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Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins

September 6th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making back-to-back playoff berths for the first time in more than 20 years, the Dolphins have elevated their operation under Mike McDaniel. The drivers of that effort became more expensive this offseason, and the team again replaced its defensive coordinator. The Dolphins ranked first in total offense for the first time since Dan Marino‘s age-33 season (1994), but another late-season letdown — albeit with significant injury problems — became the lead story for this team.

As they attempt to shake off a no-show for a frigid Kansas City wild-card game, the Dolphins also lost some key pieces in assembling their 2024 puzzle. But they sure took care of their cornerstones as well.

Extensions and restructures:

Even though a partial hold-in took place to open training camp, the Dolphins’ negotiations with Tagovailoa were not especially rocky. But the value debates here did become interesting during the months-long talks.

While most teams with first-round quarterbacks they plan to extend complete extensions after the player’s third year, the Dolphins were understandably hesitant about this deal. Tua submitted inconsistent work during Brian Flores‘ tenure and sustained at least two (but most likely three) concussions in 2022. Early retirement consideration transpired in 2023, but the NFL’s lone active southpaw QB1 stayed healthy last season and set himself up for a payday on a soaring market.

The NFL’s passer rating and yards per attempt leader in 2022 (105.5, 8.9), Tagovailoa showed his breakthrough (when healthy) was not a fluke by pacing the 2023 field in yardage (4,624) during a season in which both Hill and Waddle — not to mention most of Miami’s O-line — missed time. The sides began negotiations in April, but by midsummer, the fifth-year passer had rejected one offer. A subsequent report indicated the Dolphins were aiming to avoid extending their QB at a top-market rate.

Guarantees became a sticking point for the team as well, but the Dolphins were not the team to buck this growing trend of giving promising but unspectacular (to date, at least) passers $50MM-plus per year. Tagovailoa joined Goff, Lawrence and Jordan Love in expanding the $50MM-AAV club to eight this offseason. The Dolphins, who had last authorized a franchise-level QB payment upon extending Ryan Tannehill (at $19.25MM per year) in 2015, needed to adjust the per-year salary near the end of the negotiations to complete the deal.

Tagovailoa’s “the market is the market” assessment reminded of the reality the Dolphins faced. Even second-tier QBs carry tremendous leverage, and the Dolphins waiting until Year 5 to pay theirs further equipped the player. The team navigated a difficult cap situation this offseason, and a Tua 2025 franchise tag would have placed a cap hold beyond $40MM on the payroll. Another productive year with the historically explosive Hill-Waddle tandem also would have upped Tagovailoa’s price, with Dak Prescott likely set to raise the market’s ceiling once again.

The Dolphins did avoid paying Tua $55MM per year, but they both settled on the Goff $53MM-AAV level and agreed to a rolling guarantee structure that protects the QB long term. The 26-year-old passer’s 2026 base salary ($54MM) will become fully guaranteed in March 2025. This deal also gives the Dolphins two fewer years of control compared to what Lawrence gave the Jaguars or Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow provided their teams (by agreeing to five-year deals before their fourth seasons). Miami waiting until Tagovailoa’s contract year and then agreeing to a four-year deal bolstered his negotiating position, and the Alabama product will be on track to cash in again — provided he stays on this trajectory — by his age-30 offseason.

Hill might not be in a Dolphin by that point, but he has transformed the team’s early-Tua-years offenses and may well have secured first-ballot Hall of Fame entry during his Miami tenure. Although Hill’s ugly off-field incident in college and his 2019 issue in Kansas City will always be tied to his legacy, the elite speed merchant has climbed up the WR ranks historically in Miami despite separating from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Hill, 30, was on pace for the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiving season before suffering an injury in early December. Shortly after his second Dolphins slate wrapped, the eight-year veteran began angling for an updated contract despite three years remaining on his 2022 extension.

The Dolphins had Hill on a four-year, $120MM, but that contract featured what amounted to a phony final year to inflate the AAV to $30MM. Still, the Dolphins had the All-Pro target under contract through 2026. Teams do not make a habit of redoing deals with players signed for three more seasons, but GM Chris Grier had shown a precedent by reworking Xavien Howard‘s through-2024 contract back in 2022. That gave Hill’s camp ammo; the deep threat’s impact on Tagovailoa’s performance certainly did as well. While Hill indicating he would not seek a trade to force the issue hurt his leverage, the Dolphins took care of him anyway.

The revised contract turned Hill’s 2024 and ’25 salaries from nonguaranteed to fully guaranteed. Hill remaining on the Dolphins’ roster in 2026 — his age-32 season — would bump the guarantees to $65MM. The Dolphins probably knew they would have to complete a reworking with Hill after they paid Waddle, who has shown tremendous promise but has resided as the team’s clear-cut No. 2 wideout since the Hill trade.

Grier quickly took Waddle out of consideration during the Jonathan Taylor trade talks last summer, and the 2021 first-round pick is 3-for-3 in 1,000-yard seasons. Although Hill is the more dangerous weapon, Waddle also brings elite speed for a speed-obsessed team. The former No. 6 overall pick, who cost the Dolphins a future first-rounder to acquire in 2021, led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch in 2022. That came after a far less explosive 2021 attack used Waddle as a short-area target (9.8 YPC). McDaniel quickly revamped Waddle’s role, and the Dolphins agreed to a deal that should keep their current WR2 rostered longer than their WR1.

Waddle’s $28.25MM-per-year deal checks in seventh among wide receivers. In terms of total guarantees, Waddle’s $76MM surpasses both the contracts Hill has agreed to with Miami. The 25-year-old pass catcher’s 2026 base salary will lock in by March 2025. On Day 3 of the 2026 league year, $15.2MM of Waddle’s 2027 base salary ($23.39MM) will become fully guaranteed.

At this rate, Waddle profiles as the Dolphins’ long-term top receiver. With this three-year extension giving Waddle a chance to cash in again before age 30, he will have some time to grow back into that WR1 role during Hill’s remaining seasons.

Friday marked Ramsey’s second Dolphins agreement in two years. The team reworked Ramsey’s deal to add guarantees upon acquiring him and has now — two days after Patrick Surtain‘s landmark Broncos accord — made him the NFL’s highest-paid corner. (Miami had also restructured Ramsey’s previous deal earlier this offseason to save nearly $20MM.) This move will push out Ramsey’s contract through 2028.

Playing lead roles for the Jaguars and Rams, Ramsey secured another megadeal despite going into his age-30 season. The full guarantee is not yet known, but Ramsey will see $55.3MM in total guarantees. The NFL now having two $24MM-per-year corners — after the position’s ceiling had been $21MM for more than two years — represents good news for Sauce Gardner in 2025.

Grier has again paid a player with at least two years left on his previous deal; Ramsey’s ran through 2025 but did not include any guarantees for next year. The only active corner with three first-team All-Pro nods, Ramsey has now secured two extensions (the first with the Rams in 2020) and a key reworking. He only played in only 10 Dolphins games last season, undergoing meniscus surgery. Pro Football Focus graded Ramsey’s first Dolphins season modestly, assessing him as the NFL’s 57th-best CB in 2023. But last year’s trade, which sent a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long to the Rams, keeps the veteran in place as Miami’s top cover man. The team will hope Ramsey can continue to play well into his 30s, which is far from a given at this position.

Armstead has navigated numerous injuries with the Dolphins but still submitted upper-echelon work. The team parted ways with starters Robert Hunt and Connor Williams, doing so after receiving assurances its veteran left tackle was planning to play at least one more season. Armstead, 33, has missed 11 games since signing a five-year, $75MM Dolphins deal. This continued a trend of injury-limited seasons for the Pro Bowl blocker. The Dolphins would take on $18.5MM in dead money if Armstead retires next year.

The fantasy universe expects De’Von Achane to usurp Mostert this season, but the veteran back parlayed a monster 2023 season into some more guaranteed money. Despite going into his age-32 season, Mostert — a journeyman special-teamer until becoming a 49ers RB regular in 2019 — has only 766 career touches. This career arc has allowed the 2015 UDFA to play this long, and McDaniel extracted plenty from his ex-San Francisco charge last season.

Mostert joined Achane among the top 10 in rushing yards over expected and led the NFL with 21 touchdowns. Injury-prone in San Francisco, Mostert has missed just three games since 2022. Injuries significantly limited the backfield speedster in the two years prior, but the Dolphins’ deep backfield supplies insurance.

Free agency additions:

For a UDFA who did not play too much over his first two seasons, Brewer has done well for himself. He started 17 games in each of the past two years — no small feat on injury-battered Tennessee O-lines — and drew a second-round RFA tender salary in 2023. Shifting from guard to center last year, Brewer did not distinguish himself among the position’s best. But he still commanded an eight-figure guarantee from a team in need. PFF viewed Brewer as a better center, where he played in spurts during each of his first three years at Division I-FCS Texas State, ranking him 11th at the position in 2023.

McDaniel’s offense has not highlighted the tight end position much. Mike Gesicki‘s franchise tag went to waste in 2022, and the team rolled out a top-heavy passing attack last season. No one came between Jaylen Waddle (1,014 yards) and Durham Smythe (366) among Tagovailoa targets. Smith will be poised to change that, depending on how much McDaniel will be keen on utilizing this position. Arthur Smith sure did, infuriating Kyle Pitts fantasy GMs by regularly incorporating Jonnu (582 yards) into the offense. Topping 400 yards twice as a Titan, Smith no-showed as a Patriot. But the Dolphins could certainly use more from this position, especially with Beckham on the PUP list.

