More On Marcus Peters; Rams Hire Assistant WRs Coach
The Rams were one of only two teams to express legitimate interest in acquiring CB Marcus Peters, and while Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay cannot yet talk about Peters or the trade specifically, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star says it is no surprise that the Rams would be the team to land the former first-rounder. Although Peters is now eligible for a long-term extension and is likely to be on his best behavior anyway as a result, Paylor notes that McVay has quickly established a strong presence in LA, and he and DC Wade Phillips have full command and respect of the locker room. Paylor suggests that the Rams’ trade for Peters demonstrates their faith in their culture, and that culture, combined with the fact that they play on the West Coast — where Peters has long indicated he wants to be — made it a perfect fit.
- The Rams are hiring Holy Cross offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their assistant WRs coach, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Rams VP Kevin Demoff Leans On Analytics Later In Draft
- Sticking with the draft, Rams vice president Kevin Demoff discussed how the team uses analytic when it comes to the draft while speaking at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Youtube link, starting around 38-minute mark). Demoff said the team leans on its analytics more heavily in the sixth and seventh rounds, as well as undrafted free agents. A question was posed to Demoff centered around Cooper Kupp, who was limited from an analytics standpoint due to playing at Eastern Washington, but was still chosen by the Rams in the third round of last year’s draft. Demoff said that watching Kupp in individual workouts was the kicker in making the decision to pick him, though other available receivers graded higher.
Marcus Peters Fallout: Reid, Draft, Contract
Andy Reid and Clark Hunt were not yet on board with Marcus Peters as a long-term Chiefs component, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Concern inside Chiefs headquarters centered on a possible Peters extension, per Rapoport. The fourth-year cornerback is now eligible for a long-term deal, and it’s fairly clear the Chiefs had significant reservations about being the team that signed the accomplished corner to that contract. And that issue may have been forced this year. But Peters’ issues in the locker room played a key part in the franchise wanting to trade him, Rapoport reports.
The Chiefs knew Peters would demand to be the NFL’s highest-paid corner, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports, leading to this preemptive strike. Peters is set to make barely $3MM this season, and the Rams are now responsible for picking up his fifth-year option — which they surely will given the timing of this trade. Peters skipped OTAs last year, and Paylor notes a possible training camp holdout could have transpired this summer. A 2016 first-team All-Pro and 2015 defensive rookie of the year, Peters received his best Pro Football Focus assessment for his 2017 work. Entering his age-25 season, Peters has 19 interceptions. He forced a career-high five fumbles in 2017.
Here’s more from the Peters front.
- Rapoport reports this Rams/Chiefs deal will bring a package of picks to the Chiefs, but none of those is believed to be a first-rounder. That will mean the Chiefs still do not have a 2018 first-rounder after shipping it to the Bills in last year’s Patrick Mahomes deal. Kansas City picked up an extra third-rounder in January’s Alex Smith deal and collected a compensatory sixth-rounder in this draft as well. The Rams already shipped a 2018 second-round pick to the Bills for Sammy Watkins, so this latest trade could leave Los Angeles’ selection supply weakened.
- Wade Phillips‘ strong personality should mesh well with Peters’ polarizing style, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com tweets, recalling a conversation he had with a veteran defensive backs coach when Peters was draft-eligible in 2015. Phillips’ ability to get through to Aqib Talib helped the Broncos’ mercurial corner craft the most memorable portion of his career, with Talib helping the Broncos to a Super Bowl title in his first season with Phillips and landing on the All-Pro first team in his second.
- The 49ers were also interested in Peters, with the Browns’ interest being disputed, but the Seahawks were not exploring a Peters back back to Seattle despite his history in the city, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Peters was kicked off the University of Washington’s team during the 2014 season. Additionally, the playmaking corner measures just under 6-foot and has 31 1/2-inch arms. Pointing out the Seahawks haven’t drafted a boundary corner with arms shorter than 32 inches during Pete Carroll‘s tenure, Condotta writes Peters may not have been a fit in Seattle.
Rams Leaning Toward Tagging Joyner?
The Rams made a deal to add a snazzy new piece to their secondary on Friday by agreeing to trade for Marcus Peters, and while this figures to relocate Trumaine Johnson, the other key UFA in Los Angeles’ defensive backfield might not be going anywhere.
