AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Chargers
The Raiders recently released Marquette King following what was described as a personality clash between the veteran punter and new Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, but King says he’s perfectly capable of toning down his act if need be. “You can’t judge me by what you see on TV or social media, and sadly, a lot of people do that,” King tells Jim Trotter of NFL.com. “If those things were an issue, just sit down and tell me. I can be a zombie if you want me to. But everybody knows what they sign up for when they get into professional sports. You know there are going to be ups and downs, and you’ve got to be able to handle them regardless of the situation, with professionalism and a positive attitude.” King has since signed a thee-year pact with the Broncos, and is clearly relishing the opportunity to play against the Raiders twice per season from here on out.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Although the Raiders are reportedly not close to an extension with star pass rusher Khalil Mack, the club expects to reach an agreement before the 2018 campaign gets underway, tweets Trotter. Mack failed to report for the first day of voluntary workouts on Tuesday, but no one inside the Oakland organization is panicking, per Trotter. The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Mack has averaged 12 sacks per year over the past three seasons and is likely looking for an annual salary in the $20MM range. Mack, 27, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $13.836MM thanks to his fifth-year option.
- Several rival teams have told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that the Raiders are open to dealing the No. 10 overall selection, and a trade could become all the more likely if a quarterback prospect is still on the board when Oakland’s turn comes. While the draft’s top four signal-callers may well be gone by pick No. 10, second-tier passers such as Lamar Jackson and/or Mason Rudolph could still be available (one AFC executive thinks both will be selected in the top-20, per La Canfora). At that point, the Raiders — who are already set with Derek Carr under center — could collect extra draft capital by moving back a few slots.
- Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea met with the Chargers on Tuesday, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). To this point, Vea has also set up visits with the Bengals, Cowboys, Packers, Buccaneers, and Browns, and is widely viewed as a surefire first-round pick. In Los Angeles, the 6’5″, 340-pound Vea would play in between star pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, and help the Chargers cover for the suspended Corey Liuget. He’d also be considered an eventual replacement for fellow defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who is entering his age-33 campaign.
- While most mock drafts have the Broncos ending up with a quarterback, running back Saquon Barkley, or guard Quenton Nelson, Mike Klis of 9News argues Denver could consider trading back and hitting other positions. Receiver and corner are still considered areas of need on the Broncos’ roster, so general manager John Elway could conceivably pick up a few extra picks and use his first-rounder on those positions.
Checking In On 2018’s Restricted Free Agents
The deadline for NFL restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival clubs is April 20, so RFAs have 11 more days to discuss deals with other teams. So far, only two RFAs — defensive lineman Xavier Williams and wide receiver Cameron Meredith — have inked offer sheets. The Cardinals declined to match Williams’ offer from the Chiefs, while the Bears are still mulling the terms of Meredith’s proposal from the Saints.
Other restricted free agents have also drawn varying degrees of interest. Saints wideout Willie Snead has worked out for and met with the Ravens, but hasn’t yet signed an offer sheet (Baltimore also reportedly sent a proposal to Meredith before he inked a deal with New Orleans). Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan, meanwhile, has been linked to the division-rival Vikings, but so far no offer sheet has been proferred.
In total, more than 30 restricted free agents have been tendered this offseason. Let’s take a look at where things stand with those RFAs:
Under Contract
Signed to offer sheet:
- Xavier Williams, DL: Signed two-year, $5.057MM offer sheet with Chiefs. Cardinals declined to match.
- Cameron Meredith, WR: Signed two-year, $9.6MM offer sheet with Saints. Bears have until Wednesday to match.
Second-round tender ($2.914MM):
- Chris Boswell, K (Steelers)
- Justin Coleman, CB (Seahawks)
- Quincy Enunwa, WR (Jets)
- Ben Garland, OL (Falcons)
- Corey Grant, RB (Jaguars)
- Brett Jones, C (Giants)
Original round / right of first refusal tender ($1.907MM):
- Josh Bellamy, WR (Bears)
- Brent Qvale, T (Jets)
- Quinton Spain, G (Titans)
Signed extension:
- Cameron Brate, TE (Buccaneers): Six years, $40.8MM.
- Quinton Dunbar, CB (Redskins): Three years, $10.5MM.
- Nick Dzubnar, LB (Chargers): Two years, $3.05MM.
- Deshazor Everett, S (Redskins): Two years, $2.6MM.
- Brandon King, S (Patriots): Two years, $2.6MM.
- Roosevelt Nix, FB (Steelers): Four years, $6.975MM.
- Greg Van Roten, OL (Panthers): Two years, $1.66MM.
