John Dorsey Unlikely To Return To Packers?
After being fired as the Chiefs’ general manager earlier today, John Dorsey is unlikely to return to the Packers, with whom he’s the spent the majority of his professional career, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4).
Dorsey has been mentioned as a candidate to succeed Green Bay GM Ted Thompson since January, when a report indicated Dorsey could head to Green Bay when his Kansas City contract expired after 2017. Dorsey helped to build the Packers into a consistent contender, first as a college scout from 1991-97 and then as director of college scouting in 1998. After a one-year stint as the Seahawks’ director of player personnel in 1999, Dorsey returned to the Packers, where he served as the team’s director of college scouting from 2000-11 and as the director of football operations in 2012.
However, the next Packers general manager is more likely to be one of director of football operations Eliot Wolf, director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, or vice president of football administration Russ Ball, per Robinson. Wolf and Gutekunst, specifically, have turned down opportunities to interview elsewhere (including San Francisco earlier this year) in order to remain in Green Bay, while Ball has been “working to broaden his knowledge base” in order to be prepared for a jump to GM.
That’s not to say Dorsey doesn’t have interest in returning to the Packers, as Robinson reports Dorsey has “overwhelming respect” for Thomspson and is “very fond” of the Packers organization. But his presence on Green Bay’s personnel staff could “ruffle some feathers,” per Robinson, especially because the trio of Wolf, Gutekunst, and Ball have remained on board instead of pursuing other jobs.
Tyrunn Walker Accused Of Rape
Free agent defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker is accused of raping a woman in Louisiana in February, report Jim Mustian and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. Walker was released by the Rams today just two hours after the Advocate scribes offered his agent an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Walker and another man are alleged to have sexually assaulted two women in a hotel following a celebration of Mardi Gras in late February. At least one woman believes she was drugged before the assault occurred, and both women have filed restraining orders against Walker and the other male. An investigation began in March, but the Lafayette, La. district attorney hasn’t yet decided whether the case will be sent to a grand jury.
Los Angeles cut the 27-year-old Walker just three months after signing him to a one-year deal. Under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Walker could face a league-imposed suspension regardless of whether he’s found guilty or charges are officially filed.
Chiefs To Start GM Search Immediately
After firing general manager John Dorsey earlier today, the Chiefs intend to begin their search for a new GM immediately, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Kansas City will consider both internal and external candidates for the position, per Yates, and has a “loose goal” of finding a general manager by the start of training camp, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The Chiefs’ most natural internal contender for the job may have been Chris Ballard, who’d worked under Dorsey for four years. But Ballard has already landed a new job this offseason, as he was named the Colts’ general manager in January. Other incumbent candidates for the Kansas City position may include co-directors of player personnel Mike Borgonzi and Brett Veach, the latter of whom was linked to the Bills’ GM vacancy. Indeed, both Borgonzi and Veach are expected to garner GM interviews, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Any number of external candidates could vie for the Chiefs’ general manager gig, and PFR’s 2017 GM Search Tracker — which documented every executive named in relation to the 49ers, Colts, and Bills general manager searches — could work as a list of possible contenders. Based on those hiring processes, possible interviewees could include Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner (Seahawks), George Paton (Vikings), Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst (Packers), Chris Polian (Jaguars), Eric DeCosta (Ravens), and Nick Caserio (Patriots).
Saints Sign First-Round OT Ryan Ramczyk
The Saints have agreed to terms with the last of their unsigned draft picks, as they’ve inked first-round tackle Ryan Ramczyk to a four-year deal, the club announced today.
Ramczyk, who had been one of only a dozen unsigned picks league-wide, had been battling a hip issue, leading to a delay in contract negotiation. Although the Saints drafted the Wisconsin product at No. 32 overall with an eye towards the future, Ramczyk may instead be called on to play immediately. Incumbent left tackle Terron Armstead recently suffered a labrum injury and will be sidelined 4-6 months, meaning Ramcyzk could start at left tackle from day one.
Like all first-round selections, Ramczyk will sign a four-year contract that comes with a fifth-year option (for the 2021 campaign) attached. In total, Ramczyk’s deal will be worth approximately $8.892MM, including a signing bonus of $4.607MM and 2017 cap charge of $1.617MM.
