Rams Want To Extend C Coleman Shelton
A day after releasing former starting center Brian Allen, the Rams want to retain the player who took over their snapping duties last year.
Sean McVay confirmed (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue) the team is attempting to reach an agreement to re-sign Coleman Shelton. The young interior O-lineman has the option of voiding the final year of his contract and hitting free agency.
After working primarily as a Rams backup from 2019-21, Shelton seized a starting guard job replacing the departed Austin Corbett in 2022. After an Allen injury during Week 1 of the 2022 season, Shelton moved to center. A 2023 offseason competition went Shelton’s way, and he started all 18 Rams games last season. Pro Football Focus graded Shelton as the league’s 17th-best center last season.
The center market cooled last year, allowing a few teams — the 49ers, Browns, Vikings and Panthers — to retain their previous pivots at reasonable rates. No free agent center agreed to a deal worth more than $6MM per year in 2023. Lloyd Cushenberry is expected to cost more this year, but the center market on the whole has seen better days.
Shelton, 28, has been with the Rams since arriving as a 2019 UDFA. He started at both guard and center in 2022 and joined most Rams O-linemen in missing time during that injury-plagued year. Shelton sustained a high ankle sprain in 2022 and missed four games, but he established himself as a starter — at both center and guard — in Los Angeles that year. The Washington alum parlayed that into a full-time gig, helping the Rams rebound on offense and return to the playoffs.
The Rams have Steve Avila signed through 2026, and left tackle Alaric Jackson is only eligible for restricted free agency this year. But Shelton and their other interior starter — guard Kevin Dotson — are moving toward free agency. After bouncing back in what many expected to be a rebuilding year, the Rams have some decisions to make along their O-line.
Raiders Interested In Acquiring No. 1 Overall Pick; Antonio Pierce Addresses QB Search
Believed to be close to finalizing their plan at quarterback, the Bears are viewed as more likely to trade Justin Fields than part with the No. 1 overall pick. The team has a rare opportunity atop the draft, and Fields may not have shown enough for Chicago to pass on taking a passer at No. 1 once again.
Some Fields support has emerged in the building, and both Ryan Poles and Bears president Kevin Warren have praised the three-year starter. It is not exactly uncommon for a team to talk up a trade chip, but if the Bears are serious about keeping Fields and collecting a monster haul for No. 1 overall, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes the Raiders are expected to be interested.
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The Bears are believed to be seeking a historic trade package in order to consider parting with the top pick, and the Caleb Williams-to-Chicago buzz may make any interest in No. 1 moot. But Chicago showed last year it is willing to deal; the Carolina package armed the Bears with draft assets through 2025 and No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore. The Raiders sitting at No. 13, four spots behind where the Panthers were in 2023, would undoubtedly make two future first-rounders and change mandatory in a move to No. 1.
Again, the Bears trading the top pick in consecutive years would be a daring move by Poles. The third-year GM passed on Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud; the Ohio State alum looks to be a potential franchise savior in Houston. Were he to pass on Williams in order to keep a quarterback Ryan Pace drafted, his job security would naturally be on shakier ground should the USC product become a franchise QB somewhere else.
If the Bears are still entertaining the prospect of a Fields-centric future, the Raiders make sense as a team ready to secure a long-term QB. They do not have a history of trade-ups for passers under Mark or Al Davis, though the latter made a well-documented run at John Elway in 1983. Holding the No. 1 pick after a 2-14 season, the Raiders chose JaMarcus Russell in 2007. They had been a veteran-dependent operation for a long time prior to that point, signing the likes of Rich Gannon, Jeff George and Jeff Hostetler in free agency (after the Todd Marinovich first-round selection bombed). Derek Carr represented a deviation for this franchise, arriving as a high draft choice (No. 36 overall) and lasting nine years. The Raiders did not trade up for Carr in 2014.
