Cardinals QB Carson Palmer To Return In ’17
It’s official: Carson Palmer says he’ll return for the 2017 season. The announcement has been expected for about a week now since Bruce Arians hinted that the veteran QB would be back. 
[RELATED: Larry Fitzgerald To Return In 2017]
Palmer, a three-time Pro Bowler, will turn 37 during the 2017 season. While he has defied his age in the past, 2016 was a so-so year for him and one could argue that he’s in decline. The Cards are happy to have Palmer back, but it might make sense for them to invest in a backup QB who can simultaneously be a future starting option and a safety net in the present.
In 2016, Palmer threw for 4,233 yards with 26 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had Palmer rated as the No. 17 QB in the NFL, which still puts him ahead of notables like Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.
Palmer is under contract through 2018 and set to rake in a $15.5MM base salary next season. All in all, he’ll carry a $24.1MM cap hit.
Colts Cut LB D’Qwell Jackson
The Colts have released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team has also confirmed the news via press release.
[RELATED: Robert Turbin Wants To Stay With Colts]
Jackson, 33, has been with the Colts for the last three seasons. He joined the team on a four-year, $22MM contract with the expectation that he would anchor the team’s linebacking core. After a Pro Bowl season in 2014, Jackson started showed signs of decline and his off-the-field missteps haven’t helped matters. In March of last year, he was found guilty of simple assault, stemming from a February 2015 altercation with a delivery driver. Then, in December, he was handed a four-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have Jackson ranked as just the 80th best linebacker in the league out of 87 qualified players for 2016. By PFF’s numbers, Jackson has actually been playing below-average football for the last four seasons, with his last respectable season coming in 2012. In any case, the Colts are looking to go younger at linebacker and they were unwilling to pay Jackson a $500K roster bonus in March. Had they kept him, he would have carried a $5.75MM cap number for ’17.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Cutler, Watson
Will new Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates bring Jay Cutler to New York? One recent report indicated that’s a possibility, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com hears the Jets will not be suitors for the Bears QB. From what Cimini can glean, Tyrod Taylor (if he’s released by the Bills) and free agent Mike Glennon are higher on the team’s wish list than Cutler. Cutler is expected to be released by the Bears in the coming weeks and you can expect him to be the subject of many rumors, some including the QB-needy Jets.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Jets are reportedly putting in “extensive work” on Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News would be surprised if Watson is in consideration for the Jets’ No. 6 overall pick. To date, Mehta says he hasn’t spoken to any talent evaluator who believes that Watson is worthy of a Top 10 pick. Of course, the draft isn’t strictly about talent and the best player available. Teams often reach for players, particularly quarterbacks, and it’s not out of the question that a team could take him early if they believe he’s a future star.
- Should the Dolphins pursue free agent tight end Martellus Bennett? James Walker of ESPN.com writes that he would provide the big, athletic playmaker in the middle of the field that Ryan Tannehill needs. By the same token, he’d be an expensive addition. The Dolphins could instead find a tight end in the draft this year. The TE class is headlined by Alabama’s O.J. Howard and the University of Miami’s David Njoku.
- Should the Patriots stock up for their repeat championship bid by trading quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo? Click here to cast your vote.
- Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is reportedly on the Browns’ radar. Meanwhile, Taylor says he hopes to remain with Buffalo.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Wallace, Browns
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Mike Wallace‘s contract is probably the most difficult cap decision facing the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. After a 1,000-yard season, Wallace is the Ravens’ best receiver and they’re looking thin after Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken heading to free agency. However, Wallace has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team at $8MM and they can save $5.75MM if they drop him. In theory, Wallace could be dropped if the team can get a cheaper possession receiver to put next to speedsters Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore.
- The Browns shouldn’t rush into a long-term deal with restricted free agent Isaiah Crowell, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes. With a first- or second-round tender, the Browns can either retain the young tailback or cash in on a compensatory pick if another team signs him away. Grossi says it would be “stupid” for another team to make that kind of investment in Crowell and I’m inclined to agree. Crowell has skills, but he’s not worth a valuable draft pick in addition to a free agent deal.
- The Steelers were without defensive end Cam Heyward for the second half of the season but the D-Line actually managed to stepped its game up. Now, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, both the starters and reserves are under contract for next season except Ricardo Mathews, who started five games. Now, the unit can grow together for an additional year and that should mean an additional step forward. As for Mathews, the Steelers may not re-sign him after L.T. Walton came on strong to close out the season.
Rams Hire Matt LaFleur As OC
The Rams have announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their offensive coordinator. LaFleur previously served as the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach. 
