Offseason In Review News & Rumors

Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins

August 10th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Dallas Robinson

With the exception of the Rams, perhaps no team in the NFL defines mediocrity more than the Dolphins. Since winning the AFC East with an 11-5 record in 2008, Miami has not earned another postseason appearance, posting a 49-63 record during that time while never winning more than eight games in a single season. A new coaching staff is now in place, and tasked with the same assignment that prior regimes have failed to complete time and again: dethrone the Patriots as division champions.

Notable signings:

Mario Williams, DE: Two years, $17MM. $8.485MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available annually via incentives.
Isa Abdul-Quddus, S: Three years, $12.75MM. $4.225MM guaranteed.
Andre Branch, DE: One year, $2.75MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
Matt Moore, QB: Two years, $3.55MM. $2.25MM guaranteed.
Jason Jones, DE: One year, $1.535MM. $1.01MM guaranteed.
Jermon Bushrod, OL: One year, $1.5MM. $985K guaranteed.
Arian Foster, RB: One year, $1.5MM. $400K guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives.
Kraig Urbik, G: Two years, $2.5MM. $250K guaranteed.
Spencer Paysinger, LB: One year, $840K. $200K guaranteed.
Sam Young, T: One year, $910K. $150K guaranteed.
MarQueis Gray, TE: One year, $675K.
Isaiah Pead, RB: One year, $675K.
Griff Whalen, WR: One year, $675K.
Jacques McClendon, G: One year, minimum salary benefit.
James-Michael Johnson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Danny Lansanah, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Daniel Thomas, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Chris Culliver, CB: One year, details unknown.

Perhaps no club swung and missed more often while searching for help at a single position than the Dolphins as they trawled for a new running back after losing Lamar Miller during free agency. Miami eyed options such as James Starks and Chris Johnson, offering the latter more money than did the Cardinals (with whom he ultimately re-signed), and even signed the Broncos’ C.J. Anderson to a restricted free agent offer sheet. But after Denver matched on Anderson, the Dolphins did little to augment their backfield over the next four months except select Kenyan Drake — who doesn’t project as a starter in 2016 — in the third round of April’s draft.

In mid-July, however, Miami finally struck a deal with veteran back Arian Foster, whom the club had first met with all the way back in March. Foster will turn 30 years old before the regular season begins, and the torn Achilles he suffered last season was just the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited him throughout his career. But, when he’s healthy, Foster is electric. In the four seasons when he’s managed to play 13+ games, Foster has rushed for at least 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, adding an average of 50 receptions during those campaigns.

Second-year pro Jay Ajayi, Foster’s direct competition for snaps, is no beacon of health himself, as knee issues worried some draft observers in 2015 and caused Ajayi to fall to the fifth round. And regardless of the fact that Ajayi was listed as the first-team back on Miami’s “official” depth chart released this week, the Fins are clearly hoping Foster can serve as their bell-cow back. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently tweeted, Foster has shown during camp that he’s “head and shoulders the best running back on the Dolphins'” roster.

The group blocking for Foster and/or Ajayi could look a little different this season, especially at the guard position, where Miami added veterans Jermon Bushrod and Kraig Urbik. The latter is probably going to serve as depth, but the Dolphins reportedly want Bushrod to win the right guard job instead of Billy Turner. Bushrod, 31, is a career left tackle, and he’s acknowledged the difficulty of not only moving to the interior, but to the opposite side. Miami has locked-in options at center and both tackle spots, but guard will be an area to watch during camp, as Bushrod, Urbik, Turner, Laremy Tunsil, and Dallas Thomas will all compete for time.

Miami also added trench reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball, agreeing to terms with three veteran defensive ends to augment a rotation that already includes former All Pro Cameron Wake. After losing Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby during the free agent period, the club’s first move was to sign former Bills defensive end Mario Williams, who had reportedly been seeking $10MM annually. While he didn’t reach that mark, there’s some question as to whether Williams is worth the $8.5MM average he did receive.

During his final season in Buffalo, Williams posted only five sacks and graded as the league’s No. 93 edge defender among 110 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, and later drew criticism from Bills head coach Rex Ryan, who said Williams complained about having to drop into coverage. New Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Williams is going to be a “different guy” in South Beach, and he’ll have to be to justify his salary.

Along with Williams, Miami also signed Jason Jones, who last played for the Lions, and inked ex-Jaguar Andre Branch. Jones, for his part, was an especially solid addition, as the Dolphins were able to land him for only $1.5MM on a one-year contract. He’ll act as a rotational run-stuffer behind Wake and Williams. Branch, meanwhile, can’t stop the run and has never lived up to his second-round draft status, but he’s a capable pass-rusher who can produce in limited snaps. Miami could conceivably move either Williams or Wake inside next to Ndamukong Suh on passing downs, allowing Branch to get after the quarterback from the edge.

Just today, the Dolphins agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Chris Culliver, signing the former 49er/Redskin to a one-year deal. Culliver, 28 next week, didn’t draw much interest on the open market after being released by Washington, and that’s likely due to concerns about his ACL, which he tore in November. There aren’t many details available about the one-year pact as of yet, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com did note that the deal can be worth “up to $5MM.” That type of phrasing can mean many different things, and we’ll need to know the complete specifics before fully analyzing the deal, but it likely doesn’t offer much in the way of guarantees.

Aside from a few veteran linebackers who will likely earn playing time via special teams (Spencer Paysinger, Danny Lansanah), the Dolphins’ only other notable signing was that of safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, whom they lured away from the Lions with a three-year deal. Abdul-Quddus was excellent after wresting away a starting job from James Ihedigbo last year, posting 40 tackles and ranking as the No. 21 safety in his eight starts, according to PFF. However, IAQ has only posted a half-season’s worth of production during his five-year career, so there’s definitely some risk in this contract, but that uncertainty is somewhat negated by the modest financials.

Continue reading about the Dolphins’ offseason…

Quinton Coples, DE: Released
Louis Delmas, S
Jason Fox, T: Waived
Brent Grimes, CB: Released
Greg Jennings, WR: Released then retired
Rishard Matthews, WR
Brice McCain, CB: Released
Lamar Miller, RB
Damontre Moore, DE: Waived
Derrick Shelby, DE
Kelvin Sheppard, LB
Olivier Vernon, DE: Rescinded transition tag

The Dolphins lost several interesting players this offseason, but none was more impactful than defensive end Olivier Vernon, who signed a massive deal (five years, $85MM, $40MM guaranteed) after Miami rescinded his transition tag. The argument can be made that the Dolphins made a mistake by not assigning Vernon the franchise tag — which would have been worth about $15.7MM — from the start. Mario Williams, Andre Branch, and Jason Jones account for roughly $10.7MM on Miami’s 2016 cap, so for $5MM more, the club could have retained one of the league’s elite edge defenders instead of signing three mid-range options.

But rationalizing the Dolphins’ choice with Vernon is also possible, although it requires one to view the team’s front office in a different light. Miami has traditionally employed a “stars-and-scrubs” approach to roster-building, but allowing Vernon to walk in free agency and instead sign multiple defensive ends is the antithesis of that philosophy. Once the Dolphins placed the transition tag on Vernon, and subsequently realized a number of clubs were willing to pay him far more that they were, Miami had no choice but to revoke the tag, as doing so enabled them to recoup a 2017 compensatory pick. The ideal solution, though, was probably to franchise Vernon, and either live with him on a one-year deal, or see what the trade market had to offer.

Vernon wasn’t the only pass-rusher the Dolphins saw go elsewhere this offseason, as Derrick Shelby left South Beach after a four-year run. Shelby is only 27 years old and graded as the league’s No. 21 edge defender last season (per PFF), but it’s hard to discount that he’s registered only nine sacks over his entire career. Sacks aren’t everything, as pressures, hits, and hurries also affect a quarterback’s rhythm, and Shelby is a good run defender, too. But the Falcons were willing to hand him $18MM over four years, including $7.5MM in guarantees, a price that the Dolphins (rightly) weren’t willing to match.

Aside from Miami’s two defensive line defections, the club’s most notable loss was running back Lamar Miller, who left for Houston after the Dolphins never seriously entertained re-signing him. Miami (especially its prior coaching staff) never seemed to fully trust Miller, as his high-water mark for carries was only 217. Miller is a productive running back who’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry over the duration of his career, and he actually got better when he received more carries, rushing for 5.1 yards per carry when he got those 217 attempts in 2014. Still, choosing not to hand veteran running backs multi-year contracts is a strategy that will never hear any argument from me.

Elsewhere among the skill positions, wide receivers Rishard Matthews (free agency) and Greg Jennings (release/retirement) won’t be members of the 2016 Dolphins. Jennings failed to put up any sort of numbers during his one-year stint with Miami, so we won’t waste much time on him. Matthews, however, posted the best season of his career in 2015, catching 43 passes for 662 yards (15.4 yards/reception) while scoring four times. The 26-year-old signed a reasonable $5MM per year deal with the Titans, but the Dolphins never had any intention of going that high to retain him.

Jumping back to the defensive side of the ball, Miami cut bait with cornerback Brent Grimes (and his wife, Miko) after the pair spent three seasons with the club. Numerous reasons could have contributed to Grimes’ release, including the fact that he’s now 33 and is getting beat in coverage more often, but Miko’s controversial comments on social media reportedly played a role in the Dolphins asking Grimes to accept a pay cut (which he refused). A number of teams refused to entertain the idea of signing Grimes thanks to Miko’s antics, but he eventually landed $7MM guaranteed from the Buccaneers. Miko (shockingly) has since attacked Miami’s front office and ownership with ethnic slurs.

Grimes is the more high-profile player, but fellow corner Brice McCain might be the more important loss. McCain was forced to play outside corner last year, and predictably struggled, given that he’s much more suited for the slot. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has argued, McCain would likely be an improvement over Bobby McCain (no relation), who is currently projected to start inside for the Dolphins, and Brice wasn’t very expensive, as he secured only $1MM guaranteed from Tennessee. Fellow defensive back Louis Delmas is also gone, but he didn’t play a snap in 2015 after suffering yet another knee injury during the preseason.

Two more veterans — linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and offensive tackle Jason Fox — won’t be back with the Dolphins after each played more snaps than they should have in 2015. Sheppard is now a Giant after playing on more than 60% of Miami’s defensive plays last season, but he’s not a lock to make the final New York roster and won’t be missed in South Beach. Fox, meanwhile, was forced to play more than 80% of the Dolphins’ snaps thanks to injuries along the front five, but graded as one of the six worst tackles in the league, according to PFF.

Trades:

Acquired CB Byron Maxwell, LB Kiko Alonso, and a 2016 first-round pick (No. 13) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38) from the Ravens in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 42) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 107).
Acquired a 2016 third-round pick (No. 86) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186), a 2017 third-round pick, and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- 2017 fourth-rounder acquired by Vikings will be a compensatory pick if Dolphins receive one.
Acquired two sixth-round picks (Nos. 196 and 204) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250) from the Patriots in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147).
Acquired a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 196) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 227).
Acquired a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 223) from the Browns in exchange for CB Jamar Taylor and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250).

Miami and personnel chief Mike Tannenbaum clearly don’t hold draft capital in the same high regard that many other clubs around the league do, as the Dolphins consistently sacrificed future value for the present, trading away multiple picks to move up and acquire single selections. It’s a curious way to build a roster, and as Chase Stuart of Football Perspective wrote, it’s a strategy that is “emblematic of an organization that puts little emphasis on depth relative to star power.”

Take Miami’s Day 2 trade with the Vikings, for example. According to Stuart’s value chart, the Dolphins paid something close to 176 cents on the dollar (!) to trade up and draft draft Leonte Carroo. Minnesota, as Stuart detailed, essentially picked up a free fourth- and sixth-round pick by simply waiting until next year to make their choices. Miami either doesn’t understand this concept, or fails to recognize the extremely heavy discount that it is placing on future draft picks.

Tannenbaum & Co. also took a bath when trading for veterans, as they traded away the equivalent of a early fifth-round pick to acquire Byron Maxwell, his hefty contract, and Kiko Alonso. Miami may still have some hope that Maxwell can turn into a playable No. 1 cornerback, and Alonso will be cheap in 2016 as he plays out his rookie contract.

But Maxwell’s massive contract is an entity unto itself, and even though the rest of Maxwell’s prorated bonus accelerated onto the Eagles’ cap and the Dolphins were able to restructure Maxwell’s deal, the trade still makes little sense. Miami will pay Maxwell a guaranteed $8.5MM this season and is on the hook for $3MM guaranteed in 2017, so the fact that Philadelphia was able to both dump that contract plus acquire extra draft capital is rather astonishing.

Draft picks:

1-13: Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)
2-38: Xavien Howard, CB (Baylor)
3-73: Kenyan Drake, RB (Alabama)
3-86: Leonte Carroo, WR (Rutgers)
6-186: Jakeem Grant, WR (Texas Tech)
6-204: Jordan Lucas, DB (Penn State)
7-223: Brandon Doughty, QB (Western Kentucky)
7-231: Thomas Duarte, TE (UCLA)

Even if he never succeeds in the NFL, Laremy Tunsil will likely be remembered for the foreseeable future given the drama that surrounded him on draft night. As most surely recall, Tunsil — who was thought to be the favorite to be selected with the first overall pick before the Titans traded down — was considered a lock to be chosen in the top-six, but a free fall began a video surfaced showing Tunsil smoking out of a bong. Clubs at the top of the draft, most notably the Ravens, weren’t able to gather on the information quickly enough (and also may have had injury concerns about the Ole Miss tackle), leading Tunsil to tumble down that board until Miami snatched him up at No. 13.

And though Tunsil is considered one of the premier left tackle prospects to enter the league in some time, he’ll begin his career at guard thanks to the presence of Branden Albert on the blindside. Albert, however, is entering his age-32 season, and has missed time in each of the last four seasons, meaning Tunsil is quite likely to see action at left tackle this season. Offensive line expert Lance Zierlien of NFL.com compared Tunsil to Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith during the pre-draft process, and if Tunsil even comes close to matching Smith’s production, the Dolphins will have made the right choice.

Miami was also counting on Xavien Howard to start early in his career, as the club has little depth behind Byron Maxwell in the secondary. The former Baylor Bear looked like the favorite to land the Dolphins’ No. 2 corner job, but after suffering a knee injury during minicamp, Howard underwent surgery and is now on the active/PUP list. Rookie defensive backs nearly always face a steep learning curve, and Howard will now encounter an even more difficult challenge given that he will miss a portion of training camp.

Skill position players Kenyan Drake and Leonte Carroo, meanwhile, don’t figure to play large roles during their rookie years given that they’re each pretty far down the depth chart. Drake could be listed as low as fourth among Miami’s running backs, and it would take a number of injuries for him to see playing time (but given that Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi are the team’s top two backs, health concerns are certainly on the table). Carroo, meanwhile, has a clearer path to snaps, but he’s behind Kenny Stills for the moment.

Extensions and Restructures:

Cameron Wake, DE: Extended through 2017. Two years, $14.125MM. $10MM guaranteed. $2.5MM available via incentives.
Ndamukong Suh, DT: Restructured contract to create $16MM in cap space, converting $20MM in 2016 base salary into a signing bonus.
Byron Maxwell, CB: Restructured contract after trade from Eagles. Lowered 2017 base salary from $10MM to $8.5MM in exchange for $2MM increase in 2017 guarantee.
Jordan Cameron, TE: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.5MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $7.5MM to $6MM in exchange for a $5MM guarantee.
Koa Misi, LB: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.275MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $4.275MM to $3MM.

Cameron Wake was already set to make roughly $8.3MM for the 2016 season, so while the Dolphins could have asked him to accept a pay cut (especially given that’s coming off injury), the club instead lowered Wake’s cap hit for the upcoming campaign while adding $3MM in guarantees for 2017. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap wrote in his analysis of the deal, Miami is clearly projecting Wake for a solid season, and if the veteran defensive end does return to his old form, then the team has indeed scored a below-market deal. And the risk is negligible, because if Wake does fall off a cliff, the Dolphins will have paid him only ~$1.7MM more than was originally scheduled.

While Wake’s new deal can be rationalized, the same cannot be said for the restructuring of Ndamukong Suh‘s pact. Already one of the most onerous contracts in NFL history, Suh’s deal now contains an extra $4MM in prorated bonus money in each of the next five years, which gives the star defensive tackle enviable protection against being released. Realistically, Miami now cannot move on from Suh until after the 2019 campaign.

That timeline will be acceptable if Suh continues his current level of production (though he’s still making considerably more than any other defensive tackle), but if Suh experiences a dropoff, the Dolphins will be in an undesirable situation. Additionally, there wasn’t a pressing need for Miami to restructure this deal — though they were tight on cap space, the club made other moves (releasing Brent Grimes and Greg Jennings, forcing Jordan Cameron and Koa Misi to accept pay cuts) that created fiscal room. The Fins have essentially locked themselves into a half-decade of a highly-paid Suh when they weren’t required to do so.

Other:

Promoted college scouting director Chris Grier to general manager to replace Dennis Hickey.
Hired Adam Gase as head coach to replace Dan Campbell (interim).
Hired Clyde Christensen as offensive coordinator to replace Zac Taylor.
Hired Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator to replace Lou Anarumo. Reassigned Anarumo to defensive backs coach.
Signed RB C.J. Anderson to a four-year, $18MM RFA offer sheet, which the Broncos matched.
Claimed DT Chris Jones off waivers.
Learned DE Dion Jordan was granted reinstatement.
Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

New general manager Chris Grier will have a voice in Miami’s front office, but Mike Tannenbaum clearly still runs the show and maintains final say on personnel decisions. Changes to the coaching staff will likely have a larger impact on the upcoming season, as Adam Gase landed the Dolphins’ head coaching position after being considered for several openings during the 2015 offseason. Gase has been very successful during his NFL career, helping lead one of the most productive offenses in league history while with the Broncos, and turning around Jay Cutler‘s career with the Bears.

Gase will call the offensive plays in South Beach, meaning new OC Clyde Christensen will maintain more of a planning role, and serve as a sounding board for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Christensen’s last two pupils were Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, so he should have a shot at bringing the best of Tannehill to the forefront. On defense, former Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph secured the coordinator role after having been Denver’s first choice for the same job during the 2015 offseason. He’ll try to rescue a unit that ranked just 25th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA last year.

One possible member of Joseph’s unit is former third overall pick Dion Jordan, who earned his conditional reinstatement from the NFL and has since been cleared to practice after presumably meeting the league’s requirement of counseling. However, Jordan is recovering from offseason knee surgery and apparently hasn’t looked great during practice sessions, so he’s no lock to make the squad, especially given that the Dolphins added a good deal of help to their defensive line over the past several months.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Ndamukong Suh, DT: $12,600,000
Ryan Tannehill, QB: $11,640,000
Branden Albert, T: $10,150,000
Mike Pouncey, C: $10,025,000
Cameron Wake, DE: $8,525,000
Byron Maxwell, CB: $8,500,000
Reshad Jones, S: $8,202,942
Jordan Cameron, TE: $8,000,000
Mario Williams, DE: $6,500,000
Koa Misi, LB: $3,603,000

New head coach Adam Gase has drawn rave reviews at every stop during his career, and the laudation hasn’t ceased now that he’s made his way to Miami. Gase is seen as the savior who can rectify Ryan Tannehill‘s career, and while he may able to turn around the franchise quarterback (with the help of an improved offensive line), the Dolphins’ defense needs to take just as big a leap forward if the club has any serious hopes of contention in 2016.

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 England Patriots

August 6th, 2016 at 9:30am CST by Ben Levine

It was a typical offseason for the Patriots. A looming suspension/punishment for the organization or star player. The defection of a star defender. The acquisition of notable veterans and high-upside players. A flurry of draft-night trades. In other words, it wasn’t a normal offseason by any other standard.

While the fanbase was primarily focused on the looming suspension of Tom Brady, the Patriots front office did an admirable job of retooling many spots on their roster. With several impending defensive free agents, the Patriots dealt off Chandler Jones, replacing him with players like Chris Long and Shea McClellin. The team lost Brandon LaFell to free agency, but they added a younger piece in wideout Chris Hogan (as well as talented tight end Martellus Bennett). They even drafted a quarterback!

The whole Deflategate fallout seemed to dominate offseason talk, so many of the Patriots moves went under the radar. However, per usual, the team added enough depth to offset any of their notable subtractions. As a result, the Patriots should once again be in the driver’s seat for the AFC title.

Notable signings:

Chris Hogan, WR: Three years, $12MM. $7.5MM guaranteed. Bills declined to match RFA offer sheet.
Shea McClellin, LB: Three years, $8.95MM. $3.5MM guaranteed.
Chris Long, DE: One year, $2.375MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Nate Ebner, S: Two years, $2.4MM. $500K guaranteed.
Clay Harbor, TE: Two years, $3MM. $400K guaranteed. $500K available annually via incentives.
Donald Brown, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $300K guaranteed.
LaAdrian Waddle, T: Two years, $2.35MM. $250K guaratneed. $1.4MM available via incentives.
Terrance Knighton, DT: One year, $2.05MM. $250K guaranteed. $2.5MM available via incentives.
Markus Kuhn, DT: One year, $1.2MM. $140K guaranteed.
LeGarrette Blount, RB: One year, $1MM. $100K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Nate Washington, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $60K guaranteed.
James Develin, FB: One year, $750K. $50K guaranteed.
Frank Kearse, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $30K guaranteed.
E.J. Biggers, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
Ramon Humber, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
Vinnie Sunseri, S: Contract terms unknown.

While most of the Patriots offseason discussion focused on the quarterback and trades, the teams various signings seemed to fly under the radar. Still, the team managed to add several players via free agency who should contribute to this year’s squad.

Considering the injury concerns for receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, the Patriots went hard after several free agent wideouts. After kicking the tires on Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, the team ended up settling on former Bills receiver Chris Hogan – a player coach Bill Belichick had long coveted. The former Bills wideout has put up solid numbers over the past two seasons, compiling 77 catches, 876 yards, and six touchdowns during the span. As things currently stand, the 27-year-old would be the team’s third receiver, and the former Monmouth standout can also reportedly serve as an emergency punter.

Hogan wasn’t the only weapon added to Brady’s arsenal. The team signed veteran receiver Nate Washington, who caught 47 passes for 658 yards with the Texans last season. While the 32-year-old has proven to be a durable, consistent option, there’s no certainty that he’ll ultimately make the team.

Elsewhere on offense, the Patriots signed tight end Clay Harbor. The 29-year-old showed that he could be a competent piece of the passing game throughout his tenure with the Jaguars, although he settled into more of a blocking role in 2015. The Patriots value versatility, and Harbor’s ability to play both tight end and fullback will likely earn him a spot on the roster. Speaking of the fullback position, the team brought back incumbent James Develin, who missed all of last season while recovering from a broken tibia. The 28-year-old appeared in all 32 games for the Patriots between 2013 and 2014, including 10 starts.

With a number of intriguing veteran options on the running back market, there was a general assumption that the Patriots would look to add some reinforcement to their backfield. After all, the team finished 30th in rushing yards last season, and the team ultimately had to rely on 32-year-old Steven Jackson during the postseason. Furthermore, considering Brady’s impending suspension, the Patriots wouldn’t be able to lean on the passing game through the first month of the season.

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As the end of the day, the team did little to improve the run game. The Patriots brought back LeGarrette Blount, who spent parts of the past three seasons in New England. After having average 4.9 yards per attempt through his first 21 games with the Patriots, the 29-year-old saw those numbers dip to 4.3 yards per attempt last season. The team also brought in veteran running back Donald Brown, who spent the past two seasons with the Chargers. The former first-rounder had averaged 5.3 yards per carry during his final season with the Colts, but those numbers dropped to 3.1 yards per carry over the past two years. Fortunately, the team could also look forward to the return of Dion Lewis, whose breakout season ended with a torn ACL. Through seven games, the 25-year-old compiled 234 yards on 49 attempts (as well as an impressive 388 yards on 36 catches).

