NFC South Notes: Freeman, Panthers, Oher
Devonta Freeman is staying patient with regards to his contract talks with the Falcons, as ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure writes. Freeman has already made a major mark on the franchise after becoming the first Falcons running back since Michael Turner (2010-11) to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The Falcons obviously want to keep him in the fold beyond the final year of his rookie contract, but it may take some time for the two sides to come to terms. Freeman’s agent famously said that he wants him to be paid like an “elite” running back, but Atlanta would like to avoid going into Le’Veon Bell/LeSean McCoy territory with a new deal.
Here’s more out of the NFC South:
- When asked about tackle Michael Oher, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he’s preparing for camp with the 90 guys who will be on the roster, adding that the front office is “taking care of it,” (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). Reading between the lines, it sounds like Rivera is not banking on having Oher with the team in 2017. Oher reported to Carolina’s minicamp this week, but he did not practice on the field with the rest of the team. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) notes, nobody has ever been in the concussion protocol as long as Oher and returned to play in the NFL.
- Wide receiver Willie Snead remains optimistic and hopeful that he’ll sign a long-term deal with the Saints before the season starts, Joel Erickson of The Advocate writes. “I think the guys upstairs are working on it,” Snead said. “I’m hopeful, and I just have to keep worrying about myself and staying healthy and doing all the right things. I know it’s going to be a handled, it’s going to take time, but I feel like we’ll get it done sooner or later.” Snead was retained for this year via the $615K exclusive rights free agent tender.
- The Panthers named Bryan Porter as the team’s new director of football operations. Porter has been with the team since 2001 and has gradually moved his way up the ladder.
- The Saints intend to sign linebacker/defensive end Royce LaFrance before the start of training camp, Nick Underhill of The Advocate hears (on Twitter).
Redskins’ DeAngelo Hall Takes Pay Cut
Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall told reporters today that he is accepting a pay cut for the 2017 season. The move was pretty much expected in order for Hall to remain with the team. 
Initially, Hall was set to earn a base salary of $4.25MM with a cap number above $5MM. Now, Hall will bring in a $2.3MM base salary, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), who adds Hall can earn back another $250K if he earns a Pro Bowl nod.
Hall appeared in just 17 of 48 possible regular season games over the past three seasons. Thanks to the torn ACL he suffered last year, it’s possible that he could begin the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform list. All things considered, the 33-year-old didn’t have a ton of leverage on his side when the Redskins pushed for a hair cut.
If Hall is unable to stay healthy this year, they do have safety nets in place. Utility man Su’a Cravens is expected to play at safety more than at linebacker and the team also added free agent D.J. Swearinger as a free agent. Fourth round pick Montae Nicholson will also be competing for time and could see significant reps if he is not overly green. Our friends at Roster Resource have Swearinger and Cravens as the projected starting safeties.
Broncos K Brandon McManus Signs Tender
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus has signed his restricted free agent tender, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will pay him $2.746MM. Schefter adds that a long-term deal is still possible between the two sides. 
The Broncos opted to tender McManus at the second round level this offseason. McManus waited to put pen to paper, however, as he was hoping for a long-term deal instead.
“There’s really no rush for me to sign the tender because it could go through June 15,” McManus said back in May. “I’d love to be here as long as I can and be on a long-term deal here that gives me security. I love Denver. I love the fan base here. I would love to be here four more years so why not see what I can do?”
McManus has appeared in 47 games with the Broncos over the past three seasons, converting 82.9-percent of his field goal attempts. He’s also one of the better kickers in the league for kickoffs, which adds to his overall value. The Broncos would probably like to keep him in the fold beyond 2017, but there’s also no real reason for them to commit right now.
Matt Jones’ Agent Asks Redskins To Cut Him
Matt Jones is not a key part of the Redskins’ plans for 2017, so he is (understandably) looking to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Jones’ agent asked the team to release his client, as Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes. 
“Let’s move on,” agent Hadley Engelhard said. “We’re hoping [team president Bruce Allen] sees the light and does the gentleman thing and release Matt.”
