Offseason In Review News & Rumors

Offseason In Review: Washington Redskins

September 6th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins entered their second offseason under general manager Scot McCloughan, and while the club has shown an interest in developing a draft-based approach — as opposed to targeting high-priced free agents — Washington had to deal with the impending free agency of its franchise quarterback, and weigh a pursuit of a veteran defensive back who unexpectedly hit the open market.

Notable signings:

Josh Norman, CB: Five years, $75MM. $36.5MM guaranteed.
Kirk Cousins, QB: One year, $19.953MM. Fully guaranteed. Accepted franchise tag.
David Bruton, S: Three years, $9MM. $3.4MM guaranteed.
Colt McCoy, QB: Three years, $9MM. $1.8MM guaranteed.
Vernon Davis, TE: One year, $2.4MM. $1.1MM guaranteed. $2.1MM available via incentives.
Kendall Reyes, DE: One year, $2.5MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Mason Foster, LB: Two years, $2.5MM. $350K guaranteed.
Will Blackmon, CB: Two years, $2.05MM. $150K guaranteed.
Greg Toler, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Terence Garvin, LB: One year, $750K. $75K guaranteed.
Ziggy Hood, DL: One year, minimum salary benefit. $20K guaranteed.
Junior Galette, LB: One year, $1.6MM. $2.5MM available via incentives.
Duke Ihenacho, S: One year, $675K.
Kedric Golston, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit.

The Redskins didn’t wade very deeply into the free agent waters, choosing to spend their money at lower end of the market. However, the club did make two exceptions to that strategy, and each was its own unique situation. The first was on offense, where Washington retained its quarterback — fifth-year pro Kirk Cousins — via the franchise tag after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal.

It’s not surprising that that Cousins and the Redskins couldn’t come to a middle ground on his value given that he only has one full season of starting experience (and only one half-season of exceptional play). Washington was reportedly offering an extension that contained $24MM in guarantees and a $16MM per year salary, but given that the franchise tag will pay Cousins nearly $20MM in 2016 alone, he had no reason to accept such a proposal.

Both the club and Cousins seem content with the idea of him playing out the year under the tag, and the issue will clearly be revisited next offseason. If the Redskins want to place the franchise tender on Cousins again in 2017, they’d have to be willing to pay him almost $24MM (120% the value of the 2016 tag). But the more likely scenario — if Cousins plays well once again — entails the two parties coming to terms on an extension.

While Cousins is only locked up for one season, Washington signed cornerback Josh Norman for the next five years, agreeing to a $75MM contract with the All Pro after the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag. The deal contains $36.5MM in full guarantees, but nearly 60% of that total comes in the form of guaranteed 2016 and 2017 base salaries. As such, the Redskins could conceivably exit the deal after two seasons without much dead money being left on the cap.

If Norman continues his current level of play, of course, Washington won’t have any reason to get out of the contract. Norman, 28, enjoyed a career-year in 2015 as he was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl. He produced career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18), and was well-regarded by advanced metrics as well, finishing as the league’s 12th-best corner by Pro Football Focus’ grades.

Norman wasn’t the only addition the Redskins made to their secondary, as the club also agreed to terms with former Broncos safety David Bruton. Nearly 30 years old, Bruton has never been a full-time starter during his NFL career, but he’ll get that opportunity now opposite DeAngelo Hall. Denver played a bunch of three-safety looks last year, so Bruton did see action on more than 40% of snaps in 2015. Meanwhile, Will Blackmon, Greg Toler, and Duke Ihenacho will all vie for rotational snaps in the defensive backfield while adding value on special teams.

Washington also made several cheap signings along the front seven, and two of them — defensive lineman Ziggy Hood ($20K guaranteed) and Kedric Golston (no guaranteed money) — are listed as starters on the club’s official depth chart that was released today. Along with fellow new addition Kendall Reyes and holdovers Ricky Jean-Francois and Anthony Lanier, the Redskins figure to rotate their defensive lineman quite a bit in order to keep everyone fresh.

Two re-signings that didn’t make much sense were tight end Vernon Davis and linebacker Mason Foster. Davis, 32, has a familiarity with McCloughan from the pair’s time in San Francisco, but the veteran tight end looked completely lost with both the 49ers and Broncos last season. Clearly, he won’t be asked to be a No. 1 option with Jordan Reed in tow, but $1.1MM in guarantees is not an insignificant amount of money. Foster, meanwhile, wasn’t very effective after being signed last September, and other free agent options such as Craig Robertson or Zach Brown could have been more cost-effective moves.

Continue reading about the Redskins’ offseason…

Tom Compton, T
Chris Culliver, CB: Released
Brian De La Puente, C
Dashon Goldson, S: Released
Robert Griffin III: Released
Jason Hatcher, DL: Released, then retired
Adam Hayward, LB: Released
Jackson Jeffcoat, DE: Waived
Jeron Johnson, S: Released
Frank Kearse, DE
Terrance Knighton, DT
Alfred Morris, RB
Stephen Paea, DE: Released
Perry Riley, LB: Released
Andre Roberts, WR: Released
Keenan Robinson, LB
Alex Smith, TE
Pierre Thomas, RB
Cary Williams, CB
Darrel Young, FB

In terms of persona and public image, Robert Griffin III can be considered a “notable loss,” but based solely on on-field impact, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year won’t be missed, as he didn’t play a single snap last season. Obviously, that was by design, as the Redskins didn’t want to risk RG3’s injury guaranteed 2016 salary to kick in. Griffin was never a great fit for head coach Jay Gruden‘s offensive system, and with Kirk Cousins now the lead dog in Washington, RG3 will try to restart his career in Cleveland.

The Redskins also lost a couple key members from their backfield, as Alfred Morris defected to the division rival Cowboys while Pierre Thomas remains on the open market. Like RG3, Morris was never able to match his rookie season, when he rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns. But as a back with limited ability in the passing game, Morris wasn’t going to mesh with Gruden’s offense. Thomas, meanwhile, is still a candidate to be re-signed if Washington doesn’t want move forward with only Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson behind Matt Jones.

Most of Washington’s losses came on the defensive side of the ball, as the club saw players leave at each level of the unit. Up front, Jason Hatcher retired, Terrance Knighton left via free agency (though he’s now available once again after being cut by the Patriots), and Stephen Paea was released at final cutdowns. The 34-year-old Hatcher was probably the best of the bunch in 2015, as he started 14 games and graded as the No. 27 interior defender according to Pro Football Focus.

Linebacker Perry Riley was released at the same time as Paea, and Washington saved a considerable amount of money by moving on from him. Riley will leave a sizable void in the middle of the club’s defense, however, as he’d started 63 games during his six-year tenure with the Redskins. Keenan Robinson, meanwhile, is also gone after playing more than half of Washington’s snaps last season. He’ll suit up for the division rival Giants in 2016.

In the back end, Washington parted ways with veteran safety Dashon Goldson, who played more than 90% of the club’s defensive snaps but rated as one of the four worst safeties in the league, per PFF. He headed south to join the Falcons, whereas cornerback Chris Culliver — released earlier this year — signed on with the Dolphins. Culliver signed a four-year, $32MM contract with Washington in May 2015, ultimately playing out just one season of that deal. His $8MM guaranteed salary for 2016 was voided when the cornerback was suspended one game for a 2014 incident, and with Culliver coming off a torn ACL, the decision for the Redskins was simple.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 22) and a 2017 sixth-round pick from the Texans in exchange a 2016 first-round pick (No. 21).
Acquired a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 152) and a 2017 fifth-round pick from Saints in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 120).
Acquired a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Jets in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 158).

Draft picks:

1-22: Josh Doctson, WR (TCU)
2-53: Su’a Cravens, LB (USC)
3-84: Kendall Fuller, CB (Virginia Tech)
5-152: Matt Ioannidis, DL (Temple)
6-187: Nate Sudfeld, QB (Indiana)
7-232: Steven Daniels, LB (Boston College)
7-242: Keith Marshall, RB (Georgia)

Josh Doctson was viewed by many observers as the best wide receiver available in this year’s draft, but he ended up being the third pass-catcher to come off the board after Corey Coleman and Will Fuller. He’s a bit older than your average rookie — he’ll be 24 in December — but Doctson has a fan in scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas, who offered this analysis on Doctson earlier this year:

He lacks outstanding speed, but Doctson is a smooth route runner with the ability to stretch the field and separate, along with the natural hands needed to make the difficult catches. He displays above average balance and crisp change of direction agility to gain valid yardage after the catch and has the ability to extend while tip-toeing along the sidelines for the soft pluck. He does a good job of gaining separation off the snap due to his initial quick step. The thing you see on the field is his natural feel for making adjustments on the move, displaying good fakes and a bit of con in him to set up defensive backs in attempts to get open.

Doctson is unlikely to be a starter immediately as he deals with an injury and plays behind DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jamison Crowder, and Washington’s mid-round picks don’t project to play early in their rookie seasons, either. Second-rounder Su’a Cravens is expected to be used in a hybrid linebacker/safety role (think Deone Bucannon), while third-rounder Kendall Fuller will be a reserve corner.

Cutting a fifth-round pick isn’t the end of the world, but it’s a little surprising that Matt Ioannidis wasn’t able to force his way into a defensive line group that is rather thin. Instead, he’ll start his rookie year on the practice squad after clearing waivers. Nate Sudfeld will be the Redskins’ third quarterback behind Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy, while Steven Daniels and Keith Marshall will spend their rookie seasons on injured reserve.

Extensions and Restructures:

Jordan Reed, TE: Extended through 2021. Five years, $46.75MM. $14MM guaranteed.
Tress Way, P: Extended through 2020. Four years, $7.8MM. $1.85MM guaranteed.
Kory Lichtensteiger, C: Accepted pay cut, creating $1MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $3.25MM to $2.25MM. Can earn $1.25MM via incentives.

After agreeing to an extension that will keep him in the nation’s capital through 2021, Jordan Reed is now the third-highest paid tight end in terms of annual salary, trailing only Jimmy Graham and (barely) Travis Kelce. The Redskins gave Reed a $9MM signing bonus, and as they often do, guaranteed his first two years of base salary. Reed was also able to secure $22MM in injury guarantees, an important concession given his history of health concerns.

After being limited to just 20 overall games in 2013 and 2014, Reed stayed healthy for 14 games last season, racking up 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. In spite of Reed’s injury history, he always seemed destined for a lucrative long-term extension, with Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz having already signed new mega-deals this offseason — neither of those tight ends matched the impressive numbers that the Washington pass-catcher put up in 2015.

Reed had been preparing to enter the final year of his rookie contract, and would have earned a base salary of $1.661MM in 2016 under the terms of his old deal. Extending him this offseason allowed Washington to apply some of the new money in the extension to the 2016 cap, increasing Reed’s previous $1.808MM cap charge, in addition to allowing the tight end to get paid a year early.

Other:

Hired former Colts DC Greg Manusky as outside linebackers coach.
Learned LB Junior Galette would miss the 2016 season after tearing his Achilles.
Learned RB Silas Redd would be suspended indefinitely (substance abuse policy).
Placed TE Derek Carrier on PUP list.
Signed, and then released, OL Josh LeRibeus, Redskins will carry $80K in dead money.
Signed, and then released, tight end Logan Paulsen. Redskins will carry $35K in dead money.
Attempted to acquire C Bryan Stork from the Patriots, but the trade was rescinded when Stork failed his physical.
Signed 14 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Junior Galette just can’t catch a break — after tearing his Achilles last August and missing what was supposed to be his first season with the Redskins, he suffered another Achilles injury earlier this year and will miss 2016 as well. If healthy, Galette can be a force rushing from the edge, but his recent ailments are going to severely limit his market next spring. His contract didn’t contain any guaranteed money, and it’s unclear if he’ll earn his entire $1.6MM salary/roster bonus given that he’s on injured reserve.

Offensive lineman Bryan Stork, meanwhile, also saw his offseason severely affected by injury concerns. The Patriots were reportedly set to waive the 25-year-old center when the Redskins swooped in and offered a conditional seventh-round draft pick. After being dealt, Stork apparently considered retirement before opting to give it a go with Washington. However, Stork failed his physical with the Redskins and the trade was rescinded, and Stork has since been waived by New England.

All those failed machinations show that the Redskins are clearly looking to upgrade the center position. They forced incumbent Kory Lichtensteiger to take a pay cut, and though it’s not ideal to change up an offensive line during a season, it’s always possible the club signs a free agent later this year. Backup guard Spencer Long has also been taking snaps at center, so he’d likely be the next man up if Lichtensteiger struggles.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Kirk Cousins, QB: $19,93,000
Trent Williams, T: $10,668,750
Pierre Garcon, WR: $10,200,000
DeSean Jackson, WR: $9,250,000
Ryan Kerrigan, LB: $8,450,000
Josh Norman, CB: $8,000,000
DeAngelo Hall, DB: $5,062,5000
Perry Riley, LB: $5,049,804
Shawn Lauvao, G: $5,000,000
Brandon Scherff, G: $4,821,736

The Kirk Cousins negotiations took up most of the Redskins’ offseason, but the club was able to add a decent amount of defensive depth while also bringing in a star in Josh Norman. The production of those two players will likely determine whether Washington’s offseason is considered a failure or a success, but the Redskins are working on building a complete roster. With Tony Romo sidelined in Dallas, the Eagles undergoing a rebuild, and the Giants engaged in a yearly battle with mediocrity, the Redskins can probably be considered the favorites in the NFC East.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

August 30th, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

After one of the busiest offseasons in the NFL, the Titans are looking to take one major step forward in their rebuilding process.

Notable signings:

Ben Jones, C: Four years, $17.5MM. $7.5MM guaranteed.
Al Woods, DT: Three years, $10.5MM. $3.75MM guaranteed.
Rishard Matthews, WR: Three years, $15MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
Brice McCain, CB: Two years, $4.4MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Matt Cassel, QB: One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed.
Sean Spence, LB: One year, $2.5MM. $500K guaranteed.
Rashad Johnson, S: One year, $2MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Antwon Blake, CB: One year, $1.5MM. $200K guaranteed.
Andre Johnson, WR: Two years, $2.985MM.

There was lots of activity in Tennessee over these last few months, but relatively little happening on the free agent market. One notable move they did make was the signing of center Ben Jones, which strengthened their interior line while hurting the rival Texans. Given the season-ending injury suffered by presumptive starter Nick Martin, the loss of Jones will sting extra hard in Houston.

Jones, 26, was with the Texans since 2012, when he entered the league as a fourth-round pick out of Georgia. He became Houston’s full-time starter in 2014, and he’s started all 32 games since. Jones posted solid marks from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the No. 18 center in the league last season, noting that he was better in the pass game than as a run-blocker.

Early on in free agency, the Titans re-signed defensive tackle Al Woods to a three-year pact. Woods, who recently turned 29, picked up 22 tackles in 14 games (nine starts) for the Titans in 2015. With fellow nose tackle Sammie Lee Hill recovering from a knee injury to open the season, Woods saw most of the playing time at the position, earning 362 defensive snaps to Hill’s 190 for the season. While Pro Football Focus ranked Woods just 88th out of 123 interior defenders, PFF gave him a solid grade as a run defender, and he was primarily used on early downs. At the time of his new deal, it looked like Woods would be slotted in as the team’s starting nose tackle. However, the Titans found their new starter in the draft (more on that later).

Wide receiver Rishard Matthews was a pleasant surprise for Dolphins fans and fantasy owners alike in 2015. In 11 contests last season, Matthews totaled 662 yards and averaged 15.4 per reception as the Fins’ downfield complement to Jarvis Landry. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury later in the season ended his breakout campaign prematurely. That bad break also may have capped his free agent market somewhat. Ultimately, the Titans were able to sign Matthews to a three-year deal with a paltry $2.5MM guaranteed. After Dorial Green-Beckham was jettisoned to Philly, Matthews probably now stands as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.

Matthews isn’t the only Miami import as the Titans also signed cornerback Brice McCain. McCain started 10 games and played 735 defensive snaps for the Dolphins in 2015, picking up an interception to go along with 39 tackles. However, the Dolphins decided to cut him this year in order to save $2.5MM against the cap. Despite making 10 starts for Miami last year, he’ll play a reserve role this year behind starters Jason McCourty and Perrish Cox.

The Titans reportedly made quarterback Matt Cassel a priority in free agency as they wanted to shore up the quarterback position behind Marcus Mariota. Evidently, the Cassel signing was made so that the Titans could move on from Zach Mettenberger later on in the offseason.

Notable losses:

Michael Griffin managed to start 14 games for Tennessee last season, accruing 65 tackles, one interception, and one sack, but he is not the player that he once was. In February, the Titans cut him loose in order to clear his entire $6.5MM salary from the books for 2016. In his nine seasons with the Titans, Griffin missed just three games, including one in 2015. Earning Pro Bowl spots in 2008 and 2010, the former first-round pick totaled 761 tackles, 25 interceptions, and 11 forced fumbles during his time with the team. The Titans will miss the hard-working Griffin in the locker room but the move was a no-brainer from a fiscal perspective.

At one time, Zach Mettenberger was viewed as a starting option for the Titans at quarterback. However, he failed to impress on the field and the addition of stud rookie Marcus Mariota in 2015 effectively blocked him in Tennessee. Apparently, the Titans didn’t think much of him as a backup QB either. Mettenberger was waived by the Titans and claimed by the Chargers, only to be waived again by San Diego in late August.

Early on in the offseason when we ranked our top 15 free agent cornerbacks, Coty Sensabaugh did not make the cut. Apparently, the Rams see something that we don’t. Sensabaugh inked a three-year deal with a $15MM base value that could be worth up to $19MM. In 2015, Sensabaugh recorded 58 total tackles with 8 passes defended. He also hauled in two interceptions and scored one defensive touchdown. It’s not clear if the Titans made a major effort to re-sign him.

Sammie Lee Hill played in 10 games for the Titans, starting five, and picked up six tackles. The Titans didn’t express much interest in re-signing him and this week he was slapped with a four-game suspension for a missed drug test. Hill is still without an NFL team for the coming season.

Trades:

Acquired RB DeMarco Murray and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 100).
Acquired OL Dennis Kelly from the Eagles in exchange for WR Dorial Green-Beckham.
Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 15), two 2016 second-round picks (Nos. 43 and 45), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 76), a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2017 third-round pick from the Rams in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 1), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113), and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 177).
- Rams will also acquire a 2017 seventh-round pick if they send their own 2017 third-rounder to the Titans, rather than a third-round comp pick.
Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 176) from the Browns in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 15), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 76), and a 2017 third-round pick.
Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 157) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 253) from the Broncos in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 176) and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

In 2014, DeMarco Murray was an absolute beast for the Cowboys. Behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, Murray established career-highs of 1,845 yards and 13 TDs in his contract year, leading to a huge payday with the Eagles. Unfortunately, he never took off in Philly, rushing for just 702 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. Even though the Eagles overhauled everything this offseason, Murray still wasn’t happy and in March he was traded to the Titans. All it cost Tennessee was a swap of fourth round picks, moving them down 13 spots.

