HEADLINES

Month: March 2017

Extra Points: Hightower, Steelers, Fins, Clady

March 19th, 2017 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets‘ decision to withdraw their mammoth Dont’a Hightower offer after the linebacker’s physical may not represent an isolated view of where the linebacker is at in his career. Entering his sixth season, Hightower is viewed as a risk physically, and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com notes his Patriots contract illustrates this (video link via CSNNE.com). Breer notes the four-year, $35.5MM (base value) contract contains more per-game roster bonuses than any other Patriot performer’s while also including sizable incentives based on playing time and potential Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors. He adds the Steelers shared the Jets’ concern about Hightower’s health, with Gang Green worrying Hightower wouldn’t last three or four more seasons. Hightower has missed 11 regular-season games the past three years.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • Defensive tackle will be on the Dolphins‘ agenda this week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. The team hosted Dontari Poe on a visit and eventually saw the nose tackle agree to terms with the Falcons, but the Dolphins may have halted their pursuit because of budgetary concerns. Miami is looking for an interior defender at a cheaper rate, with Jackson noting the Dolphins would like to sign a player for around $2-$3MM per year. Miami has both Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips slated to start in 2017 but wants to further bolster this position. The Dolphins could pursue mid-tier players like Jonathan Babineaux, Tyrunn Walker, Vance Walker or Sen’Derrick Marks, Jackson writes. Miami has just more than $16MM in cap space but may be prepared to use a substantial portion of that on a Jarvis Landry extension.
  • Despite agreeing to terms with Ted Larsen, the Dolphins still intend to look for a guard in the draft, Jackson notes, adding the team is content to start Jermon Bushrod and Larsen at what have been its trouble spots up front. But the Fins want to seek additional guard enhancements.
  • The Seahawks saw one player shuttle out of their facility without a contract on Sunday. Ryan Clady left Seahawks headquarters without a contract, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, keeping the 10th-year left tackle unattached as he continues to search for a third NFL employer. The Seahawks have been the only team connected to Clady thus far since the Jets opted not to exercise his 2017 option. Although the Broncos are in need of a left tackle after declining Russell Okung‘s option, they have not expressed interest in a Clady reunion.
  • The Bengals reached an agreement to sign Kevin Minter, bolstering their defensive second level.

Poll: Who Will Be Jets’ Starting Quarterback?

March 19th, 2017 at 9:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Currently saddled with one of the thinnest quarterback depth charts in the league, the Jets reportedly aren’t rushing their decision on which veteran they decide to bring in to presumably deploy as their latest stopgap option after Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s exit.

They brought in Josh McCown for a visit this weekend and reached out to Jay Cutler earlier this week. That interest being mutual, it’s reasonable to expect Cutler to make a trip to meet with the Jets soon. Despite being linked to the polarizing passer via trade last year, Gang Green has reportedly closed the door on a Colin Kaepernick union to further limit their options.

However, it’s clear the Jets intend to sign at least one veteran to serve as a bridge player while they continue to evaluate Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. It’s not expected New York will draft a quarterback with its first-round pick, having taken Hackenberg in Round 2 last year. Although, if the Jets don’t see what they like out of the current market, it’s conceivable the rebuilding outfit could turn the reins over to Petty to continue an audition that an injury interrupted in 2016. However, the team is not believed to have much faith in either incumbent at this time.

Cutler is a higher-end talent than McCown but is coming off a rough 2016, which turned out to be a contract year since the Bears made him a first-time free agent. Once traded for two first-round picks, Cutler is probably the best quarterback available on the UFA market. He will turn 34 next month, but McCown will be 38 by the time Week 1 begins in September. McCown also served as Cutler’s backup for three seasons in Chicago. As recently as 2015, Cutler finished with a career-best 92.3 quarterback rating. He threw 21 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions during his one season in Adam Gase‘s offense. A 2008 Pro Bowler, Cutler threw for 28 touchdown passes in 2014. Only two Jets passers — Fitzpatrick and Vinny Testaverde — have matched such a showing in a season. But the 12th-year player carries considerable baggage at this point.

McCown played reasonably well with the 2015 Browns, completing 63.7 percent of his passes for a team devoid of much talent. But he missed most of last season due to injury and struggled for the 2014 Buccaneers. Since being given additional opportunities by multiple teams after a solid small success sample on the 2013 Bears, McCown has a 2-20 record as a starter over the past three seasons. He would be an upgrade over Petty and Hackenberg in the short-term but might not make a ton of sense for a team that just axed several veterans and doesn’t have much in the way of pass-catching talent presently, especially with Eric Decker‘s status uncertain. McCown, though, wouldn’t command the kind of per-year salary Cutler likely would.

