Extra Points: Winston, Panthers, Texans, LA
While certainly nothing is definite at this stage in the draft process, the Buccaneers are overwhelmingly likely to select Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, according to Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link), who says the Bucs are “locked in” on Winston. A poor Pro Day showing by Winston won’t affect his draft stock, at least from Tampa’s perspective, adds Kaufman.
Here’s more from around the league…
- The Panthers are on the hunt for a No. 2 running back to plug in behind Jonathan Stewart, and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer makes the case for Carolina to select Georgia running back Todd Gurley. Within the same piece, Person writes that the Panthers signing of receiver Jarrett Boykin last week doesn’t mean they won’t also add veteran Greg Jennings.
- In her latest mailbag segment, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com explains why the Texans restructured J.J. Watt‘s contract, noting that the club could aim to re-sign a reserve like defensive end Tim Jamison, or extend a young player. Guard Brandon Brooks, writes Ganguli, is a free agent at season’s end, and could be in line for a multi-year deal.
- David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sums up the latest regarding the NFL in Los Angeles, profiling the newly-formed Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities, comprised of six NFL owners.
North Notes: Browns, J. Smith, J. Allen, Lions
While the Browns are content to use Josh McCown as their starting quarterback in 2015, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the club will continue to search for other options at the position. Cabot thinks Cleveland will attempt to trade up in the draft for Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, and also doesn’t rule out the Browns making another run at Sam Bradford on draft day.
Here’s more from the North divisions:
- Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith is perhaps the best 2016 free agent CB, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley, who argues that Baltimore will either sign Smith to an extension, or use the franchise tag on him. Hensley adds that the starting point for negotiations on a long-term deal would probably be the contract between the Eagles and Byron Maxwell (six years, $63MM).
- In an interesting discussion with Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, Jared Allen discusses the Bears’ dismal 2014 season, his hopes for an improved 2015, and his transition to 3-4 linebacker. Perhaps most notably, Allen reveals that the Broncos were on his shortlist of intriguing teams when he hit free agency last offseason in large part due to John Fox, who of course is now in Chicago.
- The Lions lost one of the league’s best players in Ndamukong Suh to free agency, but improvement by younger defenders such as linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive end Larry Webster could keep Detroit’s defense among the NFL’s top units, opines Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Joe Barksdale
As we head into April, there are just four remaining unsigned free agents that were listed among Pro Football Rumors’ Top 50 FAs. Our 29th overall free agent, receiver Michael Crabtree, had a down year in 2014, and PFR’s Rory Parks look at w
hy he remains on the open market. Linebacker Rolando McClain, our No. 35 FA, has already retired twice during his young career, and is facing a fine after failing a third drug test, as documented by PFR’s Luke Adams. And our 39th-ranked free agent, center Stefen Wisniewski, is recovering from offseason shoulder injury, which could explain his lack of a market.
But perhaps the most puzzling member of the unsigned free agents club is offensive tackle Joe Barksdale, who ranked 36th on our Top 50 list. The 27-year-old Barksdale has spent the past three seasons with the Rams, and has started 29 games over the past two years. Without a strong crop of right tackles available in free agency, Barksdale seemingly should have been in line for a multi-year pact that paid him in the neighborhood of $6MM annually, comparable to the deals signed by Andre Smith and Anthony Collins in recent years.
The few free agent right tackles who did hit the market were handsomely rewarded, making it even more confusing that Barksdale hasn’t been able to find a home. The top RT available, Bryan Bulaga, re-signed with the Packers for almost $34MM, and while he’ll average just $6.75MM per year, it’s assumed that he took less money to stay in Green Bay. Jermey Parnell, largely unproven after starting just seven games over three seasons for the Cowboys, secured a five-year, $32.5MM deal from the Jaguars, while Doug Free will earn a $5MM AAV after re-signing with Dallas.
A glance at Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) offensive tackle grades could offer some explanation as to why Barskdale remains available — while Bulaga, Parnell, and Free all ranked within the top 21 tackles, Barksdale placed just 48th. His run-blocking grade (arguably the more important mark for a right tackle) was impressive, however, as he ranked as the league’s 11th-best T in the run game. Still, based on PFF’s ratings, Barksdale might not be in the same class as those top three tackles, so if he’s asking for $5-6MM per year, clubs could be looking elsewhere.
Indeed, Barksdale hasn’t drawn much known interest from around the league, as he’s only been linked to the Rams and the Titans. Tennessee’s interest seems to be lukewarm, as reports indicated that the club would “consider” Barksdale after losing Michael Roos and Michael Oher earlier this year. Based on reports, it appears that a reunion between Barskdale and St. Louis is the most likely scenario — the Rams initially thought that the tackle was overestimating his market, and now that that seems to have been the case, head Jeff Fisher confirmed the two sides were talking.
