The Falcons’ Options At Linebacker
The Falcons will aim to bounce back from a disappointing 2013 season this year, and while there are several reasons for optimism, the team’s 2014 chances sustained a significant blow yesterday, when word broke that linebacker Sean Weatherspoon ruptured his Achilles tendon and will be out for the season.
Already a key contributor on defense for Atlanta, Weatherspoon may have assumed even greater importance this year, as the Falcons transition from a 4-3 base defense into a hybrid system that will incorporate more 3-4 looks. With Weatherspoon out of the picture, the pressure is on the remaining linebackers to fill his role, and it’s not an overwhelmingly deep group. The club is currently carrying 11 linebackers on the roster, but seven of those are rookies — either mid-to-late round draft picks or undrafted free agents.
As D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, the Falcons spent most of last season with Joplo Bartu, Paul Worrilow, and Akeem Dent playing the majority of the snaps at the starting linebacker spots. Those players didn’t perform too badly — Worrilow led the team in tackles, and Bartu graded as about a league-average outside linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
If more linebacker snaps are necessary in the Falcons’ new defensive system though, Atlanta will need to rely on more than those three players to get by. Kroy Biermann is the other returning player on the unit, but he’s coming off a serious Achilles injury of his own, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be fully returned to form. In some looks, the Falcons may line up 4-3 defensive ends such as Osi Umenyiora as 3-4 outside linebackers — still, the team will likely rotate players in and out of those spots depending on the situation.
Of the first-year players, Notre Dame’s Prince Shembo was the highest pick, selected in the fourth round at No. 139 overall. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the player to make the most impact right away, but besides Shembo and fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, all of the Falcons’ rookie LBs were seventh-round picks or undrafted free agents — that suggests most teams, including Atlanta, probably didn’t view those players as ready to step in as immediate contributors. Nonetheless, perhaps one or two players of a group that also includes Yawin Smallwood, Tyler Starr, Brenden Daley, Walker May, and Jacques Smith will provide unexpected production right away.
If the Falcons aren’t comfortable with their internal options, exploring free agency is an alternative. Although most impact players were snatched up months ago, linebacker is one spot where there are still a few notable names on the board. Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests James Harrison is one player for the club to consider, while ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure wonders if Dan Connor, who worked out for Atlanta earlier in the offseason, is worth a longer look.
A glance at our list of remaining free agents reveals a few other possibilities. Pat Angerer and Jonathan Vilma are among the veterans who could have some value, and there are a pair of former Falcons still on the market as well, in Omar Gaither and Stephen Nicholas. Considering the team is implementing a new defensive system, the fact that Gaither and Nicholas played in Atlanta last year wouldn’t necessarily be a huge plus, though at least the Falcons have first-hand familiarity with those players’ strengths and weaknesses.
Ultimately, the Falcons may be content to see how their rookies and returning linebackers fare in Weatherspoon’s absence. However, considering how Atlanta’s defense performed in 2013, entering the 2014 campaign with a similar group of players at the LB position has to give the team pause. I’d expect the Falcons to peruse the free agent market with a little more urgency before training camp in search of a potential upgrade.
NFC South Notes: Weatherspoon, Newton, Bucs
A quick look at the NFC South..
- Poor Sean Weatherspoon. The Falcons linebacker has missed 12 games over the past two years and today he learned that he’ll miss 16 more in 2014. The team announced today that Weatherspoon ruptured his Achilles tendon and will have to miss all of the 2014 season. “During Sean’s run today with our medical staff, he suffered an injury,” head coach Mike Smith said. “We sent Sean to the doctor for some additional testing and evaluation and unfortunately the results showed that he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Sean had been working extremely hard to get back on the field, but regrettably he will miss the entire 2014 season. He will have a procedure done in the near future and we expect him to make a full recovery.”
