Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Cardinals have signed linebacker Tevin Floyd and waived center Lucas Crowley, the club announced today. Floyd went undrafted earlier this year out of The Citadel, where he finished with 86 tackles a season ago. He started 38 games during his collegiate career. Crowley, meanwhile, signed with Arizona in May after not being selected in the draft. The North Carolina product will now try to latch on with another club before training camp gets underway.
Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks
After finishing first in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA efficiency metric in each season from 2012-15, the Seahawks fell to ninth in 2016. The fact that that ranking was Seattle’s lowest since 2011 speaks to the consistency of the organization, especially at the top (John Schneider and Pete Carroll each finished among the NFL’s top three general managers and head coaches, respectively, in Patrick Daughtery of Rotoworld’s excellent leadership lists). The Seahawks have advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the past five campaigns, and have shown a remarkable ability to lock up core players in order to maintain their run of success.
That’s not to say Seattle didn’t have areas to address this offseason, however, so let’s take a look at how Seattle fared:
Notable signings:
- Luke Joeckel, T: One year, $8MM. $7MM guaranteed.
- Eddie Lacy, RB: One year, $4.25MM. $2.865MM guaranteed. $1.3MM available via incentives.
- Luke Willson, TE: One year, $1.8MM. Fully guaranteed.
- DeShawn Shead, CB: One year, $1.2MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Bradley McDougald, S: One year, $1.8MM. $750K guaranteed.
- Neiko Thorpe, S: Two years, $1.75MM. $600K guaranteed.
- Michael Wilhoite, LB: One year, $1.55MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Oday Aboushi, G: One year, $975K. $200K guaranteed.
- Terence Garvin, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Austin Davis, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
- Blair Walsh, K: One year, $1.1MM.
- David Bass, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Arthur Brown, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Marcus Cromartie, CB: One year, $690K.
- Dion Jordan, DE: One year, $640K.
As I noted when assessing the Seahawks’ most pressing needs heading into the offseason, Seattle’s offensive line could have been listed first, second, and third on a list of the club’s glaring weaknesses. After ranking 25th in adjusted sack rate and 26th in adjusted line yards in 2016, the Seahawks and general manager John Schneider addressed the problem in free agency — something they didn’t do a year ago — by adding former No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel on a one-year pact.
Joeckel received $8MM from Seattle, with $7MM of that total coming as a full guarantee. It’s an astonishing figure for a player who’s been considered a complete bust, and it’s hard to believe Joeckel was drawing enough interest to force the Seahawks to land at that number. Other offensive linemen earning ~$8MM include Marshal Yanda, Mike Iupati, Morgan Moses, and Brandon Brooks, all of whom are in a different stratosphere from Joeckel in terms of production. Former first-round selection D.J. Fluker scored only $3MM from the Giants on a single-season deal this spring, and Joeckel should have come in around the same amount.
Even more surprising is that Joeckel may not even play left tackle! The Seahawks are reportedly considering placing George Fant, who graded as Pro Football Focus‘ single-worst tackle in the NFL last season, on the blindside, meaning Joeckel would likely stick at guard, or perhaps even be forced to act as a reserve. Either way, Seattle’s financial commitment to Joeckel makes no sense if he’s not at least starting at left tackle, as his $8MM salary would make him the 11th-highest-paid guard in the league.
After securing the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft in Joeckel, the Seahawks also brought in the third overall selection from that draft: defensive end Dion Jordan, who’s been an even larger disappointment during his NFL tenure than Joeckel. The 27-year-old Jordan hasn’t played in a game since December 2014, with PED-related suspensions and knee issues delaying his return to the field. Seattle’s gamble on Jordan is more palatable than its Joeckel bet, especially given that Jordan only inked a minimum salary deal with no guaranteed money. If Jordan does earn a roster spot and perform well, the Seahawks can control him through 2018 as a restricted free agent.
While the Joeckel and Jordan risks are based on performance concerns, the main uncertainly with cornerback DeShawn Shead is his health, as he’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 15. After being non-tendered and then re-signed, Shead is expected to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, as head coach Pete Carroll said in March he’d be “really surprised” if Shead was able to suit up for Week 1. A 15-game starter a season ago, Shead played more than 1,000 defensive snaps and graded as the league’s No. 37 corner, per PFF.
