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Poll: Which AFC Team Had Best Offseason?

June 11th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Due to a flurry of additions, the 2022 AFC presents a crowded competition for playoff and Super Bowl LVII access. Some of the top-tier teams addressed key weaknesses, and several middle-class squads took big swings in respective aims to improve their chances this season.

The fallout paints a picture in which barely any AFCers can be truly counted out for playoff contention. Future Hall of Famers, potential Canton inductees, and Pro Bowlers moving from the NFC — along with various intra-AFC changes — have made for one of the most captivating offseasons in modern NFL annals. While the offseason is not yet complete, most of the acquisition dominoes ahead of training camp have fallen. Which team did the best work?

With Russell Wilson joining the Broncos, the AFC West’s Wilson-Patrick Mahomes–Derek Carr–Justin Herbert quartet appears of the great quarterback armadas any division has fielded in the five-plus-decade divisional era. The Broncos gave up two first-round selections in a five-pick deal but were able to hang onto their young receivers. Denver, which moved to a younger coaching staff headed by first-time HC Nathaniel Hackett and two rookie coordinators, also added defenders Randy Gregory and D.J. Jones. Going from the Teddy Bridgewater–Drew Lock combo to Wilson represents one of the top gains any team made this offseason, but Denver’s divisional competition will not make improvement easy.

Entering the final year in which Herbert must be tied to his rookie contract, the Chargers addressed several needs. They added defensive help in free agency, via J.C. Jackson and Sebastian Joseph-Day, and traded second- and sixth-round picks for Khalil Mack. The team also extended Mike Williams at $20MM per year — days before the wide receiver market dramatically shifted — and drafted right guard Zion Johnson in Round 1.

The Raiders were partially responsible for the wideout market’s explosion, trading first- and second-round picks for Davante Adams and extending him at $28MM per year. That came shortly after the team’s Chandler Jones addition. Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime has greenlit extensions for Reggie McKenzie– and Jon Gruden-era holdovers — from Carr to Maxx Crosby to Hunter Renfrow. Will a Darren Waller deal follow?

Of last season’s conference kingpins, the Chiefs and Titans endured the biggest losses. Hill and Tyrann Mathieu‘s exits will test the six-time reigning AFC West champs, while last year’s No. 1 seed balked at a monster A.J. Brown extension by trading him to the Eagles for a package headlined by a 2022 first-rounder. Both teams did address some needs early in the draft, but the Bengals and Bills look to have definitively improved their rosters.

Cincinnati augmented its bottom-tier offensive line by signing La’el Collins, Alex Cappa and Ted Karras. The defending AFC champions retained almost their entire defense, though Jessie Bates is not especially happy on the franchise tag. Buffalo reloaded as well, adding Von Miller to a defensive line that has lacked a top-end pass rusher for a while. The team swapped out ex-UDFA Levi Wallace for first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam, and James Cook is the Bills’ highest running back draftee since C.J. Spiller 12 years ago. How significant will the Brian Daboll-for-Ken Dorsey OC swap be?

Although Cincy’s AFC North competition made improvements, some caveats come with them. The Ravens filled their center and right tackle spots, with first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum and veteran Morgan Moses, and are now flush with safeties following the arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. But Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson situation has reached a strange stage, with the top three Ravens power brokers indicating the former MVP has not shown extension interest. Cleveland landed Amari Cooper for Day 3 draft capital and, on paper, rivaled Denver’s QB upgrade. Historic draft compensation and a shocking $230MM guarantee was required for the Browns to pull it off. But their Deshaun Watson trade has generated considerable drama — to the point the ex-Texans Pro Bowler cannot be considered a lock to play in 2022.

Oddsmakers do not expect the Jaguars’ moves to translate to 2022 contention, but the team did hire a former Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson and spend wildly for lineup upgrades — from Christian Kirk to Brandon Scherff to Foye Oluokun — and used two first-round picks (Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd) to further upgrade its defense. Going from Urban Meyer to Pederson should offer stability to a franchise that has lacked it, never more so than in 2021.

The Jets chased big-name receivers for weeks but came away with Garrett Wilson in a highly praised three-first-rounder draft. New York’s last-ranked defense now has new pieces in first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson, along with DBs Jordan Whitehead and D.J. Reed. Miami made a stunning coaching change by firing Brian Flores, which produced a tidal wave of controversy, but the now-Mike McDaniel-led team also paid up for splashy additions in Hill and Terron Armstead while retaining steady edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah.

Are there other teams that warrant mention here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the new-look AFC in the comments section.

