NFL Player News

Wilson told the Seahawks he wants a new contract before April 15, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Entering the final season of a four-year, $87.6 million contract, Wilson hopes to sign an extension before the start of Seattle's offseason program. His current deal ranks 12th among quarterbacks in average annual value, while the new contract surely will put him within the top five, potentially even ahead of first-place Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million). The Seahawks have plenty of cap space available beyond 2019, but they also have three prominent defensive players -- Bobby Wagner, Frank Clark and Jarran Reed -- entering contract years. Wilson said he's willing to play out 2019 without a new contract if he isn't pleased with the offers, though there's little doubt the Seahawks would then hit him with a franchise tag next offseason.

Coach Kyle Shanahan expects Garoppolo (knee) to receive full clearance for the start of training camp, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Shanahan also said he's optimistic about Garoppolo recording some degree of participation in OTAs, potentially including 7-on-7 drills. The 27-year-old quarterback has stuck around team headquarters to work with the 49ers' training staff throughout much of the offseason as he works his way back from Oct. 3 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. The timing of the injury (Sept. 23) gives Garoppolo a good chance to be ready for Week 1, though it likely will take additional time before he's the best version of himself. The 49ers failed to acquire a No. 1 wide receiver after being mentioned as a possible fit for Odell Beckham and Antonio Brown, but they did at least add some depth with the signings of Jordan Matthews and running back Tevin Coleman.

Mullens will compete with C.J. Beathard for the No. 2 quarterback job in San Francisco, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. "We'll rotate C.J. [Beathard] and Nick [Mullens] with the twos," coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday. "[We'll] flip a coin the first day."

Shanahan says the competition will start on even ground, but it's hard to see how Mullens wouldn't have the advantage after he completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 8.3 yards per attempt while going 3-5 as the starter in 2018. He did toss 10 picks on 274 attempts (3.6 percent), but Beathard was actually worse in that regard (4.1 percent) and also took one more sack despite throwing 105 fewer passes. The 49ers may try to trade one of their backup quarterbacks if Jimmy Garoppolo (knee) continues to make good progress in his recovery from an ACL tear.

Beathard and Nick Mullens will start the offseason program on even ground in a competition for the No. 2 quarterback job, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. "We'll rotate C.J. [Beathard] and Nick [Mullens] with the twos," coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday. "[We'll] flip a coin the first day."

A 2017 third-round pick, Beathard has just one victory in 10 NFL starts, with his functional ability to move the ball (6.8 YPA, 4.6 YPC) negated by a plethora of sacks (37), interceptions (13) and fumbles (eight). Mullens lacks the draft pedigree and had the same issues with sloppy mistakes, but he at least went 3-5 as the starter last season while completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 8.3 yards per attempt. With two capable backup quarterbacks on hand, the 49ers would be wise to consider a trade, though that's far from a sure thing with Jimmy Garoppolo working his way back from an ACL tear. Despite what Shanahan said, Mullens should have the upper hand in this competition.

Coach Jon Gruden expects Carr to improve with more experience in the same offensive system, getting an additional boost from the offseason additions of wide receivers Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Raiders did make some sacrifices along the way, releasing Jordy Nelson (free agent) and allowing Jared Cook (Saints) to sign elsewhere. Brown alone would make it a net gain in terms of talent, but there is legitimate cause for concern with the depth chart at running back and tight end. The Raiders also made a couple major moves on the offensive line, trading guard Kelechi Osemele to the Jets and signing tackle Trent Brown to a four-year, $66 million contract. That's probably a wash in terms of pure talent, but it's a huge gain in terms of recent impact after Osemele struggled through an ineffective, injury-marred 2018 campaign. We should have a better read on Carr's 2019 outlook at the end of April, as the Raiders have ample draft capital and could use it to boost his supporting cast and/or draft his replacement.

Mariota (neck) dealt with a slew of injuries that flew under the radar in 2018, including a sprained AC joint in his shoulder, a cracked vertebra, a strained oblique, a broken rib and a significant tear of the plantar fascia in his foot, Paul Kuharsky of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.

In addition to the issues that largely went unnoticed, Mariota missed Week 2 with an ulnar nerve injury in his throwing arm and Week 17 with a neck stinger. While yet to play a full 16-game season, the 25-year-old has started 55 of 64 possible games since Tennessee made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Titans recently invested in a better backup quarterback, swapping out Blaine Gabbert for Ryan Tannehill a couple weeks ago. There won't be any question about the Week 1 starter, but it is possible Mariota feels added pressure if he gets off to a slow start in September. The Titans added reinforcements to help avoid that scenario, shopping at the top of the free-agent market for guard Rodger Saffold and slot receiver Adam Humphries. Despite the long list of 2018 injuries, coach Mike Vrabel expects Mariota to be ready for the start of the offseason program in mid-April.

Gabbert is signing with the Buccaneers, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Gabbert was released by the Titans on March 15 after the team traded for Ryan Tannehill as its new backup to Marcus Mariota. The 29-year-old quarterback now will be reunited with Bucs coach Bruce Arians, who oversaw an ugly five-week stretch from Gabbert late in the 2017 season with Arizona. The Buccaneers will let Gabbert duke it out with Ryan Griffin for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Jameis WInston.

Winston said he will play at 250 pounds in 2019, Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Winston was 231 pounds at the 2015 combine and has been listed at that same weight throughout his NFL career, though he's looked a bit heavier at times. He'll focus on adding muscle this offseason, perhaps preparing to take more hits under new coach Bruce Arians, who has a reputation for emphasizing downfield passing even if there's a trade-off in terms of sacks or interceptions. It's an approach that should be familiar, as Tampa Bay had the most passing yards (5,125) and interceptions (26) in the league last season. Ryan Fitzpatrick was largely responsible for those drastic numbers, but Winston also contributed by ranking 10th in yards per attempt (7.9) and 31st in interception rate (3.7 percent) out of 33 qualified passers. The Buccaneers have lost Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson this offseason, but they still retain plenty of firepower with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate (hip) and Breshad Perriman. The 25-year-old quarterback may be looking at his last chance in Tampa Bay, where he's signed through 2019 via the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

McCoy is recovering from a second surgery on his fractured right fibula, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports.

The follow-up procedure explains why McCoy was using a cast and crutches this past weekend, more than a month after he was spotted walking without any support. He should still have time to make a full recovery before the start of training camp, at which point he's expected to compete with offseason trade acquisition Case Keenum for the starting job. It's also quite possible Washington adds a rookie quarterback to the competition.

McCoy (leg) was spotted with a cast and crutches Sunday, Jim Vertuno of The Associated Press reports.

McCoy broke his leg in Week 13 versus the Eagles and missed the remainder of the season. He was seen without the help of crutches or a cast in February, so he was assumed healthy. However, he was the grand marshal for a race this past weekend in Austin, Texas, where he was seen sporting crutches again. A quick recovery would benefit the 32-year-old, who will be competing with Case Keenum for the starting quarterback role throughout the offseason program and training camp.