Joining Shead in the defensive backfield will be Bradley McDougald, an excellent value signing by the Seahawks at cost of only $1.8MM. McDougald, who started 31 games for the Buccaneers over the past two years, will serve as a third safety for Seattle, but could conceivably be forced into action based on injury questions with the Seahawks’ starts. Earl Thomas is expected to be ready for the season opener as he recovers from a broken leg, but complications could certainly arise. Kam Chancellor, meanwhile, is working his way back from multiple ankle surgeries and wasn’t yet at full speed as of March.
Seattle didn’t make many other notable additions on defense, although it did load up on linebackers/defensive backs with special teams experience. While the Seahawks graded among the top half of the league in special teams DVOA, their No. 13 ranking was a ten-spot drop from 2015. Perhaps with the intent of pushing that ranking back up, the Seahawks signed Terence Garvin, Michael Wilhoite, David Bass, Neiko Thorpe, and Arthur Brown, all of whom played on more than 45% of their respective team’s special teams snaps in 2016. Not every member of that cadre will end up making Seattle’s roster, but as a group, it’s a cheap investment with an eye towards special teams improvement.
The Seahawks’ most high-profile signing was former Packers running back Eddie Lacy, whom Seattle landed on a one-year contract worth $4.25MM. Lacy hasn’t posted a complete, healthy season since 2014, and given that his conditioning has been questioned, the Seahawks inserted weight clauses into Lacy’s deal. He passed his first weigh-in last month, earning $55K for tipping the scales below 250 pounds. Lacy, who is still only 26 years old, will join a Seattle backfield that also includes Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins, and Mike Davis. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times indicated last month that Lacy and Rawls will likely split basedown touches while Prosise handles passing game work.
After considering Colin Kaepernick, the Seahawks landed on Austin Davis as their free agent quarterback addition. Davis hasn’t played since 2015, and has only attempted only 378 career passes, but it’s not even clear that he’ll in fact be Russell Wilson‘s direct backup. Trevone Boykin, a 2016 undrafted free agent who served behind Wilson last year, has avoided jail time for at least one legal incident and isn’t expected to be suspended by the NFL. If he’s available, Boykin will likely relegate Davis to the No. 3 job (or off the roster).
Extra Points: Bell, Steelers, Hawks, Broncos
Using three-year cash value as a baseline metric, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com examines the most above-market deals in the NFL at the moment. While some contracts listed — such as those signed by Kevin Zeitler, Kawann Short, or Marcell Dareus — aren’t surprising, the No. 1 slot is, as it went to 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, whose pact is more than 200% above the baseline for his position. The entire article is well worth a read, both for its interesting metric and Barnwell’s analysis.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap offer competing views on the Steelers‘ reported offer to running back Le’Veon Bell, some of the details of which were leaked earlier today. Pittsburgh apparently offered Bell a $12MM annual salary over a five-year term, with $30MM coming in the first two years of pact, but as Florio notes, it’s difficult to completely evaluate the proposal without knowing its exact specifics. But Fitzgerald writes the Steelers typically offer large signing bonuses and honor the entirety of contracts, meaning Bell may have passed up quite a commitment on Pittsburgh’s part.
- Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin‘s court date has been rescheduled, meaning he now won’t appear until August 22, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes. That date will come amid Seattle’s preseason schedule, but it shouldn’t affect Boykin as he is required to attend the hearing. This court date is related to Boykin’s March arrest, while the fallout from his April arrest is still up in the air. As Condotta noted in May, the Seahawks aren’t expecting Boykin to be disciplined by the league.
- As he continues to recover from a torn ACL, Broncos rookie tight end Jake Butt will “almost certainly” begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. If he remains on PUP for the duration of camp, Butt could be transferred to the reserve/PUP list, which would force him to miss the first six weeks of the 2017 campaign. When does regain full health, Butt should be able to contribute, but he’s currently near the bottom of Denver’s tight end depth chart, which also includes Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, A.J. Derby, and Henry Krieger-Coble.
2017 NFL Offseason In Review Series
Over the last few weeks, Pro Football Rumors has been taking a closer look at the 2017 offseason on a team-by-team basis. Our Offseason In Review series focuses on free agent signings, trades, draft picks, and all the other moves made by clubs during the spring, breaking down what sort of impact those decisions will have going forward.