[RELATED: Falcons Hire Steve Sarkisian As OC]
LaFleur is widely credited with helping to develop Matt Ryan. Long considered a solid starter, Ryan put it all together this past season en route to an MVP award. Pro Football Focus’ metrics also ranked Ryan as the No. 2 QB in the game, putting him behind only Tom Brady, whose Patriots knocked off Ryan’s Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
LaFleur worked with new Rams head coach Sean McVay while the two were with the Redskins. McVay picked his defensive coordinator a long time ago, but it seems that he waited specifically so that he could hire LaFleur. After molding Ryan into a beast, LaFleur’s next task will be to get the most out of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. While Goff showed flashes in his rookie season, the youngster is still largely green. The right tutelage will go a long way toward helping his progress, but the Rams will also have to improve their offensive line in order to maximize his time in the pocket.
The 37-year-old LaFleur has worked as an offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, with his most recent college job coming as the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 2014. He served in the same capacity with the Redskins from 2010-2013.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that the Rams would hire LaFleur. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Beat: ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez On The Rams
Now that the regular season is over, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
This week, we caught up with Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com to discuss the Rams. You can follow Alden on Twitter @alden_gonzalez and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: After a wide-ranging search, the Rams hired the youngest coach in NFL history. Do you think the 31-year-old Sean McVay will prove to be a smart hire?
Alden Gonzalez: I think he’s going to make their offense better – it can’t be any worse – and I think the players are going to like him. I think they’re going to feed off his energy. The question is how quickly McVay can adapt to all the responsibility that comes with being an NFL head coach, from managing a game to handling a locker room to orchestrating practices. On top of all that, McVay will call the plays on offense. But he could not have made a better hire than the 69-year-old Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator. McVay basically only has to worry about one side of the ball. 
Young coaches have been very hit and miss throughout NFL history. John Madden, Don Shula, Mike Tomlin and Jon Gruden succeeded. Lane Kiffin, Raheem Morris, David Shula and Josh McDaniels did not. It’s a pretty remarkable leap of faith for what is perhaps the most important coaching hire in Rams history. But I give them credit for trying to hit a home run, and I’m trying not to get caught up on the date of McVay’s birth certificate. If he were five years older and had the exact same resume, I don’t think anybody would be making a big deal about it. He sure doesn’t act 31.
Zach Links: Before the start of the 2016 season, you told us that Jared Goff “needs to be more decisive, he needs to take care of the football and he needs to do a better job of picking up blitzes.” What have you seen from him in those areas? How do you feel about him heading into 2017?
Alden Gonzalez: Clearly he didn’t do any of that. Goff put up a 22.2 Total QBR that was by far the worst among those who made at least seven starts last season. He made poor decisions, missed easy throws and didn’t display very good presence in the pocket. But he also faced a ton of pressure, threw to an underwhelming group of receivers and ran an offensive scheme that was, for all intents and purposes, systematically broken.
So, I don’t think it’s totally fair to judge Goff just yet. I do like his arm. He’s more mobile than I expected, and many have raved about how mentally tough he is. Occasionally he also made impressive throws downfield. But he has a lot to prove and has a longer road ahead of him at this point than the Rams might have hoped. McVay’s offense is very quarterback friendly, so now is when we’ll start to see how good Goff can be.
Packers Cut RB James Starks
The Packers have cut running back James Starks, according to the league’s official transactions wire. Starks’ release comes under the non-football injury designation. The running back finished the season in concussion protocol following a car accident and that’s presumably the driving force behind the NFI tag. 
The Packers were without starter Eddie Lacy for much of the season and a good chunk of Starks’ absence overlapped with that period. The injuries forced Green Bay to get creative in the backfield, turning to wide receiver Ty Montgomery as a ball carrier. The Packers also had former Chiefs running back Knile Davis on the roster for a cup of coffee, but he did not do much in his brief time there.
All in all, Starks finished the season with 145 yards off of 63 carries plus 19 catches for 134 yards and two scores. The 2.3 yards-per-carry average stands as the worst of his career.
Starks will turn 31 on Feb. 25 – a very advanced age for any tailback – so it remains to be seen how much interest he’ll encounter once he’s healthy. It’s also possible that he considers retirement after a productive seven-year career which includes one Super Bowl ring. If the Packers bring him back, it will almost certainly be at a lower rate than the $3MM he was slated to make in ’17.
AFC Notes: Colts, Turbin, Steelers, Brown
Could Robert Turbin be the Colts‘ running back of the future? If the team wants him to stay in the fold, they’ll have to sign the pending free agent to a new contract. Turbin, for his part, says he wants to return but he is also seeking “security” in his new deal, Zac Keefer of the Indy Star writes. In 2016, Turbin had seven rushing touchdowns off of just 47 carries, plus one receiving score. Frank Gore still projects as the Colts’ starter in 2017, but the team has to start thinking about a successor since his contract runs out after 2017 and he will turn 35 before the start of the ’18 campaign.
