NFL notebook: Bengals QB McCarron to become UFA

Quarterback AJ McCarron will be an unrestricted free agent when free agency opens next month after an arbitrator ruled Thursday in favor of his service time grievance filed against the Cincinnati Bengals.

McCarron, who has been Andy Dalton's backup with the Bengals for the past three seasons, would have been a restricted free agent if he had lost his grievance as he wouldn't have the required four seasons of service time.

His grievance revolved around the 2014 season, when the Bengals put him on the non-football injury list at the beginning of the campaign with a shoulder injury.

"It's just a blessing," McCarron told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I was going to be blessed either way because you're still in the league, you're still being able to play the game for a living, but it's just awesome just to be free now and to hopefully get that opportunity and be able to compete somewhere. That's all I've ever wanted. I'm just super excited. Just really excited that I get that opportunity now and I just can't wait to just showcase what I can do and show a team that I can lead a team and win ballgames."

--Larry Fitzgerald will play a 15th NFL season with the Arizona Cardinals next season, erasing uncertainty about his future sparked when the 34-year-old declined to elaborate on his future plans in November.

First-year head coach Steve Wilks said Thursday morning in a radio interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the 11-time Pro Bowl receiver plans to play with the Cardinals in 2018. Arizona signed Fitzgerald to a contract extension midway through last season.

Fitzgerald turns 35 before the start of the 2018 regular season. He had 109 catches for 1,156 yards and six touchdowns in 2017 -- the third consecutive season he posted 100 receptions and 1,000 yards -- to become the oldest player with 100 and 1,000 in league history.

--Teams coveting Nick Foles via offseason trade might want to read the warning label from the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Philadelphia is unlikely to trade Foles unless a team offers two first-round picks.

Foles, who became the Eagles' starter in December after MVP candidate Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury, delivered in spades in the playoffs. He had three touchdowns passes in the NFC Championship Game rout of the Minnesota Vikings and put four scores on the board in Super Bowl LII -- including a reception before halftime -- to earn Most Valuable Player honors and tote the Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia for the first time ever.

--The NFL decided Thursday on five finalists to host the 2019 or 2020 drafts -- Cleveland/Canton, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Nashville.

The winner or winners will be announced in May.

The NFL has recently rotated the draft after staging it in New York City from 1965-2014. The draft was held in Chicago in 2015-16 and in Philadelphia last season. The 2018 draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

--Left tackle Joe Thomas extended an interesting invitation to likely free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins: Come to Cleveland and become a legend with the Browns.

"I hear Cleveland is nice this time of year, that is, if you'd like to have a statue someday," Thomas (@joethomas73) posted to Cousins via Twitter. Thomas continued: "You could make MORE money and MORE history in Cleveland than anywhere else, by FAR. Don't just go and be another quarterback somewhere else!"

Cousins can hit the open market in March unless the Redskins apply the franchise tag in an effort to make a trade. Washington has a deal in place to acquire Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs, ending Cousins' run as the Redskins' starter.

--Jon Gruden and Marshawn Lynch are discussing a role for the 31-year-old running back with the Oakland Raiders this season.

"Right now, he's our leading ballcarrier. He's our back, and we're counting on him," Gruden told Bay Area News Group. "Hopefully we get an opportunity to work together. That's a man that has a lot of respect in this league as a player and I certainly have respect for him also."

Gruden also hinted at keeping wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is owed $7 million for 2018. There were rumblings late last season that Crabtree would not be around, but Gruden's return to the Raiders and his affinity for big receivers might spare Crabtree for one more

--Team president Art Rooney II said fixing a run defense that went south without linebacker Ryan Shazier must be an offseason priority for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rooney took part in a Q&A session at a Steelers Nation Unite event and didn't mince words regarding his take on the Pittsburgh defense.

"We need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball," Rooney said. "Last year there were some games where we were kind of soft against the run, and that's not Steelers football. We have to get stronger against the run so we can put our defense in position to get after the quarterback."

--Field Level Media