Release Candidate: Seahawks RB Chris Carson
About a month ago, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll seemed ready to envision a future for Seattle’s running backs room that didn’t include Chris Carson, hinting that the 27-year-old’s career in the NFL could be coming to an end following a neck injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2021 NFL season. Days later, Carson made it clear that he had no intentions of hanging up his cleats. 
“Oh, we still going right now,” Carson said, via Heavy.com’s Jonathan Adams. “I see myself playing until I feel like stopping. My mindset is never to give up, so I’m staying positive like I said, and [will] continue to fight and get back onto the field.”
After a broken ankle kept Carson from being a full-time starter in his rookie season, Carson bounced back, leading the team in rushing yards for the next three years. His consistency, paired with the injury history of backup running back Rashaad Penny, landed Carson a two-year deal to stay in Seattle during last year’s offseason. Four weeks into the season, though, Carson suffered a neck injury that would require surgery, prematurely ending his season and leading to the comments mentioned above from Carroll and Carson.
While there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood between the two parties, the moves Seattle has made recently make it seem as if Carroll has no intention of handing the ball off to Carson ever again. The most recent move was spending a second-round pick on Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker was a bell-cow back for the Spartans last year carrying the ball 263 times for 1,636 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. The next closest running back on the team had 70 rushing attempts for 278 yards. Walker’s ability to carry an offense is extremely attractive to a team that wants to thrive on the ground but hasn’t had the health to do so.
The former first-round pick, Penny, ended last season on fire rushing for 632 yards and six touchdowns over four of the last five games of the season. While Penny has certainly had his own issues staying healthy, he was drafted with the intention that he could eventually be the team’s franchise running back. If Penny starts next season anywhere near how he ended 2021, a recovering Carson is going to have a tough time seeing the field.
Behind Penny and Walker, the Seahawks also roster two former Miami Hurricanes in Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. While neither has added much value to the running game over the past few years, both hold tremendous value on special teams that seems to solidify their roster status year in and year out. Other running backs on the roster are Darwin Thompson and Josh Johnson, who will likely end up on the practice squad or may be camp cuts.
With Penny, Walker, Homer, and Dallas all in line to make the 53-man roster, it starts to become difficult to justify a fifth roster spot for a running back who would only split carries with Penny and Walker. Combining that roster logjam with Carroll’s sentiments about Carson’s career potentially being over, it makes sense to start looking into the idea of offloading Carson’s contract.
The team could work with Carson to look for an ideal trade destination in an effort to return some value from the departure. If not, though, the Seahawks still would stand to benefit in cap savings. Cutting Carson would only leave Seattle with $1MM in dead cap while creating $4.6MM in cap space. Carson’s career may not be over, but there’s a real possibility that his time in Seattle may soon come to an end.
NFC Rumors: Corral, Howell, Garoppolo, Bears
Many expected there to be an early run on quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Although nine passers did hear their names called in the three-day event, only Steelers’ selection Kenny Pickett was a Day 1 pick. With first-round hopefuls such as Desmond Ridder (Falcons), Malik Willis (Titans), and Matt Corral (Panthers) all falling to the later days of the draft, what does the 2022 NFL season look like for each rookie?
When looking at the potential debut dates for each quarterback, it was determined that only one quarterback was essentially a lock to play in their rookie season, according to ESPN’s David Newton, and it isn’t the first-round pick. When breaking down the percentage chance for each quarterback to start in Week 1, the percentage chance for each rookie to sit all season, and the best prediction for when each player will make their first start, Newton gave Carolina’s Corral a zero-percent chance of sitting all season. The next closest was Ridder, who was given a 20% chance of sitting all season, in the case that Mariota solidifies himself as Atlanta’s starter and keeps them near playoff contention.
Corral shares a position room with incumbents Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker, who both failed to impress in starts last year. Even after bringing back Cam Newton, the Panthers didn’t have a single quarterback on their roster complete at least 60% of their passes or throw more touchdowns than they did interceptions. With Carolina seeing such abysmal quarterback play last year, there is absolutely justification in the assertion that the Panthers are almost guaranteed to give Corral a look at some point in the season.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC, starting with a note on another rookie quarterback:
- Also a first-round hopeful at points in the pre-draft process, Washington’s first selection of the fifth-round this year, Sam Howell, is potentially on the opposite end of the spectrum from Corral. Howell can probably be considered a guarantee to sit his entire rookie season for the Commanders. A couple weeks before deciding to select Howell, Washington traded second- and seventh-round picks to the Colts in exchange for veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz will likely take the starting job in DC with last year’s starter, Taylor Heinicke, filling the role of highly qualified backup. Heinicke, though, is in a contract year and drafting Howell provides the Commanders with the option of letting Heinicke walk if the price isn’t right or the need isn’t there. Unfortunately for Howell, this likely means he won’t see the field anytime soon. Fortunately for Howell, he’ll have the old-fashioned approach of sitting, learning, and developing as a new NFL quarterback.
