North Notes: Packers, Lions, Ansah, Steelers
Now that the Packers seemingly have their backfield set for the foreseeable future, they could consider moving Ty Montgomery back to wide receiver, opines Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Montgomery moved to running back late in the 2016 campaign, and entered last season as Green Bay’s starter. However, as some had predicted, Montgomery wasn’t able to hold up as a full-time runner, and managed only 71 carries on the season. The Packers drafted three running backs in 2017, and two of them — Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones — gave early indications that they can become the foundation of a solid rushing attack. Green Bay’s wide receiving corps is less stable, however, as Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb could conceivably be asked to accept a pay cut or be released. Montgomery, then, would give the club another option at wideout as he enters his contract season. A third-round selection in the 2015 draft, Montgomery is now eligible for an extension and is projected to hit the open market in 2018.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- The Lions should use the franchise tag on pending free agent defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, argues Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Although the franchise tender for defensive ends is extremely expensive (at a projected $17.5MM cost, the DE tag is second only to the quarterback tender), it would give Detroit several options regarding Ansah’s long-term future. Not only would the tag allow the Lions to see if Ansah can double-down on his 12-sack 2017 campaign, but the club would get an additional season to gauge the production of fellow defensive ends Kerry Hyder and Anthony Zettel. Additionally, a franchise tag doesn’t mean Detroit can’t reach an extension with Ansah — if he’s tagged, Ansah will have until July to hammer out a long-term deal with the Lions. NFL teams can begin deploying the franchise tender on February 20, and have until March 6 to formally utilize the tag.
- Though he had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent this offseason, Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix inked a four-year extension last week, the details of which salary cap guru Ian Whetstone has now provided (via Twitter). All told, Nix’s new deal is worth $6.975MM and contains $1.5MM guaranteed (all in the form of a signing bonus). His 2018 cap charge will be $1.437MM, which is roughly $500K cheaper than the lowest RFA tender. So while Nix will receive a slightly reduced base salary next season, he’s picking up guarantees that otherwise wouldn’t have been available.
- In case you missed it, the Bengals are expected to prioritize extensions for defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Carlos Dunlap this offseason. Both defenders are entering the final year of their respective contracts.
Broncos Unlikely To Cut Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders
Although Broncos wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have both been mentioned as potential cap casualties, the “belief” is that both are safe bets to stick on Denver’s roster given that the club is searching for a top-end quarterback this offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
General manager John Elway is reportedly considering any and all options to improve the Broncos’ quarterback situation over the coming months. As PFR’s Sam Robinson detailed in an extensive look at Denver’s offseason priorities, the Broncos could theoretically target a free agent solution such as Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, or Tyrod Taylor, or perhaps look to draft a collegiate signal-caller like Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, or Josh Allen. Either way, Denver’s ability to retain its top two pass-catchers should help the club’s next quarterback.
Additionally, salary cap space shouldn’t be a problem for the Broncos in 2018, so saving money by cutting Thomas or Sanders isn’t an absolute necessity. Although Denver currently boasts only $27MM in cap room (16th in the NFL), it can easily create more space through personnel moves that don’t involve Thomas or Sanders. The Broncos could release cornerback Aqib Talib, running back C.J. Anderson, and offensive tackle Menelik Watson — each of which is a rumored transaction — and catapult their available cap space to more than $40MM.
Thomas, 30, has two years left on his current contract, and is scheduled to count for roughly $12MM in 2018. Denver could release him and save nearly $5MM, but the team would also take on $7.06MM in dead money. A post-June 1 designation would create $8.5MM in savings, but having extra room in June wouldn’t help the Broncos sign a quarterback in April. Thomas managed only 949 receiving yards last season, his lowest total since 2011, but the lack of effective quarterback play in Denver played a large part in that lack of production.
