Randall Cobb will test his ankle on Friday

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The Packers returned to practice on Wednesday and wide receiver Randall Cobb was a limited participant in it.

Cobb’s ankle injury was one of the few things that went wrong for the Packers against the Titans last Sunday. His breakout season has made him an essential part of what the Packers have done well on offense this season, so the team will be proceeding cautiously with Cobb this week. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that coach Mike McCarthy said Cobb would test his ankle on Friday to see if he’s ready to go on Sunday. McCarthy also said Cobb’s dealing with a knee injury, which could make it likelier that the team decides to hold him back until the playoffs.

That decision would be a little easier to make if Jordy Nelson is able to play this week after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury. Nelson practiced in full on Wednesday and McCarthy said he looked good while cautioning that the team needed to be smart with the way they handled the receiver’s return.

Running back Alex Green and defensive end C.J. Wilson also returned to practice after missing last Sunday’s game. Safety Charles Woodson did not as he has already been ruled out for this week’s game. Woodson had hoped to return for this game, but still hasn’t received clearance from doctors.

AP

The Raiders are said to have designs on huddling with the top free agent in the Class of 2015.

According to Mike Silver of NFL Media, the Raiders are “planning” to meet with Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh next week, the first of free agency.

Per NFL rules, teams cannot begin to negotiate and have contact with the agents of other clubs’ prospective free agents until 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday, so it’s unclear whether the Raiders are simply being hopeful about meeting with Suh.

Nevertheless, this is a signal that the Raiders, as expected, want to be players for Suh, PFT’s No. 1 free agent. Oakland certainly has the salary cap space to strike a deal. Per Spotrac.com. the Raiders are set to be $58.8 million under the cap in 2015.

Teams can start to host players on free agent visits starting Tuesday, when the new league year begins.

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The Dolphins didn’t want to bring wide receiver Brian Hartline back for $5.9 million, but they are reportedly still interested in having Hartline return at a lower price tag.

They have plenty of company on that front. Hartline has already visited with the Browns and Bears and is slated to travel to Houston to meet with the Texans, but the list of teams doesn’t end there.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Patriots are also interested in the former Miami wideout. New England receivers Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are all under contract for 2015 and the team still has 2013 picks Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce on their roster.

Cabot adds that the Colts might also decide to get involved in the Hartline chase. Any further additions to the mix will obviously be contingent on whether Hartline strikes a deal with any of the teams he’s already had conversations with, but the fact that he hasn’t signed anywhere at this point is a pretty good sign that there’s still room to make him an offer he won’t refuse.

AP

Ted Ginn isn’t the only veteran wide receiver who paid a visit to the 49ers this week.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports that the team hosted Jerome Simpson in addition to Ginn on Wednesday.

Simpson didn’t play in the NFL at all in 2014 after the Vikings released him in September at the conclusion of a three-game suspension that Simpson earned for repeat violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. Simpson served another NFL suspension after a September 2011 marijuana arrest and was arrested again on DUI charges in 2013 before being cited last July on charges of marijuana possession, open container and violating the conditions of his limited drivers license.

Simpson had 48 catches for 726 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings in 2013 and flashed a lot of speed (and jumping ability) with both Minnesota  and Cincinnati when he wasn’t on the suspended list. That might earn him another look, although the off-field issues make it unlikely he’ll get more than an opportunity to earn a trip to training camp from any team that signs him in the offseason.

AP

The Dolphins closed the year with Jason Fox as their starting right tackle and it seems they liked what Fox did in his two games with the first team.

The team announced Thursday that they have re-signed Fox to a two-year deal. Fox, who played for the veteran’s minimum last season, was set to become an unrestricted free agent next week, but gave up that option for what agent Drew Rosenhaus tells PFT is a $2.5 million deal.

Dallas Thomas got the first shot at right tackle after Ja’Wuan James switched sides in the wake of Branden Albert’s season-ending knee injury. Thomas got hurt, though, and Fox stepped in and gave them better pass blocking than they’d received with Thomas in the lineup.

If Albert is healthy, Fox will go back to a reserve role in 2015. Last year’s starting center Samson Satele and left guard Daryn Colledge are still set for free agency, so there will likely be more work on the offensive line to come in Miami.

AP

Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch said recently that he was hopeful that he would remain with the Lions in 2015 despite his torn ACL in 2014 and a $5.8 million cap hit that some thought might be prohibitive.

Tulloch has learned the answer to that question and it’s the one he said he wanted. The nine-year veteran announced on Instagram Thursday that he will return to the Lions for a fifth season.

