LSU, Alabama Lead NFL In Cap Dollars By College
Alabama won the national championship this year, but LSU has them beat in another category. More salary cap dollars in the NFL are being spent on Tigers alum than any other school in the country, according to Over The Cap.
Former LSU players are set to take in a total of $160.37MM NFL dollars this year, thanks in part to top earners such as Jarvis Landry, Patrick Peterson, Andrew Whitworth, Michael Brockers, and Odell Beckham Jr. Alabama – a group that includes Julio Jones, Marcell Dareus, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Kareem Jackson – is not far behind at $157.12MM.
Here’s the rundown of the Top 25, according to OTC:
| Rk. | College | # of players | Cap Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU | 61 | $160,369,274 |
| 2 | Alabama | 60 | $157,122,963 |
| 3 | USC | 48 | $151,068,123 |
| 4 | Georgia | 44 | $149,165,318 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 53 | $130,270,159 |
| 6 | Miami | 50 | $128,288,740 |
| 7 | California | 33 | $126,843,410 |
| 8 | Florida State | 50 | $121,923,570 |
| 9 | Florida | 51 | $118,224,071 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 38 | $105,483,720 |
| 11 | Stanford | 36 | $100,104,655 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 32 | $95,928,735 |
| 13 | Clemson | 42 | $90,882,721 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 28 | $90,363,894 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 38 | $88,797,566 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 28 | $88,350,715 |
| 17 | Texas A&M | 33 | $85,645,140 |
| 18 | Iowa | 33 | $82,139,839 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 38 | $79,788,631 |
| 20 | Penn State | 40 | $75,628,782 |
| 21 | Oregon | 33 | $73,695,597 |
| 22 | Mississippi State | 25 | $71,898,567 |
| 23 | Michigan | 36 | $71,787,690 |
| 24 | Mississippi | 28 | $71,757,391 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 33 | $66,999,307 |
There has been some movement on this list since 2017. In September of last year, Georgia led the way thanks to the big money contracts of Justin Houston, Cordy Glenn, Matthew Stafford, A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, and Thomas Davis. After that, USC, Alabama, LSU, and Cal rounded out the top five.
The list may also change between now and the start of the 2018 season. For example, if the Falcons give Jones the contract enhancement he’s seeking, Alabama could easily regain the top spot.
OTC also has the breakdown of cap dollars spent per FBS conference. As expected, the SEC leads the way with nearly $1.2 billion spent on its former players. After that, it’s the Big Ten ($834.41MM), Pac-12 ($796.4MM), ACC ($789.6MM), Big 12 ($419.21MM), The American ($299.85MM), Mountain West ($231.81MM), Mid-American ($190.55MM), Conference USA ($154.3MM), the Independents ($130.37MM, led by Notre Dame), and the Sun Belt ($96.34MM). Players from outside of the FBS fall somewhere in the middle, with a total of $643.31MM.
Poll: Which Team Will Sign Dez Bryant?
Dez Bryant, to our knowledge, has not drawn a significant offer since turning down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens. As his market stagnated, Bryant’s camp leaked word that he would not be signing until July. Well, here we are.
We’ve heard very little about Bryant over the last four weeks, so it’s anyone’s guess as to where he’ll land. And, if it’s anyone’s guess, it might as well be our guess. Before we ask you predict where Bryant will land, let’s run down some of the possible contenders: 
49ers – Bryant has openly lobbied for an opportunity with the Niners and there’s reason to believe that could become a reality. The 49ers stayed away from the wide receivers at the top of this year’s free agent market, but Bryant’s price tag figures to be a lot lower than that of Sammy Watkins or Allen Robinson. With more than $45MM in cap room – good for third-highest in the NFL – the Niners certainly have the space to take on a player of Bryant’s caliber. And, because they have an eye on the future, they could be willing to give Bryant the one-year platform deal he is seeking. The 49ers have some talent at wide receiver including Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, but none of the receivers expected to make the roster are above 6’0″. Bryant – billed at 6’2″ – would give provide them with a tall red zone target.
Bills – Outside of No. 1 WR Kelvin Benjamin, the Bills have tons of question marks at the position. Bryant is the best wide receiver still available (or, at least, the biggest name left), so he could make some sense as the player to supplant the unreliable Zay Jones as the team’s No. 2 WR. Bills GM Brandon Beane didn’t sound enthusiastic when talking about Bryant back in April, but he didn’t explicitly rule him out either.
