Chiefs Sign Four To Futures Deals
The Chiefs have signed four players to reserve/futures deals, the club announced today. These contracts will take effect when the new league year begins on Thursday:
- Montori Hughes, DL
- Josh James, T
- Will Ratelle, FB
- Julian Wilson, DB
Of the four players listed above, Hughes is the only with NFL experience. The former fifth-round pick appeared in 16 games during the 2013-14 seasons with the Colts, then played in nine games over the past two years with the Giants. All told, the 27-yar-old Hughes has managed 17 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass defensed.
In other Kansas City news, the Chiefs are expected to tender restricted free agent safety Daniel Sorensen, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. At present, it’s unclear at what level Sorensen will be tendered.
Cowboys Not Interested In DeSean Jackson
Refuting a previous report, the Cowboys do not have interest in free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson, tweets Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram, who notes Jackson is likely outside Dallas’ price range.
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Even after restructuring several contracts, the Cowboys still have less than $9MM in cap space, so they’re not expected to be aggressive in free agency. Indeed, Hill reported yesterday that Dallas is bracing to lose many of its own internal free agents, including Terrance Williams, Barry Church, and Morris Claiborne. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk did indicate today the Cowboys are expected to pursue free agent wideout Kenny Britt.
Jackson, 30, has already developed quite a market for himself, as the Buccaneers, Eagles, and Patriots are expected to be in on the 30-year pass-catcher this week. Jackson, who last year led the league in yards per reception for the second time in three seasons, ranks as PFR’s No. 26 free agent.
Browns Involved In Trumaine Johnson Talks?
The Browns may be one team to “keep an eye on” as the Rams attempt to trade franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
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Cleveland makes sense as a potential destination for Johnson on a number of levels. For one, the Browns now employ former Los Angeles defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, under whom Johnson performed with aplomb during the past several seasons. Second, Cleveland boasts more than $100MM in cap space, meaning it could either allow Johnson to play out his franchise tender at a cost of nearly $17MM or sign him to an extension.
At present, the Browns’ secondary depth chart is exceptionally barren behind No. 1 corner Joe Haden, who himself has dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness in recent years. Cleveland recently released veteran defensive back Tramon Williams, leaving Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and Trey Caldwell as the other corners on a defense that ranked 30th in DVOA against the pass.
The Rams, for their part, likely don’t view Johnson as a perfect fit for new defensive play-caller Wade Phillips‘ scheme. Phillips runs a 3-4 front that relies on man coverage in the back-end, while Johnson has always played better in a zone scheme with help over the top.
Cards, Chandler Jones Discussing Extension
The Cardinals placed the franchise tag on edge rusher Chandler Jones last week, but the two sides are now discussing a deal that would keep Jones in the desert for the long haul, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
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Jones is already set to earn north of $14MM under the terms of the franchise tender, but the 27-year-old now has until July 15 to hammer out an extension with the Cardinals. The tag was always seen as the likely outcome between Arizona and Jones, as team management indicated — essentially from the day Jones was acquired from the Patriots — that he wouldn’t be allowed to hit the open market.
A long-term deal, however, would not only give Jones financial security for the long term, but would likely lower his 2017 cap charge, a key factor for the relatively cash-strapped Cardinals. Although they’e already re-signed tight end Jermaine Gresham, the Cards are still hoping to retain critical defenders such as Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, and Kevin Minter, all of whom are unrestricted free agents.
Jones, whom Arizona picked up from New England in exchange for a second-round pick, posted an excellent first campaign with the Cardinals, racking up 11 sacks and grading as the league’s No. 7 pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/17
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:
RFAs:
Tendered:
- Bengals — G T.J. Johnson (via Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer)
- Bills — C Ryan Groy (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Buccaneers — DE Jacquies Smith (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Giants — DE Kerry Wynn (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com)
- Patriots — T Cameron Fleming (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Rams — DT Dominique Easley (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
- Ravens – S Marqueston Huff (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com); WR Michael Campanaro, T James Hurst, RB Terrance West (via Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
Non-Tendered:
- Bills — DE IK Enemkpali, P Colton Schmidt
- Broncos — OL Sam Brenner (via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)
- Chargers — WR Jeremy Butler (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk)
- Seahawks — LB Brock Coyle, CB DeShawn Shead (via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com)
ERFAs:
Tendered:
- Broncos — LB Zaire Anderson, OLB Shaquil Barrett, RB Kapri Bibbs, C James Ferentz, WR Bennie Fowler, LS Casey Kreiter, C Matt Paradis, WR Jordan Taylor (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
- Cardinals — QB Zac Dysert, DT Olsen Pierre, G/T John Wetzel (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com)
- Jaguars — S Peyton Thompson (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
- Lions — DE Brandon Copeland (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- Packers — LB Joe Thomas (via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Panthers — C Tyler Larsen, P Michael Palardy
- Patriots — CB Justin Coleman (via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald), TE Matt Lengel (via Kevin Duffy of MassLive)
- Saints — WR Brandon Coleman (via Nick Underhill of the Advocate)
Non-Tendered:
- Buccaneers — DE Howard Jones (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
Colts DT David Parry Arrested
Colts defensive tackle David Parry was arrested in Arizona in late February, and the lineman is facing a number of chargers. According to Stephen Holder of The Indy Star, Parry has been charged with theft of a means of transportation and resisting arrest with physical force, which are both felonies. The defensive lineman was also charged with misdemeanor assault.