Seeing their Xavien Howard–Byron Jones tandem last just two years, the Dolphins did not opt to extend their Howard-Ramsey partnership past one. Fuller will be asked to team with Ramsey. Defecting from a rebuilding Commanders team, Fuller is coming off a year in which he was charged with a whopping nine touchdown passes allowed as the closest defender. Illustrating how the NFL coverage metrics are not exactly on par with MLB-level advanced stats, PFF ranked Fuller seventh among corners last season. Fuller, 29, has 93 career starts on his resume and has extensive experience inside and outside. For now, the Dolphins are using Fuller outside and Kader Kohou at nickel.

Poyer (33) opted to re-sign with the Bills last year, but their 2024 cost-cutting mission included the veteran safety. Poyer intercepted 22 passes in seven Bills seasons, starting 107 games as part of one of this century’s premier safety duos (alongside Micah Hyde). Maye provides an interesting third safety option, coming off a suspension- and injury-marred Saints season. The former Jets franchise player is now 31. This will be a transition for Maye, a starter throughout his seven-year career. The Ravens used three-safety looks often; Maye would give Anthony Weaver this option in Jevon Holland‘s contract year.

Brooks steps in for longtime starter Jerome Baker, though this switch came from two free agent signings rather than a Dolphins-Seahawks trade. The 2020 first-rounder made it back from a January 2023 ACL tear to start 16 games last season, putting together his third 100-plus-tackle campaign. A starter alongside Bobby Wagner in two of the past three years — as the ILB legend left Seattle and then returned — Brooks added 4.5 sacks in his contract year. Brooks, 27, comes slightly cheaper than Baker, who was tied to a three-year, $37.5MM deal.

Miami waited on the two biggest names in its 2024 FA class. Campbell is the league’s oldest defender, turning 38 earlier this week, but has remained durable and productive. A college teammate of Devin Hester and Frank Gore, the 2008 Cardinals draftee has started the fourth-most games (225) by a D-lineman in NFL history. Only Bruce Smith, Jim Marshall and Reggie White have that beat. Campbell crossed the 100-sack barrier last season, adding a Falcons-most 6.5 to his career total. Among active players, only Von Miller and Cameron Jordan have Campbell beat for sacks.

The former Miami Hurricane is near the end of a remarkable career, but he should help the Dolphins’ post-Christian Wilkins solution up front. This signing reunites Campbell and Weaver, with the ex-Ravens assistant in place on John Harbaugh‘s staff during the accomplished D-lineman’s final two Baltimore seasons.

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Offseason In Review: Washington Commanders

September 5th, 2024 at 9:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ron Rivera became one of the more obvious lame ducks in recent NFL history last year. A new owner taking over, along with the Commanders’ eight-game losing streak to close last season, made it easy to predict wholesale changes. Josh Harris made them, tapping into the 49ers’ success by hiring John Lynch‘s right-hand man to lead his football operation. How Washington filled its HC and OC chairs generated more intrigue, and the Adam Peters–Dan Quinn duo did not leave too many pieces in place from Rivera’s final Commanders lineup.

Coaching/front office:

Although Harris brought in Rick Spielman and former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers to help the Commanders find a new football ops leader, the team made a down-the-middle hire. Peters joined the 49ers shortly after the Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime started, and the recent San Francisco assistant GM certainly comes from a franchise that has sustained success in rather unique ways. That success certainly helped Peters’ cause in beating out Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for the job.

The 49ers have managed to assemble a steady Super Bowl contender despite one of the worst draft decisions in NFL history. Trading two future first-round picks and a third-rounder to climb up for Trey Lance could have ruined the Lynch-Shanahan regime; the 49ers withstanding Lance’s failure may say more about Shanahan’s abilities than the front office’s, but Lynch, Peters and ex-staffer-turned-Titans GM Ran Carthon played key roles as well. Peters declined Titans and Cardinals interviews last year, and after Chargers and Raiders requests, zeroed in on the Commanders gig.

Harris offered Peters full control of football ops; not every GM position features that power. Washington’s last setup featured a head coach carrying final say, but Peters will report directly to Harris. The 45-year-old exec has three Super Bowl rings from his tenures as a Patriots scout and Broncos scouting director. Peters’ scouting history became relevant quickly, with Washington’s No. 2 overall pick — along with the selections obtained in the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades — made the job appealing. Rivera did not enjoy these luxuries upon being hired by Dan Snyder, and the team could not make a jump after its 2020 NFC East title season.

That season came with multiple asterisks, as Washington won the division with a 7-9 record thanks in part to Dak Prescott‘s ankle injury and Doug Pederson‘s curious decision to yank Jalen Hurts from a winnable season finale. Rivera’s team completed seven- and eight-win seasons in 2021 and ’22, but the quarterback issue that has plagued Washington since Kirk Cousins‘ free agency defection was too much to overcome.

Dwayne Haskins arriving in Bruce Allen‘s final draft as honcho hamstrung Rivera, whose team passed on Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa in 2020 due to Haskins’ presence. Acquisitions Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell did not move the needle for the franchise, with the Howell confidence being rather interesting — given Rivera’s tenuous grip on the job last year — after the team made aggressive QB pursuits in 2022.

The former Super Bowl HC will give way to Quinn, who brought in a host of his former players to help on defense and offense. Quinn, however, may have been the Commanders’ third choice. The team pushed back on this notion, but it is widely known the club chased Lions OC Ben Johnson. Once Johnson hopped off the HC carousel early for a second straight year, the Commanders are believed to have offered the job to Mike Macdonald. A six-year Seahawks offer swayed the Ravens’ DC out of the Mid-Atlantic region, leaving Quinn — an HC carousel veteran who rebuilt his stock in Dallas.

Quinn, 54 next week, left Dallas after a dreadful defensive performance in the Cowboys’ wild-card loss, but he had immediately elevated a unit that surrendered the most points in franchise history in 2020. Quinn’s defense ranked in the top five in points allowed in each of his three seasons in Dallas, as he completed a rebound — after his Falcons tenure featured a steady decline post-Super Bowl LI — that gave him some options in recent years. The Broncos did pass on Quinn to hire Nathaniel Hackett in a regrettable 2022 move, but the Cowboys’ DC left the 2023 hiring derby early. Quinn’s defense sustaining its success without Trevon Diggs helped the play-caller’s case, as DaRon Bland set an NFL record with five pick-sixes.

Whitt loomed as a Cowboys DC frontrunner as well, but after following Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas, Whitt accepted an offer to head to Washington. The Cowboys’ defensive play-caller for three seasons, Quinn handed Whitt that responsibility. This will be Whitt’s first crack at this role at any level. The Cowboys blocked Quinn from taking staffers Al Harris and Lunda Wells with him. Unlike Whitt, Kingsbury has no history with Quinn. It also took some maneuvering to convince the former Cardinals HC to head east.

Kingsbury, who spent last season as USC’s quarterbacks coach, backtracked on a commitment to be the Raiders’ OC. He quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the Commanders. Minority owner Magic Johnson is believed to have played a key role in convincing Kingsbury to bail on Las Vegas. Between that and the Commanders ending up with the quarterback Antonio Pierce wanted in the draft, an interconference rivalry that peaked in the early 1980s may reignite.

Drawing more interest than he did following his Cardinals ouster, Kingsbury comes to Washington after an inconsistent Arizona stint. Although the former Texas Tech HC received criticism throughout his Cardinals tenure, Kyler Murray received two original-ballot Pro Bowl nods — beating out Tom Brady in 2020 — during his first three seasons. Kingsbury, 45, coached top-eight offenses in those seasons and helmed the Cards to their first playoff berth since 2015, doing so largely without the services of DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt. That regime’s 2022 unraveling injects some concern into Kingsbury’s status, but it certainly was not all bad in Arizona.

While Rivera is out, the two ex-GMs he brought with him — Mayhew and Hurney — remain on staff. Mayhew, a former Washington cornerback-turned-GM, is in place as an advisor to Peters; Hurney, a two-time Panthers GM, is a Maryland native who began his front office career under Super Bowl-winning Washington GM Bobby Beathard in San Diego. He holds an advisory position as well. Williams had previously spent time in Washington’s front office under Allen. After being moved to the side early in Rivera’s tenure, the former Super Bowl MVP is back in the mix. Newmark spent 25 years with the Lions but will make the jump for a second-in-command post.

Peters spoke with Bill Belichick, his former boss, about the job; however, this fell short of a formal interview. Harris is not believed to have coveted a workflow setup in which a coach resides atop the personnel pyramid. Harris also spoke with Robert Kraft about the legendary HC in December; Kraft is not believed to have given glowing references. While Belichick may well be in the NFC East next year, Washington is the only team to which he has not been closely tied following this offseason’s hiring outcomes.

Free agency additions:

Six of these free agency additions played for Quinn previously. Wagner dates back to the HC’s Seattle days, while Fowler played with Quinn in Atlanta and Dallas. Among the ex-Quinn charges, two former Cowboys are in place as the best bets to be multiyear starters from this group.

Biadasz became the NFL’s sixth active center with an eight-figure AAV, joining Lloyd Cushenberry as 2024 free agents who entered this club. Quinn observed Biadasz become a quick study, rising from fourth-round pick to three-year starter. Ranking eighth in run block win rate in 2022 (Tony Pollard‘s Pro Bowl season), Biadasz started 53 games with Dallas. He joins Allegretti, Andrew Wylie and Sam Cosmi as O-line starters on veteran contracts.

One of the Cowboys’ answers after their Randy Gregory negotiation combusted in 2022, Armstrong fared well as a rotational edge rusher over the past two years. PFR’s No. 21 free agent, Armstrong amassed 16 sacks over the past two seasons and got there despite starting just three games. Armstrong undoubtedly benefited from the attention paid to other Cowboy rushers, and while he did not ran inside the top 60 in pressures in either season, the Commanders bet on a Quinn cog who is going into his age-27 season.