LaAdrian Waddle could be blocking for the duo in 2016, although there’s no certainty that the 25-year-old will make the roster. The former undrafted free agent was added by the Patriots last December following two-plus seasons with the Lions. As PFR’s Zach Links noted, Waddle was rated as Pro Football Focus’ worst qualified offensive tackle in the league, and the lineman hasn’t been capable of staying healthy throughout his career.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots did an admirable job of adding solid veterans on affordable deals. The most notable addition was linebacker Shea McClellin, who spent his entire four-year career in Chicago. The former first-round pick has averaged 13 games a season throughout his career, and after having his fifth-year option declined, he finished 2015 with a career-high in tackles (81). The 27-year-old’s ability to play both linebacker and defensive end will certainly earn him a significant role on the team.

The Patriots continued their offseason theme of adding former first-round picks by signing former second-overall pick Chris Long to a one-year deal. The 31-year-old hasn’t been particularly healthy over the past two seasons, playing in a total of 18 games. Still, the defensive end was a force from 2010 through 2013, and playing behind both Rob Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard should preserve the veteran throughout the campaign.

Elsewhere on the defensive line, the Patriots seemingly added a starting defensive tackle in veteran Terrance Knighton. ‘Pot Roast’ is still going strong after seven seasons in the league, and the 30-year-old has only missed an incredible four games throughout his career. After two seasons with the Broncos, Knighton spent 2015 with the Redskins, where he compiled 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 15 games. The team did select Malcom Brown in the first-round of the 2015 draft, but the departures of Akiem Hicks and Sealver Siliga meant the team needed some depth at the position.

To round out the defensive line, the Patriots also added defensive tackle Markus Kuhn. The four-year veteran spent his entire career with the Giants, where he compiled 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks over 24 games between the past two seasons. The Patriots also signed defensive end Frank Kearse, who followed a promising 2014 campaign (15 tackles, three sacks) with a disappointing 2015 season.

The Patriots brought back safety Nate Ebner on a two-year deal. While the Olympic rugby player probably won’t get much play in the defensive backfield, he’ll surely play a role on special teams. As our own Sam Robinson noted, Ebner finished last season with 11 special teams tackles, the third-best total on the team.

Meanwhile, free agent addition E.J. Biggers could establish a role at cornerback for the Patriots. The former seventh-round pick surely won’t unseat starters Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan, but he’ll be competing with a collection of players for that third or fourth corner spot. The Patriots also added an intriguing prospect in safety Vinnie Sunseri, although the 22-year-old will certainly have an uphill battle to make the roster. The same goes for linebacker Ramon Humber, although the former Saint could easily carve out a role on the squad. The former North Dakota State standout established himself as a formidable special teams force during his time in New Orleans, and the team’s muddled linebacker depth means the 28-year-old could also contribute on defense.

Notable losses:

It’d be a stretch to say that any of the departed Patriots free agents played a major role for the 2015 squad, but there were several players who will certainly be missed.

From an actual snap-count standpoint, receiver Brandon LaFell is the team’s most significant loss. Following a 2014 campaign where he set career-highs in receptions (74), yards (953) and touchdowns (seven), the veteran wideout struggled through injuries and inconsistencies in 2015. LaFell finished the campaign with 37 receptions, 515 yards, and no touchdowns, numbers that rival his career-lows.

Besides LaFell, the team lost another trio of wideouts, although none of the three saw the field for the Patriots in 2015. Former Rams receiver Brandon Gibson was a buy-low grab by the Patriots following two underwhelming seasons in Miami, but he was placed on the injured reserve prior to the season. Former fourth-rounder Josh Boyce never established himself through his three seasons in New England, compiling only nine receptions for 121 yards. Brian Tyms had several big games for the Pats in 2014, but an achilles injury kept him off the field last season.

The loss of veteran linebacker Jerod Mayo will likely have more of an impact on the locker room than the actual field. After being drafted 10th overall, the University of Tennessee product instantly established himself as a presence in the middle of the Patriots defense. From 2008 through 2012, Mayo only missed three regular season games, and he earned a pair of Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro selection during that span. After having played 12 combined games between 2013 and 2014, Mayo did see the field for all 16 contests in 2015. However, the veteran started only eight games while barely playing 400 snaps, resulting in a career-low in tackles (47). A shoulder injury ultimately kept Mayo from playing in the AFC Championship game, and the 30-year-old announced his retirement less than a month later.

Tight end Scott Chandler was brought on board to provide another talented target to Brady’s arsenal, but the veteran wasn’t nearly as productive as he was in Buffalo. Between 2011 and 2014, Chandler averaged 45 receptions, 528 receiving yards, and four touchdowns a season. In 2015, he compiled only 23 receptions, 259 yards, and four scores. While the 31-year-old did contribute as a blocker and special teamer, the presence of other tight ends made the veteran expendable.

Perhaps the most surprising subtraction was defensive lineman. The 2014 first-round pick struggled with injuries throughout his Patriots tenure, although he did show brief flashes when he did see the field. Reports indicated that the move was attributed to Easley’s knees, as well as “off-field issues.” With plenty of talent on the defensive line, the front office clearly believed they were better off without the headache.

The Patriots lost another pair of defensive linemen in Akiem Hicks and Sealver Siliga. Hicks ultimately played in 13 games for the squad after being acquired from the Saints, totaling 21 tackles and three sacks. Siliga had spent the past three seasons in New England, compiling 5.5 sacks in 25 games. The duo combined for 636 snaps last season, but the free agent and rookie additions (as well as the increased roll for former first rounder Malcom Brown) should reduce the sting of the departures.

The Patriots will see a bit of a makeover in their secondary, as the team lost four defensive backs. The most notable subtraction was safety Tavon Wilson, who played in 54 games during his four seasons in New England. Following an impressive rookie campaign where he picked off four passes, Wilson struggled to hold a consistent role in the following seasons. The trio of Tarell Brown, Rahsaan Melvin, and Leonard Johnson ultimately proved to be nothing more than experiments in 2015, with none of the three playing more than 200 snaps.

The team didn’t ask back running back Steven Jackson, who had four unwhelming games (including playoffs) with the Patriots last season. Meanwhile, veteran center Ryan Wendell started 44 games for the Patriots between 2012 and 2014, earning him a captain distinction prior to the 2015 campaign. However, injuries and the presence of Bryan Stork kept Wendell off the field, and the 30-year-old still hasn’t found a job for 2016. Considering his familiarity with the offense, the veteran could presumably return if the team is seeking additional offensive line help.

Trades:

Acquired C/G Jonathan Cooper and a 2016 second-round pick (No. 61) from the Cardinals in exchange for LB Chandler Jones.
Acquired TE Martellus Bennett and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 204) from the Bears in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 127).
Acquired a 2016 third-round pick (No. 78) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 112) from the Saints in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 61).
Acquired a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147) from the Dolphins in exchange for two 2016 sixth-round picks (Nos. 196 and 204) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250).
Acquired a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 225) and a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Seahawks in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147).
Acquired a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick from the Lions in exchange for LB Jon Bostic.

The team’s two biggest offseason moves undoubtedly came via trade. With several talented defenders becoming eligible for an extension, the Patriots had some interesting decisions to make regarding their impending payouts. The team somewhat solved their issues in mid-March, dealing defensive end Chandler Jones to the Cardinals. The 26-year-old started 52 games for the Patriots after being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, averaging nine sacks a season. Jones had one of his best seasons in 2015, compiling 44 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 15 games. While the subtraction of a player of Jones caliber is never a positive, the Patriots are fortunate to have enough depth on the defensive line. Jabaal Sheard will presumably take Jones’ spot in the starting lineup, while 2015 draft picks Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers could be the future at the position.

In return, the Patriots acquired offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick. The guard was the seventh overall pick in 2013, but injures derailed much of his tenure in Arizona. Cooper missed his entire rookie season with a broken fibia, and he only appeared in 24 games (11 starts) over the past two seasons. The 26-year-old is currently slotted in as the team’s starting right guard, although it’s worth noting that the Patriots spent a pair of 2015 draft picks on offensive guards (Shaq Mason, Tre’ Jackson). The team predictably dealt off the second-rounder for additional draft picks, which we’ll get to in a moment.

Only two days following the Jones trade, the Patriots acquired tight end Martellus Bennett from the Bears. While the Patriots’ previous tight end additions proved to be nothing less than insurance for Rob Gronkowski, Bennett should be able to carve out a significant role in the passing game. Although his 2015 campaign was a bit underwhelming, the 29-year-old still averaged 69 receptions, 705 yards, and nearly five touchdowns a season during his three years in Chicago. Bennett (6-foot-6, 273 pounds) is similar to Gronk (6-foot-6, 265 pounds), so fans shouldn’t necessarily expect the second-coming of the Gronkowski/Aaron Hernandez duo. However, there’s no denying the tight end’s talent in the passing game, and it’s easy to envision Bennett being one of Brady’s five favorite targets (alongside Gronkowski, Edelman, Amendola, and Lewis).

Otherwise, the Patriots made a number of moves to acquire picks during the draft. The team dealt off the second-round pick acquired from Arizona, and they acquired a pair of draft picks that ultimately turned into offensive lineman Joe Thuney and wideout Malcolm Mitchell. The Patriots also ended the draft having acquired a pair of 2017 draft picks.

Draft picks:

2-60: Cyrus Jones, DB (Alabama)
3-78: Joe Thuney, OL (North Carolina State)
3-91: Jacoby Brissett, QB (North Carolina State)
3-96: Vincent Valentine, DT (Nebraska)
4-112: Malcolm Mitchell, WR (Georgia)
6-208: Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB (Eastern Illinois)
6-214: Elandon Roberts, LB (Houston)
6-221: Ted Karras, OL (Illinois)
7-225: Devin Lucien, WR (Arizona State)

The Patriots forfeited their first round pick as a result of the Deflategate fiasco, but the team still managed to emerge with five rookies selected in the first four rounds.

With their second-round pick, the Patriots selected Alabama defensive back Cyrus Jones. While the talented defender may not be tall enough to establish himself as a top corner, he’ll certainly be able to contribute in the slot. Jones also put up impressive return numbers during his three years in college, including a 23.4-yard kick return average and an 11.9-yard punt return average. While it may take the rookie sometime to carve out a roll on defense, Belichick could easily lean on Jones in the return game in an attempt to preserve Amendola and Edelman.

The Patriots have added several offensive guards over the past few seasons, leading some to question the selection of lineman Joe Thuney. However, the North Carolina State product has the ability to play both guard and tackle, and recent reports have indicated that the rookie is already taking hold of the starting left guard spot. Thuney’s presence could also allow the team to move on from lineman Marcus Cannon.

The Patriots continued to surprise with their next third-round pick, selecting Thuney’s college quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. The speedy signal-caller had two solid seasons in the ACC, completing around 60-percent of his passes and running for another 899 yards. The rookie will back up Jimmy Garoppolo through the first month of the season, although if the Patriots simply needed a third quarterback, they could have signed one of a number of available free agents. Rather, the selection may indicate that the Patriots are hoping to capitalize on a potential Garoppolo breakout. If the third-year quarterback plays well enough during Brady’s absence, the Patriots could deal the signal-caller while still having a talented prospect in their back pocket.

With defensive tackle Alan Branch under contract, it’s unlikely that third-round pick Vincent Valentine will be able to contribute in 2016. However, both Branch and Knighton are on the wrong side of 30, so the Nebraska product could have a future role on this squad. Fourth-rounder Malcolm Mitchell has some big-play potential, although the wideout competing with a number of players for the team’s fourth receiver slot.

Among the team’s later-round picks, linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill has already shown flashes during camp. There’s no reason why the Eastern Illinois product couldn’t beat out Rufus Johnson, Jonathan Freeny, or Ramon Humber for the Patriots’ fourth linebacker slot. Depending on the health of the Patriots receivers, seventh-rounder Devin Lucien could even see some time on the field.

Extensions and Restructures:

Tom Brady, QB: Extended through 2019. Two years, $41MM. $28MM guaranteed.
Patrick Chung, S: Extended through 2018. One year, $5.7MM. $2.4MM guaranteed.
Danny Amendola, WR: Accepted pay cut, creating $3,8887,500 in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $5MM to $1.25MM. $100K signing bonus.

Tom Brady has continually been willing to restructure his contract, allowing the Patriots to have more cap flexibility. The star quarterback signed another extension this offseason, with the contract lasting until Brady is 42-years-old. Brady has been a relative bargain for the Patriots in recent years, never accounting for more than a $15MM cap number.

The Patriots also extended safety Patrick Chung’s contract through 2018, raising the veteran’s 2016 salary in the process. Since returning to New England in 2014, Chung has started 29 of his 31 games, averaging 85 tackles and 8.5 passes defender during that span.

Perhaps the most notable contract restructuring was that of wideout Danny Amendola. There were questions regarding whether the 30-year-old and his $5MM salary would stick around for 2016. However, the wideout took a massive pay cut, reducing that number to $1.25MM. Despite several injuries, the receiver has established himself as one of Brady’s targets over the past few years. While the team presumably wouldn’t have missed a beat without Amendola, his veteran presence will certainly be appreciated (especially if Edelman misses considerable time).

Looking forward, the team has several notable players up for extensions, and it may not be easy for the squad to lock up the entire group long-term. Four starting defenders will actually be reaching free agency in 2017, including Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Malcolm Butler (restricted free agent), and Jabaal Sheard. The Chandler Jones trade provided a bit of clarity on the team’s overall thinking (mostly that Jones was towards the bottom of the Patriots’ list of long-term priorities). However, there’s still no evident pecking order when it comes to inking these players to extensions, although Collins’ youth and production would likely put him in line for the largest payday. Per usual, Belichick and the front office will likely be exploring which of the four players would be willing to stay in New England on team-friendly deals.

It’s also worth noting that the Patriots are working with Gronkowski on an extension, despite the tight end having four years left on his contract. The 27-year-old’s base salary peaks at $9MM in 2019.

Other:

Re-hired Dante Scarnecchia as offensive line coach to replace Dave DeGuglielmo.
Declined 2017 fifth-year option for G Jonathan Cooper ($11.902MM).
Learned QB Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension was reinstated by U.S. Court of Appeals. Brady will not fight the suspension.
Learned TE Michael Williams would miss the 2016 season after tearing his ACL.
Signed eight undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Despite the flurry of offseason moves, quarterback Tom Brady commanded the media’s attention. Nearly 18 months after the infamous AFC Championship Game, Brady announced that he would drop the appeal of his four-game suspension stemming from the Deflategate fiasco. While the NFL Player’s Association could continue the appeals, the organization is operating under the assumption that Brady will miss the first four games of the upcoming season. Anticipation of a suspension may have prompted the team to draft quarterback Jacoby Brisset, with the rookie presumably backing up fill-in starter Jimmy Garropolo through the first month.

While the Brady suspension will presumably have a negative impact on the squad, the return of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia should have more than a positive impact. The long-time coach retired following the 2013 season after 32 years in the league, including 30 in New England. Dave DeGuglielmo replaced the coach on the sidelines for the past two seasons, and despite modest rushing and sack numbers, the unit was continually outclassed by talented defensive lines (as seen in this year’s AFC Championship Game against the Broncos).

News of Michael Williams torn ACL certainly wasn’t encouraging, but the team should more than make up for his absence with Bennett and Harbor. Meanwhile, the team’s decision to not pick up guard Jonathan Cooper’s contract was not much a surprise, as the team will likely let the former first-rounder prove himself during his first season in New England.

Finally, none of the team’s undrafted free agents figure to play much of a role at the start of the season, although the Patriots seemingly find a diamond in the rough every few years. Considering the uncertainty at the pair of positions, if two players had an opportunity to emerge, it could be running back D.J. Foster (Arizona State) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (Auburn).

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Tom Brady, QB: $14,000,000
Nate Solder, T: $10,322,666
Devin McCourty, S: $7,397,500
Dont’a Hightower, LB: $7,751,000
Jabaal Sheard, LB: $6,812,500
Rob Gronkowski, TE: $6,618,750
Chris Hogan, WR: $5,500,000
Sebastian Vollmer, T: $5,208,334
Martellus Bennett, TE: $5,185,000
Marcus Cannon, OL: $4,754,168

The Patriots are rarely predictable when it comes to offseason moves. While the 2014 offseason saw the addition of several big names (led by Darrell Revis), the 2015 offseason was more about the team’s subtractions (including Revis, Brandon Browner, Vince Wilfork, and Shane Vereen).

The team’s 2016 offseason saw the best (and worst) of both worlds. While the loss of Chandler Jones will certainly sting, the team will certainly welcome additions like Long, McClellin, and Bennett. Of course, the team is also returning the majority of the core that made it to last year’s conference championship game. Since the team seemingly got stronger, we should only expect more of the same this upcoming season.

Contract 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: Seattle Seahawks

August 4th, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 2015 Seahawks won the fewest regular-season games of the four-year Russell Wilson era (10) and were unable to extend their streak of consecutive Super Bowl appearances to three, but they still made the playoffs for the fourth straight time and were among the the final four NFC teams standing. They also racked up top-five finishes in total offense, defense and point differential, and ranked first in Football Outsiders’ regular-season DVOA metric. All things considered, then, general manager John Schneider didn’t need to do anything drastic during the offseason to keep the Seahawks’ window of contention open.

Notable signings:

Jeremy Lane, CB: Four years, $23MM. $11MM guaranteed.
Jermaine Kearse, WR: Three years, $13.5MM. $6.3MM guaranteed. $1.4MM available annually via incentives.
Ahtyba Rubin, DT: Three years, $12MM. $5.5MM guaranteed.
Jon Ryan, P: Four years, $10MM. $3.4MM guaranteed.
J’Marcus Webb, OL: Two years, $5.75MM. $2.45MM guaranteed.
Sealver Siliga, DT: One year, $1.05MM. $200K guaranteed.
Mike Morgan, LB: One year, $1MM. $200K guaranteed.
Bradley Sowell, T: One year, $1MM. $200K guaranteed.
Christine Michael, RB: One year, $725K. $25K guaranteed.
Patrick Lewis, C: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Brandon Browner, CB: One year, $760K.
Brandon Williams, TE: One year, $675K.
Tavaris Barnes, DE: One year, $525K.

As has been typical in recent years, the Seahawks were stingy versus opposing quarterbacks last season, finishing first in the league in touchdown tosses allowed (14), second in aerial yardage surrendered, and third in both QB rating against (78.1) and Football Outsiders’ pass defense rankings. Seattle was especially strong down the stretch, which was thanks in part to the return of cornerback Jeremy Lane. After missing the first 10 games of the year because of a broken arm and torn ACL he sustained on an interception return in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLIX loss to the Patriots the previous February, Lane recorded the first two regular-season INTs of his career. Overall, Lane’s performance earned him a respectable 51st-place ranking out of 111 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus.

Since the Seahawks selected him in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Lane has missed 23 of 64 regular-season games and made just six starts, but the club saw enough positives when he played to bet on the 26-year-old going forward. Lane was the Seahawks’ largest expenditure in free agency, receiving a four-year, $23MM commitment and $11MM in guarantees, and figures to start opposite Richard Sherman on the outside this season. Given his experience as a nickelback, Lane is also likely to spend time inside defending the slot.

Helping Lane and the rest of the Seahawks’ defensive backs could be free agent pickup Brandon Browner, who thrived in Seattle from 2011-13 as a member of the Legion of Boom before spending the previous two seasons in New England and New Orleans. Last year was unexpectedly ugly for Browner, who rated as PFF’s worst qualifying corner (113th overall) and set the league’s single-season penalty record. That led the Saints to release Browner less than a year after signing him to a $15MM contract that was supposed to last through the 2017 campaign. The Seahawks then took an ultra-cheap flyer on Browner for $760K and will try to revitalize the 32-year-old, though he’ll play safety instead of corner. The Seahawks have arguably the preeminent safety tandem in the league in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, but that won’t necessarily limit Browner’s impact. In fact, head coach Pete Carroll said in May that Browner will have a “really unique role.”

If Browner makes the Seahawks’ roster, they’ll deploy him in a run-stopping capacity on rushing downs and match him up against opposing tight ends in passing situations. Football Outsiders ranked the Seahawks’ pass defense a bottom-of-the-barrel 26th versus tight ends in 2015, so having the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Browner in the fold could serve the club well this year.

Continue reading about the Seahawks’ offseason…

Aside from Browner, the only notable outside veteran Seattle acquired via free agency is J’Marcus Webb, who’s slated to start at right tackle. The 335-pounder spent the first six years of his career in Chicago, Minnesota and Oakland, starting in 44 of 46 appearances at various O-line spots. In 2015 – his lone season with the Raiders – Webb saw time at guard and tackle, started each of their 16 games and took the field for all 1,056 of their offensive snaps. Despite the remarkable durability he showed last year, PFF wasn’t enamored of Webb’s performance, ranking him 48th among 77 qualifying tackles. Nevertheless, the Seahawks believe Webb is “physically perfect for” right tackle, per Carroll, and are confident their relatively modest investment in him (two years, $5.75MM and $2.45MM guaranteed) will pay dividends.

The Seahawks stayed within the organization for the remainder of their most sizable financial commitments, inking receiver Jermaine Kearse, defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin and punter Jon Ryan to mid-range deals.

At $4.5MM per annum over three years, including $6.3MM guaranteed, Kearse ended up with the richest payday of the trio and will continue playing football in his native Evergreen State. Kearse – who spent his college career at the University of Washington and then signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2012 – has increased his production in each pro season, notching personal bests in catches (49), targets (68), yards (685) and touchdowns (five) in 2015. He parlayed that into a respectable contract and will continue acting as a solid complement to Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett.

The 30-year-old Rubin received a tad less than Kearse, and, thanks to the departure of Brandon Mebane, is now the oldest D-tackle on Seattle’s roster. PFF ranked Rubin’s output just 80th among 123 qualifying D-linemen last season, though it’s worth noting that the longtime Brown played mostly run snaps and the Seahawks’ defense surrendered the fewest rushing yards in the league. Seattle clearly believes Rubin had a major hand in its 2015 success against opposing rushers – the franchise otherwise wouldn’t have kept him around on a multiyear deal worth $1.5MM more annually than he raked in last season.

With Mebane gone and Ryan back, the punter is now the Seahawks’ longest-tenured player, having joined the organization in 2008. Ryan has been mediocre to below average in yards per punt, net average, touchbacks and punts inside the 20 in recent seasons, but that didn’t stop Seattle from paying the 34-year-old like one of the league’s 10 best players at his position. From a statistical standpoint, it’s fair to wonder if Seattle would’ve been better off going in a cheaper direction.

Notable losses:

Alvin Bailey, OL
Bryce Brown, RB
Chase Coffman, TE
Derrick Coleman, FB
Demarcus Dobbs, DE
A.J. Francis, DT
Clint Gresham, LS: Released
Bruce Irvin, LB
Fred Jackson, RB
Tarvaris Jackson, QB
Lemuel Jeanpierre, C
Ricardo Lockette, WR: Retired
Marshawn Lynch, RB: Retired
Anthony McCoy, TE
Brandon Mebane, DT
Nick Moody, LB
Russell Okung, T
J.R. Sweezy, G
Will Tukuafu, FB

The Seahawks saw a handful of key contributors, including franchise icon Marshawn Lynch, depart over the winter. Lynch retired at 30, thus ending a memorable tenure in Seattle that began when the team stole him from Buffalo in 2010 for two late-round picks. Lynch made four Pro Bowls as a Seahawk and was the driving force behind their offense for most of his five-plus years there. In each of his four 16-game seasons as a Seahawk, Lynch finished with at least 280 carries, 1,200 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Lynch went out in less-than-sensational fashion last year, though, as injuries limited his effectiveness. All told, “Beast Mode” accrued career lows in games (seven), carries (111), ground yards (417) and per-rush average (3.8).