Just in case you missed our review for your favorite team, we’re rounding up all of our Offseason In Review pieces in this post. We have several more teams to examine before the regular season gets underway, so if your team isn’t linked below, be sure to keep a close eye on PFR — it’ll be coming soon.
Here are the links to our 2017 Offseason In Review pieces to date:
AFC East:
AFC North:
AFC South:
AFC West:
NFC East:
NFC North:
NFC South:
NFC West:
East Notes: Eagles, Giants, Dolphins, Patriots
The Eagles have already declined Marcus Smith‘s fifth-year option, meaning the former first-round pick likely won’t be with the club in 2018, but Smith may not even stick on Philadelphia’s roster for the upcoming season. Smith is scheduled to earn a $594K roster bonus on the third day of training cap, reports Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice, meaning the Eagles could conceivably cut ties with Smith before the 2017 campaign even starts. If Philadelphia waives Smith, who played only 20% of the club’s defensive snaps a year ago, it would clear nearly $1.5MM in cap space.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Given that their roster is mostly set, the Giants may not have a need for a veteran addition, but the club could use more cornerback depth, opines James Kratch of NJ.com. New York doesn’t have significant talent behind its starting unit of Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, as option such as Valentino Blake, Michael Hunter, and Donte Deayon are next in line. Free agents like Brandon Flowers and Alterraun Verner could be on the Giants’ radar, per Kratch, and I’d toss out Leon Hall — who spent the 2016 season with Big Blue — as another possibility.
- The Dolphins face a “delicate balance” with safety T.J. McDonald, who is suspended for the first eight games of the season, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. Miami signed McDonald as a free agent knowing he’d be banned for the first half of the year, but given that he’s expected to be inserted into the starting lineup when he’s eligible, McDonald needs practice reps in order to prepare. However, the Dolphins also need to prepare others, such as Nate Allen and Michael Thomas, who will start in McDonald’s absence.
- Dont’a Hightower and David Harris are the only linebackers guaranteed to earn spots on the Patriots‘ roster, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. As such, veterans like Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy, plus undrafted free agent Harvey Langi (who received $115K in guarantees), aren’t assured on making the squad. Harris, meanwhile, likely won’t play an every-down role, but could act as a key backup to Hightower, whom New England wants healthy for the entire season.
- Following Ezekiel Elliott‘s reported involvement in a barroom fight over the weekend, owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are still gathering facts on the incident, according to USA Today. “Like all of us, we do good some days and don’t do good the others,” Jones said. “That’s not to be confused with tolerating bad behavior or illegal behavior. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about just learning that your every move will be scrutinized and how in this day and time it will be looked at from many vantage points.” For what it’s worth, a witness said Elliott didn’t throw a punch in the brawl.
No Talks Yet Between Falcons, Matt Ryan
The Falcons have not yet initiated contract negotiations with quarterback Matt Ryan, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
“That’s just the business side of it,” said Ryan. “I’m never worried too much about that. I’ve always tried to let the business people handle the business and for me, just try and take care of what I can control, and that’s playing good and preparing the right way. And I’ve always felt like if you do that, the business side of it will take care of itself.”
Ryan, the NFL’s reigning MVP, is currently signed through the 2018 campaign and will carry cap charges north of $21MM in each of the next two seasons. However, the quarterback market has exploded since Ryan inked his extension in 2013, meaning he’s now only the 13th-highest-paid signal-caller in the league with an annual salary of $20.75MM.
The Falcons and owner Arthur Blank have maintained that they will extend the 32-year-old Ryan, and the club is reportedly willing to make Ryan the top-earning quarterback in the NFL.
Offseason In Review: Detroit Lions
Although the Lions finished 9-7 and claimed a NFC Wild Card slot, underlying metrics show Detroit wasn’t as good as its record. Pro Football Reference calculates expected wins and losses based on points scored and points allowed, and the Lions were closer to a seven- or eight-win club based on those numbers. Detroit finished 27th in the NFL in DVOA, worse than clubs such as the Jaguars, Bears, and Chargers, none of whom came close to a postseason appearance.
Still, the Lions presumably still believe they’ll contend with the Packers and Vikings for the NFC North in 2017, and had several obvious areas of focus to attend to this offseason. Let’s take a look at how they did:
Notable signings:
- T.J. Lang, G: Three years, $28.5MM. $19MM guaranteed.
