David Bruton Wants To Return To Broncos
Safety David Bruton will be eligible to sign anywhere in a few weeks, but he says his preference is to stay with the defending World Champions, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post tweets. However, there figures to be a pretty healthy market for Bruton this spring. The Broncos safety tells Wolfe that he’s heard the Bears, Dolphins, and Giants are interested in him. 
[RELATED: Malik Jackson Talks Free Agency, Broncos’ QBs]
Bruton could also be pricing himself out of Denver. The safety told Wolfe (link) that he is eyeing a three-year, $15MM deal like the one that Justin Bethel received from the Cardinals. With more pressing needs to address, it would be surprising to see the Broncos give him that sort of deal prior to the start of free agency or even early on that week. The Broncos project to have T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart at safety, so they can afford to let Bruton go if he does not fit into the budget.
Bruton was placed on IR in December after breaking his leg and, therefore, did not play in the Super Bowl. Remarkably, Bruton played through three quarters of a late-season tilt against the Steelers with a broken fibula and, by his own estimation, he could have played in SB50 had he been eligible (link). At this point, Bruton says he’s 100% and is already riding bikes and doing squats in preparation for next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Bills, Pats
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross created a bit of a stir on Monday when he said, per Jeff Ostrowski of the Palm Beach Post, “After three years, if we haven’t made the playoffs, we’re looking for a new coach. That’s just the way it is. The fans want it.” However, Ross associates tell Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald that the owner was referring to general NFL trends, not specifically addressing Adam Gase’s situation in Miami.
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- The Bills could use their franchise tag on left tackle Cordy Glenn at some point during the next two weeks, but if they do, it will essentially cancel out the cap space they’d save by releasing Mario Williams, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details. Buffalo could make that swap work, but the team would need to make additional moves to clear cap room for other offseason business.
- The Patriots re-hired Dante Scarnecchia as offensive line coach, a source confirmed to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Scarnecchia retired after the 2013 season but he has remained around the Pats, particularly to help with evaluating offensive line prospects in the draft. Scarnecchia had retired after 32 seasons in the NFL, 30 of which came in New England.
- Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo does not currently have plans to coach, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Instead, Mayo will focus on some business interests. On Tuesday, Mayo announced his retirement from the NFL.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Dolphins Hope To Re-Sign Lamar Miller
Re-signing running back Lamar Miller is a top priority for the Dolphins this offseason, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, who hears from a source that the team “definitely” wants Miller back in the fold for the 2016 season.
[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: Miami Dolphins]
While the Dolphins are “bullish” on Miller behind the scenes, his price tag will be the sticking point when it comes to the club’s ability to re-sign him. According to Beasley, industry insiders are estimating that Miller will earn a contract that averages somewhere around $5MM per year. That figure seems reasonable, though it’s not clear yet if Miami has a cutoff point when it comes to annual salary or guaranteed money.
Miami doesn’t currently have a ton of cap space, and there are other free agents and extension candidates the team will want to address this offseason. However, there plenty of players who could be released or have their contracts restructured in order to create some flexibility. Most notably, reworking Ndamukong Suh‘s deal could create more than $17MM in cap savings.
Still, assuming the Dolphins do restructure Suh’s contract and make other cost-cutting moves, the team will have to decide whether it wants to dedicate a chunk of those savings to the running back position, where inexpensive second-year back Jay Ajayi could be ready to handle a larger load in 2016. Miami has also been cited as a possible suitor for free agent running back Matt Forte, who figures to command a per-year salary similar to Miller’s and may be interested in reuniting with former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
As the Dolphins weigh their offseason moves, Olivier Vernon‘s future will also be a key issue, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. A team source tells Jackson that the Dolphins have yet to tell Vernon how much they’re willing to offer him on a new deal. Earlier today, I identified Vernon as a viable candidate for the franchise tag.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2016 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
On Tuesday, February 16th, 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 opens at that point, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
As our list of important dates for the 2016 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those franchise and transition tags comes two weeks later, on Tuesday, March 1st. Generally when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will likely wait until closer to that March deadline 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 2016’s franchise tag period. We don’t know yet what the exact salary amounts for franchise tags will be, since the NFL has yet to announce the salary cap figure for the coming year. But back in November, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com projected the 2016 franchise tag salaries, based on a presumed cap of $154MM. Here are the non-exclusive franchise tag amounts projected by Corry:
- Quarterback: $19.748MM
- Running back: $11.871MM
- Wide receiver: $14.527MM
- Tight end: $9.053MM
- Offensive line: $13.678MM
- Defensive end: $15.494MM
- Defensive tackle: $13.368MM
- Linebacker: $14.131MM
- Cornerback: $13.838MM
- Safety: $10.717MM
- Punter/kicker: $4.534MM
Those numbers are unlikely to be 100% accurate, but the actual figures won’t be drastically different, so we can use them as points of reference when considering which players are candidates to be franchised in 2016.
