Dallas Robinson | Pro Football Rumors

Gary Barnidge Wants To Play In 2018

By Dallas Robinson | at February 22, 2018 8:20 pm

Tight end Gary Barnidge didn’t play in the NFL during the 2017 campaign, but he intends to search for an offer this season, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.

Barnidge, 32, was released by the Browns last April just days after the club selected fellow tight end David Njoku in the first round of the draft. While a number of teams — including the Bills, Jaguars, Panthers, Broncos, and Texans — were linked to Barnidge, he ultimately never landed a contract.

“I had calls and opportunities and workouts and stuff like that but I was really frustrated,” Barnidge said. “Teams view you like once you’re an older guy, ‘Oh, you’re not worth as much. You can’t succeed. You can’t do that kind of stuff.’ That’s how they do it. That’s not the truth.

“As I proved when I was 30, 31, I went to the Pro Bowl (in 2015) and put the two best years up in my career because I was given the opportunity to play. Teams try to take advantage of the situation … You have second- and third-string guys who are getting significant amounts of money and you’re trying to pay me a lot less because I’m 31, 32 years old? My numbers show what I can do.”

Barnidge was a relative no-name until the 2015 season, when — at age 30 — the 6’5″ tight end broke out for 79 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Each of those totals were career-highs for Barnidge, and his yardage figure was the eighth-highest single-season total for a tight end since 2010.

The 2016 campaign wasn’t quite as fruitful for Barnidge, but he still managed 55 catches for 612 yards, solid numbers for a tight end in a weak Browns offense. He also graded as the league’s No. 1 pass-blocking tight end in 2016, per Pro Football Focus.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Tennessee Titans

By Dallas Robinson | at February 22, 2018 7:38 pm

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 Tennessee Titans, who advanced to the Divisional Round but still replaced head coach Mike Mularkey with former Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Eric Decker, WR
Harry Douglas, WR
DaQuan Jones, DE
David King, DE (ERFA)
Josh Kline, G
Brice McCain, CB
Curtis Riley, S (RFA)
Brian Schwenke, G
Quinton Spain, G (RFA)
Erik Walden, LB
Brandon Weeden, QB
Avery Williamson, LB

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:

Jurrell Casey, DT: $14,920,000
Logan Ryan, CB: $11,166,666
Taylor Lewan, T: $9,341,000
Brian Orakpo, LB: $9,000,000
Derrick Morgan, LB: $8,500,000
Marcus Mariota, QB: $7,704,446
Delanie Walker, TE: $7,033,334
Johnathan Cyprien, S: $6,750,000
DeMarco Murray, RB: $6,500,000
Rishard Matthews, WR: $5,833,334

Other:

Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $49,488268
25th pick in draft
Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for QB Marcus Mariota

Three Needs:

1) Find a young edge rusher: Three edge rushers played more than 50% of the Titans’ defensive snaps in 2017: Brian Orakpo, who will be 32 years old when the 2018 campaign gets underway; Derrick Morgan, who turned 29 last month; and 32-year-old Erik Walden, who is an unrestricted free agent. Tennessee finished in the middle of the pack in both adjusted sack rate (12th) and total sacks (18th), but the team needs to get younger at outside linebacker.

To be clear, the Titans do have some youthful pass rushers on their roster, but none that have shown anything at the NFL level. Kevin Dodd, selected near the top of the second round in the 2016 draft, missed time with a foot injury during his rookie season and subsequently failed to make an impact in 2017. In total, he’s played only 279 defensive snaps during his first two years in the league. A pair of former seventh-rounders — Aaron Wallace and Josh Carraway — also haven’t produced in their brief NFL tenures.

Tennessee has plenty of 2018 salary space (seventh-most in the league, at present), but general manager Jon Robinson isn’t likely to find what he’s looking for on the open market. The Cowboys intend to use the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence, while the next-best edge option, Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, will turn 29 years old in May, meaning he’s probably not a fit. While there are several intriguing pass rushers scheduled to become free agents, they’re likely not the type of premier edge players that will immediately affect opposing offenses.

