Broncos Retain Jack Del Rio As DC
The Broncos and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio agreed to terms Thursday on a new two-year contract, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The deal between the AFC champions and the former Jaguars head coach should be finalized tomorrow.
“Jack did a nice job with our defense,” said John Elway, the Broncos’ executive vice president of football operations. “We had a lot of injuries on that defensive side and Jack did a good job holding that side together. Even in the Super Bowl, our defense kept us in the game in the first half.”
Of course, Denver wasn’t really known for its defense this year as Peyton Manning and the club’s electric passing game took most of the attention. However, Del Rio has done enough to halt the revolving door that has been the Denver DC position in recent years. Before Del Rio’s arrival in 2012, the Broncos went through seven in seven years.
When Broncos head coach John Fox underwent open-heart surgery in November, Del Rio served as interim coach and led Denver to a 3-1 mark as interim coach. The Broncos’ defense was just belo the middle of the pack last season with 356 yards allowed per game, good for 19th overall.
Extra Points: Decker, Peppers, Graham
The very best wide receivers usually don’t reach the open market, but there are still plenty of gems to be found. Yesterday, Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com previewed the 2014 free agent class at the wide receiver position. The class is highlighted by Broncos wideout Eric Decker, athletic Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and more. Cohen sees Maclin, who missed all of 2013 with an ACL tear, staying with the Eagles on a one-year, $5MM pact. Meanwhile, he predicts that Decker will wind up with the Browns on a five-year, $62MM deal with about $25-30MM guaranteed. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Chris Burke of SI.com breaks down the possible cap casualties of the offseason. The once dominant Julius Peppers probably won’t be with the Bears if he doesn’t take a pay cut and Chris Clemons and Sidney Rice are probably on the block with the Seahawks.
- Who will be slapped with the franchise tag this offseason? Cohen writes that five to eight players will likely be hit with one of the most unique clauses in professional sports. Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, Browns safety T.J. Ward, and Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta are among the candidates for the tag.
- NFL.com has released the list of players invited to participate in the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. Of course, an invitation doesn’t ensure that the player will participate and every year there are notable players who opt out of the mass audition. The combine runs from February 22-25.
Asante Samuel Rumors: Wednesday
The Falcons released Asante Samuel earlier today, and while getting cut is rarely good news for a veteran player, the Falcons did Samuel a favor by releasing him this early in the offseason, as noted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Because Samuel is a veteran with more than four years of service, being released over a month in advance of free agency will allow him to get a head start on finding a new home for 2014. Players with less than four years of service would have to clear waivers before being eligible for free agency.
Because Samuel is able to sign with a team at any time, rumors are already flying about his possible suitors. One school of thought suggests the 33-year-old cornerback would sign on a relatively cheap deal with a playoff-caliber team looking to add a veteran to its secondary. A few clubs that would seem to make sense are the Broncos, Packers, Bears, and Patriots, according to Brett Sobileski of USAToday.com. He also notes that the Panthers could be an intriguing option, considering their struggles in the secondary and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott‘s familiarity with Samuel from their time with the Eagles.
Of course, as fast as these rumors start, they get shot down. The more likely scenario for the Panthers would be to re-sign Captain Munnerlyn, and look to replace Drayton Florence with a younger, cheaper free agent option, writes Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. He adds that the team was impressed with undrafted rookie Melvin White‘s improvement in 2013, and would only consider Samuel as an “emergency fall-back option.”
The Patriots would also be better off trying to re-sign their own free agent cornerback, writes Will Gellman of RantSports.com. He believes that the aging Samuel is not worth taking up cap space that could go to Aqib Talib or other free agents. Gellman also adds that Patriot fans might not be excited to see him back after he dropped an errant Eli Manning pass in Super Bowl XLII that could have sealed a perfect season for New England.
The Bears and Broncos both are already dealing with the potential loss of older, high-profile cornerbacks, as Charles Tillman is hitting free agency and Champ Bailey has a $10MM salary that will surely not be on the books in 2014, either via restructure or release. The Broncos are also expected to try to sign Samuel’s former teammate Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a long-term deal. The Packers will most likely focus their efforts first on trying to re-sign Sam Shields.
Broncos Sign Eight To Reserve Contracts
WEDNESDAY, 4:11pm: The Broncos have officially signed receiver Gerell Robinson, the eighth and final player from their 2013 practice squad, to a reserve/futures contract, according to McIntyre (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 3:41pm: The Broncos have signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Safety John Boyett, offensive lineman Paul Cornick, wide receivers Nathan Palmer and Greg Wilson, and defensive ends Hall Davis, John Youboty and Ben Garland inked deals with the team for the upcoming season.
Reserve contracts can be signed by players who didn’t finish the 2013 season on an active NFL roster. The deals ensure that the players will be under contract beginning on March 11, when the league’s 2014 season gets underway.
All seven players signed by Denver finished the 2013 season on the Broncos’ practice squad.