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. Once you’re up to speed, let’s dive in and take a look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities….
Virtual locks:
Broncos pass rusher Von Miller was viewed as the top player in this year’s group of potential free agents even before he terrorized Cam Newton in Santa Clara and earned Super Bowl MVP honors. Now, there’s no doubt that Denver will do all it can to retain the former second overall pick. The only questions for Miller are whether he’ll reach a long-term deal with the Broncos before the club needs to franchise him, and whether he’d get the exclusive or non-exclusive tag.
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman didn’t make the same impact in Super Bowl 50 that Miller did, but Carolina still seems likely to franchise him to avoid letting him hit the open market. The franchise tag for cornerbacks is projected to be worth nearly $14MM, but the Panthers are in better cap shape than they have been in recent years, and can afford to take the hit.
Meanwhile, it has been a few years since a quarterback was franchised, but Washington signal-caller Kirk Cousins is a strong candidate. Reports have indicated the team won’t let him get away, but the two sides apparently aren’t close to a multiyear agreement, which makes the franchise tag the most logical option at this point.
Strong candidates:
A year or two ago, Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery would have been a no-brainer candidate for the franchise tag. However, 2015 was an up-and-down season for Jeffery, who only played in nine games due to injury issues. When he did play, Jeffery was excellent, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game, and few teams have more projected cap room this offseason than Chicago, so it seems unlikely that the team would let the wideout get away — especially given how weak the market for receivers is this year, outside of Jeffery.
The Jets are facing an interesting predicament on their defensive line with Damon Harrison and Muhammad Wilkerson eligible for free agency this winter. Harrison isn’t a franchise tag candidate, and the Jets could conceivably re-sign him at a reasonable price, then move forward with a defensive line of Harrison, Sheldon Richardson, and Leonard Williams. However, letting an asset like Wilkerson get away for nothing isn’t great business, which is why he has been viewed as an intriguing tag-and-trade candidate for New York.
Elsewhere in the AFC East, the Bills and Dolphins don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, which could affect their decisions on offensive tackle Cordy Glenn and defensive end Olivier Vernon, respectively. There are ways for Buffalo and Miami to create the space necessary to tag their free-agents-to-be, but 
both teams already have plenty of highly-paid veterans on their books, so the decisions aren’t no-brainers. I think Glenn, at least, is slightly more likely than not to be tagged, but both players could conceivably reach the open market.
Safety Eric Berry had a tremendous comeback season in 2015, and it would put something of a damper on that story for the Chiefs to allow him to sign elsewhere next month. A $10MM+ price tag for a safety isn’t cheap, but it’s a more affordable tag than most positions, so I think Kansas City will have to strongly consider using it if the team can’t agree on a longer-term contract with Berry. As last year’s negotiations with Justin Houston showed, the Chiefs aren’t afraid to franchise a player, then work out a multiyear pact with him later in the offseason.
One position that’s significantly cheaper than safety is kicker, where Corry projects a salary in the $4.5MM range. The Ravens and Justin Tucker have reportedly been negotiating a potential extension for over a year, but with the franchise deadline approaching, the team isn’t afraid to use a tag on Tucker, if it comes to that.
Long shots:
The Jets want to extend Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Eagles have spoken highly of Sam Bradford, but it appears unlikely that either quarterback will get franchised. At least one report has indicated that the Eagles aren’t expected to use their franchise tag to retain Bradford, and a price tag of nearly $20MM seems too high for Fitzpatrick.
Like Fitzpatrick, Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is a player whose team badly wants to re-sign him, but may view the franchise tag salary as too high. For running backs, the tag could be worth nearly $12MM, which would make Martin the second-highest-paid RB in the NFL – behind Adrian Peterson – by a comfortable margin. For a player who has been as inconsistent as Martin, that seems excessive.
