Chargers Exercise Derwin James’ Fifth-Year Option
The Chargers have exercised safety Derwin James‘ fifth-year option, as James Palmer of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). That decision will guarantee James a $9.052MM salary in 2022.
James’ talent should have made this an easy call. The Florida State product was tremendous in his rookie season in 2018, racking up three interceptions, 13 passes defensed, and 3.5 sacks. That year culminated in a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs for Los Angeles and First Team All-Pro honors for James.
But James’ subsequent injury problems might have given the Chargers pause. A stress fracture in his right foot limited James to just five games in 2019, and he suffered a knee injury in practice shortly before the start of the 2020 campaign, which wiped out his entire season. It was reported that the ensuing meniscus surgery would require six to eight months of recovery time, and while we have not heard anything definitive, that timeline and the fact that the team picked up James’ fully-guaranteed option suggest that he is expected to be ready to go come Week 1.
If Los Angeles’ roster can stay relatively healthy in 2021, the club should have a real chance at a postseason berth. The Chargers filled a major need at left tackle in the first round of last night’s draft by picking up Northwestern LT Rashawn Slater, which makes the offense a formidable unit on paper. Meanwhile, a full season from James would be a major boost to the defensive side of the ball.
Broncos GM George Paton On Bradley Chubb, Courtland Sutton
Much of the coverage of the Broncos this offseason has focused upon what the club will do with respect to its quarterback position, but new GM George Paton also has non-QB business to handle. That includes the contract situations of OLB Bradley Chubb and WR Courtland Sutton.
During his first pre-draft press conference, Paton told reporters, including Zack Kelberman of SI.com, about his desire to keep both players in the fold for the long haul. “They’re two of our core guys, and we want them here a long time,” Paton said. “We’re not going to address that until after the draft. We’re strictly focused on the draft, but those are two of our guys.”
As a 2018 first-round choice, Chubb’s rookie contract carries a fifth-year option that Paton must exercise by May 3. Though he has not explicitly said so, the rookie general manager will doubtlessly pick up the option, which is valued at a fully-guaranteed $12.7MM. That will buy player and team plenty of time to work out a contract extension.
Chubb posted 12 sacks in his rookie year, but he suffered a torn ACL early in the 2019 season. He rebounded from that injury to tally 7.5 sacks last year, to go along with 19 QB hits. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 30th-best edge defender out of 109 qualifiers, but his pass rushing score of 79.4 was actually a top-15 mark, and he earned his first Pro Bowl bid for his efforts.
It’s unclear if Paton will pursue an extension for Chubb immediately after the draft, though it would make sense for the two sides to at least have exploratory conversations. The same can be said of Sutton, but his situation is a little murkier.
Like Chubb, Sutton is a 2018 draftee, but because he was selected in the second round that year, his deal does not have a fifth-year option. So he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2021 season, and given that he sustained a season-sending ACL tear in his first game of the 2020 campaign, Paton may want to make sure he returns to form before getting too aggressive with extension talks.
Plus, the Broncos invested heavily at the wide receiver position last year, drafting Jerry Jeudy in the first round and KJ Hamler in the second. That could limit how far Paton is willing to stretch himself on a new contract for Sutton, but if Sutton picks up in 2021 where he left off in 2019 — he earned a Pro Bowl nod that year after posting 72 catches for 1,112 yards — it will be difficult to let him walk.
Jets Notes: Mosley, Draft Plans, Hoyer
The Jets reportedly received trade calls on linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says Mosley remains a trade candidate. As Randy Lange of the team’s official website writes, new head coach Robert Saleh recently offered high praise for Mosley, calling him a tremendous leader and player. Saleh also said Mosley is good enough to thrive in any system, including the 4-3 scheme that Saleh plans to implement (Mosley has not played in a 4-3 since he turned pro).
But New York did sign Jarrad Davis in free agency, and the team has been speculatively linked to high-end linebackers in the draft, like Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. If GM Joe Douglas does select an LB with a Day 1 or Day 2 choice, that could make a Mosley trade more likely (though obviously the return on such a trade would be minimal given Mosley’s contract and the fact that he has played all of two games in the last two years).
Now for more notes on the Jets:
- Although Gang Green is going to select QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick, there is plenty of uncertainty as to what the club will do with the No. 23 overall selection. Cimini believes the team will ultimately go with a player to help Wilson, whether that’s an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. If that’s how Douglas is leaning, he might need to trade up to get the prospect he wants, and Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweets that Douglas has already done the “groundwork” on a potential move up the board.
