NFC North Notes: Lions, Vikings, Packers
The Lions should use the franchise tag on Ziggy Ansah, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press argues. Ansah’s injury history is troubling, but he is the Lions’ top pass rusher and the team cannot risk losing him to free agency, in Birkett’s opinion. The projected ~$17.5MM tag for defensive ends is not cheap, but it would give the Lions several months to hammer out a long-term deal with the 28-year-old (29 in May).
Over the last two seasons, Ansah has spent 25 of a possible 32 weeks on the injury report, but he has only missed five regular season games. Playing through the pain, Ansah graded out as just the 40th ranked edge defender in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus.
While the Lions mull the Ansah decision, here’s more from the NFC North:
- The Vikings are one of six teams that could change the course of the offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Minnesota has three starting-caliber quarterbacks heading towards free agency in Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater and no one knows which, if any, they will retain. If they decide to move forward with Keenum, it remains to be seen whether the Vikings will use the franchise tag, the transition tag, or extend him. The Vikings also have lots of cap room to work with (just over $49MM, eighth highest in the NFL, per Over The Cap) and they should have plenty to still use even if they extend the likes of Anthony Barr, Stefon Diggs, and Trae Waynes. That number will also increase if defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is unable to play.
- With Kirk Cousins likely to top Jimmy Garoppolo‘s record-setting quarterback contract in the coming weeks, the Packers should move quickly to extend their own signal-caller in Aaron Rodgers, argues Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com. Green Bay likely doesn’t want to let Rodgers get too close to an expiring contact (he has two years remaining at present), so the club needs to hammer out a long-term deal in the near future. In fact, the Packers could press Rodgers to ink a new pact before free agency begins next month. Not only would that timeline allow Green Bay to sign Rodgers before Cousins resets the quarterback market, but it would give the team a long-term view of its salary cap situation.
- The Lions have hired former NFLer Hank Fraley as their new assistant offensive line coach, the club announced today. Fraley, who spent 11 years in the league as an interior offensive lineman, has previously coached for the Vikings and at San Diego State and UCLA in the collegiate ranks. In Detroit, he’ll work under Jeff Davidson, who was recently hired as the team’s OL coach. The Lions also announced the retention of Evan Rothstein, who will now serve as assistant to the head coach/research and analysis.
Hurney Still Favorite For Panthers GM Job
Marty Hurney has been cleared of wrongdoing by the league office and he’s once again in the catbird seat to move forward as the team’s GM. Hurney remains the favorite for the Panthers’ permanent GM post and things could be finalized soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Panthers’ Marty Hurney Reinstated]
From the get-go, there were whispers that the GM job was never really available, despite the Panthers interviewing three other candidates for the job. The Panthers satisfied the Rooney Rule already, so there should be no roadblocks in the way if they do decide on Hurney. Bills scout Lake Dawson was interviewed twice while 49ers exec Martin Mayhew and Texans player personnel VP Jimmy Raye III each met with team brass at least once.
Hurney’s first stint as the Panthers’ GM came from 2002-12. In that span, he oversaw three playoff teams, including which saw a Super Bowl berth. The Panthers went just 80-85 during that span, but he maintained his connections within the organization and kept close watch on the team as he worked for ESPN Radio in Charlotte. Panthers stars Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Greg Olsen were all brought in during Hurney’s first term.
Panthers Reinstate Marty Hurney
Marty Hurney is back with the Panthers. On Friday, the Panthers announced that they have reinstated the interim GM after the completion of a league investigation into harassment allegations. 
“Its been a very long two weeks for Marty and his family,” Hurney’s attorney, Kathleen Lucchesi, said in a statement (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s David Newton). “In this digital age, it’s nearly impossible to overcome suspicion, defend yourself, and clear your name once the court of public opinion gets a hold of a false narrative. The public scrutiny can be devastating and unrelenting. In this case, it was also unnecessary. Words cannot express how thankful Marty is for the love and unwavering support of his family. He is grateful to the NFL for conducting a thorough investigation. He is also grateful for the continued confidence and support of the Panthers organization. Marty is looking forward to getting back to the work of building a strong and successful Panthers team for the 2018 season.”