It will be interesting to see how Armstrong holds up as a full-time starter, as this will be a big jump for the former Cowboys fourth-rounder. Fowler, 30, combined for 10 sacks in two Cowboys seasons and was more effective as a rotational piece than a high-priced Falcons DE.

Tracing Ekeler’s value drop is interesting. The NFL values three-down running backs, and Ekeler led the league in touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. Outplaying predecessor Melvin Gordon with the Chargers, the former UDFA did not generate much trade interest on a team-friendly contract when given permission to shop in 2023. This came before Ekeler’s high ankle sprain, which limited him in a season with 1,064 scrimmage yards (in 14 games) and six TDs.

One of this period’s most versatile backs settled for a guarantee south of where the Giants went for Devin Singletary. Joe Mixon, who has logged nearly 600 more carries than Ekeler’s 990, tripled the ex-Charger in guarantees.

This could be a good value play by Washington, as Ekeler stands to complement Brian Robinson and give Jayden Daniels a high-end outlet option. Eighth-year RBs certainly bring risk, but the 29-year-old weapon’s carry count is low enough he should have bounce-back potential. Given the Commanders’ uncertain pass-catching corps behind Terry McLaurin, Ekeler could be important.

Wagner finds himself in an unusual situation. Part of a perennial contender — or, at least a team off the rebuilding tier — in Seattle, the future Hall of Famer agreed to rejoin Quinn as a mentor-type presence. Working with Quinn during the latter’s two-year Seattle DC stay (2013-14), Wagner has become one of the league’s all-time great off-ball ‘backers in the years since. He is riding a 10-season streak with either a first- or second-team All-Pro honor. Washington’s current situation appears incongruent with Wagner’s trajectory, but the 34-year-old ILB does offer scheme familiarity to help an overhauled defense. Wagner, who had been linked to reuniting with Quinn in Dallas previously, led the NFL with 183 tackles last season.

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Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Steelers

September 4th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the first time since 1957, the Steelers have spent an offseason completely reshaping their quarterback depth chart. All three signal-callers who were in place for 2023 have departed, and the position’s new faces offer intrigue but also carry plenty of question marks. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are at different parts of their respective careers, though the coming season offers both of them the opportunity to rebuild their value and land an extended stay in Pittsburgh or interest from outside suitors.

The Mike Tomlin era is set to continue through Pittsburgh’s latest efforts to find a true Ben Roethlisberger successor. It remains to be seen if Wilson or Fields will prove capable of earning that title, but Tomlin’s ongoing presence on the sidelines points to the Steelers again having a high floor. Postseason success has proven to be elusive in recent years; whether or not a new arrangement under center ends that drought will be the defining storyline for a team which once again faces a long list of divisional and conference challengers.

Free agency additions:

From the time of head coach Sean Payton’s arrival in Denver, questions were raised about how he and Wilson would mesh. The Saints Super Bowl winner helped Wilson bounce back to an extent from his calamitous debut in the Mile High City, but the team’s passing attack was still insufficient to qualify for the postseason. By the end of the campaign, Jarrett Stidham was atop the depth chart with Wilson seeming to be destined for a fresh start.

Denver asked the nine-time Pro Bowler to waive the future guarantees in his contract; his refusal to do so eventually led to Stidham taking over. In spite of the way 2023 played out, Wilson made it clear on multiple occasions his preference was to remain in Denver. It ultimately came as no surprise when the Broncos formally decided to move on, though.

The team will take on a record-breaking $85MM in dead cap charges by cutting Wilson as a result of the guaranteed money left on his pact – a factor which led to the expectation he would join his next team on a veteran-minimum deal. That would up being the case once the 35-year-old’s Pittsburgh agreement was in place. Mutual interest quickly emerged between team and player, although Wilson also took a visit with the Giants during the period between Denver allowing him to negotiate with suitors and officially releasing him.

The Steelers had a number of other options to choose from this offseason, one of which was Ryan Tannehill. The longtime Titans starter would have been a familiar face for new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but he remains on the market after receiving early consideration from Pittsburgh. Instead, Wilson will be counted on to provide a veteran presence in the team’s new-look quarterback room. The 10-year Seattle starter entered his first offseason with his new team in pole position for the starting gig, although a calf injury limited his training camp participation to an extent.

Once the preseason had concluded, though, Tomlin tapped Wilson as the passer who will top the depth chart to begin the campaign. A return to his form during the Seahawks’ back-to-back Super Bowl appearances should not be expected, but a consistent presence under center could still give the Steelers better production from the QB spot than the past two years. If Wilson can clear that bar, he will position himself for another Pittsburgh contract or a relatively healthy free agent market next spring.

The Steelers are traditionally not big spenders in free agency, and that generally remained true in 2024. Indeed, Queen was the only member of PFR’s top 50 list to take a deal with Pittsburgh. After the Ravens declined his fifth-year option last offseason (a move which followed Baltimore’s market-topping Roquan Smith extension), signs pointed to the second-team All-Pro finding a new team in free agency. Queen was not among Baltimore’s financial priorities for 2024, confirming he would depart after playing out his rookie contract.

The Pro Bowler’s pact raised eyebrows considering how limited it is in terms of guarantees. Queen, 25, only received one year of fully locked-in compensation, and the team has the option to proceed on a year-to-year basis beyond 2024. The LSU alum received more lucrative offers, but he chose to join the Steelers instead. Given his past as a Raven, that fact will add a new layer to the teams’ ongoing rivalry. Nonetheless, Queen will face high expectations in Pittsburgh.

Attached to the fifth-highest AAV for linebackers, Queen will step into a full-time starting role in Pittsburgh. Queen saw his production improve after Smith was acquired via trade, and in 2023 he set career highs in multiple categories (133 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six pass deflections). Having yet to miss a game so far, durability should not be a concern as well. The Steelers’ veteran-laden defense will receive a youthful infusion of production if Queen’s deal pays off.

Interest in Patterson quickly emerged once the NFL’s new kickoff rules were approved. The four-time All-Pro returner has eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards only once in his career, but he has led the league in kick return average three times. Patterson, 33, had his best offensive season while serving in a running back/receiver hybrid role with the Falcons under Smith, although a repeat of that production would be a surprise. He will provide depth in the backfield while handling return duties in his debut Pittsburgh campaign, at a minimum.

Sutton spent his first six years with the Steelers before taking a three-year Lions pact in free agency. His time in Detroit came to an end not long after it was learned a domestic violence arrest warrant had been issued for him. The 29-year-old had his case resolved by entering a pre-trial diversion program, paving the way for a Pittsburgh reunion. Sutton will begin the season by serving an eight-game suspension, but once available he could handle multiple roles in the secondary. A veteran of 56 starts, the former third-rounder represents an experienced option in both the slot and on the perimeter.

The Steelers were linked to a homecoming deal for Tyler Boyd, and at one point a deal seemed likely. The team was unwilling to make a commitment beyond one season, though, and with other suitors emerging, the chances of a Boyd-to-Pittsburgh agreement steadily dwindled. Notably, the longtime Bengal would up signing a one-year Titans deal featuring just $1.2MM in guarantees.

In the absence of a more proven commodity like Boyd, the Steelers’ receiver depth will be worth watching. George Pickens will serve as the team’s top pass catcher, while the likes of Jefferson and Miller (along with the Skowronek-Watkins duo) will vie for playing time. Any member of that group filling a complementary role would of course be a welcomed development on offense.

Trades:

In very short order, the Wilson signing kicked off a chain of events which saw Pickett traded away with Fields being brought in. Keeping in mind Pittsburgh’s aforementioned initial intention of simply adding competition for Pickett, his reaction to Wilson being added was understandable. The 2022 first-rounder asked to be moved once he learned Wilson was coming to Pittsburgh.

Touted as the most pro-ready prospect from his draft class, Pickett was unable to deliver on expectations during his Steelers stint. The 26-year-old threw as many touchdowns as he did interceptions (13) and did not progress as hoped in Year 2 after a rookie campaign which included concussion issues. After finishing the 2023 campaign on the bench despite being healthy, a change of scenery could be best for all parties involved.

Steelers GM Omar Khan offered public praise for Pickett’s NFL outlook when reflecting on the trade. A starting gig does not await the Pitt alum given the presence of Jalen Hurts, but he could do enough over the two years left on his rookie contract – one which will surely not have the fifth-year option picked up – to earn an extended stay in Philadelphia. Regardless of how the Steelers’ 2024 QB experiment shakes out, though, Pickett will be out of the picture altogether.

Like three of the other four non-Trevor Lawrence quarterbacks taken on Day 1 of the 2021 draft, Fields’ time with his original team represented a disappointment and ended in a trade including capital nowhere near as valuable as that which was used to select him. The Ohio State alum showed flashes during his Bears tenure, but his lack of development as a passer helped inform the team’s commitment to retaining the No. 1 pick in April’s draft and using it on Caleb Williams. General manager Ryan Poles repeatedly expressed a willingness to “do right by” Fields once it became increasingly clear a commitment to Williams was forthcoming.

To that end, the Bears took a less valuable offer from the Steelers than ones made by other teams. Pittsburgh represented a more viable path to a starting role for Fields, even with Wilson in place as competition. The Steelers were a team Fields had interest in anyway, so the deal (which will see the pick become a fourth-rounder if he plays 51% or more of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps) suits team and player alike. That will obviously become especially true if the 25-year-old overtakes Wilson atop the depth chart.