Reading between the lines, Engelhard’s decision to go on record with the media on this matter might not be a good sign for his effort to get Jones on the open market. Odds are, Engelhard has been pushing Allen behind the scenes for several weeks to cut the running back but has so far been unsuccessful. Eventually, however, something has to give. The Redskins tried to find a suitable trade for Jones in the spring but did not find much of a market.
Jones was once the Redskins’ starting back but he has been bypassed by Robert Kelley. This year, Oklahoma product Samaje Perine figures to see a good percentage of the carries and Chris Thompson will return as the team’s pass-catching specialist out of the backfield. That leaves little-to-zero room for the talented but fumble-prone Jones.
Steelers Sign First-Round Pick T.J. Watt
The Steelers signed first-round linebacker T.J. Watt, according to a team announcement. After also inking third-round cornerback Cameron Sutton this week, Pittsburgh has become the latest team to wrap up its 2017 draft class. 
“T.J. is a rock solid young man who has a lot of upside,” said Coach Mike Tomlin in a press release. “He doesn’t have a lot of experience at the position, but at the same time we saw some things that were exciting to us. His hand usage in particular for a guy with his short resume at the position was exciting. His production speaks for itself. He’s just a quality guy and a quality pick for us. We’re excited about continuing his development not only as a football player, but as an outside linebacker. That’s probably the most exciting element of the T.J. discussion. We are excited about the potential upside and growth given the short length of time he’s played the position.”
Watt, a Wisconsin product, finished the 2016 season with 17 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks. Last year was his first campaign as a starter and just his second season playing defense after switching from tight end. But, of course, hard-nosed defense runs in Watt’s blood.
“I am a lunch pail kind of guy who yeah, I just got picked in the first round, but I am here to prove that I am worth that pick and I am worth much more than that as well,” said Watt, the younger brother of Texans superstar J.J. Watt. “I think some things come easy for me, like the transition over to defense. It came naturally to me, but at the same time there was so much work behind the scenes that no one ever saw. That’s what it’s so hard to put it into words. It is a lot of God-given ability, but it is so much work that no one will ever see. No one will ever know. It’s an insurmountable amount of work. That is how you get to places like this and get the opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It all pays off. It really does.”
Watt may wind up starting at one of the Steelers’ outside linebackers pots, putting him opposite of James Harrison with Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams in between. Former first-round pick Bud Dupree and Arthur Moats will also be pushing for playing time at OLB.
Browns Sign Rookie QB DeShone Kizer
DeShone Kizer is officially in the fold. The Browns announced that they have signed the rookie quarterback. 
The Notre Dame product has reportedly impressed in practice, leading some to wonder whether he could see significant time on the field in his rookie season. Brock Osweiler – who has also been looking good in camp – and Cody Kessler are also pushing for the starting job. In a recent poll asking PFR readers which rookie quarterback will make the highest impact, Kizer came in second place with 17.36% of the vote. Texans signal caller Deshaun Watson took first place with 44% of the vote.
Kizer was viewed as one of the better quarterbacks in this year’s class and the Browns were excited to land him at No. 52 overall. However, not everyone is sold on him. The dual-threat QB was excellent in 2015, posting 21 touchdowns and completing nearly 63% of his passes while averaging 8.5 adjusted yards per target. Unfortunately, in 2016, his completion percentage dropped by more than four points. Soon enough, we’ll know whether Kizer has what it takes to succeed at the next level.
With Kizer signed, the Browns now have eight of their ten draft picks officially under contract. First round safety Jabrill Peppers and first round tight end David Njoku are now the only stragglers in the class.
Titans Meeting With Eric Decker
Eric Decker is meeting today with the Titans, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks Decker’s first known free agent visit since being released by the Jets earlier this month. 
[RELATED: Broncos Not Interested In Eric Decker Reunion]
Living near Nashville, Tennessee has appeal for the Decker family, Schefter hears. Beyond the live music and great food, Decker is probably also excited about the promise of the Titans’ offense. Marcus Mariota might represent Decker’s best quarterback in some time. Meanwhile, opposing defenses should be kept honest by the running of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. If Decker can stay healthy, this is a situation in which the veteran could get back to his old 1,000-yard ways.
