HEADLINES

Month: August 2015

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/15

August 20th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves, signings, and other transactions..

  • The Cowboys signed wide receivers Phil Bates and Edmond Gates as well as linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. To make room, Dallas waived Lache Seastrunk, Reggie Dunn, Deontay Greenberry, and Brandon Smith (link).
  • The Bills have reached an injury settlement with tight end Clay Burton, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.
  • The Broncos announced that they were awarded tight end Jake Murphy off waivers from the Bengals on Thursday. To make room, they placed nose tackle Marvin Austin Jr. on injured reserve. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound Murphy, a Utah product, spent half of last year on the Bengals’ practice squad after playing for Oakland last summer. Murphy’s father is Dale Murphy, the two-time National League MVP (1982-83) with the Braves who eventually concluded his career with the Colorado Rockies. His older brother, Shawn, was with the Broncos during the 2011 preseason as an offensive lineman.

Community Tailgate: Who Will Win DROY?

August 20th, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still a few weeks away from the start of regular-season battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This summer, we launched a new series here at PFR known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Yesterday, we asked you to take your pick on who will be this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Today, in the interest of equal time, we want to know who you think will be this year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Any list of DROY contenders has to have Jets rookie Leonard Williams near the top. The USC defensive lineman was touted by some as the top talent in this year’s class but thanks in part to the team needs at the top of the draft, the Jets managed to snag him with the No. 6 overall pick. At 6’5″ and 300+ pounds, Williams offers tremendous athleticism for his size and is a proven run stopper. Many wondered exactly where Leonard would fit on the Jets defensive line, which already featured stars like Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, but Richardson’s suspension and subsequent run-in with the law have opened up a major opportunity for Williams to be an impact player in his rookie year.

Linebacker Vic Beasley, taken at No. 8 by the Falcons, is another strong contender for the award. Beasley has been roundly praised for his agility at the linebacker position and many feel that he’s going to be a menace for opposing quarterbacks right out of the gate. It also helps Beasley’s case that he’ll be under the tutelage of Dan Quinn, who is known for developing tough players in the front seven. For what it’s worth, the Clemson product also looked impressive in his preseason debut.

Outside of those top ten picks, other viable candidates for the trophy include a pair of “red flag” guys in Cowboys linebacker Randy Gregory and Broncos defensive end/linebacker Shane Ray. Without their respective off-the-field issues, both players would have been strong candidates to go inside of the top ten on talent alone. Staying in the front seven, there was great buzz surrounding Kentucky’s Bud Dupree in the months leading up to the draft and he now finds himself with a franchise that is historically known for it’s hard-nosed defense.

A defensive back has not won DROY since Charles Woodson did it in 1998, but early cornerbacks like Marcus Peters (Chiefs) and Trae Waynes (Vikings) could get in the mix if they get opportunities to make big plays.

Who do you think will win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015? Let us know in the comments below!

Steelers Won’t Change Contract Policy For Antonio Brown

August 20th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

When it comes to star wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers won’t change the way they handle player contracts, according to GM Kevin Colbert. That means that Brown, who had been considering a holdout this summer, will likely have to wait until after the 2016 season to get a new deal from the team.

“Players sign contracts, we expect them to honor them,” Colbert said, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “If a player has one year to go other than a quarterback is when we have gotten into discussions. It has been the position of the organization and it has always been like that.

“It was something that was here before I got here and I am sure it will continue after I am gone,” Colbert added. “It is just the consistency within the organization. It is something that we believe in and it works for us, so I don’t see it changing.”

Brown, a former sixth-round pick, signed his first big, long-term contract in 2012, agreeing to a five-year, $41.7MM pact. That deal pays him over $8MM per year, but that annual average value is only the 14th-highest in the NFL among wide receivers, placing him behind players like Victor Cruz and Pierre Garcon.

Coming off a season in which he led the NFL with 129 receptions and 1,698 yards, Brown probably deserves a deal more in line with the big-money contracts signed by Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and T.Y. Hilton this offseason. However, as Colbert points out, the Steelers don’t renegotiate contracts with players until they have just one year left. Brown, who will earn base salaries of $6MM in 2015 and $8.25MM in 2016, has a deal that runs through 2017, so Pittsburgh is unwilling to rework it at this point.