Post-Carr, the Raiders are still looking around. While Antonio Pierce said Aidan O’Connell will have a chance to compete to keep his job, the newly installed HC is not making a secret of his interest in acquiring a higher-upside quarterback.
“The wild card is the quarterback. What are we going to do?” Pierce said during an appearance on The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder (via Bonsignore). “Well, we’ve got to put a plan together. There are always quarterbacks there are ways to get. Everybody has a price. There’s always a price. There’s always something that people are willing to do, like woo, ‘You’re giving me that, for this?’ You can create a little doubt there, a little like, interest, as far as if they want to make that move.”
Pierce connections to Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State during the new Raiders HC’s time with the Sun Devils, have emerged. If the Bears are zeroing in on Williams, Daniels would be a more realistic goal. The Commanders and Patriots, respectively holding the Nos. 2 and 3 picks, also could benefit from quarterback upgrades via those draft slots. But neither team is viewed as a lock to take a QB there, opening the door for the Raiders — or the Giants, Falcons or Broncos perhaps — to move up if the right offer emerges.
GM Tom Telesco has enjoyed the good fortune of working in organizations that had this rather important box checked. The former Bill Polian lieutenant was with the Colts when they drafted Peyton Manning first overall 1998 and pulled the trigger on Justin Herbert as Chargers GM four years ago. Neither move required a trade-up. Telesco also ran the Chargers during Philip Rivers‘ final seven seasons at the helm. Leading a franchise with this less stable QB situation represents new territory for the Las Vegas GM, adding more intrigue to this Raiders upgrade effort.
If the Bears are committed to a quarterback at No. 1, the Raiders as a Fields destination will seemingly be one to monitor. Fields is going into his age-25 season and spent the past two years working with new Raiders OC Luke Getsy, who has praised the fourth-year QB’s makeup. This looks to be the more likely Raiders-Bears scenario, though other teams — most notably the Falcons — will be on the Fields radar.
Giants Considering Transition-Tagging S Xavier McKinney
Unlikely to pull the trigger on a second Saquon Barkley franchise tag, the Giants are considering a more creative solution in an effort to retain their other top free agent.
A belief within the organization points to another agreement with Xavier McKinney being a better investment compared to paying a seventh-year running back, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. As Barkley seems to be a diminishing priority within the Giants’ power structure compared to 2023, McKinney’s stock may be rising.
[RELATED: 2024 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates]
Although the team is unlikely to use the franchise tag to retain McKinney, Schwartz indicates the lesser-used transition tag is a possibility to prevent the safety from testing free agency. The safety transition tag is still expected to be costlier than a second Barkley tag, being projected (per OverTheCap) at $13.9MM. After losing Julian Love last year, the Giants look to be exploring all avenues regarding McKinney. The latter was a consideration in the Love talks.
Unlike the franchise tag, teams receive no compensation if they fail to match an offer sheet for a transition-tagged player. The non-exclusive franchise tag mandates two first-round picks come back in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. If a team does not match an offer for a transition-tagged player, it simply loses the player. Teams have until March 5 to apply tags. Only one tag is available to a team each offseason.
Only four teams have used the transition tag over the past decade. The Dolphins (Charles Clay, 2015), Bears (Kyle Fuller, 2018) and Cardinals (Kenyan Drake, 2020) have applied the tag. A fourth transition tag development did affect the Giants in 2016. The Dolphins did use the transition tag on Olivier Vernon, but they rescinded it. That led to Vernon signing a monster Giants pact during an offseason that featured pricey Big Blue upgrades on defense. Of this group, only Drake ended up playing that season on the tag. The Dolphins’ GM when they transition-tagged Clay, Dennis Hickey now resides in the Giants’ front office.
Barring an offer sheet, the Giants would carry that estimated $13.9MM number on their cap sheet this year. They would have until mid-July to negotiate an extension. McKinney being prioritized over Barkley would continue a trend of other Dave Gettleman-era investments being viewed as better assets; GM Joe Schoen has given Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas lucrative second contracts. Barkley joins McKinney in being weeks away from free agency. Players can begin negotiating with other teams March 11.