In hindsight, it’s possible Lynch’s anticlimactic swan song was a blessing in disguise for the Seahawks, who are now accustomed to life without him and may have found an excellent successor in Thomas Rawls. As a rookie last season, the undrafted free agent from Central Michigan burst on the scene with 830 rushing yards on a stellar 5.6 YPC average. While Rawls succumbed to a fractured ankle in December and is currently on the physically unable to perform list as he continues recovering from it, the Seahawks expect him back for Week 1. If he isn’t ready, Seattle has depth in the competent Christine Michael and three rookies – third-rounder C.J. Prosise, fifth-rounder Alex Collins, and seventh-rounder Zac Brooks – as Roster Resource shows.

Left tackle Russell Okung and right guard J.R. Sweezy joined Lynch out the door, though their exits came via free agency.

Okung, whom the Seahawks drafted sixth overall in 2010, was always a quality piece for the club when on the field. Unfortunately, a lack of durability was consistently a problem for Okung, who failed to register a 16-game campaign in Seattle and sat out 24 of a possible 96 regular-season contests. Thanks to his injury troubles, Seattle is used to going without Okung, but that doesn’t mean life will be easier for the team now that he’s in Denver.

Technically, Webb is replacing Okung on the roster as a starting tackle, but it’s Garry Gilliam who will man the blind side. Gilliam, a 2014 undrafted free agent from Penn State whose NFL career began on the left side, started all of Seattle’s games on the right last year. PFF gave his 2015 performance a poor assessment, grading him 63rd out of 77 qualifying tackles (Okung was 31st). It seems like an especially tall order for Gilliam to replace Okung as Wilson’s most prominent protector, but the Seahawks are “really not” concerned about it, Carroll said in March.

Unlike Okung, Sweezy was durable during his run in Seattle, where he appeared in and started 46 games from 2013-15. Fifteen of those starts came at right guard last year for Sweezy, whom PFF ranked just 66th out of 81 qualifiers. The site was bearish on his work as both as a pass and run blocker, and the Seahawks let him head to Tampa Bay for a significant raise. Seattle now appears likely to plug in first-round pick Germain Ifedi as Sweezy’s replacement, but decorated free agent Jahri Evans is visiting the team Friday and could end up manning right guard if he signs.

Even with Okung and Sweezy in their lineup for the lion’s share of last season, the Seahawks’ offensive line still had major trouble with pass blocking for a good portion of the campaign. The unit yielded the sixth-most sacks in the league (46) and ranked 30th in Football Outsiders’ adjusted sack rate metric. Those numbers are somewhat deceiving overall, however, as the group fared well during the second half of the season. Amid their 6-2 post-bye week run, the Seahawks gave up a paltry 13 sacks. But it’s up in the air whether the unit will be able to continue at such a pace without Okung and Sweezy. If not, the mobile Wilson might find himself on the run even more often than usual.

As was the case with their O-line, the front seven of the Seahawks’ defense also lost a pair of integral components. Linebacker Bruce Irvin, who recorded 22 sacks with the Seahawks from 2012-15, cashed in with the Raiders, while the aforementioned Mebane went to San Diego.

The bigger loss of the two is Irvin, who partook in 71.4 percent of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps last season and acquitted himself well on rushing downs and in coverage against the pass, all while adding an edge-rushing element (which second-year defensive end Frank Clark could help replace with a breakout season). Seattle doesn’t have an obvious strongside successor lined up for Irvin, with Mike Morgan, Eric Pinkins and Cassius Marsh competing for the No. 1 job in training camp. They could also deploy Browner there in a hybrid role, much like the NFC West rival Cardinals and Rams do with Deone Bucannon and Mark Barron, respectively. For at least the time being, nobody is going to confuse any of the Seahawks’ current options with Irvin, but they simply couldn’t afford to keep the 28-year-old.

Mebane, meanwhile, led Seahawks interior D-linemen in snaps last season (489) and teamed with Rubin to keep opposing running games at bay. PFF wasn’t particularly impressed with Mebane’s work, though, and Seattle let him go after he spent the first nine years of his career there. Rookie Jarran Reed, whom we’ll touch on later, is on track to take over for him alongside Rubin.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 31) and a 2016 third-round pick (No. 94) from the Broncos in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 26).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49) from the Bears in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 56) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 124).
Acquired a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147) from the Patriots in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 225) and a 2017 fourth-round pick.

Draft picks:

1-31: Germain Ifedi, T (Texas A&M)
2-49: Jarran Reed, DT (Alabama)
3-90: C.J. Prosise, RB (Notre Dame)
3-94: Nick Vannett, TE (Ohio State)
3-97: Rees Odhiambo, T (Boise State)
5-147: Quinton Jefferson, DT (Maryland)
5-171: Alex Collins, RB (Arkansas)
6-215: Joey Hunt, C (TCU)
7-243: Kenny Lawler, WR (California)
7-247: Zac Brooks, RB (Clemson)

Before drafting the 324-pound Ifedi 31st overall, the Seahawks moved down five spots in a deal with Denver and secured an extra third-round pick (No. 94) in the process. That trade drew praise from FiveThirtyEight’s Chase Stuart, who lauded the Seahawks for receiving 132 cents on the dollar from the Broncos. As mentioned earlier, the athletic, long-armed Ifedi will probably step in at guard in place of Sweezy. If that happens, Ifedi and Webb will form a mammoth right side as they look to open up lanes for the Seahawks’ rushers and keep Wilson upright. However, Ifedi had consistency issues at Texas A&M, so offensive line coach Tom Cable will have his work cut out for him in developing the 22-year-old into a capable NFLer. Cable, for what it’s worth, has already expressed supreme confidence in Ifedi.

The Seahawks reversed course in the second round by moving up seven places and losing a fourth-rounder in a swap with the Bears, but as Stuart wrote, fourths aren’t as valuable to Super Bowl contenders as they are to lesser teams. Plus, Seattle landed Reed, whom many regarded as a potential first-rounder entering the draft. The Seahawks expect the former Alabama standout to ably take over for Mebane and provide them with a run-stuffing force.

After picking up Ifedi and Reed, Seattle made use of three third-round choices – the second of which came as a result of its trade with Denver. The Seahawks spent all three picks on offensive players, first nabbing Prosise, a former receiver who broke out as a runner last season with Notre Dame. The 6-0, 220-pound Prosise rushed for 1,029 yards on 157 attempts (6.6 YPC) and totaled 12 touchdowns in 2015. A speedster who can break tackles (he had an impressive 40 last season), Prosise could go down as a mid-round steal for the Seahawks and form an enviable one-two punch with Rawls.

Like Prosise, tight end Nick Vannett is also behind an injured player on Seattle’s depth chart. In Vannett’s case, it’s tight end Jimmy Graham. The three-time Pro Bowler underwhelmed season (48 catches and two touchdowns in 11 games) before suffering a torn patellar tendon in November. Graham is currently on the PUP list, but the Seahawks expect him back for the regular season. Considering the severity of his injury, it’s an open question how effective Graham will be from hereon, as VICE Sports’ Rivers McCown detailed last month. Thus, if the former Saint isn’t able to bounce back this season, it could open the door to playing time for Vannett. However, the 6-6, 257-pound Vannett won’t remind anyone of the athletic Graham. He’s instead primarily a sure-handed safety valve with excellent blocking skills, the latter of which could be useful to a Seahawks team with a questionable-looking offensive line. Combining Graham’s easy-to-escape contract with Luke Willson‘s status as a free agent-to-be, it seems Vannett is a year at most from seeing consistent NFL action.

Three picks after drafting Vannett, the Seahawks added ex-Boise State O-tackle Rees Odhiambo, who will play guard in Seattle because “he really fits the formula” for the position, Schneider told Stephen Cohen of seattlepi.com in April. Ifedi and the 314-pound Odhiambo were the two strongest O-linemen Cable worked with before the draft, according to Schneider. Unlike Ifedi, Odhiambo will not start immediately.

Extensions and Restructures:

Doug Baldwin, WR: Extended through 2020. Four years, $46MM. $12MM guaranteed.

In late June (months after this year’s most expensive free agents came off the board), the Seahawks handed out their priciest contract of the offseason, inking Baldwin to a four-year, $46MM extension featuring $12MM in guarantees. The 27-year-old has been an enormous success story for the Seahawks, who signed him in 2011 as an undrafted free agent from Stanford, and will remain in Seattle as Wilson’s go-to target for the foreseeable future.

After combining for 130 receptions on 14.9 yards per catch and 12 touchdowns in 46 regular-season games during his first three years, Baldwin accumulated 144 grabs on 13.2 YPC and 17 scores in 32 straight appearances over the previous two campaigns. The 5-10, 189-pounder set career marks in 2015 in catches (78), yards (1,069) and TDs (14, which also tied for the league lead) for the playoff-bound Seahawks, with whom he has appeared in the postseason in four consecutive years. Baldwin’s 1,000-yard season last year was just the fourth by a slot receiver over the past half-decade. He’s also the only receiver since 1992 – when targets were first tracked – to amass 1,000-plus yards while hauling in at least 80 percent of the passes intended for him. As a result of his work last season, Baldwin finished in a second-place tie with A.J. Green in Football Outsiders’ wideout rankings.

Other:

Extended general manager John Schneider through 2021.
Extended head coach Pete Carroll through 2019.
Signed DE Chris Clemons, who later retired.
Signed 13 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

A few weeks after he awarded Baldwin an extension, Schneider received a new deal that’s set to keep him atop the Seahawks’ front office through 2021. The ex-Green Bay underling is now tied with the Ravens’ Ozzie Newsome as the highest-paid GM in the league ($3.75MM per year), which is a well-deserved honor. Since Schneider’s hiring in 2010, the Seahawks have collected five playoff trips, two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title. They couldn’t have done it without the players acquired under Schneider’s watch – namely Wilson, Lynch, Baldwin, Okung, Irvin, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Sherman, Thomas and Chancellor, among others.

Shortly after they locked up Schneider, the Seahawks extended one of the GM’s closest confidants, Carroll. The former national championship-winning coach at USC has transferred his excellence with the Trojans to Seattle, where he has helped the Seahawks to a 60-36 regular-season record and a terrific 8-4 playoff mark. Considering his reputation as a defensive backs guru, it’s fair to posit that Carroll’s an important reason for the dominance the Seahawks’ secondary has exhibited throughout his tenure with the club.

One player Carroll won’t coach this season is defensive end Chris Clemons, who retired last week after accepting a one-year offer from Schneider in April. Schneider actually picked up the 34-year-old twice – his first stint in Seattle lasted from 2010-13 after the GM acquired him and a fourth-rounder from Philadelphia for Darryl Tapp. Clemons went on to log 38 sacks during that four-year span, totaling at least 11 in each individual season from 2010-12. He was also a member of the Seahawks’ only Super Bowl-winning team, though they released him during the ensuing offseason. Clemons would’ve had to fight to make the Seahawks’ roster this summer, which the 12-year veteran obviously wasn’t up to.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Russell Wilson, QB: $18,542,000
Richard Sherman, CB: $14,769,000
Earl Thomas, S: $9,900,000
Jimmy Graham, TE: $9,000,000
Michael Bennett, DL: $7,000,000
Cliff Avril, DL: $6,500,000
Doug Baldwin, WR: $6,325,000
K.J. Wright, LB: $6,250,000
Kam Chancellor, S: $6,100,000
Bobby Wagner, LB: $6,068,750

Despite having to wave goodbye to some high-end contributors during the offseason, Seattle still has a championship-level core and an elite coaching staff in place. On paper, then, the Seahawks once again look capable of breaking the double-digit-win barrier and making another playoff trip. First things first, they have a tall task ahead in trying to take back the NFC West crown from the Cardinals, who coasted to a division title last season.

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: Atlanta Falcons

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2015 Falcons started off hot under new head coach Dan Quinn, posting a 5-0 record and looking like a playoff contender as late as November. But a six-game losing streak exposed the club on both offense and defense, forcing Atlanta to make changes on both sides of the ball this offseason.

Notable signings:

Alex Mack, C: Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed.
Mohamed Sanu, WR: Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via escalators.
Derrick Shelby, DE: Four years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Adrian Clayborn, DE: Two years, $8.5MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $5.5MM available via incentives.
Matt Schaub, QB: One year, $1.75MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Courtney Upshaw, LB: One year, $1.25MM. $390K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives.
Chris Chester, G: One year, $2.35MM. $250K guaranteed.
Sean Weatherspoon, LB: One year, $1.5MM. $150K guaranteed.
Philip Wheeler, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Bryce Harris, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $60K guaranteed.
Tom Compton, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
Ryan Schraeder, T: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Paul Worrilow, LB: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
LaRoy Reynolds, LB: One year, $675K.
Dwight Freeney, DE: Contract terms unknown.

Atlanta’s offensive line responded exceptionally well to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s implementation of a zone-blocking scheme, with nearly every player up front earning positive grades from Pro Football Focus. The one exception was center Michael Person, who started 14 games at the pivot after having spent most of his career at guard, so the Falcons turned to a veteran who had some prior experience in Shanahan’s system — former Browns center Alex Mack.

Mack, 30, only played in five games during Shanahan’s year as Cleveland’s play-caller, but he spent the entire summer of 2014 preparing to enter a zone-blocking scheme, and his athleticism and ability to move in the running game makes him a perfect fit for the zone approach. The Falcons made Mack the highest-paid center in the league, handing him $9MM per year after the Browns, Chargers, and Rams all expressed varying levels of interest once Mack opted out of his deal with Cleveland.

After being designated as the Browns’ transition player during the 2014 offseason, Mack played the free agent game correctly, inking an offer sheet with the Jaguars that paid him $8.5MM annually, $18MM guaranteed over the first two years of the deal, and contained that aforementioned opt-out clause. Cleveland matched that offer, and when Mack withdrew two years later, he was able to land a contract that will pay him even more per year and includes another $20MM in guarantees. Like Darrelle Revis, Mack has worked the free agent system to his benefit in order to secure every dollar he’s worth.

Chris Chester, meanwhile, will return to Atlanta after playing every offensive snap for the club last year, but he’ll be expected to compete for his starting job, with Person, rookie Wes Schweizter, and free agent addition Tom Compton serving as Chester’s main obstacles to playing time at right guard. Chester is now 33 years old and coming off January shoulder surgery, but he played so well in 2015 that he should be the favorite to handle the majority of snaps. Right tackle Ryan Schraeder, a revelation last year (PFF’s No. 5 tackle), will also return after signing his second-round restricted free agent tender, and the Falcons could look to sign him to an extension over the next few months.

While Atlanta’s pass-blocking was tremendous, the Falcons’ passing offense as a whole was not, as the club ranked 23rd in passing DVOA, with Julio Jones and his 136/1,871/8 receiving line essentially acting as a one-man passing offense. Tight end Jacob Tamme posted a nice season, racking up 59 passes for nearly 700 yards, but the rest of Atlanta’s pass-catchers — including Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, and Justin Hardy — left a lot to be desired. But instead of finding an affordable complement to play opposite Jones, the Falcons overspent in a weak free agent market, signing former Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu to a five-year deal.

Even among an uninspiring crop of free agent pass-catchers, Sanu only placed seventh among his position in PFR’s free agent rankings, but the 26-year-old will be earning more annually than every other free agent receiver except former Bengals teammate Marvin Jones. Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse will earn $6MM or less on their new contracts, and the Eagles and Lions were able to land Randle and Boldin, respectively, on one-year pacts.

Sanu, who failed top 400 yards receiving last year, somehow managed to score a better deal than Golden Tate received from the Lions during the 2014 offseason. Cincinnati didn’t trust Sanu enough to allow him to play a larger role in their offense, and he struggled when asked to step up amid a rash of injuries during the 2014 campaign. Clearly, the Falcons needed to add another complementary weapon to their offense, but Sanu is unlikely to live up to his contract.

Atlanta’s only other notable addition on offense was at quarterback, and like Mack, Matt Schaub has a history with Shanahan, having spent time with the play-caller in Houston. Schaub, of course, also has a past with the Falcons (he was a former third-round pick of the club), and though his career has fallen apart in the past few seasons, he probably won’t be asked to play much in Atlanta. Starter Matt Ryan hasn’t missed a game since 2009, having started 99 straight contests since his last missed game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons surprisingly didn’t target any high-profile pass-rushers after failing to get after opposing quarterbacks with any level of consistency in 2016. Not only did the club rank dead last in sacks with only 19 (the lowest total for any team in the league since 2009), but it also finished 32nd in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta decided to play in the middle of the market, however, inking former Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby and re-signing their own Adrian Clayborn.

Shelby, 27, is an interesting case of scouting the stat line versus watching the tape. While he’s only posted nine sacks in his career, Shelby graded out as the league’s No. 23 edge defender last season, according to PFF. It’s fair to wonder if Shelby’s increased production was partly a result of playing next to All Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and it could be concerning that Miami didn’t seriously attempt to retain Shelby, instead opting for external options such as Mario Williams, Andre Branch, and Jason Jones.

While Shelby landed a four-year contract, the Falcons were able to bring back Clayborn on a shorter pact, locking up the edge defender for two more seasons. Clayborn isn’t much of a run defender, so after seeing some time at tackle in 2015, he figures to play exclusively at end during the upcoming season, and given the makeup of Atlanta’s front seven, it’s possible Clayborn is used primarily in sub packages.

Earlier today, the Falcons finally consummated a long-rumored deal with free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney, inking the veteran after he also drew interest from the Bengals. Now 36 years old, Freeney was still productive last season, managing eight sacks for the Cardinals in only 255 defensive snaps. And though he didn’t get to the quarterback as much in the year prior, Freeney was still solid for the Chargers in 2014, forcing 40 quarterback hurries and posting nine QB hits. He’ll play as rotational end for Atlanta, and shouldn’t be asked to play more than 30 snaps per game.

Clayborn and Freeney will see competition for snaps from free agent addition Courtney Upshaw, the former Ravens second-round pick that only netted a one-year deal from the Falcons. The 26-year-old Upshaw never became the edge rushing force in Baltimore that many had projected, but he’s very solid against the run, and could conceivably be used in a variety of roles in Dan Quinn‘s defense. Upshaw will likely see snaps at both defensive end and linebacker in Atlanta, with his duty being heavily influenced by the situation.

While Upshaw could shift between multiple positions, Sean Weatherspoon and Philip Wheeler are linebackers in the most strict sense, and both could see a hefty amount of snaps next seeason. Weatherspoon returns to the Falcons after a one-year stint with the Cardinals, and given his history of injuries, Atlanta will probably try to specify his role in the defense. Given his movement and coverage skills, Weatherspoon will likely be on the field in the Falcons’ nickel defense. Wheeler, meanwhile, will have to compete with fourth-round rookie De’Vondre Campbell for playing time at outside ‘backer.

Read more about the Falcons’ offseason…

Notable losses:

While the Falcons may have lost more important players in terms of production, no defection will hit the club harder from a sentimental perspective than that of Roddy White, who was released after the season. White posted a truly great six-year run from 2007-12 during which he averaged 94 receptions for nearly 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors four times and being named an All Pro once. But those totals have slipped in the last three seasons, as White has averaged a 62/713/4 line while seeing his yards per reception drop significantly.

White has since lashed out at the Falcons after receiving his walking papers, intimating on multiple occasions that his release was due to his relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. But while the two may have had disagreements, it’s clear that a 34-year-old White wasn’t worth the $6MM+ cap charge he was due in 2016. At this point, White remains a free agent, and he’s indicated that he plans to continue his career.

Fellow wide receiver Devin Hester was also cut, though it’s hard to consider him a loss given that he missed the entire 2015 season with injury. Hester posted a few solid games during his first season with Atlanta in 2014, but for the most part is still known primarily as a return man, so much so that his return statistics appear before his receiving numbers on Pro Football Reference. Like White, Hester wants to play in 2016 (and has said this season will be his last in the NFL), and claims that as many as seven clubs have already reached out to him

None of Atlanta’s other offensive losses will make much of a dent, as none of Jake Long, Gino Gradkowski, and Tony Moeaki played more than 90 offensive snaps. That’s not the case on defense, however, as the Falcons will be without several players who had a large role last season. Atlanta’s linebacking unit, in particular, will look vastly different in 2016, as Justin Durant, O’Brien Schofield, and Nathan Stupar are all off the roster.

Durant, 30, started 12 games for the Falcons last season, playing a jack-of-all-trades role that he’s grown accustomed to during an NFL tenure that’s see him spend time with five clubs. But with Atlanta adding two young linebackers via the draft, signing Courtney Upshaw and Sean Weatherspoon, and looking to play Vic Beasley at ‘backer in base packages, there simply wasn’t a spot for Durant. He’s found a new home, though, heading back to the Cowboys to help make up for the 10-game loss of Rolando McClain.

While Durant played about 150 more snaps, Schofield was arguably the more impactful defender, as he gave the Falcons a good effort in against the run game and is still viewed as an above-average rusher. Schofield, 29, is still sitting on the open market, and Atlanta has not ruled out a reunion. Stupar, meanwhile, started three games last season but was primarily an effective special-teamer, a role he’ll now play for the division-rival Saints.

Elsewhere in the front seven, the Falcons released defensive tackle Paul Soliai and opted not to re-sign defensive end/linebacker Kroy Biermann, the latter of whom had been with the team since 2008. Biermann had several productive seasons as a run-stuffer who offered some pass-rush skills early in his Atlanta tenure, but he dealt with a major injury in 2013 and never seemed to adapt well to new defensive schemes introduced by Falcons coaches. Soliai, meanwhile, was a misguided signing from the get-go, and Atlanta will now carry $1.4MM in dead money in 2016 and $2.8MM in 2017 as a result of that mistake.

In the back end, safety William Moore was also cut after many years with Atlanta (he was a second-round pick in 2009) after dealing with injuries for much of the past two seasons. Moore, 31, missed 14 games from 2014-15, and wasn’t particularly effective when he was on the field. The Falcons absorbed $3.3MM in dead money by releasing Moore, although they did free up $3.2MM in cap space.

Soliai and Moore are just a few of the contractual mistakes that GM Thomas Dimitroff & Co. have made recently, and though the Falcons don’t have the bad financial rap that a club like the Saints does, Atlanta has not managed its cap well over the past few years. The Falcons will carry the second-largest amount o dead money in the NFL in 2016 (behind only the Saints), using cap space for departed players like Sam Baker, Jon Asamoah, White, Moore, and Soliai. Every club hands out a few bad deals, but the the Falcons are beginning to make the practice look like a trend, not a blip.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 52) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 195) from the Texans in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 50).

Draft picks:

1-17: Keanu Neal, S (Florida)
2-52: Deion Jones, LB (LSU)
3-81: Austin Hooper, TE (Stanford)
4-115: De’Vondre Campbell, LB (Minnesota)
6-195: Wes Schweitzer, OL (San Jose State)
7-238: Devin Fuller, WR (UCLA)

Keanu Neal was perhaps the most surprising pick of the first round, as the Falcons passed up defensive line options like Shaq Lawson, Robert Nkemdiche, and Vernon Butler to add a player to their secondary that many considered a second-round talent. At 6’1″, 210 pounds, Neal has the size (and speed) to become Dan Quinn‘s new version of Kam Chancellor, but simply being a physical specimen doesn’t mean Neal is a sure thing. Expect a lot of highlight reel hits to go along with some lapses in coverage.

