Extension Candidate: Carlos Dunlap
Earlier this year, defensive end Carlos Dunlap opted to skip the Bengals’ organized team activities. The decision to work out on his own in Florida cost him $300K in bonuses, but it may have helped him ramp up pressure on the team as he pushes for a new deal. For his part, Dunlap claims his decision was made for football reasons. 
[RELATED:Tyler Kroft Seeking Contract Extension]
“All the comments and everything talking about the reasons for me not being here obviously hit home a little bit because they painted me to be a selfish guy, which was not my objective,” Dunlap said. “My goal was to make sure I was in the best shape for when football starts so that I can be there for my team for the long haul.”
Either way, it’s clear that Dunlap wants to stay with the Bengals beyond 2018 on a new and improved deal. The Bengals also want to keep him for the long haul, but only at the right price.
Dunlap is entering the final year of the six-year, $40MM extension he signed in 2013. The 29-year-old will earn a base salary of $7MM, which is well below his true value.
Extending Dunlap is a pricey proposition and the decision is complicated by the club’s other extension candidates. Fellow defensive lineman Geno Atkins is entering the final year of his contract and a new pact may call for upwards of $12MM per year. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard is coming off of a career year and the Bengals would like to keep him, despite the presence of Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III. There’s also a trio of tight ends to consider in Tyler Kroft, Tyler Eifert, and C.J. Uzomah, and the team may want to leave some money in the coffers to re-sign defensive end Michael Johnson after the 2018 season.
The Bengals have also invested heavily in defensive ends in recent drafts by adding Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis, and Sam Hubbard. In theory, they can part with Dunlap if the price gets too high if they are confident in their your DE group.
Still, Dunlap has been tremendous in Cincinnati, particularly in the second half of games. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have routinely rated him as a top-30 edge defender over the past seven seasons and he has been equally strong against the pass and the run. Even if the youngsters could do an admirably job in his stead, losing Dunlap would hurt the team’s front seven.
Dunlap is well aware of the riches that could await him in free agency as the edge defender market continues to rise sharply. In theory, Dunlap could parlay a big 2018 season into a $15MM/year deal, but he would be taking a risk if he cannot turn in another quality season for the Bengals. A new deal would give him financial security and, depending on the length of the deal, give him an opportunity to retire with the only club he’s ever known.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Cincinnati, but Johnson’s expiring $6.1MM contract should provide the team enough room to get a deal done. If Dunlap is willing to sacrifice some upside in order to remain with the Bengals, the two sides could find a midpoint with a four-year extension in the range of $50MM. Alternatively, a shorter extension could make sense for the two sides. An additional three years added to Dunlap’s contract would allow him to hit the open market again at the age of 32 and give the Bengals some wiggle room should they look to hang on to their trio of younger defensive ends.
NFC East Notes: Lawrence, Beckham, Skins
DeMarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys are going to make another attempt to iron out an extension this week. The fifth-year defensive end wants a five-year deal and doesn’t appear to be too bothered by the proposition of playing this season on the $17.1MM franchise tag. However, if the parties are going to reach an agreement, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry doesn’t expect it to be completed without the Cowboys offering Olivier Vernon-level money to Lawrence (Twitter link). When the cap resided at $155MM in 2016, Vernon signed for $17MM per year and received $52.5MM guaranteed and $40MM fully guaranteed. That per-year salary would make Lawrence the highest-paid 4-3 end in the game, and the a guarantee north of Vernon’s would dwarf the field. Myles Garrett and Calais Campbell lead the 4-3 end pack at $30MM guaranteed.
The Cowboys now have the money ($14MM in cap space with Lawrence’s tag amount factored in) to afford seeing the 2017 breakout player prove he’s worth a monster contract, but doing such a deal now would make Lawrence by far Dallas’ highest-paid defender. Considering the current salary leader on Dallas’ defense, Tyrone Crawford, has not justified a $9MM-per-year contract, this could give the Cowboys pause given Lawrence’s inconsistent history.
Here’s the latest from the NFC East.
- A higher-profile NFC East extension doesn’t appear to be as far along, but Dave Gettleman‘s history with young stars bodes well for an Odell Beckham re-up with the Giants, Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes. Gettleman authorized a Cam Newton extension prior to the Panthers passer’s fifth season, and Luke Kuechly received one going into his fourth. Kawann Short signed a five-year, $80MM deal last year, months before Gettleman’s ouster with the Panthers. Of course, Gettleman’s rescinding of Josh Norman‘s franchise tag also was a key decision from his years in Charlotte and works against this premise. Beckham said he’ll be at Giants camp, but reports of a holdout based on where the contract talks are have surfaced.