Which AFC team had the best offseason?
Denver Broncos 12.92% (421 votes)
Las Vegas Raiders 11.91% (388 votes)
Miami Dolphins 11.33% (369 votes)
Los Angeles Chargers 10.01% (326 votes)
Cincinnati Bengals 9.36% (305 votes)
New York Jets 8.04% (262 votes)
Buffalo Bills 6.48% (211 votes)
Pittsburgh Steelers 5.68% (185 votes)
Baltimore Ravens 5.06% (165 votes)
Kansas City Chiefs 5.00% (163 votes)
Cleveland Browns 4.21% (137 votes)
Indianapolis Colts 3.65% (119 votes)
Houston Texans 2.46% (80 votes)
New England Patriots 2.12% (69 votes)
Jacksonville Jaguars 1.07% (35 votes)
Tennessee Titans 0.71% (23 votes)
Total Votes: 3,258

Colts Add OL Jason Spriggs, DE Bryan Cox Jr.

June 10th, 2022 at 5:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Indiana Hoosiers standout Jason Spriggs will receive a chance in his home state. The Indiana native is signing with the Colts, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets. The Colts also signed defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

Although Spriggs has not lived up to his second-round draft slot, he has provided depth for multiple teams since his Packers tenure ended. Spriggs worked as a backup for the Bears in 2020 and the Falcons last season.

The Packers drafted Spriggs 48th overall in 2016, trading up for the ex-Indiana All-American. Spriggs started four seasons, at tackle and guard, finishing his Hoosiers run as their right guard in 2015. He helped the Big Ten team produce two 1,000-yard rushers (Jordan Howard and Devine Redding) during his All-American senior year.

Green Bay used Spriggs as a starter nine times, primarily during a five-start 2017. But that season also featured two IR placements. A 2019 Spriggs back injury led to a season on Green Bay’s injured reserve; he left as a free agent in 2020. He played for the veteran minimum in each of the past two seasons. Spriggs, 28, started one game during his Bears and Falcons stays.

The Elkhart, Indiana, native stands to compete for a backup role in Indianapolis as well. The Colts are in an interesting place on their O-line, having seen longtime guard Mark Glowinski join the Giants in free agency. Left tackle Eric Fisher looks likely to be a Colts one-and-done, leaving two spots open. Danny Pinter and Matt Pryor are the favorites to fill those posts, respectively. The team did draft Central Michigan tackle Bernhard Raimann in Round 3, however.

Cox, 27, has not played since the 2020 season, but he worked out for the Colts at their minicamp this week. The second-generation NFLer has spent time with the Panthers, Browns and Bills — mostly as a backup. The team also waived defensive end Cullen Wick on Friday.

AFC Workouts: Vizcaino, Roberson, Cox

June 9th, 2022 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a couple of free agents getting try outs around the AFC:

  • If free agent kicker Tristan Vizcaino is still unsigned after a busy week that entailed planned workouts with the Patriots and Raiders, the Ravens plan on bringing the 25-year-old in for their minicamp next week, according to Tom Pelissero. While the Ravens are obviously set with the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker, they made headlines years ago when they took 2018 undrafted free agent Kaare Vedvik and flipped him to Minnesota one year later for a fifth-round pick. General manager Eric DeCosta may be interested in working that same magic on Vizcaino.
  • Free agent pass rusher Derick Roberson has been working out with the Colts this week, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. Roberson has made some noise in his very limited playing time in the NFL. As an undrafted rookie in 2019 with the Titans, Roberson totaled 3.0 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hits while only appearing in three games. After earning a start in 2020, Roberson appeared in five games last year, recording 1.5 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss, and 4 quarterback hits.
  • The Colts are also auditioning free agent defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. this week. Cox entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Panthers, appearing in 19 games over three years as a reserve defensive lineman. In 2019, Cox was waived by Carolina, signing with the Browns five days later. Cox saw his most successful stint in the NFL while in Cleveland, starting two of the six games he played for the Browns. In those six games, Cox recorded half a sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 5 quarterback hits. He signed with the Bills as a free agent last offseason but only appeared in one game after spending time on injured reserve with an Achilles injury.

Colts LB Darius Leonard Had Back Surgery

June 7th, 2022 at 5:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Darius Leonard recently went under the knife. ESPN’s Mike Wells reports (via Twitter) that the Colts linebacker will have back surgery, but Leonard is expected to be back at some point during training camp. The linebacker himself tweeted that the surgery has already been completed.