Panthers Not Pursuing Wayne, Other WRs

August 20th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite losing their No. 1 wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, to a season-ending ACL injury, the Panthers aren’t in a hurry to sign a free agent or to acquire a wideout via trade. As David Newton of ESPN.com writes, the team isn’t currently shopping for a receiver, and isn’t looking at veteran free agent Reggie Wayne.

“We feel real good about who we have right now. We really do,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “We’ll see. We’ve got plenty of time. We’ve just got to be patient with them.”

With Benjamin, who topped 1,000 yards in his rookie season, no longer in the mix, the team will rely on a group that includes second-round rookie Devin Funchess, Corey Brown, Ted Ginn Jr., Jerricho Cotchery, and Jarrett Boykin. While there are some solid players in that group, it’s unlikely that any of them will match Benjamin’s production — it’s not even clear who would have been the team’s No. 2 receiver, prior to Benjamin’s injury.

For their part, some Panthers sources believe Funchess can step in and post numbers similar to what Benjamin did in his rookie year, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who also says that the team isn’t in the market for a veteran free agent, at least for now. It seems unlikely that the former Michigan wideout, who is currently battling a hamstring injury, will be that effective out of the gate, but he’ll be forced into a larger role than anticipated, and the Panthers appear confident he can handle it.

“We drafted Devin for a reason,” Rivera said. “You want to have a big, quality receiver, and Devin gives us that still.”

Newton, Cole, and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer all suggest that the Panthers like their depth at wide receiver, so if the team does pursue an outside option, it figures to happen closer to the season, if an intriguing player becomes available during roster cutdowns.

East Notes: Dolphins, Flynn, Giants, JPP

August 20th, 2015 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins confirmed today that safety Louis Delmas has torn his ACL for the second time in nine months, and the injury leaves the team scrambling to find a new starter at free safety. While it’s possible that Miami will promote an in-house option to the starting lineup, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the team will “definitely” look around the league for a possible upgrade, either via trade or a waiver claim later in the preseason.

Despite the fact that Eric Weddle ‘s agent David Canter promoted the idea of a trade that would send his client to the Dolphins, Canter himself acknowledged that such a deal won’t happen, and Miami is unlikely to make a major splash to add a safety. Still, as Salguero suggests, the team is in win-now mode, so if the Dolphins’ backups can’t get the job done, it’s imperative that the club finds someone who can.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • According to head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets considered waiting to sign a quarterback in order to see what other QBs might become available within the next few weeks. However, the club decided to sign Matt Flynn to give him a head start on getting comfortable with the team’s system, and because there was no guarantee he’d still be available in a couple weeks, as Brian Costello of the New York Post details.
  • The only scenario in which Eli Manning and the Giants don’t eventually work out a new contract is if the team decides to rebuild around a younger, cheaper quarterback, but barring a major injury or a disastrous season, the team is much more likely to stay the course with Manning, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
  • Nearly seven weeks after the fireworks accident that cost him a finger on his right hand, Jason Pierre-Paul has yet to inform the Giants when he’ll report to the club and when he might return to action, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.

Marcell Dareus Contract Talks At Standstill

August 20th, 2015 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have stressed since the draft that their top offseason priority is getting a new contract done for star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. However, for now, negotiations on that extension are at a standstill, two sources tell John Wawrow of The Associated Press.

One source tells Wawrow that the Bills and Dareus’ camp haven’t exchanged offers within the last few weeks, raising concerns that the two sides won’t be able to get something done before the regular season gets underway. Buffalo’s Week 1 game isn’t viewed as a hard deadline for the contract talks, but players generally prefer to focus on football once the regular season gets underway.

Back at the end of July, Bills general manager Doug Whaley confirmed that he and Dareus’ reps had exchanged proposals, but cautioned that “these things take time.” With the 25-year-old heading into the final year of his rookie contract, I still think there’s a good chance the club locks him up within the next few weeks.

When I examined Dareus as an extension candidate, I suggested that his camp would likely push for an extension in the ballpark of J.J. Watt‘s deal, or perhaps even aim for something similar Ndamukong Suh‘s new contract. However, the team is probably seeking something closer to Gerald McCoy‘s deal with the Buccaneers.

As Over the Cap’s data shows, Suh, Watt, and McCoy are earning $19.06MM, $16.67MM, and $13.6MM per year, respectively.

Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos

August 20th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

 Notable signings:

After years of uneventful offseasons in the 2000s, the 2010s Broncos again lived up to their penchant of making the spring and summer interesting. But while they scored a key win in signing Demaryius Thomas to a long-term deal, not much else went as smoothly. The offseason set Denver up for its most uncertainty since Peyton Manning‘s first months with the team.

The Broncos’ reaching a deadline-induced pact with Thomas kept this offseason from being easily the worst in John Elway‘s five-year GM/de facto GM tenure. It not only made good use of the money freed up from the numerous talents allowed to leave in the past two offseasons, but it ensured the most statistically proficient wideout in franchise history would play in Denver for the bulk of his prime. Thomas does not have a slew of high-point grabs on 50/50 balls like Dez Bryant or Calvin Johnson, but that could be largely because Manning doesn’t throw a lot of those. Instead, the Broncos kept a big wideout with speed that surpasses the former placeholder of “most talented wideout in team history” in Brandon Marshall and consistency that rivals Rod Smith‘s.Aug 14, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) participates in warmups before a preseason NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

With Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders locked up for at least two years, the odds of Manning playing out his contract with the Broncos increased.

But the Thomas accord was critical on two other fronts. The first proving that Elway will pay his own players top dollar when they deserve it. It was becoming a pattern in recent years to see the Hall of Fame quarterback dole out the take-notice contracts to other organizations’ talents while permitting Denver homegrown cogs’ exits. That may be a short-term business model when Manning is present, but it’s not one that should be deployed over a lengthy stretch.

The second ancillary consequence of Thomas’ new pact comes in the form of a now-vacant franchise tag spot in 2016, one which is almost certainly destined for Von Miller. With this Thomas pact, the Broncos now have a future with their best offensive and defensive playmakers, one that seemed hazy after Miller’s legal transgressions and ACL tear, and after Thomas’ somewhat contentious negotiations that transpired the past two summers.

Although there’s a blueprint for Miller with comparable, albeit slightly less well-rounded, pass-rushing monster Justin Houston signing his six-year, $101MM deal, don’t expect expediency on the Miller front. This could well be Elway’s fourth franchise tag deadline scenario, with his previous final-day deals coming in re-ups for Matt Prater and Ryan Clady in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

That said, Denver allowed a lot of key talent to exit again, with this offseason dwarfing 2014’s in terms of impact players departing. Mostly supplemental players replaced these talents, with the Julius Thomas-for-Owen Daniels swap headlining these exchanges. Daniels is not close to the difference-maker Thomas is, with the Jaguars’ new tight end catching more touchdown passes (24) the past two years than the 32-year-old Daniels has in his past six.

But the Broncos, who also figure to use Virgil Green more as they usher in a system featuring plenty of two-tight end looks, will gain in dependability and potentially consistency. Thomas was often absent for Manning outside of the red zone, while Daniels’ nine years in Kubiak’s system will help compensate for his athletic deficiencies.

Green’s enjoyed scant opportunities in the passing game, hauling in a career-high nine receptions in 2013 while lining up in the backfield or at traditional tight end. The former Nevada seventh-round pick has shown his ability as a blocker, however, grading higher than Thomas last season on Pro Football Focus (subscription required) due to his 4.4 run-blocking figure that ranked fourth in the NFL.

Of course, PFF’s tight end grades don’t necessarily mirror what generates dollar value from the position, considering Thomas’ megadeal in Jacksonville dwarfing Green’s re-up figure. Regardless, Green will be a critical cog in Gary Kubiak‘s run-based attack, considering the level of inexperience the Broncos’ offensive line could possess.

Daniels will likely start, as will Darian Stewart and, for at least four games during Derek Wolfe‘s performance-enhancing drug suspension, Vance Walker. However, after three splashy offseasons, the Broncos did not bring in the same kind of talent this year, as deals for Thomas and Miller loomed.

Stewart has a clear path to the starting free safety position, with the Broncos not having much of an alternative present. David Bruton‘s entering his seventh year and is possibly the team’s best special-teamer, but he’s rarely played on defense and when he has it’s been as a strong safety. Since a rough introduction to a starting role in 2011 with the Rams, Stewart’s improved into a solid back-line stopper, and he’ll have more chances to make plays behind a Broncos defense built for muzzling the pass on its edges.