- Ricky Wagner, T: Five years, $47.5MM. $17.5MM guaranteed.
- Akeem Spence, DT: Three years, $9MM. $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Paul Worrilow, LB: One year, $3MM. $2.75MM guaranteed.
- D.J. Hayden, CB: One year, $3.75MM. $2.25MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives.
- Cornelius Washington, DL: Two years, $5.825MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Khyri Thornton, DT: Two years, $3.3MM. $325K guaranteed.
- Darren Fells, TE: One year, $1MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Jordan Hill, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit. $85K guaranteed.
- Nick Bellore, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Matt Asiata, RB: One year, $840K. $60K guaranteed.
- Armonty Bryant, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
- Don Muhlbach, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
- Cyrus Kouandjio, T: One year, $800K. $35K guaranteed.
- Tony Hills, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $10K guaranteed.
- Bruce Gaston, DT: Two years, $1.32MM.
- Ego Ferguson, DT: One year, $615K.
- Keshawn Martin, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit.
The Lions’ offensive line wasn’t a success in 2016, as the unit ranked 31st in adjusted line yards and 18th in adjusted sack rate, so general manager Bob Quinn made upgrades to Detroit’s front five the focal point of the 2017 offseason. The first step was swapping out right tackle Riley Reiff for free agent Ricky Wagner, whom the Lions made the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL (not counting Lane Johnson, who was paid like the Eagles’ left tackle of the future). With Reiff in tow, Detroit averaged only 2.93 yards on rushes to the right side, according to Football Outsiders. Baltimore, Wagner’s former employer, averaged 4.62 running to the right, meaning improvement should be on the way in the Motor City.
Wagner wasn’t the only addition to the right side of the Lions’ offensive line, however, as the team also signed T.J. Lang to replace Larry Warford at right guard. Not only did Detroit land one of the league’s best guards in Lang, but it stole him from a division rival, weakening the Packers’ line in the process. In order to ink Lang, who reportedly narrowed his free agent choices to Detroit, Green Bay, and Seattle, the Lions guaranteed two-thirds of his $29MM contract, an unprecedented total. Lang, 29, missed three games with injury last season and is now recovering from January hip surgery, but he should be available for training camp.
Darren Fells will be lining up next to Wagner and Lang on the Lions’ front five, and the veteran tight end will essentially act as a sixth offensive lineman on many plays. Fells, whom Detroit signed after he was non-tendered by the Cardinals, managed only 14 receptions a season ago, but uses his 6’7″, 280-pound size as one of the league’s best blocking tight ends, both in the run and pass game. His presence should allow the Lions to split Eric Ebron out wide in more creative formations.
Although Detroit has improved its blocking, that doesn’t mean free agent addition Matt Asiata will suddenly become more effective. Over the past three years, Asiata has been among the league’s most inefficient backs. Of the 49 running backs who have managed at least 250 carries since 2014, Matt Asiata ranks next-to-last with a 3.45 yards per carry average. Last season, Asiata placed in the bottom-10 among backs in both DVOA and DYAR, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics. Not guaranteed a roster spot, Asiata shouldn’t be part of Detroit’s Week 1 squad unless an injury strikes.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions surprisingly didn’t target any high-profile free agents after the team ranked dead last in defensive DVOA, instead opting to patch over the unit with low-cost additions. In that vein, Detroit signed defensive linemen Akeem Spence and Cornelius Washington, and it’s difficult to see either providing much of an impact next season. Spence, particularly, ranked 123rd of out of 125 qualified interior defenders, per Pro Football Focus, which gave Spence horrible marks against the run. Washington, on the other hand, earned good scores as a pass-rusher, meaning he’ll likely contribute in sub packages.
Both of Detroit’s linebacker signings — Paul Worrilow and Nick Bellore — have recent starting experience, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the duo spends more time on special teams than as regular players on the Lions’ defense. Worrilow and Bellore each played more than 40% of their previous club’s special teams snaps, and Quinn has shown a willingness to pay for special teams aptitude, as evidenced by the signing of Johnson Bademosi last offseason and the extension of Don Carey in December. Detroit’s special teams unit finished sixth in DVOA in 2016 after ranking 13th and 31st in the two years prior.
