NFL Daily Dime: Jaguars-Dolphins’ swap, Cruz starts tour, Stacy hangs it up, and more

Miles Dittberner
Updated
Nov 29, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas (80) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at EverBank Field. The San Diego Chargers won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas (80) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at EverBank Field. The San Diego Chargers won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

With so much happening around the NFL on a daily basis, it is hard to stay apprised of all the latest trends, headlines, updates and rumors. In just a blink of an eye, things can change in a hurry. It is easy to miss something and in just a moment’s notice, news that was once current can be outdated only minutes later. In the ever-changing landscape of the NFL and its constantly evolving news cycle, one must be alert at all times to stay on top of the latest news bulletins.

The goal of the Daily Dime is to keep you up to date on the NFL’s biggest stories of the day while providing you with the most current and accurate information.

AROUND COVER32

The Red Zone: 2017 NFL offseason player releases

Trivia Blitz: Reveal — 2016 statistical leaders

This Week in NFL History: February 19th – February 25th

What’s Trending: What should the Vikings do about Adrian Peterson

NFL Rankings: Ranking the 32 quarterbacks and committees

Daily Dime: Young’s comeback, the Franchise Tag, Brady after 40, and more

Jaguars and Dolphins Swap Players and Picks

Julius Thomas, will be taking his talents to South Beach after the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to complete a deal with the Miami Dolphins that would send them a 2017 seventh-round pick in exchange for the veteran tight end. The trade will not become official until the beginning of the new league year on March 9th.

It was originally thought that Thomas would be shipped to Miami in exchange for left tackle, Branden Albert. With Jacksonville looking to add Albert regardless of the Thomas’ deal, a separate trade was made for the Miami offensive lineman, in which the Jaguars will send a 2018 seventh-round choice to the Dolphins as compensation.

The final result of the trade will end up being a player-for-player trade in which both teams exchange seventh-round picks.

Thomas is seen as an upgrade at tight end for the Dolphins, with the two-time Pro Bowler looking to get his career back on track after a couple of down years in Jacksonville. In Miami, Thomas will be reunited with Adam Gase, his former offensive coordinator in Denver. At only 28-years-old, he should still have plenty of viable years left in the tank.

For the Jaguars, Albert is a much cheaper option at left tackle than Kevin Beachum. The two are considered to offer roughly the same skill set, with the slight edge going to the more experienced Albert to protect Blake Bortles’ blindside. By taking Albert over Beachum, frees up a lot of much needed cap space for the Jaguars to use to upgrade their roster in 2017.

Cruz Begins Free Agency Tour in Carolina

Former New York Giants’ wideout, Victor Cruz, made his first stop since recently hitting the free agency market. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Cruz visited the Carolina Panthers on Monday, with reports that the meeting went well.

He was cut by the Giants on February 13th after spending seven season in New York. Cruz struggled with injuries in 2014 and 2015, but was not the same player after returning last season and fell behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard on the depth chart. He managed 39 receptions for 586 yards and just one touchdown in 2016.

Carolina finds themselves in need of a wide receiver with Ted Ginn Jr. leaving for free agency and a good chance that Corey “Philly” Brown is soon to join him. Cruz could be the perfect upgrade for the Panthers to play out of the slot and fill Ginn’s role, with Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess working on the outside.

Carolina can afford to splurge this offseason with cap space in excess of $50 million. A sure-handed wideout would be a much needed addition to a Panther’s wide receiving corps lacking depth.

Cruz is expected to continue his free agency tour with stops in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Baltimore in the coming weeks. This is just the beginning of what is the second-phase of Cruz’s career.

Stacy Hangs up Cleats

At just 25-years of age, running back, Zac Stacy has decided call it quits on his football career. The former Los Angeles (St. Louis) Rams and New York Jets’ tailback has cited injuries as the primary reason for his retirement from the game of football. Stacy is walking away at an age when most are just entering the prime of their careers.

