Extra Points: Kaepernick, Ravens, Swanson
The Ravens were reportedly interested in signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the 2017 campaign, but a high-ranking U.S. military official may have been part of squashing the club’s plans to meet with the signal-caller, according to TMZ Sports. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh consulted with several friends while his team was discussing Kaepernick, and one such friend — the unnamed official — “cautioned” Harbaugh about the former 49ers signal-caller. While the official did not tell Harbaugh not to sign Kaepernick, he did indicate the Ravens should give Kaepernick a “set of specific guidelines to follow” in order to remain employed. Kaepernick, of course, was the progenitor of kneeling for the national anthem as a form of silent protest. After passing on Kaepernick, Baltimore went on to sign journeyman Thad Lewis to serve as depth behind starter Joe Flacco.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Lions center Travis Swanson is headed towards free agency, and it’s conceivable his reported late-season concussion could be a red flag for interested teams. However, Swanson’s representatives claim that he didn’t actually suffer a concussion in 2017, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Instead, Swanson says a bad reaction to the medicine he was given to treat his (non) concussion was the source of his symptoms. The 27-year-old pivot has a medical note to back up his version of the story, but the Lions are sticking by the original injury report that landed Swanson on injured reserve prior to Week 17. Thus far, both the Jets and Dolphins have expressed preliminary interest in Swanson, who offers 42 games worth of starting experience.
- At least one unidentified NFL team has Louisville’s Lamar Jackson rated as the draft’s No. 2 quarterback prospect, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2016, is generally listed behind Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen is consensus rankings, but it sounds as though at least one team prefers Jackson to many of those signal-callers. Some teams reportedly had interest in working out Jackson as a receiver at the combine, but he declined to take part in non-quarterback drills.
- The upcoming season is likely to be a “make-or-break” campaign for Redskins president Bruce Allen, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington has had its fair share of turnover — in the front office, on the coaching staff, and on the roster — during Allen’s tenure, but he’s managed to stick around since 2009. During that time, the Redskins have posted a disappointing 52-75-1 record. Additionally, the club has lost respected general manager Scot McCloughan (reportedly because of a rift with Allen), and will not re-sign franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins.
- The NFL’s scouting combine will remain in Indianapolis through at least 2020, but the function’s long-term location is unclear, writes Mike Chappell of FOX59. While speculation has arisen that Los Angeles or Las Vegas could be the combine’s next home, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicates Indianapolis is considered ideal given that every part of the event — meetings, workouts, medical testing — to be located within a small radius.
Coaching Rumors: Eagles, Patriots, Lions
Let’s take a quick spin on the NFL’s coaching carousel:
- The Eagles are set to hire University of North Carolina offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer as their new wide receivers coach, according to Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice. Brewer will take over for Mike Groh, who was recently named Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator. Brewer, who also served as the Tarheels’ receivers coach, offers an extensive collegiate résumé, as he’s made stops at Mississippi, Oklahoma State, and Marshall, among others. However, Brewer has never coached at the NFL level. He’ll now lead an Eagles receiving group that includes Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Mack Hollins, whom Brewer coached in college.
- Former Arizona State head coach Todd Graham attended the scouting combine with the Patriots‘ staff, and it’s possible he’ll join New England as a consultant, tweets Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com. The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick often enjoy close relationships with current and former collegiate head coaches — former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, notably, previously worked as something of an informal advisor for New England. Graham, for his part, was fired by Arizona State following the 2017 campaign, but he’s also led teams at Rice, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh. The 53-year-old has a career record of 95-61.
- The Lions announced that they’ve hired Derius Swinton as an offensive assistant. Swinton, 32, has coached in the NFL since 2009, although he’s spent his entire career on special teams, not offense. Swinton led the 49ers’ special teams unit under Chip Kelly in 2016, and spent this past season as an assistant with the Bears.
Seahawks Don’t Plan To Trade Earl Thomas
Although trade rumblings have circled around Earl Thomas for the better part of two months, the Seahawks don’t intend to deal the veteran defensive back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Seattle wants to reach a long-term contract with Thomas, whom the club considers “firmly” in their 2018 plans, per Rapoport.
The Seahawks have undergone a significant offseason makeover on the defensive side of the ball, changing out much of their staff and replacing former coordinator Kris Richard with Ken Norton Jr. Seattle is engaged in trade talks regarding defensive lineman Michael Bennett, while other tenured players such as Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Cliff Avril could also be moving on. Thomas, though, doesn’t appear to be in danger of being traded any time soon.