Here’s a complete overview of the Saints’ 2017 draft class:
- 1-11: Marshon Lattimore, CB (Ohio State)
- 1-32: Ryan Ramczyk, T (Wisconsin)
- 2-42: Marcus Williams, S (Utah)
- 3-67: Alvin Kamara, RB (Tennessee)
- 3-76: Alex Anzalone, LB (Florida)
- 3-103: Trey Hendrickson, DE (Florida Atlantic)
- 6-196: Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE (Miami)
Details On Derek Carr’s Contract
We now have some additional details on Derek Carr‘s new extension with the Raiders. As previously reported, the five-year, $125MM deal gives Carr a record-setting $25MM per year when evaluating only the new money. A closer look shows that the deal, while still lucrative, is far from a sure thing for the young quarterback. 
Carr will get $40MM fully guaranteed at signing with $70.2MM guaranteed for injury, as ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets. However, the particulars of the deal effectively make this a two-year, $47.5MM contract with team options the rest of the way. That’s because Carr’s 2019 and 2020 guarantees do not vest until February in each of those years. It’s also worth noting that the final two years of the deal – 2021 and 2022 – are non-guaranteed.
If the Raiders do not release Carr before that date in 2019, he’ll be in line for $67.5MM in earnings through the first three years of the deal. As we learned on Thursday morning, Carr’s agents purposely pushed for a backloaded contract so that Carr could take full advantage of Nevada’s 0% state tax. Still, the fine print of the deal leaves Carr with little certainty in the event that he regresses. The notion of Carr falling off before his 30th birthday seems unlikely today, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.
Chiefs Fire GM John Dorsey
Shocking news out of Kansas City as the Chiefs have fired general manager John Dorsey. This comes on the heels of a brand new extension for coach Andy Reid. 
[RELATED: Chiefs, Andy Reid Agree To Extension]
“I notified John that we would not be extending his contract beyond the 2017 season, and after consideration, we felt it was in his best interests and the best interests of the team to part ways now,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “This decision, while a difficult one, allows John to pursue other opportunities as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season and the seasons to come. My family and I sincerely appreciate John’s work over the last four-and-a-half years, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
It’s not often that teams will make a GM change this late in the offseason. Dorsey was at the helm for the draft and the meat of free agency, but the Chiefs, for one reason or another, have decided to can him in June.
The Dorsey-led front office made some major moves this year, including the signing of Eric Berry to a substantial extension and trading up to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It’s not immediately clear what decision(s) led to Dorsey’s ouster or whether Reid wanted him gone.
Dorsey, who has 27 seasons of experience as a personnel member, was given the title of GM in Kansas City in January of 2013. After playing for the Packers and spending time in their front office, you can expect to hear some speculation about him eventually succeeding GM Ted Thompson in Green Bay.
“I want to thank Clark, the Hunt family and the Chiefs fans for the opportunity to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom over the last four seasons,” Dorsey said. “I believe this team is well positioned for the future and I wish Coach Reid, the players and the entire organization all the best.”
The Chiefs are expected to explore both internal and external options to replace Dorsey. After letting Chris Ballard leave to become the GM of the Colts, they are down one excellent in-house candidate.
Rams Release DT Tyrunn Walker
The Rams have released defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Walker joined the Rams as a free agent just three months ago. 
The Rams were Walker’s third NFL stop and he’ll now be in search of team No. 4. Walker, 27, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints and the last two with the Lions. All in all, he has totaled 42 appearances with the majority of his 13 career starts (eight) coming in 2016.
Walker tallied 26 tackles and played in 34.1% of the Lions’ defensive snaps last year. He ranked a below-average 77th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.
With the Rams, Walker was supposed to provide depth at defensive tackle behind starting nose tackle Michael Brockers. Now, the Rams will evaluate Mike Purcell, rookie Tanzel Smart, and untested 2015 UDFA Louis Trinca-Pasat as reserve options.
Chiefs, Andy Reid Agree To Extension
The Chiefs have signed coach Andy Reid to a contract extension, according to a team announcement. It’s a four-year extension, keeping him under contract through 2021, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Chiefs Fire GM John Dorsey]
“My family and I have been very pleased by the success the franchise has sustained over the last four seasons under Coach Reid,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “He has already established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and he is well on his way to solidifying a place among the all-time greats. We are proud to have him leading our football team, and I look forward to working with him to bring a championship to Chiefs Kingdom.”