Signed new one-year deal:
- Jordan Berry, P (Steelers)
- Geremy Davis, WR (Chargers)
- Mark Nzeocha, LB (49ers)
- Adrian Phillips, S (Chargers)
Unsigned
Second-round tender ($2.914MM):
- Ricardo Allen, S (Falcons)
- Shaquil Barrett, LB (Broncos)
- Nick Easton, OL (Vikings)
- Adam Humphries, WR (Buccaneers)
- David Irving, DL (Cowboys)
- Ty Nsekhe, T (Redskins)
- Matt Paradis, C (Broncos)
- Tyrell Williams, WR (Chargers)
Original round / right of first refusal tender ($1.907MM):
- Bryce Callahan, CB (Bears)
- Anthony Chickillo, LB (Steelers)
- T.J. Jones, WR (Lions)
- Dion Jordan, DE (Seahawks)
- Matt Longacre, LB (Rams)
- Greg Mancz, C (Texans)
- Chris McCain, LB (Chargers)
- Jamie Meder, DT (Browns)
- Rontez Miles, S (Jets)
- Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DE (Chiefs)
- Willie Snead, WR (Saints)
- Neal Sterling, TE (Jets)
Giants C Brett Jones Signs RFA Tender
Giants center Brett Jones has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, the club announced today. Jones will now be paid $2.941MM for the 2018 season.
Jones was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the sixth — following Falcons guard Ben Garland, Jaguars running back Corey Grant, Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman, and Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa, and Steelers kicker Chris Boswell — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Jones to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Jones.
New York didn’t make an attempt to re-sign free agent Weston Richburg, meaning Jones will be the club’s starting center in 2018. He should be well-equipped for the role, as the 26-year-old started 13 games in place of the injured Richburg a season ago. Jones, who joined the Giants in 2015 after spending time in the Canadian Football League, graded as the NFL’s No. 18 center among 37 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Broncos Meet With Wyoming QB Josh Allen
The Broncos will meet with Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen on Monday, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). This will mark the third time Denver has visited with Allen following summits at the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine.
Given that the Broncos hold the fifth overall pick, they could look to secure a franchise quarterback even after signing veteran Case Keenum last month. It’s not a given that one of the top four signal-callers will still be on the board at No. 5, but Denver has now met or plans to meet with Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield.
In addition to adding Keenum this offseason, the Broncos also traded former starter Trevor Siemian to the Vikings, leaving at least one void on the club’s quarterback depth chart. 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch is still on the roster, but he’s failed to produce despite numerous opportunities and doesn’t figure to factor into Denver’s long-term plans. Allen, or another one of the draft’s top signal-callers, would give the Broncos another option given that Keenum’s contract only runs through the 2019 campaign.
Allen is among the most divisive prospects in the 2018 draft, as the 6’5″, 230-pounder offers tantalizing physical tools but is short on results. During his final seasons at Wyoming, Allen completed only 56.3% of his passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Cardinals To Meet With LB Connor Barwin
The Cardinals will host free agent edge defender Connor Barwin this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
PFR ranked Barwin as a top-10 free agent pass rusher when the market opened roughly a month ago, and while he remains arguably the best edge defender still available, he’s drawn little interest thus far. The Rams reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Barwin in mid-March, but there haven’t been any developments on that front.
A robust market should have never been expected for Barwin, especially given that he’s entering his age-32 campaign and coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. While he played on 71% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps a year ago, Barwin graded as the third-worst pass rusher in the NFL among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
If signed by Arizona, Barwin would slot in as a reserve for a defense that ranked 17th in pressure rate and 24th in adjusted sack rate in 2017. Given that NFL sack leader Chandler Jones and Markus Golden project as the Cardinals’ starting outside linebackers, Barwin could take over for Kareem Martin (who signed a three-year deal with the Giants) as Arizona’s rotational edge rusher.
Patriots Hosting RB Orleans Darkwa
The Patriots are scheduled to meet with free agent running back Orleans Darkwa on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New England, of course, has already seen a significant amount of change in its backfield, as Dion Lewis defected to the Titans on a four-year deal while the Patriots added former Bengals runner Jeremy Hill on a one-year pact. Another ex-Cincinnati back — Rex Burkhead — was re-signed, and James White, Mike Gillislee, and special-teamer Brandon Bolden comprise the rest of New England’s running back depth chart.
Darkwa, for his part, hasn’t drawn any significant interest in the four weeks since free agency began. The Giants reportedly had interest in re-signing Darkwa, but they’ve since added veteran Jonathan Stewart and could consider Penn State standout Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick. The crosstown Jets, too, were eyeing Darkwa, but they’ve signed both Isaiah Crowell and Thomas Rawls.
Darkwa posted the best year of his NFL tenure in 2017 by setting career-highs in starts (11), rushes (171), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). The 26-year-old managed 4.4 yards per carry, and also added 19 receptions for 116 yards in the passing game. Overall, Darkwa was roughly a league-average running back, as he finished 22nd among 45 qualifiers in DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric.
5 Key NFL Stories: 4/1/18 – 4/8/18
Brandin Cooks to Rams. New England and Los Angeles completed a blockbuster last week, as the Patriots sent Cooks and a fourth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for the No. 23 overall selection plus a sixth-rounder. Cooks, who will help replace Sammy Watkins in LA, is entering the final year of his contract, but the Rams have every intention on extending him. The Patriots reportedly discussed a multi-year deal with Cooks before trading him, but they’ve begun to fill his void by signing former Bills wideout Jordan Matthews.