Thomas, for his part, has been vocal about his desire to sign an extension, either with the Seahawks or another club (Thomas has been linked to the Cowboys, largely due to his own comments). Entering the final season of his contract, Thomas has threatened to hold out if he doesn’t land a new deal. Thomas, whose $10MM annual salary ranks sixth among safeties, will collect an $8.5MM base salary in 2017.
While Thomas doesn’t appear to going anywhere, the Seahawks prefers to wrap up its Bennett trade talks in the next week or so, per Rapoport. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported Sunday, the Falcons are discussing a deal for Bennett, and Rapoport indicates there are other (unknown) clubs that potentially have interest in acquiring the three-time Pro Bowler.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: New Orleans Saints
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the New Orleans Saints, who finished with an 11-5 record before suffering a devastating loss to the Vikings in the Divisional Round.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Jack Allen, C (ERFA)
- Delvin Breaux, CB (RFA)
- Drew Brees, QB
- Rafael Bush, S
- Brandon Coleman, WR (RFA)
- Chase Daniel, QB
- Kasim Edebali, DE
- Jonathan Freeny, LB
- Clay Harbor, TE
- Gerald Hodges, LB
- John Hughes, DT
- George Johnson, DE
- Senio Kelemete, OL
- John Kuhn, FB
- Josh LeRibeus, OL
- Zach Line, FB
- Michael Mauti, LB
- Tony McDaniel, DT
- Sterling Moore, CB
- Alex Okafor, DE
- David Parry, DT (RFA)
- Willie Snead, WR (RFA)
- Kenny Vaccaro, S
- Zach Wood, LS (ERFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Cameron Jordan, DE: $14,247,000
- Terron Armstead, T: $13,500,000
- Larry Warford, G: $9,000,000
- Max Unger, C: $8,000,000
- Coby Fleener, TE: $8,000,000
- Mark Ingram, RB: $6,245,000
- Drew Brees, QB: $6,000,000 (dead money)
- Nick Fairley, DT: $6,000,000 (dead money)
- A.J. Klein, LB: $5,200,000
- Thomas Morstead, P: $4,850,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $31,065,354
- 27th pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for G Andrus Peat
Three Needs:
1) Re-sign Drew Brees: The entire Saints’ offseason hinges on re-signing 39-year-old quarterback Drew Brees. Nearly every report has indicated Brees wants to return to New Orleans, and it’s frankly difficult to imagine him leaving for another club. General manager Mickey Loomis & Co. had planned meet with Brees and his representatives at the scouting combine over the next week, and Brees’ unique contract structure means the two sides must agree to a new deal before the 2018 league year begins on March 14.
Brees worked out a one-year extension in September 2016 that locked him up through the 2017 campaign. Technically, the pact runs through the 2020 season, but the typically cap-strapped Saints used three void years in order to spread out Brees’ $30MM signing bonus. Signing bonuses prorate on NFL salary caps, so tacking on “fake” seasons to the end of a contract allow clubs to save cap space in the present while knowing they’ll have to pay the bill down the line.
Because Brees was given a $30MM signing bonus, the Saints are responsible for a $6MM cap charge ($30MM divided by five years) in each season of the deal. Brees’ contract will void on March 14, and if he hasn’t inked a new agreement at that point, the remaining $18MM in signing bonus proration will immediately accelerate onto New Orleans’ 2018 salary cap. What the Saints need to do, then, is extend Brees for a few more years, which would allow them to once again spread out that remaining $18MM.
If the Saints’ history of salary cap management is any indication, they’ll attempt to kick the can down the road again by signing Brees to a new contract that contains more void seasons. A five-year deal that contains a void provision after year two would allow New Orleans to retain Brees for the time being while giving the team even more wherewithal to spread out his signing bonus. Yes, such a plan would simply force the Saints to address Brees’ deal again in say, 2020, but given that New Orleans is squarely in its contention window, Loomis can afford to sort out any contractual problems when the time comes.
For what it’s worth, there’s little question the Saints need to retain Brees despite his advanced age and the surprisingly large number of quarterback alternatives available this offseason. Brees didn’t post his typically gaudy offensive statistics in 2017, but that was largely by design, as he attempted only 536 pass attempts, his lowest in a full 16-game slate since 2005 (his final year with the Chargers).
New Orleans built an offense that doesn’t have to fully rely on Brees, as the club ranked first in rushing DVOA and second in pressure rate allowed. Buoyed by Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara, and a strong offensive line, Brees ranked second in passer rating and adjusted net yards per attempt, and third in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, which measures value on a per-play basis.