It was said to be a foregone conclusion that Hurney would be appointed to the Panthers’ permanent GM post, but things were thrown into flux when his ex-wife raised allegations against him. Even though his former partner, Jeanne, withdrew the claims in court, the NFL still did its due diligence. Meanwhile, the Panthers placed Hurney on paid leave and suspended the GM search.
Now that Hurney has been cleared of wrongdoing by the NFL, the Panthers may move quickly to make him the full-time GM hire. However, Bills scout Lake Dawson received two interviews for the job and he is reportedly a legitimate candidate for the post. The team also met with 49ers exec Martin Mayhew and Texans player personnel VP Jimmy Raye III.
Browns To Meet With Vontae Davis
Vontae Davis will visit with the Browns on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). There are more visits coming down the pike for the former Colts cornerback next week, Schefter hears. 
[RELATED: Vontae Davis Gains Medical Clearance]
Davis kicked off his free agent tour on Thursday when he met with the Bills. He left Buffalo without a deal and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he also leaves Cleveland without signing a contract. Davis likely wants to consider all of his options and free agency won’t begin for most of the league’s players for another four weeks, so it stands to reason that he will wait patiently for the right opportunity.
After two Pro Bowl seasons, Davis’ play began to tail off in 2016. Last year, injuries slowed Davis down and ultimately led the Colts to release him in November. The veteran was also said to be angry about the prospect of being bumped from the starting lineup. At this stage of his career, it’s not clear if any club is willing to guarantee Davis a first-string job.
In other Browns news, Cleveland may be a team to watch as A.J. McCarron enters unrestricted free agency.
Colts Hire Nick Sirianni As OC
It’s official. The Colts have hired Chargers wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni as their new offensive coordinator, according to a team press release. 
Before Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts’ head coaching job, it appeared that the team would hire either former Seahawks play caller Darrell Bevell or Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz as OC. New head coach Frank Reich inherited several assistants from McDaniels’ would-be staff, but he had some say in this choice and the team landed on Sirianni as his right-hand man on offense.
Reich and Sirianni spent multiple seasons together in San Diego. Reich was the Bolts’ quarterbacks coach in 2013 before graduating to offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015. Sirianni was an offensive quality control coach in ’13 before advancing to QB coach when Reich was promoted.
Reich did not have the opportunity to call plays when he worked under Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, so it stands to reason that he will call the plays in Indianapolis. Still, this is a big step up for the 36-year-old Sirianni.
La Canfora On T. Johnson, Crabtree, Marshall
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson will not be back with the Rams, according a league source who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Johnson is coming off of his second straight franchise tag and there is no realistic chance of the team hitting him with a third tender for $20MM, but it appears that the team is not interested in keeping him on board altogether.
Johnson graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 68 corner out of 121 players at the position this past year and it’s safe to say the Rams expected more after investing $37MM in him over the past two seasons. The Rams may feel that Johnson’s reputation will drive up his cost on the open market, making a new deal untenable.
Here’s more from JLC:
- Safety Sean Smith and wide receiver Michael Crabtree are not in the Raiders’ plans, JLC hears. If that’s the case, moving on from both players will create about $16MM in cap and cash savings. It’s no surprise to hear that Smith is likely out of the picture in Oakland – he underperformed in 2017, he is facing felony assault charges, and his entire $8.5MM cap charge can be wiped clean from the books. Crabtree’s status isn’t so cut and dry, particularly after Jon Gruden‘s recent comments indicating that he was looking forward to working with the veteran.
- Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall feels that he has multiple seasons left in the tank, but JLC hears that he is not in the team’s plans for 2018. Marshall, who will turn 34 in March, can be released in order to create $5.1MM in cap space with just $1MM in dead money. The veteran missed the bulk of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.
