Bills Sign David Hawthorne
Shortly after agreeing to terms with Brandon Spikes, the Bills have signed another linebacker, as they’ve reached a deal with David Hawthorne, the club announced.
[RELATED: Bills, Tyrod Taylor discussing two-year deal]
As noted when Buffalo inked Spikes, the Bills are clearly concerned about the status of rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland, who suffered a knee injury last week. The club is reportedly hopeful that Ragland avoided any ligament damage, but Buffalo had planned to press forward and work out veteran linebackers. And while Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link) says that the dual signings don’t necessarily mean that Ragland will be shelved for a significant amount of time, Garafolo (Twitter link) reports that the Bills are worried enough about Ragland to secure several contingency plans.
Hawthorne, 31, is just that (a contingency option), as the Bills are likely hoping that they won’t have to count on the former Saint/Seahawk during the regular season. But if they do, they’ll turn to a veteran who has a hefty amount of experience, as Hawthorne has appeared in 111 games (83 starts) during his 11-year career. In 2015, however, Hawthorne was shifted to the weak side in favor of rookie Stephone Anthony, but was then benched, declared inactive, and ultimately released after an unproductive season.
Hawthorne played under Rob Ryan — who is now an assistant head coach with the Bills — during the past three seasons in New Orleans. Rob and Rex Ryan don’t play the exact same scheme, but the fronts are similar enough that Hawthorne should feel comfortable adapting in his new role.
Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported the signing. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Sign Brandon Spikes
The Bills have officially reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Brandon Spikes on a one-year deal. Spikes was out of the NFL last season, but spent the 2014 campaign with Buffalo.
[RELATED: Bills sign Reggie Bush]
Spikes, 28, drew the interest of another AFC East last week, as he worked out for the Dolphins before Miami signed fellow linebacker Danny Lansanah instead. Though he didn’t appear in an NFL game in 2015, Spikes did agree to a one-year deal with the Patriots last summer, but was released following his involvement in a hit-and-run. Spikes was sentenced to one-year probation and was handed a four-game suspension by the league, but he was able to serve that ban while a free agent last year.
Buffalo’s addition of Spikes casts doubt on the status of rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland, whom the Bills are “definitely concerned” about after he suffered a knee injury — but likely avoided ligament damage — on Friday. As the club’s depth chart indicates, Buffalo is rather thin behind their top three ‘backers, so Spikes can act as depth (at the very least) while Ragland recovers.
Spikes is mostly viewed as a two-down linebacker that struggles in pass coverage, meaning he’ll likely be taken off the field in sub packages. However, on an admittedly small sample of passing downs, the advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) were actually kind to Spikes’ pass-coverage abilities in 2014, as he ranked fourth-best at his position in yards per coverage snap and coverage snaps per reception. Overall, he graded as PFF’s 13th-best inside linebacker in the league in 2014 thanks to his run-stopping ability. Spikes finished ninth against the run at his position in 2014 and ranked No. 1 against the run in both 2012 and 2013.
Spikes’ agent David Canter first announced the deal on Twitter. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link) reported the length. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
6 Key Stories: 7/31/16 – 8/7/16
The Nick Foles sweepstakes comes to an end. After agreeing to lower his guaranteed 2016 base salary in order to secure his release from the Rams, Nick Foles surveyed his options in free agency before ultimately landing with the Chiefs, reuniting with head coach Andy Reid, the man who drafted Foles in 2012. 
Foles’ deal contains an option for 2017 that can be worth up to $16MM via escalators/incentives, but Kansas City management stated that Foles’ addition has no impact on Alex Smith‘s status with the club. The Bills, Vikings, and Cowboys were thought to be among the other contenders for Foles after he hit the open market.
The Cowboys need a backup QB. Foles is off the table, but Dallas still needs to find a new No. 2 quarterback after Kellen Moore suffered a broken leg last week. Rookie Dak Prescott is next up on the depth chart, but the Cowboys are likely aiming to add a a veteran rather than count on a first-year player. The Buccaneers aren’t shopping Mike Glennon, but the Browns could be willing to part with Josh McCown for the right price. Meanwhile, Josh Freeman and his agent reportedly reached out to the Cowboys, while Jimmy Clausen could be another option for the club.
Cardinals lock up their core. Any retirement talk surrounding Arizona’s two most high-profile veterans will have to wait, as the Cardinals announced one-year extensions for quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald last week. Palmer is now signed through the 2018 season, while Fitzgerald will be in the desert through the 2017 campaign. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cards also reached agreement with All Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, signing the hybrid defender to a five-year, $62.5MM deal.