If Atlanta’s selection of Neal didn’t make it clear that the club wanted to add speed to its defense, then the choice of linebacker Deion Jones in the second round surely did. Jones can run like the wind, as evidenced by his 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds, but as Pro Football Focus noted when handing out its draft grades, Jones can get eaten up in the run game and missed a tackle on one of every 6.5 attempts. Fourth-rounder De’Vondre Campbell is a linebacker in a similar mold, and both he and Jones will have every opportunity to earn snaps as rookies.

Tight end Austin Hooper also has a pretty clear line to playing time, as veterans Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo don’t present the most fearsome competition. Hooper is a solid blocker, and should easily overtake Toilolo as the No. 2 tight end, lining up on the line in two-tight end packages, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s Atlanta’s No. 1 option at the position by season’s end.

Other:

Parted ways with director of player personnel Lionel Vital. Hired former Chiefs assistant GM Joel Collier as director of pro personnel. Hired former GMs Phil Emery and Ruston Webster as national scouts.
Hired Cowboys DBs coach Jerome Henderson as defensive passing game coordinator.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for CB Desmond Trufant ($8.026MM).
Learned CB Jalen Collins would be suspended four games (PED policy).
Signed 22 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The Falcons had already restructured their front office in January 2015, with assistant general manager Scott Pioli taking on college and pro scouting responsibilities in addition to managing the draft, while GM Thomas Dimitroff retained final say over free agency and draft choices. No matter how the announcement was parsed, it looked like Dimitroff has lost at least some power, even though he and Pioli are longtime friends and colleagues.

This offseason, Atlanta added one of Pioli’s guys, former Chiefs assistant GM Joel Collier, as director of pro personnel. Bringing in new voices to a front office is typically a positive, but Dimitroff has to be wondering if Pioli is the next man in line for the general manager job if the 2016 season doesn’t go as planned. The Falcons also hired former GMs Phil Emery (Bears) and Ruston Webster (Titans), meaning the club now employs four former general mangers in its front office.

The loss of Jalen Collins for four games is more important than it may appear on the surface given that Colins started only two games during his rookie season, as the former LSU tiger was set to play outside corner in Atlanta’s sub packages, allowing Robert Alford to move to the slot. With Collins suspended, Alford is still likely to make the move inside in nickel packages, but 2015 seventh-rounder Akeem King will now be counted on to play a more impactful role. The Falcons clearly aren’t comfortable with that alignment, leading to their dalliances with free agent slot corners Leon Hall and Brandon Boykin.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Matt Ryan, QB: $23,750,000
Julio Jones, WR: $15,900,000
Sam Baker, T: $6,400,000 (dead money)
Andy Levitre, G: $5,375,000
Jake Matthews, T: $4,480,773
Alex Mack, C: $4,050,000
Jon Asamoah, G: $3,900,000 (dead money)
Devin Hester, WR: $3,833,334
Roddy White, WR: $3,775,000 (dead money)
Brooks Reed, DE/LB: $3,440,000

From a 30,000-foot view, it’s difficult to see how the Falcons will vastly improve on last year’s 8-8 record. Atlanta will heavily rely on the running game once again, hoping that Devonta Freeman can build upon his impressive season behind a solid offensive line while Matt Ryan continues to feed Julio Jones though the air. On defense, the Falcons are counting on a mix of young players and mediocre veterans to step up, which doesn’t figure to be a winning strategy. Overall, a .500 season still looks like the most likely outcome.

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: Oakland Raiders

August 1st, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

This wasn’t the first time in recent years the Raiders entered an offseason with plenty of money to spend. However, the franchise’s effort in convincing marquee free agents to accept its offers unfolded in exponentially better fashion, creating the Raiders’ best roster since their 2002 AFC champion effort. This one also features more key players in their prime. The Raiders haven’t possessed this kind of team – one with a core featuring players in their prime or on the way to their prime – in decades.

Expectations exist in Oakland for the first time in ages. But the team has not even produced a winning season since 2002 and only two of its seven victories in 2015 came against teams that didn’t end up possessing top-six draft picks. With Mark Davis openly pursuing Las Vegas, 2016 promises to be a complex year for the Raiders. Their rejuvenation effort is impossible to deny, though, especially when compared to so many forgettable offseasons in the recent past.

Notable signings:

Kelechi Osemele, G: Five years, $58.5MM. $25.4MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives.
Sean Smith, CB: Four years, $38MM. $15MM guaranteed.
Bruce Irvin, LB: Four years, $37MM. $14.5MM guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives.
Donald Penn, T: Two years, $11.9MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives.
Marquette King, P: Five years, $16.5MM. $5.125MM guaranteed.
Reggie Nelson, S: Two years, $8.5MM. $4MM guaranteed. $1.75MM available via incentives.
Nate Allen, S: One year, $3MM. $1.85MM guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives. Was released prior to re-signing.
Andre Holmes, WR: One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed.
Brynden Trawick, S: One year, $825K. $150K guaranteed.
Aldon Smith, DE/LB: Two years, $11.5MM. $3.5MM available annually via incentives. $1.5MM available via 2017 escalator.
Matt McGloin, QB: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Neiko Thorpe, S: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Matt McCants, T: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Daren Bates, LB: One year, $850K.
Damontre Moore, DE: One year, $675K.

Oakland saw Derek Carr throw 32 touchdown passes and Amari Cooper become the first Raider since Randy Moss in 2005 to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving barrier. Latavius Murray also became the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2010. That talent remains in place, but the Raiders did not supplement it with much defensively last season. A defense lacking much depth to supplement Khalil Mack or Charles Woodson ranked 22nd in yards allowed and 26th against the pass. Their free agency effort focused on this problem.

Mack’s All-Pro breakout season included 15 sacks, but the team featured no other edge player who recorded more than four. The hybrid linebacker/defensive end will now have Irvin complementing him as a pass-rusher. The Seahawks ended up keeping several players from their landmark 2012 class — Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner chief among them — and didn’t have room to retain their own hybrid linebacker.

Seattle’s 2012 first-round pick has experience lining up as a defensive end and linebacker for full-season stays, which should benefit him in a Ken Norton Jr.-coordinated Raiders attack that will use both 4-3 and 3-4 concepts as it did a year ago. Norton coached Irvin in Seattle, and that will benefit the fifth-year player as well.

The Raiders have now equipped Mack with several ancillary pass-rushers to take pressure off of him, a group that includes the still-suspended Aldon Smith. But Irvin will be the primary player tasked with doing so. He has 22 sacks in four seasons, with his most (eight) coming as a rookie when the Seahawks opted to line him up primarily as a defensive end. On passing downs, Irvin figures to drop down and rush quarterbacks opposite Mack. His seasoning at both end and non-rush ‘backer makes him an ideal signing since the Raiders were also thin on their second level.

Going into last season, Oakland’s cornerback corps carried several homegrown talents that have not yet shown they’re capable NFL defenders. That D.J. Hayden-fronted contingent will now vie for nickel responsibilities after Oakland solidified this position by signing not only Sean Smith but extending 2015 waiver claim David Amerson.

The former profiles as a rangy man corner, which Norton prefers. Smith served as the Chiefs’ most consistent corner from 2013-15 and played a key part in Kansas City trotting out three straight strong pass defenses. Defensive rookie of the year Marcus Peters led the NFL in passes thrown his way in 2015, with Smith being the player opposing offenses wanted to test least when facing the Chiefs. The 6-foot-3 outside stopper became the rare high-end starter to sign a third contract before turning 30, and he and 2015 surprise Amerson give the secondary a vital talent infusion. Hayden, T.J. Carrie and Neiko Thorpe functioning in the Nos. 3-5 roles at corner instead of as the team’s top trio should fit the holdovers’ skill sets better.

Woodson did not see his production tail off to the degree most 39-year-old talents’ have, and the Raiders are going to miss the future Hall of Famer. Nelson was one of the few players involved in more turnovers than Woodson last season. En route to Pro Bowl acclaim, the 32-year-old Nelson tied Peters by intercepting an NFL-high eight passes, and the former Jaguars first-rounder recovered two fumbles.

No one will confuse Nelson of matching his free safety predecessor’s instincts, especially after Woodson snared five INTs and recovered four fumbles at 39. But the Raiders needed a veteran presence on their back line since Nate Allen‘s standing within the organization plummeted after an injury-marred 2015 and a subsequent release/re-signing. Nelson’s two-year deal seems reasonable for a talented player who will be 34 at its conclusion.

It’s debatable Aldon Smith will play for the Raiders in 2016, but the team clearly felt confident he’d return to some semblance of his All-Pro form. The former first-round pick and first-team All-Pro could conceivably be a difference-making presence down the stretch for a Raiders team that’s enhanced its pass rush. Mack, Irvin, and Smith could form a NASCAR package-style look of their own in select sequences, providing Smith’s reinstatement — set for Nov. 17 at the earliest (Week 10) — unfolds smoothly. That’s no lock, as Josh Gordon and several others can attest.

The Raiders allocated most of their prime resources to defensive upgrades but made their biggest financial commitment to Osemele. With Gabe Jackson already in the fold, Oakland’s need at guard didn’t match the ones that existed on defense. But the Raiders had more than $70MM in cap space to start the offseason. This signing should make their offensive line one of the game’s best. Oakland saw four of its five linemen receive quality grades from Pro Football Focus, with J’Marcus Webb at right guard being the only outlier.

The franchise immediately signed Osemele to fix a weak spot and made the fifth-year player by far the highest-paid guard in the league. The former second-round pick is basically on his own tier as far as guards go, with his $11.7MM-per-year deal nearly $4MM clear of the second-highest-paid guard, the Eagles’ Brandon Brooks ($8MM), in terms of AAV. The Raiders’ cap situation allowed them to frontload Osemele’s contract, and his $13.2MM 2016 cap number sits north of every other offensive linemen by at least $1MM.

Osemele, 27, will return to what has been his best NFL position, left guard, relocating Jackson to the right side for the first time as a pro. The Ravens used Osemele at left tackle down the stretch last season and likely inflated his value. One of the best run-blockers in the league will help Murray attempt to replicate his quality 2015 season, but for a bit in March it wasn’t yet known which position Osemele would play.

Donald Penn‘s decision to re-sign in Oakland, where he’d played well on a below-market contract the past two years to earn a rare raise at age 33, made sure Osemele would begin his Raiders tenure as a guard. Penn increased his value after two solid years with the Raiders but didn’t end up signing for that much more than he did when he inked a two-year, $9.6MM accord in 2014. So, the Raiders will be paying for the final years of the left tackle’s career in all likelihood but had the money to retain their only notable expiring contract.

The Raiders’ O-line now consists of four veteran contracts (Penn, Osemele, Rodney Hudson, and Austin Howard), with three of those representing top-10 money at their respective positions. Oakland’s payroll now houses an incredible imbalance between homegrown draftees and outside hires. The top nine figures on the Raiders’ 2016 cap sheet are allotted payments to hired guns acquired in the past three years, with Cooper and Mack’s coming in at 10th and 11th, respectively. This became possible due to poor drafting for several years in the late 2000s and early 2010s and several UFAs leaving in that span, Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston among them.

This spring’s spending spree gave the Raiders a nucleus that will be tethered to their plans for the next few years, and while the commitment proved extensive, their starting lineup can now measure up with the Broncos’ and Chiefs’ first units as the franchise hopes to compete with its top rivals.

Click here to read more about the Raiders’ offseason..

Lorenzo Alexander, LB
Larry Asante, S
Khalif Barnes, OL
Tony Bergstrom, C
Thomas Gafford, LS
Shelby Harris, DE: Waived
Curtis Lofton, LB: Released
Benson Mayowa, DE: Declined to match Cowboys’ RFA offer sheet
Taylor Mays, S
Jeremy Ross, WR
Rod Streater, WR
Justin Tuck, DE: Retired
J’Marcus Webb, OL
Charles Woodson, S: Retired

While the offseason quickly became about what the Raiders acquired compared to what departed, the franchise did lose one of its best players ever in Woodson. The 39-year-old maintained a high level of play for longer than about anyone in league annals and stands as one of the best defensive backs in the NFL’s 97-season history. Pro Football Focus rated Woodson as its No. 28 safety last season, but he booked his ninth Pro Bowl berth 17 years after his first. The former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round Raiders draft choice in 1998 held an overmatched Oakland secondary together as the unit cycled through safeties and attempted to get by with just one dependable corner.

Tuck was set to be an unrestricted free agent after being one of the few Raider free agent success stories in many years. Although his most memorable Raiders moment may have come when he called a timeout and admonished Sio Moore and Khalil Mack for being well offsides while celebrating a late-game sack in 2014, Tuck delivered on the field when he was healthy for his second NFL employer. He registered five sacks in 2014 and played well through five games before suffering a season-ending chest injury.

Neither Lofton nor Webb turned out to produce much for the Raiders, the former being benched despite signing a three-year contract last year and the latter being the team’s worst starting lineman. One year after coming to the Raiders for $18MM, Lofton remains unsigned. The former Saint’s deal did not feature any guaranteed money coming after the first season, so the Raiders escaped relatively unscathed. Webb looks to now start for the Seahawks, who despite their success appear to have a far worse offensive line than the Raiders.

While the Raiders added Kelechi Osemele as a high-profile guard replacement, they’ll likely turn to second-year player Ben Heeney as their first choice to succeed Lofton at middle linebacker. The 2015 fifth-rounder started in three games down the stretch for the Silver and Black, who did not address the position until the sixth round of the draft. The Raiders are in need of a linebacker to join Malcolm Smith on passing downs, a role that’s become more relevant than starting middle linebacker.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 100) from the Browns in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 114) and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 154).

Draft picks:

1-14: Karl Joseph, S (West Virginia)
2-44: Jihad Ward, DE (Illinois)
3-75: Shilique Calhoun, DE (Michigan State)
4-100: Connor Cook, QB (Michigan State)
5-143: DeAndre Washington, RB (Texas Tech)
6-194: Cory James, LB (Colorado State)
7-234: Vadal Alexander, OL (LSU)

A hard-hitting safety, Joseph fills a key void for the Raiders, with the franchise not having much to build around long-term on its back line. Reggie Nelson will be 33 in September, and the 28-year-old Nate Allen no longer has long-term security after the events of this offseason. The 22-year-old Joseph did not suit up for the Mountaineers after their fourth game last season. His torn meniscus could well keep Allen in the Raiders’ starting lineup early, with the team likely not being in a rush to install Joseph as a full-time player until he’s ready.

Known more for his tackling ability, Joseph was having a career year in terms of forcing turnovers. The eventual No. 14 overall pick intercepted five passes in less than four full games for West Virginia in 2015, eclipsing his total from the previous three years combined. It’s been several years since the Raiders possessed a young safety they could build around; Tyvon Branch represented the last notable qualifier here. But the current Cardinals defender’s injury troubles sidetracked his Raiders tenure.

Joseph should be a starter alongside Nelson before long, with a healthy Allen potentially being a key charge as a third safety for a team that has questions at its nickel and dime spots. Using the formerly durable Eagles safety as a dime defender could help the Raiders the same way Branch did for the similarly cornerback-strapped Chiefs last season.

Ward and Calhoun will arrive at Raiders camp with disparate Big Ten resumes. An Illinois product whom many considered a reach in Round 2, Ward played two seasons with the Fighting Illini after transferring from a junior college. He made 104 total tackles (13 for loss) in 2014-15 despite coming into last year with knee problems. Ward could be of use for the Raiders as a run defender and, after some development from a prospect labeled as fairly raw, serve as an interior pass-rusher in 4-3 sets or reside as a five-technique end when Oakland shifts into 3-4 looks.

Calhoun, conversely, looks closer to a finished product after his Spartans career ended with 27 sacks and 44 TFLs. Calhoun won’t be asked to start, but his edge-rushing acumen — one that induced Pro Football Focus to bestow its second-best pass-rushing grade among edge defenders upon him in 2015 — could make him a weapon off the bench behind Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. Oakland will likely ask its third-rounder to serve in a similar capacity Denver deployed 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray — as a fresh rusher to spell its starters.

Oakland bypassed apparent needs at running back and inside linebacker in order to take Calhoun’s teammate, one who became the rare college talent known for his lack of captain status. Cook fell to the fourth round and now does not look to have an avenue to a starting job barring a trade. Once thought to be a potential second-round pick and a target for quarterback-needy franchises, the former Michigan State passer now could loom as trade bait similar the way Kirk Cousins was once viewed after going three rounds after Robert Griffin III in 2012. However, the Raiders appear to have upgraded their backup spot. Cook should usurp “Moxy” Matt McGloin this season once he becomes somewhat comfortable and give Oakland more insurance behind Derek Carr.

The Raiders waiting until the fifth round to take a running back showed belief in Latavius Murray, an impending free agent. They will almost certainly install Murray behind an improved offensive line in hopes the blocking enhancements will boost the run game. After catching 124 passes for 1,091 yards with the aerial-based Red Raiders, Washington could grow into a passing-down back should he prove adept at pass-blocking — an area in which many rookies struggle. But Murray, who is looking to become the first Raider to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Marcus Allen in 1984-85, appears to have avoided immediate competition as pushes the Raiders (or another team) for a lucrative deal.

Extensions and restructures:

David Amerson, CB: Extended through 2020. Four years, $38MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $4.5MM available through escalators and incentives.

Merely ten months after arriving in Oakland as a waiver claim, Amerson proved to be the team’s most consistent corner. The Raiders’ drafted talents here have not panned out, and the franchise’s decision-makers recognized that this offseason and have invested in two long-term options. Amerson’s deal also appears to be a pay-as-you-go proposition, protecting the team in case the 6-1 corner reverts to the ways that induced Washington to waive him last September.

This extension gave the former second-round Redskins pick a $1MM base salary for 2016, but more importantly a $3MM roster bonus. That essentially quadruples Amerson’s ’16 income during what would have been a contract year. But, with the deal including just $5.5MM in full guarantees, Amerson still enters this season with a chance of being cut next offseason should he regress. His 2017 salary of $6.5MM becomes guaranteed on the third day of the next league year, with a $5.5MM ’18 base structured identically a year later.

Amerson did not bet on himself in the traditional sense, eschewing a contract and joining what now looks like a talented cornerback free agent class before extensions are signed. But he’s banking on 2015 being a turning point and not an aberration. Still, the 24-year-old corner took the money early, and if he proves to be a good fit for the Raiders’ man-based scheme again this season, the Raiders will be happy to pick up those figurative option years and trigger those additional guarantees. Because they’d be getting a quality No. 2 corner in that event for less than $7MM AAV. As the cap continues to rise, that’s a favorable scenario for the team.

Other:

Were denied opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles and are now considering other cities.
Extended general manager Reggie McKenzie through 2021 draft.
Declined 2017 fifth-year option for CB D.J. Hayden ($8.026MM).
Learned LB Aldon Smith checked himself into rehab.
Signed 13 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Aside from the Raiders’ talent boost this offseason, the biggest Raiders story in 2016 thus far has been where their long-term headquarters will be.

Near the offseason’s outset, the Raiders hoped their joint effort with the Chargers for a Carson, Calif.-stationed stadium would win out, but the owners approved the Rams’ Inglewood venue instead and gave the Chargers first dibs on joining them in Los Angeles. The Raiders stand to get another crack at L.A. chance if the Bolts pass on that offer by January of 2017 and Mark Davis‘ franchise became loosely connected to San Antonio and San Diego at different times. But, another possible destination has emerged.

Could Las Vegas really be an NFL city? Sin City quickly transformed from an afterthought to a serious threat to steal the Raiders, progressing much further in its pursuit of finalizing a stadium plan than the team’s current city has. Davis has pledged to move his team to Vegas if the city approves a stadium, putting Raiders fans in a strange spot.

Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf has held firm on not using public funds to finance a long-term Bay Area home for the Raiders, who returned to Oakland in 1995, yet still play in the same stadium they used for much of their previous stay in northern California. Open since 1966, O.co Coliseum will house the Raiders again in 2016 after the team signed another one-year lease to stay there. While Oakland doesn’t have much established in terms of financial parameters of securing a Raiders venue, the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee is determining how money will be distributed for a stadium that could surpass $2 billion in total costs. The SNTIC has until Sept. 30 to send a plan to Nevada governor Brian Sandoval, with the only hangup being how much public money (largely be collected via hotel tax) will be used to finance this project.

While most owners have not come out publicly on a Vegas NFL team, influential leaders like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft have voiced support for Davis and shown flexibility on a team’s relocation into the nation’s gambling mecca. It looks closer than ever a team will move there, with Davis now having distanced himself from Los Angeles. Those talks could pick up again should either the SNTIC not complete a plan or if 24 owners don’t approve a move. But the Chargers are also mired in potentially futile stadium talks after a California Supreme Court decision stands to severely limit a November measure for a downtown stadium’s chances of passing.

Dean Spanos already agreed in principle to join Stan Kroenke and the Rams in Inglewood, so there’s still a chance the musical chairs game ends with the Raiders in Oakland beyond 2016. But Vegas has gained sufficient steam and could well put the owners to a vote. The Bay Area already having the 49ers could be seen as a boon for LV’s prospects since this would represent a foray into a new market, albeit one that isn’t among the top 40 in the country. But the Raiders could be a rare and awkward position this season of having playoff aspirations as a relocation looms. No team since the 1970 merger has moved on the heels of a playoff campaign.

Other offseason decisions did not involve as much drama. The Raiders passed on Hayden’s fifth-year option after the former No. 12 overall pick underwhelmed considerably in his first three Oakland slates. Hayden’s 2017 salary would have been top-20 cornerback money as of now, and the supplanted starter has not lived up to that status yet. He’ll play out a contract year in 2016 as a result. Hayden looks to enter training camp as the Raiders’ top nickel option, but the more versatile T.J. Carrie could usurp him there as well. A Houston product who suffered a frightening injury during Cougars practice in 2012, Hayden looks set for his final Oakland season.

The team, though, extended the GM who drafted Hayden. As the Raiders sit on the precipice of potential contention for the first time in ages, they agreed to an extension with their architect. Al Davis‘ decision-making successor remade the Raiders over the past five years, with his most noticeable upgrades coming over the past three. Drafting Khalil Mack, Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson in 2014 and adding Amari Cooper a year later, McKenzie has stockpiled better young cornerstones than the Raiders have possessed in decades. Signing the likes of Rodney Hudson, Dan Williams and Michael Crabtree paid off last year, and McKenzie’s much-publicized 2016 haul made bigger headlines.

The Raiders are now operating like a stable organization after years of mismanagement. McKenzie’s second head-coaching hire, Jack Del Rio, comes with a pedigree of lifting teams to the playoffs as a head coach and elevating defenses as a DC over the past 10+ years. A 53-year-old GM who spent 18 years with the Packers, McKenzie will now have a chance to see his operation through, no matter where the Raiders decide to play. They don’t have the wins to show for it yet, but the Raiders are in far better shape than they were prior to McKenzie’s arrival.

Smith’s unspecified trip to rehab only seems to further diminish his chances at making a notable contribution to the Raiders this season. There is no guaranteed money on his two-year deal, protecting the team in the event the talented 26-year-old pass-rusher cannot overcome these off-the-field issues. McKenzie indicated the Raiders will not bail on Smith but also noted the former University of Missouri standout has an “uphill battle” ahead of him. Smith’s only started more than eight games in a season once, in 2012, and produced 19.5 sacks that year. That’s tied for the 12th-most in any season since sacks became a stat, but his top form hasn’t surfaced in years. Smith’s teetering on what-if terrain.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Kelechi Osemele, G: $13,200,000
Bruce Irvin, LB: $12,500,000
Michael Crabtree, WR: $11,000,000
Sean Smith, CB: $11,000,000
Rodney Hudson, C: $7,700,000
Dan Williams, DT: $7,500,000
Donald Penn, T: $6,100,000
Reggie Nelson, S: $6,000,000
Austin Howard, T: $5,900,000
Amari Cooper, WR: $5,150,709

The Raiders look to have amassed enough talent to make a legitimate challenge for the playoffs in a division that, after years of mostly Broncos dominance, could be highly competitive this season. They’ll be attempting this ascent under the backdrop of what could well be an acrimonious season amid relocation drama, but the Raiders appear to be situation well on the field for a change. They have a core group of performers on the books for at least two more years. Given the statuses of their cornerstone players, the Silver and Black should be primed to contend in the near future.

