Seahawks Meet With DT Bennie Logan, CB Dontae Johnson
The Seahawks have conducted visits with free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan and cornerback Dontae Johnson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Seattle is seeking to replace defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who inked a one-year deal with the Vikings last week, and Logan could help in that regard. Logan can’t offer the interior pass rush that can Richardson, but he’s a run-stuffer that can plug the middle of the line. The 28-year-old Logan is fresh off a one-year, $8MM pact with the Chiefs, a deal he signed following four seasons with the Eagles.
Johnson, meanwhile, started 16 games for the 49ers in 2017 after serving as a reserve for the first three years of his career. The results weren’t great, as Johnson ranked near the bottom of Football Outsiders’ yards allowed per pass and success rate. He’d give Seattle depth after the club cut ties with fellow cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane and lost DeShawn Shead to free agency.
Allen Hurns To Visit Jets
Allen Hurns is moving fast. After being released by the Jaguars earlier today, Hurns has lined up a Wednesday visit with the Jets, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
New York seems to be intent on adding a complementary wideout to their offense after not engaging on any of the top free agent pass-catchers during the opening phase of free agency. Over the past week, the Jets have met with both Terrelle Pryor and Charles Johnson, each of whom would supplement a receiving corps that already includes Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Chad Hansen, ArDarius Stewart, and Quincy Enunwa.
Hurns, 26, was midway through a four-year Jacksonville extension worth roughly $40MM with $20MM in guaranteed money. Those guarantees were paid down over the first two years of the deal, so the Jaguars felt comfortable moving on from the former undrafted free agent even after losing No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson to free agency.
Hurns’ high-water mark came in 2015, when he broke out for 64 receptions, 1,031 yards, and 10 touchdowns. In the two seasons, since, however, Hurns failed to top 500 yards receiving as his role in Jacksonville’s offense was scaled back.
Blaine Gabbert Meets With Titans
Free agent quarterback Blaine Gabbert has taken a visit with the Titans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Tennessee is in the market for a backup quarterback after releasing Matt Cassel earlier this month. While starter Marcus Mariota has been healthy for 15 regular season games in each of the past two seasons, he’s a mobile quarterback who may be more susceptible to injuries, so rostering a quality No. 2 signal-caller is critical for the Titans.
Mariota fractured his fibula during the 2016 campaign, and dealt with hamstring issues in 2017, but each ailment only cost Mariota one contest (the former due to the timing of the injury). Aside from Mariota, the only other quarterback on the Titans’ roster is 2017 undrafted free agent Tyler Ferguson, who has never attempted an NFL pass.
Gabbert, of course, was a top-10 selection in the 2010 draft, and while he’s never lived up to that billing, he’s carved out an NFL career that is now entering its seventh year. In 2017, Gabbert suited up for the Cardinals and ultimately started five games when injuries struck Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton. During that time, the 28-year-old Gabbert completed 55.6% of his passes for 1,006 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Bills Host LBs Kevin Minter, Karlos Dansby
After losing Preston Brown to the Bengals last week, the Bills are making moves to replenish their linebacker corps. Buffalo has met with free agent linebackers Kevin Minter and Karlos Dansby, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Minter started 32 games with the Cardinals from 2015-16, and had been expected to take on major responsibilities with Cincinnati after inking a one-year pact last spring. But Minter played on fewer than 20% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps, seeing less action than sixth-round rookie Jordan Evans and barely playing ahead of undrafted free agent Hardy Nickerson. Minter ended the 2017 season on injured reserve while dealing with a hamstring issue.
But Minter is still only 27 years old, and he offers more experience than other Bills options such as Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo. Moreover, the off-ball linebacker market has mostly been picked over, as NaVorro Bowman is the only impact player left at the position. Minter, then, could be viewed as an attractive addition when compared with aging veterans such as Brian Cushing, Lawrence Timmons, or Jerrell Freeman.