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Parry was reportedly one of three passengers in a “transportation cart” — per Hays, essentially a golf cart taxi — whose driver was ultimately the victim who contacted police. Per the victim, once the other two riders had been dropped off, Parry hit the driver in the head and stole the cart. Police later found the cart crashed into a gate, with Parry, apparently intoxicated, on the sidewalk.
Parry, 25 next week, was selected by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. During the first two years of his NFL career, Parry has started every game and racked up four sacks. Last year, Parry graded as just the No. 110 interior defender among 127 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Entering the third year of his rookie deal, Parry is set to make the minimum in 2017, with a cap charge of roughly $670K.
While it’s too early to assess Parry’s legal status or standing with the Colts, the charges and description of the incident clearly represent the culmination of several poor decisions. New Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard will now have the Parry’s fate in his hands as he gathers facts on the situation.
Panthers To Tender RFA OL Andrew Norwell
The Panthers will use a second-round tender on restricted free agent offensive lineman Andrew Norwell, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. That tender will be worth $2.746MM.
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Carolina has now created a significant impediment to other clubs poaching Norwell, as rival teams would have to submit an (unmatched) offer sheet to the Panthers and sacrifice a second-round pick. That’s a steep price to pay even for Norwell, who last year graded out as the league’s No. 11 guard, per Pro Football Focus. Norwell, 25, has started 29 games over the past two seasons, firmly entrenching himself at left guard opposite Trai Turner.
Norwell is now the sixth restricted free agent to be tendered at the second-round level, joining Brandon McManus and Todd Davis (Broncos), Isaiah Crowell (Browns), Taylor Gabriel (Falcons), and Trey Burton (Eagles). No RFA has yet been offered a first-round tender.
In other Panthers news, the club announced that it’s reached a new one-year deal with wide receiver Brenton Bersin. Bersin, 26, wasn’t tendered as a restricted free agent yesterday, but he’s now back with Carolina on a presumably cheaper contract.
Calais Campbell, Chris Baker Generating Interest
The Jaguars are in the Calais Campbell market, while the Broncos, Buccaneers, and Colts are contenders for fellow free agent defensive lineman Chris Baker, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link) and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Anderson adds that a Redskins return is still in the cards for Baker and he hopes to sign “quick” (link).
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Campbell, the best interior defender on the market in the estimation of PFR, should be in high demand this week, and the Cardinals are expecting to lose him to another club as a result. The Jaguars boast $60MM more in cap space than does Arizona, meaning Jacksonville would likely be able to outbid the Cards and many other suitors. Campbell, fresh off his ninth solid campaign in the desert, would add an All Pro presence to a Jaguars defense that has accrued veteran talent in recent offseasons.
Baker, meanwhile, is expecting an offer from the Redskins, but that doesn’t mean the 29-year-old won’t test free agency. Baker started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2016, and graded as one of the league’s best interior defenders. The Broncos are expected to target defensive line help after struggling against the run last season, while Baker would give the Buccaneers another talented lineman to pair with Gerald McCoy.
Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Defense
NFL free agency gets underway on Thursday and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. Here is our updated outlook for each defensive and special teams position.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.
Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as franchised players aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for this offseason:
Edge defender:
- Nick Perry
- Jabaal Sheard
- John Simon
- DeMarcus Ware
- Lorenzo Alexander
- Andre Branch
- Julius Peppers
- Charles Johnson
- Datone Jones
- Dwight Freeney
- Chris Long
- Mario Williams
- Paul Kruger
- Courtney Upshaw
- Jarvis Jones
Now that Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Jason Pierre-Paul have all been assigned the franchise tag, Nick Perry stands as the top edge defender on the free agent market, and is now in a position to cash in. The Packers opted against the franchise tender for the 26-year-old Perry, so he’ll hit the open market following a career year which saw him post 11 sacks.