However, Oakland has not proven much with this group yet on the field. Denver still should deploy one of the league’s best defenses, and Kansas City probably has the most balanced team in the division after advancing to the playoffs in two of the past three years and not losing what the Broncos did offensively. The Raiders are in position to make some noise at long last, and this season will go a ways toward determining how prescient the front office’s investments were over the past three years.

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: Detroit Lions

July 28th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions had high hopes for their 2015 campaign after reaching the postseason a year before, but an 0-5 start dashed any playoff chances the club might have had (Detroit’s only win in the first half of the year was an overtime squeaker against the Bears). The second half of the season was much more successful, as the Lions posted a 6-2 record that likely saved head coach Jim Caldwell‘s job. A new front office structure means roster changes, and although much of the coaching staff returns, Detroit looks like a different club heading into the upcoming season after a team legend surprisingly announced his retirement.

Notable signings:

Marvin Jones, WR: Five years, $40MM. $13MM guaranteed.
Haloti Ngata, DT: Two years, $12MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Tahir Whitehead, LB: Two years, $8MM. $4.75MM guaranteed.
Johnson Bademosi, S: Two years, $4.5MM. $2.9MM guaranteed.
Stefan Charles, DT: One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed.
Tavon Wilson, S: Two years, $2.2MM. $500K guaranteed.
Wallace Gilberry, DE: One year, $1.25MM. $340K guaranteed.
Rafael Bush, S: One year, $1.5MM. $250K guaranteed.
Stevan Ridley, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $250K guaranteed.
Geoff Schwartz, OL: One year, minimum salary benefit. $200K guaranteed.
Dan Orlovsky, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $160K guaranteed.
Tyrunn Walker, DL: One year, $1.6MM. $150K guaranteed. $650K available via incentives.
Don Muhlbach, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Darrin Walls, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Jeremy Kerley, WR: One year, $850K. $50K guaranteed. $300K available via incentives.
Orson Charles, TE: Two years, $1.29MM.
Tim Wright, TE: One year, $815K.
Crezdon Butler, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Andre Caldwell, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Matthew Mulligan, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Andre Roberts, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Zaviar Gooden, LB: One year, $600K.
Anquan Boldin, WR: One year, contract terms unknown.

Given that franchise icon Calvin Johnson formally announced his retirement one day prior to the beginning of the free agent period, the Lions waded into the open market with wide receiver atop their list of needs. And instead of settling for a mid-tier option like Rishard Matthews or Rueben Randle, Detroit struck early and added the top pass-catcher available, inking former Bengals receiver Marvin Jones to a five-year deal worth $40MM. In most offseasons, Jones wouldn’t have been considered the No. 1 WR on the market, but with the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery restricted by the franchise tag, Jones was the best obtainable choice.

The 26-year-old Jones never got an opportunity to be Cincinnati’s primary offensive weapon given the presence of A.J. Green, so it’s difficult to know for certain if he’ll be able to take on that role in Detroit. In his two seasons as a full-time player, Jones has averaged 58 receptions for 764 yards and seven touchdowns, and because Golden Tate is still expected to garner a ton of targets in 2016, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones only sees a slight uptick in those numbers. Clearly, other clubs around the league think highly of Jones, as the Lions had to outduel the Browns, the Patriots, and, naturally, the Bengals for his services.

Just yesterday, the Lions signed another pass-catcher, agreeing to terms with veteran receiver Anquan Boldin after meeting with him in June. Even as he ages, Boldin has continued to post solid production — he’s managed at least 65 receptions in each of the past four years, averaging nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns during that time. Besides Detroit, the Redskins and the Saints were the only clubs to express known interest in Boldin over the past several months, but he’ll act as a malleable weapon who can play outside and slot receiver in the Lions’ offense.

Detroit also made several smaller additions to its receiver corps, agreeing to deals with Jeremy Kerley, Andre Caldwell, and Andre Roberts. The trifecta are all very similar players, from their work in the slot to their returning ability, but given that Boldin spent most last year on the inside, it’s conceivable that none of the group makes the final roster, even though the Lions’ depth chart is pretty wide open behind the top three. Kerley, for what it’s worth, was the only member of the trio to receive any guaranteed money, but even he only garnered $50K.

None of the three tight ends added on minimum contracts — Matthew Mulligan, Tim Wright, and Orson Charles — figure to make an impact, or even the roster, this season, meaning the only other Lions addition at a skill position was running back Stevan Ridley, whom new general manager Bob Quinn is familiar with given the pair’s time with the Patriots. Ridley, 27, looks to be in a position to make Detroit’s roster after a knee injury limited him in each of the past two seasons. However, the Lions were set to work out free agent Arian Foster before he signed with the Dolphins last week, which indicates that the team isn’t sold on its running backs, so Ridley (and second-year pro Zach Zenner) may have to fight for their jobs during camp.

Like Ridley, offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with the Lions, and also like Ridley, Schwartz was guaranteed a hefty portion of his base salary. As a reminder, the MSB allows a club to pay a veteran player the minimum for a player with his service time, while only taking on the cap charge of a player with two years experience. So while Schwartz, for example, will earn $840K if he makes Detroit’s roster, he’ll only count for $680K ($600K base salary plus an $80K signing bonus) on the Lions’ salary cap.

That $80K bonus figure is the maximum allowable on a minimum salary benefit deal, but the contractual bargaining agreement doesn’t place restrictions on how much base salary a team can guarantee a player. Ridley and Schwartz, then, will each be guaranteed in excess of $200K even though their cap charges will remain relatively small. Of course, when compared against a $155MM salary cap, a savings of $80K or so looks like pennies, but every dollar counts. And it’s a smart strategy by Quinn & Co., because it enables the Lions to woo veteran free agents with financial guarantees without worrying about exorbitant cap hits.

Schwartz, for his part, isn’t in line for a starting position now that Detroit has drafted Taylor Decker, but he’s an extremely valuable asset who can play every spot up front except for center. His only problem over the past few seasons has been his health, as he started only 18 games in two years after signing a free agent contract with the Giants. But in a league where Joe Barksdale (for example) can score $22MM over four years, landing Schwartz for a relative pittance is a steal.

The Lions secured another bargain on the defensive side of the ball, re-signing outside linebacker Tahir Whitehead to a two-year, $8MM deal that includes less than $5MM in guarantees. Non-rush ‘backers aren’t a highly-coveted commodity, but PFR ranked Whitehead as the best free agent among his position group this offseason, and the 26-year-old graded as the No. 14 linebacker in the league in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. Whitehead, 26, could be playing a new role in 2016, as middle linebacker is now open following the release of Stephen Tulloch.

Detroit’s other additions along the front seven all came up front, as the club re-invested in its defensive line after losing Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, and others following the 2014 campaign. A year after sending a fourth-round pick to Baltimore to acquire Haloti Ngata, the Lions re-signed the veteran defensive tackle, inking him to a two-year deal. Ngata, 32, wasn’t quite as effective in 2015 as he’d been in recent seasons, and given that he missed two games with a calf injury, it’s fair to wonder if Ngata is finally slowing down. Detroit handed him a $4MM signing bonus, however, so he has a decent amount of dead money protection that could keep him from being released in the next two years.

Perhaps in an effort to guard against any fall-off on the part of Ngata, the Lions also re-upped fellow interior defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, and added free agent Stefan Charles from the Bills. The 26-year-old Walker turned down a three-year offer from the Patriots last offseason in favor of a one-year deal from Detroit, but then spent most of the season on injured reserve after suffering a broken fibula. Walker will be healthy for 2016, and along with Charles, he’ll provide depth on the interior as part of a group that includes holdovers Caraun Reid, Khyri Thornton, Gabe Wright, as well as second-round rookie A’Shawn Robinson. Ngata, therefore, should see a decrease in snaps after seeing action on roughly 57% of Detroit’s plays last year.

Along the edge, the Lions signed defensive end Wallace Gilberry, who had spent the past four years with the Bengals. Gilberry was exceptional during in 2013, posting 7.5 sacks while serving as Cincinnati’s third defensive end, but his play dropped off in later seasons when he was asked to take on a larger role. Luckily, Detroit will place him back into a rotation, but Gilberry is now 31 years old, so he can’t be counted on to produce at a high level. As such, I identified the Lions as a possible landing spot for veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, and, if the club can stomach him, controversial defensive end Greg Hardy.

Detroit figures to stage a three-man competition to replace Isa Abdul-Quddus at strong safety, with two free agent signings — Rafael Bush and Tavon Wilson — facing off against fourth-round rookie Miles Killebrew for the starting job. Though Wilson was a Quinn draft pick in New England, Bush probably has the edge in this battle, as he was very effective during his time with the Saints — when he could stay healthy. Bush has ended each of the last two seasons on injured reserve (he played in only one game in 2015), so if he can’t stay on the field, Wilson and/or Killebrew should see plenty of opportunities.

Defensive back Johnson Bademosi doesn’t figure to factor into the starting safety competition, but after inking one of the largest contracts for a special-teamer in league history ($2.9MM guaranteed), he will certainly play an important role. The Lions ranked 13th in special teams DVOA last season, and given that Quinn comes from New England, which consistently ranked in the top-five of ST DVOA, teams is likely an area where the new general manager figures he can improve on the cheap.

Continue reading about the Lions’ offseason…

Isa Abdul-Quddus, S
Joique Bell, RB: Released
Jermelle Cudjo, DT
James Ihedigbo, S
Calvin Johnson, WR: Retired
Jason Jones, DE
Travis Lewis, LB
Rashean Mathis, CB: Retired
Lance Moore, WR
Bear Pascoe, TE
Manny Ramirez, OL
Darryl Tapp, DE
Stephen Tulloch, LB: Released
C.J. Wilson, DT: Released
Josh Wilson, CB

The Lions lost several talented players this offseason, but the retirement of Calvin Johnson clearly stands above the rest. The 30-year-old’s decision to hang up his cleats seemingly came out of nowhere, and Johnson’s choice heavily affected Detroit’s free agent strategy, forcing the club to ink Marvin Jones to a hefty contract while also adding depth options like Anquan Boldin, Andre Roberts, and Jeremy Kerley.

Johnson will retire as the Lions’ all-time leader in receptions (731) receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83). Since leading the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,964 yards in 2012, he had seen his production decline a little. Still, Megatron continued to be one of the league’s more productive pass catchers in 2015, with 88 catches, 1,214 yards, and nine touchdowns, making his retirement announcement all the more unexpected.

Joique Bell, meanwhile, didn’t have the storied Lions history that did Johnson, but he was still an inspiring story, battling for a roster spot as an undrafted free agent and ultimately scoring 22 touchdowns over four seasons in the Motor City. But his age-29 season was his worst year to date, as he battled injuries and only managed 3.5 yards per carry on 90 attempts. Detroit moved on, adding Stevan Ridley to fill the power back role, but Bell has claimed he has several free agent offers on the table.

Veterans Lance Moore and Manny Ramirez played relatively meaningful snaps for the Lions last season, as Moore saw 43 targets as a slot receiver, while Ramirez saw action at both guard positions in addition center. Neither will be back with the Lions in 2016, and Ramirez won’t be playing for anyone, as he announced his retirement after initially signing with the Bears this offseason. Moore, who hasn’t been productive since 2012, could soon follow Ramirez into retirement, as he hasn’t garnered any known interest since free agency began.

Aside from Johnson, few of the Detroit’s losses on the offensive side of the ball were notable, but that’s not the case on defense. Isa Abdul-Quddus‘ defection to Miami will probably hurt the most, as the 26-year-old graded out as the No. 21 safety in the league last year (per Pro Football Focus) after taking a starting job from James Ihedigbo midseason. However, given that the Dolphins handed Quddus a three-year deal that will pay him more than $4MM per year, it’s not a surprise that the Lions declined to match the offer. Detroit is already paying fellow defensive back Glover Quin $4.7MM annually, and Abdul-Quddus could prove to be a risky investment given that he’s really only posted a half-season’s worth of production.

As noted, Ihedigbo lost his starting role last midway through last year, and there’s been no indication that he’ll reunite with the Lions at any point before the season begins (though he is confident he will find a landing spot soon). The 32-year-old Ihedigbo was excellent during the 2014 campaign, but quickly pushed for a new contract following that season, which could have rubbed Detroit management the wrong way.

Two other defensive backs — Rashean Mathis and Josh Wilson — also won’t return to Detroit next year after dealing with injuries last season. Mathis and Wilson only played in a combined 15 games last season, as the former battled concussions while the latter suffered a knee issue. Mathis, who turns 36 next month, announced his retirement earlier this year, ending a 13-year career that saw him earn 165 starts. Third-year pro Nevin Lawson, who took over at corner after Mathis went down, figures to act as the starter opposite Darius Slay in 2016.

While Mathis was able to end his career ceremoniously, the same adverb can’t be used to describe how the Lions handled veteran linebacker Stephen Tulloch over the past several months. Reports as far back as February indicated that Tulloch would be released when the new league year began in March, but Detroit took no action until early July, waiting until the 31-year-old could pass a physical so that it wouldn’t have to pay him a $1.1MM in injury protection. All told, the Lions cleared out $6MM in cap space by cutting Tulloch, who’d been with the club since 2011.

Up front, Detroit is losing three veteran defenders — Darryl Tapp, Jason Jones, and C.J. Wilson — who played more than 1,000 combined snaps in 2015. Of the trifecta, Jones’ loss is the most consequential, given that he saw the most action and was the most effective, but Tapp was also a quality run-defender last year. All three have since found new homes, as Tapp and Wilson signed with the Saints while Jones joined the Dolphins.

Trades:

Acquired LB Jon Bostic from the Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.

Jon Bostic was traded for the second time in eight months, and this time around he’ll head back to the NFC North, the division where he began his career as a second-round pick of the Bears. The easy connection here is the Patriots, as Bostic is one of several former New England players — along with Stevan Ridley, Tavon Wilson, and Matthew Mulligan — brought in by former Pats pro scouting director Bob Quinn, who is now Detroit’s general manager.

Now that longtime Lion Stephen Tulloch has been released, Detroit’s linebacking unit with have a slightly different look going forward. Former All Pro DeAndre Levy is healthy again and will man the weak side, while Tahir Whitehead is expected to move to the middle to replace Tulloch. Former second-round pick Kyle Van Noy is the favorite to take over on the strong side, leaving Josh Bynes and Bostic to compete for time as reserves.

Both Bynes and Bostic figure to make Detroit’s 53-man roster, not only because they’re cheap, but because they both offer special teams value. Bynes played over 50% of the Lions’ ST snaps last year, while Bostic has averaged about a third of special teams snaps over his career. Detroit essentially acquired Bostic for nothing, and on the outside chance that he’s forced to contribute in 2016, the Lions could reap a compensatory pick when Bostic hits the free agent market next spring.

Draft picks:

1-16: Taylor Decker, T (Ohio State)
2-46: A’Shawn Robinson, DT (Alabama)
3-95: Graham Glasgow, C (Michigan)
4-111: Miles Killebrew, S (Southern Utah)
5-151: Joe Dahl, T (Washington State)
5-169: Antwione Williams, LB (Georgia Southern)
6-191: Jake Rudock, QB (Michigan)
6-202: Anthony Zettel, DT (Penn State)
6-210: Jimmy Landes, LS (Baylor)
7-236: Dwayne Washington, RB (Washington)

Detroit was a popular landing spot for Taylor Decker in mock drafts, and the Lions got their man when draft day came. Decker appears to be the favorite to start at left tackle, which would mean incumbent blindside protector Riley Reiff is ticketed for the right side. Quietly, Detroit’s offensive line is adding talent, and will now field first-rounders at both tackle spots and left guard (Laken Tomlinson), while Larry Warford — who’s been excellent during his first three years in the league — holds down right guard.

Center, meanwhile, looked to be a question mark after the Lions selected the local Graham Glasgow in the third round, but recent reports have indicated that third-year pro Travis Swanson is still taking first-team reps this offseason. That could certainly change down the road, especially if Swanson plays as poorly as he did last year, when he ranked among the bottom-10 centers in the league, according to PFF.

Aside from Decker, the Detroit rookies with the best chances at playing time in 2016 are A’Shawn Robinson and Miles Killebrew, each of whom will vie for snaps on the defensive side of the ball. Robinson is the favorite to start on the interior next to Haloti Ngata, but will likely split time with Caraun Reid, Tyrunn Walker, and Stefan Charles, while Killebrew is a candidate to start at safety if he can beat out Rafael Bush and/or Tavon Wilson.

Other:

Hired Bob Quinn as general manager to replace Sheldon White (interim) / Martin Mayhew.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for DE Ezekiel Ansah ($12.734MM).
Exercised 2017 option for kicker Matt Prater.
Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

New general manager Bob Quinn comes to the Lions from the Patriots, with whom he had spent his entire 16-year NFL career, working his way up from scout to to become New England’s director of pro scouting, a title he’d held since 2012. It’s easy to assume that every Patriots personnel executive that lands a GM job is going to be the next Bill Belichick in terms of cap and roster management, but former New England front office members have just as spotty a track record as do ex-Pats assistant coaches.

Scott Pioli, for example, only helped lead the Chiefs to one postseason appearance during his four-year run during Kansas City, and has now joined fellow ex-Patriot Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta. Dimitroff, for his part, has posted the most success of any former New England employee, as the Falcons won nine or more games during his first five seasons with the club, but the last three years have been a struggle. Jason Licht has the Buccaneers moving in the right direction, while former Pats college scouting director Jon Robinson is entering his first season with the Titans.

All of which is to say that Quinn isn’t a lock to experience success simply because he has Patriots lineage. But one of his first (and most important) decisions will be how to handle negotiations with pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah, who is under team control through 2017 courtesy of the fifth-year option.

Viewed as a high-risk prospect coming out of BYU, “Ziggy” has reached his potential and more, posting 30 sacks during his first three years in the league, 12th-most among defensive linemen in the first three years of their careers since the merger. He’ll look to break the bank when he reaches free agency, and the only hindrance in talks might be his age. Ansah entered the league at age-24, so he’ll already be 29 when he becomes a free agent for the first time, and 30 if the Lions use the franchise tag in 2018.

Detroit’s decision to pick up its 2017 option on kicker Matt Prater didn’t change much for the veteran. He’ll receive $750K as a bonus instead of base salary this season, and his contract for next year isn’t guaranteed. As such, the Lions could easily cut bait next offseason, but they’ll have no reason to if Prater performs as well as he did in 2015. After beginning the season with a few shaky contests, Pratter settled down and ended up making 21-of-26 field goal attempts.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Matthew Stafford, QB: $22,500,000
Calvin Johnson, WR: $12,916,000 (dead money)
Riley Reiff, T: $8,070,000
DeAndre Levy, LB: $7,650,000
Glover Quin, S: $7,577,500
Stephen Tulloch, LB: $7,300,000
Golden Tate, WR: $7,101,250
Marvin Jones, WR: $6,600,000
Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $5,916,433
Brandon Pettigrew, TE: $4,650,000

With no Calvin Johnson on the roster for the first time since 2006, Detroit’s offense will change, and quarterback Matthew Stafford will likely spread the ball out a bit more as the team looks to find its footing. The Lions’ defense could prove to be the more important unit, however, as the club needs to maintain its success on that side of the ball if it has any hope of competing with the Packers and Vikings in the NFC North.

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: Chicago Bears

July 25th, 2016 at 8:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After two years of uncertainty under the management of former GM Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman, the Bears seem to be on the upswing under John Fox, Ryan Pace, and the rest of the club’s new leadership. The key area of focus for Chicago this offseason was defense, and the club made a significant investment to add talent for coordinator Vic Fangio, but a new voice on the offensive side of the ball could go a long way towards building on last year’s 6-10 record.

Notable signings:

Alshon Jeffery, WR: One year, $14.599MM. Fully guaranteed. Accepted franchise tag.
Danny Trevathan, LB: Four years, $24.5MM. $12MM guaranteed.
Bobby Massie, T: Three years, $18MM. $6.5MM guaranteed.
Jerrell Freeman, LB: Three years, $12MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Akiem Hicks, DE: Two years, $10MM. $5MM guaranteed.
Tracy Porter, CB: Three years, $12MM. $4.25MM guaranteed.
Zach Miller, TE: Two years, $5.5MM. $3MM guaranteed.
Sherrick McManis, CB: One year, $2.85MM. $750K guaranteed.
Brian Hoyer, QB: One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed.
Mitch Unrein, DL: Two years, $2.26MM. $500K guaranteed.
Ted Larsen, G: One year, $1.65MM. $350K guaranteed. $750K available via incentives.
Sam Acho, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $130K guaranteed.
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Marc Mariani, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Chris Prosinski, S: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Deonte Thompson, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Nick Becton, T: One year, $675K.
Aaron Brewer, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Rob Housler, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Tony Moeaki, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Amini Silatolu, G: One year, contract terms unknown.

The Bears’ defense actually got a little better in 2015 under new coordinator Vic Fangio, improving from 15.6% below average to 11.6% below the league norm (according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric), but the unit still needed a lot of work. Heading into last offseason, Andy Benoit of TheMMQB.com wrote that Chicago needed to replace 10 of its 11 starters on the defensive side of the ball, with cornerback Kyle Fuller representing the only option who could stay in his current role. Nearly 18 months later, general manager Ryan Pace and the rest of the front office have reached that goal, replacing every starter besides Fuller while also accruing depth.

After inking do-it-all front-seven player Pernell McPhee last offseason, the Bears this year signed a pair of linebackers who will play more conventional roles, and former Bronco Danny Trevathan may have been the least surprising addition of the spring. Trevathan, 26, played under Chicago head coach John Fox when the pair was in Denver, and Trevathan had long stated that he expected the Bears to show interest in him.

Chicago faced stiff competition for Trevathan, as both the Falcons and Titans also were intrigued by the idea of adding the former sixth-round pick to their linebacking corps. Still, Trevathan wasn’t all that expensive, as his $6.125MM annual average ranks just 12th among inside ‘backers. His market may have been somewhat stunted by his recent injury history, as a broken kneecap ended his 2014 campaign. But Trevathan stayed healthy for 15 games and 73 tackles last season, and he’ll act as a stabilizing presence in Chicago.

Joining Trevathan in the middle of the field will be fellow linebacker Jerrell Freeman, who was lured away from the Colts by a three-year, $12MM pact. Though he just hit free agency for the first time, Freeman is actually 30 years old, having spent the first three years of his professional career in the Canadian Football League. But he’s been remarkably productive during his NFL stint, and last year he graded out as the fourth-best linebacker in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, which also ranked him as the No. 1 LB against the run.

Like Trevathan, Freeman has a recent injury record, missing seven games over the past two seasons while dealing with nagging hamstring and concussion issues. But the Bears structured Freeman’s contract in such a way that they can get out of it after 2015 if Freeman’s production suffers, as Chicago would only carry $1.5MM in dead money if it made Freeman a post-June 1 cut next year. But that’s a worst-case scenario, obviously, as the club hopes that Freeman will follow in the footsteps of Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Derrick Johnson, and London Fletcher, fellow linebackers who performed well after crossing age-30.