Gang Green could pursue other options like Chase Daniel or Case Keenum, but the talent pool is thin at this juncture. The Jets bowed out of the Mike Glennon race due to his $15MM-per-year price tag and saw Geno Smith — considered a fallback option as a starter — sign with the Giants. Robert Griffin III wants to play for the Jets, but the team might not have the same interest it did last year after RG3’s uninspiring Browns season continued a steady descent.

For a team that is not likely to contend in 2017, throwing Petty or Hackenberg into the fire would make sense if the Jets believe either can be a medium- or long-term answer. But that doesn’t appear the case.

Tony Romo‘s eventual decision (or the Cowboys’, in the event of a trade) could open the door to a possible Trevor Siemian/Jets setup. The team would be interested in acquiring the Broncos’ 2016 starter via trade if Romo ends up in Denver, but conflicting reports have emerged on whether or not the Broncos would unload him. Siemian has two years remaining on a seventh-round rookie deal.

So how will the Jets proceed here? Will it be a caretaker like McCown, or will they roll the dice with Cutler? Will Gang Green’s search delve deeper into the UFA market and look at a career backup in Daniel? Or will the Jets decide to invest their No. 6 pick in one of the scrutinized rookies? Take PFR’s latest poll.

North Notes: Packers, Williams, Bengals

March 19th, 2017 at 8:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers made a rare foray into the non-street free agent portion of the offseason waters by signing Martellus Bennett. That move figures to pay off, in the eyes of some anonymous NFL personnel men.

“Bennett is way better than Jared Cook,” one personnel director said, via Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an expansive piece. “And he’s smarter. And he’s not as selfish. He’s going to be loud, but you’ve got to live with that.”

Chiming in on this debate, a scout told McGinn: “Cook is faster straight-line, yes, but their body type is totally different. When you walk up on Bennett, that is a man. Cook can’t block you or me. Bennett can. He can seal an edge.”

While these evaluators said the deal for Bennett comes with risk because of the pass-catcher’s age (30) and recent injury struggles. Bennett injured an ankle last season and reinjured it to the point he might require offseason surgery. One GM also mentioned 12 tight ends he would rather have than Bennett next season — a list that included Jack Doyle, Jermaine Gresham and Kyle Rudolph — but the same GM told McGinn he would only take two of those tight ends (Rob Gronkowski and Rudolph) over Bennett as a blocker.

Here’s more from the Norths as free agency nears its third week.

  • Lance Kendricks‘ two-year Packers accord will be worth $4MM, with $1.2MM guaranteed, per McGinn. This could prove to be a value-re-establishing pact for Kendricks, who saw the Rams get out of a four-year, $18.5MM deal by cutting him.
  • Brandon Williams received interest from beyond Baltimore, but the Ravens succeeded on a persistent push to retain him. The fifth-year nose tackle wasn’t keen on being the latest impact Ravens UFA defection. “I wanted to come back. I tried to kind of leave hints,” Williams said, via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Ravens signed their former Division II find to a five-year, $52.5MM deal. That pact includes a $12.5MM signing bonus. The Bills’ decision to revert back to a 4-3 look will make Williams the league’s highest-paid nose tackle by a wide margin.
  • Despite Kevin Minter pledging to come to Cincinnati for the 2017 season, Reuben Foster remains an option for the Bengals with their No. 9 overall pick, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Minter signed a one-year deal, and Foster — if taken at No. 9 overall — would be under team control for five. Plus, Minter has positional versatility that would allow him to play alongside the Alabama middle linebacker.
  • Ricky Jean-Francois left his Bears visit without a contract, and the UFA defensive lineman will make his way to Seattle for a scheduled Seahawks summit, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Anderson added

East Rumors: Amendola, Jets, Giants, Landry

March 19th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots‘ addition of Brandin Cooks would seem to further diminish Danny Amendola‘s role in New England, but the team kept him on the roster despite his impending $6MM base salary and $7.791MM cap number for 2017. New England will reduce that salary if Amendola comes back for ’17, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, but the team is open to the possibility of the veteran returning at a lower rate. The 31-year-old wideout failed to surpass 250 yards receiving for the second time in his Patriots tenure last season, but Reiss notes the door seems open for a fifth Amendola Patriots year if he’s willing to work for less money. Amendola’s five-year deal runs through 2017, and the former Rams target accepted paycuts the past two offseasons. He made $1.25MM in base salary in each campaign.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

