8 Teams That Could Sign Donte Whitner
Veteran safety Donte Whitner wasn’t happy with the timing of his release from the Browns earlier this year, and he had every right to be upset. After Rodney McLeod, George Iloka, Eric Weddle, Tashaun Gipson, and a cadre of other safeties had already scored large contracts on the open market, Whitner hit free agency about three weeks after many clubs had already spent their free agent money. As such, Whitner will likely have to settle for a one-year deal in the coming weeks.
But Whitner, who will turn 31 years old later this month, is still a talented player, having graded as the league’s No. 24 safety among 89 qualifiers in 2015, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also remarkably durable, as he’s missed only three games over the past six seasons. As such, PFR recently ranked Whitner as the No. 1 free agent available on the defensive side of the ball, ahead of other players such as Leon Hall, Greg Hardy, and Dwight Freeney.
Let’s take a look at some potential landing spots for Whitner as he looks to ink a contract before (or during) training camp…
Carolina Panthers — Former fourth-round pick Tre Boston spent the first two years of his career as a special teams stalwart, biding his time behind Roman Harper while waiting for a starting opportunity. That time has come, but will Ron Rivera and the rest of Carolina’s coaching staff feel comfortable relying on Boston, who has just six starts to his name and has only averaged about 28% playing time over the past two seasons? After rescinding Josh Norman‘s franchise tag, the Panthers will have enough questions at cornerback without having to worry about their safety group, too. Adding Whitner to play opposite Kurt Coleman could help alleviate any concerns the club might have.
Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys defense has taken its share of hits this offseason, with Rolando McClain, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Randy Gregory all facing multi-game suspensions. Dallas’ secondary has remained untouched, but second-year safety Byron Jones is the only above-average option projected to start in the club’s defensive backfield. Strong safety Barry Church has never been special, and the Cowboys didn’t select a safety in the draft until the sixth round (Central Michigan’s Kavon Frazier). If Tony Romo can stay healthy during the upcoming season, Dallas should return to contention in the NFC East, and Whitner could be the final piece of the puzzle on defense.
Detroit Lions — Lions general manager Bob Quinn has been adamant that his club will field a wide-open competition at strong safety, but the latest reports indicate the former Saint Rafael Bush holds the upper hand over fellow free agent signee Tavon Wilson and fourth-round rookie Miles Killebrew. Bush, though, hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his five-year NFL career. The 29-year-old ended the 2014 season on injured reserve with a broken leg, and missed all but one game last year after tearing a pectoral muscle. Wilson, meanwhile, never started a single contest for the Patriots despite being a former second-round pick, and played just 83 defensive snaps in 2015. All in all, it’s an unproven and untrustworthy group, and Whitner could represent a more sure thing.
Houston Texans — The Texans boasted one of the NFL’s best defensive units in 2015, so they don’t need to add a free agent like Whitner. Houston already had a poor encounter with a veteran free agent safety last season, as Rahim Moore was benched in early November before being released just one season into a three-year deal. But that experience shouldn’t scare the Texans off, as Whitner could add a hard-hitting force to a safety crop that possesses quantity, but perhaps not quality. Andre Hal looks like the club’s starter at free safety, but strong safety could be a toss-up between Eddie Pleasant, Quintin Demps, Antonio Allen, and rookie Kris Dillon. Whitner, for all his faults, looks to be an improvement over any of those options.
Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars are going all-in on the 2016 season, and they spent the majority of their offseason upgrading their defense. After handing big-money deals to defensive lineman Malik Jackson and safety Tashaun Gipson, general manager Dave Caldwell spent all but one of his draft picks on defenders, using his first two to pluck cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack. But after allocating all that capital, strong safety is still a weak spot on the Jags’ roster, as former second-round pick Johnathan Cyprien graded out as a bottom-three safety last year, according to PFF. As such, Cyprien is reportedly in danger of losing his job to James Sample, but perhaps Jacksonville would prefer a more stable veteran. And not for nothing, Whitner has working experience with Gipson, as the pair spent the past two seasons together in Cleveland.
Kansas City Chiefs — Even after losing one safety to free agency (Tyvon Branch) and another to retirement (Husain Abdullah), the Chiefs are still pretty well-stocked at the position. All Pro Eric Berry, the club’s franchise tag designee, will hold down one spot, while Ron Parker will man the other. But with Parker taking on so many other roles in Kansas City’s defense, including nickel corner, Whitner could make for a strong depth addition. It wouldn’t be a perfect match, however, as Berry does his best work close to the line of scrimmage — the same area that Whitner regularly patrols. The Chiefs are going to mess with Berry’s role to accommodate someone like Whitner, so the latter might have to be open to a reserve role.