After fielding the league’s worst pass defense last year, the Lions’ only free agent signing in the secondary was former first-round bust D.J. Hayden. Taking a chance on a former 12th overall selection is never the worst idea, but given Detroit’s immediate needs in the defensive backfield, the club should have gone after more known commodities. Jason McCourty, Davon House, and Morris Claiborne all signed for similar money as Hayden, and I’d take them all over the former Raider.
Latest On Panthers’ GM Candidates
The Panthers shocked the NFL world earlier today by firing general manager Dave Gettleman, but they may have done so with candidates in mind. Carolina “loves” Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, and Panthers director of college scouting Jeff Morrow, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
[RELATED: Potential Candidates For Panthers GM Job]
All three potential contenders for the Carolina position have ties to the Panthers organization. Cowden, who interviewed for the Chiefs’ vacancy last month, spent 16 years with the Panthers before taking a position with Tennessee last summer. Likewise, Schoen worked for Carolina from 2001-08, and is now under the employ of former Panthers executive Brandon Beane in Buffalo. Morrow, the only internal candidate named in Florio’s report, was promoted to director of college scouting as part of a Panthers’ personnel reshuffling in May.
As Florio notes in a separate piece, it seems unlikely the Panthers would move on from Gettleman at this time of year without having a general idea on replacements. However, given the timing of the move, an interim general manager could also make sense, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer wrote earlier today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/17/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Falcons have placed offensive lineman Trevor Robinson on the reserve/retired list, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent in 2012, Robinson has bounced around between the Bengals, Chargers, and Falcons during his NFL tenure. In 2015, he was a full-time starter with the Bolts, but could only land a reserve/futures deal this spring. Expected to compete for a reserve role with Atlanta, Robinson has instead decided to hang up his cleats.
- The Jaguars have waived rookie defensive back Charlie Miller with an injury settlement, the club announced today. Miller went undrafted out of Dartmouth earlier this year. He can return to Jacksonville, but he’ll have to wait three weeks plus the length of the settlement.
Reaction To Kirk Cousins/Redskins Talks
The Redskins’ final offer to quarterback Kirk Cousins was fewer than $110MM over five years, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. (Notably, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported earlier today that Washington had increased its offer to more than $20MM, but less than $24MM annually). Given that Cousins is already due a guaranteed $24MM in 2017, the Redskins’ proposal was essentially six years, $134MM, an untenable total from Cousins’ point of view. Having failed to reach an extension, Cousins will now play out the season under the franchise tender.
Here’s more reaction to the negotiations between Cousins and the Redskins:
- As Pelissero indicated earlier today, Washington effectively wanted to hand Cousins $53MM over two years and then control him via series of one-year options. But that type of contract structure has no benefit for players, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Going year-to-year is the far more profitable strategy, especially for quarterbacks. Cousins, indeed, has played the free agent game correctly, as he’s been unwilling to lock himself into a deal that would contain a multitude of non-guaranteed years tacked on at the end.
- In a separate piece, Pelissero polled five executives regarding Cousins’ value, and all five ranked the Redskins’ signal-caller as a top-15 quarterback, while three graded as near or in the top-10. “[H]e’s a good point guard, knows where to go with it,” said one personnel man. “I never was sold on the guy too much, and then last year watching him — I know the money’s just getting ridiculous, but that’s what guys are getting.” It’s anecdotal data, to be sure, but the execs’ opinions could hint at a league-wide opinion of Cousins.
- Given that the Redskins have made no serious attempt to keep Cousins around for the long haul, it could make sense for the club to trade Cousins now, opines Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com. If Washington simply allows Cousins to leave via free agency next spring, it will only acquire a compensatory pick in 2019. The Redskins could recoup more than that immediately, argues Barnwell, who suggests the 49ers could send a second-round choice and Brian Hoyer to Washington, while the Browns could be willing to send Houston’s first-rounder plus a restructured Brock Osweiler to the nation’s capital.
- The Redskins’ statement on the Cousins negotiations said the club made its offer to Cousins on May 2, and that date should tell observers two things, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. First, Washington could have been shopping Cousins during the draft, which ended on April 30. In fact, trade rumors did surround Cousins during the draft, but he ultimately stayed put. Second, the Redskins may have been hoping one of Cousins’ preferred destinations — possibly San Francisco — selected a quarterback relatively early, negating any need for Cousins.