Devonta Freeman Seeking “Elite” Money
Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has a rather important game to play Sunday, but his representative is already looking past Atlanta’s Super Bowl LI matchup with the Patriots and ahead to the offseason. Given Freeman’s contributions to the NFC champions’ prolific offensive attack, he deserves “elite” money, agent Kristin Campbell told Mike Silver of NFL.com. Freeman still has another year left on his contract, but Campbell expects the Falcons to prioritize an extension for him in the offseason.
Freeman, a three-year veteran, is coming off his second straight regular season with 1,000-plus rushing yards, 13-plus total touchdowns and over 50 receptions. He has amassed those quality numbers despite working in a timeshare with 2015 third-round pick Tevin Coleman, which has frustrated Freeman and his agent.
“Oh, I’m certainly struggling with it, just because I’m a competitor,” Freeman said. “I just want to be around the ball as much as I can, to help the team win. Now we’re in the Super Bowl, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don’t know how many carries or touches I’m gonna get going into this game, but I’m gonna try to make the most of every opportunity I get.”
Campbell, meanwhile, lamented that Freeman “gets significantly less opportunity than the others” who are top-caliber backs around the NFL. She also pointed to Freeman’s durability as another reason he deserves a sizable payday, as he has missed just one game in his career. With both that and Freeman’s production in mind, Campbell has reached out to the Falcons regarding an extension, but they haven’t yet responded. However, general manager Thomas Dimitroff informed Silver the Falcons are “extremely encouraged by Devonta, as a player and a person on this team” and will “address (his contract situation) after the season.”
For his part, Freeman insists he’s focused on the task at hand this week, noting that the Falcons have “too much to play for. After that, well, I feel like I’ve done my part. Now, hopefully, I’ll get rewarded.”
Freeman has piled up 209 total yards (87 rushing, 122 receiving) and two touchdowns in playoff wins over the Seahawks and Packers. He could, of course, further make his case for a massive raise over his current $600K salary with another strong showing on the game’s biggest stage Sunday.
Martavis Bryant To Apply For Reinstatement
Suspended Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has officially applied for reinstatement to the NFL, reports Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). It was reported in mid-January that the embattled wideout would apply for reinstatement “in the near future.” Bryant won’t be eligible to return until March, one year after the NFL suspended him for violating its substance abuse policy.
Although Bryant’s Steelers made it all the way to the AFC title game, the 2016 campaign will go down as a lost season for the 25-year-old. Bryant is serving his second suspension since he entered the pros in 2014.
Previously, Bryant sat four games in 2015 for multiple substance abuse violations. Marijuana usage was at the root of the penalty then, but Bryant’s current suspension came as a result of multiple missed drug tests. Bryant elected against appealing the ban, as he deemed it an “unwinnable” situation, and decided to enter rehab for depression issues.
If Bryant’s off-field troubles are behind him and he does come back next season, his presence could be a boon to an already high-octane Steeler attack. However, there’s no guarantee the franchise would welcome him back.
“We are very disappointed that Martavis Bryant has put himself in this current situation of being suspended by the League,” the Steelers said in a statement last March. He is at a crossroads of his professional life, and he needs to understand significant changes need to occur in his personal life if he wants to regain his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. We are hopeful that Martavis will take the necessary steps to develop the discipline in his personal life to become a successful player and a good teammate.”
When on the field, Bryant has been a major threat. The ex-Clemson Tiger caught 50 passes for 765 yards and eight touchdowns in just 11 games last season. That came after he hauled in eight scores and averaged a whopping 21.1 yards per catch in 10 games as a rookie. All told, the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder has amassed 76 receptions, 14 scores and posted a 17.3 YPC in 21 games. Should he don a Pittsburgh uniform in 2017, he’d join an Antonio Brown-led receiving corps that also includes Eli Rogers and Sammie Coates.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Los Angeles Rams
In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. This year’s series continues with the Rams, whose second act in Los Angeles began horrifically this season. The Rams sputtered to a 4-12 showing, which led to the in-season firing of the embattled Jeff Fisher and the postseason hiring of the youngest head coach in the modern era, 31-year-old Sean McVay.
