Giants, S Xavier McKinney Have Not Commenced Extension Talks
The Giants are not believed to have initiated extension talks with safety Xavier McKinney, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic (subscription required). McKinney, a 2020 second-rounder, has accrued three years of service time and is therefore eligible for an extension. If he and the team do not come to terms on a new deal prior to the 2024 league year, he will become an unrestricted free agent (barring the application of the franchise tag).
In his first year as New York’s general manager in 2022, GM Joe Schoen discussed extensions with impending free agents like Saquon Barkley and Julian Love during the bye week. Neither of those negotiations culminated in a new contract, and Barkley was ultimately hit with the franchise tag while Love defected to the Seahawks in free agency. Still, it could be that Schoen prefers to wait until this year’s bye (Week 13) to begin laying the foundation for a second contract for McKinney.
McKinney may also prefer to wait until later in the 2023 season, or even until the end of the season, to engage in talks. In 2022, the Alabama product suffered a broken hand during a midseason ATV accident, and he played in just nine regular season games as a result. His surface-level production naturally dropped as a result of the missed time — for instance, he recorded five interceptions in 2021 versus just one in 2022 — but the underlying metrics also suggested that he took a step back. After earning a strong 75.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021 (which included an even better 78.4 coverage score), McKinney was assigned a subpar 57.8 mark in 2022. He also yielded a 93.6 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, which was up significantly from the 72.2 rating he allowed the year before.
As such, his leverage is relatively low at this point, and he may want to take some time to reestablish his value. On the other hand, Duggan suggests that the soon-to-be 24-year-old, who has earned just under $6.5MM through his first three professional seasons and who is due a modest $1.8MM salary in 2023, may be inclined to sign a team-friendly deal in exchange for some financial security. It is unclear what type of payout McKinney will be seeking, though Duggan sees Jalen Thompson‘s three-year extension with the Cardinals — which is worth up to $40MM and which includes $24.5MM in guarantees — as a potential comp.
McKinney remains a key component of the Giants’ defense, and he will be joined by some combination of Nick McCloud, Bobby McCain, Jason Pinnock, and Dane Belton in the defensive backfield. Earlier this year, we learned that McKinney had retained super-agent David Mulugheta, who represents some of the highest-profile safeties in the game.
RB Notes: Hines, Rodriguez, Cook
Here are a few RB-related items from around the league:
- The Bills have invested heavily at the running back position in recent years, and at present, the club has 2022 second-round pick James Cook and 2023 free agent signee Damien Harris at the top of its depth chart, with newcomer Latavius Murray also in the mix. As quarterback Josh Allen is a significant part of Buffalo’s ground attack, and since the Bills also offer a bevy of quality receiving options, Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News wonders how 2022 trade acquisition Nyheim Hines fits into the equation. As a member of the Colts, Hines proved that he can be a dynamic weapon, but he saw just 66 offensive snaps in nine games with the Bills last year. While O’Halloran expects Hines to continue making an impact as a return specialist, he finds it difficult to envision anything more than a gadget role for the NC State product on offense. On the other hand, RB coach Kelly Skipper suggested that Hines’ limited usage in 2022 was largely due to the complexity of the Bills’ playbook, and that Hines will see meaningful action both as a receiver and rusher this season.
- In a feature on Commanders rookie running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., which will be of particular interest to fans of the team and which details the devastating loss of Rodriguez’s mother in January, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes that the Commanders had a third-round grade on the Kentucky product. Washington was able to land Rodriguez in the sixth round, and he is currently penciled in as the third RB on the depth chart, behind Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson. As a sixth-rounder, though, he is not guaranteed a spot on the roster, especially if the team’s interest in Kareem Hunt should evolve into something more. As new OC Eric Bieniemy noted, Rodriguez will need to impress on special teams, but if he can do so, he could be well-positioned for a productive tenure in the nation’s capital. Gibson is a free agent at season’s end, and while neither Robinson nor Rodriguez offer Gibson’s upside as a receiver, both players have the type of downhill, between-the-tackles power that the team values, and the duo could form a potent 1-2 punch down the line.