The Titans made a major investment at WR in April by drafting Corey Davis with the No. 5 overall pick. Tennessee also has Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe in the mix, but they could use another playmaker like Decker.
On Tuesday, we learned that the Broncos are not all that interested in reuniting with Decker. Surprisingly, the Ravens are not ruling out a Decker pursuit, even after signing Jeremy Maclin.
Eagles, Jason Peters Agree To Extension
The Eagles and Jason Peters have agreed to an extension, per a team announcement. It’s a one-year addition that should keep the left tackle in Philadelphia through the 2019 season. 
[RELATED: Eagles Didn’t Get Into Bidding War For Jeremy Maclin]
Peters told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted a restructured contract. What he didn’t tell the media was that his reps and the Eagles were apparently on the doorstep of getting something done.
Originally, Peters’ contract took him through 2018 with little in the way of guaranteed money. Now, he has $15.5MM in guarantees over the next three years and can earn a maximum of $32.5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). As a part of that $15.5MM in guarantees, $8MM will come in the form of a signing bonus. The new contract may allow Peters to retire with the Eagles. Meanwhile, the team may get some cap relief.
In 2016, the advanced stats at Pro Football Focus placed Peters as the eighth-best tackle in the NFL. His 88.3 overall score on PFF ranks as the third-highest showing of his career. For his career, he has made nine Pro Bowls and is a three-time first-team All-Pro.
Panthers TE Greg Olsen Seeking New Deal
Greg Olsen has outperformed his contract and he would like a new one. The Panthers tight end, signed through 2018, wants a deal that would pay him like a top tight end in the NFL, sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. 
Prior to the 2015 season, Olsen agreed to a three-year,$22.5MM extension with $12MM guaranteed. Since then, Olsen has turned in two 1,000+-yard seasons, making it three in a row. His cap numbers of $10.35MM and $9.75MM in the next two seasons are nothing to sneeze at, but it’s easy to understand why Olsen is looking for a revised deal now instead of waiting two more years.
Olsen currently stands as one of the league’s best tight ends, but he’ll turn 34 at the start of 2019 free agency. The Panthers don’t necessarily want to rework Olsen’s deal at this point, but they might be willing to do an extension that will smooth out Olsen’s cap hits over the next two years while giving him some guaranteed cash in additional seasons. It might also behoove Carolina to keep one of its biggest stars happy, though Olsen isn’t the type to make a stink over his contract. Even as he discussed his desire for a new deal, Olsen was nothing but polite.
“In the ideal world, that’d be great,” Olsen said when asked about getting a reworked contract. “I’m very confident on where I stand in the league and where I belong. Both productivity and all things considered, there’s nobody that’s been more productive or more consistent than I have. And I’ll stand on that until the cows come home…You can make of that what you may. I feel comfortable with where I belong, and hopefully other people do, too.”
Olsen’s $7.5MM per-year average makes him the seventh-highest paid tight end in the NFL, according to Over The Cap. Meanwhile, he’s 12th among TEs when it comes to guaranteed money.
Michael Oher Reports To Panthers
As Panthers’ mandatory minicamp gets underway, Michael Oher has reported to the team, as Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated tweets. However, the offensive tackle is not out on the field practicing. 
There has been a great deal of speculation about Oher’s future in Carolina and his future in football in general. Oher hasn’t been near the team this offseason for a litany of reasons, including potential brain trauma, an alleged assault of an Uber driver, and “personal reasons.” The tackle met with GM Dave Gettleman in early May, but Gettleman hasn’t offered much in the way of details since then.
Last week, Oher was back in the news when he posted a picture to social media with what appeared to be bottles of prescription medication to deal with brain injuries. He has since deleted the picture which was captioned, “All for the brain smh.”
Oher is under contract with the Panthers through 2019 after signing a three-year, $21.6MM extension with the Panthers last summer. Right now the odds of Oher being in uniform for 2017 seem slim, but the Panthers also aren’t banking on him. Left tackle Matt Kalil, signed to a five-year, $55.5MM deal in March, is slated to start.