Latest On Browns’ DE Olivier Vernon
Browns defensive end Olivier Vernon came to the team last year as part of the trade that brought WR Odell Beckham to Cleveland. Vernon is under contract through 2020, but his future with the Browns is uncertain at the moment.
Advanced metrics were reasonably fond of Vernon’s play during his first year with the Browns — though he posted just 3.5 sacks — but he is due a hefty $15.25MM salary next season. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the Browns are not going to pay him that much, so he will either be released or asked to take a pay cut.
And the Browns do have plenty of leverage to demand a pay reduction. Vernon will almost certainly not fetch a deal on the open market that would pay him $15.25MM next year, and Cleveland can clear that entire figure off its books with no dead money penalty by cutting him. Plus, although Vernon did earn a Pro Bowl nod with the Giants in 2018, he has not played a full 16-game slate since 2016. He has missed at least four games in each of the past three years due to various injuries.
But cutting Vernon would leave a noticeable void in the team’s front seven, so a reworked deal may be the best course of action for both sides. If the Browns do part ways with the Miami product, Cabot says Everson Griffen, who recently opted out of his deal with the Vikings, could be a potential replacement. Griffen and new Cleveland HC Kevin Stefanski are obviously familiar with each other from their time in Minnesota.
In other Browns news, Cabot says she expects new GM Andrew Berry to use his extra draft capital to pursue trades for big-name players and that the team will scour the trade and free agent markets for offensive tackles.
CBA Notes: 2/23/20
Here are today’s reports concerning the current CBA negotiations:
- Players are still “majorly divided” over the prospect of a 17-game season, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. We previously heard that NFL ownership has agreed to meet with the union at the Combine on the evening of February 25, and Fowler says player reps could vote as early as February 26. However, a source told Fowler that “[a]nything is possible at this point.”
- Fowler reiterates that players want to go back to owners and continue negotiating, but the owners have said that no more negotiations will take place and that the current iteration of the CBA is the owners’ best and final offer.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe does a nice job of breaking down the major tenets of the current proposal, and he suggests the owners may not be merely posturing when they say the CBA is not going to get any better for the players. Indeed, players have historically folded under the prospect of a lockout, and if a new agreement is not in place by the time the current one expires in March 2021, the owners will have even more leverage than they currently do.
- Plus, as Volin points out, the average NFL career is three years, so while the league’s elite can perhaps afford to drive a hard bargain, the middle- and lower-classes want the new CBA and the immediate raises for younger players that it provides. On the other hand, Volin believes the owners did not really make any significant concessions in terms of major financial battlegrounds like the franchise tag formula or a quicker path to free agency, so the union’s reluctance to pull the trigger is understandable.
- The 17-game schedule is obviously the major sticking point, but the expanded playoff field is also a part of the equation. League owners believe that they don’t need player approval for the expansion, which they intend to move forward with in 2020 even if the players don’t ratify a new CBA, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. However, as Pro Football Talk notes (via Twitter), unless owners already have the right to expand the playoffs under the current CBA, it seems as if that issue would be one that needs to be collectively bargained.
- Under the proposed version of the new CBA, players would be capped at $250K for their 17th game check, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets. Therefore, many players would play that game for less than they would usually make — a player with a $4.25MM annual salary earns $250K per week — which is obviously problematic.
- One of the benefits of getting a deal done quickly is the fact that it would help facilitate new broadcast deals, thereby allowing the league (and its players) to capitalize on the NFL’s recent ratings rise and avoid the possibility of networks getting cold feet over labor unrest. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports says salary cap projections are already being made for as far out as the 2027 season, which suggests that broadcasting rights negotiations are already quite far along or the owners have agreeable proposals in front of them (Twitter link).
Buccaneers Interested In Tom Brady?