- The Redskins are interested in supplemental draft-eligible DBs Sam Beal, Brandon Bryant and Adonis Alexander. In particular, Washington is in a unique position for an Alexander move, per J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. Second-year secondary coach Torrian Gray coached Alexander while at Virginia Tech, though the pair was only together for one season since Gray left the Hokies after the 2015 campaign (Alexander’s freshman year). Still, in a summer draft that often features players with red flags, Gray would be an ideal source here. Washington also just drafted ex-Hokie corner Greg Stroman in the seventh round. The Redskins traded Kendall Fuller, a Virginia Tech teammate of Alexander’s, and longtime starter Bashaud Breeland is on the market. They have what could be perceived as a need alongside Norman and Orlando Scandrick.
- Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley interviewed for the Giants’ OC job this offseason, doing so in addition to meeting with Eagles brass about the job that went to Mike Groh.
Community Tailgate: Safety Market
With every team slated to open training camp this month, the strange quagmire that is the safety market remains crowded with proven performers. Three of the top four players from PFR’s free agent safeties list in March are still available four months later.
While other positions feature some key players unsigned as well — like Dez Bryant, Johnathan Hankins, Bashaud Breeland and Colin Kaepernick — the glut of safeties resides as the most interesting because most of the original UFA market’s best players are unattached as camps near.
Eric Reid, Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccaro appeared at Nos. 1, 3 and 4 on Dallas Robinson’s top UFA safeties list, and no member of this triumvirate is yet 28 years old. Both Reid and Vaccaro started for five seasons, with Boston being a full-time first-unit presence the past two years and intercepting five passes for the Chargers last season. Pro Football Focus placed both Boston and Reid in a tie for 30th among safeties last season. While Vaccaro struggled in 2017, he rated as one of the league’s better safeties in 2015 and ’16.
Due to Reid’s involvement in the protests during national anthems the past two seasons, his unattached status hovers over this contingent. The one-time Pro Bowler took one visit, meeting with the Bengals, only it did not go well when Mike Brown reportedly asked the 26-year-old defender if he would continue to kneel during the anthem (this was prior to the NFL’s new anthem policy forcing players to either stand or remain in the locker room during the song’s playing). Reid subsequently followed Kaepernick’s lead by filing a collusion grievance against the league and has not received any other known inquiry about his services since the Bengals summit.
Boston and Vaccaro have, each visiting the Colts. Boston also met with the Cardinals, while Vaccaro spoke with the Dolphins and was scheduled to visit the Jets earlier this offseason. Boston was not pleased with how his visits unfolded. At this point, it’s likely that both players — and some older UFAs like Tyvon Branch or T.J. Ward — will have to wait for preseason injuries or accept low-value, one-year pacts from teams if they are to play in 2018.
Of course, some safeties — like Tyrann Mathieu, Morgan Burnett, Bradley McDougald, Kurt Coleman and Ron Parker — did sign this offseason. But the money was not on the level of previous safety classes.
Excepting Mathieu’s one-year, $7MM deal, five 2017 UFA safeties’ contracts top anyone from this year’s market in terms of average annual value. Tony Jefferson, Barry Church, Micah Hyde, Johnathan Cyprien and T.J. McDonald all signed for at least $6MM per year in 2017, with most of those players not having the resumes of Reid or Vaccaro. Burnett signed for $4.7MM per year, and Coleman received $5.4MM AAV. With the cap having risen by $10MM, the deals completed this offseason were not in stride with the growth.
Theories have surfaced about why this gridlock’s occurred. Obviously, Reid has the most explosive belief about what’s transpiring. Michael Thomas, a special-teamer/safety who signed with the Giants for two years and $4MM, agrees collusion has affected the market. An anonymous agent concurred, saying the likes of Boston and Vaccaro are collateral damage from teams avoiding Reid. An ex-defensive coordinator said this position, despite this being a prime passing era, is not evaluated consistently by teams.