The most fascinating free agent that could be of interest to the Titans is actually on the restricted free agent market. Shaquil Barrett played two-thirds of the Broncos’ defensive snaps a season ago, and while he posted only four sacks, the 25-year-old managed 30.5 pressures. Denver will likely place a second-rounder tender on Barrett, but I wonder if they’ll be able to match a creative offer from Tennessee. Not only does Denver boast far less cap space than the Titans, but general manager John Elway & Co. will likely spend the early days of the free agent period trying to woo Kirk Cousins or another free agent quarterback into joining his club.

The Broncos have botched the restricted free agent process in the very recent past: in 2016, Denver assigned running back C.J. Anderson the original round tender when a second-round offer would have cost just $900K more. The Broncos ultimately matched a Dolphins offer sheet, but Elway completely misread Anderson’s market from the outset, and ended up paying a financial price.

If the Titans craft an offer to Barrett that includes a hefty base salary or roster bonus designed to eat up 2018 cap space, and officially hand that offer to Barrett on the first day of free agency, how will the Broncos react? At a time when they’ll be searching for a signal-caller, possibly fielding trade offers for wideouts Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders, and attempting to keep another RFA (center Matt Paradis), the Broncos may be blindsided yet again.

If a Barrett acquisition proves unrealistic, the Titans will still have the option of perusing the unrestricted free agent market. I’ve previously mentioned Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers) as potential additions for clubs in need of upside at the edge position, and the Titans could show interest. Lynch, notably, ranked fifth in the NFL with 34 pressures as recently as 2015, and if he can keep his weight down, he’d be a viable reserve option for Tennessee. With an eye toward youth, the Titans may also consider Cardinals outside linebacker Kareem Martin, who offers 56 games worth of experience and is only 26 years old. Chris Smith (26) flashed in the 2017 preseason with the Bengals and is now freely available. Matching any of these younger defenders with veteran defensive coordinator Dean Pees could result in success.

The draft will offer yet another avenue for the Titans to acquire a pass rusher, but a top heavy class of defensive ends/linebackers means Tennessee might not have a shot at a blue-chip prospect at the end of the first round. Josh Norris of Rotoworld sent Sam Hubbard to the Titans in his most recent mock draft, but there are legitimate concerns about the Ohio State product’s athleticism. Perhaps Tennessee gets lucky and sees Marcus Davenport (UTSA) or Harold Landry (Boston College) slip, but if not, the club will have to be comfortable selecting a player with off-field concerns such as LSU’s Arden Key, or wait until Day 2 and pick up someone like Kansas’ Dorance Armstrong, whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report calls the draft’s biggest sleeper on the edge.

2) Bring in a complement to Derrick Henry: The Titans are fully expected to release veteran running back DeMarco Murray this offseason in a move that will save the club $6.5MM in both cash and cap space, and while the club and new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur will turn over the rushing attack to second-year back Derrick Henry, Tennessee will need to find a pass-catching back to pair with its bruiser.

LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017, and Los Angeles attempted to bring in a back — Lance Dunbar — to spell Todd Gurley on the cheap. Gurley proved he didn’t really require breathers on the way to being named Offensive Player of the Year, and Dunbar was never able to stay healthy, but the Rams at least had the idea in mind. Henry has shown the ability to become an every-down back, a runner who become the foundation of an offense, but I’d expect Tennessee to pursue at least one other RB to play alongside him.Read more

Dion Lewis would be an enviable signing for the Titans, but he’ll likely look for a situation where he can serve as a team’s bell-cow. But fellow Patriots free agent Rex Burkhead could offer Tennessee a similar player, a tough runner who is also excellent in the passing game. Burkhead finished ninth in Football Outsiders‘ receiving DVOA, a measure of how effective a back is on a per-play basis. After only garnering a one-year deal last offseason, Burkhead shouldn’t be expected to land much more than that on the open market next month.