- Talks between Cam Newton and the Panthers on a deal still have yet to get underway, but there’s a fear that teams will look to impose the Colin Kaepernick structure moving forward, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. However, a deal for Newton may be for a higher average annual value and, as one source told Rapoport (link), guaranteed money is what really matters.
- Buccaneers rookie Kadeem Edwards is looking to make an immediate impact, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The guard was taken in the fifth round out of I-AA Tennessee State.
NFC Notes: Jones, Rams, Cowboys, Nicks
In a video interview with SI.com, Falcons receiver Julio Jones said he expects to sign a long-term contract extension before his rookie deal runs out. “I will not get to free agency,” said Jones. “They gave up a lot for me and they know how hard I work. They’re not going to let me go. And I love Atlanta, I love being here.” Jones also says teammate Roddy White, a free agent next year, wants to be in Atlanta three more years.
Here’s a few more NFC notes:
- The Rams boast the league’s best front seven, while the Cowboys’ is the worst, according to Mike Tanier of Sports On Earth. On the Rams’ burgeoning front four (excluding first-round pick Aaron Donald), in particular, Tanier says, “Think of the Rams defensive line as starting each game with four three-and-outs that leave the opponent punting from about the 22-yard line, and you get a sense of their impact.”
- Meanwhile, “The Cowboys lost DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher and (in the saddest, most ridiculous minicamp story of the year) Sean Lee from a defense that allowed 2,056 rushing yards and recorded just 36 sacks last year,” writes Tanier. “Henry Melton arrives as a younger, more system-suited replacement for Hatcher, but everything else is a shambles. Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and DeVonte Holloman form the most anonymous linebacker corps in the league…And of course, the Cowboys are so cap-stressed that they wouldn’t be able to sign a veteran reinforcement, even if one becomes available this late in the offseason.”
- Buccaneers veteran guard Carl Nicks‘ health status remains a question mark, writes ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas: “Nicks, who missed almost all of last season with a toe injury and a MRSA infection, previously has said he expects to be ready for training camp. But it remains to be seen if he still is on target. The team has been quiet about Nicks’ status.”
- Seahawks pass rusher Bruce Irvin (hip) and running back Robert Turbin (knee) had off-season surgery, reports Bob Condotta in the Seattle Times.
- The 49ers have approximately $6.4MM in cap space, probably enough to “extend a vet and have an emergency stash for the season,” according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
NFC South Notes: Panthers WRs, Saints TEs
Chalk this up as one of the more amazing tidbits with respect to NFL team’s rosters, as written by The Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person: none of the 11 wide receivers on the Panthers roster this spring caught a pass for the team last season.
The Panthers went wide receiver in the first round of the draft, selecting 6-foot-5, 240-pound Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State No. 28 overall. He’ll be looking to replace departed receiver Steve Smith, as will fellow young wideouts Tavarres King and Marvin McNutt, who have been rotating through the first-, second- and third-team offenses in organized team activities.
“One thing we’re trying to make sure is everybody’s getting a lot of reps right now,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “Because when we get to training camp, we want to make sure everybody’s up to speed. We’ve made an emphasis that we’re rotating a lot of players, as much as possible. Wide receiver’s one of those positions.”
As Person notes in his column, both King and McNutt have impressive collegiate résumés, starring at Georgia and Iowa, respectively. They’ll be competing for the starting receiver spots with Benjamin and three free-agent acquisitions: Jerricho Cotchery, Tiquan Underwood and Jason Avant.
Check out more from the NFC South in the links below…
- De’Andre Presley was the answer from Rivera when asked if a player has distinguished himself after Wednesday’s OTA, writes The Observer’s Tom Sorensen. Presley, a quarterback in college at Appalachian State, switched to cornerback upon signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, and is now trying to make the Panthers roster at wide receiver.
- The Panthers went defensive tackle back-to-back in the 2013 NFL Draft with the selections of Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the first and second rounds, respectively, but Short is still in a fight for a starting position, writes Jonathan Jones of The Observer.