Previously a successful offensive coordinator with the Redskins, McVay is inheriting a 22-year-old quarterback, Jared Goff, who underwhelmed as a rookie after the Rams traded up to select him first overall in the draft. The Rams don’t have either a first- or third-round pick this year because of that trade, which is a painful reality for a franchise that would have otherwise chosen fifth overall. Goff could begin to realize his vast potential under McVay, of course, and that would make the deal much easier to accept.
As the Rams wait to see how the two wunderkinds will fare in Year 1 of their partnership, their Les Snead-led front office will work to improve a roster that scored the fewest points and allowed the third-highest total in the NFL in 2016.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Kenny Britt, WR
- Blake Countess, S (ERFA)
- Benny Cunningham, RB
- Dominique Easley, DT (RFA)
- Isaiah Johnson, S (ERFA)
- Trumaine Johnson, CB
- Case Keenum, QB
- Matt Longacre, DT (ERFA)
- T.J. McDonald, S
- Brian Quick, WR
- Chase Reynolds, RB
- Cam Thomas, DE
- Louis Trinca-Pasat, DT (ERFA)
- Trey Watts, RB (RFA)
- Ethan Westbrooks, DT (RFA)
- Greg Zuerlein, K (UFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:
- Tavon Austin, WR: $14,977,116
- Mark Barron, LB: $11,000,000
- Michael Brockers, DT: $11,000,000
- Robert Quinn, DE: $10,750,334
- Alec Ogletree, LB: $8,369,000
- Greg Robinson, OT: $6,772,213
- Jared Goff, QB: $6,349,471
- Rodger Saffold, G: $6,222,233
- William Hayes, DE: $5,500,000
- Lance Kendricks, TE: $4,250,000
Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $40,203,030
Other:
- No first- or third-round pick (traded to Tennessee)
- Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year options for DT Aaron Donald and OT Greg Robinson
Three Needs:
1.) Repair the offensive line: If you’re building around youth at quarterback and running back, two places the Rams have invested heavily over the past couple years, common sense says you should possess a strong group of blockers. That wasn’t the case in 2016 for the Rams, whose offensive line graded as Football Outsiders’ fourth-worst group and Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst unit. Only lowly Cleveland allowed more sacks than Los Angeles (49), whose rushers posted the league’s 10th-lowest yards-per-carry mark (3.9). Dual-threat wide receiver Tavon Austin drove up the latter figure, averaging 5.7 yards on 28 rushes. The Rams’ actual backs, including 2015 rookie sensation Todd Gurley, were far less impressive. Gurley shockingly stumbled to a 3.2 YPC – down 50 percent from his 4.8 the prior season – on 278 attempts and failed to eclipse the 85-yard mark in any of his 16 games. He certainly isn’t blameless for his dreadful second season, but it’s clear he and Goff need more support up front.
While the Rams are fine at left guard (Rodger Saffold) and right tackle (Rob Havenstein), they’d be wise to seek upgrades along the remainder of the line. That includes left tackle, where Greg Robinson has busted since going second overall in the 2014 draft. It’s doubtful the Rams will move on this offseason from Robinson, as he’s still young (24) and will be on their books at his full cap hit ($6.77MM-plus) even if they release him. They’ll surely decline his fifth-year option for 2018, however, and ought to look for a starting-caliber replacement for at least next season. Unfortunately, neither free agency nor the draft will brim with blindside options this offseason.
