Contract Details: Taylor, Cook, Willson
The latest contract details from around the NFL:
- Tyrod Taylor, QB (Bills): Taylor earns an additional $500K if the Bills make it to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2017, which becomes $1MM if they advance to the AFC Championship, and $2MM if they advance to the Super Bowl. The same package of incentives applies to 2018 (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
- Jared Cook, TE (Raiders): Two years, $10.6MM, $1.6MM in incentives (effectively a one-year $5.3MM deal with $800K in incentives) (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe).
- Luke Willson, TE (Seahawks): One year, $1.8MM, $1MM in incentives (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle).
- Kayvon Webster, CB (Rams): Two years, $7.75MM. Salaries of $2.75MM (guaranteed), $3MM. $1MM 2017 roster bonus guaranteed, $500K 2018 roster bonus guaranteed. (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Sean Spence, LB (Colts): One year, $2.5MM. $750K signing bonus. $500K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Kendall Wright, WR (Bears): One year, $2MM. $250K signing bonus. $2MM in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC Notes: Revis, Garoppolo, Lynch
Criminal charges were dropped against free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis earlier this week, which ostensibly opens the door for him to find a new employer soon. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports that one league executive believes a Revis reunion with the Patriots is the only thing that makes sense, and while he would likely not serve as a starting corner in New England, he could be used as a strong safety or as cornerback depth. Interestingly, though, Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald tweets that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told Revis several years ago that Revis’ skill-set did not translate to the safety position. While that does not preclude a New England reunion, it does add an interesting twist to the Revis saga, as many have taken it for granted that Revis will wind up playing safety for whoever signs him in 2017.
Now for more from the AFC:
- As Volin notes in the same piece cited above, the Patriots’ apparent desire to trade Malcolm Butler is reflective of the team’s usual philosophy of getting rid of a player a year too soon instead of a year too late. However, the Pats have notably departed from that philosophy with respect to Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the club has been reticent to trade despite the haul of picks they could acquire in return. Volin says the Patriots’ stance with Garoppolo is simply based on the fact that he plays quarterback, and they believe that if something were to happen to Tom Brady, they could still compete for a title with Garoppolo under center. The team took a similar approach in 2014, when they held onto Ryan Mallett throughout training camp and did not deal him until they were confident that Garoppolo could handle the backup role.
- Some Patriots fans are wondering why the club is willing to trade Butler but handed Stephon Gilmore a mega-deal this offseason. As Dan Hatman of The Scouting Academy (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com) notes, Gilmore is simply bigger than Butler, and his size and length can create more flexibility for defensive coordinator Matt Patricia when matching up against some of the game’s bigger receivers. Simply put, Gilmore is a premium man corner, and those players get paid.
- Despite the Morris Claiborne signing, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com still expects the Jets to select a cornerback in the first or second round of this year’s draft.
- Saturday night, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, retired running back Marshawn Lynch retweeted a message in which someone noticed that a musical playlist put together by Lynch contains a track entitled “Oakland Raiders.” The playlist was created in September 2015, but Florio believes the fact that Lynch went ahead and retweeted the message further legitimizes the Lynch-to-Raiders rumors.
- Meanwhile, new Raiders acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson is actively recruiting free agent running back and former Vikings teammate Adrian Peterson to join him in Oakland, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. However, the latest reports about a Peterson/Oakland match suggest that Peterson has more interest in the Raiders than the Raiders have in him at the moment.
- Sean Spence agreed to a deal with the Colts earlier today, and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets that Spence’s former team, the Titans, could use newly-acquired Jonathan Cyprien, a strong safety by trade, to fill Spence’s role as nickel linebacker.
Mark Davis “Dead Set” On Las Vegas
This will not come as much of a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, but Raiders owner Mark Davis is reportedly “dead set” on moving his club to Las Vegas and has abandoned all pretense of hearing out plans to keep the Raiders in Oakland. Elliott Almond of The Mercury News writes that Davis has not met with Oakland officials in over a year, and he did not speak with Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio two weeks ago, when Davis listened to Cappio and other officials make a pitch in Florida to other NFL owners.
Indeed, Davis has not so much as commented on the stadium plan put forth by Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott, though as Almond reports, sources familiar with both plans say Oakland could still have a chance to win over enough owners to keep the team where it is. Some owners, apparently, still have concerns about “funding infrastructure” in Las Vegas.
