HEADLINES

Author: Luke Adams

East Notes: Jets, Giants, Tuck, Davis, Bills

May 4th, 2016 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Three Jets players tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that there are concerns in the locker room regarding the state of the quarterback depth chart. After the draft, coach Todd Bowles declared that Geno Smith will be the team’s starting quarterback and there isn’t much faith in him amongst Jets players. Meanwhile, rookie Christian Hackenberg doesn’t offer strong fundamentals and Bryce Petty‘s time at Baylor didn’t give him real experience in a pro-style offense.

While Jets players believe that the defense can help carry the team into contention, they still would like to see a veteran quarterback like Ryan Fitzpatrick or Sam Bradford at the helm, says Cole.

Let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFL’s East divisions…

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Matt Slauson To Visit Chargers, Bills

May 4th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of his release from the Bears’ roster, veteran offensive lineman Matt Slauson didn’t waste much time setting up visits as he looks for a new NFL home. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Slauson has visits lined up with the Chargers and Bills.Matt Slauson

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the visit to San Diego is taking place today, with a trip to Buffalo expected to follow. Other teams could be in play for Slauson as well, according to Biggs.

Chicago’s primary left guard since 2013, Slauson played with the Bears for the last three seasons, starting all 37 games in which he played. However, after the Bears signed Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen in free agency, then selected Kansas State guard Cody Whitehair, Slauson became expendable, and was cut by the club following the draft.

As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links) notes, Slauson has some connections to members of the Bills’ coaching staff, including head coach Rex Ryan and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who previously coached the 30-year-old with the Jets and Bears, respectively. Buffalo, having created some cap room after extending Cordy Glenn, is looking at Slauson as a possible right tackle, a source tells Rodak.

The Chargers, meanwhile, having a coaching connection of their own to the ex-Bear — new assistant offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo was Slauson’s offensive line coach in 2012 with the Jets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Personnel Dept. Notes: Titans, Lions, Eagles

May 4th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Following the draft, Titans general manager Jon Robinson dismissed scouts Mike Yowarsky and Marv Sunderland, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com writes. Yowarsky was with the Titans for three seasons while Sunderland has spent the last nine with Tennessee.

“It is the ugly part of the game, but new leadership has the prerogative to make changes,” said Sunderland, who has 39 total years of experience as a scout. “The Titans will be much better next fall and are headed in the right direction. Would I prefer to be there to watch Marcus [Mariota] and the team flourish? Absolutely. But Jon has control of the football part of it and I’m sure he wants his own people. He ran a good draft and the new draft picks should represent themselves very well.”

As I noted yesterday when passing along word of the Lions parting ways with two of their scouts, teams with new general managers often wait until after the draft to shake up their personnel departments, with those new GMs bringing in their own people. That’s the case with both Bob Quinn in Detroit and Robinson in Tennessee.

In fact, Quinn has already made a new hire, bringing in a veteran scout with whom he’s very familiar. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, the Lions have hired Jay Muraco, formerly of the Chiefs and Patriots, as a regional scout. Quinn and Muraco were both a part of New England’s scouting department from 2000 to 2008.

Here’s more on personnel department changes around the NFL:

  • The Panthers‘ personnel department is undergoing some changes, though those changes involve employees leaving of their own accord rather than being fired. Per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Carolina’s college scouting director Ryan Cowden is leaving to take a position with the Titans, while college scout John Peterson is retiring.
  • Cowden will be joining the Titans as the team’s new director of player personnel, as reported by Person and confirmed by Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. According to McCormick, Cowden will serve as Robinson’s “right-hand man in the personnel department,” with director of college scouting Blake Beddingfield and director of pro personnel Brian Gardner both reporting to him.
  • The Eagles requested and were granted permission to interview Bears college scouting director Joe Douglas for their personnel chief job, two sources tell Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Philadelphia put its search for the position on hold in February, with the intention of resuming it after the draft, and while Douglas isn’t a lock to get the job, he’s a “very strong candidate,” says Biggs.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Saints Sign Terron Armstead To Extension

May 4th, 2016 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Armstead’s five-year deal will be worth $64.5MM, with $38MM guaranteed for injury and $25MM fully guaranteed, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The average annual value on the contract is $12.9MM, which makes Armstead the league’s third highest-paid tackle, behind Trent Williams ($13.2MM) and newly-extended Bills tackle Cordy Glenn ($13MM).