Veterans find new homes. With training camp getting underway, a cavalcade of experienced players landed new deals, with Dwight Freeney (Falcons), Reggie Bush (Bills), and Jahri Evans (Seahawks) among the more high-profile names that found destinations last week. Receivers James Jones (Chargers) and Lance Moore (Falcons), defensive back Leon Hall (Giants), fullback John Kuhn (Saints), and linebacker Brandon Spikes (Bills) also inked contracts over the past week.
Young players go down. The Bengals appear to have lost first-round cornerback William Jackson III for a some time (and possibly the entire season) after the University of Houston alum tore his pectoral last week, while another AFC North defensive back — the Steelers’ Senquez Golson — could also potentially miss the year following a Lisfranc injury. Elsewhere in the division, Ravens third-round linebacker Bronson Kaufusi is done for the year after breaking his ankle, while in the NFC, Bears center Hroniss Grasu is likely lost for the season given that he suffered a torn ACL.
Trades on the horizon? The NFL never sees the level of trade activity as, say, MLB, but it wouldn’t be surprising to a few deals take place as clubs approach final cutdowns later this month and into September. Offensive guard Ronald Leary, for one, has requested a trade from the Cowboys, and the Saints have been expressing interest in acquiring him for months. Meanwhile, teams around the league are keeping an eye on the Dolphins’ defensive ends with an eye towards a trade.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PFR Originals: 7/31/16 – 8/7/16
The original content and analysis produced the PFR staff during the past week:
- PFR has continued to look back at the offseasons for all 32 clubs, examining the major signings, departures, trades, and other notable offseason events for each team. We covered four clubs over the past week:
- PFR is analyzing each team’s rookie class with the assistance of scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas, who has served as a consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades. Dave covered two clubs last week:
- In PFR’s new series The Beat, Zach Links is conducting interviews with beat writers, columnists, and TV personalities about the team that they cover. This week, Zach spoke with spoke with Adam Teicher of ESPN.com about the Chiefs, Eric Berry, Kansas City’s offensive line, rookie Chris Jones, and the club’s coaching staff.
- Zach rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
Cowboys QB Kellen Moore Breaks Leg
WEDNESDAY, 10:29am: Moore is scheduled for surgery later today to repair the fracture in his right leg, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The team expects that he will miss 3-4 months.
With Moore sidelined, the Cowboys are looking into Nick Foles and other quarterback options.
TUESDAY, 10:22pm: The Cowboys already had one of the worst backup quarterback situations in the league, and now their depth chart has been depleted even further, as backup QB Kellen Moore broke his ankle at practice tonight, owner Jerry Jones confirmed to reporters, including Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jones did not provide a timeline for Moore’s recovery, or indicate whether he would require surgery.
[RELATED: Latest on Rolando McClain‘s substance abuse issue]
Dallas now looks like a prime destination for former Rams/Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who was released by Los Angeles last week after agreeing to accept a lower guaranteed salary in 2016. Initial reports indicated that the Cowboys were among several teams — along with the Vikings and Bills — that could have some interest in signing Foles, and as many as 10 clubs might place a call to the free agent signal-caller. But Jones denied that the Cowboys would contact Foles, saying that the club would instead turn to its internal options.
“Foles isn’t an option. We wouldn’t get him any snaps. We got four that are going to get the snaps,” the Cowboys owner and GM said, referring to Tony Romo, Moore, Dak Prescott and Jameill Showers.
Despite that statement, the Cowboys were one of two teams (along with the Bills) that discussed a Foles trade before the draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), so Dallas clearly has at least some level of interest in Foles. And as Ed Werder of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter), the Cowboys will need to add another quarterback quickly, given that Romo is scheduled to take every third practice session off as he recovers from surgery.
Besides Moore, none of the options behind Romo have ever taken an NFL snap, and the Cowboys witnessed last year how a Romo injury can wreck a season, as Dallas posted a 1-11 record when Romo was not in the lineup. Even if the don’t pursue Foles, it’s difficult to imagine that the Cowboys won’t target a veteran quarterback in the coming days, and other free agents still sitting on the open market include Michael Vick, Matt Flynn, Josh Freeman, T.J. Yates, Charlie Whitehurst, and Tarvaris Jackson, whom it was announced today will not face charges following a June domestic dispute.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons
The 2015 Falcons started off hot under new head coach Dan Quinn, posting a 5-0 record and looking like a playoff contender as late as November. But a six-game losing streak exposed the club on both offense and defense, forcing Atlanta to make changes on both sides of the ball this offseason.