Broncos Links: Moreno, DRC, Salary Cap
While Sunday’s 43-8 drubbing at the hands of the Seahawks is still fresh in the Broncos’ minds, the team is now looking forward to the coming offseason rather than dwelling on its Super Bowl XLVIII loss. Let’s round up the latest links on Denver’s upcoming winter and spring:
- Speaking to reporters (video link via NFL.com), running back Knowshon Moreno said “hopefully” he’d re-sign with the Broncos and return to Denver for the 2014 season. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk notes, executive VP of football operations John Elway pointed out on Tuesday that Denver has plenty of running back depth, though Elway said the club will wait to see how things “flesh out” with Moreno. A recent report indicated that the Broncos don’t expect to re-sign 2013’s starting running back.
- Irv Moss of the Denver Post spoke to impending free agent Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie about his next contract, with DRC indicating that he’s “not worried about the money,” but rather will prioritizing signing with a team in position to win — like the Broncos.
- Because of Russell Wilson‘s small cap number, the Seahawks’ front office had plenty of flexibility to add complementary players around the club’s quarterback. The Broncos are in the opposite situation, prompting Mike Klis of the Denver Post to explore whether Peyton Manning‘s $20MM+ cap hit will prevent Denver from building a sustainable Super Bowl contender.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Manning, Chargers
Several of the Broncos‘ pending free agents have expressed a desire to stay put in Denver, but we learned earlier today that the club will let Eric Decker, Shaun Phillips, Mike Adams, and others test the open market. More on the Broncos and other AFC West clubs..
- At a season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said that the club is operating as if quarterback Peyton Manning will continue to play while preparing for the future. “Well, we’re going to keep building like Peyton’s going to be here, and when Peyton decides to hang ‘em up, we have expectations hopefully to make that transition,” Elway said, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. “It’s going to be tough, but we’re going to hopefully be ready for that transition, too.”
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at the Chargers‘ running back situation heading into 2014. Of course, Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead combined to give San Diego one of the most productive running back duos in the NFL in 2013, but the rest of the depth chart could see some changes. Ronnie Brown will be an unrestricted free agent and fullback Le’Ron McClain is unlikely to return at a cap figure of $2.5MM.
- Joe Fortenbaugh of National Football Post asks if Decker is really worth $10MM a year. Earlier today, our own Luke Adams looked at the free agent stock of the Broncos wide receiver.
- New Chiefs receiver Weston Dressler will be missed in Canada, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Kansas City inked the Saskatchewan Roughriders wide receiver to a reserve-futures contract earlier today.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Eric Decker
Few receivers put up better numbers during the 2013 campaign than Eric Decker. In his fourth NFL season, Decker established new career-highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,288), while hauling in 10 touchdown passes. All three totals ranked in the NFL’s top 12, and the 26-year-old’s advanced stats were even more impressive — he placed fourth in DYAR among receivers, behind only teammate Demaryius Thomas, Jordy Nelson, and Anquan Boldin.
The career year couldn’t have come at a better time for Decker, who is poised to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this offseason after earning a base salary of just $1.32MM in 2013. He reportedly plans to test the market, which is no surprise given his competition on the market (Boldin and Julian Edelman are the only free agent WRs whose numbers came close to Decker’s 2013 production) and the deals signed by receivers in recent years.
Taking into account Decker’s career totals as well as his 2013 numbers, his resumé arguably looks better than Mike Wallace‘s did when the former Steeler reached free agency a year ago, and Wallace secured a five-year, $60MM contract in Miami, with $27MM in guaranteed money. While Wallace landed the largest free agent deal for a receiver on the open market last year, there were a couple other comparable contracts signed, including Dwayne Bowe‘s five-year pact with Kansas City ($11.2MM per year, $20MM guaranteed) and Greg Jennings‘ five-year deal with the Vikings ($9MM annually, $17.8MM guaranteed). Factoring in Decker’s track record, age, and durability, you could make the case that his stock as he approaches free agency is higher than that of any of those receivers.
Still, as impressive as Decker’s performance to date has been, potential suitors will take notice of a handful of red flags. The fact that Decker had Peyton Manning throwing him the ball helped buoy his overall stat line significantly, and he also benefited from the presence of other receiving threats like Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, and Wes Welker, meaning he frequently faced single coverage. Additionally, there may be question marks about his ability to produce against physical secondaries, particularly after his no-show against the Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl, a game in which he totaled just six yards on one catch.
With or without Manning and the Broncos offense, Decker is a talented playmaker, but the recent history of free agent receivers suggest that interested teams should proceed with caution. After securing big paydays last winter, both Wallace and Jennings failed to put up 1,000-yard seasons, and combined for just nine TDs between them. Wallace was excellent in Pittsburgh playing across from Antonio Brown with Ben Roethlisberger throwing them the ball, while Jennings excelled in Green Bay catching passes from Aaron Rodgers alongside players like Nelson, Jermichael Finley, and James Jones. But being paired with lesser quarterbacks and assuming a number one role limited both Wallace’s and Jennings’ production last season. It’s not hard to imagine Decker’s receiving totals taking a similar hit if he finds himself in a comparable situation in 2014.