TUESDAY, 3:35pm: Armstead has officially signed his new deal, according to Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

2:19pm: The Saints have reached an agreement on a contract extension with one of the most important players on their offense — not quarterback Drew Brees, but left tackle Terron Armstead. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Armstead will be signing a five-year extension with the Saints today, locking him up through the 2021 season.Terron Armstead

Armstead, 24, was selected 75th overall in the 2013 draft by the Saints, and after appearing in just six games in his rookie year, he emerged as the team’s full-time left tackle in 2014. For his career, he has made 29 starts for the club, including 27 within the last two seasons.

Since entering New Orleans’ starting lineup, Armstead has developed into one of the more reliable left tackles in the NFL. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him third overall out of 77 qualified tackles, assigning him top-three grades as both a run blocker and a pass blocker. Only Joe Thomas of the Browns and Tyron Smith of the Cowboys placed ahead of Armstead.

As a member of the 2013 draft class, Armstead has outperformed most of the tackles who were selected ahead of him that year, including first-rounders like Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel. Because he was a third-round pick, Armstead didn’t have a fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract, so while the Chiefs and Jaguars were deciding whether to pick up 2017 options on their respective 2013 draftees, the Saints were working to extend their player.

Armstead’s old contract had called for a $1.671MM base salary in 2016, as a result of the proven performance escalator he earned for his performance to date. The new agreement may not increase his 2016 salary, but it certainly figures to increase his 2016 earnings, via signing and/or roster bonuses.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said back in December that he wouldn’t trade Armstead for any other lineman in the league, a comment the tackle’s agent probably brought up once or twice during negotiations. In his preview of New Orleans’ offseason earlier this year, PFR’s Dallas Robinson suggested that an extension for Armstead might not be quite as expensive as long-term deals for fellow tackles Tyron Smith ($12.2MM) and Trent Williams ($13.2MM). We should soon find it whether that’s indeed the case.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Leon Hall Visiting Giants, Falcons

May 3rd, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

8:30pm: Hall is now on his way to visit the Falcons, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

8:35am: Only four players who earned either a spot or an honorable mention in our top 50 free agents list are still on the market, and one of those four will be visiting a team today. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the Giants are hosting former Bengals cornerback Leon Hall for a visit.Leon Hall

The Giants have fortified the cornerback position significantly since the 2016 league year began, signing standout free agent Janoris Jenkins and using their first-round pick on Ohio State’s Eli Apple. Those two corners will team with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to form a strong top three, but Big Blue could still use a veteran like Hall, who has extensive experience playing in the slot.

Hall, 31, has spent his entire nine-year NFL career to date in Cincinnati, playing 121 regular-season games since 2007 for the Bengals, and starting 105 of them. However, the Bengals haven’t been overly aggressive when it comes to re-signing their former first-round pick, and used this year’s first-rounder to add another cornerback in Houston’s William Jackson III.

Teams like the Cardinals and Cowboys have also expressed some interest in Hall – and brought him in for visits – so far this offseason, and the Dolphins may be lurking as a potential suitor as well, given the presence of former Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph as the new defensive coordinator in Miami. However, there appears to be some concern about Hall’s health — the veteran cornerback has suffered two major Achilles injuries since 2011, and recently underwent back surgery to repair a disc issue.

While Hall’s back could be a problem, he has managed to recover from those Achilles injuries impressively. The former Michigan Wolverine has played in 29 regular-season games over the last two seasons since last tearing his Achilles in 2013, and received solid grades from Pro Football Focus in 2015, ranking 33rd out of 111 qualified corners.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/16

May 3rd, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings officially announced the signing of sixth-round pick Moritz Boehringer last night to a four-year pact worth about $2.49MM, including a $150K signing bonus. Boehringer, the NFL’s first player to ever be drafted directly from Europe, has become the first player from the 2016 class to sign.