Notable signings:
- Alex Mack, C: Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed.
- Mohamed Sanu, WR: Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via escalators.
- Derrick Shelby, DE: Four years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed.
- Adrian Clayborn, DE: Two years, $8.5MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $5.5MM available via incentives.
- Matt Schaub, QB: One year, $1.75MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
- Courtney Upshaw, LB: One year, $1.25MM. $390K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives.
- Chris Chester, G: One year, $2.35MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB: One year, $1.5MM. $150K guaranteed.
- Philip Wheeler, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Bryce Harris, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $60K guaranteed.
- Tom Compton, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
- Ryan Schraeder, T: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- Paul Worrilow, LB: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- LaRoy Reynolds, LB: One year, $675K.
- Dwight Freeney, DE: Contract terms unknown.
Atlanta’s offensive line responded exceptionally well to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s implementation of a zone-blocking scheme, with nearly every player up front earning positive grades from Pro Football Focus. The one exception was center Michael Person, who started 14 games at the pivot after having spent most of his career at guard, so the Falcons turned to a veteran who had some prior experience in Shanahan’s system — former Browns center Alex Mack.
Mack, 30, only played in five games during Shanahan’s year as Cleveland’s play-caller, but he spent the entire summer of 2014 preparing to enter a zone-blocking scheme, and his athleticism and ability to move in the running game makes him a perfect fit for the zone approach. The Falcons made Mack the highest-paid center in the league, handing him $9MM per year after the Browns, Chargers, and Rams all expressed varying levels of interest once Mack opted out of his deal with Cleveland.
After being designated as the Browns’ transition player during the 2014 offseason, Mack played the free agent game correctly, inking an offer sheet with the Jaguars that paid him $8.5MM annually, $18MM guaranteed over the first two years of the deal, and contained that aforementioned opt-out clause. Cleveland matched that offer, and when Mack withdrew two years later, he was able to land a contract that will pay him even more per year and includes another $20MM in guarantees. Like Darrelle Revis, Mack has worked the free agent system to his benefit in order to secure every dollar he’s worth.
Chris Chester, meanwhile, will return to Atlanta after playing every offensive snap for the club last year, but he’ll be expected to compete for his starting job, with Person, rookie Wes Schweizter, and free agent addition Tom Compton serving as Chester’s main obstacles to playing time at right guard. Chester is now 33 years old and coming off January shoulder surgery, but he played so well in 2015 that he should be the favorite to handle the majority of snaps. Right tackle Ryan Schraeder, a revelation last year (PFF’s No. 5 tackle), will also return after signing his second-round restricted free agent tender, and the Falcons could look to sign him to an extension over the next few months.
While Atlanta’s pass-blocking was tremendous, the Falcons’ passing offense as a whole was not, as the club ranked 23rd in passing DVOA, with Julio Jones and his 136/1,871/8 receiving line essentially acting as a one-man passing offense. Tight end Jacob Tamme posted a nice season, racking up 59 passes for nearly 700 yards, but the rest of Atlanta’s pass-catchers — including Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, and Justin Hardy — left a lot to be desired. But instead of finding an affordable complement to play opposite Jones, the Falcons overspent in a weak free agent market, signing former Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu to a five-year deal.
Even among an uninspiring crop of free agent pass-catchers, Sanu only placed seventh among his position in PFR’s free agent rankings, but the 26-year-old will be earning more annually than every other free agent receiver except former Bengals teammate Marvin Jones. Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse will earn $6MM or less on their new contracts, and the Eagles and Lions were able to land Randle and Boldin, respectively, on one-year pacts.
Sanu, who failed top 400 yards receiving last year, somehow managed to score a better deal than Golden Tate received from the Lions during the 2014 offseason. Cincinnati didn’t trust Sanu enough to allow him to play a larger role in their offense, and he struggled when asked to step up amid a rash of injuries during the 2014 campaign. Clearly, the Falcons needed to add another complementary weapon to their offense, but Sanu is unlikely to live up to his contract.
Atlanta’s only other notable addition on offense was at quarterback, and like Mack, Matt Schaub has a history with Shanahan, having spent time with the play-caller in Houston. Schaub, of course, also has a past with the Falcons (he was a former third-round pick of the club), and though his career has fallen apart in the past few seasons, he probably won’t be asked to play much in Atlanta. Starter Matt Ryan hasn’t missed a game since 2009, having started 99 straight contests since his last missed game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons surprisingly didn’t target any high-profile pass-rushers after failing to get after opposing quarterbacks with any level of consistency in 2016. Not only did the club rank dead last in sacks with only 19 (the lowest total for any team in the league since 2009), but it also finished 32nd in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta decided to play in the middle of the market, however, inking former Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby and re-signing their own Adrian Clayborn.