“Surgery went well, feeling amazing and ready to get back going!” Leonard tweeted. “If you know me you know I always come back way better than I was! Let’s go man ankle feels amazing and can’t wait to get back moving!”

As Leonard noted, he’s been struggling with an ankle injury throughout the spring that has prevented him from participating in Indy’s offseason workouts. This was the same ankle that Leonard got operated on last offseason, a surgery that forced him to miss time during training camp and ultimately hampered him for much of the 2021 campaign. Fortunately, the team doesn’t believe Leonard will need to undergo a second operation on the troublesome ankle.

However, the linebacker has also been dealing with a back ailment since his season came to an end, and he ultimately decided to get an operation. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star writes that the surgery will force Leonard to miss “at least part” of training camp, but the veteran’s absence isn’t expected to extend into the regular season.

While Leonard dealt with injuries throughout last year, he still proved why he’s one of the best linebackers in the NFL, finishing with 122 tackles, four interceptions, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles. The performance earned him a first-team All-Pro nod, the third first-team honor of his career. The 26-year-old inked a whopping five-year, $99.25MM extension (including $52.5MM guaranteed) with the Colts last offseason.

Colts, Kenny Moore Not Progressing On Deal

June 6th, 2022 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although two years remain on Kenny Moore‘s contract, the Colts have engaged in discussions with their disgruntled slot standout. Those conversations have not moved the needle.

Moore and the Colts have not made much progress on a resolution, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star notes. Indianapolis’ front office has continued to communicate with Moore, with the sides having understandably differing viewpoints on this situation.

Named to the Pro Bowl following a season in which he played a career-high 97% of the Colts’ defensive snaps, Moore believes he has outplayed his current contract — a four-year, $33.3MM deal that represented a high-water mark for slot corners at the time of signing (2019). Moore, 26, has operated as one of the NFL’s best slot defenders since, but in playing 1,063 snaps, the former UDFA played outside as well and logged more defensive snaps than any Colt defender save for Bobby Okereke last season.

The Colts believe this was a fair contract, Erickson adds. By paying Moore early, the Colts both authorized a lucrative deal that replaced his league-minimum pact and gave him an opportunity to enter a contract year ahead of his age-28 season. However, the team gave Stephon Gilmore a two-year, $20MM pact this offseason. Moore’s AAV now sits 27th among corners.

The Division II product showed for the first week of Colts OTAs but stayed away last week. He reported to the team’s facility for this week’s minicamp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, though it is not known if on-field participation is in the cards. The Colts are transitioning to a new defensive scheme, under DC Gus Bradley, and Moore should again be expected to play an every-down role.

Moore’s deal remains atop the salary hierarchy among pure slot corners, narrowly outflanking Taron Johnson‘s 2021 Bills extension. A broader argument can be made that slot defenders are underpaid, given the value and versatility the top-tier inside cover men provide. Moore’s camp may be making that case, but with two years left on his deal, the Colts will not give in easily.

A compromise could be reached, however. The Broncos gave Chris Harris an incentive package in the penultimate year of his second contract (2018) and handed the All-Decade slot corner a true raise in the final year of his deal. One of these solutions could be salvageable for Moore, who would only be 28 as a free agent in 2024. It will be interesting to see if the Colts hold the line here, refusing to do an extension until 2023, and if Moore would consider a hold-in measure absent a true extension by training camp.

Colts’ Julian Blackmon Could Be Healthy By Training Camp

June 4th, 2022 at 9:05am CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts have reason for optimism on the health front with respect to safety Julian Blackmon. Head coach Frank Reich recently said that it’s “not a stretch” he could be back to a full workload by training camp (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). 

[RELATED: Latest On Colts’ Leonard, Ankle Injury]

The 23-year-old tore his Achilles in October, ending his second season in the league. Blackmon almost immediately established himself as a starter in his rookie campaign, notching a pair of interceptions and six pass deflections. The injury limited him to only six contests in 2021, though.

The former third round pick would be a welcomed sight for Indianapolis if he were indeed able to return to full strength by July. However, as Chappell notes, the team “won’t push him too hard too soon” as he continues to recover. Upon his return, Blackmon would likely have a clear path to his starting role.

The Colts have re-made much of their secondary, headlined by the signing of All-Pro corner Stephon Gilmore. At the safety spot, the team brought in Armani Watts, and, days later, Rodney McLeod. Indianapolis added further depth via the draft, including third-rounder Nick Cross. Amidst the many changes, veteran Andrew Sendejo has not been re-signed.