If it’s between Lamarcus Joyner or Sammy Watkins as to which player the Rams will use their franchise tag on, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports the team is leaning toward Joyner as of Friday.
The goal remains to reach a long-term agreement with one of the two UFAs in order to keep the other player via the tag, Garafolo notes. The looming Aaron Donald contract could complicate that strategy, but the Rams appear to be interested in retaining both Joyner and Watkins for 2018.
A tag for Joyner would be the cheaper course of action, with a safety tag expected to cost $11.08MM. A Watkins tag would be pricey, locking him down for $16.23MM. The Rams, though, invested more in Watkins by trading a second-round pick and E.J. Gaines. But the former Bills first-round pick struggled to assimilate in Los Angeles, although eight of his 39 catches ended in touchdowns.
Joyner was a 2014 second-rounder and hadn’t started more than eight games in a season until his contract year, when he started 12 and had a strong season. On a safety market flooded with talent, Joyner may be the top UFA if he reaches the market. With the Dolphins tagging Jarvis Landry and the Jaguars possibly set to tag Allen Robinson, Watkins would surely also fare well on the open market.
49ers, Browns Were Interested In Peters?
The Chiefs made another seismic trade this offseason, this time sending one of their best players to the Rams. But multiple other teams may have been interested in Marcus Peters prior to the Rams landing him.
Both the 49ers and Browns were interested in determining what it would cost to acquire the fourth-year cornerback, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). However, Rapoport and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo describe (on Twitter) both teams’ interest as “lukewarm” in the All-Pro corner.
However, it’s clear the Rams pushed talks to a degree their reported competition wasn’t willing to.
Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) the Browns were not interested in bringing Peters to Cleveland. Additionally, the 49ers were interested, but both Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com report San Francisco did not submit an offer to Kansas City for Peters.
The Rams’ talks advanced to the point the Chiefs were seeking to add another big name to their defense in Robert Quinn, along with a pick, Rapoport tweets. This would have been interesting because Quinn’s play has not been on the level it was during his Pro Bowl seasons during the mid-2010s and the pass-rushing talent makes far more than Peters does at this point. Unlike Kendall Fuller coming to K.C. in the Alex Smith trade, the Chiefs did not get much 2018 salary relief by unloading Peters, who is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal. Quinn is set to earn $12.4MM this season.
Both the 49ers and Browns have needs at corner. Each team already visited with Vontae Davis, and Maiocco notes the 49ers are likely to be connected to big-name corners — including free agent-to-be Trumaine Johnson — come March. The Rams will not retain Johnson, per Rapoport.
Chiefs Trade Marcus Peters To Rams
The Chiefs have agreed to trade cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will be officially processed on March 14. It is not yet exactly known what the Rams are sending to KC in return, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that the Chiefs will receive “a package of draft picks.” 
Peters, a first round selection in the 2015 draft, has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. However, he has given KC brass some serious headaches over the years. In December, the Chiefs suspended Peters for a game despite being in the thick of the playoff hunt. Over the last couple of weeks, trade speculation bubbled around Peters and on Friday the Chiefs struck agreement on a deal to ship him out of town.
Peters made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons and earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2016. He did not pick up either accolade in 2017, but he did finish out with 46 tackles, nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, five interceptions, and his first career touchdown. All in all, he has 24 turnovers to his credit across three seasons.
As far as the advanced analytics are concerned, 2017 was his best season to date. His 85.7 overall score from Pro Football Focus is a career best, tying him for No. 17 amongst all CBs in the NFL. Slot specialist Nickell Robey-Coleman (No. 19) was the only Rams corner to come close to Peters last season with Troy Hill (No. 57), Trumaine Johnson (No. 68), and Kayvon Webster (No. 80) did not come close.
It has been widely assumed that Johnson, a pending free agent, would not be in the Rams’ plans this season. The Peters acquisition all but ensures that Johnson will be elsewhere in 2018. The Rams currently project to start Peters and Webster at cornerback.
Peters will earn just $1.7MM this season and can be controlled through 2019 via the fifth-year option. The option is projected to cost $9.5MM, which is still a solid value for what he provides.
After losing a close game to the Titans in the Wild Card round, the Chiefs are not resting on their laurels this offseason. The Peters swap marks their second major trade this offseason, following the deal that sent quarterback Alex Smith to the Redskins.
