NFC Notes: Vikings, Rhodes, Saints, 49ers
Free agent cornerback K’Waun Williams will take his visit with the Vikings next Tuesday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Williams, 25, had meetings with the Lions and Jets earlier this week, and is expected to convene with the Dolphins and 49ers at some point, as well. After starting 10 total games during his first two years in the NFL, Williams was sidelined for all of 2016 thanks to an ankle injury.
Here’s more from Minnesota and the rest of the NFC:
- The Vikings have are expected to hire former Purdue and Kent State head coach Darrell Hazell as their new wide receivers coach, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Hazell, who was fired only six games into the Boilermakers’ 2016 campaign, has a career NCAA record of 25-43. Internal offensive assistant Drew Petzing was also thought to be a candidate for the position, but instead it’s Hazell who will replace George Stewart, who left for Los Angeles.
- While they’ll face decisions on unrestricted free agents Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn, and Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings are also expected to begin negotiating a contract extension with cornerback Xavier Rhodes, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Thanks to his fifth-year option, Rhodes is signed through the 2017 season, during which he’ll earn $8.026MM. A long-term deal could nearly double his salary, as Josh Norman currently leads all cornerbacks with a $15MM annual figure.
- The Saints are likely to select an offensive tackle early in the draft, perhaps as early as Round 1, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Although Drew Brees‘ blindside is locked down by Terron Armstead, right tackle Zach Strief is now 33 years old and entering the twilight of his career. Strief is due a $1.5MM roster bonus later this spring, and New Orleans is expected to pay that figure if Strief definitely decides to continue his career, per Triplett. As such, the Saints likely won’t target a tackle in the free agent market, and the draft looks like a better avenue to find a new lineman.
- The 49ers are hiring Daniel Bullocks as their assistant secondary coach, per Marvez (Twitter link). Bullocks worked in the same role for Jacksonville last season, and previously coached in the collegiate ranks.
Steelers Notes: Brown, Bell, Timmons, Jones
The Steelers have a number of to-do items on their offseason docket, and today general manager Kevin Colbert addressed the media with a focus on what Pittsburgh plans on doing over the next few months. Let’s take a look at the highlights from Colbert’s press conference, courtesy of Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
- Stating that he wants both wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell to remain Steelers for life, Colbert said the club has opened extension talks with Brown, the only player with whom Pittsburgh has discussed a new deal, according to Dulac. Brown is signed through 2017 with a cap charge of roughly $13.6MM, while Bell is an unrestricted free agent but will likely be retained via the franchise tag. Colbert specifically called reaching a new contract with Brown an offseason “priority,” although a recent report indicated that talks between the two sides will move slowly.
- Re-signing veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons could also be in the cards for the Steelers, but negotiations with Timmons won’t be as cut-and-dry as talks with Brown and Bell. “Would you like to have him stay? Absolutely,” Colbert said. “Does it all fit? We can make it work, but at what cost? He’s never been a free agent. I’d like to see him finish his career here and he would too.” Timmons, 30, has spent a decade in Pittsburgh, and is coming off a 78-tackle, 2.5-sack season.
- The Steelers aren’t counting on former second-round cornerback Senquez Golson, who has missed his first two seasons in the NFL with injury, for anything more than potential depth. “I’m a little more apprehensive,” said Colbert. “Just from sitting out two years, where you haven’t played at all, it’s not real easy to just step out there and catch up.” As such, Colbert said Pittsburgh could consider selecting a cornerback in this year’s draft.
- Because Golson is a question mark, the Steelers could be open to re-signing cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was released last week, tweets Dulac. Gilbert has become a massive draft bust since being selected eighth overall in 2014, and played only 11 defensive snaps last season. He’s still just 25 years old, however, and would make for an interesting (if uninspiring) depth peice.