While Wilson earned the nod to start the campaign, Fields made progress during the summer amid his bid to win the QB1 job. The latter has increased his accuracy with each passing season (albeit to a height of only 61.4% in 2023) and his 2,220 rushing yards illustrate his ability with his legs. His age gap to Wilson could point to untapped upside, and Fields generated support within the organization in the days leading up to learning he would serve as the backup. From a contract status, though, both passers have plenty on the line this year.

Just as Wilson is a pending free agent, Fields is as well since the Steelers made the expected move of declining his $25.7MM 2025 fifth-year option. That figure would not have been feasible after a year spent on the sidelines, and an evaluation period will be needed if Fields is to earn himself a stay in Pittsburgh after the coming campaign. How each passer fares in the coming months will dictate the way in which Khan proceeds at the position.

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2024 Offseason In Review Series

September 4th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are PFR’s examinations of the 32 NFL teams’ 2024 offseasons:

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles

September 3rd, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reaching their second Super Bowl in five seasons, the Eagles were a much-debated defensive holding call from having a shot to topple the Chiefs. Nick Sirianni‘s team then beat the defending champions in Kansas City last season. Philadelphia then saw its momentum stall, leading to one of the stranger collapses in recent NFL history. The Eagles went from an NFL-best 10-1 to ending the season in a wild-card blowout against a 9-8 team, leading to changes at many areas — including the offensive and defensive coordinator posts.

Sirianni was spared, as it would have been an interesting look for the Eagles to fire another Super Bowl coach not long after that appearance. But the fourth-year leader has moved to a hot seat. Sirianni’s relationship with Jalen Hurts is under the microscope, and Bill Belichick may be lurking. The Eagles, however, still boast a strong roster that could help their coach rebound from a disastrous finish. Despite the unraveling, the team got to work on fortifying both sides of the ball early.

Extensions and restructures:

Playing 17-game seasons and coming along in a pass-friendly era, Brown now holds the top two spots on the franchise’s single-season receiving yardage list. Brown broke Mike Quick‘s 39-year-old record in 2022 and eclipsed it again last season. The Eagles did well to pry Brown from a Titans team that erred in assessing the changing WR market two years ago, and Philly’s latest agreement contributed to another positional boom this year.

Shortly before the draft’s first night, the Eagles gave Brown a new deal that topped Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s record-setting AAV. After back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons, Brown landed a $32MM-per-year extension that moved guaranteed money up and gave the Eagles three more years of control. Given the changing market, that might be an issue down the road. The deal includes $84MM guaranteed in total. Brown, 27, also put to rest any rumored concerns he had with the Eagles by recommitting.

Brown’s contract, which runs through 2029, includes void years through 2034. Prorated option bonuses run through 2034, as the Eagles showed consistently this offseason — in rather innovative fashion — they will prioritize short-term cap position over down-the-road concerns.

Just before the Brown extension, the Eagles made a bit of transaction history by locking down Smith. Since the 2011 CBA introduced the fifth-year option, teams have made those decisions annually since the first draft class eligible brought those decisions in 2014. No team in that span had paid a first-round receiver with two years of rookie-deal control remaining. The Eagles became the first, locking down Smith on an extension that became rather team-friendly as the offseason progressed. Smith’s deal both gives the Eagles five years of control and sets up the former Heisman winner as the NFL’s 11th-highest-paid receiver going into the season.

Bailing out the Eagles for their JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor missteps, Smith has delivered as Brown’s wingman. He has joined the trade acquisition in elevating Hurts, who was tied to a run-heavy offense in Smith’s rookie year. Smith has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, scoring seven TDs in each campaign.

The Eagles having their 25-year-old WR2 as the NFL’s 11th-highest-paid wideout now should age very well, as the market figures to keep spiking or at least gradually increasing while the Alabama alum is tied to this pact. Smith still secured the chance, via a three-year deal, to cash in again in his 20s as well.

Known for taking early action along their offensive front, the Eagles made two steps in that direction this year as well. The first of the Eagles’ would-be Jason Kelce heir apparents — before staying at guard and becoming one of the NFL’s best — Dickerson enters this season as the NFL’s highest-paid guard. The Eagles gave Dickerson $21MM per year, topping Chris Lindstrom‘s previous position record. The former second-round pick became a quick study at left guard, quickly taking over for Brandon Brooks and later helping the Eagles feel comfortable letting Isaac Seumalo walk in free agency.

Developing under acclaimed O-line coach Jeff Stoutland, Dickerson ranked second in pass block win rate and first in run block win rate in 2022. Dickerson also led all interior O-linemen in run block win rate last season, while also ranking as a top-10 player in pass protection. Going into his age-26 season, Dickerson will be counted on as the Eagles aim to replace future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce.

Stoutland completed a more impressive accomplishment with Mailata, leading the effort in the Eagles turning him from a rugby performer to long-term project to standout left tackle. Philly had drafted Andre Dillard to eventually succeed Jason Peters, but a seventh-round pick became the better option. Philly now has three $20MM-per-year O-linemen on an offense with a $50MM-per-year quarterback, an eight-figure running back and two highly compensated receivers.

Two seasons remained on Mailata’s initial Eagles extension (four years, $64MM), but the team operated proactively once again — with cap savings at the root of the move. Mailata’s $22MM-per-year deal tops Lane Johnson‘s AAV while ranking fifth among left tackles. The Australian has yet to draw a Pro Bowl invite, but Pro Football Focus has viewed him as a top-10 tackle in each of the past three years. Run block win rate slotted Johnson and Mailata at Nos. 1 and 2 last season. The Eagles now have their ascending LT signed through 2028, with the team’s usual batch of option bonuses and void years included to defray the cap hits.

As the Eagles rearranged their edge-rushing setup, they prioritized Sweat over Haason Reddick. Though, they took trade calls on both players during an uncertain period ahead of free agency. A 2018 fourth-round pick, Sweat is nearly three years younger (at 27). Sweat was tied to a three-year, $40MM extension that expired after the 2024 season. He agreed to a compromise, accepting a one-year, $10MM redo that came nearly fully guaranteed. With Reddick gone, Sweat is positioned to remain a key piece.

By agreeing to a reworking rather than an extension, Sweat has a platform year ahead and could become one of the 2025 free agent class’ top players with a standout season under the new DC. Sweat slowed late last season along with Reddick, as Philly’s defense crumbled, but he has been a three-year starter and notched 11 sacks as the team pushed for the 1984 Bears’ single-season record in 2022.

The Eagles have Nolan Smith waiting in the wings, and while they will need to see more from the pass-rushing specialist, their 2025 starting OLBs may well be Smith and Bryce Huff.

Free agency additions:

Since trading LeSean McCoy in 2015 (on Chip Kelly‘s watch), the Eagles have kept costs low at running back. They did not re-sign Jay Ajayi, Jordan Howard or Miles Sanders and let D’Andre Swift walk this offseason. Swift’s price point became an issue for the Eagles, but Barkley’s subsequent contract revealed how wide of a gap Philly placed between Swift and its new starter. Plenty came out about Barkley’s free agency this offseason, thanks to Hard Knocks’ inaugural offseason effort, but Howie Roseman zagged after the RB market reached a crisis point in 2023.

Barkley joined Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard in being tagged and not extended. This came after the Vikings and Cowboys cut stalwart RBs Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, and the offseason ended with Joe Mixon following Aaron Jones in taking pay cuts. Entering last season, no RB had been given an eight-figure-per-year contract since July 2021. After the cap’s record-setting $30.6MM spike, the RB market — following Jonathan Taylor‘s October extension — course corrected a bit. A host of starters landed decent deals in 2024, but the Eagles came in with an outlier pact that rewarded the top talent on the market. Barkley’s $26MM guarantee at signing leads the RB pack, and the Eagles pounced after the Giants passed on a second franchise tag.

The Eagles won a bidding war that featured a lucrative Texans offer, along with Bears and Chargers interest, for a player who has dealt with a number of injuries but one that has shown difference-making ability when healthy. Barkley spent much of his prime trapped behind poor Giants O-lines. The Eagles are betting the two-time Pro Bowler has some of his prime remaining, and they will place him behind a top-tier offensive front. Barkley still finished in the top 10 in rushing yards over expected last season, and he powered the Giants to the 2022 divisional round despite that team being largely bereft of talent at the skill spots.

GM Joe Schoen citing the RB’s age (27) as a key factor behind the Giants moving on. Though, FA replacement Devin Singletary turns 27 today. The Giants will see the former Offensive Rookie of the Year again soon. Unlike the Falcons and Kirk Cousins, no tampering penalty ultimately emerged for the Eagles.

As the Jets’ standoff with Haason Reddick persists, the Eagles poached a player New York had deemed ill-equipped for full-time duty. The Eagles appear prepared to unleash Huff, who led the NFL in pressure rate (21.8%) during his 10-sack breakout season. The Jets passed on franchise-tagging Huff, and as they aim for Reddick to be an every-down player, the Eagles clearly viewed Robert Saleh‘s designated pass rusher as an underused asset.

The Jets gave Huff, a 2020 UDFA, just 480 defensive snaps last season. He flashed brightly for another imposing defense, albeit in a part-time capacity. Vic Fangio has a history of coaxing high-end production from edge players, with DPR-type Aldon Smith‘s early-career 49ers work coming to mind. The Eagles could come out of this Reddick-for-Huff switch looking good, though they will bet on a player PFF deemed a poor run defender being able to handle an increased workload.

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Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks

September 2nd, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks had been able to keep their operation afloat following the Legion of Boom’s gradual splintering, with Russell Wilson making his best statistical Hall of Fame case between Seattle’s mid-2010s Super Bowl seasons and the 2021 campaign that brought an injury and early decline signs. While Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider did well to cash in on their star quarterback in 2022, the team has not turned those assets into a true contender yet. This ended up costing Carroll his job.