In Tennessee, Murray joins a club that ranked 25th in rushing yards last season and 17th in per-carry average. Keep in mind, that is with Marcus Mariota beefing up both stats with his lofty 7.4 YPC. Antonio Andrews led Titans backs in attempts (143), yards (520) and touchdowns (three). He matched Murray with a paltry 3.6 YPC. If the Titans can get anything close to the 2014 version of Murray, they could have a dangerous offensive attack.

The Titans initially held the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft and they were heavily connected to Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil. GM Jon Robinson told every live microphone that he intended on keeping the No. 1 pick, a wise play with several teams interested in this year’s top quarterbacks. Eventually, the Rams made a godfather offer to the Titans, netting them a bevy of picks in this year’s draft plus 2017 first-round and third-round selections. Then, the Titans went from No. 15 back up to No. 8 to get the guy who they believed to be one of the best two tackles in the bunch.

The Titans tried to be as patient as they could with Dorial Green-Beckham, but they gave up on the young receiver just days ago. Once considered to be one of the top high school prospects in the nation, DGB was unable to get his head on straight in college and fell to the Titans in the second round of the 2015 draft. Green-Beckham hauled in 32 catches for 549 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie last season, but frustrated coaches with his uneven effort.

Draft picks:

1-8: Jack Conklin, T (Michigan State):
2-33: Kevin Dodd, DE/OLB (Clemson)
2-43: Austin Johnson, DL (Penn State)
2-45: Derrick Henry, RB (Alabama)
3-64: Kevin Byard, DB (Middle Tennessee State)
5-140: Tajae Sharpe, WR (Massachusetts)
5-157: LeShaun Sims, CB (Southern Utah)
6-193: Sebastian Tretola, OL (Arkansas)
7-222: Aaron Wallace, LB (UCLA)
7-253: Kalan Reed, DB (Southern Mississippi)

When you have a stud quarterback like Mariota, you need to invest your resources in protecting him. The Titans did just that this year when they moved all around the draft board and ultimately landed at No. 8 to select Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin. The door is open for Conklin to step in immediately and make an impact as a starter on the Titans’ O-Line. Still, as PFR scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas notes, Conklin’s draft position does not necessarily guarantee that he’ll be a star:

Being a Top Ten choice does not always spell instant success, at least where offensive tackles are concerned. Among the 179 offensive tackles to ever be drafted in the first round, four never even played in any NFL games and seven others never started any contests during their pro careers. Since the 1970 draft, five other first round offensive tackle selections never reached double-digit starting figures.

Aside from Conklin, Thomas says he is particularly impressed by defensive tackle Austin Johnson, running back Derrick Henry, free safety Kevin Byard, wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, and guard Sebastian Tretola. Those with a pessimistic view of Murray believe that Henry could be in store for a monster rookie season.

Extensions and Restructures:

DeMarco Murray, RB: Renegotiated contract after trade from Eagles. Four years, $25.5MM. $12MM guaranteed.
Delanie Walker, TE. Extended through 2018. Two years, $13.375MM. $6.7MM guaranteed.

Other:

Hired Jon Robinson as general manager to replace Ruston Webster.
Hired Mike Mularkey as head coach on a full-time basis.
Hired Terry Robiskie as offensive coordinator to replace Jason Michael. Reassigned Michael to quarterbacks coach.
Promoted assistant head coach/defense Dick LeBeau to defensive coordinator to replace Ray Horton.
Hired Bobby April as special teams coach to replace Nate Kaczor.
Declined 2017 fifth-year option for G Chance Warmack ($11.902MM).
Claimed TE Jerome Cunningham off waivers.
Claimed LB Nate Palmer off waivers.
Learned T Byron Bell would miss the 2016 season after dislocating his ankle.
Learned WR Andrew Turzilli would be suspended four games (PED policy).
Signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Out with the old, in with the new. Ruston Webster joined the Titans in 2010 as VP of player personnel and was elevated to the GM job two seasons later. The team went on to have an 18-46 record during his tenure, tying them for the second worst mark in the NFL during that time. This offseason, it wasn’t a huge surprise when Webster was bumped in favor of Robinson. R

Robinson spent the bulk of his career with the Patriots, where he worked with Buccaneers GM Jason Licht. It was Licht who later brought Robinson to Tampa. Robinson, a Union City, Tenn., native, was considered a frontrunner early on in the process.

The Titans wrestled with the decision to retain interim head coach Mike Mularkey for the coming year. Team ownership was in Mularkey’s corner from the start and Robinson reportedly agreed to consider him as a serious candidate upon his hiring. The 54-year-old Mularkey now becomes a full-time head coach for the third time in his NFL career — he previously lead both the Bills and Jaguars. A longtime offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, Mularkey has accrued an uninspiring 18-39 record, including a 2-7 mark in nine games as the Titans’ interim coach in 2015.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Jason McCourty, CB: $8,800,000
Brian Orakpo, LB: $8,250,000
Jurrell Casey, DT: $8,120,000
Kendall Wright, WR: $7,320,000
Derrick Morgan, LB: $6,312,500
Delanie Walker, TE: $6,267,708
Da’Norris Searcy, S: $6,125,000
DeMarco Murray, RB: $6,000,000
Perrish Cox, CB: $5,833,333
Marcus Mariota, QB: $5,503,176

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: New York Giants

August 30th, 2016 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

After a 6-10 finish in 2015, the Giants made a coaching change and spent like crazy in free agency to right the ship. Will it be enough to put Big Blue back in the postseason?

Notable signings:

Olivier Vernon, DE: Five years, $85MM. $40MM guaranteed.
Janoris Jenkins, CB: Five years, $62.5MM. $28.8MM guaranteed.
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE: One year, $10MM. $8.5MM guaranteed. $500K available via incentives.
Jasper Brinkley, LB: One year, $1.8MM. $1.7MM guaranteed.
Josh Brown, K: Two years, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $750K available via incentives.
Keenan Robinson, LB: One year, $2.6MM. $1MM guaranteed. $900K available via incentives.
Will Johnson, FB: Two years, $2.3MM. $500K guaranteed.
Zak DeOssie, LS: One year, $1.1MM. $275K guaranteed.
Leon Hall, CB: One year, $1.5MM. $115K guaranteed.
Kelvin Sheppard, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Bobby Rainey, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
Larry Donnell, TE: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
B.J. Daniels, QB/WR: Two years, $1.29MM.
Randy Bullock, K: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Byron Stingily, T: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Ryan Seymour, OL: One year, $600K.

The cost of edge rushers goes up year and after year and the Giants set a new watermark this offseason when they signed free agent Olivier Vernon. Vernon’s five-year deal is worth $85MM overall with $40MM+ in guaranteed cash, the largest guarantee of any free agent in the 2016 class. Though Malik Jackson‘s $85.5MM deal technically edged him out for overall base value, Vernon probably got the better deal.

Vernon ranked third overall behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller among edge defenders last season, according to Pro Football Focus, after amassing 7.5 sacks and 61 tackles. That puts the former Dolphin in elite company, though a pessimist would note that Vernon has only topped 10 sacks once in his career (11.5 in 2013) and $40MM+ guaranteed is a lot for a guy who doesn’t have a history of elite sack production. Regardless, Vernon is a difference-maker and one of the league’s best bookends any way you slice it. The giant deal may not prove to be a wise investment in the long run, but there’s little doubt that it will reignite the Giants’ pass rush in 2015.

On the first day of free agency, the Giants pounced to sign Janoris Jenkins, a player widely considered to be the best cornerback in this year’s class. The Rams, choosing to put their funds elsewhere and their faith in Trumaine Johnson, only offered Jenkins a a five-year offer worth about $45MM. Jenkins wisely declined and entered the open market, where he got a whopping $62.5MM over five years with nearly $29MM guaranteed. In Jenkins, the Giants got a top cornerback who doesn’t turn 28 until October. Now, the Giants will have Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the secondary (plus a promising first-round choice – more on that later) and that will force opposing quarterbacks to think twice before they throw.

Last summer, the New York tabloids were almost entirely dedicated to Jason Pierre-Paul and his 4th of July mishap. At the time, it appeared that JPP had blown up any opportunity at a future with the Giants. After the unfortunate accident, the Giants immediately reached out to the defensive end to check in on him and offer help. JPP responded by hutting out the team and keeping them in the dark for much of the offseason on his status. Eventually, Pierre Paul’s relationship with the Giants healed up along with his hand.

Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. Here at PFR, we ranked JPP as the seventh-best free agent on the market. It wasn’t cheap, but the Giants retained Pierre-Paul for only one year, protecting themselves against any potential decline.

Prince Amukamara, CB
Robert Ayers, DE
Jon Beason, LB: Retired
Will Beatty, T: Released
Barry Cofield, DT
Jerome Cunningham, TE
Craig Dahl, S
Daniel Fells, TE
Cullen Jenkins, DT
Jayron Hosley, CB
Markus Kuhn, DT
Trumaine McBride, CB
Brandon Meriweather, S
Hakeem Nicks, WR
Rueben Randle, WR
Dallas Reynolds, OL
Geoff Schwartz, OL: Released
George Selvie, DE

When the Giants drafted Prince Amukamara No. 19 overall in 2011, Giants fans rejoiced. After watching Darrelle Revis dominate for the Meadowlands’ other tenant, hopes were high that the Giants had just snagged an elite cornerback of their own. Unfortunately, Amukamara was never able to fulfill his potential for the Giants. In the last two seasons, injuries limited the Nebraska product to just 19 regular season games. The Giants did show some interest in a reunion with Amukamara, but that all went out the window when they splurged on Jenkins. Amukamara is now with the Jaguars and he’s a player to watch. A change of scenery and good health could do wonders for the 27-year-old.

With so much talk around Pierre-Paul, it was easy to forget about the Giants’ other major free agent defensive lineman. Robert Ayers followed Amukamara to Florida when he inked a three-year, $19.5MM accord with the Buccaneers. The former first-round pick stepped it up in his walk year, recording nine sacks. Ayers always had a rep for good run-stopping ability, but his newfound pass-rushing acumen got him paid this spring. Ayers graded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 2015, according to PFF’s metrics.

In March, the Giants opted to move on from offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and linebacker Jon Beason. As it turns out, it would be the first of two times that Schwartz would be cut this offseason. Schwartz, 29, started 11 games for the Giants in 2015, but his season was cut short when he fractured a bone in his left leg in late November. By releasing him, the Giants avoided paying him $3.925MM annual salaries in 2016 and 2017, taking on a hit of about $1.917MM in dead money for 2016. Beason, meanwhile, decided to retire due to ongoing health issues.

Will Beatty‘s torn pectoral injury left the Giants with a big hole on the offensive line in 2015. In February of 2016, the Giants opted to cut him loose, leaving them with $5MM in dead money but also with $4.175 in cap space. The Giants ultimately did not want to commit that kind of money to a player that was still not healthy. Beatty only recently started auditioning for clubs and still finds himself without a job. The Jaguars, Cardinals, and Panthers are among the teams with interest.

It wouldn’t have cost much for the Giants to retain Cullen Jenkins, but they wanted to go younger on the D-Line. Last season, the defensive end started in 14 games for the Giants and appeared in all 16 contests. He tallied 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks. Now, he’ll look to terrorize the Giants as a member of the Redskins, provided that he makes the 53-man cut.

Hakeem Nicks was one of the best wide receivers to put on a Giants uniform in recent years. In November, the Giants welcomed the UNC product back after Victor Cruz was officially shut down for the season. Nicks, 27, spent the first five years of his career in New York with the Giants, enjoying the most productive stint of his career with the team. Posting consecutive seasons of 75+ receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards in 2010 and 2011, Nicks totaled 311 catches, 4,622 yards, and 27 TDs from 2009 to 2013. Of course, he’s no longer the same player. As of this writing, Nicks is without an NFL home for 2016.

Rueben Randle was once viewed as a future star for the Giants. After years of waiting, the future never came for the powerful receiver. This offseason, Randle was courted by the rival Eagles and the Giants didn’t do much to keep him. The Giants were said to be concerned about Randle’s work ethic and they may have been proven right this week when the Eagles released him, leaving them with $500K+ in dead money.

Draft picks:

1-10: Eli Apple, CB (Ohio State)
2-40: Sterling Shepard, WR (Oklahoma)
3-71: Darian Thompson, S (Boise State)
4-109: B.J. Goodson, LB (Clemson)
5-149: Paul Perkins, RB (UCLA)
6-184: Jerell Adams, TE (South Carolina)

Early on in draft season, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas identified Eli Apple as the best cornerback in the draft not named Jalen Ramsey. If you want to get technical and call the versatile Ramsey a safety, then Apple stands as the top CB talent in the 2016 class. Truth be told, Apple was not the Giants’ top target at No. 10. Leading up to the draft, GM Jerry Reese was hoping to land either Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd or Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin, but both prospects came off the board before it was their turn at the podium.

Earlier this offseason, Thomas told PFR that he sees Apple making both an immediate and long-term impact for the Giants:

The early first round surprise could be starting by the time the season opener rolls around, at least as the nickel corner. He’s likely to ease Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie off the roster after the season to take his place opposite high-priced Rams addition, Janoris Jenkins. The first thing you notice about this former Buckeye is his natural playmaking instincts. He understands how receivers are trying to attack coverage and he is a master at reading quarterbacks’ eyes when having to drop into zone coverage. He also does an excellent job of mid-pointing high-low routes.

Apple is an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with a sudden closing burst, especially when receivers catch the ball in front of him. He possesses that second gear needed to track the ball downfield and he’s fast enough to recover when gets caught out of position. Thanks to his fluid hips, he can make the smooth transition when forced to change directions quickly. When he stays under control and keeps his knees bent, is a good tackler in space.

Apple isn’t the only Giants rookie drawing rave reviews in camp. The hype train behind wide receiver Sterling Shepard is going full speed as many envision him doing serious damage out of the slot. Darian Thompson, meanwhile, is likely to start for the Giants at free safety.

Extensions and Restructures:

Brad Wing, P: Extended through 2019. Three years, $6.45MM. $3.725MM guaranteed.
Victor Cruz, WR: Accepted pay cut, creating $5.5MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $7.9MM to $2.4MM. Can earn $3MM through weekly roster bonuses. $100K workout bonus.

Other:

Promoted Ben McAdoo to head coach to replace Tom Coughlin.
Promoted Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator to replace Ben McAdoo. Hired former Rams OC Frank Cignetti as quarterbacks coach.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for G Justin Pugh ($8.821MM).
Learned K Josh Brown would be suspended one game (personal conduct policy).
Claimed QB Logan Thomas off waivers.
Signed 14 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

It’s easy to take the skeptical view of the Giants’ head coaching change. After the Giants limped to a 6-10 finish in 2015, it made sense for the Giants to explore the possibility of moving on from Tom Coughlin. However, some questioned the team’s choice to stay in-house and promote offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to the lead role.

McAdoo, who was hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2014, has helped Eli Manning enjoy perhaps the most productive two-year stretch of his NFL career. His success with Manning was the driving factor behind his promotion and Manning personally endorsed McAdoo for the job. Although the club has posted a 6-10 record in consecutive seasons, Manning has thrived, averaging 4,423 yards and about 33 touchdowns per season over the last two years, to go along with a 92.9 rating. The Giants finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3) in 2015.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Eli Manning, QB: $24,200,000
Olivier Vernon, DE: $13,000,000
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE: $9,400,000
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB: $8,000,000
Janoris Jenkins, CB: $8,000,000
Damon Harrison, DT: $6,600,000
Will Beatty, T: $5,000,000 (dead money)
Shane Vereen, RB: $4,916,666
Victor Cruz, WR: $4,400,000
J.T. Thomas, LB: $4,000,000

After three consecutive losing seasons, is this the year that we see the Giants rebound? There was a lot to like about what the Giants did this offseason – they made clear upgrades at cornerback and on the defensive line. However, they still have question marks on the offensive line and all the quarterback whispering in the world won’t help Manning if he doesn’t have adequate time in the pocket. We fully expect the Giants to win more than 6 games this year, but we’re less-than-certain about their playoff hopes.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: New York Jets

August 30th, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links

In 2015, a locker room fight between Geno Smith and a reserve linebacker changed the entire course of the Jets’ season. The skirmish left Smith with a broken jaw and left the door open for Ryan Fitzpatrick to show what he could do. Not only was Fitzpatrick a capable fill-in, he turned out to be one of the league’s better quarterbacks last season.

How could the Jets and the Harvard grad ever top that kind of offseason drama? Well, they gave it their best shot this spring and summer.

Notable signings:

Muhammad Wilkerson, DE: Five years, $86MM. $36.75MM guaranteed. Had been assigned franchise tag.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: One year, $12MM. Fully guaranteed.
Matt Forte, RB: Three years, $12MM. $9MM guaranteed. $2MM available annually via escalators.
Bilal Powell, RB: Three years, $11.25MM. $6MM guaranteed. $2.25MM available via escalators.
Steve McLendon, DT: Three years, $10.5MM. $4MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via escalators.
Jarvis Jenkins, DE: Two years, $6MM. $3MM guaranteed.
Erin Henderson, LB: Two years, $4MM. $750K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Kellen Davis, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $230K guaranteed.
Khiry Robinson, RB: One year, $1.175MM. $80K guaranteed.
Bruce Carter, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Darryl Morris, CB: One year, $750K. $75K guaranteed.
Jeremy Ross, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
Kenbrell Thompkins, WR: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Zach Sudfeld, TE: One year, $600K.
Antone Smith, RB: Contract terms unknown.

In the spring, the Jets tried to re-sign Fitzpatrick to a three-year deal in the $7MM/year range. That annual value was similar to the contracts signed by Robert Griffin III and Chase Daniel earlier this offseason. Of course, Fitzpatrick was significantly more productive in 2015 than those two have been in recent years. His camp argued that he was in line for about $14-15MM year, pointing out that Sam Bradford and Brock Osweiler received contracts in the neighborhood of $18MM annually, even though they also didn’t achieve what Fitzpatrick did last year. The only trouble is, no other team appeared to show serious interest in him. Even the Broncos – who were left without a QB after one retired and one bolted – didn’t seem very interested in Fitzpatrick.

The standoff took a number of weird twists and turns. First, there was a report that Fitzpatrick would rather walk away from the sport altogether than pay on what he believed was an unsatisfactory contract. Then, there were rumblings that he would consider playing as a No. 2 quarterback elsewhere to spite the Jets. Both claims were likely floated out by Fitzpatrick’s reps, but neither threat had much behind it.

Eventually, the Jets and Fitzpatrick came back to the negotiating table and shook hands on a one-year, fully guaranteed pact worth $12MM. Even though Fitzpatrick turns 34 in November, he should have the opportunity to cash in a multi-year deal next offseason if he is able to reprise his ’15 performance. Many would say that Fitzpatrick won the stare down with the Jets, but both sides needed each other and it’s hard to fault Gang Green for caving.