- League sources believe that Bears quarterback Mike Glennon will not be back with the team this season. The Bears signed Glennon three-year, $45MM deal last March with the hope that he could hold down the starting job for at least one year while Mitch Trubisky learned on the sidelines. After Glennon faltered for the first month of the season, he was given the hook in favor of the team’s top draft pick. The Bears could save $11.5MM by releasing or trading Glennon with $4.5MM left on the cap.
- JLC also hears that cornerback Kyle Fuller will not be retained by the Bears. Chicago declined Fuller’s fifth-year option last offseason which was something of a no-brainer after he spent all of 2016 on IR. This year, Fuller looked sharp as he totaled 68 tackles and placed as PFF’s No. 22 ranked cornerback over the likes of Ronald Darby, Byron Maxwell, Jason McCourty, Richard Sherman, and other notables.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Graham, Redskins
Eagles linebacker/defensive end Brandon Graham is ready to cash in after turning in the best season of his career. The 29-year-old (30 in April) has one more season to go on his contract, but he’s looking for an extension that will reflect his performance.
“For me, it’s all about getting as much as you can while you can play because when it’s over, it’s over,” he said (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “I know Howie [Roseman] and those guys, if they want me here, they’re going to make sure that they get me here. For me, I want to be here. Everybody knows I want to be here. They see the passion I have and I’m happy to be able to bring the trophy back to Philly…Now, it’s just all about just making sense, just getting me protected for the future. Because obviously I want to retire here and I know I’m going to retire here because I’ve been here a long time. I would love to retire here. It’s all on what they want to do. I’m just going to embrace it, whatever it is.”
In 2017, Graham racked up a career high 9.5 sacks to go along with 47 total tackles. He also graded out as the eighth-best edge defender in the NFL with a 91.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus, nearly matching his 93.9 grade from 2016.
Last year, the Eagles rewarded Graham with an extra $1.5MM in incentives for the final two years of his deal as a showing of good faith. This time around, Graham is looking for something more substantial as he enters the final year of his pact. As it stands, Graham is set to carry an $8MM cap number in 2018, which ranks just 13th amongst 4-3 DEs in the NFL.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Here’s a crazy scenario raised by Mike Florio of PFT: If Kirk Cousins is franchise tagged and signs the tender before March 14, Florio wonders aloud if the Redskins could back out of the Alex Smith trade. Cousins signing the tender would trigger a one-year, $34.47MM contract and it’s hard to see a team giving up a lot in a trade for a player who is only under contract for one year at that exorbitant price. As we learned on Thursday, Cousins could also fight a franchise tag by filing a grievance against Washington. Redskins president Bruce Allen is apparently thinking about going the petty route, but that could wind up backfiring. Ultimately, the best move the Redskins could make would be to do nothing and allow Cousins to hit the open market.
- Many teams will consider parting with high-priced veterans this offseason, but the Redskins appear to have no real cap casualty candidates, as Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington writes. The Redskins, with roughly $31MM in cap space after factoring in Smith’s contract, don’t have much flexibility snce nearly all of their expensive players are necessary. The only potential cut would be defensive lineman Terrell McClain, who is set to carry a $4.7MM cap number in 2018. However, the Redskins wouldn’t save much by dropping him. Cutting tight end Jordan Reed, who has a $10.1MM cap hit, would only save the team $4.7MM when considering the dead money hit, so it seems likely that the team will hold on to him and see if he can stay healthy.
- The Giants announced that they’ll keep multiple coaches from the previous staff.
Greg Hardy Still Hoping For NFL Opportunity
Former Panthers and Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is now focusing on mixed martial arts, but he still hopes to find his way back to the NFL. Hardy says he is “damn ready at all times” to play in the NFL, though he knows that call might never come. 