- Despite reports of a possible retirement, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to return in 2017, and the Steelers hope to re-sign backup signal-caller Landry Jones, as well, as Dulac writes. “We’d like to have Landry stay in the mix,” Colbert said. “Will we add a guy? Absolutely. When? It’s hard to say. Sooner or later we will have to address that.” If Pittsburgh doesn’t view Jones as the long-term replacement for Roethlisberger, the club could look to draft a QB at some point.
Steelers Working To Extend Alejandro Villanueva
Given that it ranked second in adjusted line yards and third in adjusted sack rate, the Steelers’ offensive line finished the 2016 season as one of the league’s best units, and the club now wants to extend a key member of that front five. Pittsburgh is interested in hammering out an long-term deal with left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
[RELATED: Steelers In Talks With Antonio Brown]
Villanueva, is an exclusive right free agent, meaning he’s not able sign with any other clubs as long as the Steelers tender him an offer. Pittsburgh has been the most active thus far in the offseason in terms of re-signing its exclusive rights free agents, and the team clearly wouldn’t complain about retaining Villanueva at a one-year cost of $540K. Even after the 2017 campaign, Villanueva would only qualify as a restricted free agent, again meaning the Steelers could keep him around on the cheap.
A long-term deal, however, would not only lock up Villanueva for the foreseeable future, but reward the second-year pro for his excellent production. A former Army infantrymen, Villanueva graded as the league’s No. 24 offensive tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and has now started 26 games in two seasons with the Steelers.
As Bouchette notes, the top-10 highest-paid tackles in the league earn more than $10MM annually, but a few factors should keep Villanueva from reaching that plateau. Not only is he not quite at the elite level that would require such a salary, but he’s under team control for the next two seasons, a fact that will artificially depress his value.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Redskins
Running back Adrian Peterson reportedly has interest in joining the Giants if he’s released by the Vikings this offseason, and last night the veteran back sent out a cryptic tweet that will only add fuel to the Big Blue fire. “The Giants been making some interesting moves,” tweeted Peterson, presumably referring to New York’s release of running back Rashad Jennings and wide receiver Victor Cruz. The Giants might be interested in Peterson if he comes at an affordable price, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes, but the 31-year-old doesn’t appear to be a scheme fit. Peterson averages roughly 1.2 fewer yards per carry out of the shotgun, and New York uses the shotgun formation on two-thirds of its offensive snaps, as Evan Silva and Raymond Summerlin of Rotoworld tweet.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Although the Cowboys already employ running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden isn’t ruling out a return to Dallas. “I get the feeling that the Cowboys wouldn’t mind keeping me,” the 29-year-old McFadden told SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link). McFadden, who only appeared in four games in 2016 after missing most of the year with injury, was mentioned in trade talks both during the summer and near October’s trade deadline. A 1,000 yard rusher just a season ago, McFadden could certainly to Dallas as a depth piece, but would receive more playing time elsewhere.
- The Redskins have to consider other personnel factors as they discuss an extension with quarterback Kirk Cousins, opines John Keim of ESPN.com in a pair of articles. For one, Washington has other players it will need to lock up in the coming years — offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Spencer Long will need new deals in 2018, while wide receiver Jamison Crowder and linebacker Preston Smith could be extended the following year. Additionally, the Redskins will need to ensure they keep enough cap space available to place weapons around Cousins, with solid drafts the key to keeping costs down.
- Now that the Giants have released Cruz, the club could be on the lookout for a wide receiver in free agency, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. While New York is unlikely to target expensive options such as Alshon Jeffery or Terrelle Pryor, the Rams’ Kenny Britt or the Ravens’ Kamar Aiken could make sense next to Odell Beckham Jr. Earlier this year, PFR’s Connor Byrne tossed out Brandon LaFell (Bengals), Terrance Williams (Cowboys), and Justin Hunter (Bills) as pass-catchers who could be on the Giants’ radar.