So, which theory is accurate? Is there another explanation for several prime-years safeties being overlooked? Will this be the new normal for this position, one that’s seen four players sign for at least $10MM AAV since Earl Thomas‘ then-record $10MM-per-year deal, or will 2018 be an outlier? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
West Rumors: Gates, Cardinals, Chiefs
Less than a month remains until the Chargers break for training camp, and they have not yet made a move to fill the void Hunter Henry‘s ACL tear created. The Bolts have reached out to Antonio Gates, but the future Hall of Famer remains unattached. However, longtime Gates teammate LaDainian Tomlinson believes the 38-year-old pass-catcher is not interested in overtures from other teams, especially given the Chargers’ current predicament.
“I believe the only place Antonio wants to play is the Chargers,” said Tomlinson, who serves as a special assistant to the Chargers’ front office, on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via NFL.com). “I think he has the mind frame of, ‘If I go play, it’s gonna be for the Chargers. If it’s not the Chargers, then I’m good; I won’t play.”
Gates has not been connected to other teams this offseason. The Chargers and Gates have been circling each other for weeks now. A reunion — one Tom Telesco is now open to — may come during camp in the event the Bolts are not pleased with their tight end situation. Virgil Green represents the only proven healthy tight end on the roster at this point.
Shifting to one of the teams that will start camp earlier because of the hiring of a new head coach, here’s what’s new out of the West divisions.
- Based on the events of this offseason, Christian Kirk expects the first NFL passes he’ll catch to be from Sam Bradford. Despite the Cardinals easing their injury-plagued acquisition into work, Kirk’s gotten the impression Bradford will be the starter in Week 1. “To be honest, just with what the coaches have said and just the way it’s looking, I’m pretty sure Sam is going to start,” Kirk said during an NFL Total Access appearance (via NFL.com). Bradford’s Vikings run encountered a steep descent after Week 1 of last season, so recent Josh Rosen praise is probably relevant to the Cards’ short-term matters as well as their long-distance future.
- One of the Cardinals who can expect more work in 2018 will be Ricky Seals-Jones, per Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link). Jurecki sees the second-year UDFA seeing far more targets compared to the 28 he saw last season, even with Jermaine Gresham still on the team. Seals-Jones caught 12 passes for 201 yards and three TDs in 2017.
- Attempting to piece together a new-look secondary, the Chiefs are trying Steven Nelson as an outside cornerback. Nelson played almost exclusively outside during Kansas City’s offseason program, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic (subscription required). “I’m an outside corner,” he said, via Taylor. “I’ll just say that. It’s up to the coaches. I can play both, I’m versatile. But for this (summer), I’ve been outside.” Nelson previously functioned as K.C.’s slot corner in both 2016 and ’17, but with Kendall Fuller now in line to commandeer that role, the Chiefs are shuttling Nelson to the boundary in advance of his contract year. Nelson served as a full-time corner in 2016 before an injury-plagued 2017, and a Fuller-Nelson-David Amerson setup could be in the works for K.C. post-Marcus Peters. Not much depth exists behind this troika, so this would be the logical top three going into camp.
5 Key Stories: 7/1/18 – 7/8/18
Kam Chancellor is walking away from the game: But the Seahawks safety is not necessarily retiring. He revealed doctors have not seen sufficient improvement to green-light a return to the gridiron. As a result, Chancellor declared he will no longer pursue a comeback. The difference in the 30-year-old perennial Pro Bowler retiring and not playing again is big in this case, since Chancellor’s August 2017 extension guarantees him more than $10MM going forward due to injury. Nevertheless, the Seahawks are now to be without another Legion of Boomer. However, this won’t affect how the team will proceed with Earl Thomas.
Suspensions come down for NFC starters: Reuben Foster evaded significant legal trouble this offseason when his cases for domestic violence and marijuana possession were dismissed, but the 49ers linebacker will still be suspended for two games. Foster was suspended for violating the league’s personal-conduct and substance-abuse policies. Rams guard Jamon Brown will as well, with the starting interior lineman set to be out until Week 3. Packers running back Aaron Jones was also part of the pre-July 4 suspension news dump. Both Brown and Jones were deemed guilty of violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Julian Edelman will miss a second straight September: Tom Brady‘s go-to wide receiver will miss another opening month after his PED suspension appeal failed. The Patriots will be without their slot presence in September. Edelman did not fight the results of this appeal — one centered around paperwork and documentation — the way he did the initial ban, however. Edelman, who missed all of last season due to injury, will miss games against the Texans, Lions, Dolphins and Jaguars.