“That’s the tricky part,” Hardy said when asked if he deserves another chance (link via Mark Francescutti of the Dallas Morning News). “I have to use everything I learned in martial arts and learn to let it go. I won’t force it. It’s them not giving me an opportunity.”
Hardy says he has agreed to play in 13 games with the Richmond Roughriders of the American Arena League with a contract that will allow him to opt out for an NFL deal. In the meantime, he is getting ready for an amateur MMA bout on Friday night. If the NFL never gives him another chance at taking the field, Hardy says his long-term goal is to become the UFC’s heavyweight champion.
Back in July, agent Drew Rosenhaus admitted that the window on Hardy’s NFL career is closing. Hardy did reasonably well for the Cowboys in 2015 as he started 15 games and graded out as the league’s 28th-best edge defender out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus. On the other hand, he’s a public relations nightmare and he was frequently late or absent from team meetings during that season, which marked his first “second chance”. Teams know that signing Hardy, 30 in July, would upset a good portion of the fan base and possibly disturb the locker room.
Right now, it still doesn’t seem likely that he’ll get another crack at redemption in the NFL. But, for what it’s worth, Hardy has not given up on the idea.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Bengals Won’t Face Penalty Over McCarron
On Thursday, Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron scored two victories against his employer. The most notable, of course, is that he will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The other W came in the way of restitution for the year he spent on the non-football injury (NFI) list. McCarron will recoup his lost salary for that time, but the Bengals will not be fined for the move, Mike Florio of PFT reports. 
“The NFL Management Council represented the club in the grievance,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email.
When asked whether this means that the league agreed with the team’s decision to place McCarron on the NFI list in 2014, McCarthy responded in the affirmative. McCarron did not agree with the decision, of course, and an arbitrator sided with him against the team.
The Bengals drafted the Alabama product in 2014 and placed him on the NFI list at the start of training camp due to a shoulder injury. McCarron later argued that he was healthy enough to come off of NFI during camp, but the Bengals did not activate him until December of that year. Placing McCarron on the NFI list allowed the Bengals to effectively stash an extra player on the roster and also gave them grounds to argue that he did not accrue a full year of service time that would allow him to reach UFA status in 2018.
McCarron is now set for unfettered free agency, where he figures to make a whole lot more than the one-year, ~$4MM tender he likely would have gotten from the Bengals.
A.J. McCarron To Be Unrestricted Free Agent
Quarterback A.J. McCarron has won his grievance against the Bengals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and finally get his opportunity to be a starting quarterback. 
McCarron has not seen a lot of playing time behind Andy Dalton, but he has impressed in a limited sample. In the final four games of 2015, when Dalton was out with an injury, he passed for 832 yards and six touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Last year, the Bengals were able to keep McCarron at a very modest $735K cap number. Had they been able to tag him as a restricted free agent with the first-round tender, they would have been able to either retain him for about $4MM or acquire a first-round pick from the team signing him. Instead, McCarron will hit free agency completely unfettered, making a return to the Bengals unlikely. Already, head coach Marvin Lewis has dismissed the idea of moving on from Dalton as the team’s starter this season and the Bengals can’t afford to give McCarron starter-type money.
In addition to winning UFA status, McCarron will also collect on lost salary from the 2014 season, with interest (Twitter link via Rapoport). In that season, McCarron was placed on the NFI list due to a shoulder injury.
This year’s unrestricted free agent QB class was already shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory and the addition of McCarron makes it even stronger. Kirk Cousins is the unanimous top draw, but Vikings QBs Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater are also scheduled to reach the open market in March. Technically speaking, Saints QB Drew Brees is also a free agent, but he is widely expected to re-sign with the club before things open up next month.
Beyond those free agents, there’s also likely trade candidate Tyrod Taylor and a handful of intriguing QB prospects in this year’s draft. Teams with uncertainty under center like the Jets, Broncos, Browns, and Cardinals couldn’t ask for more in the way of options.