HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

AFC East Notes: Pouncey, Jets, Draft

March 18th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Micah Powell

The Dolphins are overhauling their roster this offseason, looking to improve the culture of the club. A move that wasn’t motivated by the locker room, however, was the release of veteran center Mike Pouncey, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Rapoport notes the All-Pro center received rave reviews for his leadership skills and toughness, but was simply cut because the Dolphins invested more money in the signing of Josh Sitton and the trade for Daniel Kilgore. Pouncey, who had three years left on his current deal, asked and was granted his release earlier this week after declining to take a pay cut. The Dolphins saved $7MM against the cap with the move.

Despite playing in all 16 games, Pouncey struggled through a hip injury in 2017. Pro Football Focus noted his down year, grading Pouncey as just the No. 27 center in the NFL. It’s possible Pouncey will require hip replacement surgery down the road, while at least one doctor has reportedly recommended that Pouncey retire, but he’s rejected that advice tho this point.

Since the trade deadline in 2017, the Dolphins have now parted ways with top producers like Jarvis Landry, Ndamukong Suh and Jay Ajayi, while also releasing veterans Lawrence Timmons and Julius Thomas.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

  • Sticking with Pouncey, it was reported earlier in the week that he would take his first visit to meet with the Chargers on Sunday. That meeting is expected to be an extended one that will last through Monday and include a physical, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets. The Buccaneers and Colts have also shown interest in the center, but Tampa Bay could be more content now after signing Ryan Jensen to the richest deal for a center in NFL history.
  • After acquiring the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft from the Colts, the Jets have not ruled out moving up even further, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Cimini thinks that if they have one or two quarterbacks markedly ahead of the rest of the pack, New York could swing a deal for the Giants’ No. 2 pick or Cleveland’s No. 1. He does not that it is unlikely and would probably be “too rich for the Jets’ blood.”
  • Cimini also thinks the Jets prefer Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen to Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. He notes general manager Mike Maccagnan typically prefers prototypical signal-callers, rather than the undersized Mayfield. “My hunch is that Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles wouldn’t be fans of the Mayfield sideshow.” 

 

 

Raiders Trade Cordarrelle Patterson To Patriots

March 18th, 2018 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will be parting ways with Cordarrelle Patterson and sending the former All-Pro kick returner to the Patriots, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. Barstool Sports first reported the deal. The Raiders have since announced the deal.

The AFC teams will exchange late-round picks in this deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms as such, reporting (via Twitter) the Raiders will receive a fifth-rounder and send out a sixth-round choice. Oakland previously did not possess a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Patterson has one more year remaining on his contract, and he’ll be changing teams for the second straight offseason. The Patriots will receive a player who has two first-team All-Pro honors to his credit, those coming during the former first-round pick’s time with the Vikings.

The sixth-year wideout stands to count $3.25MM against the cap this season. He worked as an auxiliary Raiders pass-catcher and gadget player during his one season in Oakland, accumulating 430 yards from scrimmage and scoring twice — both on runs. He averaged 9.3 yards per tote on 13 attempts.

Dion Lewis served as New England’s primary kick returner last season. He’s since signed with the Titans to leave that role vacant, and a franchise that’s valued special teams immensely under Bill Belichick will acquire a dangerous return man to fill Lewis’ spot. Patterson has not served as a punt returner much in his career, so it’s likely the 6-foot-2 cog will be installed on the Pats’ kick-return unit and potentially have a role as a backup wide receiver.

The 2013 first-rounder has not lived up to expectations as a receiver, but he landed on the 2013 and ’16 All-Pro teams for his return work. Patterson has six career kick-return scores, with three of those coming as a rookie.

Oakland has rearranged its wide receiving corps this offseason, jettisoning its No. 2 and No. 4 WRs from a season ago. Although, Jordy Nelson replaced Michael Crabtree. The team may be in need of some depth to take Patterson’s place. Seth Roberts is due back after receiving a $2MM roster bonus late this week. His $2.25MM base salary is now fully guaranteed.

2018’s Major NFL Coaching Changes

March 18th, 2018 at 4:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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, 15 of the league’s 32 teams made changes to at least one of their head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator spots, and many of those hirings turned into major stories throughout the 2017 season. New head coaches Sean McVay, Sean McDermott, and Doug Marrone led the Rams, Bills, and Jaguars, respectively, to the postseason in their first go-rounds in charge, while new defensive coordinators Steve Wilks and Mike Vrabel leveraged their one-year stints as a play-callers to become the next Cardinals and Titans head coach, respectively.

