PANTHERS
Wright agrees to deal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are trying to give quarterback Cam Newton more pieces to work with on offense.
Carolina has agreed to terms with free agent slot wide receiver Jarius Wright (Warren, Arkansas Razorbacks) on a three-year deal, a person familiar with the situation said Monday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Panthers have not announced the move.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately known.
The Panthers ranked 28th in the league in passing last season.
Wright, 28, has spent all six NFL seasons with the Vikings and is familiar with Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, having worked under him for more than two seasons in Minnesota.
The former fourth-round pick was released by the Vikings last week. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound Wright had 18 receptions for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2017. His most productive season came in 2014, when he caught 42 passes for 588 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Earlier this offseason, the Panthers traded cornerback Daryl Worley to Philadelphia for wide receiver Torrey Smith giving them a new starter opposite No. 1 receiver Devin Funchess.
Wright has primarily worked in the slot in the past. He has 153 catches for 2,039 yards and 10 touchdowns during his career with Minnesota. The Panthers are still in the market for a cornerback after a deal fell through for free agent Bashaud Breeland last week. Breeland had agreed to terms on a contract with Carolina but later failed a physical.
REDSKINS
Former Cowboy signs
WASHINGTON — A person with direct knowledge of the move says the Washington Redskins have signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick to a two-year deal worth up to $10 million.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the team had not announced the deal.
The Dallas Cowboys released Scandrick over the weekend after he made 38 tackles in 11 starts last season. Scandrick started 69 games and appeared in 125 with Dallas since being taken in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. The 31-year-old gives Washington some insurance at cornerback behind Josh Norman after trading Kendall Fuller to Kansas City in the deal for quarterback Alex Smith. Scandrick will be in the mix with Quinton Dunbar, Fabian Moreau and Josh Holsey for playing time.
NFL Network first reported Scandrick signing with the Redskins.
BROWNS
Thomas retires
BEREA, Ohio — Offensive tackle Joe Thomas, the No. 3 pick in the 2007 draft who became a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, formally bid farewell in an afternoon celebration at the Cleveland Browns’ training facility. He was joined by his wife Annie, their three children, longtime agent Peter Schaffer, and several hundred invited guests.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder announced the end of his Hall of Fame-caliber run five days earlier, citing the physical toll of starting 167 consecutive games and playing an NFL-record 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps to begin his career. Thomas’ ironman streak ended when he tore his left triceps in an Oct. 22 home game against Tennessee, but admitted that thoughts of retirement had entered his mind before the season-ending injury.
The Wisconsin native — and All-American tackle with his beloved Badgers — is one of the best players never to appear in a playoff game. He set the gold standard as the lone offensive lineman in NFL history to be chosen for the Pro Bowl in his first 10 seasons.
Hall of Famers Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Mel Renfro and Merlin Olson are the only other players to accomplish the feat.