We learned last week that the Raiders will likely not have a lease agreement for a proposed Las Vegas stadium in place before the league owners meet later this month. Nonetheless, the absence of a finalized lease agreement does not mean the league owners will be precluded from voting on the relocation proposal. Instead, they could conditionally approve the relocation as long as the lease adequately addresses issues that are important to the league.
While Davis’ apparent reluctance to even consider Oakland’s overtures will surely anger and frustrate Bay Area fans, Almond reports that Lott’s plan has a fair share of flaws and has been met with skepticism by key league executives. Plus, the city’s proposal is still six to eight months away from being fully complete, which means that Oakland’s fading hopes are contingent upon league owners either postponing the relocation vote or voting against the move altogether, the latter of which seems highly unlikely.
Ben Roethlisberger Leaning Towards 2017 Return
When reports that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was mulling retirement surfaced back in January, no one really expected No. 7 to hang up the cleats. Just one week later, we learned that club officials expected the face of their franchise to return, and that was the last public report on the matter. Everyone, it seemed, just assumed that Big Ben would be back in 2017.
But as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk observes, Roethlisberger himself has yet to formally declare his intent to return this season, though it appears as if that could be coming soon. Roethlisberger spoke at the Ignite Men’s Impact Weekend conference at Liberty University on Friday, and he was asked if he’s going to play in 2017. He replied, “I’m leaning towards it” (article via Dale Lolley of the Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter).
Roethlisberger has missed a combined six games because of injuries over the past two seasons, but his production has remained strong. He’s now fresh off his fifth Pro Bowl season, in which he completed 64.4% of his 509 passing attempts, amassed 3,819 yards on 7.5 YPA, and tossed 29 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. Pittsburgh has regularly been a league superpower since it drafted Roethlisberger 11th overall in 2004, having finished with no fewer than eight wins during any of his 13 seasons and gone to the playoffs nine times. Two of those postseason trips have culminated in Super Bowl victories, the latest of which came at the conclusion of the 2009 campaign.
Backup signal-caller Landry Jones recently signed a two-year deal with the Steelers, but the team seems intent on selecting a quarterback in the 2017 draft, which they have not done since they drafted Jones in 2013. This year’s crop of QBs, however, is considered to be rather weak, so it is unclear if Pittsburgh will really be able to find Roethlisberger’s heir apparent in 2017.
Roethlisberger has three years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2015. He’d owe the Steelers $18.6MM if he were to walk away.
Colts To Sign Sean Spence
The Colts and free agent linebacker Sean Spence have agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter). Spence was not a full-time starter for the division-rival Titans last year, but he did play on nearly 50% of the club’s snaps, managing 50 tackles and three sacks. Indianapolis hopes he can help bolster a unit that ranked 32nd in DVOA against the run in 2016 and placed 31st in DVOA against opposing tight ends.
Spence becomes the latest in a string of free agent additions to the Colts’ linebacker corps, as new GM Chris Ballard has also acquired Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo, and John Simon. Of course, Sheard, Mingo, and Simon will likely play on the outside, while Spence will roam the middle of the field. The team recently brought Spence in for a visit, along with fellow linebackers Kevin Minter and Jon Bostic, but Minter ultimately signed with the Bengals. Bostic, meanwhile, remains unsigned.
The club opened its offseason by releasing 33-year-old D’Qwell Jackson as it attempts to rejuvenate its defense. Spence is by no means a high-impact acquisition, but he can be a useful player when utilized properly. He ranked as the as the No. 8 LB on PFR’s most recent edition of the top remaining defensive free agents.
Spence, 26, was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2012 draft, but the former Miami Hurricane saw his first two NFL seasons wiped out by knee problems. While those health issues contributed to Spence never developing into the sort of player the Steelers may have initially hoped he’d become, Spence did appear in 31 games over his last two seasons in Pittsburgh, starting 13.
Dolphins Still Expected To Cut Dion Jordan
Former third overall selection Dion Jordan has been expected to be released for some time, and though he’s currently still on the Dolphins roster, Miami still plans to cut ties with the mercurial defensive end at some point before the regular season begins, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
[RELATED: Dolphins Inquired On Johnathan Hankins]
Jordan, 27, has missed the entirety of the past two seasons due to suspension and injury, and has only started one game in his career. Drafted at No. 3 thanks to his impressive combination of size and speed, Jordan now weighs around 275 pounds (if he’s in shape), and as one Miami coach tells Salguero, simply can’t run anymore. Not only does Jordan lack “explosion,” but he’s dealing with some sort of non-football “issue” that the Dolphins staff won’t discuss in detail, per Salguero.