- The 49ers have been trying for months to work some trade-value out of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. An intriguing trade possibility was hatched during today’s episode of the 49ers Talk podcast involving another team that been looking for trade partners this offseason. NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discussed the idea of trading Garoppolo to the Browns. Cleveland has been attempting to dump Baker Mayfield off for some value maybe even more desperately than San Francisco has with Garoppolo and offseason trade acquisition Deshaun Watson could be staring down a year-long suspension. Behind Mayfield and Garoppolo, the Browns roster Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs. While, at times, the Browns have boasted confidence in Brissett should they need him, that confidence may have been based on the assumption that Watson would only miss a couple games. A one-year suspension may have Cleveland entertaining the possibility of acquiring their fourth new quarterback of the offseason.
- At an extremely unlikely time for such moves to be happening, the Bears fired director of player engagement LaMar Campbell this weekend, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Campbell had been with Chicago since 2015 and was most recently a member of the committee that was assembled as the team searched for a new general manager and head coaching tandem. Not only did Campbell have the trust of the owners and committee, but he was highly respected in the locker room, as well. The timing is rough for Campbell as, at this point in the offseason, most teams have already completed their spring cleaning and hiring of their support staffs.
USFL Notes: Standouts, Rosters, Locations
The inaugural season of the 2022 iteration of the United States Football League is set to conclude Sunday night, as the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars compete for the league’s first championship. NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister provided a breakdown of the league’s first season of existence this week touching on several points with a few being relevant to the NFL. 
Burmeister made a point to mention a number of standout players for the USFL’s opening year:
- LB Frank Ginda, Michigan Panthers. Ginda spent time on practice squads for the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Saints, taking time in between to participate in the short-lived Alliance of American Football and XFL 2.0. Ginda finished second in the USFL in tackles and came to the league to improve his abilities in pass coverage with playing experience.
- RB Reggie Corbin, Michigan Panthers. Corbin’s head coach, Jeff Fisher, said himself that Corbin should be in the NFL. After four years at Illinois, Corbin got a workout for the Seahawks after college but tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival and was sent home before he could work out. He helped the Panthers lead the league in rushing yards per game this year.
- LB Donald Payne, Houston Gamblers. Payne spent four years in the NFL, mainly as a core special-teamer in Jacksonville. The one player in the league with more tackles than Ginda, and the only player in the league with over 100 tackles, Payne made it clear that he isn’t aiming just to get another NFL opportunity, he’s aiming to make another NFL 53-man roster.
- WR KaVontae Turpin, New Jersey Generals. Despite being on a team that ran the ball more than any other team in the USFL, Turpin led the league in receiving yards. He’s agile and tough with great top-end speed. His ability to shed tackles helped him excel as a return man this season. Turpin could easily find his way to the NFL with his receiving prowess and return abilities.
- DE Chris Odom, Houston Gamblers. Odom spent time in the NFL playing for Atlanta, Green Bay, and Washington. Known more for stopping the run with his hand in the dirt, Odom took after ex-teammates Clay Matthews and Nick Perry and led the USFL in sacks and forced fumbles. He has NFL experience and proved that he can dominate the lower levels of professional football.
Here are a few other points that Burmeister touched on in his season breakdown:
- When asked what comes next for the league, Burmeister brought up roster sizes. The initial roster rules allowed teams to have a total roster of 45 players with 38 active on gameday. Concerns over issues with in-game and practice injuries led the league to expand rosters to 50 total players with 40 allowed to be active on gamedays. That initial increase is likely just the beginning. With many teams hesitant to go full-contact in practices, in fear that they could suffer injuries that would diminish their already minuscule roster, more players would allow for more extensive practice sessions that could lead to an overall increase in quality of play.
