NFL Notes: Zach Orr, Raiders, Titans

Zach Orr

Free agent LB Zach Orr is trying to return to the NFL after deciding to retire several months ago due to a neck condition he was born with.

Former Packers TE Jermichael Finley, whose career ended with a neck injury of his own, tells Dom Cosentino of Deadspin.com that it will be hard for Orr to secure another opportunity in the NFL.

“I think it’s going to be tough,” Finley said. “Zach is a great guy. I’ve followed him in the NFL — awesome, awesome guy. But at the end of the day, the league has their butts to cover, and teams have their butts to cover, so I think it’s going to be difficult for him to get on a team. Especially with all the head injuries, the settlements that’s coming out. It’s going to be very tough for any guy that had a neck or head injury to get back in the NFL from this point on.”

We have him featured in our Top 50 Available Free Agents list.

Raiders

• According to Joel Corry, the Raiders used their preferred “pay as you go” structure for G Gabe Jackson’s brand new five-year, $56 million extension and did not include a signing bonus as part of the agreement.
• Corry mentions that Jackson’s 2017 salary cap number goes from $1,944,844 to $10,647,844 and the Raiders used up $8.703 million of their existing cap space to get him under contract long term.

Titans

• Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com expects DeMarco Murray to continue to be the team’s workhorse running back in 2017 and should be featured heavily in the team’s offense.
• Although, Wyatt says he’s been impressed with second-year RB Derrick Henry this offseason, as he looks faster and hungrier than before.
• According to Wyatt, the Titans’ coaching staff really like Matt Cassel’s experience and think he’s a really valuable backup quarterback. Beyond that, Cassel is considered to be a good influence on Marcus Mariota, which should help him beat out Alex Tanney for the No. 3 quarterback job.
• As for rookie TE Jonnu Smith, Wyatt thinks he’s going to have a tough time beating out Phillip Supernaw for the No. 2 job this summer.
• Wyatt wouldn’t be surprised to see the Titans make some additions before the start of the season and suspects the team has already had conversations about some potential moves.