Adam Thielen Pushing For Vikings Extension
The Vikings can retain restricted free agent receiver Adam Thielen via an RFA tender this offseason, but if Thielen and his agent Blake Baratz have any say, Minnesota will lock up Thielen to a long-term extension in the next few months, Baratz told Ben Goessling on 1500 ESPN’s Purple Podcast.
[RELATED: Vikings Release Brandon Fusco]
“They have the ability to do right by him, and [Thielen has] far exceeded anyone’s expectations,” said Baratz. “They don’t have any money invested in their wide receivers, and we can figure out something to do that’s right — this week, next week, the following week, March, April.
Every day that gets closer to the end of next season without a deal in place, the pendulum just continues to swing Adam’s way. I think I’m very fair, Adam’s very realistic, and we want to do something that makes sense for the team and makes sense for Adam. Otherwise, someone’s going to be unhappy.”
Because he hasn’t accrued four NFL seasons, Thielen is bound to the Vikings for at least one more year, who have the option of tendering the 26-year-old at the first-round, second-round, or right of first refusal level. Given that he produced 69 receptions for 967 yards and five touchdowns in 2016, Thielen is likely to receive a first- or second-round offer, which would pay him in the neighborhood of $4MM or $2.8MM, respectively. Even with draft pick compensation attached, Baratz believes Thielen could attract interest in free agency.
“I would be shocked if [teams didn’t pursue him],” Baratz said. “I think the cat is kind of out of the bag. He’s had such a good year, and none of it was a fluke. When I talk to evaluators and they’re breaking down film on Adam, they legitimately understand how fast he is. They legitimately understand how good of routes he has.”
Redskins Considered Letting Kirk Cousins Test Free Agency
Earlier this offseason, the Redskins were “of a mind” to let quarterback Kirk Cousins hit free agency in order to let the open market determine his financial value, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Washington’s view on Cousins has seemingly changed now that Cousins backers Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are now in head coaching positions and could theoretically take a run at the Redskins quarterback, per Breer.
[RELATED: 2017 Franchise Tag Candidates]
Progress between Washington and Cousins has been slow in recent weeks, and within the Redskins’ front office there is some “internal resistance” to the concept of using the franchise tag on Cousins for the second consecutive season. Per Breer, some Washington executives believe that giving Cousins nearly $24MM for the 2017 campaign would hinder negotiations with the sixth-year pro, as Cousins would be unlikely to accept a lower annual salary after setting $24MM as a baseline.
In sum, the Redskins seem incredibly unlikely to allow Cousins to reach free agency, and will probably use the franchise tender if now long-term deal is reached. Washington’s concern over San Francisco poaching Cousins if he heads to the market unfettered aren’t unfounded, as Cousins is reportedly Plan A for the 49ers at quarterback. A Los Angeles pursuit makes less sense, as the Rams just drafted Jared Goff first overall in last year’s draft.
In his two years as a starter, Cousins has helped the Redskins to plus-.500 seasons – including a 9-7, NFC East-winning showing in 2015 – while flourishing statistically. Cousins is coming off a year in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Bills Re-Sign LB Ramon Humber
The Bills have re-signed linebacker Ramon Humber, the club announced today. Although terms of the deal weren’t announced, Humber likely agreed to a one-year deal at or near the veteran’s minimum.
[RELATED: Lorenzo Alexander To Get $10MM Per Year?]
Humber, 29, has always been a key special teams cog and continued in that role in 2016, playing on nearly three-quarters of Buffalo’s special teams snaps. In previous years, however, Humber had logged at least some time on defense, as he’d seen action on more than 700 total defensive snaps with the Saints from 2014-15. Last season, though, Humber only saw the field for 60 defensive plays despite the Bills’ suffering numerous injuries at linebacker.
An undrafted free agent out of North Dakota in 2009, Humber has carved out a nice career as he enters his ninth NFL season. In addition to Buffalo and New Orleans, Humber has also been employed by Indianapolis (with whom he started his pro tenure) and New England, who signed Hubmer last spring but released him during final cutdowns. All told, Humber has appeared in 108 career games and racked up 138 tackles.