- Another factor Burmeister mentioned for what could be in store for the USFL’s future was locale. The league played all their games at one team’s home stadium in Birmingham, Ala. While Birmingham provided a great home-field advantage for the Stallions, attendance at games that didn’t include the hometown team was severely lacking. Noticing the drastic improvement of gameday action for Stallions’ games, the league has made plans to share the love. While not yet ready to give each team a home stadium and organize the travel necessary for such a scenario, the league has entertained the idea of providing one of the teams in their North Division the same advantage that Birmingham enjoyed. The four teams in the North Division that could potentially play host next season are the Michigan Panthers, the New Jersey Generals, the Philadelphia Stars, and the Pittsburgh Maulers.
NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Cardinals, Metcalf
Not long ago, we wrote about the 49ers’ cornerback depth chart, claiming Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley were the starting outside corners this spring with Darqueze Dennard and rookie fifth-round pick Samuel Womack competing for the the starting nickel cornerback job, while second-year defender Ambry Thomas slots in as the No. 3 corner on the outside.
A slight alternative to the starting scenarios was proposed earlier this week by Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. He agrees that Dennard and Womack seem to be going head-to-head for the nickel-back role, but posits that, should neither cornerback seize the starting opportunity, San Francisco could formulate a rotation that would see Moseley shift inside and Thomas come in to cover the outside.
If Dennard and Womack can’t convince the coaches that they’re more valuable to have on the field than Thomas, the above situation could unfold. It makes sense that the 49ers would want the best three defenders on the field and could utilize other cornerback combinations to take advantage of specific matchups.
Here are a couple of other rumors from out of the NFC West, starting with a note out of Glendale:
- A little over two weeks ago, the Cardinals signed two former Chiefs’ defenders in cornerback Josh Jackson and linebacker Ben Niemann. The two have had diametrically contradicting career paths with the former second-round pick, Jackson, slowly falling into obscurity while the former undrafted free agent, Niemann has earned more and more responsibility each year he’s been in the league. Both of their contracts, though, will be worth the league minimum, according to Sports Illustrated’s Howard Balzer. While that’s a hard pill to swallow for Jackson after the high expectations that came with his draft position, Niemann is likely grateful to be heading into his fifth year of NFL football for the second team to give him an opportunity after initially going undrafted.
- Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has been pushing the organization for a new contract lately. The 24-year-old is set to head into the last year of his rookie contract and, while he does want to get paid, he’s also providing the Seahawks a head start on the rest of the league on what would be his eventual free agency. While Metcalf is looking at recent deals like that of his former college teammate, A.J. Brown, the absolute floor of Metcalf’s hypothetical extension was set this week when the Commanders extended star receiver Terry McLaurin, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus writes. Kyed justifies the opinion, saying that, while PFF grades Metcalf slightly lower than McLaurin, Metcalf is over two years younger and has produced at a slightly higher level than McLaurin over their first three years in the league. Whether or not Metcalf undoubtedly deserves more than McLaurin, McLaurin’s new deal sets an intriguing bar as extension talks continue in Seattle.
Steelers Notes: Wormley, Leal, Wallace
Going into the 2021 NFL season, Steelers defensive tackle Chris Wormley had 3.5 career sacks from his time in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. After a fractured ankle landed nose tackle Tyson Alualu on injured reserve, Wormley took advantage of the increased playing time and broke out with seven sacks, good for third on the team behind T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. He also reached career-highs in total tackles (51), tackles for loss (six), and quarterback hits (10).
Despite Wormley’s breakout season as a starter, the arrival of defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi could force Wormley back into a reserve role, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. Pittsburgh will likely rely on Ogunjobi to be a more well-rounded lineman, as Wormley tends to lose battles off the snap on running plays. The Steelers defense allowed the most rushing yards of any team last season, and it looks like signing Ogunjobi is a move that will address that.
Here are a couple other notes from the Steel City’s roster breakdown:
- Rookie third-round pick DeMarvin Leal is another player that could limit Wormley’s playing time. Just as Wormley had spent time as an end with the Ravens and a tackle with the Steelers, Leal provides the versatility to play both inside and outside on the defensive line. If he can impress in camp and the preseason, I’d expect Leal to play more at the start of the season and for the Steelers to lean on Wormley more as the season wears on longer than Leal is used to from 12-game college regular seasons. Otherwise, giving him a bit more time to get adjusted while keeping him fresh for some late-season playing time could be extremely effective, as well. The combination of Leal and Wormley as versatile, athletic defensive line options gives Pittsburgh a couple of possibilities that could really help its defensive line depth.