Sanders was also affected by the Broncos’ dismal efforts under center, as he posted just 555 receiving yards while appearing in 12 games. Prior to 2017, the 30-year-old Sanders had produced three straight campaigns with at least 1,000 yards through the air. If they were to release Sanders, the Broncos would pick up ~$5.563MM in cap space but incur $5.375MM in dead money.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick’s Collusion Lawsuit
Colin Kaepernick and his legal team have now requested two high-profile individuals be deposed in his collusion lawsuit against the NFL. Jane Goodell, the wife of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and John Schnatter, the former CEO of Papa John’s pizza, have both been sent deposition requests, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Kaepernick has already asked for records, emails, and text messages from Roger Goodell and several other notable NFL executives and coaches — including Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and 49ers owner Jed York — but Jane Goodell is only tangentially related to the league. Her inclusion in the lawsuit is most likely related to an October Wall Street Journal article which detailed Goodell’s use of an anonymous Twitter account to defender her husband from social media criticism.
Schnatter’s involvement in the Kaepernick grievance is also adjacent to the league, as he complained that kneeling NFL players — a form of protest initiated by Kaepernick — was to blame for declining television ratings, and therefore, lackluster pizza sales. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who is also on Kaepernick’s deposition list, owns more than 100 Papa John’s locations and enjoys a close relationship with Schnatter, per La Canfora, who reports Kaepernick’s lawyers want to determine Jones’ role in Schnatter’s comments.
Kaepernick, of course, didn’t play in the NFL in 2017 and has since argued that league owners are conspiring to keep him off the field. The end goal of Kaepernick’s grievance may be to terminate the current collective bargaining agreement (no matter how unlikely that may seem), but he’d been expected to be granted much leeway when questioning NFL owners.
Bills Hire Terry Robiskie As WRs Coach
The Bills have hired former Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie as wide receivers coach, the club announced today.
Robiskie, 63, produced middling results as Tennessee’s offensive play-caller during the past two seasons, and it’s believed former Titans head coach Mike Mularkey‘s refusal to fire Robiskie led to Mularkey’s own dismissal. While Robiskie may have a lackluster track record as an offensive coordinator, he does offer years of experience as a wide receivers coach. He’s led wideouts in Washington, Cleveland, Miami, and Atlanta over the past 30 years, and experienced great success with the Falcons, with whom he coached stars such as Roddy White and Julio Jones.
In Buffalo, Robiskie won’t quite be working with another White/Jones combination, as the Bills currently possess one of the least inspiring wide receiver depth charts in the league. 2017 trade acquisition Kelvin Benjamin and 2017 second-round pick Zay Jones are the club’s top two pass-catchers, while Buffalo has five wideouts — including Jordan Matthews and Deonte Thompson — headed for free agency.
Before signing on with the Bills, Robiskie also discussed a reunion with the Falcons, with whom he would have become a running backs coach, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Johnny Manziel To Play In Spring League
Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has agreed to play in the 2018 Spring League, the league announced today. Games will get underway in Austin in mid-April.
Manziel was thought to be interested in working out a deal to play in the Canadian Football League during the 2018 campaign, and was in fact offered a contract by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in January. However, Manziel and his team reportedly weren’t pleased with the terms of the pact, and set a January 31 deadline to ink a new deal. That date has since passed, but the Tiger-Cats were still willing to pursue an agreement with the former first-round pick.
Earlier this week, Manziel appeared on Good Morning America and detailed his struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder. “I was self medicating with alcohol because that’s what I thought was making me happy to help me get out of that depression to a point where I felt like I had some sense of happiness,” Manziel said. “But at the end of the day, when you wake up the next day after a night like that or after going on a trip like that, and you wake up the next day and that’s all gone.”
Manziel is still only 25 years old, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 campaign. In eight career starts for the Browns, the former Heisman trophy winner completed 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
The Spring League is a developmental effort comprised of four teams which involves four games in April. The league began in 2017, and notable ex-NFLers such as Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow, and Ahmad Bradshaw were among the participants.
Pro Hockey Rumors: Your Source For NHL Trade Deadline Coverage
Two weeks remain until the February 26th NHL Trade Deadline, and our sister site Pro Hockey Rumors is all you need to stay up to date on the latest news. Will the Buffalo Sabres find someone to pay their steep asking price for Evander Kane? Will the Vegas Golden Knights buy to help their historic expansion run? Are the New York Rangers really going to blow it up while Henrik Lundqvist is still there?
Visit Pro Hockey Rumors now and be sure to follow us @prohockeyrumors on Twitter!