Carroll’s right-hand man for 14 years, Schneider now has the final say. He landed on Mike Macdonald, whose Ravens defense took a leap last season. The Seahawks have gone from the NFL’s oldest HC to its youngest. They will hope Macdonald and his staff can better maximize the resources poured into the team following the Wilson trade.

Coaching/front office:

Carroll piloted the Seahawks to their highest peak — by far — in franchise history. It is difficult to make a strong case against the 2013 Seahawks being that decade’s best team and one of this century’s best squads. The Seahawks became the first team since the 1950s Browns — who obviously played in a much smaller NFL — to lead the league in scoring defense in four straight years. Carroll followed up his successful USC stay by guiding the Hawks to 10 playoff berths in 14 seasons, completing an NFL bounce-back effort after being a Jets one-and-done (1994) and being fired after three Patriots seasons.

Another case can be made the Seahawks were not the same team once they gave Wilson the first of his three extensions. The Seahawks made the playoffs five times from 2015-20. They won three wild-card games in that span, but they partially benefited from Blair Walsh‘s 27-yard missed field goal (2015) and Carson Wentz sustaining an early concussion (2019). The Lions team they topped in 2016 also ranked 27th in DVOA. This is not to say those Seahawk editions were not worthy playoff squads, but the franchise’s post-Super Bowl XLIX period saw regular check-ins as a second-tier contender. No conference championship appearances have followed since the infamous Marshawn Lynch “what if?”

Carroll also had to battle age (73 in September) and a new owner (Jody Allen) being in place from when he was hired. While Schneider stayed on and will control Seattle’s 53-man roster, the 15th-year GM will be on the clock if the Seahawks cannot mount a true charge in the near future. They again went in a defensive direction. After initial rumors connected ex-Carroll assistant Dan Quinn to the job, the three-year Cowboys DC was deemed to have been too close to the Carroll setup for team brass’ comfort. Macdonald, 36, became the pick — after a bidding war against the Commanders.

Washington ended up hiring Quinn, but he may well have been the organization’s third choice. The Commanders appeared to covet Lions OC Ben Johnson, and they then pivoted to Macdonald. After Johnson turned them down, the Commanders offered the job to Macdonald. The two-year Ravens DC also was viewed by some as Washington’s top choice. In competing with Washington, Seattle came in with the winning offer. The Commanders’ Macdonald pursuit led to the Seahawks offering a six-year contract. HC contracts are guaranteed, and while Dan Campbell and Dave Canales were two first-timers who received six-year deals during the 2020s (with Matt Rhule landing a seven-year accord), four- or five-year deals are standard NFL practice. Intent on landing their top choice, the Seahawks paid up.

Carroll had tried to keep the job, but a report also suggested he had made midseason comments about retirement. Carroll’s specialty, Seattle’s defense proved a letdown during the team’s second straight 9-8 season. Struggling in particular against the run, Carroll and Clint Hurtt‘s unit ranked 25th in scoring and 28th in DVOA. Enter Macdonald, who coaxed the Ravens to a No. 1 defensive ranking despite late-summer (Jadeveon Clowney) or in-season (Kyle Van Noy) additions in place as the team’s top edge rushers. Baltimore led the league in defensive DVOA, and the ex-Jim Harbaugh Michigan DC received an early chance at a top NFL job.

The Seahawks did not block contracted assistants from pursuing other gigs during the period between Carroll and Macdonald, and OC Shane Waldron joined the Bears. Waldron perhaps has not received sufficient credit for Geno Smith‘s stunning 2022 turnaround, with Canales — Seattle’s QBs coach in 2022 — seeing more praise. While Hurtt was not on the DC radar — he is back with Vic Fangio coaching the Eagles’ D-line — Waldron interviewed with multiple teams.

Seattle’s offense plummeted from ninth to 17th in scoring from 2022-23, with Smith taking a slight step back. Macdonald, whom the Giants blocked from interviewing Mike Kafka (also a Seahawks HC candidate), went off the board in an effort to shape his first offense.

No other teams were connected to Grubb, a career-long college assistant who only brings two years of Power 5 experience. Formerly Fresno State’s OC from 2019-21, Grubb played a central role in powering Washington to the 2023 CFP national title game. Michael Penix Jr. owes some of his elevated draft stock — after an injury-plagued Indiana tenure — to Grubb, whose offense produced Division I-FBS’ passing and receiving leaders (Penix, Rome Odunze). This combo boosted the Huskies to the brink of a national title, after the then-Pac-12 program had not played for one since 1991. Grubb, 48, had agreed to follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama but ended up viewing this Seahawks offer as a better opportunity.

Schematic changes will be evident immediately in Seattle, and it will be interesting to see how Smith looks in Grubb’s offense. Macdonald kept the Ravens’ long-running 3-4 scheme in place but hired Durde, who had served as the Cowboys’ D-line coach under Quinn. Durde joined Macdonald as an in-demand candidate. The Falcons, Rams and Packers requested meetings, and the Cowboys interviewed him for their DC post — one that ended up going to Mike Zimmer — after the Commanders poached Joe Whitt. Macdonald also considered ex-Ravens coworker Zach Orr, but he received a Baltimore promotion.

Durde, who is English, coached the sport in London for nearly a decade before landing on Quinn’s Falcons staff. As Micah Parsons has shifted to a full-time pass rusher, Durde coached the star talent in a scheme that kept the All-Pro roving around formations. A former Macdonald Ravens mentor, Frazier is back after a 2023 sabbatical. The Bills employed the former Vikings HC as their defensive coordinator for six seasons, but Sean McDermott separated from his previous play-caller in 2023. Frazier’s presence figures to be important on a staff with a first-time HC and rookie DC.

Re-signings:

The Seahawks sent the Giants second- and fifth-round picks for Williams at the 2023 deadline. Hours after the Giants then sent second- and fifth-rounders for Brian Burns, the Seahawks did not let the asset they had acquired leave. Williams is back in the fold, representing a shift for a Seahawks team that continues to invest along the D-line after previously not devoting substantial resources — at least, not until the 2023 Dre’Mont Jones signing — to interior defensive linemen. Jones has since been working on the edge, even after spending five seasons as an interior rusher. Through that lens, the Seahawks have an inside-outside rush combo each on contracts north of $17MM per year.

After not quite living up to his No. 6 overall draft slot as a Jet, Williams has made a habit of timing his resurgences well. On the franchise tag in 2020, the USC product produced 11.5 sacks — far and away a career high — and commanded one of this era’s most player-friendly deals for a defender shortly after the March 2021 franchise tag application deadline (three years, $63MM, $45MM fully guaranteed). Williams did not come close to those 2020 numbers in 2021 or ’22, but upon being dealt to the Seahawks, he posted four sacks and 11 QB hits in 10 games.

Williams, 30, did not help a Seattle run defense that ranked 30th, but Macdonald will plug him into his defense. This could be a good sign for the 10th-year player, as Macdonald just coaxed a dominant season from Ravens DT Justin Madubuike. Williams has an extensive track record as a quality run defender, though his best work on that front came back in his Jets days.

Fant joined Williams in hitting the market. Early deals for Dalton Schultz and Hunter Henry helped the 2019 first-round pick, but his Seahawks usage did not create an extensive bidding war. Fant drew 93- and 90-target seasons during his final two Broncos years; after seeing 63 looks in his Seahawks debut, the Iowa product commanded a paltry 43 last season. After 670- and 673-yard showings in offenses with sub-average QB play in Denver, Fant has stalled out in Seattle. This contract, however, would appear to show the team agrees a production uptick should be expected.

The former No. 20 overall pick is the only player in Seahawks history to see his fifth-year option exercised, which is interesting due to his status as a Broncos draft choice. While Fant is unlikely to flirt with numbers ex-Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson has put up as a pro, Grubb unlocking him could prove a gateway to a higher tier for Seattle’s offense.

Free agency additions:

AFC East fans will recognize several players in this year’s Seahawks starting lineup. Most of the main additions come from that division.

Last year’s Seahawks O-line underwhelmed in terms of performance and health, and the team’s 2024 offering is not off to a great start. Abraham Lucas is again set for an injury-driven absence. Offseason knee surgery, after the right tackle starter missed 11 games last season, led to a reserve/PUP list designation. The Seahawks will become the latest team to call on George Fant, who has begun to make a career of RT fill-in duty.

Fant, 32, never worked as a full-time Seahawks starter during his first stint. He still parlayed that tenure into a three-year, $27.3MM Jets deal. After being a three-year Jets starter, Fant subbed for the Texans by playing 874 RT snaps last year. Lucas’ injury history has become a concern, and the Seahawks did well to bring back their one-time basketball convert for key spot duty.

Seattle landed Williams at a discount, finishing a lengthy recruiting process after the seventh-year vet made a Ravens visit. If he plays to his Dolphins form, the team will need to prepare a big raise in order to keep the former second-rounder beyond 2024.

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Offseason In Review: New York Jets

September 2nd, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

After hitting on three foundational pieces in Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall during the 2022 draft, the Jets were ready to contend in 2023. The organization immediately addressed its QB woes, bringing Aaron Rodgers (and friends) to New York last offseason. Despite not having put together a winning season since 2015, optimism was unusually high among the Gang Green faithful.

We all know what happened next. Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury after only four offensive snaps, and the Jets once again had to deal with dismal quarterback play throughout the 2023 campaign. Despite Zach Wilson‘s best worst efforts, the Jets admirably stumbled to seven wins.

Considering the Jets’ all-in approach, 2023 was undoubtedly a lost season. Fortunately, it wasn’t all lost in New York. The organization was still able to identify some key roster holes, and it used the 2024 offseason to act accordingly. By adding key players via free agency and the draft, the Jets may have set themselves up for even more success than envisioned a year ago.