The Bears didn’t stop adding to their front seven after signing Trevathan and Freeman, as the team also inked defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, who figures to immediately slot in at end. Hicks spent most of last year with the Patriots, but prior to that was a member of the Saints, so Pace — who started his career in the New Orleans front office — has a familiarity with the fifth-year pro. Mitch Unrein, a capable run-plugger, will rotate with rookie Jonathan Bullard at the other end spot in Chicago’s 3-4 scheme after re-upping on a two-year deal.

Cornerback Tracy Porter was also re-signed after a solid 2015 campaign that saw him earn 13 starts. Porter will turn 30 next month, and didn’t grade all that well according to PFF (No. 78 CB among 111 qualifiers), but Bears coaches were insistent that Porter was not only a steady force in the secondary, but added a veteran presence in a young defensive locker room. Still, for another $1MM per year or so, Chicago could have signed someone like Patrick Robinson or Casey Hayward, who would probably offer more upside. Elsewhere in the defensive backfield, Sherrick McManis will be back to act primarily as a special teams ace after playing the third-most ST snaps among all Bears last season.

On offense, the key storyline of the offseason was clearly the status of wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who was set to enter free agency for the first time. Jeffery, 26, dealt with injuries all season long, and ultimately missed seven games. But when he was on the field, Jeffery was tremendous, acting as a target monster and topping 80 yards receiving six times. On a yards per game basis, 2015 was the best season of Jeffery’s career.

But given his lengthy history of physical ailments, Jeffery was going to have trouble finding common ground on a long-term contract with the Bears. Jeffery likely wanted $14-15MM per year, the same average earned by A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas, but Chicago was never going to commit that much to a pass-catcher who struggles to stay on the field. The franchise tag was the only other option, and it’s probably a good deal for both sides, as the Bears can limit their long-term risk, while Jeffery can earn nearly $15MM for one year while aiming to cash out next offseason.

The Bears also acted quickly to re-sign another one of Jay Cutler‘s weapons, agreeing to terms with veteran Zach Miller a few days after free agency opened. Miller had reportedly been looking for $5MM per season on the open market, but as a 31-year-old with one productive season under his belt (until 2015, Miller hadn’t played a down since 2011!), he wasn’t going to come close to that figure. Instead, Miller inked a deal that will pay him $5.5MM over the next two years, and should step into a more consistent role on offense now that Martellus Bennett has been traded.

Miller will line up frequently next to new right tackle Bobby Massie, whom the Bears signed after a productive platform year in Arizona. Chicago’s offensive line was pretty decent last year, ranking seventh in adjusted line yards and 12th in adjusted sack rate, but the front five will have a very different look during the upcoming season. In addition to Massie, whose signing will allow Kyle Long to move back to guard, the Bears inked fellow former Cardinal Ted Larsen and former Panther Amini Silatolu to compete at left guard. Larsen has been one of the worst offensive lineman in the league during his career, and Silatolu has seen his time in the NFL derailed by injuries, meaning neither should be a serious threat to overtake rookie Cody Whitehair.

While the offensive line will be blocking for Cutler, new signee Brian Hoyer would step in if Chicago’s starter went down, giving the Bears their most respectable backup quarterback since Josh McCown. Hoyer posted the best season of his career in 2015, leading the Texans to the playoffs before suffering an embarrassing defeat to the Chiefs in the Wild Card round. Still, he was the most sought-after No. 2 QB on the open market, and the Bears had to fend off the Steelers and Cowboys by offering Hoyer $750K guaranteed.

One final note: For the second year in a row, Pace and his staff made use of the minimum salary benefit, bringing in veterans at a low cost and letting them compete for jobs. I praised the strategy last season, and the Bears unearthed several contributors, including Porter, Miller, and linebacker Sam Acho, without having to shell out big bucks. The club has taken the same approach this season, re-signing Acho while adding or keeping players such as Tony Moeaki, Rob Housler, and Chris Prosinski on the cheap. Not every one of these veterans is going to hit, but they don’t have to — employing the minimum salary benefit enables a team to throw things against the wall and see what sticks, and Chicago has mastered this concept over the past two offseasons.

Continue reading about the Bears’ offseason…

Notable losses:

The Bears have a lengthy history of legendary running backs, as Walter Payton and Gale Sayers are among the most notable backs in the history of the NFL. But Matt Forte will be added to that list, as he ranks second in Chicago history in both rushing yards and receptions after finishing eight years with the club. Since his rookie season in 2008, Forte leads the league in yards from scrimmage, racking up 12,718 yards during that time. The former second-round pick was the perfect back for the modern NFL, as Forte also ranks first in receptions (487) since ’08. In 2014, his age-29 season, Forte finished fourth in receptions…not among running backs, but in the entire league, trailing only Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones.

But for a club that’s in the middle of a semi-rebuild like the Bears, it simply doesn’t make financial sense to retain a running back who’s already over 30 years old. Chicago told Forte prior to the free agent period that it wouldn’t be re-signing him, and clubs like the Packers and Dolphins expressed early interest. Forte ultimately landed with the Jets, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $12MM — not an exorbitant total, but not a figure that the Bears should have matched.

Chicago’s other offensive losses were all up front, including interior option Matt Slauson, who, while he doesn’t have the name recognition of Forte, was quite critical to the Bears’ offense in both 2013 and 2015 (Slauson missed all but five contests in 2014 due to injury). Only 30 years old, Slauson was due $3.4MM during the upcoming season, and Chicago surprisingly didn’t even give him a chance to accept a pay cut. Versatile enough to handle every position on the interior offensive line, Slauson graded as the league’s fifth-best center in 2015 (per PFF), and that’s the spot he’ll handle in San Diego. The wiser move, from my vantage point, would have been to retain Slauson and let him start at center over Hroniss Grasu, who struggled in his rookie campaign.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod had lined up next to Slauson for the past several seasons, but after suffering a concussion and ceding his starting job to Charles Leno, Bushrod’s time in Chicago was clearly nearing its end. The Bears took on $4.4MM in dead money by releasing Bushrod, but it was the right move, as the veteran was never a top-level performer for the club. Journeyman center/guard options Vlad Ducasse (who actually started 11 games last season) and Will Montgomery also won’t return.

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Bears didn’t make a serious effort to re-sign former first-round pick Shea McClellin, who had bounced all around the front seven but failed to make an impact at any position. Chicago had already declined his fifth-year option, so he hit the open market and landed a nice deal with the Patriots. If McClellin is able to carve out a role in New England, it could be a bad look for Chicago’s coaching staff.

In the secondary, Alan Ball was signed to add a veteran presence to a young defensive backfield, but he only ended up playing about a quarter of Chicago’s snaps as his starting role was usurped by Tracy Porter. Now 31 years old, Ball’s time in the league could be coming to an end. Likewise, safety Ryan Mundy might not have much left, as although he started all 16 games in 2014, he missed all of last season with a hip injury, a devastating ailment for an athlete, and especially a back-end defender.

Along with McClellin, end Jarvis Jenkins was the only other Bears defensive loss who actually played a meaningful role last season, and like McClellin, Jenkins was similarly ineffective, ranking among the bottom-20 interior defenders in the NFL, according to PFF. Jenkins is probably more suited to a situational pass-rushing role, which is the part he’ll play with the Jets. On a macro level, it speaks to the level of Chicago’s revamp that none of their defensive defections will hurt.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 127) from the Patriots in exchange for TE Martellus Bennett and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 204).
Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 9) from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 11) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117), and a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Bills in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 41).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 56) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 124) from the Seahawks in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49).
Acquired a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113) from the Rams in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 206).

The 2014 campaign was, without question, the best season of Martellus Bennett‘s career, as the veteran tight end hauled in 90 passes for 916 yards while scoring six touchdowns, earning a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for the first time. But trade rumors began floating around Bennett as early as April 2015, as the Bears were reportedly not willing to entertain Bennett’s request for a new deal.

Bennett continued to express displeasure with both his contract status and his role in Chicago’s offense throughout the 2015 season, and his disdain for his standing with the club became so public that Bennett’s agent was forced to publicly deny that any rift existed. However, after a season which saw Bennett land on injured reserve, it appeared that his time in the Windy City would soon come to an end, and it did, as he was shipped to the Patriots after the division rival Packers reportedly showed interest in signing Bennett were he to be released.

The Bears moved up roughly 80 spots in the draft by trading Bennett to New England, and they also acquired a good deal of draft capital through various deals made during the event itself. General manager Ryan Pace did very well for himself by pick-pocketing both the Bills and the Seahawks, picking up 167 cents on the dollar from Buffalo and 132 cents on the dollar from Seattle, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective. Meanwhile, Chicago gave up a much smaller haul (117 cents on the dollar, per Stuart) to swap first-rounders with the Buccaneers, leaping the Giants who were also though to be targeting edge rusher Leonard Floyd.

Draft picks:

1-9: Leonard Floyd, OLB (Georgia)
2-56: Cody Whitehair, G (Kansas State)
3-72: Jonathan Bullard, DE (Florida)
4-113: Nick Kwiatkoski, LB (West Virginia)
4-124: Deon Bush, DB (Miami)
4-127: Deiondre’ Hall, DB (Northern Iowa)
5-150: Jordan Howard, RB (Indiana)
6-185: DeAndre Houston-Carson, S (William & Mary)
7-230: Daniel Braverman, WR (Western Michigan)

By most accounts, the Bears wrangled one of the best draft classes of any club this year, as both Pro Football Focus and Mel Kiper of ESPN.com handed Chicago an “A-” grade for its efforts. First-rounder Leonard Floyd is the riskiest pick of the bunch, as the 6’6″ edge rusher needs to add weight and could be limited to sub packages during his rookie year. But he’s an excellent athlete, having graded as the second off-ball linebacker in SPARQ score, and the fact that he won’t be asked to do too much during his rookie season might actually Floyd, as he’ll play behind McPhee, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston for the time being.

Cody Whitehair, on the other hand, figures to start immediately, as his only competition at left guard is Ted Larsen and Amini Silatolu, a pair that has — more often than not — been either been ineffective or hurt. Offensive line expert Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Whitehair’s work ethic during the pre-draft process, and noted he is “almost always in complete control of his body thanks to outstanding core strength and balance.” While noting that he could be susceptible to the bull rush, Zierlein named Whitehair a potential All Pro, and comped him to Cowboys guard Zack Martin.

In the third round, Chicago found a steal, selecting Florida end Jonathan Bullard, whom many analysts had projected to go in the first round. At 6’3″, 285 pounds, Bullard has the size to play end in Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 scheme, and he can help out on early downs given that he posted the best collegiate grade against the run last season, per PFF. Bullard will rotate with Mitch Unrein, Will Sutton, and others as he gets his footing, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earns more playing time as the season goes along.

While Deiondre’ Hall and DeAndre Houston-Carson will likely be relegated to special teams role during their rookie campaigns, defensive back Deon Bush is a strong candidate to start in 2016. The Bears released veteran Antrel Rolle earlier this year, opening up a spot at strong safety next to Adrian Amos. Bush’s main competition is Chris Prosinski, a career special teamer who is only guaranteed $80K this year.

A few later round picks, running back Jordan Howard and receiver Daniel Braverman, could see time on offense during the upcoming season. The Bears are expected to use a committee to replace Matt Forte, with Howard joining Jeremy Langford, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Ka’Deem Carey in an effort to rush the ball. Braverman, meanwhile, was a favorite of several draftiks, but he won’t get on the field unless Eddie Royal gets hurt, as both are strictly slot receivers. Royal missed seven games last season, however, so the opportunity could be there for Braverman.

Other:

Promoted Dowell Loggains to offensive coordinator replace Adam Gase.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for OL Kyle Long ($8.821MM).
Signed TE Josh Hill to a three-year, $7.1MM RFA offer sheet, which the Saints matched.
Claimed QB Connor Shaw off waivers.
Learned WR Marquess Wilson could begin the season on the PUP list after breaking his foot.
Signed, and then released, S Omar Bolden. Bears will carry $80K in dead money.
Learned OL Nate Chandler would retire after signing a one-year, $675K contract.
Learned OL Manny Ramirez would retire after signing a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract.
Signed eight undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Adam Gase followed John Fox from Denver to Chicago after missing out on several head coaching opportunities, and helped rehabilitate the career of quarterback Jay Cutler. Now that Gase has moved onto Miami, Cutler has hand-picked the successor at offensive coordinator, as former QBs coach Dowell Loggains was promoted. Loggains does have previous play-calling experience with the Titans in 2012-13, and helped a Tennessee offense rank 16th in offensive DVOA with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jake Locker under center (no small accomplishment). The Bears’ defense figures to improve in 2016, but the club’s offense needs to maintain its top-10 DVOA rating if it wants to seriously compete.

A key part of that offense will be offensive lineman Kyle Long, who figures to stay at right guard now that Chicago has signed tackle Bobby Massie. Long has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons, and although the rest of the Bears’ interior line could see some reshuffling this season, Long will stabilize the front five at right guard. Using Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric, Long has been the second-most valuable member of the entire 2013 draft class, so Chicago’s decision to pick up his 2017 fifth-year option was an easy call. Extensions talks should begin soon, and Long could easily reset the market at right guard, which is currently topped by Brandon Brooks‘ $8MM per year.

The Bears added or re-signed quite a few tight ends this offseason after trading away Martellus Bennett, signing Zach Miller, Tony Moeaki, and Rob Housler, but the team also tried to bring in Saints restricted free agent Josh Hill. New Orleans had already inked free agent tight end Coby Fleener to a large contract, and given the Saints’ constant cap trouble, it seemed inconceivable that the club would be able to match any offer sheet. But they did, and because the specific structure of Chicago’s offer isn’t known, it’s fair to wonder if the Bears could have manipulated the deal in such a way to make it impossible for the Saints to counter.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Jay Cutler, QB: $17,000,000
Alshon Jeffery, WR: $15,599,000
Pernell McPhee, LB: $7,675,000
Lamarr Houston, LB: $6,990,000
Danny Trevathan, LB: $6,350,000
Bobby Massie, T: $5,818,750
Eddie Royal, WR: $4,500,000
Akiem Hicks, DE: $4,500,000
Jermon Bushrod, OL: $4,400,000 (dead money)
Robbie Gould, K: $4,100,000

Aaron Schatz of ESPN.com recently posted Football Outsiders’ initial forecasts for the 2016 season, and the Bears are projected to finish last in the NFC North with seven wins. Chicago is certainly in a tough division, as both the Vikings and Packers should be considered favorites to return to the postseason once again. But I’d take the over on seven wins for the Bears, as the club’s defense has improved so much that that it shouldn’t struggle to reach a .500 record.

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: San Diego Chargers

July 21st, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers bottomed out in 2015, posting their worst record since 2003 and securing their first top-five draft pick since the club selected Philip Rivers. But with that top draft choice, and a lot of money coming off the books, San Diego had a chance to remake its roster this offseason while also attempting to deal with relocation concerns.

Notable signings:

Travis Benjamin, WR: Four years, $24MM. $13MM guaranteed.
Joe Barksdale, T: Four years, $22.2MM. $10.5MM guaranteed.
Casey Hayward, CB: Three years, $15.3MM. $6.8MM guaranteed.
Antonio Gates, TE: Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Brandon Mebane, DT: Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed.
Dwight Lowery, S: Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
Matt Slauson, OL: One year, $3MM. $600K guaranteed.
Chris Hairston, OL: Two years, $2.9MM. $550K guaranteed.
Kellen Clemens, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Jeff Cumberland, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Jahleel Addae, S: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Damion Square, DL: One year, $725K.

The Chargers’ offensive line in 2015 was, in a word, messy. Injuries sapped any potential the unit might have exhibited prior to the season, leaving tackle Joe Barksdale as the only starter who appeared in all 16 games. King Dunlap, Orlando Franklin, Chris Watt, and D.J. Fluker — a group that earned more than $21MM in cash in 2015 — missed a combined 30 games, leaving subpar options such Trevor Robinson, Kenny Wiggins, and Chris Hairston to fill in. In fact, nine San Diego offensive linemen played more than 100 snaps, and the club fielded 24 different line combinations, fourth-most in the NFL (latter stat courtesy of Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com).

And while the Chargers’ front office is banking on improved health to ameliorate an offensive line that ranked 31st in adjusted line yards, the club didn’t simply rest of its laurels. San Diego’s first move was to re-sign Barksdale, locking up its right tackle through the 2019 season. Barksdale, 28, is a fine player — he ranked as the No. 21 tackle in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and graded among the top-50 at his position in 2014.

But Barksdale sat on the 2015 open market until the end of May before agreeing to a one-year, minimum salary pact with the Chargers. His new contract, on the other hand, makes Barksdale the eighth-highest paid right tackle in terms of annual value, and his $10.5MM in guarantees is fourth-largest among non-rookie contracts at his position. Perhaps San Diego feels some sort of debt towards Barksdale after he was the only part of its offensive line that didn’t end up in tatters last season. But the Chargers re-signed Barksdale before he reached free agency this spring, meaning the club didn’t let him test his market. Handing a right tackle who struggled to find a job a year prior a contract of this magnitude seems like a misstep and an overpay.

San Diego also re-signed swing tackle Hairston to a two-year deal (and are surely hoping he isn’t required to play as much as he did last year), and then inked veteran Matt Slauson after he was released by the Bears. The 30-year-old Slauson spent his entire career at guard until injuries in Chicago forced him to move to the pivot in 2015. He was effective at both spots, and his release came as a surprise, but the Chargers now have a solid veteran in the middle of their offensive line at an affordable price. San Diego drafted center Max Tuerk in third round of this year’s draft, but Slauson is fully expected to start in the middle.

Aside from the offensive line, the other area targeted by the Chargers during the free agent period was the secondary, which makes sense given that the club ranked 19th in opposing passer rating, 18th in passing yards allowed, and 21st in passing defense DVOA. While Jason Verrett remains one of the best corners in the NFL, veteran Brandon Flowers struggled with conditioning and admittedly grew complacent after landing a large deal last spring. Flowers was moved inside last season, but he’ll move back out after San Diego agreed to terms with slot cornerback Casey Hayward.

Hayward is proof that either NFL teams are especially wary of injury history, or that clubs still aren’t paying for slot corners despite the propagation of three wide receiver sets. While secondary options such as Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Sean Smith all signed for at least $9.5MM annually, Hayward will average only $5.1MM per season with the Chargers despite grading out as the 16th-best corner in the league per PFF.

Admittedly, Hayward’s health concerns may have lowered his price tag, as a hamstring injury wiped out most of his 2013 campaign. But he’s been on the field for every game during the past two seasons, and even began to play on the outside in 2015. It’s conceivable that Hayward will start opposite Verrett in San Diego’s base package before moving inside in the nickel, but either way, the Chargers scored a free agent steal with the 26-year-old.

Elsewhere in the defensive backfield, San Diego brought in veteran safety Dwight Lowery, inking the 30-year-old to a three-year pact. Lowery has bounced around the league since joining the Jets as a fourth-round pick in 2008, spending time with the Jaguars, Falcons, and most recently, the Colts. He’s been up-and-down throughout his career, and is probably a replacement-level safety at this point, but Lowery will help solidify a secondary that is now without franchise mainstay Eric Weddle.

Speaking of organizational icons, the Chargers agreed to a two-year deal to retain tight end Antonio Gates, who is entering his 14th season with the team. Gates, who turned 36 years old last month, is a surefire future Hall of Famer, as only Tony Gonzalez posted more approximate value among tight ends. And while Gates has no speed left which to speak of, he can still play, as evidenced by his 56 receptions and five touchdowns in only 11 games last season.

But San Diego re-signed Gates at the expense of fellow tight Ladarius Green, who is not only a full decade younger than Gates, but proved he could post similar results during the first four games of the year when Gates was suspended. Additionally, Green actually signed for cheaper than Gates in terms of annual value and guarantees. Yes, Green’s total contract is worth more, but he’ll earn less over the next two seasons than Gates, and will likely produce more, as well.

Jeff Cumberland, meanwhile, is likely wishing he would’ve waited until after the draft before signing with a new club, as his role as the Chargers’ second tight end role has been usurped by second-round draft pick Hunter Henry. Bolts tight end coach John McNulty said last month that Cumberland is “still carving out” his role, which figures to entail a lot of special teams work, given that Henry is an excellent blocker and doesn’t figure to come off the field much, especially since San Diego uses a lot of two tight end sets.

Aside from the two tight ends, the Chargers’ only other notable skill position signing was that of former Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who also drew interest from the Texans and Chiefs before agreeing to a four-year deal. Benjamin, 26, ranks 15th in yards per reception among receivers with at least 100 catches since 2012 (the year Benjamin was drafted), so he’ll be an eerily similar replacement for Malcom Floyd, who regularly averaged more than 17 yards per reception.

Still, it’s fair to wonder how productive Benajmin will be in San Diego given that offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has returned to town, bringing his quick-passing offense with him. During Whisenhunt’s previous stint as OC (2013), Floyd missed almost the entire season with injury, so it’s difficult to visualize how a deep threat will be used in Whisenhunt’s scheme. In a system that relies on getting the ball out swiftly in order to alleviate any offensive line concerns, and focuses more on receptions from running backs, tight ends, and possession receivers like Keenan Allen, Benjamin might struggle to live up to his contract.

Finally, the Chargers added a stout presence to the interior of a defensive line that struggled against the run last season (31st in rushing defense DVOA, 27th in rushing yards allowed), luring defensive tackle Brandon Mebane away from the Seahawks with a three-year contract. Like Barksdale on the offensive side of the ball, Mebane is a fine defender, but this deal strikes as an overpay.

Mebane, 31, won’t be doing much more than acting as a run-stuffer in San Diego, and younger players with better skillsets got paid less on the open market this spring. Jaye Howard scored a very similar contract with the Chiefs, but he’s four years younger than Mebane and a superior defender. Ian Williams is only 26, and while injury concerns killed his market, the Chargers could’ve taken a risk on someone like the 49ers defensive tackle. Former Lions/Titans defender Sammie Lee Hill offers similar production to Mebane, and he’s still sitting on the free agent market, meaning he’ll likely have to settle for a minimum salary deal. San Diego had other ways to spend this money — and address their defensive line — making the Mebane contract ill-advised.

Continue reading about the Chargers’ offseason…

Donald Brown, RB: Released
Donald Butler, LB: Released
Kavell Conner, LB: Released
Malcom Floyd, WR: Retired
Ladarius Green, TE
David Johnson, FB
Cordarro Law, DL
Jeff Linkenbach, OL
Joe Mays, LB
Ricardo Mathews, DL
John Phillips, TE
Kendall Reyes, DL
Patrick Robinson, CB
Brandian Ross, CB
Mike Scifres, P: Released
Johnnie Troutman, G
J.D. Walton, C
Eric Weddle, S

While he’s at the bottom of the list alphabetically, Eric Weddle is atop the Chargers’ notable losses in terms of organizational impact. Since being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft, Weddle started 122 games for San Diego, earning first-team All Pro honors twice. And while he’s still an above-average safety, Weddle was looking for a hefty contract in free agency, and got one, landing a four-year, $26MM deal with the Ravens. Guaranteeing a 31-year-old defensive back $13MM probably isn’t the best idea for a club that it’s the midst of a semi-rebuild, and given all the acrimony that occurred between Weddle and the Chargers last season, there was no chance he’d return to the Bolts.

The San Diego front office told Weddle that his contract would not be extended prior to the season, but things grew more tense later in the year, when the Chargers fined Weddle $10K for remaining on the field during halftime of a game to watch his daughter perform in a dance ceremony. Weddle and agent David Canter initially declined to go public about the fine, but the agent opened up after the Chargers placed the safety on IR in Week 17, a move that was made against his wishes. Per Canter, the team also informed Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver.