In all of the talk surrounding Fitzpatrick, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was almost an afterthought. Wilkerson, 27 in October, has established himself as one of the game’s best young defensive ends. Unlike talented teammate Sheldon Richardson, he has stayed out of trouble off the field while he dominates on the field. Still, the Jets showed very little interest in re-signing him this offseason, choosing instead to employ the franchise tag.

“Do I feel that they want me back? As of right now, no. I don’t feel like they want me,” Wilkerson said. “I’m a talented guy. Everybody knows that. I feel like they’re going to get the best they can out of me and just let me go. That’s how I feel. Do I like that feeling? No. I’m a New Jersey guy, born and raised and would love to raise my family here.”

Then, on the day of the franchise tag extension deadline, the Jets shocked the world when they announced that they had reached a five-year, $86MM deal with Wilkerson. So, what changed? It’s possible that the Jets realized late in the game that they needed to hammer out a long-term deal in order to improve their cap situation in 2016. Whatever the reason, Jets fans rejoiced when Wilkerson was locked up for years to come. $37MM of Wilkerson’s deal is fully guaranteed with $54MM coming to him over the next three years. That means that Wilkerson is getting paid major money, but the Jets can also cut bait with him prior to the 2018 season to get out of the other $17MM.

The Jets made a big splash in free agency when they signed running back Matt Forte. Numerous clubs were said to be interested in Forte after the Bears informed him that he would not be re-signed after eight seasons in Chicago. Forte had a relatively down season in 2015, missing three games with injury and failing to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2011. But, he still managed almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage thanks to his receiving ability — he caught 44 passes out of the backfield for almost 400 yards. Some are skeptical about what Forte can do at his age (31 in December), but he has a lot more in the tank than LaDainian Tomlinson did when he joined up with the Jets as a free agent years ago.

Besides, the Jets still have Bilal Powell to help run the ball and ease Forte’s workload. Powell averaged a career-high 4.5 yards per carry on 70 attempts last season and added a personal-best 47 receptions. The Jets did not want to let him linger on the free agent market and they wrapped him up on March 10th, keeping him away from interested clubs including the Cowboys, Ravens, Broncos, and rival Patriots.

Notable losses:

While the Jets locked up Wilkerson for years to come, they watched defensive tackle Damon Harrison go elsewhere. Well, he’ll actually stay in the same building, just in different clothes. The Giants scooped up “Snacks” in March, giving him a five-year, $46.25MM deal. The Jets badly wanted to retain Harrison, but the bidding quickly got out of control with several teams interested in him. Harrison was ranked No. 8 on PFR’s Top 50 NFL Free Agents list for this past offseason and the Jets will have to find a way to stuff the run without Harrison in the middle.

Before the Jets signed Forte, they saw Chris Ivory ink a free agent deal with the Jaguars. Ivory, to no one’s surprise, had lots of suitors after him when the legal tampering period kicked off. But, to everyone’s surprise, he landed in Jacksonville. Last year, Ivory topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his six-year career. The powerful back averaged 4.3 yards per carry, scored 7 touchdowns, and even helped out in the passing game, posting 30 receptions. However, if all goes according to plan in New York, he won’t necessarily be missed.

The Jets asked D’Brickashaw Ferguson recently to take a pay cut. Ferguson responded by making a decision that gave Gang Green plenty of cap room – he retired. The 32-year-old never missed a game during his ten-year career and he was reportedly healthy. Ultimately, Ferguson decided that he just wanted to do something other than play football for the first time in a long time. Ferguson had been slated to count for $14.107MM against the Jets’ cap in 2016, which was somewhat problematic. Ferguson’s decision to retire gave the Jets $9MM+ in cap savings, which they desperately needed.

New Jersey native Bon Jovi rhetorically asks, “Who says you can’t go home?” Well, Antonio Cromartie did return to New Jersey to try and reprise some of his best seasons and the Jets even paired him up with old friend Darrelle Revis. Unfortunately, the reunion did not go as planned. In February, the Jets released Cro after he was ranked 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. Because Cromartie’s pact was essentially a pay-as-you-go deal, it allowed the Jets to get out of it this year without taking on any dead money. In his first year, Cromartie earned a $5MM base salary and a $2MM roster bonus. For 2016, his $8MM base salary was fully non-guaranteed, so New York created $8MM in cap savings by releasing him.

Trades:

Acquired T Ryan Clady and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 235) from the Broncos in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 157).
Acquired a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 158) from the Redskins in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round pick.

To replace Ferguson, the Jets got creative and scanned the trade market. In April, the Jets shipped a fifth-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for Ryan Clady and a seventh-round choice. While Ferguson famously missed only a single offensive snap during his time with the Jets, Clady doesn’t have that same track record of durability. Injuries have marred the former first-round pick’s career, as Clady played in only two games during the 2013 season before suffering a Lisfranc injury, and missed all of the 2015 campaign after tearing his ACL during OTAs. Aside from those seasons, however, Clady has been a 16-game starter in every season of his career.

Clady re-worked his sizable contract to help facilitate the deal and it’s quite favorable for the Jets. Clady will have a one-year, $6MM deal ($3MM guaranteed) for 2016 which can max out at $7.5MM through incentives. That’s a very fair price if Clady can stay on the field. Then, the Jets will then hold a $10MM option — which can max out at $13MM — for 2017.

The Jets ranked No. 3 in pass protection per Football Outsiders’ metrics, but No. 26 in adjusted line yards. More specifically, Clady figures to be an improvement on Ferguson’s 2015 production, as Ferguson ranked as just the 60th-best offensive tackle in the league among 77 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Draft picks:

1-20: Darron Lee, LB (Ohio State)
2-51: Christian Hackenberg, QB (Penn State)
3-83: Jordan Jenkins, OLB (Georgia)
4-118: Juston Burris, CB (North Carolina State)
5-158: Brandon Shell, T (South Carolina)
7-235: Lachlan Edwards, P (Sam Houston State)
7-241: Charone Peake, WR (Clemson)

At No. 20 overall, the Jets landed the player who was hailed as “the best defensive playmaker in the 2016 draft” by PFR’s resident scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas. Some observers were down on the linebacker in 2015 with claims that he had regressed from how he played in 2014. However, Lee was quietly dealing with a lower leg injury that hampered him for much of the ’15 season. Later on in the year, when he got healthy again, Lee proved himself to be one of the nation’s top defensive talents. Lee’s rookie negotiations took quite a while with the first-round pick only signing in late July. However, that’s ancient history after Joey Bosa stole headlines in San Diego with his extended holdout.

The jury is still out on quarterback Christian Hackenberg and it may be a while before we can judge the second-round draft choice. The Jets are high on the Penn State product, but he will need lots of time to develop. Had the Jets moved up and selected someone like Carson Wentz, they might have been able to use the selection to apply additional pressure to Fitzpatrick. When the Jets took Hackenberg, it was widely understood that it had no bearing on their current QB situation. Now, it will be interesting to see how the Jets deal with their four quarterbacks in Fitzpatrick, Hackenberg, Petty, and Geno Smith. Common sense dictates that the team will have to shed either Petty or Smith, but some have speculated that the Jets could carry all four QBs on the roster. Petty has drawn solid reviews this offseason, so it may prove difficult to sneak him on the taxi squad.

Jenkins and Shell could both be important players for the Jets in 2016, Thomas tells PFR. For what it’s worth, he’s not a huge fan of Hackenberg.

Extensions and Restructures:

Ryan Clady, T: Renegotiated contract after trade from Broncos. One year, $6MM. $3MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives. Club holds $10MM option for 2017. $3MM available via incentives in 2017.
James Carpenter, G: Restructured contract to create $2.46MM in cap space, converting $3.69MM in 2016 base salary into signing bonus.

Other:

Hired Brant Boyer as special teams coordinator to replace Bobby April.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for DE Sheldon Richardson ($8.069MM).
Declined 2017 fifth-year option for CB Dee Milliner ($11.913MM).
Learned DL Sheldon Richardson would be suspended one game (personal conduct policy).
Signed 13 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

In May, the Jets made the no-brainer decision to exercise Sheldon Richardson’s 2017 option. Richardson, despite all of the off-the-field headaches, has been one of the Jets’ best defensive players since entering the NFL in 2013. Richardson is slated to earn $8MM+ in ’17 but, if he plays his cards right, he’ll have a much more lucrative deal signed before that comes into effect. The defensive lineman was issued a one-game suspension for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy, but he’ll be on the field for Gang Green in Week 2 to face the Bills and old friend Rex Ryan.

Just as the decision to exercise Richardson’s 2017 option was easy, so was the call to decline Dee Milliner‘s. The Jets have not ruled out keeping the cornerback beyond 2016, but he’ll have to show them something if he wants a future in green.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Darrelle Revis, CB: $17,000,000
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE: $15,701,000
Brandon Marshall, WR: $9,500,000
Nick Mangold, C: $8,600,000
Eric Decker, WR: $8,000,000
Buster Skrine, CB: $7,750,000
David Harris, LB: $7,500,000
Breno Giacomini, T: $5,625,000
Marcus Gilchrist, S: $5,625,000
Ryan Clady, T: $5,500,000

The Jets dominated headlines in New York with their Fitzpatrick drama, but their offseason as a whole was somewhat uneventful, save for the Forte signing. After finishing 10-6 last year and falling short of the playoffs, the Jets are looking to take the next step forward in 2016. Under Todd Bowles, this defense-driven team can contend, but a lot will ride on a second dose of Fitzmagic.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Houston Texans

August 30th, 2016 at 8:30am CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans’ blueprint this offseason obvious to everyone as they devoted a full-force effort on multiple fronts to fix their offense. After a defensive-powered season ended with a 30-0 shutout in the wild-card round, Houston will deploy a starkly different starting offense.

For most of this century, teams with elite quarterbacks or those equipped with dominant defenses advanced to Super Bowls. There aren’t many exceptions in the modern game. The 2012 Ravens are one, but they were riding a hot streak from Joe Flacco who was playing some of his best football. The 2016 Texans are banking on another fifth-year passer, but Flacco and Brock Osweiler‘s careers aren’t exactly comparable. Houston bet big on the longtime backup who was at times effective in his audition last season.

Although they employ one of the NFL’s premier players in J.J. Watt, the Texans’ chances will hinge largely on the 6’7″ Osweiler building on his brief success. Last year’s No. 3-ranked defense lifted the team about as far as it could. This offseason, management made a point to provide as much help as possible.

Notable signings:

Brock Osweiler, QB: Four years, $72MM. $37MM guaranteed.
Lamar Miller, RB: Four years, $26MM. $14MM guaranteed.
Jeff Allen, OL: Four years, $28MM. $12MM guaranteed.
Chris Clark, T: Two years, $6MM. $3.25MM guaranteed.
Tony Bergstrom, C: Two years, $5.75MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
Shane Lechler, P: One year, $1.8MM. $500K guaranteed.
Brandon Weeden, QB: Two years, $4MM. $450K guaranteed.
Eddie Pleasant, S: Two years, $2.15MM. $311K guaranteed.
Quintin Demps, S: One year, $1.5MM. $260K guaranteed.
Jonathan Grimes, RB: One year, $900K. $200K guaranteed.
Antonio Allen, S: One year, $800K. $80K guaranteed.
Nick Novak, K: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
A.J. Bouye, CB: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
John Simon, LB: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.

Midway through 2014, it looked like Peyton Manning was going to play out the five-year contract he signed with the Broncos in 2012, thus giving his lanky backup no realistic opportunity impress potential buyers as a free agent. But the future Hall of Fame quarterback experienced a quick decline that forced the Broncos to retool their offense that season, and his freefall continued in 2015 prior to Manning injuring his foot. Osweiler stepped in and kept his previous defensive-fueled team afloat, altering his career in the process.

The seven-game work sample Osweiler offered included mixed reviews. He showcased some ability despite no previous experience in an important game situation, leading the Broncos to a 4-2 record in games he played throughout. The former second-round pick drove the team to pivotal victories over the Patriots and Bengals to help the Broncos secure home-field advantage. He finished with 10 touchdown passes, six interceptions and 245.9 passing yards per game. Denver’s offense also sputtered for several entire halves under Osweiler’s guidance, leading to two December losses and increasing the defense’s burden. What happened during the final stretch of offensive futility under the 25-year-old Osweiler may have changed the long-term outlook for two franchises.

Benched for Manning early in the third quarter of the Broncos’ Week 17 game after a spate of turnovers that mostly were hard to pin on him, Osweiler either was merely miffed at the idea of being replaced after guiding Denver back to the precipice of home-field advantage. Or he saw Gary Kubiak‘s decision as evidence he didn’t want to return to the team. His agreement with Houston came after Denver offered him $16MM per year to continue in a system in which he showed promise. Osweiler has attributed the surprising exit to wanting to start something with the Texans, who are placing immense faith in the Arizona State product whose career began with a longer backup stint than Aaron Rodgers‘.

The Texans are committed to Osweiler for the next two seasons at least. This experiment failing can reasonably result in a divorce in 2018, when just $6MM in dead money would be attached to an Osweiler release. But the Texans spent plenty in offseason capital to give their quarterback weaponry after deploying an offense without much in the way of options beyond DeAndre Hopkins last season.

Houston moved quickly to replace Arian Foster, signing Miller on Day 1 of free agency. Unlike the new franchise quarterback, the Texans’ cornerstone ball-carrier’s ability can be judged based on full-season bodies of work. Miller posted back-to-back slates of at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage. Among backs who received at least 400 carries in 2014-15, Miller’s 4.8 yards per tote rank as the league’s top mark in a sub-category basically exclusive to starting backs. As a receiver, Miller caught 47 passes for nearly 400 yards last season, so he’s no slouch as an outlet option, either.

Miller played 16 games in each of the Dolphins’ past three regular seasons, but 2014’s 210 carries represent the former fourth-round pick’s career high. He stands to have plenty of opportunities in Houston, which looks to have signed a 25-year-old runner with upside thanks to his age and a lack of usage typical of a three-year starter. By this measure, Miller’s $6.5MM AAV (sixth among running backs) accord looks to be a good value bet. He’ll be a key part in helping Osweiler assimilate in south Texas.

The other key piece on the free agency side of the offense-enhancement blueprint, Allen possesses the starting experience closer to Miller but a track record more in line with Osweiler’s. Excepting a 2014 season during which he missed the Chiefs’ final 15 games, Allen was a primary starter in Kansas City after arriving as Scott Pioli‘s final second-round selection in 2012. He started 13 games as a rookie and 14 a year later, but in neither season was he considered an above-average guard. Conveniently for his value and the sake of the Chiefs’ reeling line last year, Allen strung together his best season in 2015.

Previously relocated to right tackle in 2014 prior to his season-ending elbow malady, Allen began his ’15 campaign on the right edge before Ben Grubbs‘ career-ending neck injury moved him back inside. At left guard, Allen became Kansas City’s best lineman, helping the Chiefs adjust to life without Jamaal Charles. But the 6-foot-4 blocker saw a preseason knee injury limit him to 12 games (eight starts) last season. Nonetheless, the Texans needed a guard with Brandon Brooks in the process of signing with the Eagles, and they made Allen the league’s sixth-highest-paid guard on a per-year basis.

Allen’s $7MM average — which ended up being $1MM less per season than Brooks received from Philadelphia — makes him the Texans’ third $5MM-per-year blocker. He’ll join tackles Duane Brown and Derek Newton as veteran presences expected to open lanes for Miller, only Allen will now have to live up to a deal signed on the strength of barely a half-season’s worth of upper-echelon work. Like Osweiler, Allen showcased potential at the right time.

Houston spent less extravagantly to fortify its swing spots but kept Clark and brought in Bergstrom on notable veteran deals. A 2015 trade acquisition from the Broncos, Clark looks like the Texans’ swing tackle, with former Raider Bergstrom settling in as the interior roving backup. Clark could be called to action in a key capacity, however, as Brown remains on the Active/PUP list.

Clark operated in this capacity for the 2013 Broncos, starting the team’s final 17 games after left-edge bastion Ryan Clady went down that September. He performed adequately that year but couldn’t hold the right tackle job in 2014, helping green-light a trade to Houston. Last season, Clark performed better as a run-blocker than in pass protection during his four games as a starter.

Bergstrom suffered a significant foot injury in 2013 and did not play in ’13 or ’14. A former Raiders third-rounder, he returned as a sub for Rodney Hudson in three starts last season. He could also serve as a possible starting center given the team’s recent trouble at that spot. Nick Martin‘s season-ending ankle injury appears to have opened the door for 2015 UDFA Greg Mancz. But the second-year player faltering could move Bergstrom into a position to play with the first unit.

Regardless of whether or not Bergstrom or Clark ascend into the starting lineup, Houston’s now paying five linemen at least $2.5MM per year. Martin’s injury would have set several teams back worse.

Brandon Brooks, G
Jared Crick, DE
B.J. Daniels, QB: Waived
Arian Foster, RB: Released
Garrett Graham, TE: Released
Ben Jones, C
Brian Hoyer, QB: Released
Rahim Moore, S: Released
Darryl Morris, CB
Chris Polk, RB
Justin Tuggle, LB
Nate Washington, WR
T.J. Yates, QB

The makeover of the Texans’ offense meant parting with the player most associated with it during the decade. While Duane Brown has enjoyed a longer stint in Houston and Andre Johnson was still a top-flight target for a few years during the 2010s, Foster buoyed this run-centric attack for years. His Texans tenure, one that concluded because of injuries, broke down into two parts: the three-year stretch from 2010-12 when he profiled as one of the league’s best, and the past three years defined mostly by injuries.

The outspoken former UDFA won the 2010 rushing title and earned Pro Bowl berths during each season he suited up for at least 13 games, with 2014 being the last such instance. Foster totaled at least 1,550 yards from scrimmage in all four of those campaigns; his 2,220 in ’10 ranked as a top-20 all-time mark. However, the 30-year-old’s Achilles tear last season limited him to four games and put his viability as a player going forward in doubt until training camp. The Texans will incur a $2.3MM dead-money charge in 2016 after cutting their franchise rushing leader.

For the third straight offseason, the Texans parted with the previous year’s starting quarterback. Though Hoyer didn’t enjoy the kind of highs either Matt Schaub or Ryan Fitzpatrick have in their respective careers, he was the only one in this group to be jettisoned a year after leading the Texans to the playoffs. Houston traded Schaub to the Raiders after benching him midway through a 2-14 season in 2013 and moved Fitzpatrick in a trade to the Jets after he went 6-6 for the ’14 Texans. Enduring a strange yo-yo pattern with the since-cut Ryan Mallett early last year, Hoyer guided a depleted Texans team to an AFC South title, going 5-4 as a starter.

Hoyer’s 19-to-7 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio helped Houston into the playoffs, albeit in a down year for the division, but the 30-year-old journeyman became expendable after Osweiler’s arrival. His ignominious finish to the season — the five-turnover catastrophe that aided the Chiefs to their first playoff win in 22 years — helped streamline the Texans’ search for their first long-term option under center since Schaub.

