2016 NFL Offseason Previews By Team
Over the last few weeks, Pro Football Rumors has been taking a closer look at the 2016 offseason on a team-by-team basis. Our Offseason Outlook series focuses on each club’s key free agents, potential cap casualties, positions of need, and other issues facing teams this winter.
Just in case you missed our offseason preview for your favorite team, we’re rounding up all of our Offseason Outlook pieces in this post, which can be found anytime on our right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.” We have several more teams to examine before free agency officially gets underway on March 9th, so if your team isn’t linked below, be sure to keep a close eye on PFR — it’ll be coming soon.
Here are the links to our 2016 NFL Offseason Outlook pieces to date:
AFC East:
AFC North:
AFC South:
AFC West:
NFC East:
NFC North:
NFC South:
NFC West:
Panthers, Ron Rivera Discussing Extension
Following a season in which he led the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record and an appearance in the Super Bowl, head coach Ron Rivera appears to be in line for a raise. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers have reached out to Rivera to start working on a contract extension.
Rivera, who succeeded John Fox as the Panthers’ head coach in 2011, has posted a sub-.500 record in three of his five seasons with the team. However, his overall regular-season mark in Carolina is 47-32-1, and the team has won the NFC South three times in a row, earning the division title in 2014 despite a 7-8-1 record.
Following a 2013 campaign that saw the Panthers finish 12-4 and earned Rivera AP Coach of the Year honors, Carolina locked up the coach to a three-year extension believed to be worth north of $4MM per season. The deal keeps Rivera under contract through 2017, but after this year’s NFC championship, the Panthers would like to extend the relationship beyond that, and give their head coach another raise.
In spite of the Panthers’ 2015 success, Rivera will benefit from keeping both his offensive and defensive coordinators for at least one more year. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott interviewed for the Browns’ and Buccaneers’ head coaching jobs, while offensive coordinator Mike Shula turned down at least one opportunity to interview for a head coaching position, a source tells Person.
Rivera is the second NFC South coach rumored this week to be working on a deal. Sean Payton suggested on Thursday that he’s moving closer to an extension with the Saints.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
QB Rumors: Manning, Flacco, Kaepernick
After repeatedly expressing since the Super Bowl that there’s no timeline for Peyton Manning to make his decision on whether or not to retire, Broncos general manager John Elway admitted during an appearance on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk that he’ll need – and get – an answer before Manning’s 2016 salary becomes guaranteed on March 9th. Elway said on Thursday that the veteran quarterback still needs a little more time.
Here are a few more quarterback-related notes and rumors from around the NFL:
- The Ravens are growing more confident that they’ll be able to get a reworked deal done with quarterback Joe Flacco, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Zrebiec cautions that nothing is done yet, but says the outlook is improving. Any agreement between the two sides would, of course, reduce Flacco’s $28.55MM cap hit for 2016.
- Per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers view Colin Kaepernick‘s 2016 base salary ($11.9MM) as reasonable, and continue to believe that he has plenty of upside, so the team is still debating how to handle his trade request.
- With Carson Palmer set to turn 37 later this year, the Cardinals will need to identify a potential replacement for him at some point in the not-too-distant future. But as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, that doesn’t mean the club will draft a QB this spring, since GM Steve Keim insists he doesn’t want to force a pick.
- Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith have no problem with owner Bob McNair publicly expressing that the team needs a solution at quarterback, says Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Both men acknowledge that McNair is right, and as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle outlines, O’Brien has a lengthy checklist for what traits he looks for in QBs.
- Generally speaking, teams lock up their starting quarterbacks before they reach unrestricted free agency, but there are several intriguing options set to become available this year, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who thinks 2016’s class could be the deepest and most interesting group of free agent QBs in years.
NFC North Rumors: Packers, Z. Miller, Kalil
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, word around this year’s scouting combine from agents and league personnel is that the Packers intend to go after more free agents than usual this offseason — especially veterans released by their previous teams, who won’t factor into the compensatory draft pick formula for next year.
“We’ll see how it shakes out,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. “We might shock you this year.”