The open market’s top solution could be the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth, who’s stellar but also aging (35). Otherwise, tackles scheduled to reach free agency include less capable protectors like Riley Reiff (Lions), Matt Kalil (Vikings) and Luke Joeckel (Jaguars). As is the case with Robinson, both Kalil and Joeckel have been letdowns since their respective teams used top five picks on them in recent years, though it might be worth pointing out that Kalil is a California native who formerly thrived in the Rams’ temporary stadium, the LA Coliseum, as a member of the USC Trojans. Past success aside, he’s certainly not a premier blocker these days.
In the event the Rams wait until the draft, where they’re scheduled to pick 37th, they could end up in contention for any of Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, Utah’s Garrett Bolles or Alabama’s Cam Robinson. All three tackles currently reside in the top 50 prospect rankings of draft gurus Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) and Matt Miller (Bleacher Report).
Moving to the interior, where the Rams should add a second high-end guard to complement Saffold and make life easier for Gurley, T.J. Lang (Packers), Kevin Zeitler (Bengals) and Ronald Leary (Cowboys) stand out as the foremost soon-to-be free agents. While all figure to rake in sizable contracts in the coming months, any would significantly improve the Rams’ line.
It would behoove the Rams to land one of those three, as the early second round doesn’t seem as if it’ll overflow with possibilities. Jeremiah and Miller only have one guard apiece in their top 50 – Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp is the former’s 16th-ranked player, while the latter’s list includes Indiana’s Dan Feeney at No. 37 (which matches LA’s pick).
Lastly, it’s possible the Rams will search for a superior center to Tim Barnes, who, to his credit, is coming off back-to-back 16-start seasons. For Gurley’s sake, it would make sense to target a better run blocker like A.Q. Shipley (Cardinals) or J.C. Tretter (Packers) on the open market. Jason Kelce could also become available if the Eagles release him, which looks like a legitimate possibility.
Teddy Bridgewater Likely Out For 2017?
The catastrophic knee injury that caused Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to sit out the entire 2016 season is also likely to cost him the 2017 campaign, a team source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Doctors have informed the Vikings that the best-case scenario for Bridgwater would be a 19-month recovery. His injury occurred last August, which means he’s unlikely to return to full strength until March 2018 at the earliest.
On the other hand, Bridgewater’s agent Kennard McGuire has strongly disputed Cole’s report, telling Ben Goessling of ESPN.com: “I would not overreact to a story that has zero substance and no credibility.” The Vikings have maintained there is no current update on Bridgewater’s status, while sources tell Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune Bridgewater still has no “set timeline” for return.
As of October, Bridgewater’s career was reportedly in jeopardy on account of the complete ACL tear and dislocated kneecap he suffered in practice. More recently, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expressed uncertainty earlier this month as to when Bridgewater might return. That came after Zimmer declared that Sam Bradford would be the Vikings’ starting quarterback to at least begin next season.
The Vikings’ decision to send their 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round selection to the Eagles for Bradford last September came in response to Bridgewater’s injury. Minnesota was the reigning NFC North champion at the time and hoping to keep its playoff chances alive, though it ultimately wasn’t able to replicate its 2015 success this season. That wasn’t necessarily the fault of Bradford, who set an NFL record for single-season completion percentage (71.6) and tossed 20 touchdowns against five interceptions as part of a conservative passing attack. Despite Bradford’s career-best statistical season, not to mention a 5-0 start, the Vikings stumbled to an 8-8 record and a third-place finish in their division.
Both Bridgewater and Bradford are set to enter contract years, though the former is controllable through 2018 by way of a fifth-year option. The Vikings are likely to exercise the option because it would give them another year to evaluate Bridgewater’s recovery, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. The 24-year-old Bridgewater, whom the Vikings chose 32nd in the 2014 draft, combined for a 64.9 percent completion rate and 28 scores against 21 picks in his first two seasons. Minnesota has posted an impressive 17-11 record in his 28 career starts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/27/17
Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- Steelers safety Jordan Dangerfield, an exclusive rights free agent, has agreed to sign his $540K tender for 2017, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He’s the third in-house player this week the Steelers have secured for next season, joining wide receiver Cobi Hamilton and fullback Roosevelt Nix. The 26-year-old Dangerfield went undrafted in 2013, but it took him until 2016 to see any NFL action. In his 13-game campaign, Dangerfield started twice and took part in 51.1 percent of the Steelers’ special teams snaps.
