NFL Player News

Free agent tight end Brandon Pettigrew is a "viable option" for the Giants, reports the New York Daily News. The team is looking for a tight end who's a capable receiver and powerful blocker, and also is interested in Andrew Quarless, the report said.

Pettigrew caught 41 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games with the Lions last year.

The Panthers re-signed tight end/fullback Richie Brockel to a two-year contract and guard Garry Williams to a one-year deal.

The agent for free agent tight end Andrew Quarless said he's had discussions with eight teams since the negotiating period opened Saturday, reports ESPN.com. Among those are the Packers, who promoted Quarless to starter last season after Jermichael Finley suffered a neck injury.

Quarless finished with 32 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns.

Saints stud tight end Jimmy Graham has tweeted that he is "shocked and disappointed on everything" his team has done in the offseason.

Graham was apparently not only referring to the non-exclusive franchise tag he received, but also the release of several veterans in an attempt to create cap space. Among them are running back Darren Sproles and wide receiver Lance Moore.

The story could take another twist, however, if those financial moves were made to allow the Saints to offer him a long-term contract.

The Packers and Andrew Quarless' representatives are discussing a new contract just before the start of free agency this weekend. The team is unsure where Jermichael Finley is in his recovery from neck fusion surgery and might bring Quarless back as part of a backup plan. 

Quarless, who might also draw some attention from the Giants -- home of former Packers assistant Ben McAdoo -- caught 32 passes for 312 yards and two scores last season. 

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told SiriusXM NFL Radio he's still hopeful about signing tight end Jimmy Graham to a long-term deal. The team slapped the franchise tag on Graham, who has yet to sign the tender.

“These negotiations are always a process, and Jimmy's been a great player for us for the last four years,” Loomis said. “Look, I had hoped and I'm sure he had hoped we'd come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this. But we haven't yet, and hopefully we will. ... We'll just let it play out, and I'm sure we'll get something resolved.”

Twelve Cowboys suffered hamstring injuries of varying severity in 2013, reports ESPN.com. The list consisted of Miles Austin, Morris Claiborne, Sean Lee, Justin Durant, Dwayne Harris, Bruce Carter, Danny McCray, Barry Church, Dez Bryant, Lance Dunbar, Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams.

Coach Jason Garrett is looking at other teams' approaches to find a solution. He might cut back the time players spend on the field early in the offseason, the report said. 

“It is valuable to do the football stuff. We don’t feel like there’s a lot of football stuff right now,” Garrett told the website. “We want to be careful about how much we take away from that. But there’s a couple weeks prior to all that stuff starting. We’ve talked about tweaking the daily schedule and what we’re doing those first couple weeks as we start to lay the foundation for the offseason.”

The NFL announced that the Saints' Jimmy Graham was classified as a tight end, not a wide receiver, for the purposes of the franchise tag. A tight end will make $7.035 million in 2014 under the tag, while a receiver will make $12.312 million, a difference of $5.277 million.

Graham is expected to file a grievance, arguing that he lines up more often as a receiver. The case then would go to a neutral arbitrator.

The Texans are working on a contract extension for impending free agent tight end Garrett Graham, reports the NFL Network. But if Graham becomes a free agent, according to the report, the Packers are expected to express interest.

Graham, who played in college at Wisconsin, just finished his fourth season with the Texans. He had 49 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns in 2013, all career highs.

The Lions and free-agent-to-be tight end Brandon Pettigrew could be heading for a split. The odds are against the two sides reaching an agreement on a new contract, the Detroit Free Press reports, and with that being the case the team is fine letting Pettigrew see what he can get from another club. 

Pettigrew caught 41 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns, his lowest output since his rookie year of 2009.