Reid is entering his fifth year Kansas City and his 19th season as an NFL head coach. He owns a career regular season record of 173-114 (.602) and has 184 wins in total if you include the postseason. That total win count puts him second among active NFL head coaches, trailing only Bill Belichick (260). After helping KC reach the playoffs three times in the last four years, an extension was widely expected.
“I’d like to thank Clark and the entire Hunt family for the opportunity to continue my coaching career here in Kansas City,” Reid said. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress over the last four seasons, but we are not done yet. We are going to continue to work towards our ultimate goal of winning championships. I’ve been blessed by the support of the community, our fans, the Hunt family and the entire Chiefs staff. I’m looking forward to the years ahead as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Last year, Reid’s Chiefs finished with a 12-4 record and captured the AFC West title. After securing a first-round bye, the Chiefs lost to the Steelers in the divisional round. This year, they’ll hope for a better outcome.
NFC West Notes: Smelter, 49ers, Cardinals
The odds are against receiver DeAndre Smelter making the 49ers‘ final cut, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Even though he’s 6’2″ and the rest of the team’s WRs are lacking size, the numbers crunch will make it hard for him to stick. The starters right now are Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, and Jeremy Kerley. Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan favorite Trent Taylor is almost assured a roster spot and Aldrick Robinson has a leg up thanks to his familiarity with Shanahan’s system. That leaves seven receivers, including Smelter, vying for one potential spot.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Big things could be in Byron Leftwich‘s future. Leftwich is currently serving as the Cardinals‘ quarterbacks coach but head coach Bruce Arians seems to think he’ll ascend the ranks quickly. “He’ll be a head coach early and fast,” Arians said (via Darren Urban of the team’s official website). Leftwich was promoted to quarterbacks coach in January after Freddie Kitchens was moved to running backs coach as Stump Mitchell‘s replacement.
- The Rams‘ inability to build a winning culture for the past 12 years has left them in a tough spot, Michael Lombardi of The Ringer writes. The Rams have just 60 wins over that period and have not done better than .500 in that span.
- A pair of ex-49ers employees had some not-so-complimentary things to say about Colin Kaepernick.
Reactions To Derek Carr’s New Contract
Derek Carr is now the highest-paid player in the NFL – if you count only his new money average. Carr will begin a five-year, $125MM deal in the 2018 season, giving him a record $25MM average annual value. If you roll in his 2017 salary, which is less than $2MM, then Carr’s yearly average falls closer to $21MM. Carr’s deal is substantial, but what kind of ripple effect will it really have on other top quarterbacks around the NFL?
Here’s a look at some reactions to Carr’s new deal:
- The market for quarterbacks truly peaked with Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) argues. Top players have failed to really push the market since 2013, in his view, as he feels that the league’s top quarterbacks should be earning between $27-$30MM per year at this point. Keep in mind, the salary cap has grown roughly 35% from 2013 to 2017 and top QB deals have not ballooned at the same rate.
- Fitzgerald (Twitter links) also believes that Carr’s $70MM in injury guarantees hints at a contract that is going to be more like Russell Wilson‘s than a real market setter. A deal giving Carr about $43MM in Year 1 new money, $60MM by Year 2, and $80MM Year 3 would have pushed the market further, in Fitzgerald’s view. For what it’s worth, the expected cash flow on the deal might not be too far off at the start with $40MM fully guaranteed at signing. His $69MM intake over the first three years, however, falls short.
- Carr’s new deal led Mike Florio of PFT to wonder how much Tom Brady could have gotten from the Patriots if he drove a hard bargain. One beat writer suggested to Florio that he could have gotten as much as $40MM per year. Florio doesn’t think it’s quite that high, but he does believe that the future Hall of Famer would be making at least $30MM per season if he wanted to squeeze every penny out of New England. Brady is under contract with the Pats through the 2019 season and he is arguably one of the league’s most underpaid players.
- Even when going by new money average, Carr’s deal only tops Andrew Luck‘s by $271K per season, Florio notes.
- Carr’s deal will impact negotiations for Matthew Stafford, but it probably won’t mean much to the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, as one agent tells Mark Maske of The Washington Post. “The Stafford contract clearly will take it the next step higher,” said one NFL agent not involved in the Carr, Stafford or Cousins negotiations. “Whatever Carr gets, Stafford will get more. The Cousins thing, that’s a little bit different. Those are negotiations where the numbers are set by the [franchise] tag, more so than [by comparison to] other contracts.”