Walker’s signing now looms fairly large, with the potential legal troubles of Antonio Smith and the forthcoming absence of Wolfe. For the Chiefs in 2014, Walker graded out as the team’s best defensive lineman last season by a substantial margin, per PFF. But the 28-year-old played just 238 snaps, a figure he’ll almost certainly surpass this year for a suddenly thin Broncos front.

A former Texans backup and starter for the Rams and Dolphins, Shelley Smith is currently behind both Max Garcia and Ben Garland at left guard. His reunion with Kubiak after a sluggish year in Miami last season is not off to a promising start.

Notable losses:

Until Demaryius Thomas’ extension beat the July 15 deadline, this offseason was almost certainly about what the Broncos lost and how they were going to continue their reign atop the division amid large-scale changes. The strong 2011 draft class lost Orlando Franklin and Julius Thomas to big deals — and Moore to a modest one — and the Broncos replaced them with cheaper, inferior parts.

Counting Terrance Knighton, who could be the most significant of these defections considering what he meant to the Broncos’ run defense, Denver lost seven starters.

Both Thomas and Franklin priced themselves out of Elway’s plans, with Franklin’s departure leaving the team scrambling up front. The versatile lineman appears to be sticking at guard after finishing strong at his new position in 2014, and the former right tackle’s void is noticeable. Garcia, a 2015 fourth-rounder, and Garland, a military veteran who’s been a backup since joining the team, are interesting potential solutions — sandwiched by first-time performers in Ty Sambrailo and Matt Paradis, for the time being — for a team with such a narrow Super Bowl window.

Montgomery’s absence now leaves the center position in the hands of either Paradis, a practice-squadder last season, or Gino Gradkowski, who garnered PFF’s worst center grade in 2013 before being benched for Jeremy Zuttah last season in Baltimore. Montgomery drew a league-average assessment from PFF, but helped the Broncos finish as the league’s 12th-best unit in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metric.

As a result, the Broncos could deploy their worst offensive front in years as a result of the upheaval and the time it takes to gel in a zone-blocking system.

It’s fair to wonder how much of Julius Thomas’ success was Manning-buoyed and whether he’ll be able to come close to achieving those benchmarks with the Jags. Letting the tight end go probably proved to be the right decision, considering the fifth-year standout’s availability issues and his poor fit for a run-based offense featuring a lot of in-line tight end work. But Manning also might have lost the best playmaking tight end he’s had, with Dallas Clark never putting together a two-year stretch where he caught more than 17 touchdown passes, let alone 24.

While it can be viewed as impressive that those 24 scores came in just 24 starts, Thomas missed 28 games in four Broncos slates due to nagging ankle trouble. Although the Broncos did reportedly get to $8MM per year in extension talks last summer, that was with the previous coaching regime. Doling out a $9MM-per-year accord is about paying for what’s ahead, and Thomas’ outlook probably didn’t justify the price in this new era.

Although Brodrick Bunkley enjoyed a solid season in 2011 that earned him a lofty deal the Saints soon regretted, the Broncos have searched for defensive tackle stability since Trevor Pryce‘s mid-2000s exit. They found it in Knighton, a buy-low gem in 2013. The massive-but-deceptively agile run-stuffer did not draw a serious effort at a second Broncos contract, signing with Washington for just one year and $4MM as a result of weight concerns. Despite Knighton’s market cratering, the Broncos are with Sylvester Williams as the heir apparent in a 3-4 defense that places a greater premium on defensive tackle talent.

Already almost 27 despite set for just his third season, Williams hasn’t justified his first-round selection yet, regressing to the 66th-best defensive tackle grade (PFF) due to porous work against the run. In 279 snaps to Williams’ 435, Marvin Austin received a positive grade and provides good depth here. But this is probably an otherwise-stout Broncos defense’s biggest question mark entering the season.

Rahim Moore‘s market also cooled a bit, with the safety signing for just three years and $12MM after at one point being considered the second-best safety on the market after Devin McCourty. A safety of less than one season and one who graded worse than Moore in that season, Ron Parker signed for five years and $30MM. An above-average coverage player with substandard tackling ability – which is not exactly a big liability in a free safety – Moore should be easier to replace than his 2011 draft compatriots.

But this exodus of talent represents the most significant replacement test in Elway’s five seasons running things in Denver.

Trades:

  • Acquired C Gino Gradkowski and a 2016 fifth-round pick from the Ravens in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 23; DE/OLB Shane Ray) from the Lions in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 28; G Laken Tomlinson), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 143), a 2016 fifth-round pick, and OL Manny Ramirez.

