2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Exercise Luke Stocker’s Option

March 7th, 2018 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have exercised the 2018 option on tight end Luke Stocker, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Per the terms of the option, he’ll receive a $125K bonus and can make up to $1.375MM more this season.

The Bucs waived Stocker just after Thanksgiving and the Titans signed him once he cleared waivers. It was a two-year deal for Stocker, but it included an escape hatch for Tennessee. They have elected to keep him to see what he can do in camp this summer.

Stocker, 30 in July, appeared in three games for Tampa Bay and one game for Tennessee in 2017, totaling just four catches for 30 yards and one score. He has never caught more than 16 passes in a season, but he does offer above-average blocking skills.

Saints Re-Sign DE George Johnson

March 7th, 2018 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have signed veteran defensive end George Johnson to a one-year extension, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Johnson was initially scheduled to reach free agency in March, but he’s now tied to New Orleans through the 2018 season, during which he’ll earn the veteran’s minimum, tweets Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune.

The Saints signed Johnson late last season when rookie defensive end Trey Hendrickson went down with an ankle injury. Initially, it didn’t seem like he’d be in line for a ton of playing time, but he made his presence felt with 2.5 sacks in the final three regular season games of the year. Then, in the playoffs, Johnson started both games at left defensive end.

Johnson, 30, made a name for himself with a six-sack season for the Lions in 2014. He couldn’t reprise that production in 2015 with the Bucs and he lost all of 2016 due to a hip fracture. Now, he may finally be back on track as a productive front four player.

Giants Notes: Darkwa, Richburg, Bromley

March 6th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although he’s drawing interest from the cross-town Jets, the Giants still want to re-sign running back Orleans Darkwa, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Darkwa, 26, broke out with Big Blue in 2017, posting career-highs in starts (11), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). A former undrafted free agent out of Tulane, Darkwa had only managed 287 rushing yards in the three prior years of his NFL tenure. The Giants could conceivably lose both Darkwa and fellow free agent Shane Vereen to the open market, which would leave them with Wayne Gallman, Paul Perkins, Terrell Watson, and Jalen Simmons on their running back depth chart.

Here’s more on the Giants, all courtesy of Raanan:

Teams around the league are viewing Giants free agent Weston Richburg as both a center and a guard, per Raanan. Richburg has played at the pivot for the past three years, but he spend time at guard during his rookie season in 2014. Although injuries limited him to only four games in 2017, Richburg will be the best center available on the open market, leading a positional group that also includes Ryan Jensen, John Sullivan, Russell Bodine, and Travis Swanson, but he could increase his number of suitors by exhibiting versatility.
The Giants could field five new starters along their offensive line in 2018, a source tells Raanan. While that overhaul likely wouldn’t removing Brett Jones, who filled in for Richburg at center last season, but it would still represent a massive overhaul. Notably, changeover at all five positions would mean New York has moved on from former first-round pick, and incumbent left tackle, Ereck Flowers. Panthers guard Andrew Norwell could be part of the renovation, as Giants general manager Dave Gettleman reportedly “loves” the Carolina free agent, Raanan writes in a separate piece.
A number of Giants free agents are unlikely to remain with the club next year, per Raanan. Defensive lineman Jay Bromley and Kerry Wynn aren’t expected to re-sign, as neither is a good fit for new defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s 3-4 scheme. Bromley, notably, is reportedly looking for a larger role on defense, according to Raanan, as he’s spent the majority of his career as a reserve. Linebacker Jonathan Casillas, additionally, doesn’t appear to be on the Giants’ radar, as the club is looking to get younger at the second level of its defense.
Gettleman will likely try to improve the Giants’ locker room culture by inking established veterans on the defensive side of the ball, and Raanan lists incumbent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and Dolphins’ special teams ace Michael Thomas as players New York could sign for their leadership.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/6/19

March 6th, 2018 at 9:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

New England Patriots

Waived: DE Caleb Kidder

49ers Interested In TE Trey Burton

March 6th, 2018 at 8:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are “believed” to be one of the NFL teams with interest in pending free agent tight end Trey Burton, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Half the league reportedly has interest in Burton, so the 49ers will certainly have competition if they seek to sign the 26-year-old former undrafted free agent. But San Francisco will enter the free agent period with roughly $66MM in cap space (good for fifth in the league), so the club will have the funds needed to make a real pursuit of Burton, who remains unlikely to re-sign with the Eagles after rejecting an offer from Philadelphia that he did not consider “serious.”

