Panthers Re-Sign K Graham Gano
The Panthers won’t be using the franchise tag on Graham Gano. Carolina has locked up the kicker with a four-year deal worth $17MM, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes $9MM guaranteed.
Heading into the offseason, outsiders assumed that the Panthers’ primary franchise tag candidate would be guard Andrew Norwell with an outside possibility that defensive tackle Star Lotulelei could be hit with the one-year placeholder. Instead, Gano was reportedly the only player in the mix for the tag. This year, the NFL set the tag for kickers at $4.939MM. That’s significantly cheaper than the offensive line tag ($14.077MM) and the defensive tackle tag ($13.939MM).
In theory, the Panthers can now use their franchise tag on another player now that Gano has been re-signed. However, everything we’ve heard up until this point indicates that the Panthers will allow both Norwell and Lotulelei to explore the open market.
Last year, Gano led the league in field goal percentage as he nailed 96.7% of his attempts en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. He also led the league in touchbacks with 84.8% of his kickoffs resulting in the opposing team starting from the 20-yard line.
In terms of total value, Gano’s deal ranks fourth behind Dan Bailey, Ryan Succop, and Stephen Gostkowski amongst kickers. However, his average annual value of $4.25MM makes him the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL, trailing only Gostkowski. His total guarantee of $9MM puts him third in that category behind Justin Tucker and Gostkowski and just ahead of Succop.
After a shaky 2016, a lucrative long-term deal did not seem possible for Gano. Two seasons ago, Gano made just 30 of 38 field goal attempts and used a draft pick on Harrison Butker to open up a kicking competition. Today, Gano stands as one of the highest-paid players at his position.
Rams Tag Lamarcus Joyner
The Rams have placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on safety Lamarcus Joyner. Because each team is only allowed to tag one player per offseason, this means that Sammy Watkins will be ticketed for free agency unless the two sides come to an agreement between now and March 14. 
[RELATED: Rams Trade Robert Quinn to Dolphins]
The Rams are still intent on keeping Watkins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Although the Rams value both players, tagging Joyner was the less costly option. The franchise tag for safeties this year is $11.287MM. Conversely, the tag for wide receivers is $15.982MM.
The Rams have a fair amount of flexibility this offseason, so an extension for Watkins could still be in the cards. At the same time, they’ll have to factor for future deals with running back Todd Gurley and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. On the plus side, their recent trade of Robert Quinn to the Dolphins has opened up additional room.
Joyner, a 2014 second-rounder, never started more than eight games in a season until 2017. He shifted from cornerback to free safety in his contract year and broke out in a big way. Last season, Joyner started 12 contests and graded out as the third-best safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
The Rams have until July 16 to hammer out a long-term deal with Joyner. If the two sides are unable to reach a multi-year accord, Joyner will play out the 2018 season under the terms of his one-year tender.
Before the tag, Joyner profiled as the top available safety in free agency. Now, the best safeties available include the likes of Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, Bradley McDougald, Tyvon Branch, and Marcus Gilchrist. It remains a deep class at safety, but none of those players offer the same kind of upside as Joyner. There will be some notables on the trade market as well, but as of this writing, the Seahawks seem intent on keeping Earl Thomas.
Tre Mason Looking To Make NFL Return
Tre Mason is looking to make an NFL return, sources tell Matt Zenitz of AL.com. People close to Mason have reached out to teams to let them know that Mason’s mental health has greatly improved since 2016 when he had multiple run-ins with police. 
It remains to be seen whether Mason will get another opportunity. In March of 2016, the former SEC Offensive Player of the Year was arrested for reckless driving, resisting arrest, and possession of cannabis. In July of that year, he was “admitted for evaluation” after an incident at his mother’s house.
Due to his personal issues, Mason has not played since the 2015 season. The Rams placed the running back on the reserve/did not report list in August 2016 he failed to show up to a meeting. Leading up to that, he had not been in contact with the organization for months.
The Auburn product didn’t produce a whole lot when he was on the field and he’s now years removed from the game. At this point, Mason may not be able to get so much as a non-guaranteed, minimum salary deal.
Mason appeared in 25 games for the Rams (12 starts) in his two seasons with the Rams. He ran for 972 rushing yards and five touchdowns off of 254 carries, and he added another 34 receptions for 236 yards and one score. After averaging a solid 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie, that number plummeted to 2.8 yards as a sophomore.
Kirk Cousins Has Not Ruled Out Any Team
Despite some speculation to the contrary, Kirk Cousins has not ruled out any team, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). That’s good news for the Jets, who have been buying into the increasing chatter that the Vikings will be his destination. 
A recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com identified four “final” teams vying for the quarterback’s services: the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets and Vikings. The Browns were conspicuously absent from that list, but Mehta’s latest report leaves open the possibility that Cleveland can still be a factor for him. Still, the Browns may prefer to sign a lower-cost veteran to pair with a quarterback selected at No. 1 or No. 4 overall in April’s draft.