Brooks and Jones departed after four years with the team. Each starting a similar amount of games during their years with Houston, the interior-line tandem received disparate commitments from their second NFL employers after negotiations with the Texans didn’t lead to re-ups. Brooks is now a top-five-compensated guard, while Jones signed for four years and $17.5MM with the Titans.

One of the game’s biggest guards, Brooks will join an Eagles team that also was connected to Allen due presumably to Doug Pederson‘s presence. Brooks did not play up to his capabilities last season, ranking as a substandard run-blocker in the opinion of Pro Football Focus. But his pass-protecting savvy remained, and with Brooks exhibiting road-grading ability in recent years, it’s not surprising he received a big commitment in free agency. Jones graded as PFF’s No. 18 center last season, with the analytics site also preferring the ex-fourth-rounder’s pass blocking over his ability to clear lanes for Foster or his understudies.

Neither Graham nor Moore proved to be good fits with Bill O’Brien, with their respective releases leaving three years total on the table. Although Houston’s cap sheet looks pretty clean when it comes to dead money, Moore and Graham combine for $2.75MM of the $5.6MM in payments due to non-roster players.

The Texans initially signed Moore to a mid-level accord at three years and $12MM but benched the free safety after six games last season. He’d rated as plus cover man in 2014 with the Broncos, leading to the Texans deal, but did not excel after leaving Colorado. The ill-fated pact ceasing after one season led Houston to turn to the lesser-known Andre Hal at free safety.

Having signed a three-year deal just after O’Brien took over in 2014, Graham did not prove to fit this offense. After catching 49 passes for 545 yards and five touchdowns in relief of Owen Daniels in 2013, Graham played sparingly the past two years and snared just 22 passes for 227 since re-signing. Houston’s offensive transformation did not include bringing in help at tight end, so C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin will continue to share duties here.

Crick joined the parade of exiting 2012 Texans draftees after underwhelming opposite J.J. Watt. The run-stopping defensive end will attempt to recapture the form the Gary Kubiak– and Wade Phillips-led coaching staff initially saw in him.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 21) from the Redskins in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 22) and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 50) from the Falcons in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 52) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 195).

Extensions and Restructures:

Cecil Shorts, WR: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.05MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $2.75MM to $1.2MM. Added $500K roster bonus.

Draft picks:

1-21: Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame)
2-50: Nick Martin, C (Notre Dame)
3-85: Braxton Miller, WR (Ohio State)
4-119: Tyler Ervin, RB (San Jose State)
5-159: K.J. Dillon, S (West Virginia)
5-166: D.J. Reader, DL (Clemson)

The Texans entered the draft with a similar issue that’s plagued them for most of their existence: the lack of a No. 2 wide receiver. Andre Johnson‘s prime mostly went by without this luxury, although Kevin Walter did put together two solid years in the late 2000s, until DeAndre Hopkins arrived. Only the two best wideouts in team history didn’t see their timelines intersect for long, with Johnson slowing down considerably by 2014 as Hopkins was taking off. In 2015, Hopkins shouldered most of the receiving load, and Nate Washington‘s workmanlike effort notwithstanding, Rick Smith sought a long-term upgrade with which to equip his new quarterback.

As examined by former NFL scout Dave-Te Thomas in PFR’s Impact Rookies series, the Texans acquired another receiver who excels in jump-ball situations. They already employ maybe the league’s premier playmaker by that measurement, and Fuller’s 4.32-second 40-yard dash speed should help distract defenses from rolling coverage to Hopkins constantly. Fuller delivered dominant seasons in South Bend, Ind., hauling in 29 touchdown receptions in 2014-15 while amassing nearly 2,500 air yards in those seasons.

He’ll be given every chance to ascend into a starting role opposite Hopkins, with Shorts and Jaelen Strong being the team’s auxiliary incumbents. Fuller averaged 20.3 yards per reception with the Fighting Irish last season, duplicating his ’14 sophomore success and showing the kind of consistency that’s been largely lacking from Texans complementary cogs.

Fuller began the second full-speed-ahead approach to offensive improvement; three more offensive talents followed in an attempt to help a unit that finished 19th in total offense and 21st in scoring last season.

While Martin’s injury hurts since he was going to be the Day 1 center, the Texans landed the intriguing Miller soon after that night. Despite one year of experience as a receiver with the Buckeyes, Miller is expected to be deployed quickly in Houston as the team’s No. 1 slot receiver. At 6-2 and 215 pounds, Miller brings a different frame to the slot than most teams are going to feature. But his elusiveness should be on display, given the explosive plays he authored as a two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year.

However, his accolades came at quarterback. Miller’s pure receiving numbers — 25 receptions for 340 yards last season — leave some questions as to how he’ll translate. Because it’s far from automatic. That said, Miller got the jump on some other recent slot threats that worked as QBs exclusively in college, doing so by switching a year early to make room for Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. Julian Edelman and Antwaan Randle-El both worked as running quarterbacks until called upon to learn receiver in the pros. The switch has also created talented gadget players like Brad Smith or Josh Cribbs.

The Texans, though, did run some wildcat concepts last season, and although those plays were understandably a small section of the playbook, the team now has an ideal operator for this look. Miller opens up some possibilities. If nothing else, he adds depth to a receiving corps that’s now packed equipped with high picks opposite Hopkins.

When they finally went defense, they chose the lesser-regarded former Mountaineers safety. Dillon obviously didn’t tantalize scouts like Karl Joseph did, but he does boast some versatility. As Thomas notes, Joseph’s knee injury forced Dillon to take on a bigger role. He accrued some free and strong safety seasoning in 2015, and coupled with the weakside linebacker reps he also received during his career at West Virginia, makes for an interesting package for a team that doesn’t boast much in terms of safety investments.

Moore not panning out leaves the team bereft of established talent or high-ceiling prospects. Along with 2014 seventh-rounder Andre Hal — who’s slated to start at free safety after intercepting a team-high four passes last season — castoffs Antonio Allen, Kurtis Drummond and Eddie Pleasant populate the safety contingent in Houston. It’s by far the defense’s thinnest position group and, even including tight end, probably the spot where the Texans are most vulnerable. It’s arguable they should have paused a bit on the all-offense offseason to address this area, but the fact they didn’t illuminates a path for Dillon.

Other:

Extended general manager Rick Smith through 2020.
Hired Larry Izzo as special teams coordinator to replace Bob Ligashesky.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for WR DeAndre Hopkins ($7.915MM).
Learned DE J.J. Watt underwent back surgery but could return by Week 1.
Learned T Duane Brown is still recovering from a torn quad and won’t be ready for Week 1.
Learned C Nick Martin will miss the season after undergoing ankle surgery.
Signed 15 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Smith’s tenure can be broken down in a few ways. The case for extending him hinged on the select playoff appearances the team has made now under two different coaching regimes, along with the caliber of talent his managerial tenure produced in the draft. Watt is already one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. Few can match his impact on the league. Hopkins took the mantle from Andre Johnson as a true No. 1 wideout quickly. Although the Texans don’t have an AFC championship game berth in 14 years, their run of dominant pass-catchers is hard to match. Bringing in Brown and Whitney Mercilus in the first round helped add impact players on the edges as well, aiding a team that hasn’t featured quality quarterback play in years.

The lack of consistency in steering teams to the playoffs should count against Smith, given that it took the Texans until his sixth year — and the franchise’s 10th — to secure their first playoff berth. Among NFL expansion franchises that spawned since the merger, that is the longest drought, eclipsing the Seahawks’. It’s true the worst of those years came under Charlie Casserly in the early and mid-2000s, but Smith and Gary Kubiak tread water for a while. On the other hand, Houston was competing with one of the most consistent teams in NFL history, the Peyton Manning-era Colts, for several of those years. So, winning division titles was going to be difficult no matter who was making the personnel decisions.

Smith’s tenure will largely be defined by what happens in the next few years after the signings the Texans made this offseason. It’s arguable his leash shouldn’t be as long as it is, but if the Brock Osweiler/Bill O’Brien era falters after the Kubiak/Matt Schaub stretch faded fast, Smith probably won’t be around to tab another quarterback.

The option for Hopkins became elementary. He’s an elite receiver. But the 24-year-old performer’s mini-holdout did signal some potential acrimony ahead. It’s not the Texans’ fault the new rookie wage scale has become so team-friendly. Hopkins only became extension-eligible this year, and other teams waited longer to extend wideouts of his ilk. The Broncos and Cowboys respectively re-signed Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant entering their sixth years. The Bengals and Falcons signed off on respective payments for A.J. Green and Julio Jones in advance of their fifth seasons.

Hopkins has proven to be in their class, and the $2.43MM he’s slated to earn in his fourth year represents a risk for the 2013 first-rounder. Players like T.Y. Hilton, Keenan Allen and Allen Hurns received eight-figure-per-year money and essentially benefited from not being first-rounders and thus residing as potential Year 5 UFAs instead of their teams holding value-suppressing fifth-year options. Hopkins has proven more than those pass-catchers, and having seen the Texans extend Watt before his fourth year, it’s a dicey situation in which the team could find itself. It was somewhat surprising Hopkins’ holdout ended so soon since the offense would not work well without him.

Watt’s injury proved to be the other key takeaway from this summer. The Texans may need to show caution since Watt is more important to the Texans’ defense than Hopkins is to the offense. Either’s absence throws the team off axis right now. The 27-year-old superstar and four-time first-team All-Pro has never missed a game, working in Houston’s favor, but summer back surgery does throw up a warning sign regardless of the player. Without Watt, Jadeveon Clowney would be called to action to finally determine how far he’s come since injuries hijacked his trajectory.

That duo still hasn’t flashed like most thought it would, although that’s been mostly due to bad luck. The Texans still boasting a top-five defense regardless of the former No. 1 overall pick’s slow start illustrates Watt’s impact.

A cornerstone left tackle for years, Brown was non-committal Sunday on his status for the Texans’ opener; Brown underwent surgery for a torn quadriceps tendon in January. This could lead to either Brown missing starts or landing on the Reserve/PUP list to start the season, putting Chris Clark in position to start Houston’s first six games. Brown’s played at least 14 games in seven of his eight seasons and would go a long way toward mobilizing the revamped offense.

He and Martin missing games together would make things difficult for Osweiler, who didn’t show strong pocket presence last season, absorbing 23 sacks in less than a half-season’s worth of work. It will be interesting to see how he handles opposing rushes in a new system. Martin’s malady thrusts Greg Mancz to the forefront. The Mid-American Conference product played just three games last year in a reserve capacity. This could well be a problem spot, but the insurance addition of Tony Bergstrom looks prescient now.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

J.J. Watt, DE: $14,500,000
Brock Osweiler, QB: $12,000,000
Duane Brown, T: $9,500,000
Brian Cushing, LB: $9,047,500
Kareem Jackson, CB: $8,437,500
Johnathan Joseph, CB: $7,000,000
Jeff Allen, OL: $6,125,000
Jadeveon Clowney, LB: $6,074,454
Whitney Mercilus, LB: $5,800,000
Derek Newton, T: $5,500,000

Given the investments Rick Smith and Co. made in the offense this year, the Texans will be one of the magnified teams in 2016. Even with Watt involved, they haven’t usually garnered this kind of attention. Their peak period came when Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were still ruling the AFC. Now in a more wide-open landscape, the Texans should generate buzz based largely on how Osweiler functions.

This is one of the bigger dice rolls in memory, and how a quarterback with seven starts to his name performs will determine the fate of the franchise. After all, Watt earned defensive player of the year honors three times in four years — and had a strong MVP case in 2014 — but the Texans lost seven games in each of the past two campaigns, showing why they spent on a 25-year-old quarterback with an uncertain ceiling.

And 9-7 might not be enough to win this division this season. Andrew Luck was not playing well before he went down, but now that he’s presumably healthy again, the Colts will be a factor, just as they were from 2012-14. The potential development of the Jaguars could loom as well despite that operation showing little thus far despite extensive offseason expenses. The reinforcements the Texans acquired will be needed even after last year’s less diverse offense was enough to secure a January home date.

Houston fans will learn a lot about their team’s place in the AFC hierarchy this season, because it’s pretty hard to overstate what kind of pressure Osweiler will encounter based on the contract he signed. The Texans haven’t devoted these kind of resources into locking in a quarterback since taking David Carr with their first-ever draft pick. This largely untouched defense has shown it can carry the team to a point, but this is a higher-variance team because of the bet it made on Osweiler. As they attempt to re-establish themselves as one of the AFC’s best after such a bold step, the Texans will be one of the league’s most interesting teams as a result.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

August 24th, 2016 at 6:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although the Buccaneers are in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought, they appear to be on the right track after taking significant steps forward in 2015. Not only did Tampa Bay enjoy a four-win improvement and better its point differential by 58 from 2014 to 2015, but it may have found a franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston. The No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, Winston acquitted himself well as a rookie and could soon help lead the Buccaneers back to consistent contention for the first time since the early 2000s. In a perfect world for the Bucs, their return to the postseason will come in January 2017. However, given the club’s relatively modest offseason, it’s likely too soon to expect it to push for a playoff spot in the NFC.

Notable signings:

Doug Martin, RB: Five years, $35.75MM. $15MM guaranteed. $5.75MM available via escalators.
J.R. Sweezy, G: Five years, $32.5MM. $14.5MM guaranteed.
Robert Ayers, DL: Three years, $19.5MM. $7.5MM. $1.65MM available via incentives.
Brent Grimes, CB: Two years, $14MM. $7MM guaranteed.
Chris Conte, S: One year, $3MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
Daryl Smith, LB: One year, $2.5MM. $2MM guaranteed.
Bryan Anger, P: One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed.
Josh Robinson, CB: One year, $2MM. $500K guaranteed.
Keith Tandy, S: Two years, $1.85MM. $250K guaranteed.
Bradley McDougald, CB: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Russell Shepard, WR: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
A.J. Francis, DT: One year, $600K.

General manager Jason Licht said before free agency that the Buccaneers would be “selective and strategic” in spending money and wouldn’t dole out contracts with the potential to damage their cap over the long haul. Licht was true to his word, as even the most sizable deals he awarded to veterans will be easy to escape in short order if they don’t work out.

In terms of both contract (five years, $35.75MM with $15MM in guarantees) and star power, running back Doug Martin was Tampa Bay’s most notable offseason signing. Given that the Buccaneers decided in May 2015 to decline Martin’s $5.621MM fifth-year option for 2017, they took a financial hit this past winter in committing nearly three times that much in guarantees to their 2012 first-round pick. A year ago, though, Martin was coming off back-to-back miserable seasons that made his sensational rookie campaign look like a fluke. He revisited his first-year form last season, however, finishing second in the NFL in both carries (288) and rushing yards (1,409) en route to first-team All-Pro status.

Considering Martin’s inconsistent track record, betting on the 27-year-old going forward looks like a gamble. In the event he’s unable to live up to his new pact, the Bucs will be able to bail on his contract after the 2017 season, thus mitigating the risk. Should Martin keep serving as a quality option, Tampa Bay will continue to have one of the league’s most well-rounded backfield duos in him and Charles Sims. Led by that tandem, the Buccaneers finished last season first in yards-per-carry average (4.8), fifth in overall rushing (2,162) and 11th in DVOA – up from 31st in 2014.

Among the players who will be responsible for blocking for Martin and Sims is left guard J.R. Sweezy, whom the Buccaneers inked to a five-year, $32.55MM pact with $14.5MM guaranteed in free agency. With a combined $2.5MM in dead money through 2020 left after this year, the Buccaneers will be able to move on from Sweezy without much difficulty if they have buyer’s remorse.

Sweezy spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, where he started in all 46 of his appearances from 2013-15, though Pro Football Focus ranked him just 66th among 81 qualified guards in overall performance last season. Nevertheless, the Bucs are counting on Sweezy as the long-term replacement for the retired Logan Mankins, whom PFF placed 15th in 2015. The Sweezy era in Tampa Bay hasn’t gotten off to an ideal start, though, as the 27-year-old will miss at least the first five weeks of the season with a back injury. In the meantime, the Buccaneers are likely to go with former tackle Kevin Pamphile, a third-year man with four starts on his resume.

On the defensive side, the Buccaneers went into free agency looking to augment a pass rush that finished last season tied for 14th in sacks (38) and 22nd in hurries (91). To help with those issues, they added defensive end Robert Ayers, a former Bronco and Giant who amassed 21 sacks and four forced fumbles in 39 games over the previous three seasons. The soon-to-be 31-year-old Ayers missed four games in 2015, but his production was highly impressive – he picked up a career-high 9.5 sacks and added 18 hurries, placing him between the likes of Chandler Jones (16) and Olivier Vernon (20).

Ayers, who also finished last year as PFF’s eighth-best edge rusher (110 qualifiers), is now on the Buccaneers’ books through 2018. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case – in the event of an appreciable decline in output, the Bucs will be able to move on from Ayers either after this season or after next without taking on any dead money. While Tampa Bay would rather see Ayers play well and remain in place for the duration of his three-year, $19.5MM deal, the fact that his contract has no cap ramifications past this season makes it a worthy gamble for the organization.

Joining Ayers in the Buccaneers’ front seven is 13th-year man Daryl Smith, who’s slated to start at strongside linebacker after dividing his first 12 seasons between Jacksonville and Baltimore. Notably, Smith played the first four years of his career under new Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith, who was the Jaguars’ defensive chief during those seasons. Daryl Smith enjoyed some fine seasons with the Jags, and he was particularly durable as a member of the Ravens. In Baltimore, Smith started in 48 straight games from 2013-15 and racked up 120-plus tackles in each of his three seasons with the club, while also combining for nine sacks and four forced fumbles. PFF was unimpressed with Smith’s play last year, though, as the outlet ranked him 71st among 97 qualified linebackers. The Ravens then cut Smith in early March, but based on his ability to stay on the field and produce, the Bucs made out well in signing the 34-year-old for a fairly meager sum of $2.5MM.

“Not only is he a really good football player, but once you get to know Daryl and the type of guy he is, I think Daryl will be a really good sounding board,” new head coach Dirk Koetter told Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. “His experience and the players that he’s played with in his career, the things that he’s accomplished in his career, will do nothing but help Lavonte [David] and Kwon [Alexander] advance as players.”

Thanks largely to a weak secondary, Tampa Bay allowed the fourth-most touchdown tosses (31) and the second-highest passer rating (101.2) in the league last season. With that in mind, the club addressed the area over the winter by signing outside help (Brent Grimes and Josh Robinson) and re-upping Chris Conte, Bradley McDougald and Keith Tandy to new deals.

Grimes, a cornerback, is clearly the most accomplished member of the group, having started in 90 of 106 appearances with two teams – the Falcons and Dolphins – and totaling 26 interceptions since entering the league in 2007. Like Daryl Smith, Grimes also worked under Mike Smith previously. Grimes played in Atlanta from 2007-12, and Smith was the Falcons’ head coach in five of those six seasons. The rapport they established with the Falcons helped lead to a reunion in Tampa Bay.