Fins Unlikely To Target TE Martellus Bennett
The Dolphins will be on the lookout for a tight end in the coming months, but free agent Martellus Bennett won’t be on the club’s radar, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who reports Bennett will “never play for the Dolphins as long as the current administration is running the organization.” That’s likely an allusion to head coach Adam Gase, who didn’t get along with Bennett when the two were with the Bears in 2015.
[RELATED: Dolphins Release Mario Williams]
Tight end should be a focus for Miami this offseason, as both Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Cameron may hang up his cleats altogether after suffering repeated head trauma, but the Dolphins reportedly view Sims as their starter going forward. Sims, 26 this week, has never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his four-year career, meaning Miami would be taking quite the leap of faith by installing him in its starting lineup.
As such, the addition of a veteran tight end has been listed among the Dolphins’ needs, but that new face apparently won’t be that of Bennett. The 29-year-old Bennett is eyeing free agency following an excellent campaign with the Patriots, but he’s unlikely to land in Miami given his history with Gase. During the duo’s lone season together in Chicago, Bennett reportedly irritated much of the club’s coaching staff, exhibiting behavior that ultimately led to his being traded to New England. On the field, Bennett wasn’t productive, either, failing to top 500 yards receiving for the first time since becoming a full-time starter.
With Bennett not in the cards, the Dolphins figure to look elsewhere in free agency to find a new tight end, and the club could also invest a draft pick in what is thought to be a deep tight end draft class. Miami has been loosely linked to local product David Njoku throughout the draft process, while Alabama’s O.J. Howard could be also be in consideration.
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Atlanta Falcons
In advance of March 9, 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 capped off an 11-5 season with a Super Bowl appearance that ended in devastating fashion.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Ricardo Allen, S (ERFA)
- Jonathan Babineaux, DT
- Chris Chester, G
- Tom Compton, T
- Patrick DiMarco, FB
- Dwight Freeney, DE
- Taylor Gabriel, WR (RFA)
- Ben Garland, C (ERFA)
- Dashon Goldson, S
- Kemal Ishmael, S
- Akeem King, S (ERFA)
- LaRoy Reynolds, LB
- Aldrick Robinson, WR
- Matt Schaub, QB
- Tyler Starr, LB (ERFA)
- Jacob Tamme, TE
- Levine Toilolo, TE
- Courtney Upshaw, LB/DE
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB
- Eric Weems, WR
- Philip Wheeler, LB
- Paul Worrilow, LB
- Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB (RFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:
- Matt Ryan, QB: $23,750,000
- Julio Jones, WR: $13,900,000
- Robert Alford, CB: $9,600,000
- Alex Mack, C: $9,050,000
- Desmond Trufant, CB: $8,026,000
- Mohamed Sanu, WR: $7,400,000
- Ryan Schraeder, T: $7,100,000
- Andy Levitre, G: $6,625,000
- Tyson Jackson, DL: $5,850,000
- Adrian Clayborn, DE: $5,406,250
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $22,435,713
- 31st pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for T Jake Matthews
Three Needs:
1. Fortify right guard: For the most part, the Falcons’ offensive line was a strength in 2016. While the unit ranked just 23rd in adjusted sack rate, Atlanta’s front five placed tenth in adjusted line yards and was named the sixth-best offensive line in the league in Pro Football Focus’ year-end rankings. The club has certainly invested in its line, using a first-round pick on left tackle Jake Matthews, spending heavily in free agency to land center Alex Mack, and rewarding a formerly anonymous undrafted free agent — right tackle Ryan Schraeder — with a multi-year extension.
