NFL Player News

Taylor will be traded to the Browns in exchange for a third-round draft pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Adam Schefter is reporting the same deal. It looks like Taylor is on his way to Cleveland, where he'll be throwing to fellow Friday acquisition Jarvis Landry for what's certain to be a new-look team in 2018. It'll be interesting to see what the Browns do with the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks with two major deals out of the way, though it's conceivable they could still draft a top QB and let him get up to speed slowly while Taylor runs the show. The Bills will get pick No. 65, giving them six selections out of the draft's first 96 picks.

Watson was seen running without a knee brace on the field at the Texans' practice facility Thursday, according to J.J. Watt's Twitter account.

Only one month ago, Watson posted a video of himself running on an AlterG treadmill, so he appears to be progressing through his recovery from a torn right ACL, as expected. Speaking at the scouting combine last week, general manager Brian Gaine told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that Watson may be able to participate in OTAs in some capacity, which would put him on pace to be a full go during training camp and/or the preseason. There's a chance his mobility will be compromised somewhat following such a serious injury, but his ability as a passer will make him an intriguing prospect once draft season kicks off in earnest.

Trubisky said Tuesday in appearance on 670 The Score Chicago that he was "really excited" when he heard the Bears had hired former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to replace John Fox as head coach, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports. "Just watching the Kansas City offense last year, what Coach Nagy brought -- I was able to meet him through the draft process last year, and we really connected," Trubisky said. "I was really excited when I heard he got the job here. I know Chicago is going to have a warm welcome [for] him, and he's going to bring amazing offensive ideas to the table."

The radio appearance marked Trubisky's first comments to the the media since Nagy was hired Jan. 8. The No. 2 overall pick from last year's draft was quick to mention that his new coach has already been successful with a mobile signal caller, having served as the Chiefs' quarterbacks coach from 2013 to 2016 before he was promoted to coordinator in 2017, when Alex Smith enjoyed his best professional season. Nagy encouraged Smith to be more aggressive pushing the ball downfield, something that should be an emphasis in Chicago as the coach begins his work with the cannon-armed Trubisky. While the Bears lack the kind of proven talent Nagy had in Kansas City, there's nothing to say that will still be the case by the time free agency and the draft are completed. Chicago already has an impressive backfield and a solid line, while 2017 second-round pick Adam Shaheen has the potential to develop into a major threat at tight end. The glaring weakness is at wide receiver, where Cameron Meredith (knee), Kendall Wright and Dontrelle Inman are all set to become unrestricted free agents. Trubisky has been throwing in California during the offseason with injury-prone 2015 first-round pick Kevin White, who has played just five games in three seasons but at least seems to have made a full recovery from September shoulder surgery. The Bears have enough cap room to make a run at the top free-agent wideouts, a group that's expected to include Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Marqise Lee, Paul Richardson, Mike Wallace and Jordan Matthews.

The Redskins didn't use the franchise tag on Cousins this offseason, Matthew Paras of The Washington Times reports.

On Tuesday, the deadline came and went for the Redskins to tab Cousins with the franchise tag for a third consecutive year. Ultimately, the $34.5 million cap hit was too much for the team to stomach and likely spurred its front office to agree to terms on a trade Jan. 30 to bring Alex Smith into the fold as the starting quarterback moving forward. Cousins will thus have the pick of the litter regarding his next home. QB-needy teams like the Vikings, Broncos, Jets and Cardinals have all been linked as possible suitors for Cousins, who passed for at least 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in three seasons as the full-time starter in Washington.

Lynch likely will remain with the Broncos in 2018, but his presence on the roster won't stop the team from seeking an upgrade at quarterback, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post reports.

Broncos general manager John Elway pointed out that the team hasn't really had a chance to evaluate Lynch, a 2016 first-round pick who has completed 79 of 128 passes (61.7 percent) for 792 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions in five career games. He's also taken 18 sacks and fumbled four times, displaying a glaring lack of awareness in the pocket. The Broncos might be fine with keeping Lynch around, but they presumably hope he'll be the clear backup behind a proven veteran starter. Trevor Siemian (shoulder) may be available for trade during the offseason.

Savage (concussion) posted last week on his personal Twitter account that he's shed 17 pounds during the offseason.

After losing the starting quarterback job to first-round pick Deshaun Watson following a disastrous showing Week 1, Savage reclaimed the No. 1 gig in early November following Watson's season-ending ACL tear. In his second turn as starter, Savage did little to assert himself as anything more than a backup-level NFL talent, finishing the campaign with a 5:6 TD:INT ratio and a 56 percent completion rate while averaging 6.3 yards per attempt across eight outings. Savage was sidelined for the final three weeks of the season while recovering from a concussion, but the expectation is he'll enter spring workouts without any limitations. It remains to be seen to which team Savage will report to OTAs, as the 27-year-old will hit free agency March 14 and may not re-sign with Houston.

Keenum could draw interest from the Broncos, Browns, Cardinals and Vikings, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

With the Vikings shaping up as the early favorites for Kirk Cousins, it won't come as any surprise if Keenum is forced to find a new team. In addition to the franchises mentioned above, the Jets and Bills figure to be in the market for quarterbacks. Keenum will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 14.

Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Wednesday that Tannehill (knee) is expected to serve as the Dolphins' starting quarterback in 2018, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. "Ryan is going to be our starting quarterback, and I don't see that changing anytime soon," Gase said. "I think that when we get back out there in spring and get going, I just know it's going to be really good to have him back."

While he didn't rule out the possibility of selecting a quarterback at No. 11 overall in April's draft, Gase did suggest that Tannehill would remain the favorite to start Week 1 even if such a scenario came to be. The Dolphins' cap situation likely prevents them from making a run at any of the top quarterbacks available in free agency, and the team may not view any of the options besides Kirk Cousins as a clear upgrade on the incumbent. The team expects Tannehill to be a full participant in its offseason program following mid-August 2017 surgery to repair a torn left ACL. The lack of guaranteed money in his contract means Tannehill's status with the Dolphins will be a year-to-year proposition. Meanwhile, the team is believed to be fielding trade offers for top wideout Jarvis Landry, who has consistently been Tannehill's favorite target since entering the league in 2014.

Bradford was able to ski last week, but Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer suggested the quarterback's left knee is still considered degenerative, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Bradford's ability to serve as the Vikings' backup quarterback during the playoffs doesn't seem to lessen the long-term concern regarding a left knee that required ACL repair surgery in both 2013 and 2014. While he did bounce back with a solid campaign in 2015 and the best year of his career in 2016, the 30-year-old quarterback aggravated his knee last season, eventually having arthroscopic surgery in early November. Now set to hit free agency, Bradford likely will field offers for a starting job, but his medical history will make it tough to land a contract with significant guaranteed money beyond 2018. The Vikings probably prefer to sign Kirk Cousins or Case Keenum, leaving Bradford to seek employment with one of the other QB-needy teams in the league. The Cardinals, Jets, Bills, Broncos and Browns come to mind as potential suitors.

Hackenberg could lose his roster spot this offseason, ESPN.com's Rich Cimini reports.

The Jets likely will re-sign Josh McCown or add another veteran, in addition to taking a close look at the top available quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. Given that he's yet to attempt a pass in the regular season and hasn't been able to pass Bryce Petty on the depth chart, Hackenberg is unlikely to enter OTAs any higher than third in the pecking order at quarterback. The 2016 second-round pick was awful in limited preseason action the past two years, completing 59 of 121 passes (48.8 percent) for 531 yards (4.4 yards per attempt) with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Petty may also find himself on the chopping block this offseason.