Patriots won’t trade Rob Gronkowski. Now that Cooks is no longer in tow, New England has no intention of shipping out Gronkowski. While reports indicated that rival clubs planned to call the Patriots in regards to Gronk’s availability, New England never gave any real indication that the All Pro tight end was on the table. Gronkowski, of course, is still a dominant player when healthy. In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top-five among tight ends. He’s signed through the 2019 campaign, with base salaries of $8MM and $9MM over the next two respective seasons.
RG3 is back. After spending the 2017 campaign out of the NFL, Robert Griffin III has returned on a one-year deal with the Ravens. Griffin is now slotted in as the Ravens’ backup quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco, and his addition almost surely means Baltimore will not re-sign former No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett. Flacco has been extremely durable during his decade-long career, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin will see any action during the regular season, but the ex-Offensive Rookie of the Year will have a shot to show what he has left during the preseason.
Saints deploy RFA offer sheet. The Saints inked Bears restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith to a two-year, $9.6MM offer sheet which includes $5.4MM guaranteed, and because Chicago only tendered Meredith at the original round level, the Bears won’t receive any compensation if they fail to match. Chicago general manager Ryan Pace could have avoided this entire situation by tendering Meredith at the second-round level, a decision which would have only cost the Bears an additional ~$1MM. Before signing a proposal with New Orleans, Meredith was also handed an offer sheet from the Ravens.
Odell Beckham Jr. to report to Giants. Despite weeks of speculation, it remains “highly unlikely” that the Giants will trade Beckham as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. New York was reportedly searching for two first-round picks in exchange for OBJ, but barring a mammoth offer, it appears he’ll be suiting up for Big Blue. Beckham will report to workouts on Monday in something of a goodwill gesture.
PFR Originals: 4/1/18 – 4/8/18
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With the 2018 NFL draft fewer than three weeks away, Sam Robinson asked PFR readers what the Browns should do with the No. 1 overall pick. USC quarterback Sam Darnold seems to the the player most linked to Cleveland’s top choice, and he was indeed the favorite of the poll’s respondents. But the Browns could also consider another quarterback such as Wyoming’s Josh Allen or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, or a running back like Penn State’s Saquon Barkley.
- In a similar vein, Micah Powell queried PFR readers as to how the Giants should deploy the second overall selection. Big Blue has seemingly even more options that the Browns, as the club could set itself up for the future by drafting a quarterback, or enter win-now mode by coming away with Barkley, defensive end Bradley Chubb, or offensive lineman Quenton Nelson. 30% of the poll’s participants — a plurality — went with Barkley.
- Mayfield will almost certainly be a top-10 selection, but where exactly he’ll come off the board is unclear. Ryan Posner posed that question to PFR readers, and the majority responded by linking Mayfield to the Jets. New York, of course, recently sent a king’s ransom to Indianapolis in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick, and general manager Mike Maccagnan seems incredibly likely to use that selection on a passer after whiffing on Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg over the past several years.
- 2019 fifth-year option decisions are due by May 3, so Zach Links posted a refresher of the mechanism for first-round pick contracts, noting the timeline, structure, and value of the options.
Titans Sign DT Bennie Logan
The Titans have agreed to sign free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan, the club announced today.
Tennessee has overhauled the interior of its defensive line this offseason, as the team cut ties with Sylvester Williams and Karl Klug while adding Logan. Additionally, the Titans met with star free agent Ndamukong Suh before he signed a one-year deal with the Rams. Logan will now join stalwart Jurrell Casey, DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson, Antwaun Woods, and others along the Tennessee front three.
Logan, 28, drew plenty of free agent interest before landing with the Titans. Before taking a meeting with Tennessee last week, Logan also met with the Seahawks. The Redskins, meanwhile, were reportedly eyeing Logan but never set up an official visit.
Logan, a former third-round pick, spent four seasons with the Eagles before inking a one-year, $8MM deal with the Chiefs last spring. During his lone season in Kansas City, Logan appeared in 15 games as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, racking up 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks while playing 55% of the club’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Logan as just the No. 94 interior defender among 122 qualifiers a season ago.
Steelers K Chris Boswell Signs RFA Tender
Steelers kicker Chris Boswell has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to Mark Kaboly of the Athletic (Twitter link). Boswell will now be paid $2.914MM for the 2018 season.
Boswell was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the fifth — following Falcons guard Ben Garland, Jaguars running back Corey Grant, Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman, and Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa— to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Boswell to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Boswell.
Boswell, 27, is now entering his fourth season as the Steelers’ placekicker. In 2017, Boswell earned his first Pro Bowl berth after 92.1% if his field goal attempts, including a perfect four-for-four from 50+ yards. Football Outsiders ranked Boswell seventh in the NFL with 8.4 points added via field goals and extra points.