- Six tight ends combine for 20 years of experience on the Panthers roster, and Rivera loves the versatility they bring, ESPN.com’s David Newton reports.
- While there is no replacing the immense talent of Jimmy Graham, Saints tight ends Ben Watson and Josh Hill are doing what is asked of them at OTAs, including everything Graham would be doing, per The Times-Picayune’s Christopher Dabe.
- First-round pick receiver Brandin Cooks will be back for the final week of Saints OTAs, believes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett.
- Despite suffering two concussions in his rookie season, Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro said he won’t slow down nor change his reckless ways, Triplett writes.
- With a defensive-heavy draft, notes ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, the Falcons surely made defensive coordinator Mike Nolan a happy man. Nolan touched on each of the seven defensive players drafted, including a glowing review of Dez Southward, the former Wisconsin safety whom Atlanta selected in the third round: “He’s got really good size and is fast. He’s an intelligent guy. He doesn’t have as much football in his background as other guys because he played late in high school. But he’ll listen, as opposed to somebody that didn’t learn much and then they think that they have all the answers.”
NFC Notes: Falcons, Shembo, Bostic, Sherrod
“Our sub defense is our base defense because we play it 65 percent of the snaps,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith tells Daniel Cox of atlantafalcons.com. And while defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s unit is multiple and versatile, he wants players to be dependable at one job first and foremost, particularly in the secondary: “I would like that back end to be set with guys that are really good at one position. I’d rather have a specific guy right now than a jack-of-all trades. When you get to the front, the jack-of-all trades really becomes a little bit more valuable because when you’re attacking protections…or going from 3-4 to 4-3, those looks, that’s where you want it to be a little bit more versatile.”
Here’s some more morning NFC links:
- ESPN’s Vaughn McClure relays brief quotes from Nolan on his defensive rookies, including fourth-rounder Prince Shembo, who will be used at inside linebacker despite playing outside at Notre Dame.
- Bears outside linebacker Jon Bostic struggled during his rookie season, but the team thinks the second-year pro will be better as the defense moves away from a base cover-2 scheme, writes Adam Jahns in the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel a lot more comfortable this year, especially with all the changes to the defense,” said Bostic. “A lot of the changes that we did make, it’s a lot more natural for me. I can play how I’ve been taught literally from little league to high school to college to now. It’s back to playing how I used to.”
- Packers 2011 first-rounder Derek Sherrod, who went through the off-season program healthy for the first time, faces a make-or-break season after the team declined his fifth-year option, notes ESPN’s Rob Demovsky in his Saturday mailbag.
- The Seahawks starting linebackers — Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith — will combine to make approximately$2.86MM in base salary next season, notes Todd Dybas of the News Tribune.
- “If you think [Redskins receiver] Santana Moss is a goner come September, think again,” says Rich Tandler of CSN Washington.
- The Rams are converting defensive lineman Mason Brodine, who spent two seasons on the practice squad, to tight end, per Joe Lyons of the Post-Dispatch.
NFC Notes: Zimmer, Newton, Kaepernick
A report yesterday quoted Vikings coach Mike Zimmer as saying that he almost didn’t show up for his second interview for the job. Today he clarified that story for reporters, including Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. The coach didn’t consider bailing on the Vikings interview because he wasn’t enthused for the position; he says he was just disappointed about not getting the Titans’ gig and didn’t think he had a great chance anywhere else. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- A lot of people are surprised by Colin Kaepernick‘s hefty new contract, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues that salary cap spikes could drive the quarterback market even higher. Because of that, he says that the Panthers need to move quickly on a new deal for QB Cam Newton. Soon, he says, the high-water mark for an elite QB will be $25MM per year and, eventually, $30MM per season. With another strong year or two, Newton could push the ceiling sky-high.
- The 49ers spent 15 hours straight negotiating with Kaepernick’s representatives, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The 49ers knew that the QB would play out his rookie deal rather than accepting anything with an average annual value under $20MM.
