Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 3-8-19

Sports
Chiefs Still Trying To Trade Justin Houston
Bucs, OT Smith Reach $41.25M Deal
Three New Teams Enter Fast-Moving Antonio Brown Trade Talks
ANTONIO SMITH
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been adamant that they will not trade Antonio Brown if they cannot get fair value in return, but it sounds like they have already gotten plenty of attractive offers for the star wide receiver.
The Steelers have begun in- forming teams that talks sur- rounding Brown are moving quickly and they need to sub- mit their best offers as soon as possible. Three new teams have entered the mix this week, while the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals are offi- cially out.
Eric Weddle Cut By Ravens In Salary Cap-Clearing Move
ERIC WEDDLE
The Baltimore Ravens have cut one of their top defensive players from last season.
The Ravens cut safety Eric Weddle. The move saves $7.5 million in salary cap space.
Weddle has a dead cap value of $1.75 million, accord- ing to Spotrac.
The 34-year-old safety had spent three seasons with the Ravens following a lengthy ca- reer with the Chargers. He had 68 tackles and a sack last sea- son and was entering the final season of a four-year, $26 mil- lion deal signed before the 2016 season. The move should give the Ravens the flexibility to pursue a long-term deal for CJ Mosley, who was not fran- chise-tagged by the team.
The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly looking to part ways with Justin Houston, but any talk that they have re- leased the star linebacker is premature.
A report on Monday claimed the Chiefs have in- formed Houston he is being cut, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network says that is not the case. Rather, Kansas City is still trying to find a trade partner for the 30-year-old.
The Tampa Bay Bucca- neers and starting left tackle Donovan Smith agreed to a three-year, $41.25 million deal, including $27 million fully guaranteed at signing on Tuesday.
The $27 million is guar- anteed over the first two years of the deal. With the extension, the Bucs were able to lower Smith's 2019 cap hit from $14.1 million under the franchise tag to $12.5 million. The Bucs now have approximately $3.65 million in salary-cap space.
Smith was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week.
The Buccaneers an- nounced the three-year ex- tension but did not disclose the terms.
Smith, 25, was a second- round draft pick (34th over- all) in 2015. He has started 64 consecutive games, tied for second among left tackles in the league, behind Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons.
DONOVAN SMITH
Smith's 4,142 snaps since the start of the 2015 season rank second among all players, behind only Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, and his 2,559 pass-blocking plays are the most in that span.
While Smith has, at times, had issues with con- sistency, his durability has been considered his greatest asset and many within the Bucs organization have felt he hasn't reached his ceiling yet.
The Buccaneers also re- signed linebacker Devante Bond to a one-year deal on Tuesday.
JUSTIN HOUSTON
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
Reportedly Discussing
Cowboys Franchise Tag Demarcus Lawrence
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to shed some payroll on defense by shopping Justin Houston and Dee Ford in trade talks, and they are reportedly planning to use some of that money on star wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs have been en- gaging in contract talks for what would be a “record-set- ting deal.”
The Chiefs placed the fran- chise tag on Ford this week but are reportedly looking to trade him, and they also want to part ways with Houston. The latter carries a salary cap hit of $21.1 million for 2019.
TYREEK HILL
across the board in his third NFL season with 87 catches, 1,479 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He has emerged as one of the best playmakers in the NFL, and he enjoyed in- stant chemistry with Patrick Mahomes last season.
As expected, Demarcus Lawrence is getting the franchise tag from the Dallas Cowboys.
A source reported Mon- day that the Cowboys would be giving Lawrence the franchise tag for the second consecutive season.
Lawrence contributed 10.5 sacks to the Cowboys last season, following up a 14.5 sack season in 2017.
Hill posted career highs
Kellen Winslow Jailed
Record-Setting Extension
Texans Place Franchise Tag On Jadeveon Clowney
Kellen Winslow II was surprisingly granted his re- lease from jail last year de- spite facing kidnapping and rape charges, but the former NFL tight end is back behind bars following more disturb- ing allegations from an elderly woman.
According to Teri Figueroa of The San Diego Union-Tribune, prosecutors brought new charges against Winslow on Monday after a 77-year-old woman accused him of lewd conduct at a gym in Carlsbad, Calif., last month. The woman said Winslow was exercising near her on Feb. 13 when he began touch- ing himself and asked if she liked it. More than a week
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE
While On Bail
For Alleged Lewd Conduct
Against Elderly Woman
The Houston Texans have unsurprisingly taken steps to keep Jadeveon Clowney.
The Texans have placed the franchise tag on their star pass rusher. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that it is a non-exclusive tag, and the two sides continue to try to work toward a long-term deal.
This doesn’t come as a huge shock, as negotiating a long-term deal with Clowney ahead of the tag deadline was always going to be a heavy lift. It was reported last year that progress had
JADEVEON CLOWNEY
been made on a “mega-exten- sion,” but it was never final- ized, and it looks like the two sides will be trying again this year.
KELLEN WINSLOW
later, he allegedly got into the same hot tub the woman was in while wearing only a towel and touched her arm and foot.
Winslow pleaded not guilty to new misdemeanor charges of battery of an elder and willful cruelty to an elder. On Monday, a judge ordered that he be held without bail.
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