Cardinals GM popped for DUI: NFL executives have been known to worry about player misconduct on and around July 4, but the Cardinals will be dealing with their top decision-maker’s actions that day. Steve Keim was cited for driving under the influence on Independence Day. The GM was booked and released that night, and he apologized for the sequence. Keim could face NFL discipline for this citation.
NFL attempting to force end to Colin Kaepernick case: Long mired in the former 49ers quarterback’s collusion grievance centered around his unique unemployment, the NFL is trying to put a premature end to these proceedings. The league is asking the judge in this case to issue a summary judgment, and if the judge rules in favor of the NFL, the case will end. By demanding to see further proof teams colluded against Kaepernick as a free agent, the NFL is hoping the quarterback’s attorneys will “put their cards on the table.” However, Kaepernick’s legal team isn’t expected to have a hard time making the argument to continue this case.
PFR Originals: 7/1/18 – 7/8/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff over the past week:
- PFR looked at five candidates for a contract extension:
- Ben Levine examined the Cardinals’ situation with contract-year running back David Johnson.
- Zach Links discussed the specifics between the Texans and Jadeveon Clowney, mentioning how the respective processes of Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald may play into Houston’s proceedings.
- Zach went on to deviate from the 2014/15 draftees’ re-up plights by analyzing the Bengals’ circumstances with veteran Geno Atkins.
- Brandon Graham‘s angled for a new Eagles deal for a bit now, and Zach took a look at where things stand between the Super Bowl LII hero and his team.
- Finally, Rory Parks assessed where Stefon Diggs fits into a Vikings team that’s navigating a complicated summer regarding extensions.
- We published four polls on pertinent situations around the league.
- Zach asked readers which head coach will be first to receive his walking papers during the 2018 season. Hue Jackson is leading the pack.
- Dez Bryant remains without a team, and Zach asked the PFR community which franchise he’ll play for this year. The 49ers lead, but the Patriots are also viewed as a logical landing spot.
- With the AFC West looking as intriguing as any division in the league, I asked readers which franchise’s roster looks the best going into training camp. It’s fairly even so far.
- Although Saquon Barkley is favored to win offensive rookie of the year, I asked the PFR community if other running backs had a chance at out-producing him this season. Thus far, the consensus is no.
- We continued our This Date In Transactions History series with six flashbacks to key NFL deals.
- Zach recalled a July 2, 2015 suspension bloodbath featuring Antonio Gates and Sheldon Richardson.
- He then pivoted to a player for whom suspensions have defined a career in Dion Jordan. The first of those came July 3, 2014.
- Zach also chronicled the Lions’ July 5, 2016 decision to release Stephen Tulloch and end a long-drawn-out process.
- I shifted gears to remember a July 6, 1999 signing that helped lead to the ’99 Redskins winning the NFC East title and Larry Centers continuing his prolific receiving career.
- Ben took a look back at Kerry Collins‘ career, one that ended with a July 7, 2011 retirement.
- Now the 49ers GM, John Lynch agreed on a redone Broncos contract on July 8, 2007 to allow for a final NFL season. Rory Parks examined how that process went down and delved into Lynch’s career.
- Barely a week remains until the franchise tag extension deadline. Zach took a look at there the Cowboys’, Lions’, Rams’ and Steelers’ processes with their tagged performers stand.
- From Sean McVay to Pete Carroll, a sizable gap in ages exists among NFL head coaches. Zach examined the current leadership climate.
- In a unique glimpse at which colleges’ standouts are best-compensated by NFL teams, Zach unveiled Alabama, LSU and USC are leading the way.
- With some training camps less than two weeks away, Zach looked at the dwindling unsigned draft-pick contingent. At this point, mostly first-rounders represent the unsigned.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, Sutton
Several new defensive backs will see action for the Browns this season. Denzel Ward, Damarious Randall, T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines are now in the mix in Cleveland. But the team with the top bidding spots in the upcoming supplemental draft is doing its homework on the available DBs. John Dorsey attended Western Michigan safety Sam Beal‘s pro day, and Zac Jackson of The Athletic notes the Browns are studying up on supplemental cornerbacks Adonis Alexander (Virginia Tech) and Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant. The Browns’ 0-16 finish last season guarantees them the first bid position in this non-televised event, so if Cleveland is willing to sacrifice a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, its move would beat any other team that’s willing to part with a third-rounder to the punch. Jackson adds that only Ward and Randall’s jobs look certain this season, with competition set to commence for the other three primary roles in the secondary.