- The Packers have signed long snapper Taybor Pepper to a reserve/futures contract, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Pepper went undrafted out of Michigan State last year.
Extra Points: Steelers, Seahawks, Ravens, Jets
The NFL is “looking into” whether the Steelers violated its policy in not listing running back Le’Veon Bell on their injury reports in recent weeks, including before last Sunday’s AFC championship game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Bell departed the title game early because of a groin injury, and he then revealed after the Steelers’ 36-17 loss to New England that it had had been a problem for weeks. At no point did the Steelers disclose the ailment, though, which is why the league is investigating the matter.
Of course, the league is also scrutinizing the Seahawks for a similar issue involving cornerback Richard Sherman. That could lead to the loss of a second-round pick for Seattle, whose general manager, John Schneider, told SiriusXM on Thursday that the club “didn’t do anything malicious at all” (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
Sherman, meanwhile, believes “it would be odd, out of the norm” for the Seahawks to receive punishment, and he doesn’t expect the league to discipline the Steelers. “Le’Veon said he’s got a groin (issue) for weeks, they’re going to get a warning,” he told Conor Orr of NFL.com. “Andrew (Luck) played with cracked ribs for a whole year (back in 2015). You see what I’m saying?”
More from around the league:
- While the possibility of the Ravens cutting wide receiver Mike Wallace this offseason in order to save $5.75MM has come up, he remains in the team’s plans, relays Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Thanks to Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken‘s forthcoming departure, Wallace is easily the most accomplished receiver the Ravens have under contract for next season. In 2016, his age-30 campaign, Wallace finished in the top two among Ravens in receptions (72; first), yards (1,017; first), targets (117; second), yards per catch (14.1; second) and touchdowns (four; second). He’s also still one of the league’s fastest wideouts, as Brown details.
- The Jets have hired Hall of Fame linebacker Kevin Greene to coach their OLBs, tweets Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. Greene, who’s third all-time in sacks (160), last coached the Packers’ OLBs from 2009-13.
- Former NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich is taking over as the Cardinals’ QBs coach, according to Marvez (Twitter link). He’ll displace Freddie Kitchens, who will become the team’s running backs coach. That role previously belonged to Stump Mitchell, who was in a contract year and elected not to come back for 2017. Leftwich’s introduction to coaching came last year as an intern with the Cards.
Latest On 49ers’ GM Search
Led by CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe, the 49ers have reached out to 11 candidates this offseason in their quest to find a general manager. While the Niners are seemingly down to two finalists for the position – Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough and Vikings assistant GM George Paton – the saga isn’t necessarily nearing a conclusion. On the contrary, it’s “by no means” certain the 49ers will hire McDonough or Paton, and passing on each would cause them to reopen their search, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter).
La Canfora’s report jibes with what a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com earlier this week – that “it’s not a lock” either McDonough or Paton will land the GM role in San Francisco. If the 49ers don’t tab one of those two, it’ll likely be the result of neither being able to sync with soon-to-be head coach Kyle Shanahan. The current Falcons offensive coordinator will take a break from Super Bowl LI preparation this weekend to meet with McDonough and Paton, who’s reportedly willing to take the Colts’ GM job.
Should one of McDonough or Paton hit it off with Shanahan in the coming days, the 49ers could have their next GM in place as early as Saturday, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Otherwise, they’ll be back at square one and set to drag their GM search into a second month.
Both longtime head coach Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s father, and ex-Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik have come up as possibilities to take front office jobs with the 49ers. They might be worth keeping an eye on, then, and the same goes for Falcons director of football operations Nick Polk, Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian, former Browns executive Morocco Brown and Redskins exec Alex Santos.