2) Back to the drawing board opposite Cameron Jordan: The Saints struck gold in 2017 by inking former Cardinals edge rusher Alex Okafor to a one-year, $3MM deal. After years of trying (and failing) to find a defensive end to play alongside standout Cameron Jordan, New Orleans finally landed Okafor, who graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 22 edge defender before going down with a torn Achilles in late November. With Okafor in tow, the Saints ranked sixth in adjusted sack rate, their best showing since 2013, and finished 11th in pressure rate.
Okafor was one of the best one-year signings in the NFL a season ago, and the now 27-year-old has indicated that he’d like to return to New Orleans in 2018. While the Saints could explore a new deal with Okafor, they shouldn’t overpay to do so. Okafor didn’t have much of a market last season, and New Orleans doesn’t need to reward him for a (admittedly solid) 10-game sample. If Okafor is willing to re-sign for the $3MM he landed last year, the Saints should be interested. But given that he’s coming off an Achilles injury (which could limit his explosion and first step going forward), Okafor doesn’t need to be a high priority for New Orleans.
The Saints could also look at other internal options before scouring the free agent market in search of edge defenders. Trey Hendrickson was a third-round draft pick last year, and he offered an adequate performance as a situational rusher during his rookie campaign. On 235 pass-rushing snaps, Hendrickson put up 13 quarterback pressures. If New Orleans believes Hendrickson could advance to a full-time role in 2018, the club may not need to find another defensive end. The Saints also have 2017 sixth-rounder Al-Quadin Muhammad on the roster, but the Rutgers product only played 24 defensive snaps last season.Read more
Bills Express Interest In RB Frank Gore
The Bills have expressed interest in veteran running back Frank Gore, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Gore himself was “eyeing” the Packers, per Barrows, but Green Bay has indicated its comfortable with its current running back depth chart.
The Colts have no intention of re-signing Gore, but the 34-year-old believes he can play for at least one more NFL campaign, reports Barrows. However, he has specific conditions for which he is searching in his next team. First, Gore wants to be a contributor — while it doesn’t sound as though Gore will require a starting role, he clearly wants to be significantly involved in an offense. Second, Gore prefers to play for a contender in what could be his final NFL season.
While Buffalo would meet that second criterion after earning a postseason berth in 2017, the Bills wouldn’t be able to offer Gore anything close to a starting job. LeSean McCoy finished second in the NFL with 287 carries a season ago, and he’s likely to be Buffalo’s offensive focal point in 2018. The Bills might aim to limit McCoy’s touches as he enters his 30s, but Mike Tolbert — Buffalo’s No. 2 running back last year — handled only 66 carries in 2017.
That Green Bay would not be interested in adding Gore shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as the club has several young running backs on its roster. The Packers drafted three running backs in 2017, and two of them — Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones — showed the upside of a long-term starter in their rookie seasons. The other rookie, Devante Mays, is still in Green Bay, as is Ty Montgomery, the wideout-turned-back who was the Packers’ starter to open the year.
Now hoping to play his 14th NFL campaign, Gore averaged only 3.7 yards per carry on 261 rushes while scoring three times last season. While he wasn’t a key part of the Colts’ passing attack, he did manage 29 receptions for 245 yards and one touchdown. If he’s active in 2017, Gore will almost certainly pass Curtis Martin for fourth on the all-time rushing yards list.
Demarcus Lawrence Signs Franchise Tag
Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence has signed his franchise tag, according to his agent David Canter (Twitter link). Lawrence wasted no time in inking his tender, as Dallas had just formally applied the tag this afternoon.
As the NFL announced earlier tonight, the franchise tender figure for defensive ends has been set at $17.143MM. By signing his tag, Lawrence has fully guaranteed himself that total. On an annual basis, Lawrence will become the highest-paid defensive end in the league, although the Lions’ Ezekiel Ansah — who will surely ink his own franchise tag in the near future — will shortly join him atop the list.
Dallas indicated early in the offseason that it would deploy the franchise tag on Lawrence if no long-term deal was reached by the tag deadline, which occurs on Tuesday. Lawrence, who turns 26 years old next month, now has until July 16 to work out an extension with the Cowboys. If no comes together by that date, Lawrence must play out the 2018 campaign on the franchise tender.
A former second-round pick, Lawrence put up the best season of his four-year career in 2017. He started all 16 games and finished second in the league with 14.5 sacks, led the NFL with 57 pressures, and graded as the third-best edge rusher among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
With Lawrence’s large 2018 base salary on the books, the Cowboys are now extremely tight on cap space (per Over the Cap, Dallas could currently have fewer than $200K in funds). That’s the fourth-lowest amount of cap room in the league, meaning the Cowboys will need to make further transactions in order to comply with the cap. Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick have been mentioned as candidates for release, while Dallas might also extend Zack Martin in a move that would reduce his 2018 cap charge.