- With Joe Haden departing Pittsburgh for free agency, the Steelers have two cornerbacks who could potentially replace Haden as the starter opposite Cameron Sutton next season. 2021 trade acquisition Ahkello Witherspoon showed a ton of promise to end last season, totaling three interceptions and nine passes defensed in a six-week span. Pittsburgh will likely give him the opportunity to build off of that production for a full season. This leaves free agent signing Levi Wallace as the probable No. 3 cornerback to start the year for the Steelers. During spring practices, Sutton and Witherspoon lined up with the first-team defense on the outside in normal alignments, but, in nickel and dime packages, Sutton would bump inside and Wallace would come in on the outside.
Are Green Bay, Indianapolis, Tennessee WR Destinations?
In an article suggesting trade or free agency moves for each franchise to make before training camp, the Packer, Colts, and Titans were all encouraged by Pro Football Focus’s Doug Kyed to make a move for a wide receiver. While other teams were also identified as needing wide receiver help, these teams were suggested for veterans, players available on the market who can be key contributors for a team that already has most of the right pieces in place. 
Green Bay has a lot going for them as they continue their recent dominance of the NFC North. They have a star quarterback, a strong two-deep at running back, a solid offensive line, and a top-ten defense in many categories last year. They lost two of their top receiving options from last year as Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling both departed this offseason. Replacing them, the Packers have formerly undrafted Allen Lazard, rookie Christian Watson, and veterans Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb, among a few others. Clearly this isn’t a star-studded group, and, while Aaron Rodgers doesn’t usually have a wealth of talent to throw to, he usually, at least, has Adams. Kyed suggests the team sign another veteran in T.Y. Hilton to perhaps provide some leadership to the receiving corps.
The Colts offense has been working on an (insert-quarterback-name-here) basis for the past couple of years, this year bringing in long-time Falcon Matt Ryan to lead the group. The offense will likely be carried by the team’s strong offensive line and star running back Jonathan Taylor, but having some receivers to take some pressure off the running-game would be ideal. Indianapolis is set to trot out Michael Pittman Jr., rookie Alec Pierce, and Parris Campbell as their top-three wideouts. Pittman had a breakout year and is set to prove he can be a No. 1 receiver, but Pierce is unproven and Campbell has yet to play in half of an NFL season or reach 200 yards receiving in a season. Kyed suggests the team sign free agent Julio Jones to provide some veteran experience to an extremely young receivers room.
The Titans will be trotting out a new-look offense in many position groups this year. They’re currently trying to finalize the last few position battles of their offensive line, Austin Hooper with be the team’s starting tight end, and the wide receivers group will look completely different. With Derrick Henry leading the offense alongside Ryan Tannehill, while rookie quarterback Malik Willis waits in the wings, Tennessee will field Robert Woods, rookie Treylon Burks, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as their top-three receivers this year. Woods is coming back from a mid-season ACL tear, Burks is an impressive first-rounder but is being expected to replace the production of trade-departure A.J. Brown, and Westbrook-Ikhine stepped up in a support-role last season. Kyed suggests that the Titans sign another former-Rams receiver recovering from an torn ACL in Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham showed a clear ability to dominate as a true No. 1 wide receiver early in his career and has shown flashes of dominance since. Pairing Beckham with Woods and Burks would create a trio of pass catchers who all have impressive ceilings of potential in any given season.
All three receivers are still looking for homes and Kyed makes good points for all three franchises reaching out to players like these. There’s still lots of time until the 2022 NFL season kicks off and several dominoes still to fall. It’ll be interesting to see if any of these teams reach out for receiving help.
Ravens Notes: Bowser, Stanley, Washington, Linebackers
Baltimore’s 2021 NFL season was mired with injuries that would lead key players to be absent for extended periods, including many that missed all or the majority of the year. The Ravens aren’t known for giving out too much information on injuries over the years, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec was able to provide an update on some of Baltimore’s rehabbing players.
Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser signed a four-year contract to stay with the Ravens after the 2020 season and rewarded Baltimore with his best season as a pro to date. Bowser started every game of the year for the first time in his career and tallied career-highs in total tackles (59), sacks (7.0), tackles for loss (8.0), quarterback hits (15), and forced fumbles (2) just a year after recording three interceptions. The season ended on a sour note for Bowser, though, when he tore his Achilles tendon during the Ravens’ season finale against the Steelers.