Mike Shanahan Could Take Job With 49ers
Two-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan has no interest in coaching anymore, but he has expressed a desire to work in a team’s front office. That could happen soon, as there’s “increasing chatter in league circles” that Shanahan will join his son, Falcons offensive coordinator and 49ers head-coach-in-waiting Kyle Shanahan, in San Francisco, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
It’s unclear which role the elder Shanahan would take on with the Niners, who are also lacking a general manager. Regardless, the team wouldn’t be thrilled to welcome him, according to Florio, but it might be the cost of doing business for a club with only one head coaching candidate remaining as February nears. Given the 49ers’ desperate situation, Kyle Shanahan “has a tremendous amount of power” over the organization, writes Florio.
Another stint in San Francisco would be the second for Mike Shanahan, who previously served as its offensive coordinator from 1992-94. The former Raiders, Broncos and Redskins head coach was also under consideration to return to the 49ers as their sideline leader in the prior two offseasons. Shanahan, 64, interviewed to become the 49ers’ head coach, though they ended up tabbing Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly in those searches. Now, their decisions to choose those one-and-done coaches over Mike Shanahan could lead to the hiring of him as an executive and his son as their head coach this year.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Jets, Browns
The NFL is continuing to investigate a June incident in which an intoxicated Aqib Talib accidentally shot himself in the leg, the league’s vice president of communications, Brian McCarthy, told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. The Broncos cornerback isn’t facing any legal ramifications – the Dallas Police Department wrapped up its investigation in October – but the league could nonetheless hit the first-team All-Pro with some form of punishment. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has multiple run-ins with the law to his name, which could factor into the league’s decision, notes Jhabvala.
More from the AFC:
- Vikings assistant general manager George Paton‘s interview with the GM-needy Colts went “extremely well,” sources told Chris Hagan of FOX 59 (Twitter links). Paton has turned down as many as 10 opportunities to leave Minnesota’s front office in recent years, but he’d finally be willing to depart if the Colts were to offer him their GM job, according to Hagan. Of course, Paton’s also in the running for the GM role in San Francisco, where he’s a finalist for the position.
- Thanks to head coach Gary Kubiak‘s retirement, the Broncos’ offense will transition from a zone blocking scheme to a blend of zone and power under new coordinator Mike McCoy and line coach Jeff Davidson, writes Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. That will, of course, play a role in how the Broncos repair a line that was a liability in 2016. The group is loaded with question marks, opines Wolfe, who contends that its only building block is center Matt Paradis.
- In addition to the previously reported Aaron Murray, the Jets worked out free agent wide receivers Brian Tyms and Kyle Prater earlier this week, tweets Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com. Tyms, unlike Prater, has regular-season experience, having appeared in a combined 18 games with Miami, Cleveland and New England from 2012-14. The 27-year-old has amassed seven receptions and a touchdown in his career.
- The Browns and senior player-personnel associate Ron Hill are mutually parting ways, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). Hill, a longtime scout and executive with several teams, joined Cleveland in 2014 under then-GM Ray Farmer.
Bills Re-Sign Colt Anderson
The Bills have re-signed safety Colt Anderson, per a team announcement. Anderson was among the Bills’ 24 soon-to-be unrestricted free agents before agreeing to a new contract.
The 31-year-old Anderson, a former Eagle and Colt (fittingly), joined the Bills last April on a minimum salary benefit. He’ll once again be a minimum salary benefit player on his 2017 deal, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In his first year with the Bills, Anderson appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with a hand ailment in early October.
Anderson, primarily a special teamer, has totaled 79 appearances and seven starts since going undrafted out of Montana in 2009. The lion’s share of those starts (four) came in 2012, when Anderson tallied a personal-best 33 tackles and also picked up the only interception of his career as a member of the Eagles.