NFL notebook: One-handed LB is what 'dreams are made of'

The NFL Scouting Combine ended Monday, with the star of the show being Shaquem Griffin, the one-handed linebacker from Central Florida who surprised and inspired in athletic testing after being a late invitee to the event. "Oh, my goodness, the Twitter and everything has been going crazy," he said Monday during a live interview with the NFL Network. "It's too many names to even say who I heard from. It's amazing to see that people acknowledge what I'm doing and just loving it." Griffin did mention he had heard from NFL stars J.J. Watt and Von Miller on social media, as well as Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. That worked out well, because Sanders was helping provide Monday coverage on the NFL Network and chimed in to the call. "You are what dreams are made of," Sanders told Griffin. --The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to slap the franchise tag on running back Le'Veon Bell in advance of Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Bell would receive $14.544 in 2018 -- the second straight season he will play under the franchise tag should he sign the agreement. Bell signed the franchise contract in 2017 after sitting out offseason workouts. Bell, 26, was optimistic a long-term deal could be struck and the sides have until July 16 to do so. He said during Super Bowl week that contract talks "were all about the guarantees" and hinted that it would require more than $30 million guaranteed to get it done. --Demarcus Lawrence was hoping to secure a long-term contract with the Dallas Cowboys, but it appears the sides will not reach a deal by Tuesday's deadline. ESPN reported Monday that since the sides could not reach an agreement on a contract extension, the Cowboys will use the franchise tag on the defensive end, who is coming off a breakout season. By applying the franchise tag, Lawrence will be paid $17.5 million next season unless the sides reach an agreement on a new contract by the league-imposed July 16 deadline. --The New York Jets officially released defensive lineman Muhammed Wilkerson, two years into a five-year, $86 million extension he signed with the team in 2016. Wilkerson's final season with New York was a turbulent one. He displayed insubordination for coaches and was late for multiple team functions. Wilkerson's behavior came to a head on Dec. 3 when he was benched for the first quarter of a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilkerson was set to make $16.75 million and the figure was set to go from guaranteed money to fully guaranteed on March 17, three days after the league year starts. The Jets will absorb $9 million in dead money by cutting Wilkerson. --The Atlanta Falcons agreed to a three-year extension with kicker Matt Bryant. Bryant was set to become an unrestricted free agent and the 42-year-old said he did not intend on retiring. Bryant, who turns 43 in May, joined the Falcons in 2009 and has accounted for 1,029 points in nine seasons to become the team's all-time leading scorer. Last season, Bryant made 87.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, including a career-high eight kicks from 50 yards or more. With the Falcons, he has converted 88.1 percent of field-goal attempts and 99.7 percent of extra points. --Former Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells said he is getting treatment for a brain injury he thinks was caused by football. Wells, who co-hosts the "Tim and Beanie" radio show on WBNS-FM in Columbus Ohio, said he missed time from the show to seek medical advice and treatment in California. He experienced headaches along with speech and memory problems and recently underwent an MRI exam on his brain. "I have some plaque separation, and when you have that plaque separation, it shows that you've experienced some sort of traumatic brain injury. Obviously that traumatic brain injury for me comes from playing football. --The Philadelphia Eagles are willing to trade reigning Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, but the asking price will be high. According to ESPN, the Eagles are telling any team interested in obtaining Foles they are seeking more than the first- and fourth-round picks they acquired from the Minnesota Vikings for quarterback Sam Bradford. The Eagles signed Foles to a two-year contract last spring and it carries a cap hit of $7.6 million. Philadelphia is projected to be approximately $9 million over the cap, making them one of three teams over the projected $178 million cap. --Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, projected as a top 10 pick, wasn't able to complete his Combine workouts because of a hamstring injury and isn't sure if he will be ready for the Huskies' Pro Day. The Washington Pro Day will be held Saturday, not giving Vea a lot of time to recover. Vea, at 6-foot-4 and 346 pounds, is certainly one of the physical freaks of this draft. He put up 41 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press (second at the Combine behind Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, who did 42) and ran the 40 in 5.11 seconds before tweaking his hamstring. --Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields is hoping to resume a career that was interrupted by a concussion in the first week of the 2016 season. Shields will start visiting teams this week. He will visit the Los Angeles Rams Tuesday and meet with the Cleveland Browns later this week. Shields has suffered five documented concussions and was most recently concussed when his head collided with running back T.J. Yeldon's shoulder in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also missed four games during the 2015 season with a concussion. --Linebacker Aldon Smith, who has been suspended by the NFL since 2015, was released by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders announced the move after Smith checked into rehab after an alleged domestic violence incident, which was reported by TMZ. Shawna McKnight, Smith's fiancee, suffered injuries that were not life threatening. She told TMZ that her family brought Smith to rehab. Smith proposed to McKnight on Valentine's Day. Smith has multiple DUI arrests and a weapons charge on his record. He also was investigated for domestic violence in February 2017. Smith was suspended for one year beginning Nov. 17, 2015, and has yet to be reinstated. Shortly after Smith was released, his former coach Jack Del Rio spoke out about league rules that prevented the team from giving Smith a better structure. In a tweet, Del Rio wrote: "Never liked league rules that eliminate the ability of teams to offer Aldon and others in his situation the structure they so desperately need." Del Rio did not elaborate on his initial tweet, but league rules bar suspended players from practices and team meetings. Del Rio's comments reiterated his stance from last March. --Cornerback Antonio Cromartie used social media on to announce his retirement. The 11-year veteran, who played for the San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, announced he is stepping away from the NFL in a lengthy Instagram message. "Today is the day I knew I would eventually have to face, but one I never wanted to accept," he wrote. "After 27 years of playing football, today I say farewell. God blessed me with the opportunity to play in the NFL for 11 years, and after much consideration and prayer, I'd like to officially announce my retirement."