The Dolphins were expected to target defensive ends this offseason, and while they’ve re-signed Andre Branch and traded for William Hayes, Miami is still likely to spend a relatively high pick on an edge player, reports Salguero. That selection is “very likely” to come in the first round, per Salguero, meaning the Fins could target someone like Derek Barnett (Tennessee), T.J. Watt (Wisconsin), or Carl Lawson (Auburn) at pick No. 22.
If and when Jordan is cut, the Dolphins will save more than $3MM in cap space.
Saints Had Interest In CB A.J. Bouye
The Saints expressed interest in cornerback A.J. Bouye during the NFL’s two-day legal tampering period, according to Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). It’s unclear how aggressively New Orleans pursued Bouye after that stretch, and Bouye eventually agreed to a five-year deal with the Jaguars.
Despite ranking 29th in DVOA against the pass in 2016, the Saints haven’t yet added a corner in free agency, but given that the club targeted Bouye (and Marcus Cooper) last week, it’s clear New Oreans is attempting to augment its secondary. The Saints haven’t given up on bringing in new defensive back talent, as the team is currently engaged in discussions with Patriots restricted free agent corner Malcolm Butler.
While the Saints have been active this offseason by signing Nick Fairley, Larry Warford, Ted Ginn, A.J. Klein, and others, Bouye would have been a much more significant addition, as the former Texans cornerback landed $67.5MM and $26MM guaranteed from Jacksonville. New Orleans was reportedly interested in the top available corner in 2016, as well, as the club targeted Josh Norman after his franchise tag was rescinded.
North Notes: Vikes, Lions, Bengals, Packers
While the Vikings made contact with free agent Andre Holmes before he signed with the Bills, Minnesota “never got serious” about inking the veteran pass-catcher, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. The Lions had also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Holmes (and even had him in for a visit), but Detroit likely bowed out because Anquan Boldin may re-sign for the 2017 campaign, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Boldin has already indicated he’ll return for a 15th NFL season, but he may not sign with a club until later this summer, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com details. After leading the Lions with eight receiving touchdowns in 2016, a return to Detroit seems likely. But given that he’s now 36 years old and prefers his own workout routine, Boldin will likely hold off on inking a new deal so he can bypass team-mandated training sessions, per Rothstein. Boldin ranks as PFR’s No. 4 free agent wide receiver, behind Kamar Aiken, Victor Cruz, and Brian Quick.
- Before the two sides came together on a deal, the Bengals and Kevin Minter debated what linebacker position he would play in Cincinnati’s 4-3 scheme, writes Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Minter seems likely to play both middle and strong-side ‘backer, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who writes Cincinnati inked Minter with an eye towards retaining compensatory picks. As I hinted at in PFR’s post on the signing, Minter’s addition could ultimately lead to the release of veteran LB Rey Maualuga.
- New Packers cornerback Davon House agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.8MM, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. House, now in his second go-round with Green Bay, will earn $850K guaranteed (all signing bonus) and has a base salary of $1.5MM. Meanwhile, another $350K in per-game roster bonuses and $150K in workout bonuses are also available.
2017’s Major NFL Coaching Changes
Because most NFL coaching changes happen in January, those moves can often be overshadowed by the postseason and – subsequently – the major moves that teams makes in free agency. However, those coaching changes shouldn’t be overlooked.
A year ago, 13 of the league’s 32 teams made changes at at least one of their head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator spots, and many of these hirings turned into major stories throughout the 2016 season. New head coaches Adam Gase and Ben McAdoo led the Dolphins and Giants, respectively, to the postseason in their first go-rounds in charge, while new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph leveraged his one-year stint as a play-caller to become the next Broncos head coach.
Which new coaches could make a similar impact this year? We may have to wait to find out, but there are certainly plenty of candidates. The full breakdown of 2017’s major coaching changes from around the league is below:
Head coaches:
- Buffalo Bills: Hired Sean McDermott to replace Rex Ryan / Anthony Lynn (interim).
- Denver Broncos: Hired Vance Joseph to replace Gary Kubiak.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Retained Doug Marrone (interim) to replace Gus Bradley.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Hired Anthony Lynn to replace Mike McCoy.