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/13/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Lou Young
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who failed to live up to preseason expectations and finished with a 5-11 record.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Jude Adjei-Barimah, CB (RFA)
- Peyton Barber, RB (ERFA)
- Cameron Brate, TE (RFA)
- Will Clarke, DE
- Javien Elliott, CB (ERFA)
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB
- Nick Folk, K
- Adam Gettis, OL
- Adarius Glanton, LB (RFA)
- Brent Grimes, CB
- Adam Humphries, WR (RFA)
- Robert McClain, CB
- Clinton McDonald, DT
- Patrick Murray, K
- Kevin Pamphile, G
- Ryan Russell, DE (RFA)
- Garrison Sanborn, LS
- Sealver Siliga, DT
- Charles Sims, RB
- Evan Smith, OL
- Keith Tandy, S
- Justin Trattou, DE
- T.J. Ward, S
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Mike Evans, WR: $13,258,000
- Gerald McCoy, DT: $12,750,000
- DeSean Jackson, WR: $11,000,000
- Lavonte David, LB: $8,750,000
- Jameis Winston, QB: $8,066,315
- Doug Martin, RB: $6,750,000
- William Gholston, DE: $6,500,000
- Robert Ayers, DE: $6,000,000
- J.R. Sweezy, G: $5,875,000
- Chris Baker, DT: $4,875,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $61,478,282
- Seventh pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for QB Jameis Winston
Three Needs:
1) Find a new running back: It’s difficult to overstate just how poor Doug Martin played in 2017. Among the 36 running backs who handled at least 125 carries last season, Martin finished dead last with a paltry 2.94 yards per rush. Pro Football Focus ranked Martin as the No. 53 RB among 58 qualifiers, while the 29-year-old placed last among backs in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA metric, which measures value on a per-play basis. Martin caught only nine passes a year ago, but even on a per-pass basis, he was well below-average, as FO ranked him 25th in receiving DVOA among the 30 RBs who managed fewer than 25 targets.
Martin took the most touches of any Buccaneers running back in 2017, but given that he only started eight games, he wasn’t the only problem in the Tampa Bay backfield. Peyton Barber handled 108 carries but finished with only 3.9 yards per carry — he’s an exclusive rights free agent, and if he returns next season, it could be as a backup. Jacquizz Rodgers may be a candidate for release after averaging 3.8 yards per touch, and Charles Sims — the club’s main receiving back — is a free agent and seems unlikely to be re-signed.
Tampa Bay will essentially start with a blank slate at the running back position, but the 2018 free agent market is well-stocked with potential upgrades. Le’Veon Bell is clearly the top available back, but it seems inconceivable that he won’t return to the Steelers next season (if not via a long-term deal, then under the franchise tag). If Bell somehow does finagle his way out of Pittsburgh, though, the Buccaneers would be a prime landing spot. Not only does Tampa have the cap space to pay Bell what he wants, but the club could immediately make him the centerpiece of its offense.
If and when Bell re-signs with the Steelers, the Buccaneers will still have plenty of options at running back. Aside from Bell, Carlos Hyde may be the most talented runner on the free agent market, although injuries and a lack of talent on the 49ers’ roster have limited his overall production. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay could afford the $6MM annual salary that Dion Lewis is reportedly searching for, while Isaiah Crowell could also make sense as an every-down back.
Another strategy the Bucs could pursue would involve installing the 225-pound Barber as their early-down bruiser while inking a running back who specializes in the passing game. Lewis would fit that bill (and add much more), but fellow Patriot Rex Burkhead could potentially serve as an excellent receiver for Jameis Winston. Burkhead ranked first among pending free agent running backs in FO’s receiving DYAR and DVOA, and shouldn’t be all that expensive given that he secured only a one-year deal in 2017. The Vikings’ Jerick McKinnon — essentially a souped-up version of the incumbent Sims — could also fill a receiving role.
In the draft, Penn State’s Saquon Barkley is the clear-cut top available back, but it’s unclear if he’ll fall to the seventh overall pick. If he does, the Buccaneers would likely jump on him, although the club has enough other needs that it’s not a guarantee. Instead, Tampa Bay could hold off on adding a young running back until the second round, when other players such as Ronald Jones (USC), Sony Michel (Georgia), and Derrius Guice (LSU) may be available. Jones, in particular, would be a solid fit in an outside zone running scheme, as Benjamin Solak of NDT Scouting recently detailed.