Entering a season with higher expectations for the team, Blackmon will have a significant role to play, assuming he is healthy by the fall at the latest. If not, the Colts will have a number of other options to turn to on the backend.

Latest On Darius Leonard

June 2nd, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

The biggest news of the offseason for the Colts is the the arrival of Matt Ryan at quarterback, but another crucial storyline relates to the health of All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard. As detailed by Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, his injured ankle is “still giving him trouble”. 

As a result of that news, Erickson adds, Leonard is being held off the field during OTAs, just as he was last week. The team is being cautious at this point in the offseason, partially due to the voluntary nature of the present workouts and practices, but also to see if they can avoid a second consecutive surgery being necessary.

That seemed to be the prevailing sentiment when Leonard himself stated last month that the ankle was in an improved condition relative to one year ago. “It feels a whole lot better than what it did, coming from the end of the season” he said. “I feel better coming into this season than I did last year, I can say that.”

While Erickson adds that neither the 26-year-old nor the team believe another procedure is necessary, both sides have acknowledged that the ankle still hasn’t healed in full yet. “We’re just taking it day by day, trying to see what, exactly, we’re dealing with, how we can get it to respond and make some progress” head coach Frank Reich said.

Leonard played through the injury all of last season, maintaining the level of production expected of him, given his pedigree and lucrative contract. He totalled 122 tackles, four interceptions and a league-leading eight forced fumbles, earning him First-Team All-Pro honors for the third time in four years. Barring significant improvement in the coming weeks on the injury front, however, it appears the status of his ankle will linger over the rest of the offseason, and potentially into the fall.

Colts Expected To Promote Morocco Brown

June 1st, 2022 at 11:11am CST by Sam Robinson

Morocco Brown has generated considerable outside interest in recent years, most recently with the Eagles interviewing him for an assistant general manager position. But the Colts are expected to keep the veteran executive.

Not long after Brown did not move forward in the Eagles’ front office rebuild effort, the Colts are expected to promote him, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Brown currently serves as the team’s college scouting director, a position he has held since 2017.

Indianapolis hired the former Chicago, Washington and Cleveland exec shortly after the 2017 draft. The Colts’ 2018 draft proved to reflect quite well on the college scouting director position. The team added a perennial All-Pro guard (Quenton Nelson), a Division I-FCS linebacker who joins Nelson as a three-time All-Pro (Darius Leonard), a long-term right tackle (Braden Smith) and a versatile back who joins Leonard and Smith as an extension recipient (Nyheim Hines). The Colts’ 2020 draft included reigning rushing champion Jonathan Taylor and No. 1 receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the second round.

While the Colts have missed on picks during this span as well, they have placed a premium on drafting and extending talent. This success has led to the Falcons, Bears and Steelers interviewing Brown for GM jobs over the past two years. The Browns fired Morocco Brown as they moved to their Sashi Brown– and Paul DePodesta-led relaunch in 2016, but this Colts tenure has certainly allowed for a bounce back.

It is unclear what new role Brown will play in Indy’s front office. Ed Dodds serves as the team’s assistant GM under Chris Ballard, but Brown staying in Indianapolis stands to help the team going forward.

Eight Teams Submitted Waiver Claims For DL John Cominsky

June 1st, 2022 at 8:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons no longer viewed John Cominsky as a fit, waiving him after three seasons Friday. But a fourth of the NFL remains at least somewhat intrigued by the young defensive lineman’s potential. Eight teams made waiver claims for the fourth-year veteran, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Cominsky is now with the Lions, who hold the No. 2 spot in the offseason waiver order. While the Jaguars (No. 1 on the waiver list) did not try to claim him, the Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals did.

A 6-foot-5 defensive lineman out of Division II Charleston (West Virginia), Cominsky only factored in prominently on defense for the 2020 Falcons, who used him on 398 defensive snaps as mostly a backup. Otherwise, the Cleveland-area native has played just 113 non-special teams plays as a pro. The Falcons took Cominsky in the 2019 fourth round (135th overall); Tuesday’s claim volume makes it fairly clear other teams believe some of the potential that led the former Mountain East Conference Defensive Player of the Year to the Senior Bowl and 2019 Combine remains.

As a senior at Charleston, Cominsky totaled 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. This potential has not yet translated to the pro level, with the ex-Falcon finishing the 2020 season with a sack and 10 pressures. The Falcons used him on 13 defensive plays last season. But the 285-pound defender offers some versatility, as a defensive end and D-tackle.

The Lions will aim to see if the small-school product can carve out a role under second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If he cannot, Tuesday’s waiver summary points to a third chance for the contract-year defender.

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