The Vikings signed Boehringer quickly because he needs to apply for a P-1 visa — in order to be approved, an applicant must show proof that he is gainfully employed in the United States, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. After putting pen to paper, the German wide receiver now has himself a job in the U.S.

Here are the rest of the latest minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Chiefs released veteran safety Jimmy Wilson, as ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher writes. Wilson, 29, appeared in 13 games with San Diego last season before the team released him in December. Roughly one month ago, he hooked on with KC, but that stint was short lived. Since entering the league as a seventh-rounder in 2011, Wilson has played in 73 regular-season games, logged 28 starts, and amassed five interceptions.
  • The Eagles continue to cut players to create room for additional undrafted free agents, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut fullback Ryan Mueller, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, and running back Ross Scheuerman.
  • The Colts have waived Nigerian-born outside linebacker Eze Obiora, according to a press release from the team. Obiora, who signed a contract with the club following the 2015 season, has yet to make his NFL debut.
  • The Ravens formally announced a pair of minor roster moves today, tweeting that they’ve waived guard Leon Brown and withdrawn their ERFA tender to tight end Konrad Reuland. That makes Reuland an unrestricted free agent, free to join any team.
  • The Chiefs have waived linebacker Cameron Gordon, who was initially signed to a reserve/futures contract in January, tweets agent Brent Tessler.
  • The Saints brought back long snapper Chris Highland, as Wilson tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Largest NFL Free Agent Contracts Of 2016

May 3rd, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

It can be difficult to determine the true value of an NFL contract, particularly one signed in free agency. We often evaluate contracts by their average annual value, but an agreement that pays $10MM for one year certainly isn’t as strong a commitment as one that pays $50MM over five years. Meanwhile, the overall value of a deal can make it look more more impressive than it actually is, since players often won’t get the opportunity to play out the full contract before they’re released or asked to take a pay cut.Brock Osweiler (vertical)

Fully guaranteed money may be the best barometer by which to assess a new free agent contract, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story. A player who signs a long-term contract with a small amount of guaranteed salary could eventually play out the entire deal and earn the non-guaranteed portion as well, depending on his performance.

One category doesn’t tell the whole story, and you can argue that even all three combined don’t necessarily tell us which players signed the “best” contracts, but using all three categories certainly helps provide a more complete picture.

A year ago, Ndamukong Suh‘s massive long-term contract with the Dolphins ranked first among free agents in terms of overall value, annual average, and fully guaranteed money, while Darrelle Revis‘ pact with the Jets placed second in each category. In 2016, there’s no clear-cut No. 1 deal like Suh’s. In fact, while the same names generally show up among the top five for overall value, annual average, and fully guaranteed money, a different player sits atop each of our three lists below.

Brock Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, Josh Norman, and Malik Jackson represent the top four players – in some order – on all three of our lists, having signed the biggest and best free agent deals of 2016. But there are some other names that show up just once or twice, whose contracts are more difficult to evaluate.

Russell Okung‘s five-year, $53MM contract with the Broncos, for instance, ranks seventh in terms of total value and average annual value, but doesn’t come anywhere close to cracking the top 10 in guaranteed money. Okung’s potential earnings hinge heavily on whether or not the Broncos pick up the option after the first year of the contract. If Denver declines that option, the total value of Okung’s deal will end up being far, far less than $53MM.

Josh NormanJason Pierre-Paul, meanwhile, shows up at No. 8 in terms of annual average value, but he’s on a one-year contract. The majority of his money is guaranteed, and he’s making a good one-year salary, but he doesn’t have the long-term security or the overall guarantees of the other guys mentioned below.