Green Bay, a draft-and-develop franchise, typically plays it fairly safe in free agency, making small additions here and there but mostly focusing on locking up the team’s own free agents. While a series of big splashes this year seems unlikely, it sounds like the Packers may foray into the open market in order to fill a couple holes.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- The Bears would like to re-sign veteran tight end Zach Miller, but will likely let him test the free agent market to get a better sense of what he’s worth, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details. “What happens at this stage in the game is you understand the reality that a lot of times these guys have to hit the open market to set their value,” GM Ryan Pace said. “We like Zach, I don’t want to go through every one of our unrestricted free agents, but he’s a guy we’d want back and we’re negotiating with him.”
- Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings want to keep offensive tackle Phil Loadholt in 2016, but would like to lower his cap number, which is currently $7.75MM. Per Wolfson, a meeting on the Loadholt front took place last night at the combine.
- As the Vikings look to retain Loadholt, they’re “torn” on tackle Matt Kalil, according to Wolfson (via Twitter). A former fourth overall pick, Kalil hasn’t necessarily lived up to his billing so far and has an $11MM cap number for 2016. But he has also never missed a regular-season start in his four NFL seasons, so Minnesota would have a hole to fill if the team were to let him go.
Ravens Use Franchise Tag On Justin Tucker
As expected, the Ravens have formally placed the franchise tag on kicker Justin Tucker, agent Robert S. Roche announced today (via Twitter). Since the salary cap for 2016 has not yet been set, the exact franchise salary for Tucker is not yet known, but it’s expected to be at least $4.5MM.
[RELATED: Ravens make aggressive offer to Kelechi Osemele]
For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an impressive 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.
At the end of the 2015 regular season, Tucker indicated that Roche and the Ravens had been engaged in contract discussions, “on and off, for a better part of a year, year and a half.” Despite the fact that the two sides had been talking about a potential extension for some time, the franchise tag always seemed to be a probable outcome, with general manager Ozzie Newsome suggesting multiple times in recent weeks that the tag would be in play if the team couldn’t lock up its kicker by March 1st.
Now that Tucker has been officially franchised, he can sign his tender and lock in his $4.5MM+ salary for 2016. Whether or not he does that anytime soon, he’ll also have until July 15th to work out a longer-term agreement with the Ravens. If the two sides don’t figure something out by mid-July, Tucker will play the 2016 season on his one-year franchise deal, and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency again in 2017.
Technically, until Tucker signs his franchise tender or works out a multiyear deal with Baltimore, he remains a free agent, and could sign an offer sheet with another team. But signing a franchised player requires parting with two first-round picks, so obviously the league’s other 31 teams will be staying away from Tucker.
By using their tag on Tucker, Newsome and the Ravens also take it out of the equation for free agent offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele. The price tag for Osemele would have approached $14MM, so that was never considered likely, but it formally takes one option off the table as the team attempts to re-sign its top free agent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Exploring Extension For Tyrod Taylor
The Bills have reached out to Tyrod Taylor‘s agent about a potential contract extension for the signal-caller, reports Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). “This is a week where we’ll delve more into it,” said general manager Doug Whaley.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Bills’ offseason]
Taylor, 26, initially signed a three-year contract last winter with the Bills, but the third year of that deal was voided after he spent most of the 2015 campaign as the team’s starting quarterback. His cap number for 2016 also received a bump to $3MM+ based on a salary escalator.
Starting for the first time in his career, Taylor threw for 3,035 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 games in 2015, completing 63.7% of his passes and tossing just six interceptions. He also provided plenty of value with his legs, rushing for 568 yards and four TDs.
While Taylor’s performance perhaps didn’t quite cement him as the Bills’ quarterback of the future, it certainly put him in the driver’s seat, so it makes sense that the team would explore the possibility of locking him up to a longer-term deal as he prepares to enter a contract year. It sounds as if talks are still in the early stages, and the Bills likely won’t be in any rush to get something done in the next couple weeks, prioritizing the club’s pending free agents instead.
However, the Bills will probably want to get a sense by the draft of whether or not an extension for Taylor will be doable, since it could affect the team’s plans — Buffalo may be more inclined to select a QB this year if there’s a possibility Taylor won’t be with the franchise beyond 2016.
Here are several more of Thursday’s updates on the Bills:
- A source close to LeSean McCoy told Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) earlier today that he doesn’t expect the running back to be charged for his role in a Philadelphia nightclub altercation. However, a spokesman for the Philadelphia D.A.’s office insists no decisions have been made, adding that the investigation is still ongoing, per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that no resolution is expected tonight or tomorrow.