Gradkowski doesn’t look promising in Denver after sputtering in Baltimore. Like Shelley Smith, Gradkowski’s place on the roster is not a given. At the time of the deal, the Broncos swapping a fourth-rounder for a 2016 fifth-round slot didn’t look too good, based on the player involved — it certainly doesn’t look smart now. If it comes down to keeping one of these interior-line veterans to back up the rookies, Smith carries a $1MM dead-money tag, with Gradkowski costing Denver no money if they cut bait early.

Manny Ramirez enjoyed a strong season in 2013, rating as PFF’s fifth-best snapper while playing next to star guard Louis Vasquez. That gave him the center job to start last season, but when the Broncos’ line wasn’t performing up to expectations, Ramirez moved back to the right guard position at which he began his Broncos tenure. The former Texas Tech cog’s season didn’t unfold as well, and Kubiak’s zone scheme doesn’t fit the slower, powerful veteran.

This made Ramirez’s departure understandable, but the Broncos certainly aren’t in as good shape at center as they were when Ramirez resided there.

With both of Denver’s trades involving centers, it’s interesting the Broncos didn’t bring in Chris Myers, who has nearly a decade of seasoning in Kubiak’s system, for a visit. Of course, the former Mike Shanahan draft pick will be 34 next month, and Kubiak probably knows what the recently released center has left more than just about anyone.

Draft picks:

  • 1-23: Shane Ray, DE/OLB (Missouri): Signed
  • 2-59: Ty Sambrailo, T (Colorado State): Signed
  • 3-92: Jeff Heuerman, TE (Ohio State): Signed
  • 4-133: Max Garcia, C (Florida): Signed
  • 5-164: Lorenzo Doss, CB (Tulane): Signed
  • 6-203: Darius Kilgo, DT (Maryland): Signed
  • 7-250: Trevor Siemian, QB (Northwestern): Signed
  • 7-251: Taurean Nixon, CB (Tulane): Signed
  • 7-252: Josh Furman, S (Oklahoma State): Signed

With right tackle topping the Broncos’ needs hierarchy entering the draft, Elway again opted for the best-defensive-player-available strategy he’s used to make the Broncos’ first selection in each of his five drafts (Von Miller, Wolfe, Williams, Bradley Roby and now Shane Ray). Of course, this represented the first time he traded up to select one of these talents, and doing so for a player who may not start until 2017 is interesting.

Following the trail blazed by Aldon Smith, Sheldon Richardson and Kony Ealy, Ray is the latest Missouri pass-rushing success story. parlaying a monster junior slate into a high NFL draft slot. Having the chance to play behind Miller and DeMarcus Ware should keep the QB-pursuer fresh and his block-shedding repertoire relatively hard to prepare for.

After opting to take Montee Ball over Eddie Lacy in the second round of the 2013 draft due to concerns about Lacy’s injured toe, Elway may have learned from experience that a toe malady isn’t something that should prevent pursuing a prospect. Ray plummeted into realistic Broncos trading range because of a nagging toe ailment. Of course, Ray was also available at No. 23 due to a marijuana arrest this offseason, so the former Tigers star’s trajectory’s endured some blips and isn’t a lock to stabilize.

But Ray fits well in a 3-4 and should help the Broncos’ pass rush stay productive after it faded last season, ideally serving as an off-the-bench energy to spell the 33-year-old Ware. He’s already showing the first-step explosion that harassed SEC tackles.

Jeff Heuerman‘s torn ACL will keep Daniels and Green in their roles until at least 2016.

A power-based player who played guard, tackle and center in his time at Maryland and Florida, Garcia having shown enough to start over Smith and Garland in the Broncos’ first preseason tilt is encouraging for a team that looked thin up front after free agency. Sambrailo’s development becomes paramount after Clady’s second season-ending injury in three seasons forced the finesse Colorado State product to the left side.

While Sambrailo seems a good bet to start in Week 1, having three first-time NFLers blocking for Manning is not just something new to the 39-year-old — Manning’s never played behind more than one rookie starting lineman — it’s extremely rare for a team with Super Bowl hopes. The Broncos last deployed two rookie linemen in 2010, when Zane Beadles and J.D. Walton started for a 4-12 team that ultimately saw its coaching staff gutted. To put three first-timers out there this in such a high-stakes spot serves as an incredibly bold strategy for the Broncos.