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 2018’s major coaching changes from around the league is below:

Head coaches:

Offensive coordinators:

Defensive coordinators:

Special teams coordinators:

Other 2017 OCs, DCs with new jobs:

  • Buffalo Bills: Hired former Titans OC Terry Robiskie as wide receivers coach.
  • Cleveland Browns: Hired former Bengals OC Ken Zampese as quarterbacks coach.
  • Dallas Cowboys: Hired former Seahawks DC Kris Richard as secondary coach/defensive passing game coordinator.
  • Denver Broncos: Hired former Giants OC Mike Sullivan as quarterbacks coach.
  • Houston Texans: Hired former Raiders DC John Pagano as outside linebackers coach.
  • Miami Dolphins: Reassigned former Dolphins OC Clyde Christensen as director, football and player development.
  • Minnesota Vikings: Hired former Raiders OC Todd Downing as a senior offensive assistant.
  • New York Jets: Hired former Bills OC Rick Dennison as offensive line coach/run game coordinator.
  • Oakland Raiders: Hired former Packers OC Edgar Bennett as wide receivers coach.

Chiefs Host Cardinals RFA Xavier Williams

March 18th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs hosted Cardinals restricted free agent defensive lineman Xavier Williams over the weekend, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

If the Chiefs sign Williams to an offer sheet, the Cardinals will have the opportunity to match the contract and keep Williams in Arizona. If the Cards opt not to match, however, they won’t receive any draft pick compensation in exchange for losing Williams. Arizona tendered Williams at the original-round level, but because Williams was an undrafted free agent, Kansas City wouldn’t be forced to fork over any draft capital.

Williams, 26, garnered the highest playtime of his career in 2017, although he was still a rotational lineman with a snap percentage of roughly 24%. In his 11 appearances, Williams posted 16 tackles and a half-sack while grading as the No. 42 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

The Chiefs could see some movement at the defensive tackle position heading into 2018, as Bennie Logan and Stefan Charles are both unrestricted free agent. Kansas City has re-signed veteran Jarvis Jenkins and tendered RFA Rakeem Nunez-Roches at the original-round level, but it’s not out of the question that Williams could compete to start at nose tackle if he’s signed by the Chiefs.

If Williams doesn’t ink an offer sheet, he’ll stick on the Cardinals’ roster at a one-year cost of $1.907MM.

Giants To Host DE Josh Mauro

March 18th, 2018 at 3:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants plan to meet with free agent defensive end Josh Mauro, who was waived by the Cardinals last week, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Mauro would offer scheme familiarity for new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who held the same title in Arizona from 2015-17. That level of comfort would be extremely important in New York, where the club is switching from a 4-3 front to Bettcher’s preferred 3-4 look. Mauro would be the second former Cardinal to sign with the Giants since the market opened last week, joining outside linebacker Kareem Martin, who inked a three-year, $21MM deal with Big Blue.

Mauro, 27, spent the better parts of four seasons in the desert, and started 13 games as recently as 2016. Last year, however, Mauro played on just 31.5% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps, fourth-most among Arizona’s defensive linemen. Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with his effort, grading Mauro as a bottom-10 interior defender among 122 qualifiers.

Rams Working To Re-Sign Dominique Easley

March 18th, 2018 at 3:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams are working on a deal to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Dominique Easley, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

Easley hasn’t generated any known interest since free agency opened last Wednesday, and that’s likely due to his health questions. Although he’s only 26 years old, Easley has suffered three torn ACLs since 2011, and he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with the same ailment.

When healthy, however, Easley has been extremely effective. He earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus in both 2015 and 2016, and had been expected to see an increase in playing time in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips‘ 3-4 scheme. A prototypical 3-4 defensive end, Easley has been able to generate pressure from the interior, and posted 5.5 sacks from 2015-16.

The Rams, for their part, have made a number of additions via both free agency and trade, but have yet to address their defensive line, perhaps in the hope that they could re-sign Easley. If he’s brought back, Easley — a first-round pick of the Patriots in the 2014 draft — would likely take over as Los Angeles’ starting defensive end opposite Aaron Donald.

Falcons G Ben Garland Signs RFA Tender

March 18th, 2018 at 3:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons guard Ben Garland has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Garland will now be paid $2.914MM for the 2018 season.

Garland was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tendered at the second-round level, and he’s the first to officially sign his tender. Atlanta also tendered safety Ricardo Allen at the second-round level, but he’s yet to sign his contract. There’s no rush for Allen or any restricted free agent to sign his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs.

Adding another guard was a key offseason priority for the Falcons, but Garland isn’t likely to become a starter in 2018. Not only did the Falcons sign veteran guard Brandon Fusco to a three-year deal, but they restructured the contract of fellow interior lineman Andy Levitre, ensuring he’ll remain on Atlanta’s roster during the upcoming campaign.

Instead, Garland will once again serve as depth for the Falcons, acting as a reserve alongside Ty Sambrailo, Wes Schweitzer, Austin Pasztor, and Sean Harlow. Last season, the 29-year-old Garland appeared in all 16 games and made three starts, ultimately playing on roughly a third of Atlanta’s offensive snaps and a third of the club’s special teams snaps. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Garland as the No. 50 guard among 77 qualifiers.