Coaching/front office:

  • Retained head coach Robert Saleh, GM Joe Douglas
  • Parted ways with assistant GM Rex Hogan

Thanks to the efforts of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, there would have been optimism heading into 2023 even if the Jets hadn’t acquired a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Unfortunately, the team’s offensive improvements proved short-lived, and the Jets’ 7-10 record in 2023 was once again a reflection of the offense.

With the organization again failing to make the playoffs, both the head coach and the GM found themselves on the hot seat. Of course, even the most basic context would indicate that 2023’s failures couldn’t entirely be attributed on the duo, and Woody Johnson seemed to share that sentiment when he announced that he’d retain his HC/GM tandem. Reports of paranoia from within the organization hint that there could be cracks in the foundation, but ownership is willing to give the franchise architectures at least one more shot (this time with a healthy Aaron Rodgers).

One storyline to watch in 2024 will surround the handling of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Following a failed stint as the Broncos’ head coach, the former Packers OC teamed up with Rodgers again for the 2023 campaign. When the franchise QB went down, Hackett faced a lot of the blame for the Jets’ offensive inadequacies, leading Saleh to explore a hire to whom Hackett would cede at least some authority. No hire emerged, and while Rodgers again vouched for the embattled OC, Hackett certainly joins the other central Jets decision-makers on the hot seat.

Extensions and restructures:

C.J. Mosley did not have the best start in New York after inking a then-record-setting five-year, $85MM deal in 2019, but the former Ravens draftee has since reclaimed his place as one of the NFL’s top linebackers. With no guaranteed money remaining on the player’s contract, the Jets committed fully to the linebacker for the 2024 campaign while also providing an option for 2025. Of course, this brought a reduction in AAV from Mosley’s previous $17MM-per-year number. He was not the only accomplished linebacker to accept a salary reduction in exchange for guarantees; the Jaguars proceeded this way with Foye Oluokun as well.

Mosley has strung together back-to-back 150-plus-tackle slates and collected his first All-Pro honor — a second-team selection — in 2022. Thanks to the offseason extension, he’ll continue to roll in a high-end tandem with Quincy Williams for at least one more season.

Trades:

The Jets appeared to have it all figured out when they acquired Haason Reddick from the Eagles. The organization had just let Bryce Huff walk to Philly on a lucrative deal, and with Reddick no longer in the Eagles’ plans, the Jets swooped in and acquired the veteran. Unfortunately, Reddick decided to play hardball in pursuit of a contract extension, leading to one of the organization’s biggest offseason headaches in recent years.

The impending free agent still has not reported to his new squad, and considering the Jets’ refusal to negotiate until Reddick actually shows up to team facilities, it is seeming increasingly likely that the holdout will extend into the regular season.

A two-time Pro Bowler who has compiled the fourth-most sacks during the 2020s (50.5) recently took the drastic step of requesting a trade out of New York, but the Jets would be hard-pressed to find a suitor considering the player’s contract demands.

Reddick, 30 this month, has sought a deal in the $25-$28MM-per-year range, while the Jets offered him a below-market number before acquiring him via trade. Reddick had expected the Jets to revisit extension talks, but the team wanted to gauge his fit first. This led to a staredown and the eventual trade request. The Jets were rumored to be ready to adapt Reddick’s 2024 earnings via sweeteners, but the linebacker is seeking term on any extension. Usually we’d wait until one side blinks, but it sounds like neither a stubborn Reddick nor a stubborn Jets front office are willing to relent.

The Jets were not done making trades, with the organization finally ripping off the human-sized Band-Aid that was quarterback Zach Wilson. There was once hope that the former No. 2 overall pick would help lead a rebuilt Jets squad to the promised land. After struggling as a rookie and failing as a sophomore, the Jets pivoted to veteran Aaron Rodgers as their new QB savior. Still, the organization was confident that Wilson could be a future contributor while learning under Rodgers’ tutelage. Instead, Wilson was thrust right back into the lineup.

Wilson’s 60.1% completing and 1.9% interception rates in 2023 both marked career-best figures, but his 4-7 showing as a starter (which included an eventual refusal to move back into the starting lineup, a charge Wilson denied) spelled the end of his tenure in New York. The Jets benched Wilson a grand total of three times. It appears he is headed into this season as the Broncos’ third-string quarterback.

While the Jets have generally used free agency and the draft to address their offensive line, the team did swing a trade for a starting-caliber tackle. The Jets acquired old friend Morgan Moses, who spent the 2021 campaign in New York. Since then, the veteran had a two-year stint in Baltimore. Pro Football Focus basically ranked Moses as a top-15 tackle between those two campaigns. One of the NFL’s longest-tenured tackle starters, Moses will line up on the right side of the line for the Jets, but the team’s newfound depth means the veteran will have to perform to keep his spot.

The Jets moved on from John Franklin-Myers following a four-year pairing. The defensive lineman turned into one of the team’s most reliable pass rushers in recent years, with Franklin-Myers collecting 14.5 sacks between 2021 and 2023. Reddick’s incoming salary represented a key reason why the Jets bailed on Franklin-Myers, a three-year starter for the team. The Broncos, however, reworked the versatile D-lineman’s contract and are prepared to use him as a starter in their 3-4 scheme.

Free agency additions:

With Zach Wilson failing as the starter, the Jets quickly realized they should have rostered a better contingency option for Aaron Rodgers. So, the team went out and acquired one of the top backup quarterbacks on the market, handing Taylor more than $8MM in guaranteed money to (hopefully) sit on the bench.

Taylor has not started double-digit games since the 2017 campaign, but the journeyman QB has garnered 15 combined starts over the past six years. Over that span, he has gone 6-8-1 as a starter while completing 59.9% of his passes for 3,079 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. While the Jets obviously prefer for Rodgers to be healthy, all wouldn’t be completely lost — at least, compared to last year’s plan — if Taylor is forced into the lineup.

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Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

September 1st, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Replacing the player most consider the greatest quarterback in NFL history, the Buccaneers also entered last season with more than $70MM in dead money — much if from Tom Brady‘s retirement — on their payroll. After the team defended its NFC South title and saw Baker Mayfield pilot a late-season charge, GM Jason Licht signed off on largely running it back in 2024.

While OC Dave Canales departed, Mayfield joined some Super Bowl-era cornerstones in recommitting to the Bucs. This effort, which included two record-setting extensions, will test how well the Bucs have built their roster. The team still plays in what again looks like the NFL’s worst division. It would surprise if this mass retention effort did not keep the Bucs a threat for a fourth straight home wild-card game.

Extensions and restructures:

With the exception of the Bengals’ rental plans involving Tee Higgins, teams operated intently with their franchise- or transition-tagged players. While the Patriots used the transition tag on Kyle Dugger, the Bucs ensured Winfield could not test the market by slapping the franchise tag on the All-Pro. This turned out to be a significant offseason for the team’s breakthrough 2020 draft class, with pillars Winfield and Wirfs being locked down long term. Months before Wirfs’ payday, Winfield came in with a deal that tops all safeties and proved to outpace all cornerbacks as well.

The safety market featured interesting twists this year. A host of veteran safeties — Justin Simmons and Quandre Diggs among them — became cap casualties. Many others settled for middle-class money as unrestricted free agents. As a market correction appeared in the works, the Packers gave Xavier McKinney a top-four safety deal. This brought good news for Winfield, who is a more accomplished safety. McKinney’s Green Bay deal reminded teams were still willing to pay up for the top young players at the position, and rumblings about Winfield requiring a record-setting extension surfaced soon after.

A 2020 second-round pick, Winfield became an immediate starter and helped the Bucs stonewall a historically explosive Chiefs offense in Super Bowl LV. The Bucs had expressed interest in extending the second-generation NFL DB in 2023, but Winfield ended up benefiting from the team waiting. He delivered a first-team All-Pro showing, complete with three interceptions, six sacks and an NFL-high six forced fumbles. The sixth of those strips denied DJ Chark at the goal line in a narrow Bucs Week 18 win over the Panthers, leading to a division title. Despite Mayfield and Mike Evans‘ free agencies, Winfield always loomed as Tampa Bay’s clear tag candidate.

This pact checks in more than $2MM north of Derwin James‘ previous safety high-water mark, in terms of AAV, with the $21.03MM-per-year number also coming in higher than Jaire Alexander‘s CB record. In terms of guarantees at signing, Winfield’s $45MM separates him by $7MM from the safety pack. The threat of the Bucs tagging Winfield again in 2025 contributed to the team needing to go here to extend its top DB. Not hailed on the same level as Jamal Adams‘ 2021 extension that provided a gap between the then-Seahawks safety and the field, Winfield’s deal quietly accomplished this as well.

Going into free agency, Licht did not classify a 2024 Wirfs deal as a priority. After Tampa Bay checked its other top contract matters off the list, Wirfs made sure it became one. A spring report suggested the sides were far apart.

The Bucs had developed an atypical habit of waiting until after key players’ contracts expired to pay them. They did this with Shaq Barrett in 2021, Carlton Davis in 2022 and Jamel Dean last year. This trend continued in 2024, with Evans and Mayfield on the cusp of free agency before re-signing. Winfield also needed to be tagged, upon playing out his rookie deal. Wirfs staged a hold-in to force the team’s hand, and the Bucs deviated from their usual timeline.

The Bucs saw the tackle market move before acting on Wirfs. While this may have cost the team a bit, this extension was actually early compared to when the team normally does business. Penei Sewell became the rare right tackle to reset the market for all tackles, scoring a $28MM-per-year Lions extension and the Vikings then gave Christian Darrisaw a deal that topped the LT market — at $26MM per.