Proclaiming he is the NFL’s most complete safety, McKinney does not sound like a player who would be willing to make a deal without testing the market. The sides had started negotiations on an extension, but talks were ultimately tabled to 2024. It is also unclear if much negotiating transpired last year. Time is running out for the Giants, who have made a habit of moving on from safety regulars in recent years. In addition to letting Love walk — after months of negotiations — the Giants allowed Jabrill Peppers to leave in 2022, the same offseason in which the Schoen regime cut Logan Ryan. The Giants also did not re-sign Landon Collins when he became a free agent in 2019; the ex-second-rounder scored a then-record-setting deal in free agency.
“I want to be appreciated in every way for what I do and bring to the table. As a player and as a leader,” McKinney posted on X recently. “I’ve stood by myself ten toes through the critics, the hate etc. sacrificing what those around me didn’t want too or were afraid too for those same people to make it a better situation for all of us. May not always have been beneficial for me but it was for US. Don’t let that go over your head . And I’d do it 10 times over again.”
Last year, only one free agent safety — Jessie Bates — signed a deal worth more than $8MM per annum. The Giants obviously believe McKinney is in position to do better than last year’s second-tier safeties did. Grant Delpit also signed an extension in between these ranges, inking a $12MM-per-year accord with the Browns during the season. That only ties for 11th in terms of AAV at the position; McKinney will undoubtedly aim higher, which could set up another months-long Giants offseason negotiation.
Pro Football Focus graded McKinney, 24, as its No. 4 overall safety last season. The former second-round pick intercepted three passes, forced a fumble and tallied a career-high 116 tackles in his contract year. The Alabama alum did criticize the Giants’ coaching staff for a perceived lack of leadership last season, and he missed extensive time due to injuries in 2020 and ’22 — the latter due to an ATV accident.
McKinney may not be the safest bet, but he will be a high-level free agent soon. The Giants are planning last-ditch negotiations, but it may take a tag to ensure he stays in 2024.
Lions Add Jim O’Neil To Staff; John Fox No Longer With Team
The Lions are making some changes on their defensive staff. One of the moves will be bringing former defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil back to the NFL.
Out of the league since the 2020 season, O’Neil will return as a Detroit defensive assistant. The 45-year-old staffer spent two seasons as Northwestern’s DC, but was last in the pros as the Raiders’ DBs coach under Jon Gruden.
O’Neil is best remembered in the NFL for rising to the coordinator level with the Browns and 49ers during the 2010s. The former Rex Ryan Jets assistant climbed to the DC tier at 36, working under Mike Pettine. His second crack at running a defense ended quickly, after the 2016 49ers went 2-14 and bailed on a Chip Kelly experiment. Northwestern fired O’Neil after the 2022 season, a 1-11 campaign for the Wildcats. Lions DC Aaron Glenn worked under O’Neil in Cleveland, opening a door to a rebound opportunity.
Additionally, the team appears to be moving on from John Fox. The three-time NFL HC is no longer with the NFC North champions, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Fox was only with the Lions for one season, being hired as a senior defensive consultant last year. It appears O’Neil will be moving into that type of role. Fox, 69, had worked on the Colts’ staff in 2022, returning to the league after a five-year hiatus.
The team has also let senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler‘s contract expire, Birkett adds. A former 49ers offensive coordinator, Hostler has been in the NFL since 2000. After three years on Ron Rivera‘s Washington staff, the 57-year-old assistant moved to Detroit. Former Lions cornerback Dre’ Bly also appears to be out of the picture, per the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. The Lions hired Bly, who had not previously coached in the NFL, as cornerbacks coach last year.