As Barrows notes, the 49ers currently employ two in-line tight ends in George Kittle and Garrett Celek. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan is likely looking for a “move” tight end, a player — such as Burton — who has the ability to play in the slot or split out wide. Other tight ends on San Franscisco’s roster includes Cole Hikutini and Cole Wick, while Barrows reports the Niners aren’t expected to re-sign veteran Logan Paulsen.

Burton, for his part, has spent four seasons with the Eagles but only became a factor on offense beginning in 2016. Even since then, he’s played second fiddle to starting tight end Zach Ertz. Over the past two years, Burton has averaged 30 receptions, 288 yards, and three touchdowns per season, but he’s been extremely efficient. Football Outsiders ranked Burton third in DVOA among tight ends a season ago, meaning he provided value on a per-play basis.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

March 6th, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has missed 41 of 80 potential regular season games due to concussions, stingers, an elbow injury, a torn labrum, ankle surgery, disc repairs, and a knee issue. As he approaches free agency, he tells Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer that “everything is fixed.” Teams, of course, will be taking a thorough medical look at Eifert before extending him any offers. The 27-year-old Eifert is arguably the most talented free agent tight end available, but his injury history will put a ceiling on his market. PFR’s Zach Links recently ranked Eifert as the third-best available tight end, behind Trey Burton and Jimmy Graham.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

Pending Colts free agent wide receiver Donte Moncrief could be a fit for the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Baltimore could certainly use help at wideout, as the club ranked 26th in passing DVOA a season ago and could be poised to lose several contributors over the coming weeks. Mike Wallace is scheduled to hit free agency next Wednesday, while fellow veteran pass-catcher Jeremy Maclin has been mentioned as a candidate for release. Moncrief, meanwhile, has been limited by injuries over the past two seasons, but is only 24 years old and managed a 64/733/6 line as recently as 2015. Per Rapoport, Moncrief is likely to sign a one-year deal, which makes sense given his limited record of recent production.
Speaking of the Ravens, center Ryan Jensen is expected to garner a “nice” deal in free agency, and it’s unclear if Baltimore will be able to re-sign him, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes. Jensen is one of the top free agent centers on the market, but he only has one full season of starting experience. Still, his youth (age 26) should allow him to land a multi-year pact in a free agent market short on interior lineman. Meanwhile, receiver Michael Campanaro has already generated interest around the NFL based on his route-running and special teams prowess, per Zrebiec.
Given that Le’Veon Bell doesn’t seem amenable to a long-term contract that pays less than $15MM annually, the Steelers are now forced to plan for life after Bell, opines Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Bell was assigned the franchise tag for the second consecutive season, but Pittsburgh should look at running backs in the 2018 draft as a hedge against Bell returning to Pittsburgh in 2019. Of course, the Steelers did use a third-round pick on running back James Conner in last year’s draft, but he handled only 32 carries on the season before going down with a knee injury.

Lions Listening To Offers For TE Eric Ebron

March 6th, 2018 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions were listening to trade offers for tight end Eric Ebron at last weekend’s scouting combine, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

This isn’t the first time Detroit general manager Bob Quinn has discussed Ebron in trade talks, as the 24-year-old tight end was reportedly drawing interest prior to the 2017 trade deadline. Although the Lions had multiple inquiries, they opted to retain Ebron last November, and now have him under contract next season thanks to his fifth-year option.