- Cornerback also profiles as a major need for the Jets, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use the No. 23 pick or another early selection on a CB. According to Cimini, the club is intrigued by Syracuse corner Ifeatu Melifonwu, who looks like a second- or third-round talent. If the team doesn’t get a slot corner at some point in the draft, Hughes says the team could look to re-sign Brian Poole, whose 2020 season was cut short by injury but who has played well in his two seasons in the Meadowlands.
- If the Jets don’t go with an offensive lineman with their second first-round choice, Hughes expects them to grab one with the No. 34 pick, and he also thinks they could pick up another blocker with one of their two third-round selections.
- New York brought in veteran QB Brian Hoyer for a visit earlier this month, and he looks like an ideal backup/mentor for Wilson. Hughes reports that the team is likely to commence contract talks with the 35-year-old signal-caller after the draft.
Saints HC Sean Payton: We Have To Add Cornerback
Given their dire salary cap situation, the Saints were unable to do too much in free agency. They watched several high-profile players leave for other clubs, and the contracts they handed out themselves were on the more modest end of the spectrum.
Despite that, and despite the fact that New Orleans is now officially in the post-Drew Brees era, the club still has a talented roster that is capable of competing for a playoff spot. But in order to maintain the level of defensive proficiency the Saints have established under DC Dennis Allen, they will need to address their cornerback situation.
Head coach Sean Payton recently acknowledged as much. “Corner is an area we have to address between now and the season and I think we will be able to find that,” Payton said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “But yeah, we lost some good players that we knew we might have to to get our numbers below [the salary cap]. I think that’s part of operating in the salary cap era.”
2020 starter Janoris Jenkins became a cap casualty in March, and while the Saints were able to re-sign P.J. Williams, he is a slot corner and safety, not an outside-the-numbers starter. Patrick Robinson will be back, but he hasn’t played more than 24% of the team’s defensive snaps since he returned to New Orleans in 2018. After Williams and Robinson, there is not much else behind CB1 Marshon Lattimore.
The Saints are armed with the No. 28 overall pick in this week’s draft, and if they elect to go CB with that choice, a player like Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. or Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley might be available. If they wait until Day 2, UCF’s Aaron Robinson or Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph could be the pick.
There are also a few intriguing veterans that remain available on the free agent market. The Saints expressed interest in Richard Sherman earlier this offseason, and he is still looking for a new home. Jason McCourty and Steven Nelson are also unsigned and have generated some interest on the open market.
Colts Plan To Keep Quenton Nelson At Guard
Longtime Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement in January, leaving Indianapolis with a major hole to fill this offseason. The team did add Sam Tevi and Julie’n Davenport on modest free agent contracts, but neither player profiles as a particularly appealing Castonzo replacement.
That has led to some chatter that the Colts could move all-world left guard Quenton Nelson to left tackle, given that it’s generally easier to find a quality LG than a quality LT. But in a recent radio interview on 107.5 The Fan (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star on Twitter), team owner Jim Irsay said the team will ideally keep Nelson right where he is and bring in a left tackle from outside the organization.
One of the top options that was available this offseason, Orlando Brown, was recently traded from Baltimore to Kansas City, and it’s unclear if the Colts were one of the handful of teams that had contacted the Ravens about a potential Brown deal. It’s also unclear if they are one of the teams that are monitoring the market for former Chiefs LT Eric Fisher.
Luckily for GM Chris Ballard, this year’s draft offers plenty of quality tackle prospects. Although it’s not always ideal to start a rookie LT on a team that has championship aspirations, the presence of Nelson will go a long way towards helping that rookie start living up to his potential right away. And if the draft does not yield a player that profiles as an immediate blindside protector for new QB Carson Wentz, Ballard could circle back to a player like Fisher or former Steeler Alejandro Villanueva (though Villanueva is presently expected to sign with the Ravens as a Brown replacement).
Nelson, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 draft, has earned First Team All-Pro honors in each of his three professional seasons. Ballard will soon exercise Nelson’s fifth-year option for 2022 — which will guarantee the Notre Dame product just shy of $14MM — but look for player and team to at least discuss an extension long before the 2022 season gets underway.