Dansby, on the other hand, is one of those aging veterans, and like Minter, he’s also an ex-Cardinal. The 36-year-old has actually enjoyed three separate stints with Arizona, and has also spent time with Miami, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. An extremely durable linebacker, Dansby started 15 games a season ago, racking up 74 tackles and one sack while grading as the league’s No. 49 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
2018’s Major NFL Coaching Changes
Because most NFL coaching changes happen in January, those moves can often be overshadowed by the postseason and – subsequently – the major moves that teams makes in free agency. However, those coaching changes shouldn’t be overlooked.
A year ago, 15 of the league’s 32 teams made changes to at least one of their head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator spots, and many of those hirings turned into major stories throughout the 2017 season. New head coaches Sean McVay, Sean McDermott, and Doug Marrone led the Rams, Bills, and Jaguars, respectively, to the postseason in their first go-rounds in charge, while new defensive coordinators Steve Wilks and Mike Vrabel leveraged their one-year stints as a play-callers to become the next Cardinals and Titans head coach, respectively.
Which new coaches could make a similar impact this year? We may have to wait to find out, but there are certainly plenty of candidates. The full breakdown of 2018’s major coaching changes from around the league is below:
Head coaches:
- Arizona Cardinals: Hired Steve Wilks to replace Bruce Arians.
- Chicago Bears: Hired Matt Nagy to replace John Fox.
- Detroit Lions: Hired Matt Patricia to replace Jim Caldwell.
- Indianapolis Colts: Hired Frank Reich to replace Chuck Pagano.
- New York Giants: Hired Pat Shurmur to replace Ben McAdoo / Steve Spagnuolo (interim).
- Oakland Raiders: Hired Jon Gruden to replace Jack Del Rio.
- Tennessee Titans: Hired Mike Vrabel to replace Mike Mularkey.
Offensive coordinators:
- Arizona Cardinals: Hired Mike McCoy to replace Harold Goodwin.
- Buffalo Bills: Hired Brian Daboll to replace Rick Dennison.
- Carolina Panthers: Hired Norv Turner to replace Mike Shula.
- Chicago Bears: Hired Mark Helfrich to replace Dowell Loggains.
- Cincinnati Bengals: Retained interim OC Bill Lazor.
- Cleveland Browns: Hired Todd Haley to fill vacant position.
- Denver Broncos: Retained interim OC Bill Musgrave.
- Green Bay Packers: Hired Joe Philbin to replace Edgar Bennett.
- Indianapolis Colts: Hired Nick Sirianni to replace Rob Chudzinski.
- Kansas City Chiefs: Promoted Eric Bieniemy to replace Matt Nagy.
- Los Angeles Rams: Will not hire OC to replace Matt LaFleur.
- Miami Dolphins: Hired Dowell Loggains to replace Clyde Christensen.
- Minnesota Vikings: Hired John DeFilippo to replace Pat Shurmur.
- New York Giants: Hired Mike Shula to replace Mike Sullivan.
- New York Jets: Promoted Jeremy Bates to replace John Morton.
- Oakland Raiders: Hired Greg Olson to replace Todd Downing.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Promoted Mike Groh to replace Frank Reich.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Promoted Randy Fichtner to replace Todd Haley.
- Seattle Seahawks: Hired Brian Schottenheimer to replace Darrell Bevell.
- Tennessee Titans: Hired Matt LaFleur to replace Terry Robiskie.
Defensive coordinators:
- Arizona Cardinals: Hired Al Holcomb to replace James Bettcher.
- Baltimore Ravens: Promoted Don Martindale to replace Dean Pees.
- Carolina Panthers: Promoted Eric Washington to replace Steve Wilks.
- Cincinnati Bengals: Hired Teryl Austin to replace Paul Guenther.
- Detroit Lions: Hired Paul Pasqualoni to replace Teryl Austin.
- Green Bay Packers: Hired Mike Pettine to replace Dom Capers.