Los Angeles Rams — The Rams are perhaps the most obvious fit on this list, especially given that they’re the only club with which Whitner has had a known visit. Whitner met with Los Angeles in the beginning of April, and though reports have indicated that he remains “in play” for general manager Les Snead & Co., the Rams might be cooling in their pursuit of veteran safeties. LA’s search for secondary help — which, in addition to Whitner, has involved fellow free agent Dashon Goldson — could be limited by the team’s desire to see how its younger options, such as Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, and Christian Bryant, play out before adding a more experienced player. The Rams’ only safety with more than five career starts under his belt is T.J. McDonald, who could possibly be facing a suspension after being arrested for DUI earlier this year.
San Diego Chargers — San Diego has already replaced franchise legend Eric Weddle, agreeing to a deal with former Colt Dwight Lowery over the offseason. But strong safety remains a weakness — in his first season as a full-time starter, Jahleel Addae was below-average, ranking as the No. 76 safety in the league, per PFF. The Chargers ranked 25th in defensive DVOA last season, and were even worse specifically against the run, where they placed 31st. Whitner would help in that regard, assisting the front seven in rush defense while Lowery covers the back end. San Diego did assign Addae the second-round restricted free agent tender, so the club clearly values him, but none of his $2.553MM salary is guaranteed, so if the Chargers wanted to go in another direction, they could easily get out of that contract.
Others — Given that former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is now with the Bears, I initially pegged Chicago as a good fit for Whitner, given that the pair enjoyed success together in the Bay Area from 2011-13. However, the Bears selected two safeties in this year’s draft, and as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has written on multiple occasions, Chicago would like to see how those younger options play out, and is quite pleased with 2015 rookie Adrian Amos at strong safety.
The Ravens also struck me as a potential landing spot for Whitner, given that general manager Ozzie Newsome has a history of squeezing every last drop out of veteran free agents. But Baltimore already spent money on Eric Weddle this offseason, and even after offloading the troubled Will Hill, the club still boasts cornerback convert Lardarius Webb, former first-round pick Matt Elam, and Kendrick Lewis at safety, so it’s not exactly a position of need. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com noted that the Ravens have long been fans of Whitner, but allowed that a signing was unlikely.
Finally, the Vikings are known to be looking for the perfect complement to Pro Bowler Harrison Smith, and even after inking Andrew Sendejo to a four-year deal and signing free agent Michael Griffin, the club still doesn’t sound confident with its options at strong safety. Whitner, then, would seem to be a potential fit, but as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com wrote last month, Minnesota is probably looking for a player who can handle pass coverage responsibilities given how often the team moves Smith around the formation. Whitner is not that guy, so perhaps the Vikes aren’t quite a perfect landing spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kony Ealy On Cam Newton, Panthers Organization
- In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy likened quarterback Cam Newton to two of the greatest athletes ever, NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, in the way he challenges teammates in practice and brings out their best. Regarding how the Panthers have weathered the departures of standouts performers like Steve Smith, Jordan Gross, Greg Hardy and Josh Norman in recent years, Ealy told hosts Zig Fracassi and Phil Savage, “People change. The environment doesn’t,” before crediting the examples owner Jerry Richardson, head coach Ron Rivera and his staff, and the core leadership group of Newton, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Charles Johnson and Greg Olsen have set.
Top 10 Teams That Could Sign Dwight Freeney
When I originally outlined this list, I saw more than half the clubs in the NFL as possible landing spots for veteran edge rusher Dwight Freeney. Even in his age-35 season, Freeney managed eight sacks for the Cardinals while playing only 255 defensive snaps. Many teams around the league could use that kind 
of production.
[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Defense]
I eventually whittled down the list, and given that Freeney has stated he’d like to play for a winning team during the upcoming season, I tried to weed out clubs that seemingly have no shot at contending in 2016. Still, Freeney is an enticing addition not only because of his ability to disrupt the pocket, but because he’ll come cheap — his deal with Arizona last year was only for the prorated veteran’s minimum (though it did include sack incentives). Cap space won’t be an issue when trying to lure Freeney.