Chiefs To Discuss Extension With Tyrann Mathieu
Earlier this offseason, Chiefs GM Brett Veach said he hoped to keep safety Tyrann Mathieu in Kansas City for years to come. Mathieu echoed those sentiments last week.
“Absolutely, I’d would love to spend the rest of my time in Kansas City,” he said (via Blair Kerkhoff of the Wichita Eagle). “Everybody has embraced me here. It reminds me so much of a football town. For me, that’s everything. Waking up, seeing my family, going to play football. It’s a blessing to be here.”
Mathieu will count nearly $20MM against the cap in 2021, the final season of the three-year, $42MM contract he signed in March 2019. While the Chiefs have managed to conduct the bulk of their offseason business without lowering that cap charge and still have enough space to sign their draft class, it never hurts to have more room. And given the quality of Mathieu’s play during his first two years in KC, a new contract feels like a no-brainer.
Veach says there is no timeline for a Mathieu extension, though he expects talks to ramp up after this week’s draft (Twitter link via Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star). The $14MM average annual value on Mathieu’s current deal is still near the top of the safety market, where Justin Simmons‘ $15.25MM AAV represents the new high-water mark.
Mathieu, who will turn 29 next month, will doubtlessly want to top that figure, and he will have every reason to aim high. The LSU product has earned Pro Bowl nods in both of his seasons with the Chiefs, and he earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2020. Over his two KC seasons, he has tallied 137 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 21 passes defensed.
Draft Trade Rumors: Bears, Falcons, Bengals
Here’s a few of the latest draft rumors, with a focus on teams that could be moving up or down the board in the first round:
- The Bears, who hold the No. 20 overall pick, have been rumored as a team that could be climbing up the draft board to grab a QB, but as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, they haven’t been particularly active in trade discussions just yet. A lot can happen in a week, and Breer says rival clubs do expect Chicago to at least consider a bold trade to land a top passer. On the other hand, such a deal will be very expensive in terms of draft capital, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune hears from some sources that GM Ryan Pace might try to protect his draft assets to fill his club’s multiple needs. Still, Pace’s job and HC Matt Nagy‘s job are very much in jeopardy, and unless the duo is particularly high on a second-tier QB like Florida’s Kyle Trask, expect the team to exhaust all possible avenues for a trade up.
- The Falcons may be open to all options when it comes to their No. 4 overall pick, but Breer is getting the sense that Atlanta is perfectly content to stay right where it is. Whether the Falcons take a QB with that pick or the top non-QB prospect in the draft remains an open question, but they have put a very high price on their selection, and it sounds like they will need to be overwhelmed by a trade offer to move it.
- The buzz around the Bengals has pointed towards the team keeping its No. 5 overall pick and selecting LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said that he has engaged in talks with teams looking to move up to No. 5, but he wants to stay put and select a premier talent (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com).
- Other teams are expecting the Dolphins to keep the No. 6 selection, but GM Chris Grier says that he will continue listening to trade offers up until the pick is in (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). If he does get an offer that convinces him to move down, he won’t want to slide too far.
- Connor Hughes of The Athletic says Jets GM Joe Douglas could try to engineer a trade up from the No. 23 overall pick, especially if an OL like Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater or USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker should start to fall. However, he doesn’t see Douglas moving into the top-15.
Eagles Planning Quarterback Competition?
New Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni says that he will not automatically anoint Jalen Hurts as the team’s starting quarterback. Instead, as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, Sirianni plans to hold an open competition for the starting job.
At present, the only other QB on the roster is veteran Joe Flacco, whom Philadelphia signed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal last month. Flacco has enjoyed plenty of success in his lengthy career, highlighted by a Super Bowl MVP award, but he has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and has not been a full-time starter since the first half of the 2018 campaign. Hurts, meanwhile, is entering his second season in the league, and while there are still questions about his long-term viability, his brief audition in 2020 had its share of promising moments.
Barring a complete disaster, Sirianni’s job won’t be on the line in 2021, so he shouldn’t feel any pressure to lean on the more experienced hand over a high-upside talent like Hurts. And considering owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s recent comments that he wants his club to build around the second-year pro, it would be very surprising to see anyone other than Hurts under center on Week 1. Perhaps the rookie HC is simply honing his coach-speak skills.