“Let’s put all the questions and speculations to rest. I will be back in Detroit for my 10th season this year. I appreciate the Lions organization for believing in me and having the confidence that I’ll be back to the player that I’ve always been. Trust and know I grind hard everyday and will hit the field running when its time to suit up.”

Let’s hope he didn’t celebrate the news too boisterously.

Had the Lions opted to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, things may have played out differently for Tulloch. The Lions didn’t go that expensive route, however, and it seems that a healthy Tulloch will be part of the defensive mix regardless of how the defensive line looks in front of him in 2015.

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Texans safety D.J. Swearinger wanted to have some work done on his truck this offseason, but the people who did it say he wasn’t willing to pay for it.

TMZ reports that a police report has been filed in Houston alleging that Swearinger skipped out on a $20,000 bill from Espi Motors for work they did on his pickup truck.

According to the report, Swearinger brought his truck into the shop to have a variety of bells and whistles installed, including matte black paint with a Batman logo, speakers, new wheels, custom grill and a train horn, and then balked at the cost for the work when it was done. He then allegedly took his car from the shop without paying for the work. The shop tried to track Swearinger down, but were unable to do so despite the distinctive look of the truck that Swearinger’s allegedly driving around town.

Per TMZ, police are investigating and neither Swearinger nor the Texans have made any comment.

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John Elway won Super Bowls as the Broncos’ quarterback at ages 37 and 38. And he thinks Peyton Manning is well-positioned to win a Super Bowl as the Broncos’ quarterback at age 39.

The Broncos have announced that Manning will be back as the team’s starting quarterback this season, meaning he has passed his required physical. Although Manning ended last season looking like he had slowed down and was struggling physically, the physical exam shows that his surgically repaired neck remains healthy enough for him to play.

And Elway thinks he can play well. Elway says he hired Gary Kubiak to be the Broncos’ head coach in large part because he thinks Kubiak runs just the kind of offense that will be helpful to the aging Manning.

“Peyton could fit in this offense very easily,” Elway said. “It’s a lot more dependent on balance, so therefore Peyton is hopefully not going to have to throw the ball 50 or 55 times. I think for an older quarterback, it’s a perfect system to be in.”

Manning didn’t have to throw it 50 times a game very often before Kubiak arrived, either; he has thrown 50 or more passes only five times in his 53 games as a Bronco. But Elway’s point is well taken: Kubiak will get the Broncos going on the ground, and that will take some pressure off Manning.

Still, if the Broncos’ offense is going to be successful this season, it’s going to be successful primarily because Manning plays more like he played in his first two and a half years with the Broncos, and less like he played over the second half of last season.

AP

There was no immediate resolution to defensive end Greg Hardy’s standing with the NFL after a Wednesday meeting in New York, which means that Hardy remains on the commissioner’s exempt list with the start of free agency approaching quickly.

The league has clarified one bit of business as it relates to Hardy, though. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that Hardy and other players on the exempt list are eligible to sign deals.

“There’s nothing to prevent a player on the exempt list without a contract from signing a new one,” Aiello said, via the Associated Press.

That may be true, but Hardy’s pursuit of a new job is still likely to be impacted by his uncertain playing status. He’s not eligible to play in a game until he’s off the list and the league is still working to decide whether Hardy will be suspended under the personal conduct policy as a result of last year’s arrest on domestic violence charges.

Hardy reportedly turned over documents from last July’s bench trial to the NFL. Hardy was found guilty in that trial, but appealed to have a jury trial and the charges were dismissed when his accuser failed to appear for it last month.

AP

According to multiple reports, Giants tight end Larry Donnell was a passenger on Delta Airlines Flight 1086, which slid off a runway and through a fence in wintry conditions at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Thursday morning.

However, Donnell was unharmed, the player’s agent told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The newspaper reported Donnell was returning to New York from Atlanta, where the fight originated, to sign his exclusive-rights contract with the Giants.

Via an Instagram account (beyond_greatnes) that bears his name, Donnell appears to have posted a photo and a video just outside the accident site. (A hat tip to Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record for pointing this out.)

“Plane down” read the caption of one photo of the aircraft in the snow, its nose sticking through the fence.

According to the New York Daily News, which cited a fire department spokesperson, no injuries have been reported from the incident.

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Cornerback Justin Gilbert had a disappointing rookie season after being selected eighth overall by the Browns last year, which led to owner Jimmy Haslam and Gilbert’s teammates to say that he needs to mature if he is going to make good on the promise that made him such a high pick.

One of Gilbert’s teammates in the secondary has been working out with him since the start of the offseason and has seen signs of that growth. Cornerback Joe Haden has been talking to Gilbert about how to “carry yourself like a pro” and says he has seen his lessons taking hold.