“It’s a big deal for me, because I like the system,’’ Grimes told Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Times in March. “And one thing I know about Mike Smith is, he’s a great coach as far as everybody on the field knowing where they need to be and knowing what their assignment is, and he pays great attention to detail.”

After leaving Atlanta, Grimes was an impressive producer in Miami, where he started in all 47 appearances over the previous three seasons and picked off either four or five passes in each of those years (though he did yield a 103.2 passer rating against in 2015). Grimes is now in his age-33 season, so he’s unlikely to resemble a shutdown corner at this juncture. Still, as is the case with their other established veteran signings, the Bucs will have the option of waving goodbye to Grimes with no real harm done at season’s end. Regardless of whether Grimes sees his two-year deal with the Buccaneers through, the organization will hope his outspoken wife, Miko, is capable of avoiding controversy. She already made headlines for the wrong reasons last month, which wasn’t anything new.

While neither Robinson nor Tandy is expected to play a huge role at corner in Tampa Bay’s secondary this year, both Conte and McDougald have realistic chances to occupy the starting safety spots. Conte performed well in 2015, his first season with the Buccaneers, starting 13 of 14 appearances and totaling 79 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. The ex-Bear’s output also netted him a solid 32nd-place ranking among 88 qualifying safeties at PFF, and the Bucs elected to bring him back on a one-year deal. The team made the same decision with McDougald, whom it signed to a second-round tender for 2016. McDougald led the team’s defensive backs in snap percentage last season (81.2 percent), and he piled up 87 tackles and two interceptions along the way, but the Bucs haven’t been happy with his work this summer. However, with only flawed options behind McDougald, he’s a good bet to open the season as the club’s No. 1 free safety.

Connor Barth, K: Released
Da’Quan Bowers, DL
Bruce Carter, LB: Released
Larry English, DE
T.J. Fatinikun, DE
Mike Jenkins, CB
Jorvorskie Lane, FB
Danny Lansanah, LB
Logan Mankins, G: Retired
Tony McDaniel, DT
Henry Melton, DT
Sterling Moore, CB
Bobby Rainey, RB

After joining the Buccaneers via trade with New England in 2014, Mankins went on to start in all 31 of his appearances in Tampa Bay, where he continued his long run as one of the league’s premier guards. Depending on how Pamphile does filling in for Sweezy, Mankins’ exit could have a highly negative effect on the Buccaneers’ offense for at least the first few weeks of the upcoming season.

Defensively, the Buccaneers didn’t re-sign cornerback Sterling Moore after he started in nine of 16 appearances last season and led their underwhelming group of corners in snap percentage (64.9) and pass breakups (six). With the additions of Grimes and first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves III (more on him in a bit), the departure of the unspectacular Moore – now in Buffalo – shouldn’t serve as much of a hindrance in 2016. It might have made sense for the Bucs to re-sign the 26-year-old as depth, but that didn’t materialize.

In addition to Moore, Tampa Bay let defensive tackle Henry Melton walk after only one year with the team. A Pro Bowler with the Bears in 2012, Melton – who signed with the Broncos on Sunday – is a rotational player nowadays. Nevertheless, Melton partook in all 16 games of the Buccaneers’ games and finished fourth among their defensive linemen in snap percentage (46.5). Melton also logged two sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries, but PFF rated the 29-year-old a below-average 101st among 123 qualified interior D-linemen in overall performance. Without Melton and Tony McDaniel, who participated in over 26 percent of the Buccaneers’ defensive snaps in 2015 and signed with the Seahawks last week, the Bucs’ depth (or lack thereof) at D-tackle could be an issue. Of course, the anchor in the middle – Gerald McCoy – remains in place, and he helped Tampa Bay to the second-best YPC against (3.4) in the league last season.

Moving over to special teams, kicker Connor Barth converted a respectable 23 of 28 field goals and hit 25 of 26 extra points in 2015, but the Buccaneers went for what they hope will be a major upgrade in the draft and subsequently gave Barth his pink slip. Barth, who’s now with the NFC South rival Saints, made 85 percent of his field goals (91 of 108) in two different stints with the Bucs.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 11) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106) from the Bears in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 9).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 59) from the Chiefs in exchange for a 2016 third-round pick (No. 74) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106).

Draft picks:

1-11: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida)
2-39: Noah Spence, DE (Eastern Kentucky)
2-59: Roberto Aguayo, K (Florida State)
4-108: Ryan Smith, DB (North Carolina Central)
5-148: Caleb Benenoch, T (UCLA)
6-183: Devante Bond, LB (Oklahoma)
6-197: Dan Vitale, FB (Northwestern)

Not only did the Buccaneers gain a fourth-round pick when they made a trade with the Bears and moved down two spots in the first round of this year’s draft, but they also ended up with ex-Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III at No. 11 overall. So far, the decision is paying dividends. In the Buccaneers’ 27-21 preseason win over Jacksonville on Saturday, the Jags targeted Hargreaves three times and failed to complete a pass – unless completions to Hargreaves count. The 21-year-old intercepted two passes and hasn’t yet allowed a completion in two exhibition games. As a result, Hargreaves is PFF’s highest-rated preseason corner thus far.

In assessing Hargreaves, who picked off 10 passes in three seasons with the Gators, PFR scouting guru Dave-Te Thoma s wrote: “He will hustle and run down a ball carrier from across the field and seems to enjoy the contact in run force. He plays at full speed and few players in the game of football can match his quickness. He competes for the ball with no regard for his body.”

Twenty-eight picks after grabbing Hargreaves, the Buccaneers chose former Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence, who drew first-round buzz before the draft. Spence fell thanks in part to character concerns, though, as multiple failed drug tests at Ohio State caused the Big Ten to declare him permanently ineligible in 2014. Spence then transferred to Eastern Kentucky, where he recorded 11.5 sacks last year. In 2013, his second and final season as a Buckeye, Spence accumulated 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. For the time being, the Bucs will use Spence in pass-rushing situations, Smith told Jenna Laine of ESPN.com earlier this month.

“We’re going to have to be very careful about what we’re going to ask him to do early on in the season,” said Smith.

On Spence, Thomas offered: “Despite his boneheaded mistakes off the field, Spence is an instinctive player, but not the type that will out-think himself on the field. He is a quick reactor to action in front of him and easily picks things up well, showing no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field. There should be no issues with him digesting a complicated playbook. Spence is reliable, works hard in the weight room, and is a self-starter. He takes well to hard coaching and is the unquestioned leader of the defensive unit. For his age, he had an advanced knack for reading the quarterback well, as it is rare to see him fooled by misdirection or play action.”

Not content to end up with just Spence in the second round, Licht swung a trade that sent a third- and fourth-rounder (Nos. 74 and 106) to the Chiefs for the 59th pick. In making that move, Licht paid a high price – 141 cents on the dollar – per Chase Stuart of Football Perspective. To Stuart (and most others), the move became that much more questionable when Licht used the selection on former Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo, given that specialists aren’t exactly in demand that early. Licht then revealed in May that the Buccaneers placed a first-round grade on Aguayo, whose pro career has begun inauspiciously.

After missing an extra point in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener, Aguayo failed to convert two of his four field goal attempts in their second game over the weekend. There are now questions as to whether the Bucs will bring in a second kicker to compete with Aguayo, who’s coming off three straight first-team All-America seasons with the Seminoles.

Extensions and Restructures:

Demar Dotson, T: Extended through 2019. Three years, $16.5MM. $4.5MM guaranteed.

Earlier this month, the Buccaneers locked up their longest-tenured player, right tackle Demar Dotson, with a three-year extension that runs through the 2019 season. Dotson, who otherwise would’ve been a free agent next winter, joined the club in 2009 as an undrafted free agent from Southern Mississippi. After Dotson didn’t see much action during the first couple years of his career, he became a prominent member of the Buccaneers’ offense in 2012 and has since started 50 of 54 appearances. Only six of those appearances and three starts came during an injury-truncated 2015 for Dotson, who missed 10 games as a result of a sprained MCL. Healthy again, the soon-to-be 31-year-old is primed to start on the right side of the team’s line.

“He’s been a cornerstone player for us and our extensions that we’ve done here recently with Gerald (McCoy), Lavonte (David) and Doug (Martin), these guys all have one thing in common. They work their (tails) off and are very consistent players, very good players in the league, and you know what you’re getting out of them every day on the playing field, on the practice field,” Licht said of Dotson.

Other:

Promoted Dirk Koetter to head coach to replace Lovie Smith.
Hired Todd Monken as offensive coordinator to replace Dirk Koetter.
Hired Mike Smith as defensive coordinator to replace Leslie Frazier.
Hired Nate Kaczor as special teams coordinator to replace Kevin O’Dea.
Hired Broncos national scout John Spytek as director of player personnel to replace Jon Robinson, who left to become Titans’ GM.
Learned DE George Johnson would miss the season after fracturing his hip.
Learned G J.R. Sweezy is expected to be placed on the PUP list.
Signed 19 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

When the Buccaneers were 6-6 and in the playoff hunt last December, a January coaching change seemed out of the question. However, Year 2 of the Lovie Smith era concluded with four straight losses – three of which were one-score outcomes – and that was enough for Bucs brass to make a change. Part of the reason they moved on from Smith, perhaps, is that they didn’t want to let his offensive coordinator, Koetter, get away. With Koetter garnering head coaching consideration from other organizations, the Buccaneers tabbed him to succeed Smith. The 57-year-old Koetter worked as the Buccaneers’ O-coordinator for just one season, but the unit made obvious strides on his watch. After finishing 29th, 30th and 32nd in points, yardage and DVOA in 2014, the Bucs rose to 20th, fifth and 18th in those three categories last season.

Koetter, whose only previous head coaching experience came in the college ranks (he went a combined 66-44 at Boise State and Arizona State from 1998-2008), also helped guide Winston to a terrific showing. Winston started all 16 of the Bucs’ games, tossed 22 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, and became the youngest QB in NFL history (21) to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark.

Although Koetter is still calling the offensive plays in Tampa, he hired coordinator Todd Monken to assist him on that side of the ball. Like Koetter, Monken has experience as a college head coach, having spent the last three seasons in that role with Southern Mississippi. Monken’s familiarity with Koetter undoubtedly helped lead to his hiring — the two were on the Jaguars’ staff from 2007-10 (Koetter was the offensive coordinator, Monken the receivers coach).

Koetter also has prior ties to Smith, who hired Koetter to run the Falcons’ offense during the final three years of Smith’s tenure. The two were also on Jacksonville’s staff together in 2007. Smith is tasked with improving a defense that ended last season as a top 10 unit in terms of yardage allowed under predecessor Leslie Frazier, though that belied an 18th-place DVOA ranking and a 26th-place finish in points allowed.

End George Johnson was supposed to figure into Smith’s defense this year, but he went on season-ending injured reserve with a fractured hip earlier this month. Johnson participated in 39.4 percent of the Buccaneers’ defensive snaps in 2015 and racked up a pair of forced fumbles, but he failed to record a sack. Difficulty getting to the quarterback has been an issue at times for Johnson, who has gone without a sack in three of the four seasons in which he has seen action. In 2014, though, Johnson took down enemy QBs six times as a member of the Lions.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Gerald McCoy, DT: $13,000,000
Vincent Jackson, WR: $12,209,778
Lavonte David, LB: $10,000,000
J.R. Sweezy, G: $9,500,000
Doug Martin, RB: $8,000,000
Brent Grimes, CB: $8,000,000
Robert Ayers, DL: $7,750,000
Alterraun Verner, CB: $6,750,000
Jameis Winston, QB: $5,761,654
Gosder Cherilus, T: $4,500,000

The Buccaneers did an adequate job of improving their roster during the offseason, and they did well in finding upgrades whose contracts won’t hurt them in the future. While the moves the Bucs made likely won’t be enough to help them break their playoff drought, further progress from Winston and a finish around the .500 mark would constitute a successful campaign. It would be unrealistic to expect more from a team that went 2-14 two years ago, has a rookie head coach and shares a division with the reigning NFC champion Panthers.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

August 23rd, 2016 at 8:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Many NFL observers had not only penciled in the Colts for a lengthy postseason run, but projected Andrew Luck to be among the league’s top contenders for the MVP award. Instead, Luck dealt with injuries (and wasn’t all that productive when he was on the field), and though backup Matt Hasselbeck played well at times, the offense couldn’t handle the loss of its starting quarterback, and finished 30th in DVOA. Indy’s defense was surprisingly competent (13th in DVOA), but that performance wasn’t enough to help the club finish better than 8-8, second in the AFC South.

Notable signings:

Dwayne Allen, TE: Four years, $29.4MM. $11.5MM guaranteed.
Patrick Robinson, CB: Three years, $14MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Adam Vinatieri, K: Two years, $6MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Scott Tolzien, QB: Two years, $3.5MM. $500K guaranteed.
Jordan Todman, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $480K guaranteed.
Antonio Cromartie, CB: One year $3MM. $250K guaranteed. $500K available via incentives.
Jack Doyle, TE: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Robert Turbin, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit.

The Colts and general manager Ryan Grigson have been active spenders during the last two free agent periods, as they’ve attempted to augment their roster with external additions. During the 2014-15 offseasons, Indianapolis handed out an average of $38.5MM in guaranteed money while inking veterans such as D’Qwell Jackson, Arthur Jones, Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, and Trent Cole. This year, the club took a markedly different approach, limiting their free agent spending and disbursing less than $20MM in guarantees.

The majority of that money went towards re-signing one of the Colts’ own free agents, as the club hammered out a four-year deal to retain tight end Dwayne Allen. The 26-year-old is coming off a platform season during which he was not only hampered by ankle and calf injuries, but posted only 16 receptions for just over 100 yards and one touchdown, so it’s perhaps surprising that Allen is now among the 10 highest-paid tight ends on an annual basis.

But this contract was offered with an eye towards the future, as new Indy offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski — a former tight ends coach who often features the position in his scheme — reportedly told Allen that he’d be more involved in the club’s gameplan going forward. Allen has flashed before (he put up a 45/521/3 line during his rookie campaign), and as Scott Barrett of Pro Football Focus noted at time of the signing, Allen has always graded out well as a blocker, both in the run and pass game.

The Colts’ only other notable re-signing was that of kicker Adam Vinatieri, with whom the club worked out a two-year deal. In 2015, Vinatieri connected on 25 of 27 field goal tries, for a 92.6% conversion rate. However, he did occasionally struggle with the longer extra point, missing three of 35 attempts. Still, there were few NFL kickers more reliable than Vinatieri, who is now third on the league’s list of all-time leading scorers. With 2,253 points, Vinatieri should be able to make a run at Morten Andersen (2,544) and Gary Anderson (2,434) as he plays out the final leg of his career.

On defense, Indianapolis found a cornerback who can slot in opposite Vontae Davis, as it agreed to terms with Patrick Robinson, who spent last season with the Chargers. A first-round pick of the Saints back in 2010, Robinson never broke out until heading to San Diego, as he started 10 games in 2015 and graded as the league’s No. 30 CB among 111 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Because Davis lines up primarily on the right side, Robinson will see most of his time at left corner, although he is also capable of playing in the slot. As PFF’s Nathan Jahnke tweeted earlier this year, Robinson held quarterbacks to the third-worst rating (67.7) in the league when lined up in the slot. But with Darius Butler entrenched on the inside, Robinson will likely stay on the outside most of the time, something that Grigson confirmed when the 28-year-old was signed.

Joining Robinson in the secondary will be veteran corner Antonio Cromartie, who was just signed yesterday following news that Davis will miss at least the first month of the season with an ankle injury. Cromartie, a 10-year veteran and four-time Pro Bowler, has been on the open market since the Jets released him in February. That was the end of Cromartie’s second stint with New York, which lasted only one season. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks in 2015, but he’ll now likely be counted on to start for a quarter of the season at minimum.

While Indianapolis is planning on Robinson and Cromartie providing consistent production in the defensive backfield, the club is surely hoping that Scott Tolzien doesn’t see many — if any — snaps this year as he serves as Andrew Luck‘s backup at quarterback. Luck is coming off an injury-wrecked season, but the Colts were able to stay afloat thanks in some part to the play of Matt Hasselbeck.

Tolzien, meanwhile, doesn’t have anywhere close to the level of experience that Hasselbeck did, as Tolzien has only attempted 91 passes during his career. As such, it’s fair to wonder why Indy didn’t target a more high-profile backup signal-caller. But, as former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore once said (in an extremely colorful way), clubs are usually finished if their starting quarterback goes down, so perhaps not investing in a No. 2 option is the smart strategy.

Indianapolis doesn’t have much depth behind Luck, and the club is also short on options behind running back Frank Gore, who is entering his age-33 season. Veteran free agent additions Jordan Todman and Robert Turbin, each of whom signed minimum salary benefit deals, both figure to make the roster and would likely share carries if Gore suffers an injury. However, 2016 undrafted free agent Josh Ferguson has been drawing rave reviews, and could leap both Todman and Turbin for playing time.

Continue reading about the Colts’ offseason…

Notable losses:

The Colts were always going to be forced to choose between tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, and according to Fleener, Indianapolis didn’t seem to struggle with their decision. “The Colts’ lack of interest and the Saints’ interest made going to New Orleans an easy choice,” Fleener told Mike Wells of ESPN.com earlier this year. Allen is probably the more complete tight end, but Fleener holds the advantage in terms of pure receiving talent, and he could be in line for a massive season catching passes from Drew Brees. Allen scored a slightly larger annual salary, but Fleener secured $3MM+ more in guaranteed money.

Indy’s passing attack will also be without veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson, who was released just one season into a three-year deal, meaning he earned $10MM+ for one campaign’s worth of work. Johnson, who has since signed with the division-rival Titans, posted the worst season of his career in 2015, struggling to create separation from defensive backs while managing only 503 receiving yards and two scores. The Texans looked to have made the right decision in parting ways with Johnson after 2014, and his deal with the Colts is just one more black mark on general manager Ryan Grigson‘s ledger. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who has been incredibly productive on a per-play basis with Indy, was placed on injured reserve in November and hasn’t drawn any known interest on the open market.

Elsewhere on offense, veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck — who helped the Colts stay on the fringes of the playoff race despite a bundle of injuries — decided to retire, despite the fact that he posted relatively results in 2015. In eight starts, Hasselbeck posted a 5-3 record, completed 61% of his passes for 1,690 yards, and threw nine touchdowns against five interceptions. Although he likely would have been welcomed back for another season in Indianapolis, Hasselbeck instead chose to become an analyst for ESPN.

Center Khaled Holmes and guard Lance Louis spent more than 700 snaps trying to protect Hasselbeck, but neither will be back with the Colts in 2016. Both were slightly below-average players last season, but it was a tad surprising that Indy chose to cut ties with Holmes, who is still only 26 years old. Clearly, Holmes wasn’t going to continue to start after the Colts drafted Ryan Kelly in the first round, but he could have been a relatively valuable depth piece on an offensive line that has struggled with injuries.