Although not progressing to a key depth chart perch like his aforementioned cohorts, Lorenzo Doss possesses big-play ability in holding Tulane’s career interception-return yardage record. He should battle the overpaid Tony Carter, still on the roster at $1.5MM despite not rising higher than the Broncos’ No. 5 corner the past two years, for the gig behind the team’s top four corners (Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Roby and Kayvon Webster).

Darius Kilgo has already risen to the No. 2 nose tackle spot, with previous occupant Austin still sidelined due to injury. Although Williams has drawn praise for his offseason development, this job is not exactly secured like most of the spots on the veteran defense are.

Other:

Britton Colquitt no longer will make the ninth-most money on the Broncos this year but after the team waived Karl Schmitz, the longtime punter looks to keep his job. Although Spencer Lanning arrived this week, the former Browns punter’s place may be pushing for kickoff duty in case Connor Barth beats out the stronger-legged Brandon McManus for the kicker job.

While Clady didn’t play up to his potential last season and he already may be on the decline due to myriad injuries, his latest setback proved costly. His ACL tear, which marks his second knee tear of the decade after he tore his MCL in 2010, leaves the Broncos’ blind-side duties to Sambrailo and forces either Harris or Chris Clark to step in on the right edge. A zone-blocking veteran and former Broncos second-round pick under Shanahan, Harris had a respectable season for the Chiefs last year, and the Broncos made a solid move in re-signing him in this emergency circumstance. Clark had his moments at left tackle but sputtered on the right side last year.

A left tackle with no snaps paired with a journeyman right-sider, however, signals a potentially steep downgrade.

Clady’s injury also could derail his future with the franchise. The longest-tenured Bronco is the third-highest paid player on the team and the third-highest-paid tackle in the game. But with just $1.8MM in dead money on the 2016 and 2017 sectors of his deal, Clady could reasonably be cut if the front office views him as unable to return to an appropriate semblance of his former Pro Bowl version.

I detailed in PFR’s Offseason Outlook series how the Kubiak-Manning marriage could be a sketchy one, with the two offensive philosophies on opposing ends of the spectrum on about all fronts. Kubiak, to his credit, has noted he will incorporate some no-huddle and pistol elements into an attack that’s been a huddle- and under-center-based operation since he first became an offensive coordinator in 1995. The thought of this version of Manning having to adjust his game behind an incredibly unseasoned offensive front to one that takes away some of his biggest strengths should concern Broncos fans, however.

Conversely, Manning having a proven offensive coach managing his workload, something that’s already taken effect, with the signal-caller forced to skip practices and preseason Week 1 for rest purposes, could be a boon for his stability this season. Manning wore down considerably last year. Whether that was due exclusively to his quadriceps injuries or related to his age remains up for debate. But after serving under defensive-centric bosses in Jim Mora, Tony Dungy and John Fox, Manning hasn’t had this kind of an offensive mind calling the shots in his career. That will help balance out some of the potential creative differences that could arise this season.

It won’t receive the publicity of Deflategate, but the Manning-Kubiak partnership may be the most interesting storyline an AFC contender encounters this season. The Broncos’ AFC title-pursuing brethren mostly stood pat, at least systematically. What Elway did to shake up this operation may not be the best thing for the team in the short-term.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Peyton Manning, QB: $17,500,000
  2. Demaryius Thomas, WR: $13,200,000
  3. Ryan Clady, T: $10,600,000
  4. Von Miller, OLB: $9,754,000
  5. DeMarcus Ware, OLB: $8,666,666
  6. T.J. Ward, S: $7,750,000
  7. Aqib Talib, CB: $6,968,750
  8. Louis Vasquez, G: $6,250,000
  9. Emmanuel Sanders, WR: $5,850,000
  10. Chris Harris, CB: $3,000,000

The Broncos still have the inside track on winning the AFC West, with top talent at enough spots to withstand what should be a persistent push from the Chargers and, if more things go well for them, the Chiefs. That gap that’s been rather substantial since Manning arrived, however, appears to have narrowed.

