NFL Player News

The Patriots aren't expected to trade Garoppolo during the offseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

With Tom Brady offering no indication that he plans on retiring in the near future following his fifth Super Bowl victory in February, Garoppolo represents little more than an insurance policy for the Patriots, but an elite one at that. After Brady missed the first four games last season while under suspension, Garoppolo performed steadily as a fill-in starter for the first two contests before missing the final two games of Brady's absence with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. He ultimately recovered from the injury and went on to complete 68 percent of his passes for 8.0 yards per attempt, four touchdowns and no interceptions across six appearances on the season. While the Patriots' well-oiled offensive system surely aided his numbers, Garoppolo demonstrated the sort of proficiency and sound decision making that several teams would have coveted, leading many to speculate that the 25-year-old would draw plenty of interest around the league if the Patriots made him available via trade. It appears that barring another extended absence for Brady, Garoppolo will have to wait at least one more season for a starting opportunity with the Patriots or any other team to materialize, which will continue to limit his fantasy appeal largely to dynasty formats heading into 2017.

The Redskins placed their franchise tag on Cousins on Tuesday, Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan DC reports.

Cousins is the latest domino to fall on the franchise tag front, a decision made easy by upholding his end of the bargain after undergoing a similar experience last offseason. In 2016, he finished third among signal-callers with 4,917 yards, marking the second consecutive campaign in which he established the franchise's single-season passing mark. Additionally, he tossed 25 touchdowns versus 12 interceptions in the midst of completing 67 percent of his passes. The parties will now have a July 15 deadline to reach an agreement on a long-term contract, but if negotiations again fall apart, the Redskins will have to commit $23.94 million to the five-year pro in 2017.

Siemian (shoulder) likely won't be able to practice in full before training camp, Brandon Stokley of 104.3 The Fan Denver reports.

Siemian's first season as the Broncos' nominal starting QB was characterized by flashes in the beginning, a third-degree separation in his left shoulder in Week 4, and generally uninspiring play thereafter. Ringing in with the 25th-best completion percentage (59.5) by campaign's end, he racked up 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 14 games. He'll now be working under new head coach Vance Joseph, who has proclaimed that Siemian and 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch will vie for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart this offseason. If Siemian is indeed unable to put together an unhinged practice in the offseason program, it's safe to say that he'll be behind the eight ball in the competition.

After passing what NFL.com describes as "a battery of tests" on his left ACL and Grade 2 MCL sprain, Tannehill is slated to be available for the Dolphins' upcoming offseason program.

Meanwhile, the Miami Herald confirms that Tannehill will not require reconstructive surgery to address the knee issue that cost the starting QB the Dolphins' last three regular-season games in 2016, as well as the team's postseason loss to the Steelers. While Tannehill is expected to utilize a knee brace throughout the 2017 season, the report adds that barring any setbacks, the signal-caller is in line to handle a full workload by the start of training camp this summer. Tannehill may, however, be limited to some degree during the squad's offseason practices leading up to that.

Winston recently provided a strong endorsement for a potential Bucs acquisition of free-agent receiver DeSean Jackson, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I've met him before, and we want DeSean. You better believe we want DeSean here," Winston said. "I think he would be a great asset to our team."

Winston's comments came in response to a question stemming from ESPN.com's Josina Anderson's report that the Bucs could be a possible destination for Jackson in free agency. Winston set new personal bests across the board in his sophomore campaign, but did so while seeing his wide receiver corps considerably handicapped by injuries, especially in the second half of the season. With veteran No. 2 receiver Vincent Jackson one of the wideouts that was sidelined for an extended period for a second consecutive season, Winston seems buoyed by the prospect of what a healthy speed merchant like DeSean Jackson could bring to the offense opposite Mike Evans. The 30-year-old Jackson had 56 catches for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns with the Redskins in 2016, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in four years and sporting the highest YPC (17.9) in the NFL for all receivers with a minimum of 30 receptions.

Carr (fibula) is approaching 100 percent health, NFL.com reports. "[He's] Walking around already, stretching it out," his brother, David Carr, said on NFL Total Access on Tuesday. "He can't do a lot for the bone, but he's going to be back. He'll get a whole full offseason in, and that's going to be the best part."

David was backing up the assessment of Raiders left tackle Donald Penn, who learned from Derek himself that he's "almost 100 percent." Prior to breaking his right fibula in Week 16, the younger Carr had put everything together in his third season, leading the Raiders to a 12-3 record and falling 63 yards short of the first 4,000-yard campaign of his career. As intimated by his brother, Derek is expected to be good to go for the offseason program, which can kick off for the Raiders as early as April 17.

Taylor (groin) has recovered from January surgery and has been medically cleared for offseason activities, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Taylor was never expected to be in much danger of being limited during the offseason, but the fact that he's back to full strength is nonetheless significant. He's now eligible for the $27.5 million bonus due March 11, which wouldn't have kicked in had he not been cleared by that date. It still remains unclear if the Bills are willing to pay out that bonus, and Taylor's prior refusal to restructure his contract could ultimately prompt Buffalo to release him by March 11. If that's the case, Taylor likely wouldn't have much trouble finding a starting gig elsewhere, as the 2017 draft class isn't ripe with high-end signal callers and several teams look to be in need of an established option at quarterback.

Cousins and the Redskins aren't expected to reach terms of a multi-year contract prior to the franchise tag deadline on March 1, The Washington Post reports.

For the second consecutive offseason, the Redskins are expected to use their franchise tag on Cousins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, which would be accompanied by a cap commitment of $23.94 million for the 2017 campaign. Holding leverage over the organization due to a lack of QB talent on their roster, no equivalent options on the upcoming free-agent market, and an underwhelming draft class, Cousins has significant leverage in contract negotiations once the tender is signed. The parties will still have until July 15 to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, with Cousins' representation potentially being able to gauge his value against Tony Romo and Jay Cutler, among other signal-callers, if and when they're in new uniforms.

Goff has been working with renowned quarterback coaches Tom House and Adam Dedeaux in Los Angeles this offseason, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reports.

Goff's teaming up with House and Dedeaux comes after last year's top overall pick endured a rocky rookie campaign that included just five touchdowns versus seven interceptions in seven games played. Over that span, Goff averaged the fewest yards per attempt (5.31) in the league, but by working with House and Dedeaux, whose list of clients includes Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Eli Manning, Goff will hope their program's focus on conditioning, mechanics, nutrition and the mental side of playing quarterback can translate into an improved second season.

The Lions informed Orlovsky that he will not be re-signed this offseason, The Detroit Free Press reports.

Over the weekend, Orlovsky was told the team will let his contract expire at the end of the league year in order to go in a different direction at backup quarterback. The main beneficiary in this situation is Jake Rudock, the Lions' sixth-round pick in 2016 who will replace Orlovsky as the No. 2. It isn't clear what sort of market awaits the 33-year-old veteran, but Orlovsky should be able to latch on somewhere due to his serviceability as a second-string signal-caller as well as the veteran presence he can provide a locker room.