With that said, let’s take a spin around the league and examine some potential fits for Freeney (and his devastating spin move)…
Atlanta Falcons — It’s impossible to overstate just how poor the 2015 Falcons were at getting after opposing quarterbacks. They recorded only 19 sacks, the lowest total for any team in in the league since 2009, and finished last in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta’s only meaningful offseason addition to its defensive line was former Dolphin Derrick Shelby, who as Robert Mays gleefully noted in a recent Ringer NFL podcast (audio link), boasts all of nine career sacks. Freeney visited the Falcons at the beginning of June, but head coach Dan Quinn said his club would off — for now — on signing the veteran edge rusher.
Arizona Cardinals — Freeney has always stated that he’d prefer a return to the desert, but it’s not clear if the Cardinals are reciprocating that interest. Arizona acquired former Patriots pass rusher Chandler Jones this offseason, lessening its need to add another edge presence, and the club would also like to see what it has in its younger options, such as Markus Golden, Alex Okafor, and Shaq Riddick. Still, the Cards clearly know what Freeney brings to the table, so a reunion — at some point down the road — still makes a ton of sense.
Baltimore Ravens — All the way back in March, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said his club “wasn’t done in free agency” and casually mentioned that Freeney remained unsigned. Since that statement, Baltimore hasn’t plucked any key players from the open market, but it did select two rush linebackers — Boise State’s Kamalei Correa and BYU’s Bronson Kaufusi — during the draft. The Ravens will already field two aging veterans, Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, at outside ‘backer during the upcoming season, so perhaps the team doesn’t want another player who’s near the end of his career. General manager Ozzie Newsome, however, loves experienced players, as evidenced by the fact that Baltimore deployed the fifth-oldest AV-adjusted defense in 2015, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective.
Buffalo Bills — Bills general manager Doug Whaley specifically name-checked Freeney last month, indicating that the club would only look to add veterans if their younger players weren’t progressing as planned during camp. But Buffalo definitely has a need, as first-round pick Shaq Lawson will miss some regular season action after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rex Ryan is planning on using a more conventional 3-4 look in 2016, so Freeney would spend most of time at outside linebacker, but he clearly has the versatility to shift back to end if Buffalo shows a 4-3 front.
Cincinnati Bengals — Along with the Falcons, the Bengals are one of two teams that has actually met with Freeney, as they had him had him in for a workout at the end of May. Cincinnati has two above-average starters at end in Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, but the club has little in the way of depth. As Roster Resource shows, the Bengals would be forced to rely on Margus Hunt, Will Clarke, and Marcus Hardison — a group that has all of two sacks to its name — if one of their starters went down. But if Cincinnati does look into officially adding Freeney, reports have indicated that it might not be until training camp begins, or perhaps even later.
Dallas Cowboys — In what is clearly a developing theme among clubs on this list, Cowboys management said at the end of last month that they weren’t interested in Freeney for the time being, as they’d prefer to get a look at their younger rushers first. That stance is going to be a problem for Freeney, who has admitted he’d like to get into a camp as soon as possible in order to prepare mentally. Teams simply don’t have much incentive to sign a veteran who will take practice reps away from less-experienced players. Still, with Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory each facing four-game suspensions, the Cowboys clearly have a pass-rushing need.
Detroit Lions — One side of Detroit’s defensive line is spoken for by the dominant Ziggy Ansah, while the opposite side is manned by the underrated Devin Taylor, an ascending player entering the final year of his rookie deal. However, the Lions did lose both Jason Jones and Darryl Tapp in free agency, so they could certainly use another edge rusher to lessen the load on Taylor, who only played about half of the club’s snaps last season. Freeney would be part of a rotation in the Motor City, which is how he’s best utilized. For what it’s worth, Justin Rogers of MLive.com didn’t dismiss the idea of Detroit signing Freeney when asked earlier this month.
Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs could be without linebacker Justin Houston, one of the NFL’s best defensive players of the past half-decade, for part or most of the 2016 season after he underwent ACL surgery earlier this year, but Houston isn’t the only Kansas City edge defender dealing with knee issues. Fellow veteran Tamba Hali is also recovering from offseason surgery and hasn’t participated in camp, while Dee Ford left practice earlier this month with knee tendinitis. Freeney wouldn’t help compensate for any loss in coverage, but he’d be an improvement over current Chiefs backups Frank Zombo and Dezman Moses in terms of pass rush.