In what could be Manning’s last year, observing how this team coalesces and if it can do so in time to provide a serious threat to what looks like a fairly even AFC will be one of the season’s most intriguing subplots. Because if this doesn’t go well, the rebuilding job post-Manning will also prove interesting, only for the wrong reasons.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Bykowski Out For Year, Vikings Eyeing Tackles

August 20th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Just days after placing starting right tackle Phil Loadholt on injured reserve with a season-ending Achilles injury, the Vikings confirmed that another tackle, Carter Bykowski will also miss the 2015 season. As Master Tesfatsion and Chris Miller of the Star Tribune detail, Bykowski will be out for the year after undergoing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle.

Bykowski hadn’t been expected to see significant action for the Vikings this season, with Matt Kalil and rookie T.J. Clemmings penciled in as the starters at left and right tackle respectively. However, with Loadholt sidelined, Bykowski, who was plucked from the 49ers’ practice squad by Minnesota last December, slid up a spot on the team’s depth chart, and may have been the next man up if Kalil or Clemmings had gone down.

Now, with their ranks thinning at offensive tackle, the Vikings will be on the hunt for more bodies at the position. The club signed former Giants and Cowboys tackle Stephen Goodin on Tuesday, and head coach Mike Zimmer suggests he’ll get an opportunity to earn a roster spot, but Minnesota will continue to pursue possible upgrades.

“He’s just another athlete to come in here and help,” Zimmer said of Goodin. “We’ll give him a look and see. We’re going to continue to look.”

Currently, the only tackles listed on the Vikings’ depth chart behind the starters are seventh-round rookie Austin Shepherd, raw Polish newcomer Babatunde Aiyegbusi, and Goodin.

Extra Points: Weddle, Chancellor, Brady

August 19th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Adam Jones will probably go down as one of those “what-if” history stories in sports and the Bengals cornerback is well aware of that. “If I would have never gotten suspended, I would have $100 million right now,” Jones said, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Still, Jones says that he tries not to live with regrets and that he hopes to make the most of the remainder of his career. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter confirmed (via Twitter links) that he would like to see the Chargers safety land with the Dolphins. However, he made it clear that he and Weddle “have never and will never ask for a trade from San Diego.” Teams typically don’t trade their best players, Canter notes, and he says that Bolts fans can rest assured that he won’t be going anywhere, at least in 2015.
  • Agent Alvin Keels told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) that everything is status quo with his client, Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. “Nothing has changed. He will not report without his contract being addressed this season. The team and I have been in contact, but we haven’t been able to agree on any compromise,” Keels said.
  • Right now, there are no more settlement talks planned between the NFL and NFLPA until the August 31st court appearance, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Brandon Meriweather‘s deal with the Giants is a one-year pact worth $870K and no guaranteed cash, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • During practice Sunday, Raiders‘ WR Andre Holmes fractured his hand and now is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
  • New Jets quarterback Matt Flynn says that there’s no timetable on when he’ll recover from his hamstring issue and added that he is not guaranteed a roster spot with Gang Green, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Guard-center Josh Samuda, former Dolphin and Viking, worked out today for the Chiefs, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/15

August 19th, 2015 at 9:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • When word broke earlier today that the Texans had signed safety Quintin Demps and defensive lineman Fili Moala, I noted that two corresponding roster moves would be required. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the details on those moves, reporting (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Jasper Coleman and waived/injured tight end Mike McFarland. McFarland will land on the Texans’ injured reserve list if he clears waivers.
  • After releasing him earlier this week, the Saints have re-signed veteran tight end Alex Smith, placing tight end Kevin Brock on injured reserve, writes Nick Underhill of The Advocate. Brock had to be carted off the field after going down with an injury during Tuesday’s practice.
  • Former Georgia wide receiver Michael Bennett – not to be confused with the Michael Bennetts who played on the defensive line at Texas A&M or Ohio State, respectively – signed a contract with the Bengals today, according to the team (Twitter link). Cincinnati cut tight end Jake Murphy to create roster space for the addition.
  • The Steelers have claimed linebacker L.J. Fort off waivers from the Patriots, waiving linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, a 2014 sixth-round pick, with an injury designation, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • The Chargers have also claimed a former Patriot, nabbing tight end Logan Stokes off waivers, according to a team release. Tight end Eric Frohnapfel was cut to create a spot for Stokes.
  • Washington has reached an injury settlement with outside linebacker Trevardo Williams, who landed on the team’s IR with a hamstring strain, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Williams is now a free agent, able to sign with any team.
Load More Posts