- Free agent RB Dalvin Cook recently suggested that he declined a visit with an unnamed club, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, that club was not the Dolphins (Twitter link). As of the time of this writing, the ‘Fins are the only named team that has definite interest in Cook’s services, though the latest reporting suggested that about six teams are in the market and that Cook has received multiple offers. Jackson says that Cook — who has previously expressed enthusiasm for joining his hometown Dolphins — remains interested in playing his home games in South Beach.
Bengals LB Coach James Bettcher Likely Successor To DC Lou Anarumo
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo interviewed for the Giants’ head coaching job in 2022 and was a finalist for the Cardinals’ HC post this year. After a lengthy search process, Arizona chose Jonathan Gannon for the position, so Anarumo will return to Cincinnati for the upcoming campaign. Nonetheless, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic predicts that the 56-year-old will be a prominent member of next year’s coaching cycle (subscription required).
Should Anarumo leave the Bengals to become a head coach elsewhere in 2024, Dehner believes linebackers coach James Bettcher would most likely step into his shoes as Cincy’s DC. There are a number of reasons why that would be a logical move.
For one, a Bettcher promotion would represent schematic continuity, as he will have two years of experience working on Anarumo’s Bengals staff by the time the 2023 season comes to an end. And he also offers defensive coordinator experience himself, having served in that capacity with the Cardinals and Giants last decade.
During Bettcher’s tenure as Arizona’s DC from 2015-17, the club never finished outside of the top-six in total defense, a performance that earned Bettcher a head coaching interview in the desert following the 2017 season. That job ultimately went to Steve Wilks, and although Wilks reportedly offered Bettcher a chance to stay in his post, Bettcher accepted the Giants’ defensive coordinator position instead (he also received an offer from the Titans).
Bettcher’s time with Big Blue did not go according to plan, as the team finished in the bottom-10 in total defense in both of his seasons at the helm. In fairness, New York was not operating with much defensive talent at the time, particularly in the linebacking corps and secondary, which undermined Bettcher’s aggressive approach to play-calling. When Joe Judge became the Giants’ HC in 2020, he did not retain Bettcher, who sat out that season before taking a job as a senior defensive assistant with the 49ers in 2021.
Now 45, Bettcher joined the Bengals in his current role in 2022, a season that saw starting LBs Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt turn in the best performances of their careers. Cincinnati, of course, has emerged as an AFC heavyweight over the past several seasons, and while the Joe Burrow-led offense deservingly gets most of the credit for that development, the defense has steadily improved since Anarumo’s appointment as defensive coordinator in 2019. Last season, although the Bengals finished in the middle of the pack in terms of total defense, they did allow the sixth-fewest points per game and finished just outside the top-10 in takeaways.
If Anarumo’s unit continues its upward trajectory, or at least sustains its current level of performance, it stands to reason that he would generate more HC interest, and that the Bengals would want to promote a familiar and experienced candidate in Bettcher. Of course, the team would need to comply with Rooney Rule requirements before such a move could be made official.
Vikings Using Josh Metellus As Nickel CB
After finishing as the second-worst team in the league in 2022 in terms of total defense and passing defense, it came as no surprise that the Vikings parted ways with a few of the cornerbacks who played major roles in last year’s secondary. Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, and Cameron Dantzler all found themselves on other clubs this offseason, while Minnesota added Byron Murphy in free agency and will look for some of its recent draft selections to prove their worth under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Players like Andrew Booth (second round, 2022), Akayleb Evans (fourth round, 2022), Mekhi Blackmon (third round, 2023), and Jay Ward (fourth round, 2023) are all in line for significant CB snaps this season (while Ward was drafted as a safety, he lined up at every position in the defensive backfield during his collegiate career at LSU). Plus, as Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes, Josh Metellus could see significant action in the slot, as the coaching staff gave him plenty of reps in that role during spring work and made a concerted effort to keep him on the field.
Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round choice, was used primarily on special teams in his first two years in the NFL. Last season, he saw the most extensive action of his pro career, earning three starts and a 22% defensive snap share. His time on defense, though, was spent mostly as a replacement for stalwart safety Harrison Smith, so the fact that Flores wants to see what Metellus can do as a nickel corner is notable.
Although Murphy is perfectly capable of playing in the slot and should be expected to line up there frequently in 2023, it could be that Flores wants his most experienced corner to spend the bulk of his time outside the numbers. That, along with the fact that Smith and Camryn Bynum will reprise their roles as starting safeties, could explain why Metellus is getting a long look at nickel.
According to Seifert, Metellus appeared comfortable in that spot, and assuming he carries that momentum into training camp, he will be ticketed for the most playing time of his career this season. With 2023 serving as his platform year, the timing is perfect for the Michigan product to maximize his earning power, particularly since slot corners are effectively starting players in today’s pass-heavy league (even if the market has been slow to recognize that).
In his time on defense last season, Metellus allowed a 68.4% completion percentage but generally kept the ball in front of him, as he yielded a modest 83.9 QB rating on the 19 balls thrown in his direction. He also recorded five passes defensed and the first interception of his career, which represents quality ball production in such a small sample.
Latest On Eagles’ RG Competition; Team To Add OT?
Like many players who lined up at offensive tackle in college, Eagles third-round rookie Tyler Steen is, according to Bo Wulf of The Athletic (subscription required), set to play guard at the NFL level, at least in his first professional season. Which certainly makes sense, as Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are locked into the starting tackle jobs.
However, the decision to deploy Steen on the interior is notable for two reasons. One, it sets up an intriguing position battle at right guard between the rookie and 2022 second-rounder Cam Jurgens. Jurgens, a natural center, was drafted as the eventual replacement for five-time First Team All-Pro pivot Jason Kelce, but Kelce elected to put off retirement for another year and agreed to a new contract with Philadelphia in March. As such, there is only one starting spot available on the club’s O-line, and that is the RG post that was vacated when Isaac Seumalo defected to the Steelers in free agency this offseason.
Although Jurgens appeared in only 34 snaps as a rookie (28 of which came at center), he has the benefit of having spent a year learning the Eagles’ offense and the blocking schemes of OL coach Jeff Stoutland. He also lined up with the first-stringers during OTAs, and while that is obviously not as important as who gets the first-team reps in training camp, one would think that Jurgens has a leg up on Steen at the moment, even if the coaching staff has not tipped its hand one way or another.
The loser of the competition will nonetheless become a key reserve, as the guard depth presently consists of the likes of Sua Opeta, Tyrese Robinson, and Julian Good-Jones. The tackle depth behind Mailata and Johnson is similarly uninspiring, and since Steen is focusing his efforts on guard as opposed to tackle, Wulf expects GM Howie Roseman to add an OT before Week 1.
Of course, the market for quality tackles is largely bare at this point in the offseason, though George Fant remains available and would, in Wulf’s estimation, represent an ideal fit. Fant has extensive experience at both OT spots and could be waiting for a clearer path to a starting job to open up in camp. If such an opportunity does not become available, the Eagles have enough cap space (roughly $14MM as of the time of this writing) to entice him. Wulf names the Cardinals’ Kelvin Beachum as a potential trade target, as the rebuilding Arizona outfit used its top pick in this year’s draft on an elite offensive lineman (Paris Johnson Jr.) and could therefore see the 34-year-old Beachum as surplus to requirements, especially with longtime LT D.J. Humphries healthy again.
Wulf also sees wide receiver, inside linebacker, and pass rush as areas in which the Eagles could seek an upgrade, though he does not envision Roseman making a big splash at any of those spots, unless he can pounce on a pass rusher like Yannick Ngakoue that has lingered on the open market.
“Real Competition” Expected For Bears’ RB1 Role
The Bears made an effort to retain longtime starting running back David Montgomery this offseason, but Montgomery eschewed the club’s offer and elected to join the division-rival Lions. Chicago then added D’Onta Foreman to the RB room in free agency and selected Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes that there will be a “real competition” for the RB1 role, with incumbent Khalil Herbert, Foreman, and Johnson all having a legitimate shot to land the gig.