He has not expressed regret about his decision as he moves onto the next phase of his career, but instead took to Instagram to show is appreciation and gratitude for all who have supported and gave him a chance.

Would like to take this time to show appreciation to all those who have supported & were involved throughout my career. The game of football was more than a game to me. It was a life changer. Talk about a sport that teaches you the important values of faith, dedication, commitment, perseverance, work ethic , discipline and leadership which not only shaped me into a talented football player throughout the years but into a man. I am forever blessed & grateful for my many former coaches & teammates throughout the years, the resources & relationships that I've built playing this game, the platform & network that I've established playing this game & the numerous opportunities that I received on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays ( and the occasional Monday night) to do what I love to do.. and that's to play the game of football. But in reality , as much as we want to as players, we can't play this game forever. Father Time may have caught up to some. Some may have had a bad hand dealt in the business. Some had career ending injuries, like myself. Some simply felt like it was time. All different factors can play into why we leave this game but regardless of the reason, regardless of the circumstance, the game of football will always have my heart. Thanks Bibb County for playing me. Thanks Vanderbilt University for recruiting me. And last but not least I want to thank the National Football League, the former St Louis now Los Angeles Rams organization, the New York Jets organization for making my dream come true. It was an honor to represent both organizations on and off the field. When my mother asked me what what I wanted to do when I grow up, I told her I wanted to score a touchdown in the NFL. Think it's safe to say that she along with the rest of my family are very proud of me. As I journey off into the next chapter in life , Whatever the Lord has in store for me, I'm very positive that I won't have any problem succeeding in whatever I partake because of you FOOTBALL. For what you've taught me & what you've instilled in me. And for that, I am forever grateful. Much Love & Blessings Z Stacy 30

A post shared by Zac Stacy (@zstacy_) on Feb 16, 2017 at 12:40pm PST

Stacy was a fifth-round pick by the Rams in 2013 and finished with solid numbers during a promising rookie campaign that saw him rush for nearly 1,000 yards (973). 2014 brought with it decreased playing time as he fell behind Tre Mason who started nine games and rushed for 765 yards with four touchdowns, compared to Stacy’s five starts with 293 yards and one rushing touchdown.

The following year he was traded to the Jets where he broke his ankle in week eight and was placed on the injured reserve list the next day. Stacy was waived by the Jets in 2016 after failing his physical and has not played since. He has indicated that ankle injury as why he is no longer able to play.

In 35 career games, Stacy has rushed for 1,355 yards on 357 attempts, scoring eight touchdowns and has added another 358 yards and one touchdown on 53 receptions. He joins a growing trend of players deciding to hang up their cleats early in an attempt to protect their bodies from further wear and tear.

Unlikely Bennett Stays with Patriots in 2017

Tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to test the waters of free agency this offseason as it is unlikely that New England will give him the big payday he is seeking following the Patriots Super Bowl LI victory. Bennett hopes to cash in as arguably the most talented tight end in this year’s free agent class.

Based on Bennett’s asking price, there is a greater chance he ends up on someone else’s roster in 2017. The 2014 Pro Bowler and the Patriots have the nearly impossible challenge of finding an agreeable price for both sides, given Bennett’s likely value.

One constant during the Bill Belichick-era in New England is that the Patriots have consistently refused to set the market price for any one player. Negotiations do not look to be in Bennett’s favor unless he is willing to take a pay cut, as it is doubtful that New England will pay another tight end more than Rob Gronkowski’s annual $9 million salary.

After trading a fourth-round pick to acquire Bennett last season, the Patriots offered him a new deal valued at around $7 million a year, which he declined. Following his Super Bowl performance and becoming a more selfless player on the field, Bennett could be counting on another team to pay his inflated asking price based on the value of his ego.

– Miles Dittberner, is the National Editor of cover32 and also covers the Minnesota Vikings. Like and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

The post NFL Daily Dime: Jaguars-Dolphins’ swap, Cruz starts tour, Stacy hangs it up, and more appeared first on Cover32.