Wirfs, 25, is more accomplished than both, being a three-time Pro Bowler — at two different positions — and collecting first- and second-team All-Pro honors. Also helping Tampa Bay during its Brady years, Wirfs made a successful transition to the left side in 2023. Of the four tackles chosen in the top 13 picks in 2020, Wirfs — selected 13th overall — has been the best to date.

The Iowa product’s deal reflects this. The Bucs gave the fifth-year blocker $11MM more in guarantees ($88.2MM) than any other tackle. Tampa Bay did convince Wirfs to sign a five-year deal, but the contract does not tie Wirfs to his team for as long as Andrew Thomas‘ Giants pact does. Wirfs signed effectively a six-year commitment, whereas the Giants’ No. 4 overall pick in 2020 — who agreed to terms after his third season — gave his team seven years of control. Wirfs’ resolution matches the Lions’ Sewell term length, with the NFC North champs doing a deal following their RT’s third season.

With teams making significant updates to the tackle market this offseason, the NFL’s first $30MM-per-year tackle is likely coming soon.

Re-signings:

Value swings have defined Mayfield’s career. He went from an impressive rookie year that dragged the Browns out of the worst period in franchise history to enduring a major regression under overmatched HC Freddie Kitchens. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick then bounced back under Kevin Stefanski, giving the Browns their first playoff win since the franchise reboot. After Mayfield extension rumors did not produce serious negotiations in 2021, an early-season shoulder injury harpooned his value. The Browns then made their controversial (and financially damaging) Deshaun Watson trade, and Mayfield did not improve in Carolina, turning in his worst NFL season. That led to the Bucs nabbing him for $4MM; the sides’ second negotiation proved more complicated.

Mayfield needed to beat out Kyle Trask for the starting job, and Tampa Bay started 4-7. But the veteran showed flashes during the season’s first half and then piloted the team to a division-winning finish — likely saving Todd Bowles‘ job — and a wild-card romp over an Eagles team in crisis.

Mayfield, 29, had produced a better QBR with Stefanski, and his 54.3 number last year actually came in under his much-maligned 2019 season’s output (54.4). Mayfield ranked 18th in the metric in 2023. Under Canales, though, Mayfield finished with a career-high 28 TD passes (compared to 10 INTs). Following a 337-yard, three-TD showing against the Eagles, Mayfield held his own in Detroit in the divisional round (349/3, with two INTs) to better position himself for a higher-end 2024 contract.

The 2017 Heisman winner had said he wanted to stay with the Bucs, but they will have a harder time building around a $33.3MM-per-year contract than they did in 2023. That said, Brady’s $35.1MM dead money bill brought far more in combined QB cap allocations compared to where Mayfield’s money is this year ($6.9MM). Even after the current passer’s cap number spikes to $35.78MM in 2025, the ’23 Bucs still carried more in combined quarterback money on the payroll. With eight QBs now over $50MM per year and Dak Prescott set to become No. 9 soon or in 2025, Mayfield in this middle-class price range is not as player-friendly as the massive raise would suggest.

The sides completed a deal before free agency, and while loose Falcons and Patriots connections emerged, Mayfield never seemed close to leaving the team that revitalized his career. Barring an 11th-hour Prescott extension, Mayfield will enter the season as the NFL’s 19th-highest-paid quarterback. The seventh-year passer will see $10MM added to his guarantee total on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. It would cost the Bucs more than $26MM in dead money to bail before that date, giving the QB some security — though, not full-fledged assurances he will be back in 2025 — if another regression occurs.

Discussions about the second-best wide receiver in Bucs history — for the handful of folks who have drifted far enough off path to address this matter — probably center on Chris Godwin, Kevin House, Mark Carrier or Vincent Jackson. The gap between this tier and Evans is rather wide.

Making a Frank Gore-like Hall of Fame case based on consistency, Evans leads the Bucs in receiving by nearly 5,000 yards. The 10-time 1,000-yard receiver has been a modicum of consistency, providing high production baselines for Brady, Jameis Winston and Mayfield during his career. Evans does not have a first-team All-Pro honor on his resume (two second-team nods) and has surpassed 1,300 yards in a season just twice (2016, 2018), but he has been durable and did enough in 2023 to convince the Bucs to re-sign him — after a separation appeared in play.

Going public with frustration about his situation last August, Evans had confirmed the Bucs had not made an offer as the 2023 season neared. The decorated WR had seen the position’s market boom, while he remained tied to a $16.5MM-per-year deal he agreed to in 2018. That contract had plummeted toward the position’s middle class, with Godwin even surpassing it on his current $20MM-AAV accord. Evans matched the NFL lead in receiving TDs (13) last season, as the Bucs shut down trade inquiries. Rumblings about another Bucs deal surfaced, and the sides came together without the 2014 first-rounder reaching free agency.

Evans, 31, had aimed to test the market and later said he would have considered the Chiefs or Texans if a viable Tampa Bay offer did not emerge. Instead, the Bucs gave their dependable pass catcher a frontloaded contract. In addition to the $29MM guaranteed at signing, another $6MM will come Evans’ way if he is on the Bucs’ roster on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. Barring a trade, he almost certainly will be. Regardless, Evans will almost definitely see all $41MM on this deal.

This is David’s fifth Bucs contract. As he continues to anchor the team’s second level, David ended up nearly doubling his 2023 contract (one year, $4.5MM) ahead of his age-34 season. The former second-round pick’s 134 tackles last season were his most since 2015 — his most recent Pro Bowl season, though the Bucs’ time in a 4-3 defense during the LB’s prime hurt his Pro Bowl count — and Pro Football Focus rated David as a top-25 off-ball ‘backer for the seventh straight year.

A one-team player, David had said it was Bucs or retirement this offseason. The Bucs will continue to lean on David, who trails only Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks for Tampa Bay service time by a defender.

This is also Gholston’s fifth Bucs contract, as Licht’s retention approach did not only include higher-end contracts. Gholston has started 88 Bucs games, playing in 169. It is rare in today’s NFL when a 12th-year player is not his team’s longest-tenured defender, but David still holds that distinction. These two are the only remaining links to Bowles’ Super Bowl LV front seven. Gholston, 33, saw his playing time drop considerably in 2023; he played a career-low 244 defensive snaps. The Bucs still kept the veteran D-lineman around as a backup, with two recent early-round picks — starters Calijah Kancey, Logan Hall — to mentor.

Free agency additions:

Licht had bemoaned his decision to let Whitehead walk as a free agent in 2022, but the team did not operate with a full-on retention strategy the way it had in 2021. Whitehead, who started 55 games with the Bucs from 2018-21, played out a two-year, $14MM Jets deal. The Jets wanted to re-sign Whitehead but did not deem that a high priority. Whitehead is back in place as a safety starter, set to work alongside Winfield. From 2018-20, the Bucs used six second-, third- or fourth-round picks on DBs. Three remain with the team, as Dean continues on his 2023 re-up. Despite going into his seventh season, Whitehead is just 27.

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5 Key Stories: 8/25/24 – 9/1/24

September 1st, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the calendar having flipped to September, the regular season has nearly arrived. The past seven days saw plenty of roster movement with roster cutdowns taking place, along with a number of developments with respect to contract situations being resolved before Week 1. In case you missed any of this week’s top stories, here is a quick recap:

  • Lamb Signs Cowboys Extension: CeeDee Lamb held out of Cowboys training camp while negotiations on an extension took place. Dallas’ offers increased incrementally over time, and the sides ultimately reached agreement on a four-year deal. Lamb is now on the books through 2028 and he is attached to an AAV of $34MM, the second-highest mark for receivers. The All-Pro had a career year in 2023, delivering the most productive season from a Cowboys wideout in franchise history. That (coupled with the surging WR market) helped his bargaining power and produced a deal meeting his targeted terms. Dallas typically prefers longer extensions with in-house stars, but Lamb’s camp managed to secure favorable conditions regarding length and annual compensation (along with $100MM guaranteed), not moving off the $34MM mark during talks. Work still needs to be done on the Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons fronts, but the Cowboys have one major extension taken care of.
  • Aiyuk Saga Ends With 49ers Extension: Not long after the Lamb deal was signed, Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers worked out the league’s next big-ticket receiver deal. The long-running saga concerning Aiyuk’s future ended with an extension averaging $30MM per season and including $76MM in total guarantees being worked out. A trade with the Steelers never came to pass, although recent signs pointed to that outcome being less likely than a San Francisco resolution. The Broncos’ denial of an offer which would have seen Courtland Sutton head to the Bay Area after an Aiyuk-to-Pittsburgh trade offers another layer of intrigue to a scenario which nevertheless produced the expected outcome. While Aiyuk is in place long term, the 49ers’ receiving corps received a considerable scare when first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound to the chest as the victim of an attempted robbery on Saturday. Pearsall, fortunately, has since been discharged from hospital.
  • Dolphins Extend McDaniel: After two seasons at the helm of the Dolphins, Mike McDaniel landed an extension which will keep him in his head coaching post through 2028. The 41-year-old took over Miami’s staff in 2022 amidst high expectations based on his reputation as one of the league’s top up-and-coming offensive minds. He has helped quarterback Tua Tagovailoa develop, and the former first-rounder’s performance when heathy helped him earn the NFL’s fourth-most lucrative extension in terms of AAV this offseason. McDaniel’s Dolphins reached the playoffs in each of his two seasons on the sideline, bowing out in the wild-card round both times. Improvement in that regard will be targeted moving forward, but the team has made an early long-term investment banking on the chances of that taking place.
  • Rams Deal Jones To Titans: Linebacker Ernest Jones served as a key contributor on the Rams’ defense over the past two years in particular. His production made him a logical extension candidate, but it became increasingly clear during a matter of days that no long-term deal would come from Los Angeles and that, as such, a trade could be worked out. The team spoke with interested suitors not long before a deal was worked out sending the 24-year-old to the Titans. The Rams attached a sixth-round pick to the trade, one which will see them receive a fifth-round selection in return. Jones – whose trade value was compromised by the fact he is a pending free agent – will step into a first-team role in Tennessee as he looks to duplicate his 2023 production. The South Carolina alum racked up 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks last year, both career highs. Another strong campaign could set him up for a lucrative deal next spring unless a Titans extension is worked out before that point.
  • Wilson Tapped As Steelers’ Starter: Once Russell Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh, he was the favorite for the QB1 gig. Trade acquisition Justin Fields worked with the first-team offense for much of training camp while Wilson was injured, though, and the former Bears first-rounder had support in the building to earn the starter’s role. Instead, it will be Wilson, 35, atop the depth chart to begin the campaign. The former Seahawks Super Bowl winner’s time in Denver did not go according to plan, and as a pending free agent he has plenty to prove on his third career team. Fields is also on track to hit the open market next spring, so his performance (if he sees any game action) will be worth watching closely as well. Pittsburgh’s QB situation is unsettled beyond 2024, but for the time being the team will lean on its most experienced option under center.