He may be 42, but Tom Brady is the linchpin of this year’s quarterback market, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes. Volin says he recently spoke with a source closely connected to a QB (not Brady) who is eligible for free agency, and the source said that every team who is looking for a signal-caller wants to know what Brady is doing before moving on to other options.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that every QB-needy team is interested in Brady, but he is in high demand. And the same source indicated that three teams continue to get mentioned in connection with the six-time Super Bowl champ: the Chargers, the Raiders, and the Buccaneers.
The Chargers’ and Raiders’ interest in Brady has been well-documented, but the rumored Buccaneers interest is a new development. Of course, Tampa Bay has plenty of talent at the skill positions and a highly-respected head coach in Bruce Arians, so there is some logic to a Bucs-Brady partnership.
On the other hand, Tampa does not seem to be one aging QB away from a Super Bowl, so it may be looking for more of a long-term fix. The team is reportedly considering a two-year pact for Jekyll-and-Hyde passer Jameis Winston, and on the surface, it still feels like the Patriots or Chargers are the front-runners for Brady’s services.
Indeed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes the Patriots remain the favorites, because the culture Brady has helped create in New England over the past 20 years is meaningful to him and it may be hard for him to walk away if the Pats come to him with emotion and the sincere intention of re-signing him. ESPN NFL Insider Jeff Darlington recently said Brady likes the idea of perhaps going to a different organization and helping to create a similar culture there — which could help the Bucs if they do pursue Brady — but according to Reiss, those intangible considerations could slant even more heavily in New England’s favor.
In any event, Volin says Brady is relishing his status as the top free agent on the market and his newfound leverage in negotiations with the Patriots, which are expected to begin during or immediately after the upcoming Combine. If the Patriots are inclined to add voidable years to a new deal for Brady like they did last August, they cannot do so unless a new CBA is agreed upon in short order. As Reiss points out, teams cannot use voidable years in the final year of a collective bargaining agreement.
Ravens Expected To Franchise Tag LB Matt Judon
In retweeting a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating that the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to push back the franchise and transition tag windows, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com made a seemingly offhand, but still important, observation. Hensley tweeted that the new window is relevant to the Ravens, who are expected to tag linebacker Matt Judon.
We heard back in December that Baltimore is prepared to hit Judon with the franchise tag if the two sides cannot work out a long-term pact, but then head coach John Harbaugh conceded that it would be difficult to retain the team’s top pass rusher. Shortly thereafter, reports surfaced indicating that the Ravens may explore tag-and-trade scenarios with Judon.
As such, the fact that Baltimore plans to tag the Grand Valley State product is not surprising. The Ravens could look for trade partners for Judon once he’s tagged — the tag-and-trade market for edge rushers was rather robust last season — and they will certainly continue to negotiate their own contract with him.
The problem is that Judon has proven himself to be a good player, but not necessarily a player worthy of a deal that could approach an AAV of $20MM. He can dominate a game but does not do so routinely, and though he earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2019, that largely seemed to be a function of the team’s overall success.
On the other hand, the Ravens need a proven commodity at pass rusher, and beyond Judon, they don’t have one. They have high hopes for 2019 third-rounder Jaylon Ferguson, but the jury is still out on him, and it’s unlikely that any of the league’s other top edge rushers eligible for free agency will actually hit the open market. And Baltimore did let Za’Darius Smith walk in free agency last year because it deemed his price tag too rich, only to see Smith break out for the Packers.
So where Judon will play in 2020 is still an open question, but it sounds as if the franchise tag is all but a done deal.
Browns Hire Ryan Grigson
Ryan Grigson has joined the Browns and is currently serving in an advisory and consulting role with the team, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com adds that Grigson will likely be hired on a full-time basis after this year’s draft.
Grigson is best known for his tenure as the Colts’ general manager from 2012-16. He earned Executive of the Year honors following his first year at the helm, which saw Indianapolis make the playoffs after going 2-14 the year before (though much of that was due to the presence of rookie QB Andrew Luck, who was a slam-dunk choice for Grigson in his first draft with Indy). While the Colts went 49-31 during Grigson’s five years as GM, they failed to qualify for the playoffs in the final two of those years, and his draft record as a whole was spotty.