“He is growing up,” Haden said, via the team’s website. “Justin’s a very, very talented player. It’s just going to take a little bit of time.”

Gilbert said that he’s learned that playing in the NFL is a business and that he needs to “come to work every day and prepare like it’s your last day” to be successful. That was lacking last season, with General Manager Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine both talking about personal issues that they felt held Gilbert back.

Whether or not impending free agent Buster Skrine returns, the Browns could use a big improvement from Gilbert in Year Two as their defense looks like it will have to be a major strength for the team to improve on their results in 2014.

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The Patriots won’t be picking up their option on defensive tackle Vince Wilfork’s contract for the 2015 season, which doesn’t rule out his return on a different deal but could leave the Patriots looking elsewhere for help on the defensive line.

One player that could figure into their decisions up front is Dominique Easley. The Patriots’ first-round pick in 2014 suffered a torn ACL in his final year of college, which helped the Patriots grab him although his knee wasn’t well enough for him to make it through his entire rookie season.

Easley wound up on injured reserve, but Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that Easley won’t need surgery to repair the knee this offseason. That leaves him on track to take part in OTAs this spring as he tries to show the team’s coaching staff that he can take on a bigger role next season.

He may not be stepping into Wilfork’s shoes as a nose tackle full time, but having a healthy Easley would give the Patriots more options up front in 2015.

AP

The Bills have gotten their offseason off to a blazing start this week with a pair of trades.

They acquired running back LeSean McCoy in a deal with the Eagles that cost them linebacker Kiko Alonso and followed that up by making a trade with the Vikings for quarterback Matt Cassel. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News will join Mike Florio on Thursday’s PFT Live to discuss those moves and other things that may be in the works with free agency about to start.

We also want to hear from PFT Planet. Email questions at any time via the O’Reilly Auto Parts Ask the Pros inbox or get in touch on Twitter at @ProFootballTalk to let us know what’s on your mind.

It all gets started at noon ET and you can listen to all three hours live via the various NBC Sports Radio affiliates, through the links at PFT, or with the NBC Sports Radio app. You can also watch a simulcast of the first hour of the show by clicking right here.

AP

‘Tis the season for moving on from bad contracts, and the Bears are no exception.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are “exploring trade options” for veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Whether they’re merely answering the phone, or putting out word in hopes of making it ring remains to be seen, but it’s clear there’s some disconnect between the new regime of General Manager Ryan Pace/coach John Fox and the guy who got an extension from the previous administration last offseason.

If Marshall is still on the Bears roster on March 12, his $7.5 million in base salary is guaranteed.

The Bears got Marshall for a pair of third-round picks in 2012, and would certainly be looking for less than that now, to get out from under the contract.

It’s not that Marshall’s not been productive when well, but his media schedule and a few outbursts with teammates have made him the kind of guy new coaches are wary of.

AP

After Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and G.M. Rick Spielman spent roughly four hours visiting with running back Adrian Peterson on Wednesday, Peterson initially said the meeting went well.  He later offered a more detailed — and cryptic — explanation that fueled speculation he still wants out of Minnesota.

Upon getting back to Minnesota, Zimmer and Spielman didn’t have much to add.

“I’d just characterize it as a very good meeting and leave it at that,” Spielman told Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on returning to the Twin Cities.

Said Zimmer, “Adrian’s a good guy.”

The absence of a statement that Peterson will definitely return to the Vikings in 2015 means there’s still a chance he won’t.  Peterson reportedly has concerns about the manner in which his criminal charges of child abuse were handled last year by the team.  If, as it appeared at the time, the strings were being pulled by 345 Park Avenue, the Vikings at some point need to explain that to Peterson — and they need to hope he believes it.

Ultimately, money will be the major factor.  Unless someone else is willing to give Peterson $12.75 million for 2015, the Vikings will be his best choice.  Maybe, in the end, Peterson can use the uncertainty regarding his status (and the team’s apparent desire to bring him back) to squeeze out even more cash from the team’s coffers.

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Given the fact the Chiefs went through an entire season without a touchdown from their wide receivers, the idea they want to mix it up there seems reasonable.

But given their recent investments, it’s still going to be a tough pill to swallow.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Chiefs are expected to cut wide receiver Dwayne Bowe unless they can trade him.

Bowe just finished the second year of a five-year, $56 million deal, and is scheduled to make $10.75 million this year.

Because he forfeited his guarantees with his one-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, it’s easier for the Chiefs to move on if they want to.

If they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, they’d take a $3 million cap hit this year and $6 million next year, unless they want to swallow the whole $9 million this season.

And it sounds like they definitely want to move on, unless they’re able to squeeze him into a last-minute pay cut.