On the defensive side of the ball, the most talented player walking out the door is linebacker Jerrell Freeman, who was lured to Chicago by a three-year, $12MM deal. There were conflicting reports as to whether the Colts were serious about retaining Freeman, a former CFLer who ranked as PFF’s No. 4 linebacker last season. While Freeman says Indianapolis never actually made him an offer, other reports indicated that the Colts proposed the same contract that he ultimately signed with the Bears.

Grigson has taken his fair share of heat for failed free agent signings, but Dwight Lowery, who agree to a minimum salary benefit contract prior to 2015, was a success story, as the veteran safety started all 16 games and served as a stabilizing presence in the secondary. However, Lowery is now 30 years old, so letting him walk and sign a three-year deal with the Chargers was also an idea I can get behind. Fellow defensive back Greg Toler is gone as well, but the Colts shouldn’t worry too much his loss, as he ranked about the six worst corners in the league last season, per PFF.

None of Bjoern Werner, Billy Winn, Jonathan Newsome, or Colt Anderson played more than 350 snaps on defense last year, and although all four played some sort of role on special teams, the Colts ranked in the middle of the pack on teams, so the club probably won’t miss anyone from this group. Werner, notably, is a former first-round pick who only posted 6.5 sacks in three seasons in Indy, while Anderson was part of perhaps the worst play in NFL history.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 57), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 125, and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 248) from the Packers in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 48).

Draft picks:

1-18: Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama)
2-57: T.J. Green, S (Clemson)
3-82: Le’Raven Clark, T (Texas Tech)
4-116: Hassan Ridgeway, DT (Texas)
4-125: Antonio Morrison, LB (Florida)
5-155: Joe Haeg, T (North Dakota State)
7-239: Trevor Bates, DE/OLB (Maine)
7-248: Austin Blythe, C (Iowa)

Offensive line has been an issue in Indianapolis since Andrew Luck entered the league in 2012, and the club has tried a variety of combinations in order to keep Luck upright. The front five hasn’t been stellar in the run game, either, as they ranked 27th in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metric last season. With that in mind, the Colts used their first-round pick on center Ryan Kelly, whom some evaluators considered the most pro-ready offensive lineman in this year’s draft.

Kelly was immediately installed as Indy’s first-team center, and he should prove to be an upgrade over Khaled Holmes (who was waived) and Jonotthan Harrison. PFR’s scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas is a fan of Kelly, as well, writing that the Alabama alum will bring an “instant nastiness” to the Colts offensive line.

“Strength is needed [at center in the Colts’ scheme] in order to stall the bull rush and help in widening the rush lanes,” writes Thomas. “Quick feet and fluid retreat skills are required, as it is often the center that has to drop back and protect the pocket in passing situations. A long reach, firm anchor and great balance are important for the center, as he is usually asked to work in combination with his guards getting out in front on traps and pulls. These are all the traits that Kelly brings to the table…”

Second-rounder T.J. Green will also be expected to contribute from the get-go, as he’s penciled in as the Colts’ starting strong safety given that Clayton Geathers is still dealing with a foot injury. Defensive coordinator Ted Monachino says Green still has some work to do, but the former Clemson Tiger has a fan in Thomas. “Do not be fooled by Green’s lack of experience,” says Thomas. “He has keen football instincts and field awareness, showing good urgency taking proper angles to close and shows a good feel in zone coverage to pick up and anticipate on the switch-off and combo routes. He processes the action in front of him well and gets a quick jump on the ball in run support.”

Extensions and Restructures:

Andrew Luck, QB: Extended through 2021. Five years, $122.97MM. $47MM guaranteed.
Trent Cole, LB: Accepted pay cut, creating ~$1.5MM in cap space by lowering 2016 base salary from $4.25MM to $2MM. In exchange, will earn guaranteed $1MM roster bonus.
Arthur Jones, DL: Accepted pay cut, creating $2MM in cap space by lowering 2016 base salary from $4.5MM to $2.5MM. Can earn $2MM through roster bonuses and incentives.

The Colts made Andrew Luck the highest-paid player in NFL history on a per-year basis, but the deal still seems like an underpay, a conclusion reached by many league observers. Luck had all sorts of leverage during negotiations, even coming off a lost season, but he still failed to top the $25MM salary mark, a plateau that most believed he would easily reach. Additionally, Luck didn’t overtake Aaron Rodgers in terms of guaranteed money ($54MM to $47MM), a fact that’s even more stunning considering that Rodgers signed his extension three years ago.

Luck, whom the Colts chose No. 1 overall out of Stanford in the 2012 draft, completed just 55.3% of his passes and logged 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in his injury-riddled, seven-game fourth season. Prior to that, however, he led the league with 40 touchdown passes in 2014 and helped guide the Colts to an AFC title game berth. After going 2-14 in the bridge year between the Peyton Manning era and Luck’s tenure, the Colts posted three consecutive 11-5 seasons from 2012-2014. With Luck on the sideline for most of last season, Indy finished 8-8 and failed to make the playoffs.

All in all, the Colts look to have scored a team-friendly deal, and as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star noted earlier this year, the contract doesn’t figure to negatively affect the club’s cap in years to come given that the league-wide salary cap will continue to rise. From Luck’s point-of-view, the pact ends one year after the CBA expires and a year before the current TV deals are done. Although Luck will be 32 then, he could be in line for a much larger deal on the other side of this lucrative extension.

Other:

Extended general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano through 2019.
Hired Ted Monachino as defensive coordinator to replace Greg Manusky.
Hired former Dolphins HC Joe Philbin as offensive line coach.
Learned DL Arthur Jones would be suspended four games (PED policy).
Signed 21 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

In one of the most shocking turn of events during the offseason, the Colts retained both general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, ensuring that the pair of decision-makers are now “contractually tied” through 2019, as owner Jim Irsay put it. Despite the duo’s success together, nearly every indication was that Pagano was certainly on his way out, while Grigson was also a candidate to be fired. Pagano and Grigson’s relationship was reportedly “toxic,” and the two lacked any sort of communication throughout the season, but it seems as though the pair’s record together — 41-23 — won out over any sort of personal conflict.

Pagano will have several new coaches working under him, including one, defensive coordinator Ted Monachino, with whom he has prior experience. Monachino was Baltimore’s linebackers coach when Pagano was the club’s DC, so the two should be on the same page in terms of scheme and personnel. Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, meanwhile, will be tasked with overhauling an offensive line that has struggled to maintain any semblance of continuity during Pagano’s tenure.

Finally, veteran defensive lineman Arthur Jones will miss the first four games of the season after being popped for PEDs, but it’s hard to say that Jones will represent a major loss for the Colts. After coming over from Baltimore before the 2014 season, Jones has been either ineffective or hurt (he missed all of last year with injury), and was forced to take a paycut earlier this year. Fourth-rounder Hassan Ridgeway looks like the biggest beneficiary of Jones’ absence, as the could take over the starting role for the first quarter of the season, and perhaps beyond.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Andrew Luck, QB: $18,400,000
T.Y. Hilton, WR: $11,000,000
Anthony Castonzo, T: $9,800,000
Dwayne Allen, TE: $8,906,250
Vontae Davis, CB: $8,375,000
Gosder Cherilus, T: $5,800,000 (dead money)
D’Qwell Jackson, LB: $5,750,000
Trent Cole, LB: $5,903,750
Robert Mathis, LB: $5,000,000
Erik Walden, LB: $4,250,000

This offseason, the Colts stopped trying to improve their club by signing over-the-hill veterans, and instead sought to augment their roster through a few cheap free agent contracts and the draft. The AFC South hasn’t gotten any easier, as the Texans may have found a quarterback and the Jaguars supplemented their defense, but as long as Indianapolis has its franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck, contention should be within the club’s grasp.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Green Bay Packers

August 18th, 2016 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

For the majority of NFL teams, finishing the regular season with 10 wins and picking up a playoff victory would constitute a successful year. The Packers accomplished those feats in 2015, yet their season was at least somewhat of a disappointment, especially after they got off to a 6-0 start. As the Packers scuffled over the season’s final 10 games, so did superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose descent (by his lofty standards) began in Week 8 during a 77-yard showing in a 29-10 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos.

Including their shellacking in Denver, the Packers closed the regular season 4-6 and shockingly lost three of four games at Lambeau Field during that stretch. Each of those home defeats came at the hands of the NFC North, a division Green Bay had won four straight times entering last season. The final blow, a 20-13 decision against Minnesota in Week 17, cost the Packers the division and gave Minnesota its first North title since 2009. The Packers regained some of their mojo in the playoffs, going on the road to blow out the Redskins and then losing an overtime thriller to Arizona in one of the greatest games ever played, but they never really resembled Super Bowl contenders after their season-opening hot streak.

Part of the problem for Green Bay was the absence of standout No. 1 receiver Jordy Nelson, who didn’t play a game last season after suffering a torn ACL over the summer. The loss of Nelson took a player who had combined for 183 receptions, 2,833 yards and 21 touchdowns from 2013-14 away from the Packers’ Rodgers-led aerial attack. Rodgers and the offense in general didn’t enjoy life without Nelson, but with the wideout now healthy, the team will try to return to its division-winning, championship-contending ways.

Notable signings:

Mason Crosby, K: Five years, $16.1MM. $5MM guaranteed.
James Starks, RB: Two years, $6MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $600K available annually via incentives.
Nick Perry, LB: One year, $5MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
Jared Cook, TE: One year, $2.75MM. $825K guaranteed. $900K available via incentives.
Lane Taylor, OL: Two years, $4.15MM. $600K guaranteed.
Letroy Guion, DT: Three years, $11.25MM. $500K guaranteed. $250K available via escalators.
Lerentee McCray, LB: One year, $800K. $50K guaranteed.
Don Barclay, OL: One year, $700K.

As he has typically done since taking the reins as the Packers’ general manager in 2005, Ted Thompson largely eschewed the free agent market and mostly focused on retaining homegrown talent during the offseason. Of the Packers’ six most expensive signings this year, four were originally acquired either in the draft or, in offensive tackle Lane Taylor‘s case, as an undrafted free agent. Another, defensive tackle Letroy Guion, had been a Packer the previous two years.

The Packers’ most notable outside pickup during the winter was tight end Jared Cook, to whom they committed just one year and $2.75MM. Given that Cook only ended up on the market after the Rams released him, the Packers won’t have to surrender a compensatory draft pick for signing the 29-year-old.

Before joining the Packers, the 6-foot-5, 254-pound Cook was durable and productive in Tennessee and St. Louis from 2011-15, missing a mere three of 80 games and combining for 235 catches, 3,064 yards and 15 scores. Last season was the only one during that five-year period in which Cook caught fewer than 44 passes (39) and three TDs (zero). He hasn’t visited the end zone since Dec. 7, 2014, to be exact, and on another alarming note, led tight ends in drops (10) last season, per Evan Silva of Rotoworld. Cook also underwent foot surgery a couple months after signing with Green Bay, but he returned to the field last week and has since impressed Rodgers. The two-time MVP lauded Cook’s speed Monday and likened him to field-stretching ex-Packers tight end Jermichael Finley.

Between Cook and Richard Rodgers, who caught 58 passes and scored eight times a year ago, the Packers have a tight end duo capable of being among the league’s most prolific. Rodgers will cede targets to Cook, though, after dominating Packers tight ends in snaps last season (799 to second-place finisher Justin Perillo‘s 115). Part of that was on account of a torn MCL that kept Andrew Quarless out for most of the season. When Quarless was healthy two years ago, he and Rodgers combined for 1,108 snaps. With Cook replacing Quarless, who’s now with the division-rival Lions, Green Bay’s reliance on its top two tight ends should revisit (and perhaps exceed) its 2014 level.

Continue reading about the Packers’ offseason..

In addition to Cook, running back James Starks will serve as one of the Packers’ skill-position weapons in 2016. Starks spent his first six seasons with the Pack, but the 30-year-old drew offseason interest from at least two other teams (the Patriots and Dolphins) before re-upping in Green Bay through 2017. Starks, who logged career highs in several key categories last season, will continue as a steady backup to the slimmed-down Eddie Lacy.

“Eddie and James is our 1-2 punch,” head coach Mike McCarthy told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “That’s been an excellent combination now going into our third year with those two guys. It’s important to establish that and make sure those guys touch the football.”

Every time Starks has scored during his career, Mason Crosby has kicked the extra point. That’s not going to change, as he easily landed the Packers’ largest offseason deal in length (five years), total value ($16.1MM) and guarantees ($5MM). Crosby, a Packer since they picked him in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, is now one of the league’s highest-paid kickers. The 31-year-old was mediocre from 2007-10 and a disaster in 2012, but he has otherwise connected on between 81.8 percent and 89.2 percent of field goal tries during the other four seasons of his career. Crosby hit 24 of 28 attempts (85.7 percent) and made all but one of five kicks from 50-plus yards (the miss was blocked) last season. He was also one of only two kickers to go without a miss on at least 35 extra points (he had 36).

On a per-year basis, outside linebacker Nick Perry collected the Packers’ most expensive offseason contract. Perry will rake in $5MM this season, but the team didn’t commit to him beyond that. Green Bay actually elected in 2015 to decline Perry’s fifth-year option for $7.75MM, so the club came out on top in retaining him for less. Ideally, though, Perry would have been worthy of that option. Instead, the 2012 first-rounder (28th overall) hasn’t quite lived up his draft status. He’s decent depth, however, and has totaled 12.5 sacks and five forced fumbles during his career. Perry amassed 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble while partaking in 33.4 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps last season, leading Pro Football Focus (subscription required) to assign his performance a mediocre 58th-place ranking among 110 qualified edge defenders.

For the third season in a row, Guion will be one of the linemen in front of Perry. The 322-pounder avoided free agency by inking a three-year, $11.25 deal a month beforehand, though his contract contains a measly $500K in guarantees. Guion’s earning power took a serious hit as a result of a February 2015 felony arrest, one which came after Starke, Fla., police found 357 grams of marijuana and an unloaded gun in his truck. Guion ended up accepting a plea deal and settling the matter a month later, but the league subsequently hit him with a three-game suspension to begin last season. By including little in the way of guarantees in their pact with Guion, the Packers protected themselves against future off-field incidents and kept a solid nose tackle on a low-risk accord.

B.J. Raji is at least temporarily out of the picture (more on him in the next section), and fellow lineman Mike Pennel will miss the year’s first four games thanks to a substance abuse violation, making Guion all the more important to the Packers’ cause in 2016. Notably, when Raji sat out the entire 2014 season with a torn right biceps, Guion started all of Green Bay’s games and easily led their interior D-linemen in snap percentage (50.1).

Notable losses:

Brett Goode, LS
Casey Hayward, CB
James Jones, WR
John Kuhn, FB
Andy Mulumba, LB
Mike Neal, LB
Nate Palmer, LB: Waived
Andrew Quarless, TE
B.J. Raji, DT: Hiatus
Sean Richardson, S
Scott Tolzien, QB

As mentioned, Raji is no longer a member of the Packers, making this the first time since 2008 that Green Bay is entering a season without the 334-pounder under its control. The Packers wanted to re-sign Raji, who’s currently a free agent, but the 30-year-old is taking a hiatus from the sport.

Aside from missing 2014, Raji had been a mainstay along the Packers’ front since they drafted him ninth overall in 2009. Raji started in all 77 of his appearances from 2010-15, including 15 last season. His 2016 showing didn’t impress PFF, however, as the site ranked him 97th among 123 qualified interior defensive linemen. With Raji as the centerpiece of their line last season, the Packers ended up 21st in rushing defense (119.1) and tied for 26th in yards per carry against (4.5). They were a much better 13th in run defense by Football Outsiders’ standards, though, after the site gave the Packers a 24th-place ranking in that department without Raji in 2014.

Along with Raji’s exit came the departure of cornerback Casey Hayward, who parlayed his 51-game, nine-interception stint in Wisconsin into a reasonable deal with the Chargers. Although Hayward went without an interception last season after picking off three the previous year, he spent time both in the slot and on the outside, started a career-high 11 games and graded as PFF’s 16th-best corner among 111 qualifiers. During his run in Green Bay, which began when it grabbed him in the second round of the 2012 draft, Hayward lined up in the slot on 65.4 percent of the passing downs in which he participated and held opposing quarterbacks to a weak 72.1 rating on those plays (via Jared Durbin of CBS Sports).

As good as Hayward is, the Packers still look fine at corner with Sam Shields, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and Demetri Goodson set to comprise their top four. Of course, enemy offenses will put their depth to the test early on account of Goodson’s four-game PED suspension. Their next two corner options, Ladarius Gunter (40 snaps) and Daniel Robertson (zero snaps), garnered little experience as undrafted rookies last season.

In addition to Raji and Hayward, the Packers’ defense also lost linebackers Mike Neal and Nate Palmer, who combined for 1,273 snaps a year ago. Most of those (734) went to Neal, who trailed only Clay Matthews among Packers linebackers. He also racked up 16 appearances for the third straight year and at least four sacks for the fourth straight season. Nevertheless, Neal remains a free agent, which he heavily attributes to the league’s ongoing investigation into claims that he and a handful of other players previously took performance-enhancing drugs. Matthews and Julius Peppers, both of whom have agreed to cooperate with the NFL, are also involved in that probe. Neal, on the other hand, hasn’t yet consented to an interview with the league regarding the accusations. If he doesn’t by next Thursday, he’ll face a suspension.

Neal’s ouster from Green Bay came as part of an offseason outside linebacker remodeling, as Ryan Wood of USA Today detailed in May, with Matthews headed back there from the middle, third-rounder Kyler Fackrell coming in, and third-year man Jayrone Elliott in line for more playing time. Of course, Green Bay also has Peppers and Perry on the outside, and Datone Jones – previously a full-time defensive end – is in the mix, too. Thus, the Packers are amply prepared for life without Neal and Palmer.

Offensively, the Packers chose not to re-sign a pair of fan favorites – receiver James Jones and fullback John Kuhn. Jones was a Packer from 2007-13, but he left for the Raiders in 2014. That didn’t work out, nor did a brief summer fling with the Giants, so he returned to Green Bay last September and ended up catching 50 passes for 890 yards (good for an excellent 17.8 YPC) and eight touchdowns. Despite that respectable production, the Pack didn’t show any real interest in re-upping Jones, who took a deal with the Chargers earlier this month.

The Jones-less Packers are in better shape than most at receiver, where Nelson will return to join Randall Cobb as their two best options. However, Davante Adams disappointed last season, Jared Abbrederis and Ty Montgomery combined for 24 catches, and playoff hero Jeff Janis is out for the foreseeable future with a broken hand.

As for Kuhn, he became an improbable success story with the Packers after signing with them in 2007. Now a Saint, Kuhn missed only five games in nine years with the Packers, made four Pro Bowls and, including playoffs, scored 30 combined touchdowns as a runner and receiver. In a league that’s phasing out fullbacks, Kuhn still managed to appear in 26.6 of Green Bay’s offensive snaps last season. Aaron Ripkowski, a 2015 sixth-rounder, will replace Kuhn in Green Bay. Their fans won’t have as easy a time chanting his name as they did Kuhn’s, though.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 48) from the Colts in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 57), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 125), and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 248).