Offseason In Review: New England Patriots

August 31st, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Four years into the post-Tom Brady era, the Patriots hit a new low. New England finished the 2023 campaign with only four wins, their lowest total since Bill Belichick’s five-win debut in 2000. That dismal performance ultimately led to the legendary coach’s ouster, meaning the organization has officially hit the reset button with two of their three franchise pillars out the door.

Owner Robert Kraft remains, and he’s hoping his two highest-profile offseason moves will help guide the franchise to another stretch of success. Jerod Mayo takes over along the sideline, with the unofficial co-defensive coordinator (and assumed Belichick successor) earning the promotion to HC. On the field, the team invested the No. 3 overall pick on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, a raw but talented prospect who possesses more upside than any of the other QBs who have taken the field since Brady’s departure.

That duo will be hard pressed to match even a fraction of Brady and Belichick’s accolades, but they’re obviously not being tasked with reaching those same heights. Instead, Kraft and Co. will be counting on his rebuilding squad to show same flashes of potential in 2024, perhaps convincing ownership to open up the checkbook next offseason.

Coaching/front office:

Bill Belichick’s resume is undeniable, and the organization wouldn’t have won six Super Bowl rings without him roaming the sideline. However, considering his full dominion over every facet of football operations, he was chiefly responsible for the team’s downfall in recent years.

Even ignoring his influence on Tom Brady’s departure, Belichick made questionable decisions as both a coach and GM over the past four years. From his mishandling of the coaching staff (which featured handing the offense to former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coordinator Joe Judge) to his mishandling of the quarterback position (which never featured a full endorsement of former first-round pick Mac Jones), Belichick was as much to blame as anybody in the organization.

Following the team’s worst showing during Belichick’s tenure, the head coach and owner Robert Kraft ultimately decided to part ways. This officially ended one of the most successful runs in North American sports history, and with the two main contributors to New England’s dynasties no longer in the building, the Patriots have officially kicked off a new era.

While ownership went through a faux head coaching cycle, the team landed on the assumed successor: former linebacker and recent de facto defensive coordinator Jerod Mayo. The former first-round pick rejected previous head coaching inquiries to stick in New England, a major clue that he was likely going to succeed Belichick when the time came. While Mayo showed some coaching talent while guiding the defense alongside Stephen Belichick, it obviously remains to be seen if he has the ability to guide an entire organization. At the very least, he’ll provide a fresh voice to Belichick’s old-school (and, potentially, antiquated) approach.

Mayo was immediately tasked with filling out his coaching staff. On offense, he landed on Alex Van Pelt, who was a surprise scapegoat following Cleveland’s blowout playoff loss last year. Van Pelt got the most out of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt during his four-year stint with the Browns, but the passing offense often left much to be desired. The offensive coordinator certainly won’t be evaluated for his rebuilding unit’s performance in 2024, but the organization will be hoping the offense shows some progress before the season is through.

On defense, Mayo settled on a familiar face to guide the way. DeMarcus Covington has been with the Patriots staff since 2017, working his way up from an assistant to the team’s defensive line coach. Covington was credited with the development of former second-round pick Christian Barmore, and Matt Judon and Josh Uche have both had success on the edge under the coach’s tutelage.

Belichick’s departure also left a major hole in the front office, where the legendary coach had full control over the roster. For that gig, the organization also opted for the long-rumored favorite: director of scouting Eliot Wolf. The son of long-time Packers GM Ron Wolf, Eliot will be tasked with bringing some of that Green Bay mentality to New England. In that arrangement, the organization would value the personnel department’s input vs. the head coach’s final say (a tactic that was impossible with Belichick at the helm).

Belichick’s ouster obviously had rippling effects on every facet of the organization. The coach’s eventual departure was inevitable, and while his successors may take time to find their footing, the Patriots have overcome the first hurdle of ripping off the Belichick-sized band-aid.

Extensions and restructures:

Curiously, while many pundits critiqued Bill Belichick’s recent draft track record and attributed it partly to his New England demise, the team still put in efforts to retain many of his extension-eligible draft picks.

Two of the team’s three foundational extensions came on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots first slapped safety Kyle Dugger with the rarely-used transition tag before handing him a lucrative four-year extension. The former second-round pick doesn’t have any Pro Bowl appearances on his resume, and Pro Football Focus has been inconsistent with their evaluation of the defensive back. Still, Duggar has proven himself to be one of New England’s most reliable defenders in recent years, with the safety compiling nine interceptions and 20 passes defended. Facing an uncertain future, some consistency and familiarity will be key.

The Patriots also made a sizable commitment to defensive tackle Christian Barmore, assuring the former second-round pick is in New England for the foreseeable future. The Alabama product’s production took a clear step forward this past season, with Barmore compiling 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2023, the second season in which he was healthy for every game. Barmore added 19 pressures and 16 QB hits, and he ranked eighth among defensive tackles in terms of PFF grade (83.8).

On the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots strayed from Belichick’s former playbook by handing a running back a notable extension. Rhamondre Stevenson’s extension won’t break the bank, but the four-year commitment certainly shows a change in philosophies. The former fourth-round pick has been one of New England’s most consistent offensive contributors in recent years, including a 2022 campaign where he collected 1,461 yards from scrimmage.

David Andrews represents one of the lone holdovers from the team’s Super Bowl-winning days. The veteran center managed to start all 17 games for the second time in three years, and the Patriots are assuring he’ll continue to stick around as the team transitions to Drake Maye under center. Both Jabrill Peppers and Davon Godchaux were savvy former pickups by the Patriots in free agency, and the veterans were rewarded for their efforts with multi-year extensions.

Trades:

The Patriots didn’t seem entirely committed to Mac Jones during his sophomore season, and the quarterback clearly fell out of the team’s plans following his 2-9 showing as a starter in 2023. Even before the team committed to drafting Drake Maye with the third-overall pick, New England decided to move on from their former first-round pick.

Jones had an up-and-down showing during his time with the Patriots. His best season came as a rookie, when he tossed 22 touchdowns, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and helped guide the Patriots to a postseason appearance. The wheels fell off over the subsequent two years, although the organization certainly didn’t put the signal-caller in a position to succeed. With Jones showing signs of regression and possessing only one-plus season remaining on his rookie contract, the Patriots decided to revamp their QB situation by dealing the player to Jacksonville.

As the Patriots handed out extensions left and right, the team curiously didn’t give a long-term pact to one of their most deserving players. Matt Judon took his play to another level after joining the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, with the edge rusher collecting 28 sacks between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. His 2023 season was limited to only four games, and with the defender set to enter his age-32 season, the Patriots were wary of tacking on additional term to his contract.

While the front office was willing to increase his $6.5MM base salary for the 2024 campaign, it sounded like Judon wasn’t all that interested in a lame-duck status with a rebuilding squad. So, the Patriots made a move that was probably inevitable anyway by the time the trade deadline came around, sending their top defender to Atlanta for a third-round pick.

Free agency additions:

Armed with a chunk of cap room, the Patriots entered the offseason with some high hopes. While the team pursued some of the top names on the market, the front office ended up settling for some depth moves in a clear effort to evaluate their holdovers and draft picks.

Offensively, the team’s most notable free agent addition was also a familiar face. Jacoby Brissett was a third-round pick by the Patriots back in 2016, but the QB only lasted one season in New England before he was dealt to the Colts, where he filled in (and eventually succeeded) Andrew Luck. He proved himself to be a capable starter but not a ceiling-raiser, and he’s since established a reputation as one of the league’s premier QB2s.

In New England, the veteran will keep the seat warm until Drake Maye is ready to roll. It’s uncertain if Brissett will run the offense for all or just part of the 2024 campaign, and the team’s sizable guaranteed commitment shows they’re paying up for the uncertain role.

The team added a handful of additional offensive players who could play fringe roles for the 2024 Patriots. Antonio Gibson proved himself to be a capable pass-catching back during his stint in Washington, and the veteran should provide the Patriots with a change-of-pace option at the RB position. K.J. Osborn topped 500 receiving yards in Minnesota in each of the past three seasons, but with an uncertain QB room and a relatively deep WR room, he probably won’t top those numbers in New England. Austin Hooper brings some experience to the tight end room, although the departed Mike Gesicki’s tepid New England production shows that we shouldn’t expect a whole lot from Hunter Henry’s backup.

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