Patriots Meeting With OT LaAdrian Waddle

March 18th, 2018 at 2:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Patriots free agent offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle was at Gillette Stadium on Friday, meaning he was likely discussing a new contract and/or taking a physical, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

New England is searching for offensive line depth after losing starting left tackle Nate Solder to the Giants last week. While the Patriots reportedly have interest in re-signing one or both of Waddle and Cameron Fleming, Fleming is scheduled to meet with the Cowboys during the upcoming week.

With Solder out of the picture, the Patriots don’t have many clear options to take over on Tom Brady‘s blindside. New England agreed to a one-year deal with veteran Matt Tobin on Friday, but he’s more of a depth piece than a starting left tackle. Likewise, 2017 rookies such Antonio Garcia, Cole Croston, and Andrew Jelks don’t inspire much confidence or offer much experience.

Waddle, 26, started 10 games for the Lions as recently as 2014, but he’s mostly been a reserve since then. He was pressed into starting duty for four games a season ago, and he also chipped in on nearly 20% of the Patriots’ special teams snaps. Waddle, though, has primarily played right tackle during his five-year NFL career, so he may not be much help on the left side.

North Notes: Bengals, Vikings, Ansah

March 18th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that the Steelers signed Jon Bostic to a two-year deal as a potential fill-in for Ryan Shazier, and now we’ll take a swing around a few other north division clubs:

  • Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer think the Bengals did very well for themselves during the first week of the new league year, and they believe the club is done with its major free agent additions/trades in 2018. One of the reasons the team was so successful is that it did not force itself into an expensive Russell Bodine contract. The market has not developed for Bodine, a four-year starter in Cincinnati, in the way that he thought it would, and he may have to settle for a modest deal. We heard earlier today that he will be making a visit to the Bills, and while the Bengals will have center options in the draft, they could bring back Bodine if his price falls far enough.
  • Yesterday, we heard that the Vikings were open to bringing back the recently-released Jarius Wright at a lesser rate, and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says that Wright himself would be open to rejoining Minnesota at a reduced salary. Wright said, “It’s not out of the question. But it’s the NFL. We’ll have to see what happens. But I love Minnesota. I would love to come back, so you just never know what will happen.”
  • The Broncos signed OL Billy Turner yesterday, but Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Vikings also had interest in Turner as a depth option. Tomasson tweets that the team might not have the funds to make a major O-line addition, though it will continue to monitor the market for potential bargains (like Turner). Any potential starter, though, would likely come through the draft.
  • The Lions recently retained Zach Zenner on a one-year deal and signed LeGarrette Blount to a one-year pact, which leads Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com to believe that the club will target an RB early in the draft.
  • In the same piece, Rothstein says he believes Ziggy Ansah will play out the 2018 season on the franchise tender and that he and Lions are not likely to reach a long-term agreement before the July deadline. Rothstein also said the team cut Eric Ebron and saved his significant salary cap charge for a reason, though it’s not clear what that is just yet. Rothstein says Ebron would not have been cut unless the team knew it had a better option coming in (although the Lions could have simply felt that Ebron’s role as a potential mismatch receiving tight end might not be as important to the offense in 2018).

South Notes: Luck, Hankins, Bucs

March 18th, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that Ndamukong Suh has completed his initial visit with the Saints and that his visit with the Titans is still ongoing. Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s south divisions:

  • Yesterday, the Colts agreed to trade their No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft to the Jets in exchange for New York’s No. 6 overall pick and three second-round selections (including one in 2019). Most pundits believe that’s a pretty nice haul for Indianapolis, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com says it’s also good news for Andrew Luck. With this year’s class of rookie QBs considered to be quite strong — indeed, the Jets are widely expected to use the No. 3 overall pick on a signal-caller — the Colts could have guaranteed themselves of a Luck insurance policy if they felt they needed one. Instead, the move signals to Wells that the team is convinced Luck will look like his usual self in 2018 and beyond.
  • The Colts made the surprising decision to cut Johnathan Hankins yesterday, and Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the move was scheme-based. Indianapolis is converting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme this year, and while Hankins had only worked in a 4-3 before joining the Colts, the team believes that Hankins’ skill-set will not fit its new emphasis on speed and quickness. Hankins played quite well in 2017, though, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes he will land a contract that pays him $7MM per year on the open market (Twitter link).
  • The Colts-Jets swap, combined with the Buccaneers‘ signing of Ryan Jensen, could result in a top-five prospect falling to Tampa Bay, which holds the No. 7 overall pick, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. Laine examines a few scenarios that could lead to a player like NC State’s Bradley Chubb or Penn State’s Saquon Barkley dropping into the Bucs’ laps.
  • Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has used free agency to drastically improve his team in the past, but as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Dimitroff is largely eschewing free agency this year. Atlanta has a strong roster with a number of quality young players on the defensive side of the ball, so the club is content to build through the draft. The team did sign Brandon Fusco to a three-year deal to be its starting right guard, but otherwise, the Falcons’ top priority this offseason is to get an extension done for Matt Ryan.
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