Finally, it’s also worth mentioning the players who received franchise tags from their respective clubs this offseason. Von Miller, Kirk Cousins, Eric Berry, Cordy Glenn, Alshon Jeffery, Trumaine Johnson, and Muhammad Wilkerson are all expected to make between $10-20MM in 2016, but they were never unrestricted free agents, and their contract situations aren’t resolved yet, so we haven’t included them in our free agency breakdown. Similarly, a player like Sam Bradford, who re-signed with his own team before the free agent period began, is not included below.

Without further ado, here are the biggest free agent contracts of 2016:

Largest contracts by overall base value:

  1. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $85.5MM, six years
  2. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $85MM, five years
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $75MM, five years
  4. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $72MM, four years
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $62.5MM, five years
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders): $58.5MM, five years
  7. Russell Okung, T (Broncos): $53MM, five years
  8. Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): $46.2MM, five years
  9. Mark Barron, LB (Rams): $45MM, five years
  10. Alex Mack, C (Falcons): $45MM, five years

Largest contracts by annual average:

  1. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $18MM
  2. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $17MM
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $15MM
  4. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $14.25MM
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $12.5MM
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders):$11.7MM
  7. Russell Okung, T (Broncos): $10.6MM
  8. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (Giants): $10MM
  9. Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): $9.5MM
  10. (tie) Damon Harrison, DT (Giants) / Bruce Irvin, LB (Raiders): $9.25MM

Largest contracts by fully guaranteed money:

  1. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $40MM
  2. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $37MM
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $36.5MM
  4. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $31.5MM
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $28.8MM
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders): $25.4MM
  7. Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): $20MM
  8. Alex Mack, C (Falcons): $20MM
  9. Brandon Brooks, G (Eagles): $17MM
  10. (tie) Mark Barron, LB (Rams) / Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers) / Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): $15MM

Data from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.

NFC Notes: Bradford, Seahawks, Lions, Rams

May 3rd, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Tom Condon, the agent for Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, continues to make a case for a trade on behalf of his client, appearing most recently on Andrew Brandt’s “Business of Sports” podcast. Condon reiterated that Bradford won’t be in attendance when Philadelphia’s voluntary workouts resume, though the podcast was recorded prior to the draft, so it’s not clear if that stance has changed within the last few days.

“I know people say, ‘Why doesn’t he just compete and win the job?'” Condon said, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details. “[But] there is no real competition. [Eagles No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz] is playing, and that’s all there is to it.”

Although Wentz isn’t expected to start immediately, it would certainly be a surprise if the North Dakota State alum is not atop the Eagles’ depth chart by the start of the 2017 season, or even before then.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

  • Seahawks general manager John Schneider said during an appearance on KJR-AM today that his team prefers not to spread out Marshawn Lynch‘s cap hit over two years. As such, the team figures to place the running back on the reserve/retired list prior to June 1, ensuring that his cap charge only applies to 2016 (Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
  • With the draft completed, the Lions have made a couple changes to their personnel department, parting ways with veteran scouts Chad Henry and Darren Anderson, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It’s not uncommon for teams with new general managers – like Detroit with Bob Quinn – to make changes to the scouting department following that new GM’s first draft.
  • Michael Silver of NFL.com took an interesting, in-depth look at how the Rams decided they wanted to make California quarterback Jared Goff their QB of the future.
  • Receiver and return man Devin Hester underwent toe surgery in January and is scheduled to earn $3MM in 2016, making his hold on a roster spot in Atlanta tenuous. Still, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes, Hester expects to remain with the Falcons and contribute to the team as long as he can make a full recovery.

Broncos Agree To Terms With 21 UDFAs

May 3rd, 2016 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have officially agreed to terms with 21 rookies who went undrafted over the weekend, according to the team’s official website. Denver’s undrafted free agent class is heavy on front-seven defenders and wide receivers — those players make up 13 of the 21 UDFAs headed to the Broncos.