Cardinals – After losing both John Brown and Jaron Brown, the Cardinals could be interested in adding some talent to their wide receiver group. Then again, they may already feel comfortable with J.J. Nelson, rookie Christian Kirk, and free agent addition Brice Butler behind Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals have upwards of $13MM in cap space, according to the NFLPA, so they have the cash necessary to sign Bryant if they want him.
Cowboys – When the Cowboys released Bryant earlier this year, they were not aware of Jason Witten‘s impending retirement. Months later, could they circle back to Bryant in order to fortify their lackluster WR group? Probably not, but we’ll put them on the board anyway and let you decide.
Eagles – After Bryant was released, he indicated that he wanted to play in the NFC East in order to face the Cowboys pay twice in 2018. The Eagles, in theory, could make some sense now that Torrey Smith is out of the picture and Alshon Jeffery is out for the offseason with a shoulder injury. However, the Eagles already have a new veteran in Mike Wallace and their $6MM in cap space might not be enough to land Bryant, even if they wanted him.
Packers – The Packers have been speculatively linked to Bryant over the last few months. Some see a potential fit, but others, such as Aaron Rodgers, do not. The Packers are now without Jordy Nelson, but they drafted three wide receivers while retaining Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison, so there might not be any room in the inn.
Patriots – The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman for the first four games of the year, which could lead them to consider Bryant. They also have a history of signing older big-name wide receivers with reputation problems, including Randy Moss and Chad Johnson (some worked out better than others), so the possibility of adding the mercurial Bryant cannot be discounted. On the other hand, they have plenty of weapons to get them through the opening month of the season in Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson, not to mention Malcolm Mitchell and speedy rookie Braxton Berrios, who may or may not make the final cut. There’s also a tight end by the name of Rob Gronkowski who should be able to catch an extra pass or two while Edelman is out.
Saints – With a wide receiver group of Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., free agent addition Cameron Meredith, third round pick Tre’Quan Smith, and Brandon Coleman, is there room for Bryant? Not necessarily, but there also wasn’t a clear spot for Adrian Peterson in New Orleans before the Saints signed him last year. The Saints have a little more than $7MM in cap space, which could be enough to sign Bryant depending on his market at this stage of the offseason and his desire to play for a contender.
Redskins – Former teammate Orlando Scandrick has advocated for Washington to sign Bryant and the Redskins would give him the opportunity to face the Cowboys twice per year. The problem, however, is that the Redskins seem pretty set at the top of the order with Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson.
Titans – The Titans have talent at wide receiver, but Rishard Matthews‘ support staff is decidedly inexperienced. With Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor, and Tajae Sharpe all yet to celebrate their 24th birthday, could the Titans consider Bryant? In theory, he would add some experience to the group, but he might not be a great influence on the younger guys.
Click below to make your choice and defend your decision in the comment section:
This Date In Transactions History: NFL Suspends Dolphins’ Dion Jordan
In 2013, the Dolphins made defensive end Dion Jordan the highest selected University of Oregon product since Joey Harrington in 2002. Like Harrington, the selection of Jordan did not prove to be a good one. 
Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was only a part-time player as a rookie and his sophomore campaign did not get off to a promising start. On this date in 2014, Jordan was banned for the first four games of the season after a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
For his part, Jordan claimed that he tested “positive for stimulants that are banned under the NFL policy.” In September, his suspension was lifted as a part of the league’s overhaul of its drug policy, but he was immediately hit with another four-game suspension for a separate infraction. Jordan wound up missing the first six games of the 2014 season and underwhelmed in the ten games he did play.
In 2015, Jordan lost his entire season after the NFL found that he diluted one of his test samples. He was conditionally reinstated in 2016, but the Dolphins were forced to place him on the NFI list as he was recovering from a knee surgery that he did not inform the team about. After a second knee surgery in the fall, the Dolphins were fed up, and they opted against activating Jordan for the home stretch of the season.
The good news here is that Jordan may finally be on the right track. Last year, he hooked on with the Seahawks and showed promise in a small five-game sample as he tallied four sacks. This offseason, the Seahawks retained Jordan on a one-year, $1.9MM deal. He underwent a minor knee procedure in June, but Seattle expects to have him back in time for the preseason.
Extra Points: Titans, Mariota, Jets, Broncos
The Titans may landed the second-overall pick in the 2015 draft, but it sounds like the organization still drafted their desired prospect. Blake Beddingfield, the team’s former director of scouting, told Paul Kuharsky that preferring quarterback Marcus Mariota over top-overall pick Jameis Winston was “an easy choice at that time” (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com echoes that sentiment (via Twitter), saying the team’s infatuation with Mariota was why they refused to trade the pick.