Seeing DBs coach Brian Duker leave for a Dolphins job, the Lions have a new voice overseeing their secondary. Ex-Steelers mainstay Deshea Townsend was hired after his Jaguars ouster last month. The Lions confirmed Wednesday that Townsend is their DBs coach.
Cardinals, Quentin Harris Part Ways
A recent candidate for general manager jobs, Quentin Harris had spent the bulk of his career as a Cardinals executive. The veteran personnel man is now out in Arizona.
The Cardinals parted ways with Harris, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Harris had most recently served as the franchise’s VP of player personnel. The 46-year-old staffer had been with the Cardinals since 2008.
Harris had interviewed for multiple GM jobs recently, meeting with the Giants about the position that went to Joe Schoen and speaking with the Titans regarding the role that went to Ran Carthon. The Cards interviewed Harris for their GM job as well, doing so after he had finished the 2022 season as a co-GM of sorts alongside Adrian Wilson. The two filled in for Steve Keim, whose leave of absence before led to a departure.
The Cardinals had Harris on staff before Keim’s GM tenure started, hiring the former NFL defensive back as a scout. The Cardinals had initially identified Harris as a UDFA out of Syracuse back in 2002; Harris spent four seasons with the Cards, teaming with Wilson in the Arizona secondary in the 2000s. Both Harris and Wilson, who left for a Carolina front office post in 2023, are now out of the picture in Arizona.
Reorganizations of this sort are not uncommon in situations involving a new regime. The Cardinals had kept Harris on during multiple GM tenures, but they had previously promoted from within to fill the GM post. The franchise shifted course in 2023, hiring Monti Ossenfort and assistant GM Dave Sears from elsewhere. That naturally moved the holdover staffers onto shakier ground, and Harris is now available to pursue gigs elsewhere.
Lions, Jonah Jackson Not Close On Deal?
Among a handful of young guards close to free agency, Jonah Jackson may need to collect his money elsewhere. As the Lions have some big payments to make, the four-year guard starter was not close to an extension when the sides previously talked.
The Lions discussed an extension with Jackson last year, though no report of substantial negotiations surfaced. Indeed, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes Jackson and the Lions were not believed to be close on terms when they talked in 2023.
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Detroit does not have an obvious replacement for Jackson on its roster, but the team also has Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow tied to veteran contracts up front. Penei Sewell is also extension-eligible now; the All-Pro right tackle will be linked to a potential position-record accord either this year or next. The Lions will have Sewell under contract through 2025, once they pick up his fifth-year option. That will table matters with the former No. 6 overall pick, but the Jackson situation is on the front burner.
A starter in all 59 games he has played with the Lions, Jackson previously expressed interest in a long-term Detroit stay. The former third-round pick was part of one of the NFL’s best O-lines, helping enable Jared Goff‘s resurgence and successful seasons from RBs David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jamaal Williams over the past two years. Pro Football Focus ranked Jackson 34th among guards last season, but he checked in inside the top 30 in 2021 and ’22.
Jackson, 27, is part of an interesting guard class. Not much movement has taken place with the 2020 draftees-turned-starters, who are close to testing the market. Jackson joins Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis, Michael Onwenu, Jon Runyan Jr. and Ezra Cleveland as young guard starters seeking their first paydays. Teams in need at guard will also have older performers Dalton Risner and Graham Glasgow, the latter rebounding when back with the Lions, available. Kevin Zeitler will also be available ahead of his age-34 season.
In addition to a future Sewell payment, the Lions have Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown residing as 2024 priorities. Both offensive pillars are going into contract years. Jackson should not be ruled out from staying, but it is certainly possible the gap between what the Lions have offered — if indeed an offer has been extended — and what will be available on the open market will lead the four-year starter out of Michigan.
Rams Release C Brian Allen
Displaced as the Rams’ starting center, Brian Allen is now off the team’s roster. The Rams announced Wednesday they have released Allen, who had one season remaining on his contract.