New Orleans Saints — We’ve discussed at length the historically inept 2015 Saints defense, so suffice it to say that New Orleans can still use all the help it can get. Last year’s second-round pick, Hau’oli Kikaha, was supposed to make the transition from linebacker to defensive end this summer, but he’ll now miss the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in mid-June. Currently projected to rely on Bobby Richardson (who graded as one of the five worst edge defenders in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus), Obum Gwacham, and fourth-round rookie David Onyemata to line up opposite Cameron Jordan, the Saints could use Freeney perhaps more than any club on this list.
New York Jets — The Jets will continue to run essentially the same defense used by the 2015 Cardinals, as Arizona continued to employ former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles‘ concepts even after he left for the head coaching job in New York. Gang Green’s defense was very good last year, as they ranked fifth in DVOA and first against the run according to Football Outsider’s metrics. The one area where they weren’t exceptional, however, was pass rush (21st in adjusted sack rate). As Roster Resource details, New York is set to count on Lorenzo Mauldin and Jordan Jenkins — who have played a combined 253 snaps in the NFL (all by Mauldin) — as starting outside linebackers. Freeney, then, could be make sense as a edge rusher who sees 20-25 snaps per game.
Others — The Colts could use another rusher off the edge, but Mike Wells of ESPN.com reported last month that Indianapolis hadn’t engaged in talks with Freeney, and added that a reunion was unlikely. Freeney described a possible stint with the Patriots as a “win-win” for both parties, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com doesn’t see the fit, noting that New England already has a healthy stable of defensive ends and linebackers. In the NFC, the Eagles could be a landing spot as they convert to a 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. Brian Robison isn’t anything special opposite Everson Griffen in the Vikings‘ front, while in Carolina, Mario Addison and Wes Horton are currently the last lines of defense for the Panthers if injuries should befall either Kony Ealy or Charles Johnson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Andrew Luck's Deal Makes Cam Newton's Look Better
Andrew Luck‘s six-year, $140MM extension featuring $87MM in guarantees makes the deal the Panthers gave Cam Newton last June look even more like a bargain, opines Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina awarded five years, $103MM and $60MM in guarantees to Newton, who proceeded to lead the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record and a Super Bowl berth in 2015-16. Newton also parlayed 45 touchdowns and nearly 4,500 total yards into NFL MVP honors.
Panthers Relying On Young Corners
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman moved on from cornerback Josh Norman this offseason but he replenished the cornerback position by drafting James Bradberry (second round), Daryl Worley (third round), and Zack Sanchez (fifth round). All of them had their moments during OTAs and minicamp, but it remains to be seen how these young cornerbacks will perform in live action, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. The prevailing wisdom is that Carolina doesn’t need shutdown corners, thanks to their heavy use of a zone scheme — not to mention its dominant front seven. Whether this crop of rookie defensive backs can (in part) replace Norman could be a key to the Panthers’ season.
Panthers, Short To Reach Extension Pre-Camp?
- The loss of Kelvin Benjamin during the 2015 preseason didn’t end up plaguing the Panthers nearly as much as most thought, but Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer lists some nightmare scenarios that could be difficult for the defending NFC champions to overcome. He includes the team’s young cornerbacks not being ready as one of those. Carolina drafted three corners and, as Roster Resource details, is likely dependent on at least one of them to start alongside Bene Benwikere and help fill the void created by Josh Norman‘s departure. The Panthers have eschewed veteran help thus far here, cutting Brandon Boykin and ignoring Charles Tillman‘s reunion preference.
- After Fletcher Cox signed his six-year Eagles extension worth $103MM, Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com (video link) points to the Panthers signing Kawann Short to a similar extension within the next month. Entering his contract year, Short is only set to count $1.4MM against the cap. The Panthers possess over $28MM in cap space, making an extension tenable. Short skipped the Panthers’ OTA sessions but reported to minicamp to avoid being fined. However, he declined to comment on his stalled contract negotiations while there.
Panthers Notes: Newton, Short, Butler
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is a household name and widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today. But how do his divisional foes regard him? Jenna Laine of ESPN.com spoke with a few Buccaneers players who say that they respect him overall with one player admitting that tackling him is a “chore.” As for his touchdown celebrations, Tampa players don’t seem to be nearly as irked by his dancing as some of the country’s talking heads are.