As for a return, it was an extremely positive sign when Bowser came into the team’s offseason workouts without a boot or a limp only three months after surgery. Historically, Achilles tears take from nine to twelve months to come back from, but, recently, the Rams saw running back Cam Akers return to the field after only five and a half months of recovery. Baltimore, themselves, saw former star linebacker Terrell Suggs return to play only five months after surgery to repair his Achilles. The season opener would mark about eight months from Bowser’s surgery. Head coach John Harbaugh was quoted back in January saying, “I think Tyus will be back for the start of the season. I think Tyus will be back for training camp. That’s my prediction. That’s my timeline, so I’m going to stick with that.”
Here are a couple more notes from last year’s last-place team in the AFC North:
- On October 30, 2020, the Ravens made offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL with a five-year, $98.75MM extension. He was carted off the field with a season-ending injury two days later and has played in one game since. Baltimore is dying to see dividends from the historic contract they gave to Stanley, a deal that sent Orlando Brown packing in search of a team that would let him start at left tackle. General manager Eric DeCosta has admitted that he relied too much on having Stanley return to full strength last year when Stanley felt he was “rushed back…in order to play Week 1.” They’re being far more cautious in their optimism this time around as the team is being much more careful with the expectations being set on the 28-year-old. Stanley has told team officials that his ankle recovery is progressing more quickly than last offseason, but Harbaugh’s quote on Stanley two weeks ago reflected more of the cautiousness in their optimism as he said, “Ronnie’s mission right now would be to get in the best shape of his life and get ready to play football.”
- Like the rest of the league, Baltimore is in the process of figuring out who will make the cut for the final roster come late-August. One of the positions that provides a bit of interest for the Ravens is on the defensive line, as Zrebiec of The Athletic explained in a roster-projection earlier this week. With the return of Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce, and Brent Urban in free agency, as well as the draft-addition of Travis Jones, Zrebiec broached the situation of third-year defensive tackle Broderick Washington. Washington saw his role increase a bit in year-two of NFL play last year due to injuries to Campbell, Brandon Williams, and Derek Wolfe. Despite his increased experience, Zrebiec claims that Washington isn’t a lock to make the roster. The Ravens do like what they’ve seen from Washington, though, and believe he is “an ascending player,” so he’s at least trending in the right direction in terms of roster decisions.
- Perhaps the weakest position on the Ravens’ roster is the linebacker group. The team returns Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes, Malik Harrison, and Kristian Welch. Welch is mostly a special teamer, Harrison is still slowly returning from a non-life-threatening gunshot injury from last year, Bynes will be 33-years-old when the season begins, and Queen, while good at times, has yet to truly live up to his first-round potential. Baltimore did bring in three undrafted free agents in Josh Ross, Zakoby McClain, and Diego Fagot, but relying on those three to sure up the Ravens’ linebacking corps is asking a lot. Zrebiec does mention that Baltimore has several safeties that they can use in dime linebacker roles, which is a much more probable solution. Any of the Ravens’ strong safeties could slide down into a hybrid role. Tony Jefferson is a bit on the smaller side, but can still bring some hitting-power and coverage ability. Chuck Clark has excelled as a sixth-round pick during his five years in Baltimore but not necessarily for his ball-hawking ability. Sliding Clark down into a linebacker role could provide some benefit. Lastly, first-round draft pick Kyle Hamilton intrigued evaluators with his huge frame and versatility, with many comparing his traits and abilities to those of Derwin James. Hamilton’s size would place him nicely as an outside linebacker with elite coverage ability for the position. Regardless, Baltimore could see some benefit from trotting Queen and Bynes/Harrison out there and supplementing the linebacking group with a safety. I believe they’d rather work Hamilton or Clark out on the field than force Bynes, Harrison, or Welch into uncomfortable situations.
DT Beau Allen Retires After Seven Seasons
Veteran defensive tackle Beau Allen took to Twitter today to announce that, after seven seasons of play in the NFL, it was time for him to hang up his cleats. Allen went from a high school graduation in Minnetonka, MN, to winning a Super Bowl eight years later just ten miles east of Minnetonka before ultimately deciding to retire after two years away from the field. 
After graduating high school in a Minneapolis-suburb, Allen spurned his hometown college for a rival, deciding to go to his parents’ alma mater at the University of Wisconsin. Allen found his way to the field early as a Badger but didn’t break out until his sophomore year, when he accumulated 4.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. Over a four-year career in Madison, Allen totaled 8.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss.
