NFL notebook: Patriots believe Brady, Gronkowski will be back

The New England Patriots expect quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski to play this season, NBC's Pro Football Talk reported Sunday. Brady and Gronkowski have not publicly said they are committed to playing this year. Neither player participated in the team's voluntary workouts last week. Brady, 40, threw for 4,577 yards with 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in winning his third MVP last season. Gronkowski, 28, had 69 catches for 1,084 yards with eight touchdowns over 14 games in 2017. He is due to make $17 million in the next two seasons. --The Oakland Raiders are expected to pick up the fifth-year option of wide receiver Amari Cooper, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported. General manager Reggie McKenzie said the team has had conversations with Cooper's agent. While McKenzie did not divulge if the team would pick up the option for 2019, Anderson reported that club is set to exercise it "imminently." That option will pay him $13.9 million for the 2019 season, per Spotrac.com. Teams have until May 3 to exercise fifth-year options on 2015 first-round selections. Cooper had a career-high seven touchdown catches in 2017 but only 48 receptions for 680 yards after surpassing 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons. --The Jacksonville Jaguars are mulling the decision of whether to pick up the fifth-year option on defensive end Dante Fowler. General manager Dave Caldwell said the team has not made a decision as of yet. The Jaguars have until May 3 to exercise the option, which would trigger a $14.2 million salary for 2019. The Florida Times-Union reported that the decision may hinge on whether Jacksonville selects an edge rusher in the NFL Draft. Fowler had four sacks in 2016, doubled that total in 2017, and had two in the Jaguars' AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots. --Cornerback Bashaud Breeland isn't expected to return to the Washington Redskins, according to a published report. NBC Sports Washington reported the Redskins' likely decision comes on the heels of Breeland sustaining a cut on his foot that forced a failed physical distinction and allowed the Carolina Panthers to back out of a three-year deal. The Redskins signed Orlando Scandrick last month to go with Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau and Josh Holsey on the cornerback depth chart. Breeland, who played college ball at Clemson, recorded 50 tackles and one interception in 15 games last season with the Redskins. --The Dallas Cowboys are expected to exercise their option on the contract of defensive back Byron Jones, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Jones, who is shuffling from safety to cornerback this season, will make $6.2 million during the 2019 season. Jones, who was the 27th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, has 130 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles while starting each game in the last two seasons. The 25-year-old has 236 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 48 games. -- Former UCLA coach Jim Mora defended his former quarterback again as the 2018 NFL Draft approaches. Mora wrote on Twitter on Sunday that Josh Rosen will win championships and may even be a Hall of Famer. "Those that question (Rosen) and his toughs, competitiveness and love of the game are so far off anything I've seen in 6+ years knowing this man," Mora wrote. "He's the real deal, he has it all, he will be a great one, he will win championships. ... I've had the amazing fortune of being around 24 members of the Pro Football HOF, I believe we may see Josh Rosen enshrined one day." Sam Darnold is viewed as the top overall prospect by NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang in his most recent Big Board. Rang lists Rosen as second. --Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen heard all that he wants to hear about his inaccuracy with the football. Asked by PFT Live about what ongoing chatter has bothered him the most, Allen said, "The inaccuracy issue. Going back to college having a 56 percent completion percentage. Obviously, it's not great. But I think that it's a little blown out of proportion. I do think that I'm accurate. Jordan Palmer's helped me out a lot throughout this process with getting my feet right. Once we did that, (I'm) throwing the ball a little easier. The ball's coming out and where it's supposed to be." Allen threw for 1,966 yards with 19 touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 201 yards and five scores. NFLDraftScout.com analyst Rob Rang ranks Allen 10th on his latest Big Board.. --Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said last week that the team has not decided if it will exercise its 2019 option on linebacker Shane Ray's contract, but Ray said he is confident it will. The team has until May 3 to exercise Ray's option, which guarantees him $9.2 million for injury only and can be rescinded. Ray had 16 tackles and a sack in eight games last year as he was limited by a wrist injury. He had 12 sacks in his first two NFL seasons. --Former NFL kicker Jay Feely apologized after posting a picture on Twitter of himself holding a gun as he stands in between his daughter and her prom date. On Saturday, Feely posted the photo of himself standing with his left arm around his daughter as she smiled while looking at him. In his right hand was a gun pointed downward while her date also smiled. "The prom picture I posted was obviously intended to be a joke," Feely wrote. "My Daughter has dated her boyfriend for over a year and they knew I was joking. I take gun safety seriously (the gun was not loaded and had no clip in) and I did not intend to be insensitive to that important issue." Feely played for six NFL teams during his 14-year career before joining CBS Sports as an analyst. --Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland is drawing rave reviews from the team's general manager. "I think we're all excited about him and we think he can be a star," Brett Veach said. "We were very fortunate to be able to execute that trade." That trade was with the Buffalo Bills last summer in which the Chiefs acquired Ragland for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick. Ragland had 44 tackles in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2017. He missed his entire rookie season in 2016 after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee at training camp. --Former NFL defensive lineman Greg Hardy is set to make his MMA debut in June, according to an ESPN report. The 29-year-old is reportedly close to being signed to an exclusive contract this summer. Hardy will fight as a heavyweight on the "Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series" on June 12, according to ESPN, citing sources. Hardy, who has a 3-0 amateur record, will reportedly meet Brandon Sayles (5-1) in the first episode of the season, according to MMA Today. Hardy played five seasons with the Carolina Panthers before being placed on the commissioner's exempt list after a domestic violence incident in 2014. He played in 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 but was arrested in 2016 on a charge of cocaine possession and reached a plea deal.