Of course, Sirianni’s alleged plans for a QB competition immediately spurred speculation that the team could take a quarterback with its first-round choice in next week’s draft. But if the Eagles were going to do that, they probably wouldn’t have traded down from the No. 6 overall pick to No. 12. By the time they are on the clock with the No. 12 selection, all five top QB prospects could be gone.
A recent report suggested that Philadelphia could be eyeing a move back into the top-10, but that same report indicated that the team is also interested in another trade down. Further, if the Eagles were to move back up the board, it might not be for a QB at all, but for a cornerback or wide receiver.
At this point, unless Hurts should suffer an injury or spectacularly underperform during training camp, he still looks like the odds-on favorite to be the Eagles’ starting QB, Sirianni’s “open competition” remarks notwithstanding.
Latest On Sam Darnold, Panthers’ Draft Plans
Shortly after the Panthers’ trade for quarterback Sam Darnold was completed, it was reported that Carolina would pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option for 2022. After all, it wouldn’t make sense for the team to trade three draft picks for a young passer without giving that passer at least two seasons to show what he can do.
However, the club has not exercised the option just yet. As Joe Person of The Athletic points out, virtually no teams have made official decisions on the fifth-year options for their 2018 first-rounders (the deadline to do so is May 3). So it could simply be that the Panthers’ brass just hasn’t gotten around to it.
Or, it could mean that the club is waiting to see if a collegiate passer it likes falls to its No. 8 overall selection. According to Person, the Panthers are not in love with Trey Lance or Mac Jones, and it’s a foregone conclusion that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson will be the first two players off the board. So if Ohio State signal-caller Justin Fields — who is said to “intrigue” the Carolina front office — is there for the taking at No. 8, perhaps he could be the pick, which could lead to Darnold having his fifth-year option declined.
A source tells Person that Darnold’s option is still expected to be exercised. And with the Panthers having emerged as a legitimate trade-down candidate, perhaps this is all part of a ploy to drive up the price of the No. 8 pick. A trade down the board would allow Carolina to recoup some much-needed draft capital while still putting the team in range for one of the draft’s top cornerbacks (according to Person, the Panthers are high on several first-round CB prospects). Although Oregon’s Penei Sewell will likely be gone by the time the Panthers are on the clock, another quality LT could be had at No. 8 or a little bit later if the team chooses to move down.
In addition to Darnold, Carolina also has another 2018 first-rounder, D.J. Moore, to make a fifth-year decision on. The Panthers will almost certainly exercise his option, which checks in at $11.116MM, so the team may need to part with Robby Anderson in 2022. Which means, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes, a wide receiver like Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle could be in play. Either receiver would go a long way towards helping Darnold both this year and in the future.
Falcons “Open To All Options” With No. 4 Pick
The Falcons are open to all options with respect to their No. 4 overall pick, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (video link). The teams holding the first three picks in the draft — the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers — are going to select quarterbacks, so the Falcons are the first club that could go with a non-QB or trade down. As such, there has been plenty of speculation about what Atlanta might do.
Our own Sam Robinson nicely recapped all of the reports regarding the No. 4 pick in a recent PFR poll (most of our readers presently think that the Falcons will keep their pick and select Florida TE Kyle Pitts, while a smaller but still significant contingent thinks Atlanta will trade down). Essentially, while new GM Terry Fontenot and new HC Arthur Smith were previously said to be split on what do to with the selection — Fontenot wanted to use it on a QB, while Smith wanted to use it on a player who would make more of an immediate impact — the club’s top power brokers are now reportedly in lockstep.
But that could just mean that they are in agreement on the QB vs. non-QB issue. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have decided which prospect, quarterback or otherwise, they want to select — though some league sources believe the club is targeting Pitts — and if another team puts together an enticing trade package, a move down the board remains on the table.
In the meantime, the Falcons continue to do their due diligence on the quarterbacks that could be available. They will have reps at Trey Lance‘s Pro Day tomorrow, and they had eyes on Lance at his first showcase as well. They were also in attendance at both of Justin Fields‘ Pro Days, and if nothing else, the idea that they are seriously considering one of those two passers will only help their asking price in trade talks. As Fowler notes, Atlanta could certainly use some additional draft capital to shore up its defense.
Fowler confirms previous reports that the Broncos — whose hunt for a QB upgrade has been well-documented — could be looking to move up from No. 9 to No. 4, while Atlanta’s division rivals, the Panthers, might be another team looking to trade down now that they have landed Sam Darnold.