In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected Allen early in the 7th round. He made the team’s 53-man roster and went on to play in all but one game over a four-year stay in Philadelphia, including the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win in Minnesota over the Patriots. He would total 2.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 11 quarterback hits during his time in Philadelphia.
After his rookie contract expired, Allen signed as a free agent with the Buccaneers. He started 8 games during his first season in Tampa Bay, playing in 27 over his two-year stay. His role as a Buccaneer saw him more as a backup behind starters Gerald McCoy and Vita Vea. When McCoy departed for Carolina, the team signed Ndamukong Suh, keeping Allen in his backup role.
After two years in Tampa Bay, Allen signed a free agent deal with the Patriots in 2020. He was placed on injured reserve to start the season, designated to return in late-October. As Allen returned to practice to ready for his New England-debut, he suffered an injury in practice and was ruled out for the season. He was released from the team the following March.
After a year on the Patriots’ injured reserved and a year untouched on the free agent market, it appears Allen settled along the decision to retire. A seven-year career is nothing to scoff at, especially from a seventh-round pick. Adding a Super Bowl ring in the process is a nice prize to take with, as well, but leaving with your health may be the biggest take away at the end of the day.
Extension Candidate: Jeffery Simmons
It’s no secret that Jeffery Simmons is interested in a new contract. The fourth-year defensive tackle staged a “hold-in” at the Titans’ mandatory minicamp this month. A “hold-in” is where a player attends the required sessions without competing in any of the drills. It’s meant to act as a hold-out without triggering any of the fines that would come along with not attending the required sessions.
Now both Simmons and the Titans’ coaches deny that the “hold-in” has anything to do with any contract issues. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel attributed his lack of participation to “the plan laid out by the team” in order for him to be ready for training camp, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. Regardless, Simmons and Tennessee are going through the process of determining what the future holds for their union and it will likely require some negotiation.
Tennessee drafted Simmons out of Mississippi State with their first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Simmons had a slow start at the pro-level. A torn ACL suffered during draft prep kept him on the reserve/non-football injury list until mid-October of his rookie season. He promptly recorded a sack in his NFL debut, but only finished the season with 2.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 2 quarterback hits.
In his sophomore season, Simmons claimed his role as a full-time starter in the middle of the line, thanks in part to the departure of veteran Jurrell Casey to Denver. In his first full NFL season, Simmons showed improvement in his ability to apply pressure in the backfield with 14 quarterback hits, but struggled to convert those into strong finishes, only totaling 3.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss by the end of the year. He did display a talent for batting balls at the line, a highly sought after trait for defensive linemen, recording 5 passes defensed in his second season.
2021 saw a breakout year for Simmons. Starting all 17 games of the newly-elongated season, Simmons recorded career-highs in sacks (8.5), total tackles (54), tackles for loss (12.0), quarterback hits (16), and passes defensed (6). Simmons was named a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.
While this was clearly a great season for Simmons, the best of his career, he still has a ways to go to reach the heights of the best athletic defensive tackles in the league. His pass rushing numbers are nowhere near those of the highest paid players at his position such as Aaron Donald, DeForest Buckner, or Chris Jones. Due to the room he still has to grow, it’s hard to imagine a long-term deal for Simmons reaching the heights of $20MM+ like the players listed above.
When looking at what a long-term deal for Simmons might look like, better comparisons would be players like Javon Hargrave, Cameron Heyward, and Jonathan Allen.
Hargrave had been drafted by Washington two years before Simmons entered the league. Hargrave ended up signing an three-year extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $13MM at around the same point in his career that Simmons is in now. While Hargrave’s best season wasn’t quite what Simmons’ is, Hargrave had put together two consecutively strong seasons that led to a bit of a shorter extension but still rewarded his talent.
Heyward had a few more impressive seasons than Simmons when he signed his four-year deal with an AAV of $16.4MM. The reason why Heyward is still comparable despite his superior output is that he was 31-years-old when he signed his contract. His advanced age likely caused a slight drop in his overall value.
Allen may be the best comparison for Simmons’ current situation. 11 months ago, Allen signed a four-year extension with an AAV of $18MM. Allen was 26-years-old when he signed the deal and had two strong seasons with very similar statistics to Simmons’ best year.