- Houston Texans: Hired Romeo Crennel to replace Mike Vrabel.
- Indianapolis Colts: Hired Matt Eberflus to replace Ted Monachino.
- New England Patriots: Will not hire a DC to replace Matt Patricia, but LBs coach Brian Flores will call plays.
- New York Giants: Hired James Bettcher to replace Steve Spagnuolo.
- Oakland Raiders: Hired Paul Guenther to replace John Pagano.
- Seattle Seahawks: Hired Ken Norton Jr. to replace Kris Richard.
- Tennessee Titans: Hired Dean Pees to replace Dick LeBeau.
Special teams coordinators:
- Arizona Cardinals: Hired Jeff Rodgers to replace Amos Jones.
- Carolina Panthers: Promoted Chase Blackburn to replace Thomas McGaughey.
- Chicago Bears: Hired Chris Tabor to replace Jeff Rodgers.
- Cleveland Browns: Hired Amos Jones to replace Chris Tabor.
- Dallas Cowboys: Promoted Keith O’Quinn to replace Rich Bisaccia.
- Denver Broncos: Hired Tom McMahon to replace Brock Olivo.
- Houston Texans: Hired Brad Seely to replace Larry Izzo.
- Indianapolis Colts: Hired Ray Ventrone to replace Tom McMahon.
- New York Giants: Hired Thomas McGaughey to replace Tom Quinn.
- Oakland Raiders: Hired Rich Bisaccia to replace Brad Seely.
- Tennessee Titans: Promoted Craig Aukerman to replace Steve Hoffman.
Other 2017 OCs, DCs with new jobs:
- Buffalo Bills: Hired former Titans OC Terry Robiskie as wide receivers coach.
- Cleveland Browns: Hired former Bengals OC Ken Zampese as quarterbacks coach.
- Dallas Cowboys: Hired former Seahawks DC Kris Richard as secondary coach/defensive passing game coordinator.
- Denver Broncos: Hired former Giants OC Mike Sullivan as quarterbacks coach.
- Houston Texans: Hired former Raiders DC John Pagano as outside linebackers coach.
- Miami Dolphins: Reassigned former Dolphins OC Clyde Christensen as director, football and player development.
- Minnesota Vikings: Hired former Raiders OC Todd Downing as a senior offensive assistant.
- New York Jets: Hired former Bills OC Rick Dennison as offensive line coach/run game coordinator.
- Oakland Raiders: Hired former Packers OC Edgar Bennett as wide receivers coach.
Chiefs Host Cardinals RFA Xavier Williams
The Chiefs hosted Cardinals restricted free agent defensive lineman Xavier Williams over the weekend, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
If the Chiefs sign Williams to an offer sheet, the Cardinals will have the opportunity to match the contract and keep Williams in Arizona. If the Cards opt not to match, however, they won’t receive any draft pick compensation in exchange for losing Williams. Arizona tendered Williams at the original-round level, but because Williams was an undrafted free agent, Kansas City wouldn’t be forced to fork over any draft capital.
Williams, 26, garnered the highest playtime of his career in 2017, although he was still a rotational lineman with a snap percentage of roughly 24%. In his 11 appearances, Williams posted 16 tackles and a half-sack while grading as the No. 42 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
The Chiefs could see some movement at the defensive tackle position heading into 2018, as Bennie Logan and Stefan Charles are both unrestricted free agent. Kansas City has re-signed veteran Jarvis Jenkins and tendered RFA Rakeem Nunez-Roches at the original-round level, but it’s not out of the question that Williams could compete to start at nose tackle if he’s signed by the Chiefs.
If Williams doesn’t ink an offer sheet, he’ll stick on the Cardinals’ roster at a one-year cost of $1.907MM.