Herbert, a 2021 sixth-round choice, has flashed plenty of promise during his first two professional seasons, mostly working as a complement to Montgomery. Over 30 games (three starts), Herbert has accumulated 1,164 rushing yards on 232 totes, which represents a sparkling 5.0 yards-per-carry average. He has added 23 catches for 153 yards and has scored seven total touchdowns.
Foreman, meanwhile, has taken a little longer to realize his potential. A third-round pick of the Texans in 2017, Foreman had a decent showing in his first year in the NFL (78 carries for 327 yards and two TDs), but a torn Achilles cut his rookie season short and forced him to miss most of 2018. He was waived in advance of the 2019 season, with poor work habits reportedly accelerating his departure from Houston.
After sitting out all of 2019, Foreman caught on with the Titans’ practice squad in September 2020 and ultimately appeared in six games for Tennessee that year. In 2021, he got his first extended opportunity to shine since he was a rookie, as he carried the ball 133 times for 566 yards (4.3 YPC) as an injury replacement for Derrick Henry.
Foreman signed with the Panthers last March, and following the Christian McCaffrey trade in October, Foreman became Carolina’s feature back. He ended the 2022 season with 203 carries for 914 yards (4.5 YPC) and five touchdowns and was rumored to be a hot commodity should he and the Panthers fail to agree to a new contract before free agency opened this year.
Of course, Foreman and Carolina did not come to terms on a new deal, so the Texas product became a free agent once again. While the suppressed running back market and his lack of receiving prowess limited him to a one-year, $2MM contract with the Bears, he is well-positioned to have a sizable role in Chicago’s offense, even if he is not the official starter.
Johnson, another Texas alumnus, enjoyed a 5.6 YPC average over his four years with the Longhorns. It stands to reason that he would start his career behind Herbert and Foreman on the depth chart, though Biggs believes Johnson’s draft status puts him firmly in the mix to receive the lion’s share of the carries right out of the gate.
The Bears’ heavy investment into their running attack this offseason did not stop at Foreman and Johnson. Chicago also added Travis Homer in free agency, and the club is still rostering 2022 sixth-rounder Trestan Ebner. While Ebner, who carried the ball 24 times for 54 yards last year, would be hard-pressed to earn many rushing attempts if the Herbert/Foreman/Johnson/Homer quartet remains healthy, Biggs believes the second-year pro could nonetheless retain a roster spot due to his receiving and special teams abilities.
Matt Hennessy Favorite To Start At LG For Falcons?
Four-fifths of the Falcons’ starting offensive line is set, with Jake Matthews at left tackle, Drew Dalman at center, Chris Lindstrom at right guard, and Kaleb McGary at right tackle. That leaves an open spot at left guard, with Matt Hennessy and Matthew Bergeron vying for the role.
Atlanta clearly thinks highly of Bergeron, having traded up six spots in the second round of this year’s draft to select the Syracuse blocker. However, according to Tori McElhaney of the Falcons’ official website, Hennessy took all of the first-team reps at left guard throughout OTAs. McElhaney cautions that there is no reason to think that Bergeron is anything less than advertised, and that the team merely wants to ease him into action at the professional level.
After all, 2021 third-rounder Jalen Mayfield — who had never played on the interior of the line during his collegiate career — struggled mightily during his 16-game audition at left guard in his rookie season. He lost the starting job to journeyman Elijah Wilkinson during last year’s training camp and ultimately spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign on IR.
Bergeron, like Mayfield, lined up exclusively at tackle in college, so a measured approach to his development makes sense, especially in light of the cautionary tale that Mayfield presented. And it’s not as if Hennessy is an incapable player. A third-round pick in 2020, Hennessy became the Falcons’ full-time center in his second pro season and graded out as one of the league’s best pivots that year in the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ metrics (though his stellar run-blocking grade of 88.1 compensated for a rather poor pass-blocking mark of 50.5).