Here’s the full list:

Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2017

May 2nd, 2016 at 11:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for teams to pick up the fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2013 draft has come and gone, with only 17 of 32 players having their options exercised. An 18th player, Lane Johnson of the Eagles, has already signed a long-term extension, so he shouldn’t be grouped with the 2013 draftees whose options were declined or were not applicable for other reasons, but overall, this year’s option decisions reflect how unspectacular 2013’s first round was, particularly at the top.

The 2012 draft was also considered to be bust-heavy in the top 10, but a year ago, six of those 10 players had their fifth-year options exercised for 2016. This time around, only three top-10 picks had their options picked up (plus Johnson’s extension), and Eric Fisher and Tavon Austin certainly weren’t no-brainer decisions. Luke Joeckel, Barkevious Mingo, Jonathan Cooper, and Dee Milliner are among the underachieving top-10 picks whose options were declined by their respective teams.

Of course, just because a player has his option exercised or declined, that doesn’t necessarily dictate his future earnings. These fifth-year options are only guaranteed for injury only for now, so assuming a player stays healthy, his team could still release him by March 2017 without being on the hook for any ’17 salary, even if his option was exercised today. Conversely, a player who had his option declined could have a bounce-back year and do well on the open market next March.

Last year, Mark Barron, Bruce Irvin, and Doug Martin were among the players whose options were turned down. All three signed long-term pacts worth north of $35MM last month. On the other end of the spectrum, Robert Griffin III had his option exercised, but was cut before it became fully guaranteed, and “settled” for a $15MM contract in free agency.

As we wait to see how the latest round of option decisions looks a year from now, let’s recap the action. Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2017:

Exercised:

  1. Eric Fisher, T (Chiefs), $11.902MM: Exercised
  2. Ezekiel Ansah, DE (Lions), $12.734MM: Exercised
  3. Tavon Austin, WR (Rams), $12.268MM: Exercised
  4. D.J. Fluker, G (Chargers), $8.821MM: Exercised
  5. Sheldon Richardson, DE (Jets), $8.069MM: Exercised
  6. Star Lotulelei, DT (Panthers), $6.757MM: Exercised
  7. Kenny Vaccaro, S (Saints), $5.676MM: Exercised
  8. Eric Reid, S (49ers), $5.676MM: Exercised
  9. Justin Pugh, G (Giants), $8.821MM: Exercised
  10. Kyle Long, G (Bears), $8.821MM: Exercised
  11. Tyler Eifert, TE (Bengals), $4.782MM: Exercised
  12. Desmond Trufant, CB (Falcons), $8.026MM: Exercised
  13. Sharrif Floyd, DT (Vikings), $6.757MM: Exercised
  14. Xavier Rhodes, CB (Vikings), $8.026MM: Exercised
  15. DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Texans), $7.915MM: Exercised
  16. Alec Ogletree, LB (Rams), $8.369MM: Exercised
  17. Travis Frederick, C (Cowboys), $8.821MM: Exercised

Not exercised:

  1. Luke Joeckel, T (Jaguars), $11.902MM: Declined
  2. Dion Jordan, DE (Dolphins): Not applicable this year due to suspension (contract tolled)
  3. Lane Johnson, T (Eagles): Not applicable due to long-term extension
  4. Barkevious Mingo, OLB (Browns), $11.925MM: Declined
  5. Jonathan Cooper, G (Patriots), $11.902MM: Declined
  6. Dee Milliner, CB (Jets), $11.913MM: Declined
  7. Chance Warmack, G (Titans), $11.902MM: Declined
  8. D.J. Hayden, CB (Raiders), $8.026MM: Declined
  9. EJ Manuel, QB (Bills), $11.357MM: Declined
  10. Jarvis Jones, OLB (Steelers), $8.369MM: Declined
  11. Bjoern Werner, OLB: Not applicable due to release
  12. Datone Jones, OLB (Packers), $8.369MM: Declined
  13. Sylvester Williams, DT (Broncos), $6.757MM: Declined
  14. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR (Vikings), $7.915MM: Declined
  15. Matt Elam, S (Ravens), $5.676MM: Declined
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