- Asked whether the franchise tag is an option for left tackle Cordy Glenn, Bills GM Doug Whaley said all options are open, and that the team doesn’t want to back itself into a corner. Whaley also expressed confidence in the club’s chances of signing both Glenn and guard Richie Incognito, despite cap limitations (Twitter links via Tyler Dunne).
- The Bills will talk to several players’ agents at this week’s combine about potential pay cuts, according to Dunne, who tweets that the team has little choice. Could one of those pay cut candidates be defensive end Mario Williams? “We’re going to try to find a solution that’s best for the Buffalo Bills,” Whaley said today, regarding Williams (Twitter link via Dunne).
- Whaley said the Bills are excited about this year’s draft class, since it’s very deep in “areas of perceived needs for us.” The front seven is one of those areas, tweets Dunne.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Bennett, Kaepernick, Chargers
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Chiefs running back Spencer Ware have both hired Relativity Sports for representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links). Ware isn’t even eligible for restricted free agency until 2017, so Bennett is the more notable name here, since the standout pass rusher wants Seattle to rework his deal.
As Gregg Bell of The News Tribune details (via Twitter), head coach Pete Carroll said today that he has spoken to Bennett about his situation, though it’s probably on the back-burner for now. Unless the Seahawks feel they could rework Bennett’s contract in a way that would create some cap space for free agency, the team likely won’t address it until the spring.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- A day after GM Trent Baalke insisted that Colin Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain on the 49ers’ roster beyond his April 1st salary guarantee deadline, head coach Chip Kelly told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that he has spoken to the QB several times, and believes Kaepernick want to be in San Francisco. “I don’t know what the narrative is that, ‘Is he on the team? Is he not on the team?'” Kelly said. “It’s never been a question. I’m excited to work with Colin. I’ve never thought that, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to San Francisco and he’s not going to be there.'”
- In addition to discussing Kaepernick, Kelly also said he’d like the 49ers to re-sign running back Shaun Draughn (Twitter link), and refuted the assumption that fullback Bruce Miller will be let go because he won’t have a role in Kelly’s offense.
- According to GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers‘ tight end position is “in flux” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego). Both Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green are among San Diego’s free agents and Telesco said he’ll meet with their agents at the combine this week.
- Telesco also said today that the Chargers‘ wide receiver depth is “not as strong with Malcom [Floyd] not being there” (Twitter link via Gehlken). Needless to say, San Diego is firmly in the market for more help at the position, and is hunting specifically for a deep threat.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Broncos Optimistic For Long-Term Deal With Von Miller
3:31pm: Speaking this afternoon to reporters, Broncos GM John Elway essentially echoed Rapoport’s report from this morning, suggesting that the team has “exchanged some offers” with Miller and is “very hopeful” about getting something done (Twitter links via Rapoport and Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).
However, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (all Twitter links) hears that there have been no “substantive” negotiations yet between the Broncos and Miller (or Osweiler). The team is set to meet tomorrow with the reps for Miller, who is aiming to become the highest-paid defensive player in the league, says Getlin.
There are a couple potential reasons for the apparent discrepancy between Rapoport’s and Getlin’s reports. It’s possible that the Broncos realized after exchanging proposals that the two sides aren’t as far apart as expected, making the team hopeful about getting a deal done, even if negotiations haven’t gotten serious yet. It’s also possible that Rapoport and Getlin are getting accounts from two different sides of the talks — the team may be more optimistic about a deal than Miller’s reps are.
9:33am: The Broncos are “poised to push” for a long-term contract extension for Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport, the two sides have had talks and there’s optimism that a deal can get done.
Miller, long viewed as the best player on an expiring contract, had another excellent season in 2015, racking up 11 regular-season sacks to go along with four forced fumbles. In the playoffs, the former second overall pick added another five sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception, playing a key role in the team’s Super Bowl win over the Panthers.
Based on Miller’s outstanding play and his importance to the Broncos, there’s no question the team will retain him somehow. Most observers expect the club to use its franchise tag on the standout pass rusher, which would give the two sides another few months to work out a multiyear agreement. If no long-term deal could be reached by July 15th in that scenario, Miller could play the 2016 season on the one-year franchise tag.