Following a breakout campaign in 2016, Mariota took a bit of a step back in 2017. The 24-year-old ended up completing 62-percent of his passes for 3,232 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Winston had the edge in numbers (63.8 completion percentage, 3,504 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), but his off-the-field conduct would seemingly give Mariota the edge when it comes to the duo’s long-term outlooks.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…
- If the Jets hope to compete for a playoff spot next season, the team will need rookie quarterback Sam Darnold to step up and contribute right away, writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. While head coach Todd Bowles favors experience, Darnold’s skills would surely boost the team’s ceiling. Cimini also points to wideout Robby Anderson, center Spencer Long, cornerback Trumaine Johnson, and defensive end Leonard Williams among those who will need to have standout seasons for a playoff-bound Jets squad.
- Paxton Lynch has two more years left on his contract, and Mike Klis of 9News.com writes that the quarterback’s longterm outlook with the Broncos will depend on his performance next season. While the team is unlikely to pick up Lynch’s fifth-year option, Klis believes the team won’t end up dealing the former first-rounder. After all, Lynch would presumably have little trade value if he sits on the bench behind Case Keenum, and he’d likely be too valuable for the Broncos is he makes his way into the starting lineup.
- Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears that former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal could end up being selected in the second or third round of the supplemental draft, with several AFC teams expressing interest (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that the highly-touted prospect was expected to be one of the two players selected (along with Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander) in the upcoming draft.
Latest On Earl Thomas, Seahawks
Kam Chancellor announced yesterday that he’d be hanging up his cleats, but his unofficial retirement likely won’t influence the Seahawks’ talks with Earl Thomas. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that the loss of Chancellor won’t impact the team’s handling of their disgruntled free safety.
The Thomas saga has been ongoing for the past three months. The six-time Pro Bowler is set to enter the final season of a four-year, $40MM deal, and there were reports that the team was shopping him earlier this offseason. Thomas subsequently sat out the team’s mandatory minicamp in pursuit of a new contract (although he’s expected to be back for training camp). When he first announced his hold out, the 29-year-old said he wasn’t going to attend “any team activities until my contract situation is resolved.”
The 29-year-old is seeking money that’d approach Eric Berry‘s deal ($13MM average annual salary), but Condotta notes that the organization has reason to be wary of this kind of contract. For starters, the team just saw Chancellor retire before playing a single year of his new extension (thus negatively impacting the team’s cap situation). The team also shipped off Michael Bennett before he played a year on his new deal. Condotta believes the team isn’t looking to put themselves in a similar predicament.
The 2010 first-round pick has spent his entire career with the Seahawks, earning three All-Pro first-team nods during his tenure. After being limited to 11 games in 2016, Thomas bounced back in 2017. In 14 games, the safety finished with 56 tackles, six passes defended, and a pair of interceptions. If the defensive back’s hold out was to last through the start of the regular season, the team could turn to Mo Alexander, Delano Hill, Akeem King, and Tedric Thompson to start alongside Bradley McDougald.
Extension Candidate: David Johnson
If it wasn’t previously clear, David Johnson‘s importance to the Cardinals was emphasized after he was lost to a season-ending injury back in September. The team’s offense ultimately finished with 86.6 rushing yards per game, the third-worst mark in the league, and their 3.4 yards per carry was the second-lowest average in the NFL. However, while Johnson is undoubtedly a huge part of the Cardinals’ offense, the front office may be hesitant to pay the former third-rounder top dollar.
The 26-year-old is set to earn $1.8MM in the final year of his rookie contract in 2018. While previous contract negotiations had been described as productive, Johnson surprisingly sat out the team’s mandatory minicamp last month. This may simply be an attempt by Johnson’s camp to lock up a long-term deal as soon as possible. After all, the running back is coming off a campaign that saw him appear in only a single game, and another injury could cost him some big money. Either way, Johnson’s June hold out was partly semantics; if the running back fails to report to the team by August 7th, it would delay his free agency by an entire year.
However, while negotiations may not necessarily be hostile, there’s clearly a discrepancy between the team’s offer and Johnson’s asking price (if there wasn’t, the two sides would have presumably come to an agreement by now). Joel Corry of CBSSports.com suggests that Johnson’s camp may be waiting until there’s clarity on Le’Veon Bell‘s deal with the Steelers. Previous reports indicated that Pittsburgh had offered a five-year, $60MM deal to their star running back, but Bell was seeking a contract that would equal the $17MM average annual value of teammate Antonio Brown‘s deal. If Bell gets his way (or if he does significantly better than the $60MM offer), Corry believes that “could be a game changer for Johnson.”