Because Detroit exercised Ebron’s 2018 option, the former first-round pick is now scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.25MM for the upcoming campaign. That total is guaranteed for injury only, meaning the Lions could release Ebron before March 14 — the first day of the new league year — and escape that entire total. Any team that acquired Ebron would be responsible for that entire total, although they could opt to extend the pass-catcher, something Detroit had mulled but never accomplished.

Ebron, for his part, appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his four-year career. He recorded 53 receptions for 574 yards and four touchdowns, and while his yards per reception dropped nearly a full yard, Ebron ranked 11th in the league in yardage among tight ends and 12th in receptions. Ebron’s blocking skills aren’t anything special, as he finished 37th among 71 tight ends in run-blocking, per Pro Football Focus.

Interest in Ebron could be linked to a relatively weak free agent tight end market, where Trey Burton, Jimmy Graham, and Tyler Eifert ranks as the top three options available. Teams might believe Ebron and his one-year salary — or a short extension — is a better value than any tight end on the open market, all of whom have their flaws. Detroit, of course, may be weighing the same considerations, as a trade would mean it needs to potentially replace Ebron and Darren Fells, the latter of whom will reach free agency next week.

Chiefs, Texans Interested In Star Lotulelei

March 6th, 2018 at 6:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs and Texans have both expressed early interest in pending free agent defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com.

While there’s been no word as to whether the Panthers are interested in re-signing Lotulelei, Carolina is already heavily invested at the defensive tackle position. Kawann Short is the NFL’s third-highest-paid defensive tackle with a $16.1MM annual salary, while the Panthers used a first-round pick on Vernon Butler in 2016. Veteran Kyle Love is also under contract for the 2018 campaign.

Although he’s a former first-round pick, Lotulelei’s performance has slipped in every season since he entered the league in 2013. Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in all 16 games for the second consecutive season but managed only six tackles while grading as a bottom-15 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Kansas City and Houston, meanwhile, can use all the defensive line help they can get, as both clubs ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in Football Outsiders‘ adjusted sack rate (the Chiefs were a bottom-10 team in adjusted line yards, as well). Lotulelei could serve as a reinforcement if the Chiefs aren’t able to re-sign Bennie Logan, while joining either KC or Houston would entail Lotulelei playing in a 3-4 scheme for the first time in his career.

Patriots’ Brian Flores To Call Defensive Plays

March 6th, 2018 at 5:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots do not plan to name a new defensive coordinator, but linebackers coach Brian Flores will call the club’s defensive plays, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Flores take over the duties of former DC Matt Patricia, who left New England to become the Lions’ head coach.

Flores, 37, had been viewed as the Patriots’ coordinator-in-waiting since Patricia accepted the Detroit job, and while Flores will continue in New England without a title promotion, he will accept new responsibilities. Well-respected in NFL circles, Flores interviewed twice for the Cardinals’ head coaching position despite never holding a coordinator gig. He’s spent his entire coaching career with the Patriots, beginning as a scout before moving to the coaching staff in 2008.

Bill Belichick has been known to give former assistants time to grow before placing them in coordinator roles. Patricia, for one, called New England’s defensive plays for two seasons before being given the DC title. Additionally, current offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called plays for the Patriots in 2005 despite not having the official coordinator moniker.

Flores will have his work cut out for him in 2018, as the Patriots defense ranked 29th in yards allowed and 31st in DVOA a season ago. New England figures to lose starting cornerback Malcolm Butler to free agency, but linebacker Dont’a Hightower should return after injuries limited him to only five games in 2017.

Top 2018 Free Agents By Position: Defense

March 6th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense on Monday, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2018:

Edge defender:

As a positional group, pass rushers comprise interesting market on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not often that a list of best available players is topped by a 38-year-old, but Peppers is the top free agent edge defender after the Cowboys and Lions deployed the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah, respectively. As with quarterbacks, NFL clubs are extremely reluctant to allow pass rushers to hit the open market, so top-tier options are rarely ever truly “available.” Peppers, for his part, hasn’t even declared whether he’ll return in 2018, but indications are that he’ll suit up for a 17th campaign after posting 11 sacks last year.