Allen, who started for the team in Super Bowl LVI, had re-signed with the Rams on a three-year, $24MM deal back in 2022. The veteran only played 34 offensive snaps last season, however. The Rams will save $4.9MM by making this move.
Allen’s contract called for a $5MM base salary next season. Due to a restructure that included void years, the Rams will take on $3.15MM in dead money by releasing the six-year veteran. The Rams found Allen in the 2018 fourth round, turning to him as one of many Day 3 draftees to become regular starters. While Allen did enough to command a nice second contract, he found himself on the bench this past season.
The Rams turned to Coleman Shelton as their primary center in 2023, reorganizing their O-line. In 2022, the Rams had re-signed Allen and Joe Noteboom to respectively work as their center and left tackle starters. Neither deal panned out. The Rams drafted Steve Avila in the second round and acquired Kevin Dotson via trade last year; Alaric Jackson also beat out Noteboom for the left tackle gig. The shuffling left right tackle Rob Havenstein as the only Super Bowl starter remaining.
Injuries impeded Allen, 28, for much of his Rams career. He suffered a knee injury in Week 1 of the 2022 season, missing time due to a minor surgery. Allen ended up starting only seven games that season, with thumb and calf issues finishing his season early during a year that featured rampant Rams health issues up front. Allen also missed the entire 2019 season due to ACL and MCL tears, bouncing back to become the Rams’ starting center from 2020-21.
Pro Football Focus graded Allen as the league’s 10th-best center in 2021, but while he made 20 starts for the Super Bowl-winning Rams team, he played part of the season with a UCL tear in his elbow. The season still secured him a ring and a nice payday. The center market did not produce much of consequence last year, however, with a handful of teams being able to re-sign their pivots for cheap. This and a run of injuries does not bode too well for Allen, though the Michigan State alum has made 32 career starts and been in that role for two playoff teams.
Commanders Pursued Brian Burns In 2023
Picking up draft capital in exchange for young edge rushers became one of the defining aspects of the 2023 Commanders’ season, which skidded off the rails following the trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The team also looks to have been monitoring an edge player on another roster.
Washington joined a number of teams in contacting Carolina regarding Brian Burns‘ availability before the October 31 deadline, The Athletic’s Joseph Person notes (subscription required). The Panthers, as they have done at a few junctures over the past 14 months, squashed trade overtures for Burns.
The Jaguars, Falcons and Ravens inquired about Burns last year, with the Bears and 49ers — the teams that eventually landed the Commanders’ trade chips — also involved in the second deadline pursuit of the Panthers Pro Bowler. This was only the second-most notable deadline Burns pursuit, as the Rams’ two-first-rounder proposal will be difficult to beat. No team approached the Rams’ 2022 Burns offer last year. Though, it is certainly interesting the Commanders checked in.
With Josh Harris believed to be a central part of the course change, the Commanders made the surprising choice to trade both Young and Sweat at last year’s deadline. The new owner emphasized picking up draft assets, doing so before pushing out the team’s fourth-year HC/top decision-maker (Ron Rivera) after the trades helped drive the team to a 4-13 record and the No. 2 overall draft slot. For Washington to also be interested in Burns would seem to run counter to the newly established mission.
Then again, the organization’s Panthers ties could explain this effort. Rivera was in place as Carolina’s HC when Burns went off the 2019 draft board in the first round. Marty Hurney was as well, working in his second stint as Panthers GM when the team chose Burns 16th overall. Hurney worked under Rivera in Washington, serving as the team’s executive VP of player personnel previously. While Harris sacked Rivera, Hurney and former GM Martin Mayhew remain with the organization in different roles.
It would seem unlikely Harris would have signed off on a blockbuster Burns acquisition, but given the Panthers’ stance on the former Rivera/Hurney investment, it is a moot point anyway. In addition to turning down the aforementioned Rams offer, former Panthers GM Scott Fitterer refused to include Burns in the 2023 trade for the No. 1 overall pick. That led to D.J. Moore being sent to Chicago last March. The Burns trade developments have only emboldened the upper-crust sack artist on the contract front, and another chapter — this time involving new Panthers GM Dan Morgan — looks set to begin soon.