Turbin has never been the go-to guy for any team, but he’s ready to change that.
“I don’t want to be labeled as a backup running back or a third-down back,” Turbin said in late December. “I want to be a starter in this league. I believe I can be a starter. It’s just about timing. I’ll continue to work hard like I always have and try to make the most of my opportunities.”
Here’s more out of the AFC:
- After releasing former top-10 pick Justin Gilbert, it’s time for the Steelers to stop giving up draft picks for other teams’ cornerbacks, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler opines. The Steelers also gave up a pick for their short time with cornerback Brandon Boykin and Fowler would rather see the team acquire secondary help in the draft and cultivate their own corners. Recent late-round picks Anthony Chickillo, Dan McCullers, Vince Williams and L.T. Walton all contributed to the Steelers’ 2016 defense in varying degrees, so the mechanisms are there to build a CB.
- An Antonio Brown extension won’t have guaranteed money like the deal given to Falcons standout Julio Jones, former agent Joel Corry says (on Twitter). Instead, Corry says, it will be more like the structure of A.J. Green‘s since the Steelers do not guarantee base salary. The Steelers and Brown have already started extension talks as the wide receiver enters his final year under contract.
- New Colts GM Chris Ballard will use analytics in his decision making, Colts.com’s Kevin Bowen writes. In his 16 years in the game, Ballard has watched analytics evolve to a point where they must be taken in heavy consideration along with watching game film.
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Draft, Packers
Grady Jarrett‘s performance in the Super Bowl served as a reminder of what the Vikings defense is sorely lacking, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune writes. Jarrett, a second-year defensive tackle, had three sacks on Tom Brady before the Patriots evened the score and ultimately won. The Vikings missed their chance to draft Jarrett, but they can try and find a similarly disruptive force on the open market this offseason. At this point, the Vikings cannot bank on Sharrif Floyd becoming that player on a consistent basis.
More from the NFC North:
- More from Vensel, who wonders what it might take for the Vikings to trade back into the first round. As it stands, the Vikings are one of two teams without a first-round pick. However, GM Rick Spielman loves to wheel and deal and it’s always possible that Minnesota could trade up again. Minnesota has eight picks in total with two in the third round and two in the fourth round, so the needed ammunition is there. Using the NFL draft pick trade value chart, Vensel figures that the Vikings could package their No. 46 or 47 pick (depending on the coin toss) in the second round with their own third-round choice to get something in the range of the No. 29 selection. Of course, the No. 29 pick in particular might not be the wisest target since it is currently owned by the Packers.
- The Packers could be more aggressive in free agency this year than they have in the past, but team president team president Mark Murphy won’t force GM Ted Thompson to do so (link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “Ted and I talk all the time, and he knows that he has all the resources he needs, but the way I manage and work with people, I would never tell Ted what to do,” Murphy said. “My philosophy is hire really good people, give them the resources they need, and you support them. I think that’s worked well for us. And yeah, we haven’t been real active, but when we do go into free agency, we usually get pretty good players.”
AFC East Notes: Jets, Daniel, Dolphins
Jets head coach Todd Bowles loves the potential of pending free agent quarterback Mike Glennon, a team source tells Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. That jibes with “word on the street” from one month ago which indicated that the Jets will pursue the Bucs QB. Vacchiano adds that GM Mike Maccagnan inquired about trading for Glennon two years ago before the Jets got Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets’ interest in Glennon seems pretty certain, but it’s not clear if they’ll be able to sign him given their tight cap situation.
- Lots of names have been floated around as the Jets search for a quarterback, but Connor Hughes of NJ.com proposes a new one: Chase Daniel. The Eagles signal caller isn’t the sexiest choice out there, but he spent four years playing for Sean Payton in New Orleans and John Morton spent two years as the Saints’ receivers coach. The two never overlapped, but Morton is expected to build a West Coast offense influenced by his time in New Orleans, so Daniel wouldn’t have much of a learning curve. On the flipside, the Eagles like having Daniel as a mentor and backup for Carson Wentz and prying him away might require an overpay on the part of the Jets.
- The Patriots are on top of the world, but the Dolphins can take steps to help close the gap in 2017, James Walker of ESPN.com writes. One way they can lift themselves up in the AFC East would be to add speed across the board this offseason, Walker argues. After watching the Falcons use their speed to jump out to a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, he wants Miami to get turbo power in areas such as linebacker, safety, tight end, defensive end, and running back.
- The Patriots are interested in re-signing wide receiver Michael Floyd, even though he was not activated for the Super Bowl.