As things stand right now, the Cardinals seem to be in the driver’s seat thanks to the modest running back contracts that have recently been handed out. As Corry points out, the average salary of the five highest-paid running backs is south of $11MM per season. The agent also notes that Falcons running back Devonta Freeman‘s $8.25MM average salary is the current benchmark for the position. The Cardinals also have the ability to capitalize on the franchise tag, which would pay Johnson $11.9MM in 2019.
After finishing with 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns during the 2016 season, Johnson proved that he was a foundational piece for the Cardinals. However, while both sides would presumably like to agree on a long-term contract, there’s also incentive for both sides to wait. Therefore, we shouldn’t be all that surprised if the organization and Johnson engage in a staring match for the foreseeable future.
Top Broncos Executive Stepping Away From Role
A key Broncos executive is stepping away from his front office role. Mike Klis of 9News.com reports Tom Heckert Jr. is not working with the organization as he focuses on his health. The 50-year-old was diagnosed with a treatable blood disorder back in 2016.
“I’m going to take some time off and not work anywhere for a little while,’’ Heckert told Klis. “The Broncos have been great. They have gone above and beyond during my time there with my health stuff. I’m getting treatment and overall I am doing well.’’
The Broncos will now be left with a huge hole in their front office, as Klis describes Heckert as one of general manager John Elway‘s “top lieutenants.” As Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets, the move will leave former coach Gary Kubiak as the “lone senior personnel advisor” on the staff.
Heckert has been working in the NFL since 1991, when he started working as a pro and college scout. The executive ended up spending 10 years with the organization, eventually rising to the role of director of pro personnel. He eventually moved on to the Eagles organization, where he spent four years as the team’s general manager. The Eagles made the playoffs during three of those four seasons, including a 2008 campaign that saw the team losing in the conference championship. After spending a brief time as the Browns general manager, he eventually joined the Broncos staff back in 2013.
During his nearly 30 years in the NFL, Heckert’s teams have earned 17 playoff appearances, three conference championship appearances, and one Super Bowl championship.
Reactions To Kam Chancellor’s Unofficial Retirement
Yesterday, longtime Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor announced that he’s stepping away from the NFL due to injury. The 30-year-old was once considered to be one of the top safeties in the entire game, joining Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman to form the Legion of Boom. The secondary helped lead the Seahawks to five straight playoff berths, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship, with Chancellor earning four Pro Bowl nods along the way.
Their Super Bowl victory was four years ago, but the team is now rostering only six starters from the championship-winning squad (excluding Chancellor). As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, K.J. Wright, Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas and Byron Maxwell (who has since left the organization and returned) are the only starting defenders left on the team, while Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin are the lone offensive players.
Of course, Chancellor’s announcement does more than reduce the number of holdovers from that Super Bowl-winning team. Rather, the move has a major financial impact on the organization, which several reporters have detailed over the past 24 hours…
- Former NFL agent Joel Corry expects Chancellor to ultimately land on the Physically Unable to Perform list (Twitter link). Officially retiring and letting the Seahawks get out of his $5.2MM injury guarantee in 2019 (his $6.8MM for 2018 has already been guaranteed) would be “an extremely generous gesture” by the defensive back, adds Corry.
- The agent has more specific information on the financial implications of Chancellor’s unofficial retirement (via Twitter). The safety will count towards a $9.3MM cap charge in 2018 and a $10.2MM cap charge in 2019, and the team would have a $14.5MM and $5MM cap hit by cutting him now (the 2019 guarantee would “accelerate,” per Corry). This money is all part of the three-year, $36MM extension Chancellor signed during last year’s training camp.
- Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times suggests that Chancellor and the Seahawks could eventually agree to a settlement, thus alleviating the organization of the financial burden. The writer also believes the organization will keep the retired safety on the roster for 2018 and see what happens next year, with the hope that Chancellor might be able to eventually pass a physical (thus letting the team out of the injury guarantee).
- Condotta points out that the Seahawks are sitting with around $10.5MM in cap space at the moment, although they could open up some room by adjusting their current players’ contracts. The writer specifically focuses on left tackle Duane Brown, who is set to have a $9.75MM cap hit this season. On the flip side, Chancellor’s announcement shouldn’t do much to hurt the Seahawks next offseason, as the team is sitting with $54MM in available space, the third-highest mark in the NFL.