- The Falcons are counting on free agent pickup Dwight Lowery to fill their free safety hole, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After starting eight of 27 games for the Jets in 2009 and 2010, Lowery was a full-time starter for the Jaguars over the past three seasons. However, his season ended after just three games in 2013 after he suffered a bad concussion and went on injured reserve.
- There might not be an opportunity at present, but after signing a three-year extension with the Eagles yesterday, guard Allen Barbre says he would like to start, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, the Eagles value his versatility off the bench as he has filled in admirably at both guard and tackle.
- Brian McNally of The Washington Times wonders if Redskins linebacker Keenan Robinson can fill the void left by the retirement of London Fletcher.
- The Cardinals signed undrafted rookie free agent running back Damien Thigpen, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. To make room, the Cards dropped wide receiver Kevin Smith. Thigpen was in rookie minicamp a couple of weeks ago with Arizona and apparently made quite an ipression. The 5’8″, 180 pound tailback tore his ACL late in his junior year and also missed part of his senior season.
NFC Notes: Saints, Washington, 49ers
The Saints have a few positions battles that might not be decided until late in training camp, according to Rachel Whittaker of NOLA.com. She mentions options at starting center, as well as the overhaul of the receiving corps.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
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Another position on the Saints that is left in limbo is the defensive backfield, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. The team knows who the starting safeties should be, but they have a deep group of cornerbacks behind Keenan Lewis fighting for the second corner job. The team gets Patrick Robinson back from injury, in addition to Corey White, free agent veterain Champ Bailey, and second-round pick Stanley-Jean Baptiste, among others. There are 11 cornerbacks on the 90-man roster, when only five made the final roster last season.
- Recently suspended Cardinals‘ linebacker Daryl Washington stand to lose a lot of money due to his most recent transgressions, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Washington will forfeit his 2014 base salary of $2.9MM and his prorated signing bonus of nearly $500,000, but will still have almost $13MM of potential earnings upon his return, as his current contract runs through 2017.
- 49ers‘ linebacker Michael Wilhoite and third-round pick Chris Borland will fight for a starting job at inside linebacker to begin 2014, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. The position is open due to NaVorro Bowman‘s injury at the end of the NFC Championship Game, and one of those two players could be lining up next to Patrick Willis at times in the upcoming season.
- Jeremy Maclin is back with the Eagles, and head coach Chip Kelly is excited to have another weapon in his offensive arsenal, writes Andy Jasner of ESPN.com. “Mac’s doing a really good job, just getting back familiar with it. I was really excited about how he would fit into what we do because of what he can do. And then to lose him that early in camp was disappointing. You got a taste of him,” said Kelly. “But having him out there full speed running out there right now, he’s doing a really good job.”
- The Falcons have a long list of expiring contracts on their roster, and as they move to more 3-4 opportunities on defense, they could be in store for a major overhaul in talent, writes David Choats of TheFalcoholic.com. They put together a list of these players who will be free agents in 2015.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Lee, Gase, Hester
The Cowboys are considering all options to replace linebacker Sean Lee. Well, not all options. You can count out veteran London Fletcher, who says he’s retired, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Besides, as Werder notes, his fans in Washington D.C. wouldn’t be too pleased with him if he went to Dallas. More from around the league..
- The union has been looking into the injury suffered by Lee, but there likely won’t be much said about the team’s role in it, writes FOX Sports’ Mike Garafolo. In theory, the union could charge the team with neglect if there were a clear, objective violation like the OTAs running longer than the allotted 90 minutes.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com runs down his list of top coordinators on the rise and the Broncos‘ Adam Gase is at the top. The OC has been the NFL’s “it” guy for some time and even though it’ll be hard for his offense to replicate last season’s performance, he still figures to have tons of options in 2015.