Even after a dreadful season, Oher was able to garner a $3.5MM AAV from the Panthers, and I’d be very surprised if Barksdale has to settle for less than that. Something in the $4-4.5MM range (at the level of Zach Strief and Breno Giacomini) would make sense for both Barksdale and the Rams. For its part, St. Louis can use all the help it can get along the offensive line, where Greg Robinson and Rodger Saffold are the only returning starters. With only about $2.6MM needed to sign its draft class, the Rams have approximately $6.4MM in effective cap space, so they should easily be able to fit a Barksdale-level contract on their books.
Seahawks Re-Sign Demarcus Dobbs
The Seahawks have re-signed defensive end Demarcus Dobbs, tweets his agent Wesley Spencer (h/t to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk). According to Spencer, Dobbs’ new deal is for one year.
Seattle claimed Dobbs, 27, off waivers from the 49ers in early November, and while he went on to appear in four games for the Seahawks, he played on just 39 defensive snaps. His role increased during Seattle’s playoff run, however, as he saw action on about 43% of postseason snaps. All told, Dobbs racked up five tackles in 2014, bringing his career stop total to 24.
Dobbs, who can also slide to defensive tackle, doesn’t have much of an NFL track record, meaning his 2015 salary will probably be close to league minimum. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated last week that the club planned to retain both Dobbs and center Stephen Schilling, so with Dobbs taken care of, re-signing Schilling could be up next.
Stefen Wisniewski Had Shoulder Surgery
Given that we’re almost three weeks removed from the start of free agency, it’s more than surprising that the consensus No. 2 free agent center — Stefen Wisniewski — is still unsigned. There appears to be a reason for his cold market, however, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that Wisniewski is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery after he played the 2014 season with a torn larbrum.
Obviously, any sort of injury or surgery is going to make clubs wary, as evidenced by the fact that tight Jermaine Gresham still hasn’t found a home after it was revealed he was set to undergo a back operation. But Wisniewski’s injury situation might not be the only factor scaring clubs, as Biggs adds that the center is looking for a $4MM per year salary. Such a demand doesn’t sound extravagant, as that AAV wouldn’t even place Wisniewski inside the top 10 among centers. Per Biggs, however, no team has been willing to pay that price, and it’s possible that Wisniewski will have to ultimately sign a one- or two-year “prove-it” contract.
Wisniewski’s former club, the Raiders, have already replaced him, signing top FA center Rodney Hudson to a five-year, $44.5MM deal, and Oakland has no plans to re-sign Wisniewski to play guard. But he has drawn interest from a number of teams, including the Rams and Chiefs, and he met with the Buccaneers and Seahawks. According to Biggs, it would also “be a mistake to rule out the Bears” signing Wisniewski.
The 26-year-old Wisniewski didn’t fare too well in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which rated him as the league’s 22nd-best center. Of course, his injury could have played a role in his decreased production, as PFF has assigned him a higher grade in years past. The Penn State alum was PFR’s No. 39 free agent.
NFC East Notes: Moss, RG3, Gregory, Giants
Although Washington head coach Jay Gruden said last week that the club would be open to re-signing receiver Santana Moss, Zac Boyer of the Washington Times writes that the team won’t bring back the veteran until mid-summer at the earliest. As Boyer adds, offseason workouts end in mid-June — if Washington decides it could use a reliable slot receiver at the point, Moss would probably be brought into the fold. The 35-year-old Moss said last December that he wouldn’t hesitate to retire if the right opportunity didn’t present itself.
Here’s more from the nation’s capital and the rest of the NFC East:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Washington executive Doug Williams said the club still has high hopes for quarterback Robert Griffin III. “This is a young guy that’s got some talent,” said Williams, via Chase Hughes of CSNWashington.com. “There are adjustments that he has to make if think given time, and I think that’s one of the reasons why nobody has given up on him. With the talent that he does have, you’re hoping that the last couple of years with the injuries and everything is out of the way, that he will develop into the guy that we all hope for him to be. I think it’s fair to give him that opportunity.”
- Though the Giants are rumored to have interest in Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com isn’t so sure New York would pull the trigger come draft day, noting the club’s aversion to smaller defenders (Gregory weighed in at 235 pounds at the combine). Gregory, who failed a drug test at the combine, won’t be an option for the Giants at pick No. 9, writes Raanan, but he could be NY’s choice if he falls to the second round.
- In his most recent mailbag at ESPN.com, John Keim lists free safety and right tackle as Washington‘s most glaring needs. Right tackle, adds Keim, could be turned over to 2014 draftee Morgan Moses, but health questions have made his availability uncertain.