Here’s the latest from the AFC North:
- On the subject of unsettled secondary situations, the Steelers look to feature training camp battles for the spots that Joe Haden and Morgan Burnett do not hold. The main uncertainty here going into camp looks to be 2017 third-rounder Cameron Sutton, whom Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes could settle in at outside corner, in the slot, or as Burnett’s running mate on the back end. While the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Sutton would make for a diminutive safety, he did receive reps there during the Steelers’ offseason program, per Rutter. Sutton started at cornerback for four seasons at Tennessee and is the Volunteers’ all-time leader in passes defensed. Artie Burns‘ job isn’t certain, per Rutter. Neither is Sean Davis‘. And with Terrell Edmunds set to factor into the mix, the Steelers could sport some interesting sub-packages this season.
- The Bengals made a late-offseason personnel change. Christian Sarkisian will join the scouting staff as a scouting assistant, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Formerly the assistant director of player personnel at Northwestern for a year, Sarkisian will join an eight-person Bengals scouting staff.
- The tight end who serves as the Bengals’ Tyler Eifert injury insurance, Tyler Kroft is hoping for a long-term extension to stay in Cincinnati.
- UDFA Janarion Grant may have the inside track to succeed Michael Campanaro as the Ravens’ return man.
Raiders Hope To Play 2019 Season In Oakland
As the second Jon Gruden era begins in Oakland, the Raiders continue to attempt to gain a foothold in Las Vegas while their new stadium is being built. They are going to play in the Bay Area this season, but beyond that, there are no guarantees just yet.
The team does not have a surefire 2019 home. The Raiders’ lease with the Oakland Alameida Coliseum expires after the 2018 season, but their goal is to remain there for 2019, Vincent Bonsignore of the Orange County Register notes.
While UNLV’s home venue — Sam Boyd Stadium — was once seen as a possible contingency plan in case the Raiders and Oakland could not make a lame-duck situation work, that no longer appears to be the case. Bonsignore writes no temporary stadium solution exists in Vegas, so unlike the Rams and Chargers, the Raiders are sticking around in their longtime market while their domed site is being constructed. The 2020 season has been mentioned as the goal for that stadium’s unveiling, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that still isn’t certain.
And if the Raiders are unable to come to terms with Oakland on another lease to play at their 50-plus-year-old stadium for the 2019 season, Bonsignore expects San Diego and San Antonio to surface as possible stopgap home sites.
“As far as the gap between the announcement of the move and the actual moving into the stadium, it’s a tough one,” Mark Davis said, via Bonsignore. “But we want to try and bring a championship to the Bay Area, if we do, that will be fantastic. If we don’t, I can assure you we will have given it all we could to make that happen.”
The Raiders in September 2017 were discussing a lease extension with the city of Oakland for a possible plan to play both the 2019 and ’20 seasons there, in the event a construction delay occurs preventing the team from moving to Las Vegas until 2021. But with those talks being reported nearly 10 months ago, and no such agreement known to have taken place, it adds to the uncertainty surrounding the Raiders’ home following the 2018 campaign.
Davis maintains the eventual exit from Oakland will be agonizing, but he doesn’t regret his decision to relocate after Nevada provided the public funding — a record $750MM — Oakland didn’t.
“It all came down to the public entities and where they felt their efforts should be placed. And obviously we didn’t rank No. 1,” Davis said. “(Oakland) took the approach that why should we give you money? And it was never about them giving us money. And I’ve said that a number of times. All we ever asked for was help to stay in the Bay Area. It’s the most beautiful place in the world. We’ve got the greatest fans in the world up there. But we needed a place that would allow us to compete financially with the rest of the NFL.”
Tyler Kroft Seeking Contract Extension
Tyler Eifert is one of the most talented receiving tight ends in the league, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy. An unrestricted free agent this past offseason, he could have earned a massive payday if he had proven to be more durable. But he missed almost all of the 2017 campaign with a back injury, and he has missed over half of Cincinnati’s regular-season games during his tenure with the club. Ultimately, he signed a one-year deal worth up to $8.5MM to stay with the Bengals in 2018, which is still a nice chunk of change, but nowhere near what his talent itself would otherwise command.