However, just as Mayfield lost his job to Wilkinson, Hennessy ceded his starting role to Dalman last summer, and between that development and a knee injury, the Temple product appeared in just 157 snaps in 2022. All of that work came at left guard, and while that is obviously a small sample size, his 75.4 PFF grade — including an improved 69.2 pass-block assessment — would have made him a top-10 guard if he had enough snaps to qualify.
As he enters his contract year, Hennessy will certainly be motivated to fend off his younger competition. McElhaney, who did not notice any glaring issues with Hennessy’s performance in spring work, indicates that he stands a good chance of entering Week 1 as the starting LG. Training camp, of course, will bring more clarity in that regard.
Raiders Notes: Hobbs, Pass Rush, Jacobs
Let’s round up a few notes on the NFL’s Sin City franchise:
- Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs, a fifth-round pick in 2021, earned nine starts in his first professional season and started all 11 contests he appeared in last year (he missed six games with a broken hand). Working primarily as a boundary corner, the Illinois product regressed a bit from his strong rookie campaign, when he spent most of his time in the slot. Per Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic (subscription required), Hobbs would like to return to nickelback, where he apparently feels more comfortable. However, Tyler Hall, who played in seven games (three starts) for Las Vegas in 2022 after joining the club’s taxi squad in October, is expected to push Hobbs for that role.
- During this year’s predraft process, we learned that the Raiders were eyeing Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson and believed that Wilson (or a similar player) could ease some of the burden on Chandler Jones, thereby making Jones more productive after the veteran underwhelmed during his first season in Vegas. Of course, the club ended up selecting Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick, and as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Raiders hope that Wilson’s presence will allow both the 33-year-old Jones and soon-to-be 26-year-old Maxx Crosby to see less time on the field. The coaching staff envisions a rotation among the three players to keep everyone fresh, healthy, and productive. Indeed, Wilson himself saw his final college season cut short due to a Lisfranc injury, though he is expected to be cleared in time for training camp.
- The Raiders also want to create more of a rotation for their running backs. Assuming franchise-tagged RB Josh Jacobs does not hold out — both he and the club are reportedly motivated to strike an accord on a multiyear deal prior to the July 17 deadline — he will obviously be the feature back. But as Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes, the team wants to expand the roles of 2022 draftees Zamir White and Brittain Brown in an effort to ease Jacobs’ workload and, perhaps, to begin preparing for a Jacobs departure in 2024.
Lions CBs Emmanuel Moseley, Jerry Jacobs To Compete For Starting Role
Despite narrowly missing the playoff field in 2022, the Lions finished last in the league in total defense and in the bottom-five in scoring defense. Part of GM Brad Holmes‘ efforts to improve upon that performance included a secondary overhaul this offseason.
Holmes traded Jeff Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2020 draft who failed to live up to the expectations that Detroit’s Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia regime had for him, to the Falcons. He also allowed Mike Hughes to depart in free agency while adding Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the defensive backfield.
Of that trio of free agent newcomers, only Sutton landed a multiyear deal, and he is expected to occupy one of the starting boundary corner spots while Gardner-Johnson operates as the Lions’ primary nickel. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes, Moseley will likely start opposite Sutton as an outside-the-numbers CB, though he will be competing with Jerry Jacobs for the gig. He will also need to get healthy.
Per Birkett, Moseley — who sustained an ACL tear in October as a member of the 49ers — sat out OTAs and mandatory minicamp as he continues to rehab his injury. He did take some first-string walk-through reps, and he impressed the coaching staff by staying with the team for the final week of OTAs after head coach Dan Campbell had excused most of his players.
Moseley, a 2018 UDFA, broke through as a key player for the 49ers during the 2019 season and landed a two-year, $10.1MM contract in March 2021. Unfortunately, a knee injury and an ankle malady forced him to miss six games during the 2021 regular season — though he did return to play every snap of the team’s three-game playoff run — and his October ACL tear dampened his market during his first foray into unrestricted free agency, which forced him to accept a one-year deal from the Lions worth up to $6MM (according to OverTheCap.com, Moseley’s $2MM signing bonus accounts for his only guaranteed money, and his contract also includes a $3MM base salary and up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses).