PFR Originals: 3/22/15 – 3/29/15
The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- Now that this year’s compensatory picks have been announced, Luke Adams was able to provide the complete 2015 NFL draft order (also available on a team-by-team basis).
- Luke also posted the list of 2015 NFL trades, which will updated as the season progresses.
- Rory Parks examined the free agent stock of receiver Michael Crabtree, one of the top FAs still available.
- Also in our FA stock watch series, Luke took a look at linebacker Rolando McClain, who is still sitting on the market.
- The NFL is expected to vote on changing the extra point rules in May, and Luke asked how PFR readers thought the rules should be altered. The majority of voters (about 41%) believe that the extra point should remain unchanged. Thanks for voting!
Week In Review: 3/22/15 – 3/29/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The NFL announced the 2015 compensatory draft picks (and later issued several corrections).
- The Dolphins extended head coach Joe Philbin‘s contract through the 2016 season.
- Draft prospect Randy Gregory failed a drug test during this year’s combine.
- The Colts might wait until after the 2015 season to extend quarterback Andrew Luck, and also won’t extend head coach Chuck Pagano before the upcoming season.
- The Texans promoted quarterbacks coach George Godsey to offensive coordinator.
Signed/Re-Signed:
- Bears – CB Alan Ball (link) and LB Mason Foster (link), DL Jarvis Jenkins (link), and DE Ray McDonald (link)
- Bengals – DT Pat Sims (link)
- Dolphins – QB Matt Moore (link)
- Jets – DL Stephen Bowen (link), TE Kellen Davis (link), and T Corey Hilliard (link)
- Panthers – WR Jarrett Boykin (link)
- Raiders – DT C.J. Wilson (link)
- Steelers – LB James Harrison (link)
- Texans – LB Akeem Dent (link)
- Titans – CB Brandon Harris (link)
- Vikings – LB Casey Matthews (link), S Taylor Mays (link), and CB Terence Newman (link)
Waivers:
- Panthers – claimed T Jonathan Martin off waivers from the 49ers
Contract Restructured:
- Texans – DE J.J. Watt (link)
- Vikings – LB Chad Greenway (link)
Jets Sign Kellen Davis
WEDNESDAY, 10:57am: Davis has signed a one-year contract with the Jets, according to Getlin (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:08pm: The Jets have been among the most active teams thus far in free agency, and while they’ve focused primarily on defense thus far, it looks as though they’re about to add a player to their offense. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Jets are “closing in” on a deal with tight end Kellen Davis, and a contract should be finalized within the next few days.
We heard earlier this evening that New York likely wasn’t finished in free agency, and also learned that Davis was visiting the Jets, so it appears that a deal came together rather quickly. The 29-year-old Davis is a veteran of seven NFL seasons — he spent the first five years of his career with the Bears before joining the Seahawks and Lions for the ’13 and ’14 seasons, respectively. He appeared in only six games with Detroit last season, seeing action on just 148 snaps.
Davis was a starter during the latter part of his tenure with the Bears, and had an excellent season in 2011, accruing a +10.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). All of that positive grade was due to his prowess in run-blocking, so perhaps that’s the role the Jets have envisioned for him. Indeed, presumptive New York starting tight end Jeff Cumberland was among the league’s worst at the position last year, while second-year player Jace Amaro is probably best-suited as a pass-catcher.
Davis hasn’t had much NFL success lately, nor he has drawn any known free agent interest, so I’d expect him to sign for something close to the minimum.
Extra Points: Carr, Cowboys, Green, Spikes
Let’s round up some assorted items from around the NFL…
- Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said the club isn’t certain it will ask cornerback Brandon Carr to take a pay cut, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link). Jones adds that Dallas has accounted for Carr’s salary in its books, and discussions are still ongoing. For his part, Carr has indicated that he is not amenable to a pay reduction.
- Florida offensive lineman Chaz Green will have a full schedule, as he has visits set up with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, Texans, Cowboys, Bills, Saints, and Chargers, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- The Vikings’ signing of Casey Matthews probably signals the end of their interest in Brandon Spikes, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Minnesota was only “lukewarm” on Spikes as it was, and Wolfson hears that Spikes is asking for to much money.
- Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams already had a workout with the Patriots, and he also has a private workout with the Lions lined up, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- In his review of free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap analyzes the 10 worst contracts handed out during the offseason, listing Ndamukong Suh and Byron Maxwell‘s deals Nos. one and two, respectively.
- Also at Over the Cap, Bryce Johnston uses his expected contract value metric to determine which contracts are the most likely to be “one-and-done,” with Tramon Williams (Browns) and Andre Johnson (Colts) topping the list.