  • UFA defensive end Howard Jones plans to make a few other visits before making a decision next week, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv (on Twitter). The team Jones visited Friday, the Jets, are still in the mix, Vacchiano notes. Beginning the year as an ERFA whom the Buccaneers did not offer a tender, Jones finished with five sacks in 2015 but none last season. He would profile as an outside linebacker in Gang Green’s 3-4 scheme. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked the third-year player as one of the 15 best edge defenders still available in free agency.
  • The Jets aren’t in a hurry to land their presumptive 2017 starting quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The team could bring in Jay Cutler for a visit after meeting with Josh McCown this weekend, but the quarterback market in somewhat of a holding pattern — and few teams competing with the Jets for Cutler — could well point to a Cutler trek to the Big Apple for a meeting. Gang Green reached out to the soon-to-be 34-year-old passer earlier this week.
  • The Dolphins are expected to give Jarvis Landry a “sizable” extension this offseason, James Walker of ESPN writes. This was the expectation last season, but the Fins now have Kenny Stills back on an $8MM-AAV deal. Landry has been the better player over the course of his career and would stand to earn more than that. Doug Baldwin and Tavon Austin reset the slot receiver market last summer, agreeing to extensions that paid them $11.5MM and $10.5MM per year, respectively. Landry will enter his age-24 season on the heels of back-to-back 1,100-yard slates.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Giants extension will count $7.5MM against the cap in 2017, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. JPP’s deal created more than $9MM in cap space for 2017, since the eighth-year defensive end would have been attached to a $16.9MM figure due to being franchise-tagged for the second time. As of Sunday, Big Blue has $12.7MM in cap space remaining.
  • Eli Manning has three years remaining on his latest Giants contract, but Raanan does not anticipate the team targeting his successor in this draft. Although Raanan could envision a mid- or late-round pick coming to New York as a developmental candidate, the Giants will likely target the 36-year-old Manning’s heir apparent in a future draft. Jerry Reese said in January the team has started to look for their next quarterback, but the team having signed Geno Smith and agreeing to re-sign Josh Johnson may have assembled the Giants’ QB depth chart for this season.

5 Key Stories: 3/12/17 – 3/19/17

March 19th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints talking with Malcolm Butler. While the Patriots acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the Saints without sacrificing restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler, New Orleans is now coming after Butler, whom New England tendered at the first-round level. Butler, 27, is reportedly looking for a Stephon Gilmore-level contract (five years, $65MM) and is frustrated by the Patriots’ lack of movement on a new deal. The Saints, meanwhile, have met with Butler and are working towards a pact, although it seems unlikely they’d part with the No. 11 pick through the RFA process. A trade involving lesser compensation is probably the more palatable outcome.Marshawn Lynch (vertical)

Beast Mode in Oakland? After sitting out the 2016 campaign as part of his “retirement,” running back Marshawn Lynch may return to the league in 2017 to play for the Raiders. Oakland wants to pursue Lynch, but it won’t part with any significant draft assets in order to acquire him from Seattle. Lynch would count $9MM on Seattle’s cap if he returns, and because the Hawks don’t have much financial wiggle room (and already signed Eddie Lacy), they wouldn’t be able to keep Lynch on the books for long. For his part, Lynch has reportedly stayed in shape and has the “itch” to play again.

Dont’a Hightower heads back to New England. Following flirtations with the Jets, Steelers, and Titans, linebacker Dont’a Hightower eventually ended up where he started, agreeing to a four-year, $35.5MM deal with the Patriots. While the Jets reportedly had the largest offer on the table, Gang Green also had concerns with Hightower’s physical. Hightower can max out at $43.5MM with New England if he reaches all his incentives and bonuses.Adrian Peterson (vertical)

Adrian Peterson done in Minnesota. Now that the Vikings have agreed to a three-year deal with running back Latavius Murray, franchise icon Adrian Peterson will not return to the club in 2017. Minnesota had already declined its 2017 option on Peterson, but until Murray was inked, a Peterson reunion was still possible. Instead, Peterson will remain on the open market and keep searching for a new club. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson, while the Seahawks visited with him but then opted to sign Lacy instead.

Poe in ATL. After taking visits with the Colts, Jaguars, and Dolphins, free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe finally found a landing spot by agreeing to a one-year, $8MM deal with the Falcons. Poe, 26, can make up to $10MM through incentives. Not only will Poe be reuniting with Atlanta assistant general manager Scott Pioli (who drafted Poe in Kansas City), but he’ll be shifting to 4-3 scheme for the first time in his career. The Chiefs, meanwhile, replace Poe by adding former Eagles interior defender Bennie Logan.

Chase Daniel Visiting Saints

March 19th, 2017 at 3:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent quarterback Chase Daniel is meeting with the Saints today, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Chase Daniel (vertical)

Daniel, 30, spent the first three years of his career in New Orleans after entering the league as an undrafted free agent. He only attempted nine passes during that time while backing up Drew Brees, and he’d be coming to the Saints as a clear-cut No. 2 signal-caller once again. Given that the Eagles were unable to trade Daniel earlier this month, it’s perhaps unsurprising that he may have to accept a backup job without the chance to start.