Jerick McKinnon will likely cost more than Burkhead, but he’s also two years younger and arguably a more dynamic back. McKinnon is an outstanding receiver, and he’s ranked 14th in targets among running backs since entering the league in 2014. He also has far more experience as an actual runner than Burkhead: while McKinnon has managed 474 rushing attempts during his career, Burkhead is sitting at just 151. Additionally, McKinnon is a solid blocker in the pass game: among 46 qualifying RBs, McKinnon graded as the No. 8 pass-blocker in 2017, per Pro Football Focus.

Other options abound for the Titans, including free agents such as Darren Sproles, Charles Sims, and Shane Vereen, none of whom should cost much on the open market. Tennessee could also wait to see if a veteran such as Danny Woodhead gets released for his current contract, or even pursue a trade. Would the Seahawks accept a late-round pick for C.J. Prosise? How about the Eagles and Wendell Smallwood? No stone should be left unturned as the Titans look for a Henry complement.

3) Solidify the interior of the offensive line: Per Football Outsiders, ranked first in adjusted line yards when running behind left tackle Taylor Lewan, but 28th when running up the middle. Center Ben Jones still has two years left on the free agent deal he inked in 2016, but the Titans could seek an upgrade at either guard spot.

Tennessee’s guards were both above average a season ago: Josh Kline finished 22nd among 77 PFF qualifiers, while Quinton Spain ranked 27th. Spain is a restricted free agent, so he can be retained at a low cost. Because guard isn’t exactly a highly-valued position, the Titans can likely feel comfortable assigning Spain a second-round tender (at an expected cost of $2.916MM). At that price, it doesn’t make sense for Tennessee to search for an improvement through the draft or on the open market.

Kline is a solid player, too, and given that he’s still only 28 years old, he could generate more interest than expected when the free agent period begins next month. I’d expect Kline to look for $7-8MM annually on a multi-year deal, and he’ll use Jeff Allen‘s four-year, $28MM deal and Brandon Brooks‘ five-year, $40MM pact as comparables. If that’s the price for Kline, the Titans will need to ask themselves if they should A) go all-in on a free agent replacement or B) use an early-round pick to find a starter on an inexpensive rookie contract.

If the Titans take the first path, the club has two options it could go after: Andrew Norwell or Justin Pugh. Norwell is the clear top guard on the market, and given that he won’t be franchise-tagged by the Panthers, he could hypothetically reach for $13MM annually. As one of the better interior lineman in the NFL, Norwell is well-worth the money, and I don’t see any reason Tennessee couldn’t sign him (aside from the team’s historic unwillingness to target high-priced free agents). Pugh isn’t quite the player that is Norwell, but he’ll also be a little more affordable ($10MM per year?) and could offer an option at tackle if injury befalls Lewan or Jack Conklin.

If Tennessee can’t land Norwell or Pugh, the team should either attempt to hammer out a new deal with Kline, or use their first-round pick on an interior lineman. With an offense that’s heavily reliant on a rushing attack, solidifying the front five is a task that can’t be taken lightly. In his first mock draft of the year, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com sent Iowa center/guard James Daniels to the Titans at pick No. 25. Other that could be available near the end of Day 1 include Will Hernandez (UTEP), Isaiah Wynn (Georgia), and Billy Price (Ohio State).

1 comment Newsstand PFR Originals Tennessee Titans Top 3 Offseason Needs

No Contract Talks Between Jaguars, Allen Robinson

By Dallas Robinson | at February 22, 2018 6:41 pm

The Jaguars have not engaged in contract talks with pending free agent receiver Allen Robinson since last year’s training camp, according to Mike Kaye of First Coast News (Twitter link).

Jacksonville would like to retain Robinson, and is reportedly open to using the franchise tag to keep him in town. The franchise tender would also give the Jaguars the opportunity to keep Robinson — who is recovering from a torn ACL — for one more year without being forced to commit for the long-term. A franchise tag for a wide receiver is expected to cost more than $16MM in 2018.

“It’s not like one of those things where it happened at the end of the year,” Robinson said when discussing his ACL tear, which occurred in the 2017 season opener. “I’ll be cleared well before the season starts and well before training camp. Every team across the league knows what I’ve done in this league and what I’m capable of so that’s not really an issue.”