Shelby, 27, is an interesting case of scouting the stat line versus watching the tape. While he’s only posted nine sacks in his career, Shelby graded out as the league’s No. 23 edge defender last season, according to PFF. It’s fair to wonder if Shelby’s increased production was partly a result of playing next to All Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and it could be concerning that Miami didn’t seriously attempt to retain Shelby, instead opting for external options such as Mario Williams, Andre Branch, and Jason Jones.
While Shelby landed a four-year contract, the Falcons were able to bring back Clayborn on a shorter pact, locking up the edge defender for two more seasons. Clayborn isn’t much of a run defender, so after seeing some time at tackle in 2015, he figures to play exclusively at end during the upcoming season, and given the makeup of Atlanta’s front seven, it’s possible Clayborn is used primarily in sub packages.
Earlier today, the Falcons finally consummated a long-rumored deal with free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney, inking the veteran after he also drew interest from the Bengals. Now 36 years old, Freeney was still productive last season, managing eight sacks for the Cardinals in only 255 defensive snaps. And though he didn’t get to the quarterback as much in the year prior, Freeney was still solid for the Chargers in 2014, forcing 40 quarterback hurries and posting nine QB hits. He’ll play as rotational end for Atlanta, and shouldn’t be asked to play more than 30 snaps per game.
Clayborn and Freeney will see competition for snaps from free agent addition Courtney Upshaw, the former Ravens second-round pick that only netted a one-year deal from the Falcons. The 26-year-old Upshaw never became the edge rushing force in Baltimore that many had projected, but he’s very solid against the run, and could conceivably be used in a variety of roles in Dan Quinn‘s defense. Upshaw will likely see snaps at both defensive end and linebacker in Atlanta, with his duty being heavily influenced by the situation.
While Upshaw could shift between multiple positions, Sean Weatherspoon and Philip Wheeler are linebackers in the most strict sense, and both could see a hefty amount of snaps next seeason. Weatherspoon returns to the Falcons after a one-year stint with the Cardinals, and given his history of injuries, Atlanta will probably try to specify his role in the defense. Given his movement and coverage skills, Weatherspoon will likely be on the field in the Falcons’ nickel defense. Wheeler, meanwhile, will have to compete with fourth-round rookie De’Vondre Campbell for playing time at outside ‘backer.
Read more about the Falcons’ offseason…
Reaction To Tyrann Mathieu’s Extension
After months of negotiation, the Cardinals and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu agreed today on the terms of a five-year, $62.5MM extension that contains $40MM guaranteed. Of course, that $40MM figure is unlikely to refer to full guarantees, as the current leader in that metric among safeties — the Patriots’ Devin McCourty — only secured $22MM fully guaranteed. Still, the average annual value of the deal indicates that it’s possibly market-shifting, and it engendered quite a bit of reaction. Let’s take a look at some of the responses to Mathieu’s brand new contract:
- The Cardinals have apparently worked injury protection into the deal, presumably adding language that would protect the club in the event that Mathieu suffers another major injury, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Mathieu, of course, has torn an ACL in two of his first three seasons in the league, so it’s understandable that Arizona wants to guard itself.
- Mathieu’s extension pays him $12.5MM annually, and that figure — which is between the top of the cornerback and safety markets — makes sense because Matheiu shifts between both positions, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Mathieu’s versatility, to be sure, makes his deal a bit difficult to evaluate since he spends much of his time in the slot.
- Now that he’s earning that $12.5MM annual salary, Mathieu has surpassed the Vikings’ Harrison Smith to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety, and Mathieu’s average is also $1.7MM more than Eric Berry will make if he signs his franchise tag with the Chiefs, details Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (all Twitter links), who adds that the Cardinals are placing a lot of faith in Mathieu considering his aforementioned injury history.
- The Cardinals value Mathieu because he’s able to target specific offensive weapons, as Matt Bowen of ESPN Insider writes (subscription required). Mathieu can “dictate matchups,” according to Bowen, lining up against either a slot receiver or a tight end, or instead playing near the line to stop the run or blitz off the edge.