- Newcomer Devin Hester is expected to give the Falcons‘ special teams a big boost, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think that one thing that I really enjoy at this point in time is the way he’s approaching it,” special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong said. “He’s approaching it like a pro. He’s not approaching it like, ‘hey, I’ve been there before.’ He knows and understands that this is a different team, and he’s working his tail off.”
The Importance Of June 1st
Many of the most important dates of the NFL offseason have already come and gone, but this Sunday represents another day that team executives around the league have circled on their calendars. Here’s a brief summary of why June 1 is important, and what we can expect starting next Monday, after that deadline has passed:
- As we explained in a PFR Glossary entry, players released or traded after June 1 count against the cap differently than players who were cut or moved earlier in the offseason, with teams able to spread the player’s dead money across multiple years. So we could see a handful of veterans released or dealt once June 1 is behind us.
- Several players were released earlier in the offseason and designated as post-June 1 cuts, meaning their cap hits will finally be reduced starting in June. Those players are LaMarr Woodley (Steelers; $8MM cap savings), Carlos Rogers (49ers; $6.6MM), Miles Austin (Cowboys; $5.5MM), Steve Smith (Panthers; $5MM), David Bass (Giants; $5MM), Daryn Colledge (Cardinals; $5MM), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons; $3.4MM). Each of those teams was starting to approach the cap limit, so the new savings will give them the flexibility to lock up draft picks and possibly revisit the free agent market.
- Speaking of free agents, June 1 represents the deadline for teams to extend contract tenders to their unrestricted FAs. If a club’s former veteran player remains unsigned, that team can make him a one-year offer worth 110% of his previous cap number (minus workout and incentive payments). For former players who were on rookie contracts, the one-year tender is worth 100% of the player’s previous base salary. Players who receive these June 1 tenders have until July 22 to sign with another team — after that date, the player’s previous team retains exclusive negotiating rights throughout the season.
- Most free agents won’t receive tender offers, meaning they become free after June 1 to sign with any club without being tied to future draft compensation. As such, we’ll likely see an increase in veterans inking contracts, since teams will no longer have to worry that signing those players will reduce their chances at compensatory 2015 draft picks.
Details from Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.
Extension Candidate: Roddy White
The Falcons want to lock up former All-Pro wide receiver Roddy White up for the long haul, but an unfortunate tragedy put football and contract talks on the backburner earlier this offseason. Understandably, neither side wanted to talk business after the untimely passing of White’s half-brother, Tyron Moore Jr. While things were put on hold, we learned earlier today that the Falcons still expect to hammer out an extension with White at some point this offseason.
The report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggested that Brandon Marshall‘s new three-year, $30MM pact with the Bears could be used as a model for the deal. On the surface, that sounds like a fair deal considering that both men have been among the league’s elite wide receivers for several years. However, given White’s injury struggles last season and the presence of Julio Jones on the other side of the field, that could be a bit too lofty for him. Besides, Marshall is a couple years younger than White, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday in November.
Complicating matters further will be Jones’ contract situation. The dynamic receiver is set to earn $5.15MM in 2014 and $10.18MM in 2015 before he’s eligible to hit free agency and it’s a safe bet that his next deal will have an average annual value closer to his 2015 salary than his 2014 figure. At the end of the day, however, the Falcons know that White’s effectiveness will be limited if he doesn’t have another elite WR with him to attract attention. The Falcons got some solid games out of Harry Douglas and others last season, but outside of Jones, no wide receiver on the roster can deliver like White.
Some might say that a better comparable for White would be Colts veteran Reggie Wayne, who signed a three-year, $17.5MM extension at age 33. ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure raised this point recently, but there are a couple of reasons why that comparable might be off. For starters, in our humble opinion, White has more value than Wayne, even when taking health into account. Secondly, Wayne’s deal was struck two years ago when teams were working under a smaller salary cap. Three years is probably the appropriate length on a new deal for White and a dollar figure that falls between Marshall’s deal and Wayne’s deal (say, $8MM average annual value) would make a lot of sense.