Wilfork, Patriots part ways
Defensive tackle will be testing free-agent waters
Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said Thursday he will not be back with New England next season, ending an11-year stay in which he won two Super Bowls and established himself as the cornerstone of the Patriots’ defense.
In a statement on Twitter, Wilfork said the team told him it would not be picking up his option for 2015, making him eligible for free agency.
A 6-foot-2, 325-pound gapstuffer who was drafted in the first round out of Miami in 2004, Wilfork helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl as a rookie and returned to the NFL title game twice more in losing efforts before helping the franchise win its fourth championship last month.
But he was due to receive a $4 million roster bonus Monday and would have gotten $14 million over the next two seasons if it had been picked up.
Wilfork, 33, missed 14 games in 2013 with a torn Achilles tendon. But he returned to play in every game last season, including three in the postseason, registering 28 tackles and his third career interception. Packers sign linebacker: The Green Bay Packers signed inside linebacker Josh
Francis, who has never played in the NFL.
The 5-foot-111⁄ 2, 238-pounder played two seasons at West Virginia before moving on to the Canadian Football League and Indoor Football League.
Francis spent the 2014 season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL and then began this 2015 season with the Wichita Falls Nighthawks of the IFL. He started 13 of 21 games played for the Mountaineers, leading the team with 15 tackles for a loss in 2012.
Jones-Drew retires: Oakland Raiders running back
Maurice Jones-Drew announced his retirement.
Two of the Oakland Raiders’ big free agent acquisitions from last season are no longer with the team after the club also released LaMarr Woodley on Thursday.
Jones-Drew was paid $2.5 million last season but only rushed for 96 yards on 43 carries in12 games. It was a major disappointment for him and the team as he came into the season healthy and excited about his return to his native Bay Area.
But he was unable to get back to the level he had reached in Jacksonville earlier in his career when he ranked second in the NFL with 4,321 yards rushing in a three-year span from 2009-11.
The 29-year-old JonesDrew had 1,313 yards in his final three seasons — fewer than he had in each of the previous three years.
Bears shop Marshall around: The Chicago Bears are exploring trade options for receiver Brandon Marshall, the Chicago Tribune reported.
One NFL source said the Bears are shopping Marshall with the idea of moving him. Another source said his belief is the team is taking calls in regard to Marshall. Trades cannot be finalized until 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The key date to keep in mind with Marshall is Thursday, March 12. That is when his base salary of $7.5 million for 2015 becomes fully guaranteed.
It’s not known what the Bears are seeking in exchange for Marshall, who will turn 31at the end of the month.
Manning’s deal is done: Denver Broncos quarterback
Peyton Manning passed his physical and signed his revised contract.
“We’re glad to work something out with Peyton so that he will be part of our team this season,” general manager John Elway said.
The five-time MVP agreed to a $4 million pay cut to $15 million, but he can earn all of it back through incentives, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details weren’t publicized.
Manning would get $2 million each for winning the AFC title and the Super Bowl.
Manning mulled retirement after the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts. But he determined he still had the health and hunger to keep playing at age 39 and keep pursuing another Super Bowl title.