2) Bolster the pass rush: No team struggled more to get after opposing quarterbacks in 2017 than did the Buccaneers. Tampa finished dead last in sacks (22), adjusted sack rate, and pressure rate, and just this week fired defensive line coach Jay Hayes. While there’s no word yet as to who will replace Hayes, a new coach should be leading a unit that undergoes a significant revamp this offseason.
The first thing the Buccaneers need to do is trim the fat on their defensive line. We’ll focus primarily on edge rushers given that Tampa Bay is set in the middle with Gerald McCoy and Chris Baker (although neither is a spring chicken). Veteran Robert Ayers posted the best season of his career in 2017 and is under contract for one more year, while former second-rounder Noah Spence will return from injury in 2018. Ayers and Spence should be in the Bucs’ plans for next season, but nearly every other pass rusher should be shown the door.
Ryan Russell somehow managed to play the second-most snaps of any Tampa Bay edge defender a year ago, but now that he’s a restricted free agent, I’m not sure he should even be offered an original round tender (which would pay him in the neighborhood of $1.9MM). Will Clarke is a failed former Day 2 draft pick who followed Hayes from Cincinnati; he’s a free agent now and shouldn’t be retained. And William Gholston was signed to a “$27.5MM deal” last offseason that — thanks to Tampa Bay’s contract strategy — is really worth $7MM. He can be released with no penalty this spring.Read more
Bills Hope To Re-Sign LB Preston Brown?
The Bills have suggested they’d like to re-sign free agent linebacker Preston Brown, as Brown himself details to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
“In the exit meeting [after Buffalo’s playoff loss to Jacksonville], coach made it sound like they wanted me back,” Brown tells Rodak. “He said some things that sounded like that. But you never know what’s going to happen during free agency. I would love to go back to Buffalo. That’s the No. 1 choice for me.”
Brown, 25, has been a full-time starter since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2014. Given the staff turnover in Buffalo, Brown has played under three head coaches, and thus, three defensive schemes: 2014 and 2017 were spent in 4-3 fronts, while Brown was deployed in a 3-4 look during Rex Ryan‘s two years as the Bills’ coach.
Brown is clearly more productive in a 4-3 front, as he’s graded as a league-average linebacker in that scheme while registering barely roster-able play while in a 3-4, per Pro Football Focus. He won’t have to learn a new defense if he stays in Buffalo, as head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will both return.
With free agency scheduled to open next month, Brown is likely searching for a multi-year deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $5-6MM annually. If he does reach free agency, Brown will find an open market that is well-stocked with linebackers, which could potentially limit his suitors. Zach Brown, NaVorro Bowman, Avery Williamson, Preston Brown, Demario Davis, Anthony Hitchens and Derrick Johnson are just a few of the off-ball ‘backers who are scheduled to be available next month.
Bills Interview Ex-Titans OC Terry Robiskie
The Bills have interviewed former Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie for their now vacant wide receivers position, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Longtime NFL wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson has also met with Buffalo, per Marvez.
Under Robiskie, the 2017 Titans offense ranked 13th in yards, 17th in points, and 18th in DVOA. But the club’s play-calling and handling of mobile quarterback Marcus Mariota was often questioned, as Robiskie & Co. seemingly failed to put the former No. 2 overall pick in the best situations. Tennessee finished just 28th in situation neutral offensive pace, a notably slow speed given Mariota’s collegiate success in Chip Kelly’s quick-game offense.
The 63-year-old Robiskie has been since an NFL coach since 1982, and wide receivers have been his calling card. He’s led wideouts in Washington, Cleveland, Miami, and Atlanta over the past 30 years, and experienced great success with the Falcons, with whom he coached stars such as Roddy White and Julio Jones.
Robinson’s coaching career dates back almost as far as Robiskie’s, but the 65-year-old has been out of the league for the past two seasons. After stops with Atlanta, Indianapolis, New York, New Orleans, and Green Bay, Robinson spent the 2011-15 campaigns with the Cowboys before transitioning into a consultant role.
The Bills are seeking to replace former wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan, who today took the same position with the Chargers. McGeoghan and Buffalo reached a “mutual decision” to let him out of his contract, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.