- Los Angeles Rams: Hired Sean McVay to replace Jeff Fisher / John Fassel (interim).
- San Francisco 49ers: Hired Kyle Shanahan to replace Chip Kelly.
Offensive coordinators:
- Atlanta Falcons: Hired Steve Sarkisian to replace Kyle Shanahan.
- Buffalo Bills: Hired Rick Dennison to replace Anthony Lynn.
- Denver Broncos: Hired Mike McCoy to replace Rick Dennison.
- Houston Texans: Head coach Bill O’Brien will call plays, replacing George Godsey.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Retained interim OC Nathaniel Hackett.
- Los Angeles Rams: Hired Matt LaFleur to replace Rob Boras.
- Minnesota Vikings: Retained interim OC Pat Shurmur.
- New York Jets: Hired John Morton to replace Chan Gailey.
- Oakland Raiders: Promoted Todd Downing to replace Bill Musgrave.
- Washington Redskins: Promoted Matt Cavanaugh to replace Sean McVay.
Defensive coordinators:
- Atlanta Falcons: Promoted Marquand Manuel to replace Richard Smith.
- Buffalo Bills: Hired Leslie Frazier to replace Dennis Thurman.
- Carolina Panthers: Promoted Steve Wilks to replace Sean McDermott.
- Cleveland Browns: Hired Gregg Williams to replace Ray Horton.
- Denver Broncos: Promoted Joe Woods to replace Wade Phillips.
- Houston Texans: Promoted Mike Vrabel to replace Romeo Crennel.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Hired Gus Bradley to replace John Pagano.
- Los Angeles Rams: Hired Wade Phillips to replace Gregg Williams.
- Miami Dolphins: Promoted Matt Burke to replace Vance Joseph.
- San Francisco 49ers: Hired Robert Saleh to replace Jim O’Neil.
- Washington Redskins: Promoted Greg Manusky to replace Joe Barry.
Special teams coordinators:
- Denver Broncos: Hired Brock Olivo to replace Joe DeCamillis.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Hired Joe DeCamillis to replace Mike Mallory.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Hired George Stewart to replace Craig Aukerman.
- New Orleans Saints: Hired Brad Banta to replace Greg McMahon.
- San Francisco 49ers: Hired Richard Hightower to replace Derius Swinton.
Other 2016 OCs, DCs with new jobs:
- Baltimore Ravens: Hired former Bills OC Greg Roman as senior offensive assistant/tight ends coach.
- Buffalo Bills: Hired former Rams OC Rob Boras as tight ends coach.
- Denver Broncos: Hired former Raiders OC Bill Musgrave as quarterbacks coach.
- Detroit Lions: Hired former Texans OC George Godsey as defensive assistant/special projects.
- Houston Texans: Promoted former DC Romeo Crennel to assistant head coach/defense.
- Los Angeles Chargers: Hired former Falcons DC Richard Smith as linebackers coach.
- Los Angeles Rams: Hired former Redskins DC Joe Barry as assistant head coach/linebackers.
- Los Angeles Rams: Hired former Jaguars OC Greg Olson as quarterbacks coach.
- Oakland Raiders: Hired former Chargers DC John Pagano as assistant head coach/defense.
Bengals Sign Kevin Minter
The Bengals announced the signing of linebacker Kevin Minter on Monday morning. It’s a one-year deal worth roughly $4.5MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). While the Bengals were willing to give Minter a lengthier contract, Minter wants the opportunity to hit the 2018 free agent market, tweets Owczarski.
Searching for a linebacker to join the club’s incumbent crop after losing Karlos Dansby to the Cardinals, Cincinnati met with both Minter and fellow free agent Keenan Robinson over the past week. Minter, who now becomes the second external free agent signed by the Bengals (joining Andre Smith), will vie for playing time along with Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, Nick Vigil, and — for now — Rey Maualuga.
Minter, 26, ranked as PFR’s No. 22 overall free agent, but didn’t quite see his market develop as expected. While Minter had expressed a desire to reunite with former Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles in New York, only the Colts and Bengals had invited Minter for a visit since the free agent period opened. In PFR’s most recent positional power rankings, Minter placed second at linebacker behind only Zach Brown.
Minter has started all 32 games over the past two seasons, and played the most snaps (1,003) of any Cardinals linebacker in 2016. In that time, he racked up 81 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and four passes defensed while grading as the league’s No. 25 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.