A handful of offensive linemen are possible candidates to be tagged by their respective teams, including Kelechi Osemele (Ravens), Russell Okung (Seahawks), Mitchell Schwartz (Browns), Kelvin Beachum (Steelers), and Andre Smith (Bengals). However, I’d be a little surprised if even one of those five got the franchise tag. Since there’s only one price tag for all offensive linemen, the projected salary ($13.678MM) is left-tackle money, and Osemele, Schwartz, and Smith haven’t seen much – if any – playing time at left tackle. As for Okung and Beachum, I’m skeptical that their teams will want to invest too heavily in them, since they haven’t been consistently healthy and elite in recent years.
If the Broncos strike a long-term deal with Miller soon, it would free up the franchise tag for quarterback Brock Osweiler or defensive end Malik Jackson. Even in the unlikely event that Miller and the Broncos agree to terms quickly though, the franchise salaries for Osweiler and Jackson may be a little too high.
Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul got the franchise tag last year, but it’ll be pricier this season, and obviously there are more question marks this time around, given the state of his right hand. As such, I don’t think he’s a real candidate to be tagged, despite New York’s significant cap space. Bengals safety Reggie Nelson seems like a similar long-shot — he had another good season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod, but it would be surprising to see a team commit $10MM+ to a 33-year-old safety.
Finally, Tucker isn’t the only kicker or punter who has a shot to be tagged. Jaguars punter Bryan Anger, Raiders punter Marquette King, and Packers kicker Mason Crosby are among the other special teams candidates. They’re all less likely than Tucker to be franchised, but the Jags and Raiders have the most cap room in the NFL, so they could certainly afford it.
East Notes: Schwartz, D. Jackson, Galette, Fins
After watching the Giants post 6-10 records for two consecutive seasons, Geoff Schwartz will be eyeing a contending team in free agency, the recently released offensive lineman told Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).
“I want to go to a winner. I’m tired of congratulating my friends on winning Super Bowls,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz probably won’t receive a four-year contract like he signed with the Giants two years ago, considering the guard/tackle has only played in 13 games the past two seasons, but the $4.2MM AAV on that deal may still be in the ballpark of what the 29-year-old Schwartz seeks. Pro Football Focus rated him as the league’s 20th-best guard last season, even though he only played 11 games.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:
- DeSean Jackson only has one year left on his contract with Washington, and the team would create nearly $7MM in cap savings by cutting him, but such a move doesn’t really makes sense, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. If anything, Keim writes, Washington should explore the possibility of tacking a couple more years onto Jackson’s deal.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post explores another contract situation in Washington, examining what sort of offer the club should make to pass rusher Junior Galette. According to Jones, people familiar with Galette’s thinking believe he might prefer a one-year pact in order to rebuild his value and land a big, multiyear contract a year from now. However, Galette also may be unwilling to sign another low-salary deal, preferring something in the range of $7-9MM. That could be too pricey for Washington, complicating negotiations.
- James Walker of ESPN.com debates whether the Dolphins should take a rebuilding approach this offseason, or simply retool their roster and attempt to win now. Walker comes down in favor of a rebuild, arguing that quick fixes haven’t worked in Miami and that the team should recommit to building through the draft.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
East Notes: Bills, Hicks, Cousins
Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News takes an interesting and in-depth look at the Bills‘ coaching dynamics prior to the hiring of Rex Ryan in early 2015. In 2014, the Bills’ defense under Jim Schwartz was terrific. It ranked fourth in yards allowed, first in sacks, and near the top of the league in a number of other statistical categories. Plus, there were no complaints that the system did not fit the players or that the team did not have enough talent to succeed on defense. So when former head coach Doug Marrone surprisingly decided to leave the team after his second year in Buffalo, Schwartz assumed the Bills would hire another offensive-minded head coach.
And then reports began to surface that the Bills were preparing to hire Ryan. Buffalo ownership wanted Schwartz to remain the team’s defensive coordinator, but given the philosophical differences between Schwartz and Ryan, Schwartz had no idea if he would remain the defensive coordinator in title only while someone else actually ran the defense. Ryan himself did not contact Schwartz until the day after he was hired, and that was to advise Schwartz that his services would no longer be required. The Bills defense, of course, took a major step back under Ryan, and there is a palpable sense of discontent among the team’s defensive players. As of right now, it is difficult to see the team making major strides in 2016, which could leave the front office with another tough coaching decision to make next year.