Other than the Browns, the Jets have the most room on hand of any QB-needy team to pull off a Cousins deal. The Vikings can also make it work with $47.6MM in cap space if they allow Case Keenum to walk. It’s a bit trickier to see how the Broncos ($23MM in space) and the Cardinals ($20.2MM) can work him into the budget.
As of last week, Cousins was planning to wait until at least March 14 to sign with a club, even though he could reach a handshake agreement with teams as soon as March 12. Right now, it seems like everything is on the table and it may be more than a week until Cousins reaches a decision.
Jaguars Won’t Tag WR Allen Robinson
The Jaguars have informed Allen Robinson that they will not use the franchise or transition tag on him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If no deal is reached between the wide receiver and the Jaguars in the coming days, Robinson will be able to speak with teams on March 12 and free to sign with any club starting on March 14. 
[RELATED: PFR’s Top Ranked Free Agent WRs]
In a weak class of free agent wide receivers, Robinson stands out as the best. WR-needy teams will be lining up for Robinson if he reaches the open market – including the Redskins – but they better bring their checkbooks. It stands to reason that Robinson will clear $10MM per year in average annual value and he may require a multi-year arrangement.
Robinson missed all but three snaps of the 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL. However, he remains a top flight talent. In 2015, Robinson pulled down 80 catches for 1,400 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. Even in a down year in 2016, Robinson had 73 grabs for 883 yards and six scores.
The Jaguars nearly reached the Super Bowl without the services of Robinson, so they’d surely like to see what they’re capable of with him back in the lineup. If the Jags get into a bidding war for Robinson, they might not be able to hold on to him, given their limited cap space.
Bills Sign RB Chris Ivory
Chris Ivory is off of the board. The Bills are signing the veteran running back, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal worth $5.5MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal gives him $3.25MM guaranteed in the first year and it can be worth as much as $6MM.
Ivory was released by the Jaguars late last month, freeing him from the final three years of a five-year, $32.5MM deal. At the time, the Jaguars thought they were getting a high-end running back as Ivory was coming off of a 1,000+ yard, seven-touchdown season with the Jets. Unfortunately, he did not produce in Jacksonville. Last season, Ivory averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.
Even though we haven’t seen Ivory play consistently well since 2015, multiple teams expressed interest in recent days. The Browns also met with Ivory before he agreed to a deal with Buffalo.
Ivory will slot somewhere behind LeSean McCoy on the Bills’ depth chart. Other tailbacks currently under contract in Buffalo include Marcus Murphy and Aaron Green. Bills veteran running backs Travaris Cadet and Taiwan Jones are eligible for free agency next week, as is fullback Mike Tolbert.
Most of the league’s impact free agents will not be able to sign with teams until March 14. Because Ivory was released from his contract, he had the ability to sign with a club at any time. The Bills snagged another “early” free agent recently when they inked cornerback Vontae Davis to a one-year deal.
Redskins Eyeing WR Allen Robinson, Paul Richardson
If Allen Robinson is not franchise tagged by the Jaguars today, the Redskins will be among the teams ready to pounce on him, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Keim adds that Seahawks free agent Paul Richardson is also among the receivers who are of interest to the Redskins. 
[RELATED: Top 2018 Offensive Free Agents, By Position]
Robinson stands as my top ranked free agent wide receiver this year, edging Sammy Watkins. Beyond those two, there are no surefire WR1 types to be had, but Richardson (ranked sixth) does offer promise.
Last year, the Redskins tried to fortify their receiver group by signing Terrelle Pryor and Brian Quick in free agency. Neither signing really panned out as Quick barely played and Pryor hardly produced. But, with at least one of those receivers likely to move on, there is room for the team to reload and try its hand at finding weapons through free agency once more.
Signing both Robinson and Richardson in a seller’s WR market could be hard to pull off, even with $47.7MM of cap space at the Redskins’ disposal. However, the Redskins realistically only need one impact receiver with Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder already under contract. Alternatively, Washington could sign one top WR and potentially re-sign Pryor at a cheaper rate once he explores the open market.
Top 2018 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense
NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market. The same goes for players who have been franchise tagged or transition tagged.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2018:
Quarterback:
- Kirk Cousins
- Drew Brees
- Case Keenum
- A.J. McCarron
- Sam Bradford
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Colin Kaepernick
- Josh McCown
- Mike Glennon
- Drew Stanton
- Jay Cutler
- Chase Daniel
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Brock Osweiler
- Tom Savage
There were many difficult calls when putting this list together, but ranking Kirk Cousins as the No. 1 QB available was not among them. Cousins is 
the best quarterback to reach free agency in recent history and he’ll become the highest-paid player of all-time – at least, for some period of time – in mid-March. Who will make history with Cousins? That’s anyone’s guess right now. The Browns have more cap room than any other team, but a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets, and Vikings as the final suitors for Cousins. Of those four, the Jets have the most money to work with, but they’re concerned about the Vikings winning out and Cousins’ desire to win could point him in another direction. If the Broncos and Cardinals want in on the Cousins sweepstakes, they’ll have to get creative with the books.