The Panthers remain likely to use their franchise tag on Burns, Person adds. The two-time Pro Bowler sought a $30MM-per-year deal during the 2023 offseason. At the time, that would have established a new position record. T.J. Watt held that distinction for two years, via his $28MM-AAV Steelers re-up, but Nick Bosa topped it on the $34MM-per-year accord the 49ers gave him in September. Burns has not proven to be in the Watt or Bosa class, but the Panthers have armed him with considerable leverage. Bosa’s extension will certainly impact the Panthers’ talks with Burns, which were effectively paused during the latter’s contract year.
Burns, who stands to be Carolina’s first tag recipient since Taylor Moton in 2021, said he wants to stay with the Panthers. But it will clearly be costly for the team to retain him. It will be interesting to see if Fitterer’s successor affects these talks. Though, Morgan was in place as Carolina’s assistant GM from 2021-23. A tag, which will cost approximately $22.7MM, will buy the Panthers more time. They would have until July 15 to extend Burns, though a trade can be worked out beyond that point.
Dolphins LT Terron Armstead Expected To Play In 2024
Terron Armstead has not confirmed he will be back for a 12th NFL season, but early signs are pointing in that direction. As the Dolphins appear set to go through Tua Tagovailoa extension talks, his two-year left tackle is viewed as likely to be part of the 2024 equation.
The Dolphins expect Armstead to play next season, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Armstead said coming out of the 2023 campaign he was unsure about returning, and while injuries have continued to play a regular role for the accomplished blocker, he is tied to a $15MM-per-year deal that features some guarantees already in place moving forward.
As part of the five-year, $75MM contract Armstead inked with Miami in 2022, he locked in $5MM of his 2024 base salary by being on the Dolphins’ roster on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. The rest of that $13.25MM salary will be guaranteed on March 15. That represents a good incentive to come back; Armstead will be going into his age-33 season.
Tyreek Hill has represented the primary catalyst for Miami’s offense taking off under Mike McDaniel, but Armstead has also provided the Tagovailoa-led unit with some upper-crust abilities since joining the team in McDaniel’s first year. The ex-Saints mainstay has been one of the league’s better tackles when available, though injuries have stuck with the veteran since his New Orleans exit. Pro Football Focus has graded Armstead as a top-20 tackle in eight of the past nine seasons. The advanced metrics website placed Armstead 16th in 2023.
Armstead missed seven games last season and four in 2022. He has never played 16 games in a season and has missed 59 contests over the course of his career. Armstead landed on IR due to a knee injury and dealt with multiple knee maladies during his second year in Miami. He later missed time because of quad trouble but was available for the Dolphins’ stretch run — on an O-line ransacked by injuries once again. The Dolphins lost Connor Williams and Isaiah Wynn for the season and saw Robert Hunt miss seven games due to a hamstring injury. Armstead played nine of the Dolphins’ final 10 games last season.
Miami extended right tackle Austin Jackson in December, but the former first-round pick is not tied to a top-tier tackle contract. The Dolphins are on the verge of seeing their equation change with a Tagovailoa extension, with Jaylen Waddle also extension-eligible now. While their tackles are tied to veteran deals, neither is on a top-10 pact at his respective position. Armstead’s $15MM AAV checks in 13th among left tackles; Jackson’s $12MM number is 11th at RT.
The Dolphins have questions at other O-line spots, with each of their three interior starters last year — Wynn, Williams, Hunt — due for free agency next month. But they will attempt to round out those spots with the expectation Armstead will still anchor the unit.