Daniel inked a lucrative contract with the Eagles last offeason that made him one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Despite his paycheck, Daniel is very inexperienced as an NFL passer, as he’s attempted only 78 passes during his seven-year career. Still, as many as six teams were interested in Daniel last year before he signed with Philadelphia, so he figures to have suitors as a free agent this time around.

At present, the Saints have veteran Luke McCown and former third-round pick Garrett Grayson under contract behind Brees.

Latest Between Jets, Josh McCown

March 19th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent quarterback Josh McCown has left his visit with the Jets, and while the two sides are still in contact, no deal is “imminent,” tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.Josh McCown (vertical)

New York reportedly did discuss contract parameters with McCown, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY detailed yesterday, but it doesn’t sound as though the two parties will come together on an agreement anytime soon. McCown is now entering his age-38 season and hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent seasons, but he’d be able to give the Jets some level of competency at the quarterback position. Geno Smith, who may have been an option for Gang Green, signed with the crosstown rival Giants last week.

Appearing in five games (three starts) for the Browns in 2016, McCown completed 54.5% of his attempts for 1,100 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s also drawn interest from the Cowboys this offseason, and took a visit to Dallas earlier this month.

McCown ranks as PFR’s No. 5 free agent quarterback still on the market.

Colts Hosting TE Brandon Williams

March 19th, 2017 at 2:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts will take a meeting with free agent tight end Brandon Williams, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).Brandon Williams (TE) (Vertical)

[RELATED: Colts Host Kamar Aiken]

Williams, 29, would slot in behind Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope on Indianapolis’ tight end depth chart, but his primarily role would probably come on special teams. As a member of the Seahawks in 2016, Williams played on 335 special teams snaps, good for second-most among all Seattle players. The Colts ranked fifth in special teams DVOA last season.

Given the Colts’ lack of depth at tight end, it’s certainly possible Williams would be able to carve out a role on offense, but that’s not something he’s done throughout his career. In four NFL seasons, Williams has managed only six receptions for 80 yards. Of his 158 offensive snaps in 2016, 123 (78%) involved blocking duty of some kind.

PFR Originals: 3/12/17 – 3/19/17

March 19th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

NFC Notes: Bucs, Saints, Hankins

March 19th, 2017 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this month that the Buccaneers have “loose plans” for Doug Martin, which seemed to substantiate a prior report that the team was considering retaining their long-time running back. Martin, who will be suspended for the first three games of next season as part of a four-game ban he received in 2016 for violating the league’s PED policy, recently completed a voluntary rehab stint and met with head coach Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht a week before the scouting combine. Koetter and Licht both had nice things to say about Martin, but they were still vague on his future with the club.

As Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times writes, there are a number of factors working against Martin’s return, including his injury history, the above-referenced suspension, and the fact that his salary is no longer guaranteed as a result of the suspension. Cummings believes the team would be wise to select a running back from the deep class of RBs in the 2017 draft, and if the Bucs land one of this year’s top prospects, that might spell the end of Martin’s tenure in Tampa Bay.

Now for more from the NFC. We took a swing around the AFC earlier today:

  • Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders says that the Buccaneers‘ recent signing of Nick Folk suggests that the team is prepared to move on from Roberto Aguayo, though Tampa Bay could carry two kickers next season if need be and have Aguayo serve as a kickoff specialist if he cannot beat out Folk for full-time duties. Folk recorded just 39 touchbacks in 2016, the third-worst mark in the league, though he and Aguayo averaged the same distance average on kickoffs.
  • The Saints need to bolster their pass rush in 2017, and after signing Alex Okafor earlier this week, they are now meeting with one of the better pass-rushing prospects in this year’s draft class. As Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune writes, the club is meeting with Kansas State DE Jordan Willis today. Willis is considered a second- or third-round prospect, and New Orleans has been monitoring him in recent months.
  • Free agent safety Duke Ihenacho will apparently not return to the Redskins in 2017. As Peter Hailey of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes, Ihenacho fired off several cryptic tweets over the past couple of days indicating that his time with Washington is over. Given that the Redskins recently acquired D.J. Swearinger and plan to move Su’a Cravens back to safety, Ihenacho’s departure makes sense.
  • Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes there is currently a 50-50 chance that DT Johnathan Hankins returns to the Giants. He also hears that Big Blue wants to add a physical power back to complement Paul Perkins, and LeGarrette Blount could be an option in that regard.
  • Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press examines seven free agents still on the market that could benefit the Lions, including LB Zach Brown and DE Chris Long.
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