NFL Player News

Cousins signed his franchise tender Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cousins locked in his $24 million contract for the upcoming season and is now eligible to participate in team offseason programs. Washington reportedly has no interest in trading the quarterback despite rumors swirling throughout the offseason. However, now that he's under contract, the team is able to review its options. Cousins ended last season with 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions through 16 games.

Barkley signed with the 49ers on Thursday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

After signing Brian Hoyer to a two-year deal earlier Thursday, the 49ers further bolstered their quarterback situation by adding another former Bear in Barkley. The 26-year-old Barkley showed flashes of potential in his run as the Bears' starter in 2016, completing over 60 percent of his passes in his final five starts and throwing five touchdowns in that stretch. He was prone to turnovers, however, as he tossed a whopping 12 interceptions in that span and 14 interceptions overall. In any case, he'll likely serve as Hoyer's backup in coach Kyle Shanahan's quarterback-friendly system.

Cousins is expected to sign the Redskins' franchise tag in the near future, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

There's nary a recipient of a franchise tag worthy of two first-round selections, and clearly Cousins falls within this arena in NFL circles. One potential landing spot was seemingly filled when the 49ers brought former college teammate Brian Hoyer into the fold this week. With no other interested party emerging, Cousins may see the writing on the wall and opt to stick with the only team he's known as a professional. If he indeed remains in Washington, the offense will boast different playmakers following the departure of wide receivers Pierre Garcon (to the 49ers) and DeSean Jackson (to the Bucs). However, Cousins will still have tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis at his disposal, as well as a pair of intriguing wideout prospects, Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson (Achilles).

The 49ers signed Hoyer to a two-year contract Thursday.

Entering free agency without a QB on the roster, the 49ers quickly filled one of the spots with Hoyer during the two-day window to contact unrestricted free agents. The destination could be kind to Hoyer, who previously put together his only 3,000-yard season under the watchful eye of then Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in 2014. Hoyer will also have a handful of interesting receivers, namely free-agent pickups Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, plus holdovers Jeremy Kerley and Vance McDonald (shoulder).

Cousins recently asked Redskins owner Dan Snyder for a trade, ESPN.com reports.

The Redskins remain hesitant to make a long-term commitment to Cousins, who understandably doesn't want to play under the franchise tag for a second straight season. He wants permission to discuss long-term contracts with other teams, who would then have to complete a trade with the Redskins after reaching terms with the 28-year-old quarterback. In addition to being frustrated with the team's stance in negotiations, Cousins probably doesn't like the idea of playing in a Washington offense that's expected to lose both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in the coming days. San Francisco is the most frequently mentioned landing spot, though the Niners have already reached an agreement with Brian Hoyer.

The 49ers' decision to add Brian Hoyer decreases the odds Cousins will be traded to San Francisco, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

A trade to San Francisco has been one of the most popular rumors leading up to the free agency period, with Washington reportedly fielding offers for its 28-year-old quarterback after using the franchise tag on him earlier this offseason. Hoyer is more of a high-end backup than a true starting-caliber quarterback, but his presence could make the 49ers less aggressive in trade negotiations with other teams. It still appears that Washington and San Francisco are the two most likely 2017 homes for Cousins.

The 49ers are expected to sign Hoyer once free agency begins Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hoyer fared well in his stint as the Bears' starting quarterback last season, cobbling together four consecutive 300-yard performances before breaking his left forearm in Week 7. As he heads to San Francisco, he'll reunite with new head coach Kyle Shanahan, who served as the Browns' offensive coordinator during the sole 3,000-yard campaign of Hoyer's career in 2014. With running back Carlos Hyde (knee), wideout Jeremy Kerley, and Vance McDonald (shoulder) already in place -- and Pierre Garcon about to join the party -- Hoyer will have an opportunity to post respectable numbers with the eighth organization of his career.

The Bills have retained Taylor by signing him to a restructured contract.

While the financial particulars of the deal have yet to be clarified, the move provides the Bills with valuable stability at the QB position, while keeping Taylor off the open market. Taylor, who turns 28 in August, is coming off a 2016 campaign in which he threw for 3,023 yards, while compiling a 17:6 TD:INT ratio over the course of 15 games. Meanwhile, Taylor bolstered his fantasy profile by running 95 times for 580 yards and six TDs. This coming season, he'll be playing under a new head coach (Sean McDermott), but the QB is in line to continue to work with talented wideout Sammy Watkins, who is on the mend following foot surgery. Meanwhile, the Bills' productive ground game will welcome back the likes of LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee.

Head coach Jack Del Rio said Carr (fibula) is either on track or ahead of schedule in his rehab process, CSN Bay Area reports. "He's doing well," Del Rio said. "We still have a couple months before we crank it up. He's in good spirits and everything that I've seen and heard is that he's on track, or maybe even ahead of schedule. We expect a complete recovery, and for him to have no issues."

Del Rio's comments support the recent assessments provided by Raiders left tackle Donald Penn and Carr's brother (former NFL QB David Carr). The Raiders' signal-caller hopes to be a full participant in OTAs, but he did acknowledge that it wouldn't be smart to push the issue at such an early stage of the offseason. Even if he does miss some of the offseason program, Carr figures to be back at full strength before the start of training camp.

Shaw (leg) was re-signed by the Bears on Saturday, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Shaw was likely to reach a deal with Chicago at some point, having entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. After missing the entire 2016 season with a broken leg, Shaw figures to remain buried on the depth chart at quarterback, but there is uncertainty surrounding who will be the top two options when the regular season rolls around.