[RELATED: Rams Depth Chart]
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/18
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: T Michael Dunn
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Deontae Skinner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Dalton Crossan
Tavon Austin's Contract Has Offsets
- Wideout Tavon Austin is widely expected to be released by the Rams this offseason, and Los Angeles could end up seeing a bit of financial relief if Austin is signed by another club. Austin’s contract contains offsets, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, meaning the Rams will save money if and when Austin lands a new contract. Austin, 26, will earn a fully guaranteed $5MM roster bonus whether he’s on LA’s roster or not, but the Rams will have to pay the 5’8″ pass-catcher another $3MM if he’s still around on March 16. A former first-round pick, Austin managed only 13 receptions for 47 yards in 2017.
2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.
Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:
- Quarterback: $23.09MM
- Running back: $11.72MM
- Wide receiver: $16.23MM
- Tight end: $10.36MM
- Offensive line: $14.54MM
- Defensive end: $17.52MM
- Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
- Linebacker: $15.47MM
- Cornerback: $14.88MM
- Safety: $11.08MM
- Punter/kicker: $5.06MM
(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)
Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:
Virtual Locks:
- Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year.
This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16. - Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.
Strong Candidates:
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.
Toss Up:
- Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
- Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.
Franchise Tag Candidate: Sammy Watkins
The Rams pulled off a blockbuster move leading up to the 2017 season, trading defensive back E.J. Gaines and a second-round pick in 2018 to the Bills in exchange for former first-round receiver Sammy Watkins and a sixth-round selection in 2018.
The move was a mixed bag for Los Angeles. On the one hand, Watkins led the team with eight receiving touchdowns, averaged 15.2 yards per reception and helped the Rams post the No. 1 scoring offense in the league. On the other hand, however, the fourth-year wideout made only 39 receptions on the season and ranked fourth on the team with 593 yards. The thought is that the receiver will benefit of a full offseason with the high-powered offense.
“I just think he got on a roll with the guys that [Jared Goff] had during OTAs, and once a guy is used to throwing it to someone else, he throws to his guys,” Watkins said. “It’s just part of the game where you need more time, or maybe another year.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Watkins would like the remain with the Rams and that they would like to have him back. His proficiency on vertical routes opens up the middle of the field for chain movers like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, and frees up space in the flats for Todd Gurley. What could hold the team back from tagging the explosive wideout is twofold. First, the cost to franchise tag a receiver is projected to be $16.2 MM, according to overthecap.com. That’s a hefty price to pay for a receiver who has missed 12 games in the last three seasons and didn’t show much in 2018. The second reason is that the Rams are also debating placing the franchise tag on safety Lamarcus Joyner. That would only cost Los Angeles a projected $11 MM.
In 2018, Pro Football Focus rated Watkins the No. 33 receiver in the NFL with a grade of 76.2, tying him with Ted Ginn. The site also published a piece on the receiver, detailing how his touchdown rate — 11.43 — is almost impossible to replicate. From the in-depth article:
So, from 2007 to 2016, 60 players had a 10-percent touchdown rate on 50-plus targets. Of those 60, two (2012-13 Danario Alexander and 2013-14 Marvin Jones) did not play at all the next season. So 58, then. Those 58 players averaged 10.8 touchdowns on 87.12 targets (12.7 percent). A year later, that same group averaged 5.5 touchdowns on 83.8 targets (6.8 percent). Essentially, guys who score touchdowns at a 10-percent rate one year see that rate cut in half the next.
There is no doubting the talent Watkins possesses. If he can recapture and build on his success from his Buffalo days, there is no doubt the Clemson product has the potential to be an 80-catch, 1,200-yard, 10-touchdown receiver in one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
As detailed earlier on Pro Football Rumors, receiver is not one of the Rams’ most pressing needs entering the 2018 offseason. With Woods, Cupp and the emerging Josh Reynolds, Los Angeles appears set with plenty of talent at the position. With a projected $51 MM in cap space, however, the team could afford to bring back Watkins for another year to see if Watkins can live up to his projected playmaker status coming out of college.
The choice is a boom-or-bust one for the Rams. Do they think he is likely to emerge as a No. 1 pass catcher in a potent attack with a full season working with Goff in the books? Or do they think that 2018 is the beginning of a trend rather than an outlier?