Indeed, every one of Atlanta’s offensive lineman graded out as a starting-caliber player, according to PFF, with the exception of veteran right guard Chris Chester, who ranked as the No. 56 guard among 72 qualifiers. Chester is scheduled to hit the open market next month after his one-year deal expires, so the Falcons won’t have to worry about the prospect of incurring dead money if forced to release him. Instead, the team has the option of simply letting him walk, and given that Chester is entering his age-34 season, the Falcons should do just that.
Atlanta doesn’t have a ton of cap space (ninth-least in the NFL), but it also doesn’t have a ton of needs. As such, it’s fair to wonder if general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. will target a top-notch guard right out of the free agent gate, adding a new player that could transform the Falcons’ offensive line into a truly elite unit. And while the free agent tackle and center markets are relatively barren, the list of available guards should intrigue Atlanta.
Kevin Zeitler, 26, looks to be the top guard headed for free agency, and appears increasingly unlikely to return to the Bengals. If he does reach the open market, Zeitler figures to be in for a massive payday. Even though right guards typically earn less than their left side counterparts, Zeitler should be able to blow past the $10MM averages landed by Kyle Long and David DeCastro, especially since each of those players inked extensions, not free agent pacts. Zeitler, who ranked as PFF’s No. 7 guard, would immediately convert Atlanta’s offensive line into one of the best units in the league.
Though he may represent the best option, Zeitler is far from the only interior lineman the Falcons could go after. The Packers’ T.J. Lang placed just one spot behind Zeitler in PFF’s rankings, and given that he’s more than two years older than the Bengals free agent, could come at a much cheaper cost. Green Bay prefers to retain its own free agents, but it hasn’t placed much emphasis on the interior of the offensive line lately, as evidenced by their surprising 2016 release of Josh Sitton. Fellow Packer J.C. Tretter, the Lions’ Larry Warford, and the Cowboys’ Ronald Leary could also catch the eye of Atlanta this offseason.
If the Falcons want to conserve their limited cap space for other position upgrades, they could instead target guard help in the draft. This year’s crop of prospects is thought to be short on offensive lineman, so Atlanta may want to use their first-round pick (No. 31 overall) on a guard lest in miss out on interior help later in the draft. Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp looks like the best guard available in 2017, and Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com favorably compares Lamp to the Cowboys’ Zack Martin, who — like Lamp — played tackle in college before moving inside in the pros. Dan Feeney (Indiana), Dorian Johnson (Pittsburgh), and Nico Siragusa (San Diego State) are among the other guards the Falcons could consider on Day 1 or 2.
Staff Notes: Raiders, Bears, Bucs, Dolphins
New Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing had a year remaining on his deal, but the contract allowed the ex-quarterbacks coach to interview for other clubs’ offensive coordinator vacancies, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (Twitter link). Without naming any particular team, Downing confirmed previous reports that multiple clubs expressed interest in hiring him as OC. Instead, Oakland parted ways with former play-caller Bill Musgrave and installed Downing as coordinator.
Here’s more from the 201 hiring cycle:
- The Bears have interviewed Bob Bicknell, Ronald Curry, and George McDonald as part of their effort to find a new wide receivers coach, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bicknell has coached wideouts at the NFL level since 2012, spending time with Buffalo, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Curry, a former NFL wide receiver himself, has worked on the Raiders’ and 49ers’ staffs, while McDonald has spent the past several years in the coaching ranks.
- Ex-Saints defensive assistant James Willis is a candidate for the Bears‘ assistant defensive line coach position and will interview this week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. New Orleans relieved Willis of his duties last month after he’d spent two years with the club. Willis previously coached in the NCAA with Alabama, Auburn, and Texas Tech.
- The Buccaneers announced that they’ve hired Danny Breyer as a defensive assistant. Breyer spent the 2016 campaign as an analytics staffer in Tampa Bay, worked for the Dolphins year prior, and coached in the college ranks before heading to the NFL.
- The Dolphins have hired Josh Grizzard as an offensive quality control coach, tweets Caplan. Grizzard previously worked as an assistant quarterbacks and quality control coach at Duke, where he’d spent the past four years.