But another Tyler and tight end, Rutgers product Tyler Kroft, emerged during Eifert’s absence last year, posting 42 catches for 404 yards and seven scores. The 2015 third-round selection picked a good time to establish himself as a receiving threat, as he is entering his contract year and, much like Trey Burton this offseason, could score a lucrative free agent pact even if he plays second fiddle to Eifert in 2018.
Kroft is fully aware of his contract status, and per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he would like to land a second contract from the team that drafted him. Kroft, however, does not want to dwell on the matter. He said, “[A new contract is] in the back of my head but I’m trying not to give it too much thought and try and control what I can control. That’s basically how I’ve been trying to think about it. Not get too excited or too down.”
He did, though, express confidence in his abilities and his role in the offense, which could be increased even more if Eifert — whose availability for training camp is already uncertain — once again struggles to stay on the field. If the Bengals are similarly confident in Kroft’s long-term prospects, they may want to lock him up now before his asking price continues to go up. After all, compared to his counterpart, Kroft has been a bastion of durability, having played in 46 of a possible 48 regular-season games over his first three years in the league.
In other Bengals news, Owczarski reports that Cedric Ogbuehi is (surprisingly) building momentum towards landing the team’s starting right tackle spot. Ogbuehi has been a major disappointment since the Bengals selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft, but he has looked good in spring practices and has adapted well to offensive line coach Frank Pollack‘s new scheme and techniques.
This Date In Transactions History: John Lynch
John Lynch has had an enviable career in professional sports. He was selected in the first round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft by the expansion Florida Marlins, and he threw the first pitch in Marlins’ organizational history as a member of one of the team’s minor league affiliates, the Erie Sailors. His Sailors jersey resides in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a result, but he was later selected in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers, and he is probably pretty happy that he ultimately chose to pursue football.
Lynch spent the first 11 seasons of his NFL career with Tampa Bay, and during that time, he established himself as an elite safety. He became one of the most feared tacklers in the league, and he was heralded for his leadership both on and off the field. His playmaking statistics leave a little to be desired, as he tallied just 26 interceptions and 13 sacks in his 15-year career (although he did not become a full-time player until 1996, his fourth year in the league). That could be one of the reasons why he is still on the outside looking in at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his play went beyond raw stats. He was always someone that opposing offenses had to plan around, and his work earned him nine Pro Bowl bids and two First Team All-Pro selections. He was also a key figure in the Bucs’ only championship, helping the team capture Super Bowl XXXVII.
Tampa Bay released the two-sport Stanford athlete following the 2003 campaign, and he was snapped up by the Broncos. Despite switching from strong safety to free safety, Lynch maintained a high level of play with his new club, as he was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons in Mile High. He served as Denver’s defensive captain during the 2006-07 seasons, and on this day in 2007, he and the Broncos agreed to terms on a renegotiated contract that would keep him with the team for one more year.
He considered hanging up the cleats after the 2007 campaign, but Broncos owner Pat Bowlen convinced him to come back for one last hurrah. Even at age 36, though, Lynch expected to be on the field for every snap, and it became clear during the 2008 training camp that he would not be used in sub-packages. He ultimately left the team and was signed by the Patriots, though he never played a regular-season game for New England, which released him just a few weeks later.
Lynch formally announced his retirement in November 2008, and he subsequently enjoyed a successful stint as a color commentator for Fox. He was surprisingly named GM of the 49ers in January 2017, and while the jury is obviously still out on his tenure as an NFL executive, the early returns are promising.
Taking over a club in the midst of a full-scale rebuild, Lynch managed to acquire the team’s quarterback of the future in Jimmy Garoppolo last October in exchange for a second-round draft pick. This offseason, he (briefly) made Garoppolo the highest-paid player in NFL history, even though the East Illinois product has played a grand total of seven games in his professional career. Lynch’s fate with the 49ers will, of course, be tied to Garoppolo’s, but he has done as well as could be expected thus far. Indeed, San Francisco is being mentioned as a fringe playoff contender, no mean feat considering the roster that Lynch inherited. And while the playoffs may still be out of reach in 2018, one more good offseason of work could get the 49ers back to postseason play.
This date 11 years ago therefore marked the beginning of the end of Lynch’s on-field career, but his involvement with the league after retiring as a player has been pretty notable in its own right. He is a member of the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor and the Broncos’ Ring of Hame, and he remains a viable candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And while it’s certainly too early to engage in these types of discussions, maybe he’ll one day get into Canton as an executive even if he doesn’t make it as a player.