Draft picks:

1-27: Kenny Clark, DL (UCLA)
2-48: Jason Spriggs, T (Indiana)
3-88: Kyler Fackrell, LB (Utah State)
4-131: Blake Martinez, LB (Stanford)
4-137: Dean Lowry, DL (Northwestern)
5-163: Trevor Davis, WR (California)
6-200: Kyle Murphy, OL (Stanford)

In hopes of securing a couple long-term building blocks up front, the Packers addressed the lines with their first two draft picks. Their top choice, well-rounded defender Kenny Clark (No. 27 overall), amassed 73 tackles and 5.5 sacks en route to third-team All-America honors last season at UCLA. In the wake of Raji’s quasi-retirement, the Packers will rely heavily on Clark as a rookie. He’s primed to start alongside Guion and Mike Daniels as they look to stuff the run and aid a Green Bay pass rush that produced the seventh-most sacks in the league (43) in 2015. Clark should contribute in both areas, as PFF’s Steve Palazzolo highlighted in a pre-draft scouting.

In assessing Clark, PFR’s own scouting expert, Dave-Te Thomas, wrote: “Clark has a very explosive initial step with quick feet, good athleticism and balance for his size, along with the body control and low pad level to come off the snap and get an immediate advantage versus a lethargic offensive lineman. He flashes a strong, consistent hand punch, enough to consistently put the blocker up on his heels, driving with good leverage walking that lineman back into the pocket. He has that initial burst needed on movement and the suddenness to gain advantage when engaging double teams. He has good initial quickness coming off the snap and for a player of his size, that burst can surprise an offensive lineman.”

With their second pick, the Packers moved up to take ex-Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs in Round 2. In doing so, they gave up the 57th, 125th and 248th picks, which Chase Stuart of Football Perspective estimated in May as Green Bay paying the Colts 130 cents on the dollar.

Initially, Spriggs will act as depth behind starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga – who combined to miss six games last season. Bulaga hasn’t played a 16-game season since 2010, his rookie year, so Spriggs’ presence might come in handy immediately. Going forward, Spriggs could replace impending free agent Bakhtiari on the left side next year. in the meantime, the 301-pound Spriggs will have work to do, as Thomas explained, “Spriggs has a tall frame with minimal body fat, but will need to add at least 20 to 25 pounds of bulk to succeed at left tackle.”

Like Spriggs, the aforementioned Fackrell might not contribute much this year. As mentioned, the Packers are loaded with depth at outside linebacker, for one, and the third-rounder from Utah State got off to an inauspicious start at camp. On a better note, Fackrell picked up a sack against the Browns in the Packers’ preseason opener last Friday. He accumulated a total of 13 during his three full college seasons, including five in 2015, and will make his mark in the pros as a pass rusher (if he makes one, that is).

The Packers had two fourth-rounders, the first of which they used to select another linebacker – ex-Stanford Cardinal Blake Martinez. Green Bay might have a steal on its hands in Martinez, who is set to accrue significant playing time in the middle of its defense this year after piling up 138 tackles and two sacks last season. Thomas likens him to former Pack linebacker Nick Barnett and current Jets stalwart David Harris.

Six picks after landing Martinez, the Packers circled back to the defensive line and added former Northwestern Wildcat Dean Lowry at No. 137. Lowry, like Martinez, has a legitimate chance to emerge as a great value pick immediately. With Fennel on the shelf for a quarter of the season, Lowry will be a relied-on member of the Packers’ defense. The 296-pound end filled the stat sheet at Northwestern, where he notched 28 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks from 2013-15.

Other:

Declined 2017 fifth-year option for DE Datone Jones ($8.369MM).
Learned CB Demetri Goodson would be suspended four games (PED policy).
Learned DT Mike Pennel would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Signed 19 undrafted free agents following the draft.

In Perry and Jones, their top pick in 2013, the Packers have back-to-back first-rounders whose fifth-year options they’ve elected against exercising in consecutive offseasons. The club decided in May not to pick up Jones’ $8.369MM option for 2017, which could make this his last season in Green Bay. Jones, 26, had eight sacks in three seasons as a D-lineman and will look to up his production in a hybrid role this year. To prepare for reps as an edge-rushing outside linebacker, Jones lost 15 pounds during the offseason, thereby dropping his weight to 284, according to Tom McMahon of the Associated Press. The returns have been positive so far.

“He got off to a very good start, had some very good physical plays, had the sack,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said of Jones’ performance against the Browns.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Aaron Rodgers, QB: $19,250,000
Clay Matthews, LB: $13,750,000
Sam Shields, CB: $12,000,000
Julius Peppers, DE/LB: $10,500,000
Randall Cobb, WR: $9,150,000
Jordy Nelson, WR: $8,300,000
Mike Daniels, DE: $7,400,000
Josh Sitton, G: $6,850,000
T.J. Lang, G: $6,181,250
Morgan Burnett, S: $5,956,250

The Packers didn’t live up to expectations in 2015, but it’s still fair to regard them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders entering this season. Not only is Nelson rejoining their offense, but their elite quarterback remains the face of an all-around terrific roster. At minimum, a return to the top of what will likely be a competitive NFC North should be within reach for Green Bay. Given that there don’t appear to be any pushovers in the division, the utter dominance the Packers exhibited in going a combined 20-3-1 against the Vikings, Lions and Bears from 2011-14 is likely in the rearview mirror.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

August 17th, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

This past offseason brought far less upheaval to San Francisco than last year’s, but it certainly wasn’t a smooth winter for the 49ers. After racking up a paltry five wins en route to a last-place NFC West finish in 2015, the 49ers made a coaching change for a second straight year. Once the 49ers tabbed Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula on the sidelines, acrimony between them and their erstwhile franchise quarterback led to months of speculation about a possible trade.

The Niners came close to sending Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos, but talks fell through after the 28-year-old refused a pay cut to join the reigning Super Bowl champions. As a result, the 49ers have a potential backup signal-caller with an $11.9MM base salary on their hands. While Kaepernick entered the summer set to compete with ex-Jaguars bust Blaine Gabbert for the starting job, a “dead arm” has recently kept the former from vying for the position. General manager Trent Baalke downplayed that Wednesday, however, and added that Kaepernick could begin ramping up activities Thursday. Regardless of whether Kaepernick or Gabbert ultimately wins the job, San Francisco looks like a strong bet to finish at the bottom of its division for the second consecutive season.

Notable signings:

Garrett Celek, TE: Four years, $10.2MM. $3.5MM guaranteed.
Phil Dawson, K: One year, $3.143MM. Fully guaranteed.
Zane Beadles, G: Three years, $9.75MM. $2.8MM guaranteed. $500K available via incentives.
Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL: One year, $1MM. $25K guaranteed.
Shaun Draughn, RB: One year, $860K. $25K guaranteed.
Christian Ponder, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Ian Williams, DL: One year, $3MM. $2MM available via incentives.
Michael Wilhoite, LB: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Kendall Gaskins, RB: Two years, $1.14MM.
Ray-Ray Armstrong, LB: One year, $700K.
Thaddeus Lewis, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.

The 49ers entered the offseason with a whopping $62MM in cap space, but Baalke elected against indulging in any kind of a spending spree. His biggest outside expenditure during free agency was guard Zane Beadles, a former Bronco and Jaguar who has impressively logged five 16-start seasons in a row. Beadles made the Pro Bowl back in 2012, though the 29-year-old hasn’t been nearly as effective lately. In fact, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Beadles 64th out of 81 qualified guards in overall performance last season, and the Jags subsequently released him. Nevertheless, for a rebuilding team like the 49ers, investing modestly ($2.8MM guaranteed over three years) in a durable veteran was a reasonable path to take. They did the same in retaining a handful of in-house veterans, with nose tackle Ian Williams, tight end Garrett Celek, and kicker Phil Dawson serving as the most prominent members of the group.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury that Williams suffered during the offseason has ruined his 2016. The 305-pounder initially agreed to a five-year contract worth more than $25MM to stay in the Bay Area, but the 49ers nixed that over concerns about how quickly he’d recover from multiple ankle surgeries. Thus, despite grading as PFF’s 18th-best interior lineman and one of its premier 3-4 nose tackles last season, Williams had to settle for a one-year, $3MM pact. But it turns out Williams’ ankle will keep him from playing at all this year, as the 49ers placed him on season-ending injured reserve last month.

Even with Williams around, the 49ers likely weren’t going to push for a playoff spot. However, Williams’ injury is still a blow to him and the team, which signed the former Notre Dame defender as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and has since helped develop into a terrific pro. With Williams out of the picture, the 49ers are especially thin at nose tackle (depth chart), where Mike Purcell and $1MM signing Tony Jerod-Eddie – a fifth-year Niner – look primed to see most of the action.

Continue reading about the 49ers’ offseason…

Celek, 28, joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and finally got somewhat involved in their passing game last season. After combining for eight catches, 13 targets, 142 yards and no touchdowns during his first three seasons, Celek totaled 19 receptions, 28 targets, 186 yards and three scores in 2015. That encouraged the Niners enough to give the former blocking-only option a four-year, $10.2MM deal with $3.5MM in guarantees. It’s dubious whether Celek will continue the mild ascent he experienced in the 49ers’ offense in 2015, though, as he’s competing with Vance McDonald for a starting position and Kelly only deployed two-tight end sets 25.8 percent of the time in Philadelphia last season, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. That’s a significant drop from the 44 percent rate of two-TE sets the 49ers utilized under Tomsula and his offensive coordinator, Geep Chryst.

Dawson, now in his age-41 season and second in San Francisco, didn’t show any obvious signs of decline last year. The 17-year veteran hit an impressive 24 of 27 field goals, good for the 10th-best success rate in the league (88.9 percent). He also connected on all three of his attempts over 50 yards and nailed 20 of 21 extra points (the miss was blocked). Dawson hasn’t converted worse than 80 percent of his field goal tries since 2006, when he made only 72.4 percent of attempts as a member of the Browns, so it appears San Francisco was wise to bring him back for just over $3.1MM.

Notable losses:

At least in terms of career accomplishments, Anquan Boldin‘s loss is easily the 49ers’ biggest. Boldin combined for 237 receptions, 3,030 yards and 16 TDs during his three-year tenure with the club. While his numbers clearly declined last year at the age of 35, Boldin still paced the Niners in yards (789) and TDs (four, tied with Torrey Smith), and more than doubled their second-leading receiver, Smith, in catches (69 to 33).

Boldin’s production won’t be easy to replace, then, though it should lead to more targets for Smith, whose first season with the 49ers was a disappointment. The former Raven inked a five-year, $40MM deal last winter and proceeded to amass the fewest receptions, targets (61), yards (663) and scores (four, tied with his 2013 total) of his five-year career. On the bright side, Smith’s streak of 16-game seasons continued and the big-play threat kept up his field-stretching ways in notching a career-high, league-leading 20.1 yards per catch.

Now that Boldin is in Detroit, Smith should be the obvious go-to option in the 49ers’ passing attack. Aside from him, it looks as though San Francisco’s top choices at wideout will be a trio of uninspiring fourth-round picks from 2013-15 – Quinton Patton (36 catches in 26 games), Bruce Ellington (19 receptions in 26 contests) and the banged-up DeAndre Smelter (zero experience). The 49ers had a potential 2016 breakout candidate in the 25-year-old Eric Rogers, a former CFL star whom half the league pursued last winter before he signed with San Francisco. But Rogers tore his ACL earlier this month and will miss the season, forcing the Niners to wait another year to evaluate him.

Guard Alex Boone left the 49ers after seven years with the organization for a sizable payday in Minnesota, making him the only Niners departure who earned big money elsewhere. Boone was a longtime stalwart at both guard spots in San Francisco, where he started in 59 of 60 regular-season appearances from 2012-15. One of Beadles or first-round rookie Joshua Garnett (more on him later) is likely to replace Boone on the left side this year, while either of those two or Andrew Tiller could grab the reins on the right. That position is there for Beadles, Garnett or Tiller because the 49ers waived Jordan Devey, who made nine less-than-stellar starts last year and is now a member of the Chiefs.

The 49ers lost a pair of backfield members, longtime pro Reggie Bush and Jarryd Hayne, the latter of whom retired. Hayne, who emigrated from Australia last year, tried to make his mark in the NFL after a successful rugby career. It wasn’t to be, though, as Hayne made a limited impact as a rusher and return man in eight games with San Francisco. Hayne perhaps could have pushed for a spot on the roster again this season, but the 28-year-old decided to go back to his homeland and return to rugby (which seems to be going well).

Bush, meanwhile, surprisingly made less of a dent in the Bay Area than Hayne did. While the hope when the 49ers signed Bush was that he’d continue his work as a capable dual threat and give Kaepernick a backfield weapon in the passing game, he wasn’t able to do that during a truncated campaign. Before tearing his ACL in St. Louis on Nov. 1, the former Heisman Trophy winner at USC picked up just 12 touches (eight rushes, four receptions) and 47 yards in parts of five games. Thanks to a combination of his injury, career-worst showing and age (31), the 49ers chose not to re-sign the Bush.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 28) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 249) from the Chiefs in exchange from a 2016 second-round pick (No. 37), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 105), and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 178).

Draft picks:

1-7: DeForest Buckner, DL (Oregon)
1-28: Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)
3-68: Will Redmond, DB (Mississippi State)
4-133: Rashard Robinson, CB (LSU)
5-142: Ronald Blair, DE (Appalachian State)
5-145: John Theus, T (Georgia)
5-174: Fahn Cooper, OL (Ole Miss)
6-207: Jeff Driskel, QB (Louisiana Tech)
6-211: Kelvin Taylor, RB (Florida)
6-213: Aaron Burbridge, WR (Michigan State)
7-249: Prince Charles Iworah, DB (Western Kentucky)

For the second straight year, the 49ers chose a former Oregon defensive lineman with their top draft pick. Incidentally, Kelly was the former head coach at Oregon, where he recruited both 2015 first-rounder Arik Armstead and this year’s seventh overall selection, DeForest Buckner, to the Ducks. The pre-Kelly 49ers brought Armstead along slowly as a rookie, giving him zero starts and using him in 32.9 percent of defensive snaps. It appears the club will take a different approach with Buckner, who showed enough early in training camp to earn a No. 1 role and a solid chunk of first-half playing time in the 49ers’ preseason opener against Houston on Sunday.

Kelly likes what Buckner has provided, saying Sunday, “I thought DeForest has had a really good camp so far and I thought he did some really good things (Sunday). There’s still some things I think he needs to clean up, but he’s obviously pushing to get a lot of playing time right now.”

Buckner garnered extensive experience during his four seasons at Oregon, but he truly shined in 2015. After accumulating 67 quarterback pressures, 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, Buckner earned Pac-12 defensive player of the year honors. Moreover, PFF’s Sam Monson wrote prior to the draft that Buckner might have been the most productive player in all of college football in 2015. If Buckner makes a seamless transition to the pros, he’ll greatly aid a 49ers team that finished 29th in both total defense and sacks last season.

With pass-rushing linebacker Aaron Lynch out for the first quarter of the season because of a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, the Niners will need Buckner to hit the ground running. Lynch recorded 12.5 sacks during his first two years and finished 10th in the league last season in hurries (28).

The 49ers stayed in the Pac-12 with their second pick, Garnett, though they had to pay a high price to move back into the first round to land the ex-Stanford guard. In trading the 37th, 105th and 128th picks to Kansas City for No. 28, the 49ers surrendered 136 cents on the dollar, according to Chase Stuart of FiveThirtyEight. It was a questionable move, but the fact that the 49ers will be able to control Garnett for five years (it would’ve been four for any prospect they’d have chosen at No. 37) likely made the deal easier to make for the organization. Garnett was an accomplished blocker at Stanford, where he won the Outland Trophy – which is given annually to the best interior offensive lineman in the nation – and earned consensus All-America honors last year.

Opposing offenses torched the 49ers through the air last season, evidenced by their defense’s 30th-place DVOA against the pass. Further, quarterbacks put up a 98.1 rating (25th worst in the league), averaged 8.0 yards per attempt (30th) and threw just nine interceptions (tied for 26th) against San Francisco. With that in mind, the 49ers turned to their secondary with their third- and fourth-round picks. The first of those selections, ex-Mississippi State cornerback Will Redmond, is still recovering from the torn ACL that ended his college career last October. However, Redmond – whom Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com said might have been a first-rounder if healthy – has looked good during his time with the 49ers and could be their answer at nickel corner this year, Barrows wrote earlier this week.

Blackmon is familiar with fourth-round corner Rashard Robinson from their time in the SEC. Robinson went to LSU, where he dealt with suspensions for a failed drug test and academic issues before the team dismissed him last summer after an arrest for unauthorized entry into quarterback Anthony Jennings’ apartment. Nevertheless, the 49ers felt the troubled 21-year-old’s upside was worth the gamble. Mark Dulgerian of NFL.com regarded the 6-foot-1, 177-pounder as a potential top 40 pick based on talent, but his off-field woes dropped him to the 133rd choice.

Extensions and Restructures:

NaVorro Bowman, LB: Extended through 2022. Four years, $44MM. $20MM guaranteed.
Quinton Dial, DL: Extended through 2019. Three years, $12MM. $3.902MM guaranteed. $1.5 available via escalators.
Joe Staley, T: Restructured contract in a procedural move that did not change the club’s cap or cash outlook.

San Francisco locked up two members of its front seven, linebacker NaVorro Bowman and lineman Quinton Dial, to extensions in recent months. Bowman, the more notable and accomplished of the pair, is now under 49ers control through the 2022 campaign. The move to extend Bowman, thereby adding $44MM total and $20MM in guarantees to his previous deal, surprised because he still had three years remaining on his contract at the time. At $67.5MM, Bowman now leads all inside linebackers in overall contract value.

It’s remarkable that Bowman, 28, was even in position to receive an extension after suffering a devastating knee injury in January 2014. Back then, Bowman tore both his ACL and MCL in the 49ers’ NFC title game loss to Seattle, leading to questions as to whether he’d ever be an effective player again. Prior to the injury, Bowman was an elite performer with three straight first-team All-Pro seasons on his resume. Bowman missed all of 2014 while recovering, but he returned with a vengeance last season to make 16 starts, pile up a league-high 154 tackles on 1,101 snaps (first among Niners linebackers by 305) and once again nab first-team All-Pro honors.

PFF wasn’t particularly bullish on Bowman’s output, though, ranking him a so-so 51st among 97 qualified linebackers and assigning him a miserable grade in pass coverage. Still, Bowman’s comeback last season was a positive development for the 49ers in a season with few of those, and he’s now the long-term heart-and-soul leader of their defense – a role which Patrick Willis filled with aplomb before retiring last year.