As such, it’s possible that teams will temper their enthusiasm for Decker, perhaps submitting bids more comparable to recent deals signed by players like Victor Cruz ($8.6MM per year, $15.63MM guaranteed), Mike Williams ($7.92MM per year, $14.6MM guaranteed), or Antonio Brown ($8.39MM per year, $8.5MM guaranteed). The Jets, Browns, Patriots, Ravens, and Rams are among the teams who could turn to the free agent market for receiving help, though none of those clubs necessarily possess the perfect combination of cap flexibility and offensive firepower that would attract Decker.
If Decker isn’t blown away by any offers on the open market, a return to Denver remains a possibility. The Broncos likely wouldn’t be able to make the most competitive offer in years and dollars, given their limited cap flexibility and the need to take care of several other players who are hitting free agency this year or next. However, the team has the ability to clear some cap space this offseason, and could probably fit Decker in if he were willing to accept a small hometown discount. For his part, Decker recently indicated he loves the city of Denver and hopes he and the team can work something out.
Still, history suggests that there will be at least one team willing to bet the farm on Decker’s ability to be a No. 1 receiver, or at least to share that role with another player. Concerns about whether Decker can sustain his previous level of production on another offense and with another quarterback may keep his price below Wallace’s range, but it’s not hard to imagine the Minnesota native landing a five-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $10MM annually, with between $15-20MM in guaranteed money.
AFC Notes: Alex Smith, Broncos, Ravens, Pats
Alex Smith is eligible for free agency next winter, but the Chiefs intend to keep their quarterback around longer than that. Team chairman Clark Hunt told 810 WHB in Kansas City (link via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com) that when the Chiefs traded for Smith, a long-term extension was part of their plan.
“I don’t think that thinking has changed,” Hunt said. “He came in and did a nice job. We’re glad to have him as a part of the Kansas City Chiefs and we hope it’s longer than a two-year stay.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- A number of prospective Denver free agents, including Eric Decker, Shaun Phillips, and Mike Adams, have expressed a preference to remain with the Broncos, but it looks like the team will let its free agents hit the open market, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. At that point, the Broncos will have a better understanding of its players’ market value, though it may reduce the likelihood of bringing back certain players.
- Jeff Zrebiec passes along a number of interesting Ravens-related items in his latest piece for the Baltimore Sun. In discussing the team’s draft plans. Zrebiec surmises that the Ravens will likely target either an offensive lineman or a receiving weapon with their first-round pick, though Zrebiec himself thinks it could make sense to draft a playmaking safety.
- Free agent safety Antoine Bethea won’t be a “slam-dunk signing” for the Colts this winter, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star details.
- Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe believes the Patriots ought to be focusing less on shoring up the bottom third of their roster and more on acquiring impact talent.
Free Agency Notes: Jones-Drew, Veldheer, Finley
With free agency looming, let’s discuss some of the veteran players that find themselves in uncertain contract situations…
Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com thinks that Maurice Jones-Drew‘s days playing for the Jaguars are over. DiRocco explains that because Jones-Drew will have likely have to take a less lucrative contract to stay in Jacksonville, he will likely leave to pursue a a free agent deal similar to the ones received by Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, and Shonn Greene last offseason.
- Jermichael Finley has stated that while he hopes to remain with the Packers, he is open to playing for any team next season, as reported by ProFootballTalk.com and Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette
- Jared Veldheer expressed to 95.7 THE GAME radio station that he wants to continue to play for the Raiders and hopes to receive a new deal soon.
- Mile High Report writes (via Twitter) that the Broncos may move right tackle Orlando Franklin over to guard to fill the void left by departing free agent Zane Beadles
AFC Links: Bailey, Davis, Harrison, Dolphins
During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Champ Bailey indicated that he hoped to his continue his playing career and didn’t have any interest in moving from cornerback to safety. However, after the game last night, Bailey appeared willing to compromise on one of those two stances. The longtime corner suggested that he’d “definitely look into” playing safety if it’s something that makes sense for him and the Broncos, according to Matt Walks of the Denver Post. Of course, given his $10MM cap number for 2014, Bailey isn’t a mortal lock to remain in Denver, at least at that price.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- While Vontae Davis is expected to be among a strong crop of free agent cornerbacks this offseason, both he and the Colts seem to have interest in a reunion, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. There’s no guarantee that the team will re-sign Davis, but Holder expects the two sides to “work diligently” on a new contract in the coming weeks.
- Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison, who will be eligible for restricted free agency a year from now, has changed agents, joining CAA Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal.
- ESPN.com’s James Walker examines a list of potential cap casualties for the Dolphins, led by offensive lineman Jonathan Martin.
- One of the Dolphins‘ GM candidates who didn’t get the job tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) that he believes the club is one good offseason away from a playoff berth, and two or three years away from bigger things.
- With backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst facing free agency, the Chargers will have to decide whether to bring him back or to add another signal-caller via the draft, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.