He was therefore dismissed in January 2017, and he hooked on with the Browns shortly thereafter. When GM John Dorsey came to town in 2018, he got rid of Grigson, but now Andrew Berry is the Cleveland GM, and he is bringing Grigson back. The two men are very close and hold each other in high regard, per Albert Breer of SI.com (via Twitter). Berry worked under Grigson for four years in Indianapolis, and Grigson worked under Berry with the Browns in 2017, so there is plenty of familiarity there.
Breer adds in a separate tweet that the Browns plan to structure their front office like the Eagles, with one executive heading up scouting, one heading up everything else on the football side of the operation, and both reporting to the GM. Grigson could factor into that framework, especially with his scouting background.
Grigson spent the past two seasons with the Seahawks as a senior football consultant.
Latest On Chargers’ QB Situation
The Chargers recently indicated they will not be re-signing Philip Rivers, and they have been heavily connected to free agent-to-be Tom Brady. But while it may not be the splashiest move, it sounds as if the Bolts may simply roll with Tyrod Taylor as their starter in 2020.
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), the Chargers are comfortable with Taylor as a bridge option to a rookie signal-caller. The team is armed with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, and they could have a few promising prospects fall to them if they don’t elect to trade up. Indeed, the Chargers are said to be high on Utah State QB Jordan Love, who will most likely still be available when LA is on the clock.
Taylor, who will turn 31 in August, is a capable passer who generally takes care of the football and who can make plays with his legs. Given the overall talent on the Chargers’ roster, that might be all they need to get back into the playoffs in 2020. Taylor’s leadership and experience would also be beneficial to a young QB, and head coach Anthony Lynn is very high on him.
“Tyrod Taylor is a heck of a quarterback,” Lynn recently said in a radio interview (h/t Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). “We couldn’t have a better backup right now, and now he has an opportunity to maybe step up into a starting role.”
Taylor is under contract through 2020, though the Chargers could part ways with him and save $5MM of cap space by doing so. Speculatively, the Chargers could pursue Brady, and if they land him, they can cut Taylor and still select the quarterback of the future in the draft. If they can’t get Brady, than Taylor is still a serviceable fallback option and may be just as good as the other signal-callers that might be available on the free agent or trade markets.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert On Contract Status, Ben Roethlisberger
Last summer, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert indicated he did not want to enter into a multi-year extension with the team, as he prefers to take things on a year-to-year basis. Earlier this month, the 63-year-old signed another one-year contract with the club to remain in his general manager post through the 2020 campaign.
But in a meeting with Steelers beat writers today, Colbert indicated he is not thinking about quitting anytime soon. “As long as the Rooneys and the Pittsburgh Steelers want me to be a part of this organization and it’s a good thing for our family, we’ll be here,” Colbert said. “I’m not looking to ever go anywhere else again as long as the Rooneys and the Steelers are interested in me” (Twitter link via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com).
So while Colbert may prefer the flexibility that his one-year extensions afford him, it sounds as if he will continue to lead the Pittsburgh front office for as long as the team wants him to and for as long as his personal life permits. And for good reason. Colbert joined the Steelers in 2000, was promoted from director of football operations to GM in 2010, and has helped build two Super Bowl-winning teams and 12 playoff squads over the years.
In his conversation, Colbert also discussed the status of QB Ben Roethlisberger. We heard in December that Big Ben is expected to make a full recovery from surgery to reattach three tendons in his right arm, and Colbert said today that he believes Roethlisberger’s rehab is going in the right direction (Twitter link via Pryor). The veteran signal-caller has a checkup in Los Angeles on February 21.
Colbert further indicated that the injuries that plagued JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and Vance McDonald last year would not impact their long-term availability (Twitter link via Pryor). And in other Steelers news, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that the Steelers are expected to hire a new WR coach any day now. The team is deciding between Jerricho Cotchery and Bryan McClendon.
