NFL Player News

The Buccaneers have picked up the fifth-year option on Winston's rookie contract, locking him in for 2019 at a $20.922 million salary that's only guaranteed against injury, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The fifth-year option ensures Winston can't hit free agency or receive the franchise tag next season, giving the Bucs a bit of leverage in negotiations on a long-term contract. The team may be hesitant to work on a deal at the moment, as the NFL still hasn't talked to Winston about a November accusation that he groped an Uber driver in 2016, ESPN.com's Jenna Laine reports. Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer, general manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter all have expressed frustration with the league's slow movement on the case. Winston reported Monday for the start of the Buccaneers' offseason program.

Rodgers is frustrated with the lack of communication between him and the Packers front office this offseason, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Rodgers likely understands that he can't make decisions for management, but he reportedly wishes the team had at least consulted him before cutting ties with former quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt and wide receiver Jordy Nelson. The 34-year-old quarterback doesn't seem to be a huge fan of new general manager Brian Gutenkunst, potentially making it a bit tougher to hammer out a contract extension. Rodgers' current deal has him scheduled to make $20.6 million in 2018 and $21.1 million in 2019, per OverTheCap. Fully recovered from last year's broken collarbone, Rodgers likely wants an extension that matches or exceeds the contracts recently signed by Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford -- all featuring an average annual value of at least $27 million, per OTC. The Packers at least did Rodgers one favor this offseason when they replaced Nelson with another red-zone weapon in the form of tight end Jimmy Graham. The team signed Davante Adams to a four-year extension in December and seemingly plans to keep Randall Cobb for at least one more season.

Driskel (arm) said Monday that his broken arm feels excellent, and the quarterback is hoping to be cleared for on-field drills in late May, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Driskel broke his left, non-throwing arm in practice last December. It sounds like he's close to a full recovery and will at least be present for voluntary workouts this month. The 2016 sixth-rounder is currently the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart with the Bengals' incumbent backup, AJ McCarron, having signed with the Bills this offseason.

Heinicke was claimed by the Panthers off waivers Monday, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Heinicke quickly found a new home in Charlotte after he was cut by the Texans late last week. He'll have a good chance to supplant Garrett Gilbert for the primary backup role should he impress during the preseason.

Mahomes worked with some of the Chiefs' skill-position players during the offseason, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

It's unclear if the workouts included Sammy Watkins, who signed a three-year, $48 million contract with Kansas City when the free agency period first opened. Aside from swapping out Albert Wilson (Dolphins) for Watkins and Alex Smith for Mahomes, the Chiefs will retain the core of their productive 2017 offense, including Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and four of five starters on the line. It has the look of a formidable unit, with the potential to reach elite status if Mahomes displays enough pocket presence and accuracy to get the most out of his immense physical gifts. He looked the part of an NFL starter in Week 17 last season, completing 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards and an interception to lead the Chiefs' backups to a 27-24 win in Denver.

Heinicke was released by the Texans on Friday.

Heinicke made one appearance in 2017 during a Christmas matchup versus the Steelers after starter T.J. Yates left to be checked for a concussion. The Old Dominion product completed the one pass he threw for 10 yards, and he added a two-yard rush.

Dalton anticipates that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor will make significant changes to the playbook and scheme for 2018, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official website reports. "When we've changed coordinators in the past, the offense and the scheme and everything has stayed pretty similar," Dalton said. "I think this is going to feel a whole lot different than what we've done and the way we've done things."

Lazor was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in September when Ken Zampese was fired after Week 2. The in-season change didn't allow for a new playbook, forcing Lazor to work with a West Coast scheme that originally was installed by Jay Gruden in 2011 and maintained by both Hue Jackson (2014-15) and Zampese. Having previously worked under Joe Gibbs, Mike Holmgren and Chip Kelly, the 45-year-old Lazor is familiar with a variety of offensive philosophies and terminologies. Dalton struggled mightily while playing behind a porous offensive line last season, posting his lowest passer rating (86.6) since 2014 and worst completion percentage (59.9) since his rookie year of 2011. The Bengals re-signed Tyler Eifert and traded for left tackle Cordy Glenn in March, but they otherwise seem to be banking on Lazor, draft picks and in-house improvement to turn the offense around this upcoming season. It could work out well if Eifert and John Ross stay reasonably healthy, though the right side of the offensive line still appears highly problematic.

Morris is signing with Seattle, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.

Released by Indianapolis earlier in the week, Morris didn't take long to find a new home. He'll be the only quarterback behind Russell Wilson on the depth chart, though Seattle figures to address that situation in the coming weeks, considering Morris went undrafted in 2014 and has yet to take a snap in an NFL regular-season game. His best-case scenario is a shot to compete for the backup job during training camp.

Bradford may be limited during the Cardinals' offseason program, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic reports.

Bradford emerged from Week 1 last season with a left knee injury and made just one appearance the rest of the way. Arthroscopic surgery Nov. 7 was the primary reason, but once healthy, he served as the primary backup to Case Keenum during the Vikings' playoff run. Moving on to the Cardinals in the offseason, Bradford is the favorite to be under center to kick off the upcoming campaign, but his voluminous history of knee injuries appears to be inducing some pause from head coach Steve Wilks, who doesn't want to "rush it" with his new QB, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. As a result, Bradford is a candidate to have his workload capped during OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

The Redskins waived Morris on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

A 2014 undrafted free agent, Morris has spent time with the Eagles, Colts and Redskins, but he's yet to appear in a regular-season game. His long-shot odds to make the final roster in Washington took a hit when the team traded for Kevin Hogan on Friday. Morris will look to catch on elsewhere, merely hoping for a shot to compete for a No. 3 quarterback job.