With the combination of Simmons’ production and the fact that he’ll turn only 25 next month, an attempt can be made to try and estimate what an extension for him at this point might look like. Considering that the Titans would probably like to hold on to Simmons and that NFL salaries are constantly inflating, a reasonable extension would look something like a four-year, $76MM contract. More generally, expect a three- or four-year deal with an AAV of $18-19.5MM.
Now a new deal is not immediately necessary. Simmons is heading into his fourth year in the league and, as he was a first-round pick, the Titans had a fifth-year option on his rookie-contract which they exercised back in April. Still, the Titans would like to secure Simmons long-term and Simmons would like to cash in on his best season to date, as he’s only set to make $2.2MM on his base salary this year.
Simmons doesn’t have an agent, but instead refers to a “team” meant to deal with his contract. “I’m not talking to (the Titans) about my contract. I have a team in place that, if it is my contract, they’re going to talk to whoever upstairs,” Simmons told McCormick about the negotiation situation. While his contract “team” handles his potential extension, Simmons will be focused on his on-the-field team.
“My job is to be a leader, be a player and not just on the field but in the weight room, the locker room, or whatever it may be,” Simmons pronounced. “I’m on the plan and I’m sticking with it, and I’ll see you guys in camp.”
A.J. McCarron Ready For Return To NFL
Former Alabama star quarterback A.J. McCarron has created value for himself as a reliable backup quarterback in the NFL. When a job isn’t determined by consistent on-field production, it can be difficult to leverage new deals after an injury. After spending the 2021 NFL season recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the preseason, McCarron is ready to contribute again, according to Mark Inabinett of AL.com. 
The last time McCarron really carried a team through a season was back in college. As a freshman at Alabama, McCarron sat behind senior Greg McElroy before taking over as a sophomore. With McCarron at quarterback for those three years, Alabama only lost four games. Over his collegiate career, McCarron had a completion percentage of 66.9% while throwing for 77 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.
The Bengals used a fifth-round pick to select McCarron in 2014, intending for him to serve as a back up to starter Andy Dalton. He didn’t see any time on the field during his rookie year. A combination of the team signing free agent quarterback Jason Campbell before the draft and some shoulder soreness resulted in McCarron spending most of the year on injured reserve.
After the departure of Campbell the next year, McCarron beat out Keith Wenning and Terrelle Pryor for the backup quarterback position during training camp. When Dalton suffered a broken thumb late in the season, McCarron heard his name called. McCarron started the last three games of the season for Cincinnati winning two of them, which, with the assist of an 8-0 start to the season, was enough to get the Bengals into the playoffs as the AFC North division winner. McCarron started the Wild Card game for Cincinnati against the Steelers, as well, and was minutes away from giving the Bengals their first playoff victory in 25 years if not for a late-game rally by Pittsburgh.
When Dalton recovered and returned for the next season, McCarron reverted back to his back up role. McCarron was nearly the prize of a mid-season trade with the Browns, who intended send a second- and third-round pick in the following draft in exchange for the fourth-year quarterback. Unfortunately, the Brown failed to file the paperwork before the trade deadline and the trade never went through. McCarron then filed a labor grievance against Cincinnati claiming that he had been healthy enough to be removed from the non-football injury list as a rookie and that the season should count toward his accrued season total. He won the grievance and, as a result, became an unrestricted free agent the following year.
McCarron signed with the Bills and entered a quarterback competition with Nathan Peterman and then-rookie Josh Allen. McCarron was injured during the preseason and Peterman won the competition, before promptly being benched in Week 1 in favor of Allen. With Peterman and Allen set as the starter and back up, the Bills decided to get some value out of McCarron and traded him to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick. He spent the season backing up Derek Carr before being released at the end of the year.
McCarron signed with the Texans and ended up making a start in a season finale game, after it was determined that Houston would be locked in as the 4-seed. After two years in Houston, McCarron signed last offseason with the Falcons to back up Matt Ryan. The ACL tear in the team’s second preseason game would end his season prematurely.
In an interview on NFL Network, McCarron claimed that he felt great, saying that he “got cleared at four-and-a-half months out from surgery, so (he’s) just been working on the strength and getting everything back normal.”
“You never know what your future holds, what it is in this game,” McCarron said. “So I’m just ready, waiting for a call.”
As teams begin to go into camps, arms will certainly be needed. It’s hard to imagine that an eight-year veteran with plenty of practice and camp experience will have to wait very long for that call.