Patriots Unlikely To Re-Sign OL Michael Onwenu; Kyle Dugger Franchise Tag In Play
Showing an intriguing skillset at both guard and right tackle, Michael Onwenu is expected to generate extensive interest on the open market. The Patriots have the option of franchise-tagging the former sixth-round pick, but that does not seem like the route the organization will take.
The Pats are expecting Onwenu to depart in free agency, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who indicates teams are monitoring this situation ahead of what is expected to be a strong free agency derby. Several teams slot Onwenu as the top free agent O-lineman this year, per Fowler. Onwenu is among a number of young guard starters close to hitting the market; the former sixth-rounder’s RT past stands to bolster his case to become a well-paid player soon after the legal tampering period launches free agency.
[RELATED: 2024 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates]
Seeing their Riley Reiff-centered right tackle plan produce only a handful of snaps in 2023, the Patriots moved Onwenu back outside. He had spent time at RT as a rookie, before settling in at guard in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, ESPN’s pass block win rate metric placed Onwenu eighth among guards. Pro Football Focus slotted the Michigan alum 29th among tackles last season.
Onwenu, 26, joins a host of guards who are coming off their rookie deals. Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson, Damien Lewis, Jon Runyan Jr. and Ezra Cleveland are weeks away from free agency status. Tackle, however, looks much thinner. Among players seeking their first payday, Jonah Williams headlines the tackle crop. Onwenu could give a team a solution at multiple spots. While this resume overlaps with the swingman job description, Onwenu is far above that level. His next team will pay him to start at either guard or right tackle.
The Patriots losing Onwenu would deal a blow to an offense already light on talent. Trent Brown is expected to depart, and Cole Strange has not yet justified his first-round status. Brown’s latest Pats contract voided this week, Fowler adds, creating a $2MM dead-money charge. Onwenu has made 56 career starts and is coming into his prime. The Pats are looking likely to need new solutions at left and right tackle. Onwenu extension talks did not progress too far, though that came when Bill Belichick was still running the show. Eliot Wolf is believed to be in charge now, creating a sense of uncertainty due to Belichick having been at the top of the Pats’ decision-making pyramid for so long.
In an antiquated setup, all O-linemen remain under one umbrella when it comes to the franchise tag. This results in guards and centers rarely being tagged. Though, the Patriots bucked this trend when they last unholstered their tag; New England cuffed Joe Thuney in 2020. The O-lineman tag is projected to check in around $19.9MM. The Pats have another player residing as a more realistic tag candidate. They are more likely to keep Kyle Dugger off the market, Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal writes.
A Dugger tag is probably on the table, per ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss, who reminds of the Pats’ run of failures extending highly drafted players in recent years. The team has not extended a homegrown first-, second- or third-round pick since re-signing 2013 third-rounder Duron Harmon in 2017. Dugger qualifies as a candidate to reverse that trend.
Although the safety market basically turned into Jessie Bates and the field last year, teams have been looking into a potential Dugger pursuit for a bit now. It would cost the Pats roughly $16.2MM to tag Dugger. Doing so would buy them time on an extension, as teams have until July 15 to extended tagged players. Jerod Mayo also pointed to the team being more aggressive in free agency recently, Reiss adds. Holding the NFL’s second-most projected cap space (at $69.5MM), the Pats can afford a Dugger tag and have money to spend to address other areas.
Belichick held onto Dugger and Onwenu at the trade deadline, though both were rumored candidates to be moved as the team found itself in the rare position as a potential midseason seller. Dugger played 97% of the Pats’ defensive snaps last season, and with Mayo and DeMarcus Covington sticking around, the former second-round pick offers continuity for a team that just released Adrian Phillips. Dugger played ahead of the veteran in 2023. PFF only ranked Dugger 68th among safeties last season but viewed his 2022 more favorably; the Lenoir-Rhyne alum returned two interceptions for touchdowns that year. Although Dugger has fared better closer to the line of scrimmage, he has nine INTs over the past three seasons.