- Bill Voth of Black And Blue Review wondered whether Panthers GM Dave Gettleman was thinking about Kawann Short‘s contract situation when he drafted Vernon Butler with the No. 30 overall pick. When asked about his overall philosophy on that, Gettleman didn’t specifically say whether he consider contracts of current players when prepping his boards. However, he did make it clear that he sees a difference-maker in Butler and was willing to take him even though he didn’t fill a need position-wise. “Looking at the roster, did we need another defensive tackle?” Gettleman asked rhetorically. “People can argue ‘no.’ But you know how much I believe in the front. You know how much I believe it’s a big man’s game and [coach] Ron [Rivera] is right there with me.”
La Canfora: Agents Upset With Panthers GM
- In a recent interview, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman discussed the Josh Norman situation and had some bold words for player agents. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he said. More than one player rep found that quote to be off-putting, La Canfora writes, especially since the team – with a couple of exceptions – has yet to really make good on the talk of reallocating the money that would have gone to Norman. While Ryan Kalil and Michael Oher both have new deals, the Kawann Short situation looms large in Charlotte and people in the football world are now paying extra close attention to how it plays out. Ultimately, La Canfora feels that many of Gettleman’s words would have been better left unsaid. I’m inclined to agree, though I have a hard time imagining a scenario in which players and agents become unwilling to sign with the Panthers as a result.
Latest On Eugene Monroe
Since being released by the Ravens last week, offensive tackle Eugene Monroe has been linked to several clubs, including the Giants, Seahawks, and 49ers. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) confirms that those teams have indeed expressed interest in Monroe, and adds that the Panthers could be another potential landing spot for the free agent tackle.
[RELATED: Carolina Panthers depth chart]
If it signed Monroe, Carolina could shift incumbent left tackle Michael Oher to the right side, according to Cole — it should be noted, however, that Cole’s report was published before the Panthers and Oher agreed to a multi-year extension, which could affect any attempts to move Oher to right tackle. From my vantage point, one other possible scenario could entail simply placing Monroe at right tackle, and moving 2015 starter Mike Remmers into a swing tackle role.
Monroe, a career left tackle, might not be open to that move, however, as Cole reports that Monroe is reticent to move to the right side, and in fact rejected offers from the Giants because they necessitated him moving to right tackle. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com disputes that nugget, writing that while Monroe would prefer to stay on the blindside, he would be “willing” to move to right tackle if that’s the only opportunity that presented itself. New York would likely use Monroe on the right side, per Graziano, despite that fact that 2015 rookie Ereck Flowers graded as one of the four worst tackles in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
[RELATED: New York Giants depth chart]
Monroe doesn’t appear to be rushing into signing any time soon, and reports have indicated that he’ll begin taking visits with prospective employers next week. I recently ran down a list of eight clubs — including several mentioned above — that could have interest in signing Monroe.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Latest On Panthers, Kawann Short
Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short, who is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, made the decision to skip the team’s OTAs when he and the club put their long-term extension talks on hold at the end of May. Short did appear for the team’s mandatory minicamp–he could have been fined over $76K had he not done so–and he immediately re-assumed his spot in the defensive line rotation.
However, Short declined to comment on his contract situation upon his return to the team, and there have been no reports suggesting that the stalled contract talks have been rekindled, which would seem to cast into doubt earlier predictions that the two sides would hammer out a new deal prior to the start of the 2016 season. But as Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer writes, the Panthers continue to talk with Short and his agent, Joel Seagal, thereby suggesting that a deal could still get done in fairly short order.
Of course, the massive contract that Fletcher Cox just inked with the Eagles has thrown a wrench into Carolina’s negotiations with Short. Philadelphia gave Cox a six-year, $103MM extension (with $63MM guaranteed), and we recently heard that the Panthers were not bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money. Indeed, reports have indicated that Carolina GM Dave Gettleman wants to give Short a contract with an average annual value of no more than $15MM.
And that’s certainly understandable, as 2015 was the first time that Short produced at an elite level. But in last season’s breakout performance, the Purdue product racked up 11 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries on his way to his first Pro Bowl bid, and he also added two more sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason. Plus, at age 27, there is no reason to think that the breakout was a fluke; rather, it simply appeared to be a case of a high-ceiling player realizing his vast potential as part of a tremendous defensive front.
In any event, Person suggests that, since dialogue between the two sides is still ongoing, these negotiations are on a more promising course than the Josh Norman situation, in which there was no give-and-take between team and player. There is still a gap to bridge, but the continued conversations indicate that Short may receive his big payday within the next couple of months (it just won’t be as big as Cox’s was).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images