Drew Brees is included here, but by his own admission, he’ll be re-signing with the Saints rather than testing the open waters of free agency. Unless the Saints lowball their franchise QB, it’s hard to see him leaving New Orleans.
Case Keenum put together a tremendous season for the Vikings, but he doesn’t have a history of success beyond 2017. There will be plenty of interest in Keenum, but only after QB-needy teams strike out on Cousins. The incumbent Vikings could re-sign Keenum, but right now, it seems like they are intent on exploring the Cousins waters first.
There isn’t a ton of footage on A.J. McCarron, which made his placement on this list awfully tricky. We know this much: McCarron did well in place of Dalton in the home stretch of the 2015 season and his former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was salivating at the chance of landing him before the Browns bungled the trade with the Bengals. McCarron’s relative youth is a plus (he won’t turn 28 until September) and his lack of experience can be looked at as a positive. Unlike some of the other names on this list, he hasn’t run up his NFL odometer.
What will NFL teams make of Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford this offseason? Not long ago, both seemed like quality starting options. However, there are serious injury questions about both players and any team signing them will either look to backstop them with another decent option or ask them to come onboard as a QB2. With that in mind, one has to wonder if Bradford would consider retirement if asked to hold the clipboard for another signal caller. Bradford has earned upwards of $110MM over the years in the NFL, so it’s safe to say that he has enough money in the bank to call it quits if he wants. For now, he’s intent on playing.
Colin Kaepernick‘s placement on this list is sure to draw some strong reactions from his fans and detractors alike. Looking purely at his football ability, there’s no question that he belongs on someone’s roster. At minimum, Kaepernick profiles as a high-end backup, even after a year out of the game.
Quarterbacks coaches have long believed that Mike Glennon is capable of great things, due in part to his height. At 6’7″, he can see over any defensive line, but he hasn’t done much on the field to prove that he is a quality Week 1 starting option. Josh McCown, who is a decade his senior, edges him here for his surprisingly strong performance in 2017 at the helm of a weak Jets offense.
Jets Officially Release Muhammad Wilkerson
The Jets are finally, officially, parting ways with Muhammad Wilkerson. Gang Green formally released the defensive lineman on Monday, per a team announcement.
Wilkerson’s exit from New York has been long anticipated, particularly since the Jets notified him of their plans to cut him over the winter. Once a hard-working and highly-productive member of the Jets’ defensive line, Wilkerson’s drive to succeed and production tanked after signing a five-year, $86MM extension with the team in the summer of 2016.
Last year, things came to a head when Wilkerson was openly subordinate towards Jets coaches and tardy for multiple team functions. In December, the Jets benched the defensive lineman for the first quarter of their game against the Chiefs. The Jets went on to upset KC without one of their highest-paid players on the field at the outset.
Wilkerson’s $16.75MM salary was set to go from guaranteed against injury to fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year. Gang Green will carry $9MM in dead money by releasing the 28-year-old Wilkerson. Meanwhile, Wilkerson leaves New York after pocketing $36.75MM from his ill-fated extension.
Wilkerson shouldn’t have any trouble finding a new deal on the open market, and he’s reportedly already lined up a visit with the Packers, who now employ former Jets defensive coordinator in the same role. Notably, Wilkerson will not count against the 2019 compensatory pick formula given that he was released.
Falcons, K Matt Bryant Agree To Extension
Another potential free agent kicker is off the board. The Falcons and kicker Matt Bryant have agreed to a three-year extension, according to a team announcement.
Bryant’s new deal is worth $10.5MM and contains a $2MM signing bonus, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The pact also comes with an incentive package that could take the total value of the contract to $12MM. On an annual basis, Bryant is now the eighth-highest paid kicker in the NFL after receiving what amounts to a $670K yearly raise.
Bryant will turn 43 years old before the 2018 season starts, but he still looked sharp last season. In 2017, he nailed 87.2% of his field goals, good for 12th in the NFL. He also sank eight-of-nine attempts from 50 yards or more, so his power hasn’t deteriorated much.
Earlier this offseason, the Colts re-upped their own aging kicker in Adam Vinatieri, even though he turned 45 in December. The Titans also locked down a would-be free agent kicker in Ryan Succop when they inked him to a five-year, $20MM extension in February.
Panthers kicker Graham Gano might be the next big leg to sign a multi-year deal. Carolina is working on an extension with the 30-year-old (31 in April) and they’ll probably franchise tag him on Tuesday if no accord can be reached.
Bryant won’t make it to the open market, but other notable kickers will, including Sebastian Janikowski, Chandler Catanzaro, Caleb Sturgis, and Kai Forbath.