No such rancor existed between Malcom Floyd and the franchise, as the veteran receiver left the Chargers of his own accord after 11 seasons with the club. Floyd, 34, announced prior to the 2015 campaign that he would retire following the season, and a torn labrum and a concussion likely didn’t make him lean toward staying. Certainly a success story, Floyd entered the league as an undrafted free agent, and bounced off and on San Diego’s roster for several seasons before sticking, earning a role as a big-play threat and producing solid numbers as recently as 2014, when he recorded 52 receptions for 856 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.

Another offensive playmaker, tight end Ladarius Green, also left the squad, inking a four-year deal to join the Steelers as a free agent. We touched on this above when discussing Antonio Gates, but it’s worth reiterating: even though Gates is a franchise legend, the smart move would have been to retain Green instead. Green is younger and cheaper, and when paired with rookie Hunter Henry could have formed a lethal combination for years to come. Sentimentality leans in the direction of Gates, but pragmatism says Green was the right choice.

Donald Brown has never lived up to his first-round draft status (unless one counts internet memes on a résumé), but he still has a role in the league as a special teams player and an occasional third-down back. That skill-set isn’t worth $3.5MM, however, and that’s the total the Chargers were able to clear off their cap by releasing Brown earlier this year. With Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead, and Branden Oliver on the roster, there simply wasn’t a spot on the club for Brown or his salary.

The remainder of San Diego’s offensive losses were bit players, but tight end John Phillips did play on 550 snaps last season. More than half that number came on special teams, however, and his role as an inline blocking tight end has been stolen by Henry and/or Jeff Cumberland. The same goes for hybrid tight end/fullback David Johnson, who will join Green in Pittsburgh. Offensive guard Johnnie Troutman, meanwhile, started 24 games from 2013-14, but spent all last year on injured reserve after breaking his arm, and wasn’t tendered as a restricted free agent after the season.

While Weddle and Floyd generated the most headlines by their absence, it was punter Mike Scifres who actually had the longest tenure with the Chargers, having been with the club since 2003. The writing was on the wall when San Diego selected Drew Kaser in the sixth round, as a punter doesn’t get drafted unless he’s going to start. The Bolts saved roughly $3.5MM by releasing Scifres, which made it a no-brainer move, and the veteran specialist found a new job about a month later, signing with the NFC Champion Panthers.

On defense, cornerback Patrick Robinson is gone after delivering an excellent return on a one-year, ~$3MM deal after having somewhat flamed out as a former first-round pick of the Saints. Robinson experienced a breakout during his age-28 season, grading out among the top-30 cornerbacks in the league, according to PFF. Still, the Chargers were right to let him leave for the Colts, with whom he signed a three-year, $14MM pact, because San Diego replaced him with an even better defensive back in Casey Hayward.

Back in 2014, Donald Butler signed a seven-year contract extension with the Chargers, but that deal could essentially be split into two halves. If San Diego had retained the veteran linebacker for the 2016 season, the club would have been on the hook for a $12MM option bonus due to be paid in 2017. So, after selecting Denzel Perryman in 2015 and Joshua Perry in this year’s draft, San Diego cut ties with Butler, who was coming off the worst season of his career. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has accused Butler of “losing interest” after receiving his massive payday, and other clubs might share that assessment given that Butler is still on the open market.

Along the front, San Diego chose not to re-sign defensive lineman Kendall Reyes and Ricardo Mathews, both of whom appeared in all 16 games for the club last season (Reyes started 15 games). With Joey Bosa now in tow, there wasn’t going to be a role for either veteran, and the pair didn’t exactly solidify their presence on the roster with their play last season, as both Reyes and Mathews ranked among the four-worst interior defenders in the NFL in 2015, according to PFF.

Draft picks:

1-3: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB (Ohio State)
2-35: Hunter Henry, TE (Arkansas)
3-66: Max Tuerk, C (USC)
4-102: Joshua Perry, LB (Ohio State)
5-175: Jatavis Brown, LB (Akron)
6-179: Drew Kaser, P (Texas A&M)
6-198: Derek Watt, FB (Wisconsin)
7-224: Donavon Clark, OL (Michigan State)

No one saw the Chargers selection of Ohio State edge rusher Joey Bosa coming, as most observers believed San Diego would target defensive back Jalen Ramsey, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, or one of the top available offensive lineman. Much of that blindness may have been due to the fact that Bosa doesn’t look like a classic 3-4 defensive end, but at 6’5″, 270 pounds, he fits the mold of today’s edge rusher.

Defensive coordinator John Pagano is likely to use Bosa in a number of ways, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com argued for as much earlier this year, writing that the Chargers should attempt to rush Bosa from a stand-up position. But it looks like Bosa is going to play a standard five-technique role, but instead of monitoring two gaps, he’ll instead be asked to serve as a one-gap penetrator. Jonathan Stephanson of ElevenWarriors.com posted an excellent analysis of Bosa’s fit in the Bolts’ 3-4 scheme earlier this year.

Of course, Bosa won’t be providing any production for San Diego until he gets on the field, which isn’t going to happen until he signs his rookie contract. Bosa is one of only three 2016 picks (all first-rounders) who have yet to sign on the dotted line, and it’s unclear where things stand between Bosa and Chargers management. San Diego wants Bosa to agree to include offset language in his pact, while Bosa and his camp wants to improve his overall cash flow.

We touched on Hunter Henry‘s role a bit earlier, and every indication is that he’ll take over the Ladarius Green role in 2016. Depending on the speed of his development, there’s no reason he can’t become a nearly every-down player during his rookie season before taking over for Antonio Gates in the long term. Max Tuerk, however, is looking at a bench role during the upcoming season, but he could be asked to play on the inside — possibly at guard in addition to center — if injuries strike.

Joshua Perry was a favorite of the Pro Football Focus crowd, which noted that he the OSU product only missed nine tackles over the past two years — he and fellow linebacker Jatavis Brown will compete for backup roles, but will see most of their time on special teams. The selection of Drew Kaser meant veteran Mike Scifres was released, while Derek Watt will be asked to help rejuvenate the career of his old college teammate, running back Melvin Gordon.

Extensions and Restructures:

Keenan Allen, WR: Extended through 2020. Four years, $45MM. $20.656MM guaranteed. $4MM available via escalators
King Dunlap, T: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.2MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $4.5MM to a guaranteed $3.3MM. Can earn $1.2MM through playtime incentives.

Given that Keenan Allen, Doug Baldwin, and Allen Hurns all signed recent extensions with their respective clubs, it’s fair to compare the trio and examine which player received the most favorable contact, especially given that they’ve all posted similar statistics over the past few seasons. Of the three, Baldwin received the largest annual value ($11.5MM to Allen’s $11.25MM), but Allen garnered the most guaranteed money, securing $20.656MM. Hurns lags behind in both categories, but that’s to be expected given that he was under contract for both 2016 and 2017 (via restricted free agency).

So, yes, Allen probably came out on top among this group, but that’s not to say the Chargers didn’t win this negotiation, as Allen also offers the highest-upside of the three. In 2015, Allen posted 67 receptions for 725 yards and four touchdowns….in only eight games. Allen had an outside shot of topping the single-season record for catches (143 by Marvin Harrison in 2002) before he lacerated his kidney in November. Given the serious nature of that injury, it’s not surprising that Allen chose to take financial security now rather than testing free agency, and Allen’s agent, appearing on a recent episode of Andrew Brandt’s Business of Sports podcast, said that he preferred to get Allen locked up before any other receiver contracts lowered his potential salary floor.

But Allen will be able to hit free agency again with an excellent chance of cashing out a second time, because he’s incredibly young. Born in April 1992, Allen was the sixth-youngest player in the entire 2013 draft. He’s younger than Hurns, who entered the league a year later. And he’s only four months older than Josh Doctson, who was drafted this year. Allen will be entering his age-28 season the next time he reaches the open market, and could easily score another large deal.

Other:

Have the option of relocating to Los Angeles, with a deadline of January 2017.
Extended head coach Mike McCoy through 2017.
Hired Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator to replace Frank Reich.
Hired former Jaguars DC Bob Babich as linebackers coach.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for G D.J. Fluker ($8.821MM).
Claimed QB Zach Mettenberger off waivers.
Signed 20 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The Chargers won’t immediately follow the Rams to Los Angeles in 2016, but they do have they the chance to do in the next six months or so, as they have until next January to make a decision. If the club does decide to stay in San Diego, it will receive $100MM that will go towards building a new stadium. A stadium effort will listed on a November ballot, but it’s not expected to be approved, and Los Angeles still looks like the most likely landing spot for the Bolts, although Las Vegas is thought to be another option.

On the field, the Chargers prevented head coach Mike McCoy from entering a lame-duck season by inking him to a one-year extension (after deciding to not fire him), and also brought back Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator, placing him back in the post he held for the 2013 season. San Diego ranked second in offensive DVOA the season, as quarterback Philip Rivers experienced an excellent season under Whisenhunt’s coaching. Whisenhunt wasn’t the only import from Tennessee, however, as San Diego also claimed former Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger off waivers, perhaps in the hope that he can become a high-quality backup with Whisenhunt’s help.

The Chargers picked up D.J. Fluker‘s fifth-year option for 2017, and in doing so, handed him a higher salary than any right guard currently on the books. Of course, Fluker’s base salary for next season isn’t fully guaranteed, and he can be released if he doesn’t suffer a major injury between now and next spring. But the club may have backed itself into a corner, as Fluker’s agent is going to start any extension negotiations with an $8MM+ asking price.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Philip Rivers, QB: $21,000,000
Corey Liuget, DL: $10,000,000
Brandon Flowers, CB: $9,750,000
Melvin Ingram, LB: $7,751,000
Orlando Franklin, G: $7,200,000
Donald Butler, LB: $6,690,000 (dead money)
Antonio Gates, TE: $5,500,000
King Dunlap, T: $5,143,750
Casey Hayward, CB: $5,133,333
Joe Barksdale, T: $4,550,000

The AFC West looks to be one of the more interesting divisions in the NFL. The Super Bowl champion Broncos lost pieces from perhaps the league’s best defense and are dealing with a new quarterback situation, while the Wild Card Chiefs are looking to take over division crown. The Raiders, however, are also ascending, and look to seriously compete in the West for the first time in years. So where does that leave the Chargers? Likely near the bottom of the standings, but that doesn’t mean they’ll approach 12 losses again. A slight jump in the win department is possible (probable, even), and while an outside shot at a Wild Card berth is on the table, 8-8 looks to be a more realistic goal.

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: Dallas Cowboys

July 15th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys entered the 2015 season with championship aspirations, but ruinous injuries to franchise cornerstones Tony Romo and Dez Bryant helped torpedo their hopes and send them to a 4-12 finish. With Romo and Bryant back, the Cowboys expect to rebound from last year’s fourth-worst showing – one in which they went 2-6 in one-score games – and it looks as though they’ll have to rely heavily on their star quarterback and receiver (and rookie running back) in order to climb back atop what should be a wide-open NFC East.

Notable signings:

Cedric Thornton, DT: Four years, $17MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Benson Mayowa, DE: Three years, $8.25MM. $3.3MM guaranteed. Raiders declined to match RFA offer sheet.
James Hanna, TE: Three years, $8.25MM. $2.25MM guaranteed.
Jeff Heath, S: Four years, $7.671MM. $1.8MM guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Alfred Morris, RB: Two years, $3.5MM. $1.8MM guaranteed. $1MM escalator available.
Kyle Wilber, LB: Two years, $3.25MM. $1MM guaranteed.
Morris Claiborne, CB: One year, $3MM. $500K guaranteed.
Rolando McClain, LB: One year, $4MM. $500K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives.
Jack Crawford, DL: One year, $1.1MM. $240K guaranteed.
Lance Dunbar, RB: One year, $1.25MM. $100K guaranteed.
Joe Looney, OL: Two years, $1.675MM. $100K guaranteed. $750K available via incentives.
Charles Brown, T: One year, minimum salary benefit. $55K guaranteed.
Ronald Leary, G: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Josh Thomas, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.

Although it’s obviously a big-market franchise, Dallas took a rather modest approach to free agency. Financially speaking, its most significant transaction was to pilfer defensive lineman Cedric Thornton from division-rival Philadelphia for $17MM over four years, including $6MM in guarantees. Thornton, 28, started in every one of his appearances with the Eagles from 2013-15 (45 in total) and mostly served as an end in their 3-4 alignment. He’ll switch to tackle in the Cowboys’ 4-3, which he played in sparingly as a rookie with the Eagles in 2012. The 309-pound Thornton has a mere four sacks on his resume, though he does have a reputation as a quality run defender. Pro Football Focus ranked Thornton just outside the top 30 of interior defenders against the run last season (and a far better eighth among 3-4 DEs in 2014), so he’s primed to aid a Cowboys defense that allowed the 19th-highest yards-per-carry average in the league and had the fourth-worst DVOA versus rushing attacks in 2015. Now that he’s out of the shadow of Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan, Thornton should experience an uptick in playing time over the 40.6 percent of snaps he appeared in last year. He figures to start alongside Tyrone Crawford on the Cowboys’ interior.

After Thornton, the largest monetary commitment the Cowboys made during the winter was to defensive end Benson Mayowa, a restricted free agent they pried out of Oakland with a three-year, $8.25MM offer sheet and $3.3MM in guarantees. The Raiders deemed the 24-year-old inessential to their cause when they declined to match the Cowboys’ offer to Mayowa, who has only made three starts in his NFL career. Mayowa amassed a combined 30 appearances for the Seahawks and Raiders from 2013-15 and recorded 16 tackles, a sack and two fumble recoveries last season. Despite his lack of experience and relative anonymity, the Cowboys are betting on a noteworthy edge-rushing future from Mayowa, as chief operating officer Stephen Jones said upon signing him. Considering the Cowboys ranked 25th in the league in sacks last year (31) and have since opted against re-signing pass-rushing threat Greg Hardy and fellow end Jeremy Mincey, and have lost Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory to quarter-season suspensions, they’ll need a Mayowa breakout sooner than later.

Joining Gregory and Lawrence on the suspended list is middle linebacker Rolando McClain, whom the team brought back for a third year at a palatable cost ($4MM total, $500K guaranteed). Four months later, the league banned McClain for 10 games thanks to another violation of its substance abuse policy. McClain, 26, will sit for 10 games this year after an earlier suspension kept him out of four contests last season.

McClain clearly brings plenty of baggage, but his loss should be a damaging one for Dallas on the field after he played in 60.4 percent of its defensive snaps last season, piled up 80 tackles, two sacks and an interception, and graded as PFF’s 28th-best linebacker among 97 qualifiers. McClain’s suspension this late in the game no doubt puts the Cowboys behind the 8-ball, as free agency isn’t exactly teeming with high-end replacements. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down several available options in the wake of McClain’s suspension, with ex-Cowboy Justin Durant among them. The Cowboys have since contacted Durant about a reunion, though no deal has materialized yet and a source informed Robinson that they’re content with their McClain-less linebacker corps.

If Dallas doesn’t sign anyone, the in-house favorite to replace McClain is Anthony Hitchens, who finished third among Cowboys linebackers in snap percentage last year (50.9) while playing on the inside and outside. Hitchens didn’t draw praise from PFF, though, which rated him as the league’s 69th overall LB. It was only his second season, however, so there’s still room for growth from the 2014 fourth-round pick. Regardless, as Robinson noted, Hitchens was already on track to start prior to McClain’s suspension, so the latter’s absence could force Kyle Wilber into a top role on the strong side. Wilber took part in a paltry 21.2 percent of defensive snaps for the club last season and accumulated 24 tackles, and the Cowboys were encouraged enough to retain him on a two-year, $3.25MM deal.

Continue reading about the Cowboy’s offseason…

The Cowboys’ other prominent defensive move in free agency was to re-sign cornerback Morris Claiborne to a one-year, $3MM pact after he appeared in 62.7 percent of their snaps in 2015. The sixth overall pick in 2012, Claiborne hasn’t lived up to his draft billing since a promising rookie season. He tallied only 21 starts over the past four seasons because of injuries and subpar play, though he did start in all 11 of his appearances last year. The LSU product failed to grab an interception for the first time in his career, however, and ranked 104th among 111 qualifying corners at PFF.

Aside from re-up Claiborne and hope Orlando Scandrick bounces back from a torn ACL and MCL that sidelined him for 2015, the Cowboys did little to address their pass defense, which ended last season 31st in INTs (eight), 23rd in opposing yards per attempt (7.6), 20th in passer rating allowed (94.2) and 17th in DVOA.

In terms of offensive name recognition, the Cowboys’ only somewhat high-profile pickup was ex-Redskins running back Alfred Morris, who accepted a short-term offer in free agency from his former rivals. Morris was a workhorse in Washington, where he accrued 1,078 carries in his first four seasons (and 200-plus each year), but his yards per carry dropped precipitously each campaign and he found the end zone only once in 2015. Morris looked like a decent bet to pick up a solid chunk of touches in Dallas before it spent the fourth overall pick in the draft on Ezekiel Elliott, who will be the bell cow. With Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar also in the mix behind Elliott, touches figure to be scarce for Morris.

The Cowboys made a more substantial multiyear commitment to tight end James Hanna than any other offensive free agent during the offseason, awarding him a three-year, $8.25MM contract and $2.25MM in guarantees. The 26-year-old has acquitted himself nicely as depth behind starter Jason Witten, catching the occasional pass and acting primarily as a blocker. Hanna, who has 33 career receptions, drew interest from outside of Dallas in free agency, but he elected to stay in the fold behind Witten and alongside Gavin Escobar.

Finally, there’s the matter of offensive guard Ronald Leary, to whom the Cowboys assigned a second-round tender (worth $2.553MM) as a restricted free agent. Leary requested a trade in the spring after losing his job to La’el Collins last season, but the club is fine with retaining him as depth. Leary, whom the Cowboys signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012, has started in all 35 of his pro appearances – including four in 2015 – but with Collins and two-time Pro Bowler Zack Martin entrenched at the guard spots, he’s now a reserve.

Notable losses:

Mackenzy Bernadeau, G
Matt Cassel, QB
Tyler Clutts, FB
Greg Hardy, DE
Nick Hayden, DT
Cameron Lawrence, LB
Danny McCray, S
Jeremy Mincey, DE
Robert Turbin, RB

From solely a production standpoint, Hardy’s exit will leave a void in Dallas. Hardy wasn’t the dominant entity with the Cowboys that he was in prior years with the Panthers, but he was still one of the few bright spots for a mostly underwhelming defense. Hardy, PFF’s 28th overall edge rusher in 2015, finished second on the Cowboys in sacks (six) and third among their D-linemen in snap percentage (56.3) during his 12-game stint in their uniform. However, Hardy’s highly problematic off-field behavior made him a PR nightmare and overshadowed his gridiron output. With that in mind, head coach Jason Garrett and his staff are probably glad Hardy’s gone. But whether they’ll effectively replace him between the lines is another matter, especially with Lawrence and Gregory set to miss four games apiece.

Along with Hardy, the Cowboys have seemingly waved goodbye to Mincey, who was on the field for 35.9 percent of their defensive plays last year. Mincey remains a free agent after failing to collect a sack in 2015, which was particularly unexpected after he notched six the previous season. Given the Cowboys’ dearth of pass rushers, it doesn’t speak well for what the 33-year-old Mincey has left in the proverbial tank that they haven’t re-signed him on a cheap deal. No Mincey, Hardy, Lawrence or Gregory (temporarily in the latter two cases, of course) leaves Dallas with Mayowa, Ryan Russell, David Irving and fourth-rounder Charles Tapper as its top four ends going into training camp. There’s little track record to speak of with anyone in that quartet.

The third relied-on member of the Cowboys’ 2015 D-line who’s now without work is tackle Nick Hayden, who participated in 55 percent of their defensive snaps, appeared in 16 games and made 15 starts. Hayden, 30, started in 47 of a possible 48 regular-season games during his three years with the Cowboys, and he has a fan in defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, but the club hasn’t shown interest in re-signing him after upgrading with Thornton and using a third-round choice on Maliek Collins. Hayden’s durability was on display yet again last season, as mentioned, but he ranked just 115th out of 123 qualifying interior defenders at PFF for his performance.

Given what he displayed last year in relief of Romo, Cowboys fans are surely pleased the team didn’t re-sign Matt Cassel. Collarbone issues kept Romo out of action for all but four games last season, leading Cassel – whom the Cowboys acquired from Buffalo in late September – to receive the lion’s share of time under center. The Cassel era was an unmitigated disaster for Dallas, which went 1-6 in his starts as he completed 58 percent of passes, averaged 6.2 yards per attempt and threw five touchdowns against seven interceptions in parts of nine games. Kellen Moore, who grabbed the reins from Cassel in the final weeks of the season, is now the full-time No. 2. But it’s debatable whether Moore is the best choice for a squad whose backup QB situation factored heavily into its demise in 2015.

Draft picks:

1-4: Ezekiel Elliott, RB (Ohio State)
2-34: Jaylon Smith, LB (Notre Dame)
3-67: Maliek Collins, DT (Nebraska)
4-101: Charles Tapper, DE (Oklahoma)
4-135: Dak Prescott, QB (Mississippi State)
6-189: Anthony Brown, CB (Purdue)
6-212: Kavon Frazier, S (Central Michigan)
6-216: Darius Jackson, RB (Eastern Michigan)
6-217: Rico Gathers, TE (Baylor)

With so many defensive questions entering the draft, ex-Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey looked like a strong bet to end up with the Cowboys in the first round. They ultimately left Ramsey on the board at No. 4 overall, though, and swung for the fences on offense by selecting Elliott, a soon-to-be 21-year-old wunderkind who’s fresh off back-to-back 1,800-yard seasons at Ohio State. The newly popular school of thought, however, is that running backs shouldn’t go that high in the draft; that’s especially true for the Cowboys, who don’t need an all-world talent behind their dominant line. After losing 2014 Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray to a payday in Philadelphia, the Cowboys put together a spartan group that finished ninth in the league in rushing and fifth in per-carry average last season. That was without any threat of a passing attack, by the way, making the work of their linemen and McFadden all the more worthy of praise. Nevertheless, the Cowboys should now have their long-term backfield solution in Elliott, who, if he pans out, will make life easier on Romo as he advances into his late 30s.

Having secured Elliott, the Cowboys added another household name, Jaylon Smith, with their second-round pick. Dallas is prepared to go without Smith this season as a result of the torn ACL and MCL he suffered in a New Year’s Day Fiesta Bowl tilt against Elliott’s Buckeyes. Prior to both that and the diagnosis of a nerve issue in Smith’s ankle, the expectation was that he’d come off the board somewhere in the top 10 of the draft. Considering his upside, the Cowboys couldn’t pass on Smith as a long-term investment at No. 34, though multiple teams gave him a failing grade during his physical at the combine and then removed him from their draft boards. Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper performed Smith’s surgery, however, so the club likely had unique insight into his injury entering the draft. That doesn’t make going a year without any contributions from your second-rounder easy to swallow, though, particularly for a team with clear weaknesses on defense.

The injury bug has also bit the aforementioned Collins, a third-rounder, in recent months. The broken foot Collins suffered during the spring isn’t anywhere near as serious as Smith’s situation, fortunately, and Garrett expects the ex-Nebraska Cornhusker back by camp. Once healthy, the 67th overall pick should team with Terrell McClain to provide interior depth behind Thornton and Crawford.

The Cowboys’ flashiest selection in the latter half of the draft was dual-threat quarterback Dak Prescott, who totaled 114 touchdowns (70 passing, 41 rushing, three receiving) during his four-year career at Mississippi State. While Moore is currently Dallas’ top option behind Romo, the raw Prescott could eventually push for the role. “I don’t want to write a check with my mouth that he has to cover here, but (Prescott) has it,” owner Jerry Jones said of the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder after the draft.