Poll: Who Will Be The First Coach To Get Fired This Season?
It’s a new year for every coach in the NFL, but not every coach will survive the year. Already, there’s speculation about which coaches could be on the hot seat in 2018. Some coaches with shaky job security may include:
- Hue Jackson, Browns: Jackson is the oddsmaker’s favorite to lose his job first. After compiling a 1-31 record in his two seasons at the helm in Cleveland, it’s hard to argue with the professionals. Jackson certainly has more talent to work with thanks to the arrivals of running back Carlos Hyde, wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and a vastly improved secondary, but along with that comes raised expectations. When also considering that Jackson is a holdover from the previous regime and not necessarily the preferred choice of new GM John Dorsey, it’s quite possible that Jackson could be ousted with another bad start.
- Adam Gase, Dolphins: When Gase was hired in 2016, he was the league’s youngest head coach at the age of 38. He earned a playoff appearance in his first year on the sidelines, but last year turned ugly after quarterback Ryan Tannehill was lost for the season and replaced by Jay Cutler. Tannehill’s return should help matters, but it’s fair to wonder whether this team has improved much at all after losing Ndamukong Suh on the other side of the ball. The Dolphins’ early schedule may also hurt Gase as they open against the Titans, Jets, Raiders, and Patriots. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Dolphins split those games, like they did in 2017, but it’s also conceivable that they could open the year 0-4. As you can probably guess, an 0-4 start is historically difficult to climb out from. Of the 117 teams that have started 0-4 in the 16-game era, the ’92 Chargers are the ones to have reached the postseason with with an 11-win campaign. The 2004 Bills and the 2017 Chargers both rallied to win nine games, but neither club reached the playoffs.
- Marvin Lewis, Bengals: The Lewis saga took some weird twists and turns last season. In the midst of a second-straight season without a playoff appearance, there was speculation about Lewis’ job security. Then, in December, we started hearing rumblings that Lewis might leave the Bengals to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Ultimately, Lewis was signed to a two-year extension to, theoretically, keep him under contract for his 16th and 17th seasons in Cincinnati. Lewis has avoided lame duck status for 2018, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll survive the year if the Bengals falter.
- Vance Joseph, Broncos: Joseph was nearly axed after the 2017 season before John Elway ultimately decided to retain him. The Broncos’ defense is still jam-packed with talent and they have a capable quarterback in Case Keenum, so anything short of a playoff appearance will be a disappointment in Denver. This will be Joseph’s second season at the helm in Denver, but it’s clear that he is under pressure it win.
- Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers: Koetter was already believed to be on the hot seat but he was placed squarely behind the 8-ball last week when quarterback Jameis Winston was suspended for the first three games of the season. Even if the Bucs come out of September unscathed, they’ll be up against an overall schedule that is the fourth-toughest in the NFL, based on the combined win percentage of opponents in 2017.
The list goes on from there. Jay Gruden (Redskins), Todd Bowles (Jets), Bill O’Brien (Texans), Jason Garrett (Cowboys), John Harbaugh (Ravens), and Ron Rivera (Panthers) could also be in varying degrees of jeopardy with disappointing seasons. We’d be surprised to see a quick hook for Garrett, Harbaugh, or Rivera no matter what happens, but you may feel differently.
Click below to make your pick for who will be the first to get the axe. Then, you can head to the comment section to back up your choice.
Seahawks Meet With J.R. Sweezy
The Seahawks are meeting with guard J.R. Sweezy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Sweezy is taking a physical with the team, which may signal that Seattle is serious about signing him. 
Sweezy entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Seahawks in 2012. They converted Sweezy from the interior defensive line to the interior offensive line and he went on to start in 49 games for the Seahawks over four seasons, including the team’s Super Bowl winning-season in 2013.
In 2016, Sweezy signed a five-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $32.5MM. That deal was terminated last week after two injury-plagued seasons with Tampa Bay.
The 29-year-old guard started all 14 games he played for the Bucs last season, though he was less than 100% healthy. Pro Football Focus rated Sweezy as its No. 53 guard in 2017.
The Seahawks can use all the help they can get on the offensive line, so it makes sense for them to kick the tires on Sweezy and see where he stands in his rehab from a broken leg. For now, the Seahawks project to start 2017 second-round pick Ethan Pocic and free agent pickup D.J. Fluker at the guard positions.