Giants To Host DE Josh Mauro
The Giants plan to meet with free agent defensive end Josh Mauro, who was waived by the Cardinals last week, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Mauro would offer scheme familiarity for new Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who held the same title in Arizona from 2015-17. That level of comfort would be extremely important in New York, where the club is switching from a 4-3 front to Bettcher’s preferred 3-4 look. Mauro would be the second former Cardinal to sign with the Giants since the market opened last week, joining outside linebacker Kareem Martin, who inked a three-year, $21MM deal with Big Blue.
Mauro, 27, spent the better parts of four seasons in the desert, and started 13 games as recently as 2016. Last year, however, Mauro played on just 31.5% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps, fourth-most among Arizona’s defensive linemen. Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with his effort, grading Mauro as a bottom-10 interior defender among 122 qualifiers.
Rams Working To Re-Sign Dominique Easley
The Rams are working on a deal to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Dominique Easley, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Easley hasn’t generated any known interest since free agency opened last Wednesday, and that’s likely due to his health questions. Although he’s only 26 years old, Easley has suffered three torn ACLs since 2011, and he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with the same ailment.
When healthy, however, Easley has been extremely effective. He earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus in both 2015 and 2016, and had been expected to see an increase in playing time in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips‘ 3-4 scheme. A prototypical 3-4 defensive end, Easley has been able to generate pressure from the interior, and posted 5.5 sacks from 2015-16.
The Rams, for their part, have made a number of additions via both free agency and trade, but have yet to address their defensive line, perhaps in the hope that they could re-sign Easley. If he’s brought back, Easley — a first-round pick of the Patriots in the 2014 draft — would likely take over as Los Angeles’ starting defensive end opposite Aaron Donald.
Falcons G Ben Garland Signs RFA Tender
Falcons guard Ben Garland has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Garland will now be paid $2.914MM for the 2018 season.
Garland was one of 14 NFL restricted free agents to be tendered at the second-round level, and he’s the first to officially sign his tender. Atlanta also tendered safety Ricardo Allen at the second-round level, but he’s yet to sign his contract. There’s no rush for Allen or any restricted free agent to sign his tender, as RFAs have until April 20 to work out offer sheets with other clubs.
Adding another guard was a key offseason priority for the Falcons, but Garland isn’t likely to become a starter in 2018. Not only did the Falcons sign veteran guard Brandon Fusco to a three-year deal, but they restructured the contract of fellow interior lineman Andy Levitre, ensuring he’ll remain on Atlanta’s roster during the upcoming campaign.
Instead, Garland will once again serve as depth for the Falcons, acting as a reserve alongside Ty Sambrailo, Wes Schweitzer, Austin Pasztor, and Sean Harlow. Last season, the 29-year-old Garland appeared in all 16 games and made three starts, ultimately playing on roughly a third of Atlanta’s offensive snaps and a third of the club’s special teams snaps. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Garland as the No. 50 guard among 77 qualifiers.
Patriots Meeting With OT LaAdrian Waddle
Patriots free agent offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle was at Gillette Stadium on Friday, meaning he was likely discussing a new contract and/or taking a physical, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.
New England is searching for offensive line depth after losing starting left tackle Nate Solder to the Giants last week. While the Patriots reportedly have interest in re-signing one or both of Waddle and Cameron Fleming, Fleming is scheduled to meet with the Cowboys during the upcoming week.
With Solder out of the picture, the Patriots don’t have many clear options to take over on Tom Brady‘s blindside. New England agreed to a one-year deal with veteran Matt Tobin on Friday, but he’s more of a depth piece than a starting left tackle. Likewise, 2017 rookies such Antonio Garcia, Cole Croston, and Andrew Jelks don’t inspire much confidence or offer much experience.
Waddle, 26, started 10 games for the Lions as recently as 2014, but he’s mostly been a reserve since then. He was pressed into starting duty for four games a season ago, and he also chipped in on nearly 20% of the Patriots’ special teams snaps. Waddle, though, has primarily played right tackle during his five-year NFL career, so he may not be much help on the left side.