Alongside Peppers, other veterans populate the edge market, and while William Hayes may not be a household name, he’ll be a contributor for whichever team signs him. A stout run defender, Hayes is also capable of generating pressure despite managing only one sack in 2017. The Dolphins used Hayes on only 271 defensive snaps a season ago, and have since replaced him by acquiring fellow defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams. Now that he’s entering his age-33 season, Hayes should come cheap, but will almost assuredly outplay his contract.

Nearly every other available pass rusher has some sort of flaw which will likely limit his market next week. Trent Murphy is only 27 years old and put up nine sacks in 2016, but he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury. Pernell McPhee, Alex Okafor, Junior Galette, and Derrick Shelby have also been plagued by health questions in recent seasons. And Adrian Clayborn famously registered the majority of his 2017 sacks (and 20% of his career sack total) in one game against overwhelmed Cowboys backup Chaz Green.

The two names that I keep coming back to are Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers). Yes, Lynch has been suspended for substance abuse, struggled with his weight, and was reportedly in danger of being waived prior to last season. He’s also extremely young (he won’t turn 25 years old until Thursday) and ranked fifth in the league with 34 pass pressures as recently as 2015. Attaochu, a 25-year-old former second-round pick, also has youth on his side, and while he hasn’t quite flashed as much as Lynch, he’s also been buried on LA’s depth chart for much of his career.

Interior defensive line:

Interior rushers are getting more respect in today’s NFL, but that still hasn’t translated to them being paid on the level of edge defenders — the 2018 franchise tag for defensive tackles, for example, is roughly $3MM cheaper than the tender for edge rushers. While the 2018 crop of interior defenders boasts some impressive top-end talent, none of the available players figure to earn a double-digit annual salary. Sheldon Richardson may have the best chance to do so, but Seattle determined he wasn’t worth a one-year cost of $13.939MM, so is any other club going to pay him $10MM per year? I’d guess he comes in closer to $9MM annually, which would still place him among the 25 highest-paid defensive tackles.

Dontari Poe will be an intriguing free agent case after setting for a one-year deal last offseason, but the most interesting battle among defensive tackles will take place Star Lotulelei and Muhammad Wilkerson, and I’m curious to see which player earns more on the open market. Both are former first-round picks, and it’s difficult to argue Wilkerson hasn’t been the more productive player — or, at least, reached higher highs — than Lotulelei. Wilkerson also won’t affect his next team’s compensatory pick formula given that he was released, but his off-field issues, which include a reported lack of effort and problems with coaches, could limit his appeal.

While Beau Allen and Denico Autry are potentially candidates to be overpaid based on their youth, there are bargains to be had at defensive tackle. Tom Johnson is 33 but he’s offered consistent pressure from the interior for years — his last contract was for three years and $7MM, so he shouldn’t cost much this time around. Haloti Ngata was injured in 2017 but plans to continue his career, and he can still stop the run. And Dominique Easley was outstanding as a 3-4 end in 2016 before missing last season with a torn ACL, meaning the former first-round pick could be a value play for any number of teams.Read more

Linebacker:

Although there are a number of high-quality starting linebackers available in free agency this year, I predict most contracts signed by LBs over the next few weeks will come in lower that most expect. The linebacker market is relatively stagnant, and unless the player is a legitimate star or inking an extension with his original club, he’s usually disappointed with his annual value. The most expensive deal for an unrestricted free agent ‘backer who signed with a new team was Bruce Irvin‘s $9.25MM/year pact with the Raiders, and Irvin can almost be considered an edge rusher. After Irvin, it’s Danny Trevathan, whom the Bears signed for a $7MM annual value in 2016.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if no linebacker listed above is able to top Trevathan’s two-year-old average, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t starting-caliber LBs on the market. Zach Brown, the poster boy for having to accept cheap contracts, is coming off another solid season, but is reportedly asking for top-three inside linebacker money. Good luck. Similarly, Demario Davis is looking for $8-10MM annually, while the Jets — who have interest in re-signing him — view him as a $3-4MM/year player.

