New Look After Successful Season
The Jaguars will have a new look this upcoming season.

Michael DiRocco/ESPN

Cardinals Sign Steve Keim To Extension Through 2022
Steve Keim's contract was set to expire after the 2018 season.

Josh Weinfuss/ESPN

Mike Evans, Buccaneers Have Yet To Open Contract Talks
Mike Evans has caught at least 68 balls for 1,000 yards in all four of his NFL seasons.

PewterReport.com (via ProFootballTalk)

Johnny Manziel Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder, Attempting NFL Return
Johnny Manziel is attempting a return to the NFL.

ESPN

49ers Want To Become 'Destination' For 2018 Free Agents
The 49ers hope that signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a huge five-year deal last week will make them a preferred destination for free agents.

Jeremy Bergman/NFL