Robinson broke out during the 2015 campaign (his second in the NFL) by posting 80 receptions, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. The next year was something of a down season, although he still managed 73 catches.

2 comments Jacksonville Jaguars Allen Robinson

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/18

By Dallas Robinson | at February 22, 2018 5:39 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed: T Michael Dunn

New York Giants

Waived: LB Deontae Skinner

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: RB Dalton Crossan

NFC Notes: Panthers, Rams, 49ers, Cowboys

By Dallas Robinson | at February 21, 2018 9:41 pm

Hedge fund manager and Steelers minority owner David Tepper is a name to watch in the Panthers‘ sale, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). Tepper, based in Miami, reportedly has a net worth of $11.4 billion, so he certainly has the capital to pull off a purchase of the Carolina franchise. A minority owner of the Steelers since 2009, Tepper boasts 5% of the Pittsburgh club. He’s the third candidate to be linked to the Panthers ownership, joining South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro and former UFC owner Frank Fertitta.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Wideout Tavon Austin is widely expected to be released by the Rams this offseason, and Los Angeles could end up seeing a bit of financial relief if Austin is signed by another club. Austin’s contract contains offsets, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, meaning the Rams will save money if and when Austin lands a new contract. Austin, 26, will earn a fully guaranteed $5MM roster bonus whether he’s on LA’s roster or not, but the Rams will have to pay the 5’8″ pass-catcher another $3MM if he’s still around on March 16. A former first-round pick, Austin managed only 13 receptions for 47 yards in 2017.
Buccaneers cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah was medically cleared on Tuesday after missing the entire 2017 campaign with a knee injury, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The 25-year-old Adjei-Barimah appeared in 23 games with Tampa Bay from 2015-16 and averaged 53% playtime on defense. Adjei-Barimiah was also a key contributor on special teams, as he played on roughly a third of the Buccaneers’ ST snaps during those two seasons. He’s now scheduled to become an restricted free agent this offseason, but it’s unclear if Tampa will tender him a contract, per Auman.
Daniel Kilgore‘s new three-year deal with the 49ers is worth nearly $11.78MM and and contains $4.825MM fully guaranteed, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Kilgore was a backup or injured for much of the first five years of his career, but he’s started 29 games for the 49ers over the past two seasons. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus ranked Kilgore as just the 23rd-best center in the league in 2017, but San Francisco is clearly higher on him than that finish would indicate.
The Cowboys have hired Ken Amato as a defensive assistant, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Amato, who spent nine years with the Titans as a long snapper, worked with Dallas as a special teams assistant in 2017.

6 comments Carolina Panthers Dallas Cowboys Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Daniel Kilgore David Tepper Jude Adjei-Barimah Ken Amato Tavon Austin

Falcons Begin Talks With Kicker Matt Bryant

By Dallas Robinson | at February 21, 2018 8:53 pm

The Falcons have initiated contract negotiations with pending free agent kicker Matt Bryant, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Bryant will turn 43 years old before the 2018 season gets underway, but like fellow aging placekicker Adam Vinatieri (who appears to be nearing his own new deal with the Colts), Bryant hasn’t shown any signs of age. Last year, Bryant converted 87.2% of his field goals — good for 12th in the NFL — and made eight-of-nine attempts from 50+ yards. The eight attempts from greater than 50 yards were an NFL high, and a sign that Bryant still offers a booming leg.

Bryant was perfect on extra point tries, as he made all 35 of his attempts on the year. He also fared well in Football Outsiders‘ advanced metrics, which rank kickers based on how their field goal attempts compare to the league-average conversion rate from the same distance. Bryant offered 6.4 points through field goals and extra points, which ranked ninth in the NFL.

Under the terms of a three-year extension he inked in 2015, Bryant had been collecting an annual salary of $2.833MM (12th among kickers). He figures to see a bump in pay due to his recent production, and could see his per year paycheck rise into the $3-3.5MM range.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Atlanta Falcons

By Dallas Robinson | at February 21, 2018 7:48 pm

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 Atlanta Falcons, who finished with a 10-6 record before being bounced in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.