As Rapoport suggests (via Twitter), if the Broncos can get a longer-term pact for Miller finalized before the March 1st franchise tag deadline, it would open up the team’s options for quarterback Brock Osweiler. Personally, I’d be surprised if the club franchised Osweiler – who would be in line for a salary of nearly $20MM if he’s tagged – or even Malik Jackson, whose price will be a little more reasonable. But it’s definitely true that locking up Miller would create more flexibility for the Broncos with their other pending free agents.
If the Broncos can sign Miller to a new contract, it’s expected to be a “mega-deal,” per Rapoport. A total value that exceeds J.J. Watt‘s $100MM extension and Justin Houston‘s $101MM pact seems very likely.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Rumors: Fowler, M. Lewis, Gerhart
Speaking today to reporters, including Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said he doesn’t expect much to come of the NFL’s investigation into the Dante Fowler Jr. video published by TMZ earlier this week. The league confirmed that it is looking into the video, noting that it contained “disturbing images,” but it sounds like the Jags GM doesn’t expect Fowler to be disciplined as a result.
Here are a few more items of interest from Caldwell’s press conference in Indianapolis today:
- Caldwell hopes to have a deal done with tight end Marcedes Lewis before the new league year begins on March 9th, per DiRocco (via Twitter). While Lewis has seen his role as a pass catcher reduced in recent years, the Jaguars still need a blocking tight end to complement Julius Thomas, so if Lewis is willing to remain in that role, it makes sense that the two sides should be able to work something out.
- There’s a good chance that running back Toby Gerhart will be back with the Jaguars in 2016, according to Caldwell (Twitter link via DiRocco). Gerhart has underwhelmed during his time in Jacksonville so far, but the GM thinks there will be a role for him going forward, and the team certainly has the cap space to afford him.
- The Jaguars’ staff is currently evaluating whether or not defensive end Chris Clemons will remain on the team going forward, per DiRocco. According to Caldwell, the plan is to reach out to the veteran defender’s representatives soon. I identified Clemons and Gerhart as possible release candidates when I previewed the Jaguars’ offseason earlier this month.
Combine Updates: Packers, Colts, Rams
The scouting combine continues today in Indianapolis, and so have the press conferences and media scrums with head coaches and general managers around the NFL.
Here are some highlights from a few of those conversations, sorted by team:
Green Bay Packers:
- Despite the fact that the Packers aren’t generally major players in free agency, GM Ted Thompson said his team isn’t averse to exploring the market. With that in mind, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) says Green Bay will likely be in the mix for a complementary wide receiver.
- Asked whether Thompson listens to him if he wants a certain player, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, “Everybody wants something. Someone has to say no. That’s why you have a chain of command. Someone has to be the bad guy” (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- McCarthy also said today that he’s “disappointed” in Mike Pennel‘s four-game suspension, according to Demovsky. “Mike’s one of our guys, but we’ll see him through this,” McCarthy said. “He’s a young player who really came on in the second half of the season.”
Indianapolis Colts:
- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano didn’t go into specifics on personnel moves today, but he didn’t pull punches when discussing the team’s pass rush, tweets Stephen Holder of ESPN.com. Pagano conveyed that it hasn’t been good enough, and needs to be upgraded.
- GM Ryan Grigson also weighed in on the idea of adding pass rushers, suggesting that the draft isn’t as deep at that spot as he’d like, and acknowledging that there will be some financial constraints in free agency (Twitter link via Holder).
- Asked about Andrew Luck‘s potential contract extension, Grigson said today that the team has yet to open negotiations, “but that will probably happen soon” (link via Holder). While he declined to discuss specific numbers, the GM expressed confidence that there would be no issues holding up talks.
Los Angeles Rams:
- The Rams’ top priority right now is re-signing the team’s many free agent defensive backs, GM Les Snead said today, per Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, along with safety Rodney McLeod, are eligible to hit the market in March.
- The Rams released three veteran players last week to create cap room, but the team is planning to keep offensive lineman Rodger Saffold on its roster, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Snead made it clear today that, in addition to addressing this year’s free agents, the Rams are also hoping to lock up key extension candidates, including defensive tackle Michael Brockers and linebacker Alec Ogletree (Twitter link via Wagoner).