Dial, meanwhile, took on full-time work for the first time in 2015, starting in each of his 15 appearances. Along the way, the 2013 fifth-round pick established new career marks in tackles (59), sacks (2.5) and defensive snaps (662), and PFF ranked his play a middle-of-the-pack 62nd among 123 qualified interior defensive linemen. The 49ers leaned heavily last year on Dial, who was second among their D-linemen in snaps (only Williams had more), and he’ll continue to give them a palatable option at a reasonable cost.

Other:

Hired Chip Kelly as head coach to replace Jim Tomsula.
Hired Curtis Modkins as offensive coordinator to replace Geep Chryst.
Hired Jim O’Neil as defensive coordinator to replace Eric Mangini.
Hired Derius Swinton as special teams coordinator to replace Thomas McGaughey.
Hired Al Guido as team president to replace Paraag Marathe, who was named the club’s chief strategy officer and executive VP of football operations.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for S Eric Reid ($5.676MM).
Learned OL Anthony Davis would come out of retirement.
Learned LB Aaron Lynch would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned QB Thaddeus Lewis would miss the 2016 season after tearing his ACL.
Learned DL Ian Williams would miss the 2016 season with an undisclosed injury.
Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Unsurprisingly, the doomed-to-fail Tomsula era was ephemeral. Tomsula had to follow the act of an elite head coach, former boss Jim Harbaugh, and the longtime defensive assistant was in over his head from the get-go. Plus, the deck was stacked against Tomsula immediately as a result of the 49ers taking so many shots to their roster before the season began. The departures of Willis, Chris Borland, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox ravaged a once-formidable defense, while offensive cornerstones Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis and Frank Gore also went in other directions. With those important contributors no longer around, the Tomsula-led Niners stumbled to their worst record since 2007 and suffered nine double-digit defeats.

As they searched for Tomsula’s replacement, the 49ers interviewed six candidates before hiring Kelly, who wasn’t out of work long after the Eagles fired him in December. The offensive-minded, unconventional Kelly fell one game short of lasting a full three seasons in Philadelphia, where he helped the club to a respectable 26-21 record, two 10-win showings, and a playoff appearance. Those are quality results on paper, but the wheels came off after Kelly took control of the Eagles’ roster last offseason. Once that happened, his first head coaching stint in the NFL began careening off a cliff.

Kelly wasn’t exactly a players’ coach in Philly, where there were accusations of racism and complaints about daily urine tests and his fast-paced offense, so the 49ers took a risk in awarding him a $24MM contract. Kelly has experienced plenty of success at the college and pro levels, though, and it’s possible he’ll get back on track now that he no longer has primary control over an NFL roster (that’s Baalke’s responsibility). Further, as an offensive guru who has extracted career seasons from mediocre-at-best QBs like Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford, there’s a chance he’ll be able to mold either Kaepernick or Gabbert into a usable starter. Kaepernick, of course, was among the league’s best dual-threat signal-callers just a couple years ago.

To help lead his coaching staff, Kelly hired Curtis Modkins and Jim O’Neil as his coordinators. Kelly, not Modkins, is the real offensive mastermind and gives the 49ers a much more credible play caller than Chryst.

O’Neil is the defensive successor to Eric Mangini, who was in a difficult position thanks to the aforementioned losses the 49ers had to deal with last offseason. Previously the D-coordinator with the Browns from 2014-15, O’Neil had his ups and downs in Cleveland. As a rookie coordinator, O’Neil’s group finished top 10 in both yards and points allowed. However, it plummeted toward the cellar last season, ranking just 27th and 29th in those two categories. Given Kelly’s uptempo offensive attack, O’Neil has his work cut out for him in San Francisco. In his three seasons with the Eagles, Kelly’s teams had to defend more plays than any other squad in the league.

One player O’Neil is likely to coach through at least next season is safety Eric Reid, whose 2017 fifth-year option the 49ers exercised in May. Reid, who has been a full-time starter for the Niners since they selected him 18th overall in 2013, is now slated to be on their books for upward of $5.6MM next year. Reid is coming off his first season without an interception, though PFF still ranked him an above-average 36th among 89 qualified safeties in overall performance. The 24-year-old picked off a combined seven passes during his first two seasons in the league. Four of those came as a rookie in 2013, Reid’s lone Pro Bowl campaign.

Joining Reid and the rest of the 49ers this year is right tackle Anthony Davis, another player in whom the 49ers previously invested a first-rounder. Davis, the 11th pick in 2010, started in all 71 of his pro appearances through 2014 and then took a hiatus from football last season. While Davis’ return this year was expected, he took his time applying for reinstatement to the league and even swiped at Baalke and the organization via social media before officially coming out of retirement last month.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old is now working to beat out Trent Brown for his old job. Brown, not Davis, ran with the No. 1s during the 49ers’ preseason opener. Interestingly, Davis is now 30 to 40 pounds lighter than he was in 2014, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, but it remains to be seen whether that will affect his performance.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,890,753
NaVorro Bowman, LB: $9,554,000
Joe Staley, T: $8,300,000
Ahmad Brooks, LB: $8,005,000
Torrey Smith, WR: $7,600,000
Antoine Bethea, S: $6,025,000
Ian Williams, DT: $4,000,000
Tramaine Brock, CB: $3,880,000
Erik Pears, T: $3,350,000
DeForest Buckner, DL: $3,307,453

The 49ers were neither competitive nor interesting last season. At the very least, they should be more compelling this year with Kelly at the helm. The roster isn’t going to remind anybody of the superb one the franchise had during the halcyon days of the Harbaugh era, however, so it’s unfair to expect many wins this season. Frankly, after doing so little during the offseason to address their dearth of talent, it’ll be surprising if the Kelly-led 49ers pick outside the top 10 in next year’s draft.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Steelers

August 16th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have long been one of the NFL’s model organizations, with stability among their ownership group, front office, and coaching staff proving paramount to their success. Kevin Colbert is the fourth-longest tenured general manager in the league, while Mike Tomlin has the fifth-longest tenure among head coaches. Consistently among the contenders for the AFC crown, Pittsburgh entered this offseason with a mandate to get younger on the defensive side of the ball, while suspensions for two of its young offensive stars threatened to throw a wrench in its plans.

Notable signings:

Ladarius Green, TE: Four years, $20MM. $4.75MM guaranteed.
Ramon Foster, G: Three years, $9.6MM. $2.75MM guaranteed.
William Gay, CB: Three years, $7.5MM. $1.9MM guaranteed.
Robert Golden, S: Three years, $4.95MM. $1.25MM guaranteed.
Ryan Harris, T: Two years, $3.9MM. $675K guaranteed.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR: Three years, $3.8MM. $400K guaranteed.
Bruce Gradkowski, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Greg Warren, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Steven Johnson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
David Johnson, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Ricardo Mathews, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit.

Given that the Steelers had only about $10MM in available cap space heading into the offseason, it was always unlikely that the club was going to be a major player in the free agent market. And sadly, Pittsburgh’s one major external addition isn’t delivering returns as of yet, as tight end Ladarius Green hasn’t practiced this summer as he continues to deal with chronic headaches. Green, 26, suffered two concussions in the the span of two weeks last September, so the logical conclusion is that he’s still coping with the aftereffects of those brain injuries.

At least one report has indicated that if the headaches persist, Green could contemplate retirement, and while his long-term health is certainly the most important issue in this situation, there is also a financial component involved. If Green retires, he’d have to return his signing bonus to the Steelers, but the situation becomes more murky if Pittsburgh simply releases him. If the team feels that Green wasn’t forthcoming about his injury history at the time of signing, they’d have an argument to recoup the bonus, or at least a portion of it.

Of course, Green’s potential absence will also limit the Steelers’ offense, as he’d been set to add a new dimension to a unit that will already be without Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell for varying amounts of time. Green posted 37 receptions for more than 400 yards in a limited role with the Chargers, and could’ve seen those numbers rise as he took on a full-time job with Pittsburgh. If he’s not a factor in 2016, the Steelers will instead turn to Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, and FB/TE David Johnson, who returns to the Steel City after two years in San Diego.

Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey may also see more targets if Green is sidelined, as DHB is back with the Steelers after inking a three-year deal. Now 29 years old, Heyward-Bey clearly never lived up to his draft billing after being chosen seventh overall in 2009, but he can still serve as a depth option and special teams player. He saw 39 targets last season, and that number figures to stay relatively stagnant, as though Bryant is suspended for the season, DHB is still behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates among the club’s wide receivers.

With so many of Pittsburgh’s skill players facing availability questions to start the season, the club’s offensive line could be doubly important, and veteran guard Ramon Foster will be a key factor on that front five after re-upping on a three-year pact. Foster will be entering his eighth season with the club, and he’s been remarkably durable — he played every offensive snap in 2016, and he’s appeared in 75 of 80 possible games since becoming a full-time starter. After he graded out as the No. 16 guard in the league last season (per Pro Football Focus), it’s a little surprising that the Steelers only had to invest $3.2MM annually to re-sign Foster.

Joining Foster in the offensive line room will be tackle Ryan Harris, but it’s still unclear whether the former Bronco will act as a starting option or serve as a backup. Harris emerged as Denver’s left tackle after incumbent Ryan Clady went down for the season, and helped stabilize the club’s offensive line on the way to a Super Bowl title. With the Steelers, Harris will compete with Alejandro Villanueva, who started 10 games at left tackle for Pittsburgh as a 27-year-old rookie. So far, it sounds as though the two are neck-and-neck.

One offensive player who probably won’t contribute much during the upcoming season is veteran quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who is dealing with a “sizable” hamstring tear suffered in the Steelers’ first preseason game. Gradkowski, 33, also missed all of last season with an injury, and his absence means Landry Jones will be the club’s clear cut No. 2 quarterback. If Pittsburgh feels the need to add another arm, Michael Vick — who played for the team last season — is still sitting on the open market, though Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) doubts that Vick will end up with the Steelers.

Safety Robert Golden, meanwhile, wasn’t re-signed with the thought that he’d be starting, but the makeup of the defensive backfield has changed enough that Golden will once again be counted on to to play a large role. Second-round rookie Sean Davis had been ticketed to take Golden’s place as Pittsburgh’s strong safety, but following a serious injury to cornerback Senquez Golson, Davis is likely to see most of his action at slot corner, meaning Golden will see a heavy snap count in the back end.

A convenient line of logic might dictate that linebacker Steven Johnson could play a key role as a top backup behind Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons given that he comes over from the Titans, whose defense was led by former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. However, Johnson only saw 27 defensive snaps last season, meaning he’s simply a special teams piece. Veteran defensive lineman Ricardo Mathews, then, is a much more likely candidate to see snaps, as he should be the third defensive end behind Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.

Continue reading about the Steelers’ offseason…

Mike Adams, T: Waived
Cortez Allen, CB: Released
Will Allen, S
Kelvin Beachum, T
Antwon Blake, CB
Brandon Boykin, CB
Terence Garvin, LB
Will Johnson, FB
Doug Legursky, C
Steve McLendon, DT
Heath Miller, TE: Retired
Sean Spence, LB
Byron Stingily, T
Shaun Suisham, K: Released then retired
Cam Thomas, DT
Jordan Todman, RB
Michael Vick, QB

Heath Miller, 33, began his career back in 2005, when the Steelers selected him with the 30th overall pick in the draft. The Virginia product immediately became a starter, and appeared in 168 regular-season games (167 starts), plus another 15 playoff contests, for the franchise over the next 11 years. Miller’s best years came in 2009, when he caught a career-high 76 passes, and in 2012, when he racked up 816 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Miller remained productive for the Steelers until his final season, totaling 60 receptions, 535 yards, and two touchdowns in 2015. No tight end in franchise history accumulated more total catches (592), receiving yards (6,569), or receiving touchdowns (45) than Miller. While he probably isn’t a Hall of Famer — he doesn’t crack the top-25 in approximate value among tight ends since the merger — Miller would certainly enter Pittsburgh’s Ring of Honor (if it had one).

Aside from Miller, most of the Steelers’ offense will return next year, but the one other exception is left tackle Kelvin Beachum, who signed a unique deal with the Jaguars during free agency. Beachum is an excellent blindside protector when healthy, and given that his new contract only calls for $1.5MM in guarantees and a 2016 cap charge of $5.375MM, it was a tad surprising that Pittsburgh didn’t make a serious attempt to retain him. Instead, the Steelers will let the relatively inexperienced Alejandro Villanueva battle it out with veteran Ryan Harris for the starting job.

On defense, Pittsburgh lost or let go of four defensive backs who have all struggled to find solid homes this offseason. Of the quartet, only two have signed contracts. Slot corner Brandon Boykin first landed a deal with the Panthers and then, after being released, with the Bears, but he’s already been placed on injured reserve and will miss the season. Veteran cornerback Antwon Blake, meanwhile, secured $200K guaranteed from the Titans, but doesn’t figure to be any higher than fourth on Tennessee’s depth chart.

A pair of Allens, Cortez and Will, haven’t yet inked new contracts after being cut loose by the Steelers. Cortez Allen was released even though he had agreed to an extension worth nearly $25MM in 2014. Since a solid 2013 season, the 27-year-old had regressed and struggled with injuries, appearing in just 12 total games over the last two seasons. By acknowledging their mistake with Allen and cutting him, the Steelers reduced his cap number from $5.75MM to $4.05MM for 2016, creating $1.7MM in cap space.

Cortez Allen hasn’t drawn any interest since earning his release in April, and Will Allen has sat on the open market even longer, as his contract expired in March. Allen is now 33 years old, but still managed to start 13 games and play on nearly three-quarters of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season. It’s possible that he could score a phone call from an interested club if injuries set in, and it’s conceivable that the Steelers may even express intrigue given the rash of injuries to their secondary.

Up front, Pittsburgh never made a serious effort to retain nose tackle Steve McLendon, who inked a three-year deal with the Jets. The Steelers were reportedly resistant to handing a hefty salary to a player who only sees the field for about 25-30% of the club’s defensive snaps. Defensive tackle Cam Thomas is also gone after the Pittsburgh declined to offer him a contract for the 2016 season. After playing on more than 40% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in 2014, Thomas struggled to get on the field in 2015, seeing action on less than 17% of plays.

Finally, longtime Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham won’t be back with the club in 2016, and he won’t be kicking for anyone, as Suisham announced his retirement after being released earlier this year, citing the difficult recovery from an ACL tear. Over the course of his ten-year career (excluding his lost 2015 campaign), Suisham suited up for the Cowboys and Redskins in addition to the Steelers. In his last five years with Pittsburgh, Suisham has nailed 84.1% of his field goal attempts and 99.3% of his extra point tries.

Draft picks:

1-25: Artie Burns, CB (Miami)
2-58: Sean Davis, DB (Maryland):
3-89: Javon Hargrave, DT (South Carolina State)
4-123: Jerald Hawkins, T (LSU)
6-220: Travis Feeney, LB (Washington)
7-229: Demarcus Ayers, WR (Houston)
7-246: Tyler Matakevich, LB (Temple)

It’s a generally accepted narrative that the Steelers preferred William Jackson III with the 25th overall pick, but after the Bengals took yet another first-round corner at pick No. 24, Pittsburgh opted for Miami’s Artie Burns. As scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas wrote in PFR’s Impact Rookie series, Burns might not yet have the refined skills that he’ll need to develop, but he’s a born playmaker.

“Burns is built for speed,” according to Thomas. “He has an angular frame with very good quickness. He shows good hip snap and change of direction agility. He does not take wasted steps in transition and can close on the ball quickly when the play is in front of him.

Burns shows smoothness with his feet in his pedal and has the range to make plays along the sidelines. He shows good hand/eye coordination, but you’d like to see him generate a second gear in order to recover quicker on deep routes. He has valid feet for the position and good arm usage to stick it to receivers in press coverage.”

Sean Davis, meanwhile, graded higher on several evaluators’ boards, including that of Thomas and NDT Scouting’s Kyle Crabbs, who ranked Davis as No. 3 defensive back in the 2016 class behind only Jalen Ramsey and Jackson. Davis will likely have a larger role during his rookie year than will Burns, who isn’t expected to start. The former Maryland Terp had been projected to see time at strong safety, but now that Senquez Golson is set to miss four months or so with an injury, Davis has been lining up at slot corner.

Third-rounder Javon Hargrave is probably the only other Steelers rookie with a legitimate chance to see significant playing time in 2016, as he’s set to be the reserve nose guard to begin the season. Given that he’s making the leap from FCS competition to the NFL, Hargrave will certainly face a steep learning curve, but given that Daniel McCullers, who only played 105 snaps last year, is the current starter along the interior, Hargrave should have the opportunity to push for playing time.

Other:

Declined 2017 fifth-year option for LB Jarvis Jones ($8.369MM).
Learned WR Martavis Bryant would be suspended for the 2016 season (substance abuse policy).
Learned RB Le’Veon Bell would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned CB Senquez Golson could miss up to four months with a foot injury.
Signed 10 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Two of Pittsburgh’s finest offensive weapons just can’t seem to stay out of their own way, as receiver Martavis Bryant will miss the season after another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, while running back Le’Veon Bell is banned four games after reportedly missing a drug test. Bryant isn’t challenging his suspension, but Bell is, and is fairly confident that he’ll win an appeal, the results of which should be in later this week. Bell is coming off a major injury and has now been suspended twice by the league, so it’s no surprise that the Steelers aren’t currently negotiating with him as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Pittsburgh could still work out a long-term deal with linebacker Jarvis Jones, but they chose not to lock him into a $8.369MM salary in 2017 via his fifth-year option. That’s probably the right call, as Jones simply hasn’t done enough during his three years with the club to warrant such a payday, as he graded as only the No. 67 edge defender among 110 qualifiers last season, per PFF. He’ll be a starter again in 2016, but he could lose snaps to James Harrison and Arthur Moats, which would further deplete his value.

While Jones hasn’t produced much during his time with the Steelers, cornerback Senquez Golson hasn’t produced anything, though it’s hard to fault him given that injuries have knocked him out in each of his first two seasons. After being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft, Golson was taken down by shoulder surgery, and missed the entirety of his rookie season. This year, it’s a foot ailment that will sideline him for four months, meaning that while he’s a candidate for IR/designated to return, it’s more likely that he’s absent for a second straight campaign.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Ben Roethlisberger, QB: $23,950,000
Lawrence Timmons, LB: $15,131,250
Antonio Brown, WR: $12,370,833
Maurkice Pouncey, C: $10,551,000
Cameron Heyward, DE: $10,400,000
David DeCastro, G: $8,070,000
Mike Mitchell, S: $6,763,750
Marcus Gilbert, T: $6,461,000
Cortez Allen, CB: $4,500,000 (dead money)
Shaun Suisham, K: $3,503,000

This offseason, it seems as though the Steelers were attempting to get back to their roots in terms of roster management. In too many recent seasons, Pittsburgh had been leveraged to the hilt, constantly reworking veteran deals that created cap space in the present but presented problems down the road. This year, the Steelers didn’t renegotiate a single contract, and because they never spend serious money in the free agent market, the club’s cap situation should look better in the years to come. On the field, there’s no reason why Pittsburgh shouldn’t be considered among the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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