2018 Franchise, Transition, RFA Salaries
The NFL has officially set the 2018 salary cap at $177.2MM, an increase of about $10MM from the 2017 season. That uptick means franchise and transition tags, as well as restricted free agent salaries, will also see a bump. Here are the values for the 2018 season, courtesy of a league announcement and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link)
Franchise tag (non-exclusive):
Quarterback: $23.819MM
Running back: $11.866MM
Wide receiver: $15.982MM
Tight end: $9.846MM
Offensive line: $14.077MM
Defensive end: $17.143MM
Defensive tackle: $13.939MM
Linebacker: $14.961MM
Cornerback: $14.975MM
Safety: $11.287MM
Kicker/Punter: $4.939MM
Transition tag:
Quarterback: $20.922MM
Running back: $9.630MM
Wide receiver: $13.924MM
Tight end: $8.428MM
Offensive line: $12.525MM
Defensive end: $14.200MM
Defensive tackle: $11.407MM
Linebacker: $12.810MM
Cornerback: $12.971MM
Safety: $9.536MM
Kicker/Punter: $4.493MM
Restricted free agent tenders:
First round tender: $4.149MM
Second round tender: $2.914MM
Original round/right of first refusal: $1.907MM
For more information on these subjects, check out the Pro Football Glossary entries on franchise/transition tags and restricted free agency.
2018 NFL Salary Cap Set At $177.2MM
The NFL has informed teams that the 2018 salary cap will be set at $177.2MM, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The salary cap will continue the incredible upward trajectory it has been on since 2013. Here’s what the league’s salary cap has looked like over the last few years:
- 2013: $123MM
- 2014: $133MM
- 2015: $143.28MM
- 2016: $155.27MM
- 2017: $167MM
The NFL’s management council submitted their first 2018 cap projections to the league’s owners in January. Initial projections for the cap came in at $174.2-$178.1MM, so the $177.2MM figure fits squarely into that range. The salary cap, of course, affects not only teams’ roster moves for the entire season, but the figures used in franchise/transition tag calculations.
Rams To Host CB Sam Shields
Free agent cornerback Sam Shields will meet with the Rams on Tuesday, according to Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Shields is also planning on visiting with the Browns in the near future, but his meeting with Los Angeles will occur first, per Cohen.
Shields, now 30 years old, suffered the fifth concussion of his career in Green Bay’s 2016 season opener and hasn’t played since. He spent the rest of that 2016 campaign on injured reserve, and the Packers subsequently released him once the season concluded. Shields never drew any interest during the 2017 free agent period, but he’s now back to working on practice fields with the intent of playing in 2018.
It’s unclear if any team will take a chance on Shields, especially given the NFL’s continued focus on head injuries. Shields is confident he will be signed this spring, while at least one personnel executive recently told Cohen that Shields could land a deal if his health checks out. For what it’s worth, Shields says he will end his playing career if he suffers even one more concussion, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Shields, who served as Green Bay’s No. 1 corner for a three-year stretch, agreed to forgo free agency in 2014 by agreeing to a four-year, $39MM deal. A former undrafted free agent, Shields spent seven years with the Packers, starting 62 games and racking up 18 interceptions during that span. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2014.
The Rams, for their part, have already acquired a new shutdown defensive back, as their trade for ex-Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters will become official when the new league year begins on March 14. Trumaine Johnson remains unlikely to re-sign with Los Angeles, and Nickell Robey-Coleman is a pending free agent, leaving the Rams with Kayvon Webster, Troy Hill, and Blake Countess, among others, behind Peters.
Falcons Interested In TE Ed Dickson?
The Falcons are being “associated” with Panthers free agent tight end Ed Dickson, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: Falcons Interested In Cowboys FB Keith Smith]
Atlanta is likely on the lookout for a veteran tight end after releasing Levine Toilolo last week. Toilolo played roughly 40% of the Falcons’ offensive snaps in 2017, but spent the majority of that time as a blocker. Dickson isn’t quite the run-blocker that Toilolo is, per Pro Football Focus, but he grade as the single-best pass-blocking tight end in the league a season ago.
Dickson, 30, didn’t play a large receiving role during his first three years with the Panthers, but an injury to starting tight end Greg Olsen allowed Dickson to play on 80% of Carolina’s offensive plays last season. While he wasn’t a world-beater, Dickson did manage 437 yards and a touchdown, solid numbers considering he’d managed just 370 receiving yards from 2014-16.
While it’s unclear if the Panthers have interest in re-signing Dickson, head coach Ron Rivera recently implied Dickson would hit the open market, per McClure.