- Risk is built into Mathieu’s new deal because of his lengthy injury past, but Arizona isn’t afraid to take a gamble, as evidenced by the fact that it drafted Mathieu in the first place, opine Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Mathieu is perhaps the msot valuable piece on a Cardinals defense that includes All Pro Patrick Peterson, and the club suffered immensely after Mathieu went down late last season.
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Nicks
The Falcons and Saints have each added former Cardinals edge rushers over the past 24 hours, as Atlanta agreed to terms with Dwight Freeney while New Orleans inked Matt Shaughnessy. Both defenses were among the worst in the league at generating pressure last season, and the Falcons and Saints will hope that their new additions will help them get after opposing quarterbacks. For more on the Falcons, check back in with PFR later tonight for a recap of the Freeney signing and the rest of Atlanta’s moves in our latest Offseason in Review.
Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC South:
- The Panthers have a plethora of options at defensive tackle, and they’re so stacked at the position that they might be forced to release a talented player, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Kawann Short (who is engaged in extension talks), Star Lotulelei, and first-round pick Vernon Butler are guaranteed places on the roster, meaning Paul Soliai and Kyle Love will have to compete for the final tackle spot, unless Carolina opts to keep five interior defenders. The Panthers handed Soliai $3MM fully guaranteed less than five months ago, so it would be a surprise to see him get cut loose.
- Hakeem Nicks‘ one-year deal with the Saints is a minimum salary benefit contract and contains no guaranteed money, reports Nick Underhill of the Advocate. As such, Nicks is essentially joining New Orleans on nothing more than a tryout basis, and will seek to earn a role behind Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, Michael Thomas, and Brandon Coleman. Nicks reportedly stayed in contact with Saints head coach Sean Payton after a workout earlier this year, texting Payton on a weekly basis and sending along workout videos.
- Former South Florida defensive back Jamie Byrd tried out for the Saints today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). In his senior season with the Bulls, Byrd posted 80 tackles and finished second on the team with 11 tackles for loss, and said earlier this year that he had “no answers” for not being selected in the draft or being offered a UDFA deal.
Bengals Still Considering Leon Hall
Having potentially lost first-round cornerback William Jackson III for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle, the Bengals have been in communication with old friend Leon Hall, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Hall, per Dehner, is “clearly still an option” for Cincinnati as they look for veterans to add to their secondary.
[RELATED: Bengals, Ryan Hewitt agree to extension]
Hall, of course, has spent the entirety of his career with the Bengals, starting 105 games for the club since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2007. Even entering his age-31 season, Hall is still a capable contributor, though he’s mostly limited to the slot these days. However, injuries have been a concern over the past few seasons, as Hall has suffered two torn Achilles since 2011, and underwent back surgery over the offseason.
Those health issues could be the reason Hall hasn’t found a job yet despite taking numerous visits with interested clubs. Hall has met with or been linked to the Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys, Giants, and Dolphins, and though reports have indicated that he’s been close to signing a deal, no agreement has been made official.
In Cincinnati, Hall wouldn’t be asked to play a large role, and would likely play on fewer than the 666 snaps he saw last season. Though possibly losing Jackson is devastating, the rookie was never expected to contribute much outside of special teams, anyway. The Bengals will start Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick at corner, with 2014 first-rounder Darqueze Dennard working his way into sub packages. Hall, then, would serve as the club’s fourth option — at best — at cornerback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints To Sign Matt Shaughnessy
The Saints will add a veteran defender to their front seven as training camp gets underway, as the club has agreed to terms LB/DE Matt Shaughnessy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Terms of the deal haven’t been announced, but it’s likely for the veteran’s minimum.
[RELATED: No progress between Saints, Drew Brees]
New Orleans has signed a number of experienced options to aid a defense that ranked among the worst in league history in 2016, having inked deals with James Laurinaitis, Craig Robertson, Nick Fairley, and Nathan Stupar over the offseason. And more recently, the Saints have agreed to terms with veterans such as Roman Harper, Darryl Tapp, C.J. Wilson, and — on offense — Hakeem Nicks. Given New Orleans’ tight cap situation, the team is somewhat forced to rely on low-cost additions (specifically, minimum salary benefit deals) to augment their roster.
Shaughnessy, 29, didn’t appear in the NFL last season after spending the first six years of his career with the Raiders and Cardinals. In 75 career games (48 starts), Shaughnessy has picked up 144 tackles, 18.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. The Saints have already gotten an up-close look at the veteran edge defender, having auditioned him in both May and June.
In other Saints news, the team worked out free agent cornerback Kevin White today, reports Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. White, an undrafted free agent in 2015, signed with the Falcons last summer but didn’t make Atlanta’s final roster.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.