NFL Player News

The Bills signed T.J. Yates this week, as the veteran will join Tyrod Taylor, Jones and Josh Woodrum to form the team's current quarterbacks corps.

Jones entered the offseason as the clear-cut No. 2 behind Taylor, but that's no longer the case as Yates has much more experience, both on the field and in new coordinator Rick Dennison's offense. While the team seems to be setting things up as an open competition, we'd have to say Yates would currently have the edge -- as much upside as Jones has, there's still a long way to go in his development.

Starting wideout Demaryius Thomas noted that Lynch appears more confident as the signal-caller's second season as a pro approaches, Cecil Lammey of 104.3 The Fan reports.

In the same press conference, Thomas said that Lynch is smiling more around the Broncos' facility, no longer burdened with the pressures of being a rookie. This is the second time Thomas has taken Lynch under his wing, as he was seen on the sidelines talking to the QB after the then-rookie didn't get to play in the Broncos' 2016 season finale against Oakland - saying afterwards that the team believed in him. Thomas, as he has to, will be diplomatic when asked about his quarterbacks this summer, and he praised last year's starter, Trevor Siemian in the same press conference. Any faith he shows in Lynch, however, could aid in helping Lynch become more of a leader -- something head coach Vance Joseph has said that he needs to show if he is to take the reins in Denver.

Mariota (fibula) will be present Monday for the start of the Titans' voluntary offseason program, The Tennessean reports.

A previous report suggested Mariota wouldn't join the team until OTAs in late May, targeting a return to on-field activities at the start of training camp or perhaps a bit sooner. While his timeline for participation probably hasn't changed much (if at all), he'll return to Tennessee on Monday to take advantage of his first opportunity since the end of last season to discuss football-related issues with the coaching staff. Mariota has thus far spent most of his offseason doing rehab work at the University of Oregon and at home in Hawaii. He recently shed his walking boot and began putting weight on his surgically-repaired leg.

Cousins and the Redskins remain far apart on long-term contract negotiations, ESPN.com's John Keim reports.

Cousins suggested he's fine with playing under his franchise-tag salary of $23.94 million if the alternative is accepting a contract that the Redskins can get out of after a couple seasons. The team did offer him a five-year deal worth approximately $20 million per year, but the offer was so far from what he's seeking that Cousins' side didn't even bother countering. Depending on how much of the deal is guaranteed and when those guarantees kick in, Cousins might be amenable to a contract with an average annual value that's only slightly above $20 million. The two sides have until July 15 to reach an agreement, but even if nothing gets worked out by that time, both Cousins and the Redskins have repeatedly stated he'll be with the team for at least one more season. The team probably won't even listen to a trade offer unless it includes multiple early-round picks.

According to coach Vance Joseph, Lynch has a 50/50 chance of earning the Broncos' starting quarterback job over Trevor Siemian (shoulder), Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post reports.

Lynch, the Broncos' first-round pick last year, only made three appearances as a rookie, throwing for 497 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Despite that limited playing time, which came as a result of Siemian beating him out for Denver's starting gig, Lynch profiles as a good fit in new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's wide-open scheme. Furthermore, given his pedigree, the Broncos clearly place high value on his long-term upside. As a result, he'll have another chance at earning the team's first-string duties over the next few months, making his progress important to monitor.

Siemian (shoulder) has been cleared to participate fully in the Broncos' offseason program, according to coach Vance Joseph.

Siemian's return to full health comes after the quarterback had a minor surgery on his left shoulder back in January. The Broncos' starter for the majority of last season was always expected to be ready for OTAs, so Joseph's confirmation that he's been cleared comes as no surprise. Nonetheless, it's encouraging to know Siemian enters Denver's offseason work with no limitations, as he'll now embark on another competition with Paxton Lynch for the team's starting gig in 2017. According to Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post, Joseph says Siemian's odds of earning that role are 50/50 right now, setting the stage for a decisive few months prior to Week 1.

McGloin agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Eagles on Monday.

McGloin returns to his home state after spending his first four seasons with the Raiders, for whom he started seven of his 13 games played. Although the 27-year-old has featured in just six contests since his rookie campaign, McGloin offers the Eagles an experienced third option behind starting quarterback Carson Wentz and backup Nick Foles, cementing their depth at the position ahead of offseason activities.

Tony Romo's retirement leaves a two-man race between Lynch and Trevor Siemian (shoulder) for the Broncos' quarterback job, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post reports.

General manager John Elway and new head coach Vance Joseph have been telling anyone who will listen that they are excited to head into camp with two young options in Lynch and Siemian. In the background, it's hard to imagine that they weren't at least curious about recasting Romo in Peyton Manning's old role for another Super Bowl run. That option extinguished, Lynch sure seems to have the inside track on the job with a more wide-open attack coming to Denver under offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Remember, Lynch was an Elway pick while Siemian was a flyer taken by former passing-game coordinator Greg Knapp. Elway and Joseph have hedged their bets enough for Siemian to be able to beat out Lynch in 2017 while claiming it was always part of the plan for Lynch to sit and learn, but -- at some point -- Elway is going to want to take Lynch out for more than a spin.

With rumored target Tony Romo headed to the broadcast booth, the battle for the Broncos' quarterback job narrows to Siemian (shoulder) and Paxton Lynch, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post reports.

There's no need to save face for general manager John Elway and head coach Vance Joseph, who have talked up both Siemian and Lynch during the offseason and who have, at least publicly, shown tepid-at-best interest in Romo. At the same time, with 10 playoff seasons between them over the past six seasons, there had to have been at least some curiosity about Romo making one last push in Mile High. With that option now gone, the deck certainly seems stacked against Siemian, who loses the advantage he had last year of an extra year in a system and public advocates in former head coach Gary Kubiak and passing-game coordinator Greg Knapp. Denver should have a more wide-open attack in 2017, which would seem to benefit the more physically gifted Lynch. That being said, as they have all offseason, Joseph and Elway have hedged their bets -- both praising Lynch's tools while also stating that he has a bit to go in both the mental and maturity aspects of the position. If Lynch beats out Siemian, last year's first-round selection is vindicated. If not, Elway and Joseph can say that sitting Lynch for a season or two was always part of the plan. Siemian, at some point, will have to yield to Lynch. There's just no guarantee that it will be in 2017.

Winston, who showed above-average accuracy when throwing on the run last season, is expected to have more designed rollout plays called for him in 2017, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "When Jameis was outside the pocket and had multiple receivers to throw it to or run it at times, we did well," said head coach Dirk Koetter. "So I would say we will continue to build that part of the offense."

The third-year quarterback wasn't really lauded for his mobility coming into the NFL, but he's been serviceable when scrambling and throwing on the move over his first two campaigns. Winston scored six rushing touchdowns in his rookie 2015 season, and, after focusing last offseason on improving his accuracy when throwing on the run, was one of the better outside-the-pocket passers in the league in 2016. The Bucs certainly took note as the season went on, increasing their use of a "small movement package" that they'd installed early in the season as Winston found more and more success when firing while on the move. With a receiving corps already significantly boosted by the acquisition of speedster DeSean Jackson in free agency -- and with some additional talent expected to be added in the upcoming draft -- Winston should be more dangerous than ever when he takes off and looks downfield in 2017.