The rest of this year’s crop of free agent pass rushers is a blend of young defenders searching for their first payday and veterans on the hunt for one last contract. Among players with youth still on their side, Datone Jones figures to interest clubs thanks to his versatility, as he can vacillate between end and linebacker, while fellow former first-round pick Jarvis Jones is solid against the run. John Simon has been overlooked while playing alongside the likes of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus but could represent a hidden gem, while the Dolphins are reportedly prioritizing Andre Branch.
After managing nine sacks over the first nine years of his NFL tenure, Lorenzo Alexander busted out with 12.5 quarterback takedowns in 2016, and now could be looking for a double-digit annual salary. Charles Johnson, meanwhile, looks like a good bet to return to the Panthers, but DeMarcus Ware could be something of a wild card — after missing 11 games in the past two seasons, does the 34-year-old have enough left in the tank? The same could be asked of Dwight Freeney, who at age-37 posted three sacks in a rotational role for the Falcons.
Interior defensive line:
- Calais Campbell
- Johnathan Hankins
- Brandon Williams
- Dontari Poe
- Chris Baker
- Bennie Logan
- Nick Fairley
- Alan Branch
- Jared Odrick
- Karl Klug
- Terrell McClain
- Lawrence Guy
- Stacy McGee
- Stephen Paea
- Sylvester Williams
Honorable mention: Paul Soliai
Calais Campbell is the best overall player among interior defenders, and though he’s entering his age-31 season and may not cost as much as Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, and Dontari Poe, Campbell will still be highly-sought after as he searches for his last substantial payday Campbell’s agent met with the Cardinals last week, but other speculative fits for the veteran defender include the Broncos, Raiders, Ravens, Colts, and Titans.
Hankins is only 24 years old, and though the Giants are trying to retain him along with the rest of their defensive core, the 6’3″, 320-pound mauler should represent an attractive option to a number of clubs this offseason. Williams, too, offers a massive presence on the inside, while Poe could intrigue clubs based on his first-round pedigree and athleticism (though his play hasn’t always matched his potential). The Redskins’ Chris Baker is a solid, well-rounded defensive tackle, and could constitute a consolation prize for teams that miss out on their top targets.
The rest of the class offers an interesting mix of nose tackles (Bennie Logan), interior pass rushers (Nick Fairley, Karl Klug), and run stoppers (Alan Branch), so clubs hoping to bolster their defensive line should find no shortage of options. Jared Odrick recently hit free agency after being released by the Jaguars, while Terrell McClain, Lawrence Guy, and Stacy McGee could be underrated finds for the right team. McClain, for what it’s worth, has already been linked to the Falcons.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Redskins, Bears, Vikes
Jerry Jones is bullish on linebacker Jaylon Smith‘s prospects at 2017 contributions, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com hears the situation isn’t exactly as rosy, as the Cowboys view anything Smith gives them in 2017 as a bonus. While the damaged nerve in Smith’s foot started firing again, the 2016 second-round pick is nowhere close to full strength and might never get there again, Breer notes. The MMQB scribe also doubts whether Smith can be effective playing on a brace to deal with the unique drop foot issue with which the ex-Notre Dame star became saddled. And playing through this injury puts Smith at risk for further damage, Dr. Thomas Gill told Breer.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Free agent defensive tackle Terrell McClain is already expected to draw interest from Atlanta and Seattle, and the Redskins are also expected to give the 28-year-old a call, according to Jane Slater of NFL.com (Twitter link). McClain is coming off the best season of his career, as he started more 12 or more games for the first time since 2012. In 15 starts, McClain put up 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
- The Bears were expected to meet with Brian Hoyer‘s agent last weekend, and the club reportedly expressed its desire to re-sign the veteran quarterback, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Chicago is expected to pursue other signal-callers this offseason, but Hoyer could serve as something of a bridge option if the Bears roll with a young passer. Hoyer will have plenty of other suitors, however, per La Canfora.
- Linebacker Audie Cole will reach free agency without inking a new Vikings deal, but a return to Minnesota is possible, per Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). Cole, 27, appeared in all 16 games for the Vikings last year but didn’t start a single contest. While played only 35 defensive snaps, Cole did play on more than 65% of the Vikes’ special teams snaps.
Zach Links contributed to this post.