Ravens Pushing For Ronnie Stanley Extension
This will not come as much of a surprise given Ravens GM Eric DeCosta‘s penchant for being proactive in locking up key contributors, but Baltimore is reportedly pushing to extend left tackle Ronnie Stanley, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Stanley is eligible for free agency next year, but the Ravens don’t want him to sniff the open market.
Baltimore selected Stanley with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 draft, and he has lived up to his draft status. He has started every game in which he has appeared since entering the league, and he has steadily improved in each of his first four years in the pros. His 2019 effort was his best yet, and he was a major factor in MVP Lamar Jackson‘s remarkable season.
Indeed, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics indicate that Stanley might just be the past pass-blocking tackle in football, and while Jackson’s elusiveness certainly helped matters, Stanley did not yield a sack all season. He was rewarded with his first Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro bids for his efforts.
And he is about to cash in. He is due a $12.87MM salary under the fifth-year option of his rookie pact, but the Ravens obviously want to keep him around for the long haul. The Notre Dame product is likely to top the five-year, $80MM ($50MM guaranteed) contract that Taylor Lewan signed with the Titans in July 2018, which currently paces the LT market in terms of AAV and total value.
Even an extension of that size, though, may allow the Ravens to lower Stanley’s 2020 cap hit, which would be helpful to a club that has more cap space than it has had in years but which has several areas of concern, including pass rusher. La Canfora notes in the same piece linked above that most of the top pass rushers who are eligible for free agency are likely going to be tagged or extended before they hit the market, so Baltimore may need to put the franchise tag on LB Matt Judon, which comes at a price of over $16MM.
Titans Re-Sign TE Anthony Firkser
The Titans have re-signed TE Anthony Firkser, the team announced. He was an exclusive rights free agent, but given the promise he showed in 2019, it was an easy call for Tennessee to tender him.
Firkser, a Harvard product, signed with the Jets as a UDFA in 2017, but he was waived by New York prior to the start of the 2017 regular season. He caught on with the Chiefs’ practice squad several months later and was retained by KC via a reserve/futures deal, but the Chiefs cut him in April 2018.
After a minicamp tryout with the Titans shortly thereafter, Firkser signed with Tennessee and enjoyed a productive preseason. He ended the 2018 campaign with 19 catches for 225 yards and a score, and he had a similar statistical output in 2019, catching 14 passes for 204 yards and a TD. But he came up with a couple of big catches during the club’s surprising postseason run at the end of the 2019 season, and the Titans obviously want to see more of him in 2020.
The Titans currently have Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith ahead of Firkser on the TE depth chart, but Walker will be 36 before the regular season begins and has had his last two seasons marred by injury. As such, the team could part ways with him, which would save about $6.5MM of cap room and which could create more playing time for Firkser.
Ravens Re-Sign DB Jordan Richards
The Ravens have re-signed Jordan Richards to a one-year pact, the team announced. Baltimore acquired the 27-year-old in October after he was cut by the Patriots.
That transaction ended up being a trade of sorts. New England waived Richards in order to make room for Justin Bethel, whom the Ravens released several days before for compensatory pick purposes. And while Richards does not have the reputation of being a special teams ace like Bethel does, he acquitted himself nicely in that regard for Baltimore.
A DB by trade, Richards played just one defensive snap for the Ravens, but he was on the field for 177 special teams snaps. He recorded seven tackles and even managed to score a TD in the team’s regular season finale by jumping on a ball that Steelers punter Jordan Berry fumbled into the endzone.
Though it’s a low-key move, the Richards signing is emblematic of Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta‘s clear desire to be proactive in re-signing or extending both starters and role players. Plus, with two other ST contributors in Anthony Levine and Brynden Trawick also eligible for free agency, bringing Richards back was important for the team’s kick coverage units.
Earlier this week, the Ravens agreed to a three-year extension with strong safety Chuck Clark.