When he has been on the field, the Tennessee product has generally played well. He earned a solid 68.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021 and a 70.9 mark for his limited work in 2022, and PFF thought highly of his coverage abilities in both years. Underscoring those metrics are the miniscule 65.6 and 66.9 quarterback ratings that he has yielded over the past two seasons, and he also has the ability to line up in the slot should DC Aaron Glenn want to move Gardner-Johnson around the formation.
Jacobs, though, will represent worthy competition, and he will be highly-motivated to retain a significant role on the Lions’ defense as he enters a platform year. The 2021 UDFA has played in 25 games (17 starts) for Detroit over the past two seasons, and while PFF assigned him a poor 55.8 overall grade in 2022, he earned a 65.8 score in his rookie campaign. Quarterbacks throwing in his direction last year had a meager passer rating of 70.0.
Birkett did not offer any insight as to Moseley’s Week 1 availability, but it does not sound as if he will miss too much regular season time, if any.
“He’s anxious man,” new cornerbacks coach Dre Bly said of Moseley. “He was a pretty daggoone good player out there in San Fran. He’s from North Carolina, went to Tennessee, played with [Sutton], so those guys are kind of wired the same and so just to see his fire to get back on the field, his commitment to working and rehabbing, it tells you about the man. When most guys are traveling and vacationing, he’s here working to make sure he’s ready when we come back to camp. So I’m excited to have a chance to work with him. I think he brings a tremendous amount of leadership and experience to our room and can’t wait to see what comes from that.”
Bills WR Stefon Diggs Reportedly Frustrated By Role In Offense, Input In Play-Calling
While Bills quarterback Josh Allen recently classified the source of wide receiver Stefon Diggs‘ discontent with the team as “not football related,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has heard otherwise. Volin, citing a source “close to the Bills’ locker room,” says that Diggs is frustrated with his role in the club’s offense and his input in play-calling.
Diggs did not participate in April workouts, but since those sessions were voluntary, there was no real reason to think much of his absence, despite plenty of speculation that he was unhappy. Alarm bells did go off in earnest on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, when Bills head coach Sean McDermott told the media that Diggs was not in attendance and that he was “very concerned” as a result.
Shortly thereafter, Diggs’ agent, Adisa Bakari, pointed out that his client had met with McDermott and GM Brandon Beane over the prior two days, and on Wednesday — when Diggs participated in practice but not in team drills — McDermott definitively declared the matter resolved and said Diggs’ Tuesday absence was excused.
McDermott’s sudden about-face did not do much to quell the rumblings about Diggs’ frustration, especially since we still have not heard from the player himself. Volin’s report, which was published today, has added a little context, but there is still plenty of uncertainty.
Indeed, as Volin notes, Diggs was ranked in the top-five in targets (154), receptions (108), yards (1,429), and touchdowns (11) in 2022. Since coming to Buffalo via trade prior to the 2020 season, Diggs’ 484 targets are second only to Raiders wideout Davante Adams. As such, it is difficult to see how the Bills could increase his role in the offense, though Volin also observes that, over the final six contests of the 2022 campaign (including playoffs), Diggs averaged only 63 yards per game and caught just one TD pass. After the team’s divisional-round loss to the Bengals in January — a game in which he recorded four catches for 35 yards — Diggs stormed out of the locker room before some coaches had arrived and needed to be brought back.
As for Diggs’ reported discontent with his voice in Buffalo’s offensive play-calling, Volin simply said that the Maryland product may not have “connected as well” with OC Ken Dorsey as he had with Brian Daboll, who left the Bills to take the Giants’ HC job last year. Still, even if the Bills were inclined to part ways with their star receiver — which the Super Bowl-ready club is certainly not — it would be difficult to imagine Diggs finding a better situation for himself.
McDermott ultimately cancelled the third and final day of mandatory minicamp on Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Therefore, we will likely need to wait until sometime in training camp to hear Diggs’ take on the situation and where he currently stands.