Extensions and Restructures:

Tyron Smith, T: Restructured contract to create $7.2MM in cap space, converting $9MM in 2016 base salary into a signing bonus.
Tyrone Crawford, DT: Restructured contract to create $4.4MM in cap space, converting $5.5MM in 2016 base salary into a signing bonus.
Brandon Carr, CB: Accepted pay cut, creating $3.1MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $9.1MM to $6MM.

In order to clear cap space, Dallas made changes to three key veterans’ contracts. In the case of Tyron Smith, who has earned three straight Pro Bowl nods at left tackle, the Cowboys converted $9MM of his $10MM base salary for 2016 into a signing bonus. Rather than counting solely against this year’s cap, that $9MM bonus will now be prorated over five seasons, counting for $1.8MM annually from 2016-2020. By doing that, the Cowboys freed up $7.2MM in space for this year and added $1.8MM to the cap each season from 2017-20.

Crawford, meanwhile, was set to pocket a fully guaranteed $6.75MM base salary in 2016 after inking a contract extension last September. Dallas instead reduced his salary to $1.25MM and converted $5.5MM into a signing bonus. The team gave Crawford that bonus immediately, but it will be spread out on its cap for the next five seasons at $1.1MM per annum. While the restructuring cut Crawford’s 2016 cap number from $8.75MM to $4.35MM, it increased his cap charges from 2017-20. Crawford will count for at least $9MM annually against the Cowboys’ cap, including $10.35MM in 2017.

Brandon Carr‘s future with the Cowboys hung in the balance after last season, his fourth with the franchise, but the starting corner stuck around once he agreed to a pay reduction. Carr, who has now gone back-to-back seasons without an interception, will earn $6MM this year instead of his originally scheduled $9.1MM. His cap number dropped, too, from $13.8MM to a still-high $10.22MM. Carr’s contract also includes a voidable 2017, so this could be his last year in Dallas.

Other:

Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for C Travis Frederick ($8.821MM).
Learned LB Rolando McClain would be suspended 10 games (substance abuse policy).
Learned DE Randy Gregory would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned DE Demarcus Lawrence would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned DL Maliek Collins has a broken foot and may be out until September.
Signed 13 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Travis Frederick has emerged as a premier center since the Cowboys drafted him 31st overall in 2013, making it no surprise that they exercised his $8.821MM fifth-year option for 2017. Frederick, who has started 48 straight regular-season games in Dallas and has made back-to-back Pro Bowl trips, seems likely to land a long-term extension sometime soon.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Tony Romo, QB: $20.835,000
Dez Bryant, WR: $13,000,000
Brandon Carr, CB: $10,217,000
Jason Witten, TE: $8,612,000
Orlando Scandrick, CB: $7,796,385
Tyron Smith, T: $6,800,000
Sean Lee, LB: $5,950,000
Doug Free, T: $5,500,000
Barry Church, S: $4,750,000
Ezekiel Elliott, RB: $4,537,516

Led by Romo, Bryant, Elliott and a stellar offensive line, the Cowboys are unlikely to have much difficulty scoring points this year. The problem is that their defense looks primed to give up plenty, too, as the front office failed to make enough immediate improvements on that side of the ball. The suspensions to McClain, Lawrence and Gregory should only exasperate the already unenviable situation in which Marinelli found himself.

Contract 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: Baltimore Ravens

July 13th, 2016 at 10:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens’ 2015 campaign was ruined by injury and under-performance as marquee players like Terrell Suggs, Joe Flacco, and Steve Smith saw their seasons cut short by injury while others like Jimmy Smith and C.J. Mosley failed to live up to expectations. Indeed, if Baltimore is competitive in 2016, it will be as much as a result of its ability to stay healthy as anything else.

But the team did make efforts to address its beleaguered secondary and add some much-needed youth and athleticism to its pass rush, and Flacco, who has never been had an elite group of offensive weapons, could be working with his best collection of talent to date. The AFC North again looks as if it will again be one of the toughest divisions in the league in 2016, so Baltimore will need to make the most out of that talent to keep pace with the Steelers and Bengals.

Notable signings:

Eric Weddle, S: Four years, $26MM. $9MM guaranteed. $3MM available via incentives.
Shareece Wright, CB: Three years, $13MM. $4.76MM guaranteed.
Justin Tucker, K: One year, $4.572MM. Fully guaranteed. Accepted franchise tag.
Mike Wallace, WR: Two years, $11.5MM. $4.5MM guaranteed. Club can exercise $1MM option bonus to lock in 2018 season.
Ben Watson, TE: Two years, $7MM. $3MM guaranteed.
Jerraud Powers, CB: One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed.
Morgan Cox, LS: Five years, $5.6MM. $700K guaranteed.
Albert McClellan, LB: Two years, $2.2MM. $600K guaranteed.
Vlad Ducasse, G: One year, minimum salary benefit. $65K guaranteed.
Kamar Aiken, WR: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Chris Carter, LB: One year, $1MM.
Trent Richardson, RB: One year, $675K.
Josh Johnson, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.

The Ravens made a rare foray into the deep end of the free agent waters this year, and they came away with one of the biggest catches in safety Eric Weddle. Weddle instantly provides credibility and stability to a secondary that sorely needs it, and his presence alone should give the unit a major boost. The team will also move Lardarius Webb from cornerback to safety on a permanent basis, a transition that should suit the veteran’s skill-set fairly well. As long as both players can stay healthy, a Weddle/Webb safety tandem certainly looks as if it will be a significant upgrade over last year’s primary duo of Kendrick Lewis and Will Hill.

But even if the Ravens’ safety performance is markedly improved, their cornerback prognosis is still questionable. Jimmy Smith, whose 2014 season was cut short by a Lisfranc injury, still appeared to be ailing in 2015, as he was beaten deep on numerous occasions and was rated by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) as the 77th-best corner out of 111 eligible players. While Shareece Wright was a pleasant surprise and was rewarded for his strong 2015 campaign with a new three-year contract in March, it is not as if he has an especially illustrious track record, and it is difficult to predict whether his 2015 success will carry over to 2016.

The team also brought in Jerraud Powers, who is a solid but unspectacular player and who lasted for a surprisingly long time on the market before inking a one-year deal with Baltimore two months after free agency opened. Powers is much better in the slot than he is outside the hash marks, but the Ravens already have several other players who fit the same description in rookie Tavon Young and last-year’s free agent acquisition Kyle Arrington. It can never hurt to have too much depth, as the Ravens know all too well, and Arrington is widely considered to be a candidate for release in the coming months, so it would clear up the nickel corner picture a bit if he were to receive his walking papers. In any event, Baltimore will be relying on uncertain talent at the top two spots on its cornerback depth chart, with Jimmy Smith holding down one of those spots and Powers or Wright presumably manning the other. The addition of Weddle will make the rest of the secondary better, but it does not answer all of the questions the Ravens have in the defensive backfield.

Another of the team’s major free agent acquisitions was Mike Wallace, who is coming off a disappointing one-year stint in Minnesota. On paper, Wallace’s speed and big-play ability–which may have diminished some since his heyday in Pittsburgh but which could still be unlocked in in the right circumstances–look to be a perfect fit with Flacco’s cannon arm and penchant for the deep ball. Last season, the Ravens were counting on 2015 first-rounder Breshad Perriman to replace the speed element that the team’s offense lost when Torrey Smith took his talents to San Francisco, but Perriman was never able to recover after a knee injury suffered in training camp, and Flacco was left with Steve Smith and a plethora of underwhelming targets. Perriman’s health is once again up in the air, but with Wallace and rookie Chris Moore in the picture, Baltimore should be better-equipped to handle Perriman’s absence.

The third major free agent acquisition was Ben Watson, who will join a largely uncertain but potentially dynamic crop of tight ends. Watson, who will turn 36 in December, had a terrific year with the Saints in 2015, posting career bests in receptions (74) and receiving yards (825) while matching his career best in touchdowns (six). Dennis Pitta, who missed almost all of the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and who sat out the entire 2015 season, is attempting to come back from his second major hip injury, but given the nature of the injury and the amount of time he has spent on the shelf, it is difficult to say whether he will even crack the team’s roster, let alone return to his pre-2013 level of performance. Third-year player Crockett Gillmore and second-year Maxx Williams have shown flashes in their young careers, and both have a fair amount of upside (particularly Williams, the consensus top tight end in the 2015 draft), but they are still unproven as pass catchers. If nothing else, Watson is a reliable starter, and if Pitta can stay healthy and Gillmore and Williams continue to make strides, the Ravens will be forced to keep four tight ends on the roster for the first time in recent history. And that could be a good thing considering the fact that offensive coordinator Marc Trestman loves getting the ball to his tight ends and the age/question marks at wide receiver.

Justin Tucker, meanwhile, signed his franchise tender and could still sign a long-term deal prior to the July 15 deadline, a deal that would most likely make him the highest-paid kicker in the league. He suffered something of a regression in 2015, posting a career-worst field goal percentage of 82.5%, but of his seven misses, six were from 50 yards and beyond, so it’s not as if he has suddenly lost his touch. Even if the two sides do not reach an agreement on a multi-year contract prior to July 15, Tucker will almost certainly remain in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.

Continue reading about the Ravens’ offseason…

Chris Canty, DL: Club declined 2016 option
Jimmy Clausen, QB
Chris Givens, WR
Will Hill, S: Released after being suspended 10 games (substance abuse policy)
Eugene Monroe, T: Released
Kelechi Osemele, G
Matt Schaub, QB
Daryl Smith, LB: Released
Brynden Trawick, S
Courtney Upshaw, LB

Oakland handed Kelechi Osemele a five-year contract worth up to $60MM during the early days of free agency, heady territory for a player who has manned left guard for the majority of his career and who will likely remain at left guard with the Raiders with Donald Penn at left tackle. But Osemele has established himself as one of the better guards in the league and played well enough at left tackle at the end of 2015 to suggest that he could shift to the outside if necessary, so his loss is certainly a major blow. Now that both he and Eugene Monroe are out of the picture, Baltimore will be relying upon a rookie at left tackle (Ronnie Stanley), and a rookie (Alex Lewis) or similarly-inexperienced player (John Urschel or Ryan Jensen) at left guard (unless newly-acquired Vlad Ducasse wins the starting job, in which case something has gone terribly wrong).

Monroe’s release was one of the most-discussed transactions in recent weeks, which speaks more to the lack of newsworthy items to report at this time of the year than the impact that his absence will make. After all, since signing a five-year $37.5MM deal with the Ravens in 2014, Monroe has appeared in just 17 games, which forced the Ravens to turn to former UDFA James Hurst as their primary left tackle in his stead. While Monroe still has considerable talent, and is young enough to realize that talent, questions about his toughness emerged from within the Baltimore locker room, and he has been mediocre at best even when he has seen the field in the past two seasons.

Still, given that the Ravens did not really need the salary cap space they created by releasing Monroe at this point in the year, and given the inexperience of the projected starters on the left side of the line, it is a bit curious that the Ravens would not keep him around to compete with Stanley and to serve as a viable and experienced backup if nothing else. As such, many have speculated that the release was at least partially motivated by Monroe’s highly public campaign to have marijuana removed from the NFL’s list of banned substances so that players could use it as a potentially safer alternative to the addictive opioids that league physicians generally prescribe. However, team owner Steve Bisciotti publicly lauded Monroe for his articulate and well-researched advocacy, and when considering the above-referenced locker rooms concerns, the disappointing on-field performance, and the fact that Monroe publicly attacked the team on Twitter while he was still a member of the organization, it becomes easier to believe head coach John Harbaugh‘s assertion that Monroe was let go for purely football reasons. Nonetheless, should Stanley and/or whoever wins the starting left guard job struggle, the decision will be an easy one to second guess.

Daryl Smith started each of the Ravens’ 50 regular season and playoff contests since joining the club prior to the 2013 campaign, and he immediately proved himself a savvy field general capable of carrying Ray Lewis‘ mantle after Lewis retired at the end of the 2012 season. Smith, though, was more than a veteran leader in his first two years in purple-and-black; he was a good-to-excellent defender against both the pass and the run, and he showed surprising range for a player on the wrong side of 30 who was on the field for almost all of his team’s defensive snaps from the time he entered the league in 2004.

But Smith dropped off a bit in 2015, looking noticeably slower and ranking 71st out of 97 qualified linebackers per Pro Football Focus. The Ravens therefore released him and created $2.625MM of cap room in the process. However, Baltimore did not seek an obvious replacement, either in free agency or the draft. Although the team has expressed some interest in lining up second-round draft choice Kamalei Correa at inside linebacker from time to time, at this point it looks as though Correa will be most valuable as a pass rusher from an outside linebacker position. Zach Orr, who was a UDFA in 2014, saw increased playing time at inside linebacker down the stretch in 2015, and he looked fairly capable, but it remains to be seen whether he can make the jump from standout special-teamer to full-time starter. Albert McClellan, whom the team re-signed earlier this offseason, has proven to be a better special teams player than linebacker, and Arthur Brown, whose pedigree as a former second-round pick (with arguable first-round talent) would appear to make him the favorite over Orr and McClellan, has been one of the Ravens’ great mysteries of the past three seasons. Brown certainly looked like a rookie when he saw the field as a middle linebacker in 2013, but he also did nothing to make one think that he would never make it in the league. And yet, he has apparently never done enough on the practice field to earn Harbaugh’s trust, and he enters the final year of his rookie deal having never started a single game. 2016 represents his best chance to finally prove himself, but it remains to be seen whether he will even get a look with the first-team defense in training camp.

Courtney Upshaw‘s departure is a little less significant than Smith’s. Although he had been a strong edge setter, Upshaw never developed into much of a pass rusher, and the Ravens justifiably believe that last year’s fourth-round selection, Za’Darius Smith, can replicate Upshaw’s performance against the run while offering a higher ceiling as a pass rusher.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38) and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 146) from the Jaguars in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 36).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 42) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 107) from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38).

The Ravens had the chance to perhaps address their need at inside linebacker and nab the free-falling Myles Jack with the 36th pick in this year’s draft, but instead they traded down not once but twice in the second round and netted two mid-round picks in the process, which we discuss in more detail below.

Draft picks:

1-6: Ronnie Stanley, T (Notre Dame)
2-42: Kamalei Correa, DE/OLB (Boise State)
3-70: Bronson Kaufusi, DE/OLB (Brigham Young)
4-104: Tavon Young, CB (Temple)
4-107: Chris Moore, WR (Cincinnati)
4-130: Alex Lewis, T (Nebraska)
4-132: Willie Henry, DT (Michigan)
4-134: Kenneth Dixon, RB (Louisiana Tech)
5-146: Matt Judon, DE (Grand Valley State)
6-182: Keenan Reynolds, QB/WR (Navy)
6-209: Maurice Canady, CB (Virginia)

The Ravens will be relying on many of their rookies to make an immediate impact. Stanley, as stated above, is the team’s projected starter at left tackle with Monroe out of the picture, and the Ravens are hoping that their decision to pass on Laremy Tunsil in favor of Stanley will not come back to haunt them. Stanley has the maturity that many believe Tunsil lacks, and he is a highly-polished pass protector who significantly improved his run-blocking skills during his final year at Notre Dame. The only real knock on Stanley’s game is his core strength, which is a concern that can be easily remedied. The fact that the Ravens felt good enough about Stanley that they were perfectly comfortable in releasing Monroe is a testament to Stanley’s talent and work ethic.

Correa and Bronson Kaufusi should both get considerable burn in the front seven rotation. Both are athletic, high-motor types that the Ravens hope can take some pressure off of Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Matt Judon, a small-school wonder, certainly has all the raw physical tools of an elite pass rusher, and Baltimore hopes that he, too, can be groomed into a force off the edge. The diminutive Young should see a fair amount of early playing time at nickel, while Moore’s abilities as a downfield threat should mesh well with Flacco’s big arm. If Perriman cannot stay healthy, Moore could actually play himself into a significant role in Baltimore’s offense.

Kenneth Dixon and Keenan Reynolds are two of the more interesting prospects in the Ravens’ draft class. Reynolds, the former Navy triple-option quarterback who is attempting to transition to wide receiver, is the all-time NCAA leader in total career touchdowns (91), while Dixon is right behind him in second place with 88 career scores. The Ravens, without a true return specialist on the roster, is also giving Reynolds ample opportunity to prove himself in that regard. Although his performance as a slot receiver in training camp and the preseason will likely dictate whether he makes the club, his progress as a returner and his abilities as a ball-carrier will also impact that decision.

Dixon, widely considered one of the steals of the draft, will likely make the team as the No. 3 tailback behind Justin Forsett and Buck Allen, but Dixon could easily move up the depth chart in a hurry. He shouldered a heavy workload in college, so he may not age particularly well, but he is explosive, and even though his Louisiana Tech offense was designed to get him the ball in space more than he can reasonably anticipate at the professional level, his uncanny ability to evade tacklers will serve him well regardless of what system he plays in. He should see immediate action as a change-of-pace back and as a receiver out of the backfield.

Willie Henry may develop into a nice rotational piece on the defensive line, Alex Lewis has shown promise either as a guard or right tackle, and Maurice Canady, while very raw, turned in a strong performance during offseason practices and has a better chance than most sixth-rounders to land on the roster because of the Ravens’ question marks at cornerback.

Extensions and Restructures:

Joe Flacco, QB: Extended through 2021. Three years, $66.4MM. $44MM guaranteed.
Jimmy Smith, CB: Restructured contract to create $4.5MM in cap space, converting $6MM in 2016 base salary into signing bonus.
Marshal Yanda, G: Restructured contract to create $3.975MM in cap space, converting $5.3MM in 2016 base salary into a signing bonus.
Kyle Arrington, CB: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.2MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $2.1MM to $900K.
Dennis Pitta, TE: Accepted pay cut, creating $4MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $5MM to $1MM.

When Flacco signed his six-year, $120.6MM deal about a month after his 2012 playoff heroics culminated in a Super Bowl championship, everyone knew that the contract would be revisited after three seasons. After all, his 2016 cap hit was projected to be a staggering $28.55MM, and that number was set to increase to $31MM+ in 2017. By signing Flacco to a three-year extension this year, the Ravens were able to reduce his cap hits for the duration of his deal to numbers that are more palatable relative to the ever-increasing salary cap.

The subject of whether or not Flacco is “elite” has morphed into a running joke over the past few seasons, and he certainly does not put up counting stats that would make one think his contract should be as lucrative as it is. However, while it is generally true that quarterback wins, much like pitcher wins in baseball, are a largely meaningless statistic, it is impossible to overstate how much Flacco has meant to the Ravens. Despite the above-referenced lack of top-tier talent that the Ravens usually boast on the offensive side of the ball, and despite Harbaugh’s preference for a “grind-it-out” style of play, Flacco continues to find ways to win, putting the team on his back one week and doing just enough to scratch out a victory the next. He is prone to the occasional poor game, and he can make some head-scratching decisions from time to time, but he has done nothing but deliver for his club since 2008 while slowly evolving into the undisputed face of the franchise, and he has been appropriately rewarded for that.

The Ravens were flirting with the cap ceiling earlier this year, and to help create enough space to conduct their offseason business, they restructured the Jimmy Smith and Marshal Yanda contracts that both players had just signed in 2015. Along with the Flacco extension and Arrington pay cut, Baltimore was able to create a much-needed $15MM in breathing room. Of course, the club may need to address the Smith contract as soon as next season, because by restructuring his deal, the Ravens increased his future cap charges to $12.6MM (2017), $13.1MM (2018), and $13.6MM (2019). While that might be acceptable for a top-flight corner, it is much too rich if Smith cannot improve on his 2015 season and reestablish his prior level of performance.

Yanda’s contract, which he signed in October, was an ideal candidate for restructuring, since his 2016 salary was already fully-guaranteed and converting a chunk of it to a signing bonus allowed the veteran guard to get that money up front while spreading it over the next four years for cap purposes, all without adding any additional guaranteed money to the Ravens’ tab (though Yanda’s cap hit did increase by about $1.3MM over the next four seasons).

Arrington, who is on the roster bubble anyway, had no choice but to accept a pay cut, and the same goes for Pitta, although Pitta’s new deal could look like a bargain if he can remain healthy. Again, that is a very big “if,” but the Ravens’ $1MM gamble is a worthwhile low-risk, high-reward proposition.

Other:

Hired former Buccaneers DC Leslie Frazier as secondary coach.
Declined 2017 fifth-year option for S Matt Elam ($5.676MM).
Learned TE Nick Boyle would be suspended 10 games (PED policy).
Learned WR/TE Darren Waller would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy.)
Learned CB Tray Walker passed away following a motorcycle accident.
Re-signed, then released, WR Marlon Brown.
Signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The addition of Leslie Frazier is an intriguing one. As noted previously, the Ravens’ secondary is a major concern even with the addition of Weddle, and there is reason to believe that Frazier’s background and experience could help get the most out of that unit. Matt Elam, who was selected in the same draft as Arthur Brown–which at least partially explains why the Ravens have missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons–suffered a torn bicep in training camp last year and missed the entire 2015 season as a result. As someone who has looked like anything but a first-rounder when on the field, Elam may not even crack the 53-man roster this season, so it was an easy decision for the Ravens to decline his fifth-year option.

The suspensions of Nick Boyle and Darren Waller are doubtlessly frustrating for the coaching staff, but as they currently projects as the Nos. 5 and 6 tight ends on the depth chart, their absence should not be especially damaging. Waller, the former Georgia Tech wide receiver who also served as a wideout during his first year as a pro, has been attempting to make the transition to tight end this year. It is a worthwhile experiment, as he has ideal size and athleticism for the job, but because of Baltimore’s current tight end depth, the odds were stacked against him even before the suspension (despite his prowess as a special teams contributor). Boyle, meanwhile, has already been popped for PEDs twice since entering the league last year, and unless the team’s tight ends are victimized by a plague of some sort–which is a distinct possibility–it is difficult to envision a spot for Boyle upon his return.

The passing of cornerback Tray Walker was one of the saddest stories of the offseason. Walker, a fourth-round pick last season out of Texas Southern, was a raw prospect who tantalized the Ravens with his size and athletic ability and who basically redshirted the 2015 season. However, given the state of the team’s cornerback situation, he would have had a real chance to earn some playing time with a solid training camp. But Walker was involved in an accident in March, when his dirt bike collided with a Ford Escape, and he sustained serious head injuries as a result. He ultimately succumbed to those injuries one day later at age 23.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Joe Flacco, QB: $22,500,000
Lardarius Webb, DB: $9,500,000
Terrell Suggs, LB: $7,450,000
Elvis Dumervil, LB: $7,375,000
Jimmy Smith, CB: $5,100,000
Jeremy Zuttah, C: $4,607,206
Justin Tucker, K: $4,572,000
Steve Smith, WR: $4,166,668
Marshal Yanda, G: $4,010,882
Eric Weddle, S: $3,750,000

The Ravens ended the 2015 season with a whopping 20 players on injured reserve, including eight Week 1 starters. That would be enough to derail any team, regardless of that team’s depth, but the fact is that Baltimore simply did not have a great deal of depth to rely upon anyway. The secondary was a nightmare, the receiving corps behind Steve Smith was not much better, and Dumervil was much less effective without running mate Suggs, who went down in Week 1 and whose absence triggered a sickening domino effect on the rest of the team’s pass rushers. Baltimore, to its credit, strayed a bit from its usual organizational philosophy in making a few major free agent signings–though none of those signings will handicap the team financially if they don’t work out–while also prioritizing speed and athleticism in the draft over the old-school maulers. Whether it’s enough for the Ravens to return to the playoffs remains to be seen, but with 19 players landing on IR in 2014 and another 20 in 2015, the team is due for a little good luck. Even with all of those injuries, nine of the Ravens’ 11 losses were one-possession affairs, and the two blowouts they suffered came with the inestimable Jimmy Clausen under center. With an improved roster and a few more breaks, it is not difficult to see Baltimore as a playoff team in 2016.

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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