Nigel Bradham and NaVorro Bowman should both come in around Trevathan’s $7MM average after posting excellent 2017 campaigns. While the Eagles would surely prefer to re-sign Bradham, the club’s dire cap situation may mean Bradham will hit the open market next Wednesday. Bowman, meanwhile, was traded from the 49ers to Raiders last season, and he seems like a good bet to stay with Oakland after new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther heaped lavish praise on the 29-year-old.

Cornerback:

Top-to-bottom, the cornerback market is the deepest positional group on the defensive side of the ball. Need a No. 1 defensive back with experience in both man and zone? Trumaine Johnson is your guy. How about a top-end cornerback who, while admittedly up-and-down at times, has the ability to shut down opposing wide receivers? Malcolm Butler has you covered. A former first-round pick who has finally played up to his potential over the past two seasons? Take a look at Morris Claiborne. Or is a career journeyman who posted 10 excellent games last year more your speed? Look into Rashaan Melvin.

Slot cornerbacks are also prevalent in this year’s defensive back market, and while I ranked Aaron Colvin, T.J. Carrie, Patrick Robinson, and Nickell Robey-Coleman in order of my preference, they could each be plugged into a starting nickel package immediately. I originally though Robinson could land a disappointing deal given his age (31) and his track record of underwhelming play prior to 2017, but he’s already garnering interest from the Giants, Raiders, and Cardinals, so his market should allow him to reach at least $5MM annually. Colvin could garner even more than Robinson thanks his youth (26), and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com expects Colvin to have a “legit” market.

If teams are looking for a bargain at cornerback, they should target Ross Cockrell, whom the Steelers dealt to the Giants last year for a seventh-round pick. Cockrell has always been overlooked in the NFL, but he keeps producing results. In 2017, Cockrell finished first in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks on their ability to consistently stop opposing wideouts short of the sticks. In fact, Cockrell was one of only eight defenders who stopped a receiver short of a successful gain on over half their tackles a season ago, as FO’s Aaron Schatz recently tweeted, but the league consistently undervalues him and his skill-set.

Safety:

The best free agent safety was taken off the board earlier today when the Rams used the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner, and the remaining market is extremely top-heavy. Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, and Kenny Vaccaro could all be in line for at least $5MM annually, but the rest of the class could struggle to find multi-year deals. Among the top-tier safeties, Vaccaro stands out as perhaps the most interesting name. A first-round pick in 2013, Vaccarro has posted three exemplary campaigns and two dreadful years; in 2017, Pro Football Focus ranked Vaccaro as the single-worst safety in the league among 87 qualifiers. But given his draft pedigree and his ability to man the slot, Vaccaro should land a solid deal.

While I like Reid and Burnett a bit more as players, it wouldn’t be a shock if Boston actually lands the largest contract. Reid and Burnett spend a lot of time close to the line of scrimmage, and both have been used as de factor linebackers from time to time. Boston, on the other hand, is a deep safety who can play coverage, and that repertoire is much more difficult to find on the open market. Similarly, Tyvon Branch has been great in coverage during his career with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Cardinals, so he could also see a nice pay bump next week.

After Branch, the crop of available safeties steeply drops off. Every other free agent we’ve listed above will be at at least 29 years old when the 2018 gets underway except for the Lions’ Tavon Wilson, and he was one of the NFL’s worst starting defensive backs last season. Veterans like Corey Graham or Ron Parker can still play as third safeties who see time in “big nickel” packages, but if you’re looking for a starting safety, you’ll want to bring in one of the top six defensive backs on the board.

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