Now let’s round up a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- In light of the NFL’s recent race to Los Angeles, there has been a great deal of speculation as to whether the Bills will pursue a new stadium of their own, even though the lease on Ralph Wilson Stadium is not due to expire until 2023. But Carucci, in a separate piece for The Buffalo News, says team ownership has absolutely no desire to move forward with a new stadium, and New York governor Andrew Cuomo is of the same mindset. As Carucci writes, “after investing $130 million in renovations at The Ralph, staying in Orchard Park is a long-term solution that works best for everyone.”
- Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com, along with Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, identify Akiem Hicks as the Patriots‘ top impending free agent. The 26-year-old Hicks was an excellent run-stuffer in 2015, and he showed a reasonable amount of pass rush ability as well. Hicks combined with Malcom Brown and Alan Branch to form a stout defensive front last season, but considering Dominique Easley‘s injury history and the lack of depth behind that core group, Perry and Curran believe re-signing Hicks should be New England’s top priority this offseason. Reiss, however, would be surprised if the team used the franchise tag on Hicks, as the 2016 franchise tag value for defensive tackles is projected to be over $13MM.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines what a new contract for Kirk Cousins might look like and what the odds are that Cousins gets the franchise tag, but Tandler does not envision any scenario in which Cousins will not be playing for Washington next year.
- John Keim of ESPN.com says Washington GM Scot McCloughan will approach free agency this season the same way he addressed it last year: with a number of relatively modest signings designed to add veteran stability to the team’s areas of need, like the defensive line and the secondary.
- Free agent guards Alex Boone and Jahri Evans would be good fits for the Dolphins, who could use some help at both guard positions, but considering Miami’s other needs, James Walker of ESPN.com does not believe the team has enough cap room to sign either player.
Extra Points: Broncos, Bears, Dolphins
A look around the NFL as Saturday wraps up:
- Whether the Broncos bring back DeMarcus Ware next season might depend on if they can get a deal done with free agent-to-be Malik Jackson, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Both pass rushers have been important cogs in the Broncos’ dominant defense, but the salary cap could preclude the Super Bowl champions from retaining the pair. At 26, Jackson is significantly younger than Ware, who will enter his age-34 season. Further, releasing Ware would add $10MM to the Broncos’ cap for 2016. That money could obviously be put toward re-signing Jackson. If Denver does cut ties with Ware, his two-year stint with the team will have ended with a 3.5-sack playoff run. Two of those sacks came in the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory over Carolina.
- If the Bears determine that tight end Martellus Bennett is a holdout threat, they’ll start shopping him around the league next month, writes Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com. A holdout wouldn’t be unheard of for Bennett, who sat out the voluntary portion of the Bears’ offseason program last year in an effort to land a better contract. The Bears didn’t bite then, and it doesn’t sound as though they’d blink in the event of a hypothetical Bennett holdout this year. If Chicago shops the soon-to-be 29-year-old – as it did last offseason – and ends up unable to find a taker, the team could cut him and save nearly $5.2MM on its cap in 2016. Bennett’s status is one of many points touched on by PFR’s Dallas Robinson in his offseason preview of the Bears, which can be found here.
- Regardless of whether they keep Brent Grimes, the Dolphins hope to add at least two new cornerbacks this offseason, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The team cut corner Brice McCain on Friday and could also send Jamar Taylor packing, according to Jackson. Doing so would save Miami just shy of $900,000 on its cap next season.
Extra Points: Lions, Dolphins, Broncos
Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…
- While Calvin Johnson‘s decision on his future may give the Lions a bit of clarity, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes the team will still have the same needs heading into the draft: wideout, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, linebacker, and defensive back.
- Meanwhile, Rothstein believes Browns offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz could be a target of the Lions. However, he doesn’t envision the team pursuing lineman Nick Fairley or wideout Percy Harvin.
- Wideout Greg Jennings is atop ESPN.com’s James Walker’s list of players on the Dolphins chopping block. Tight end Jordan Cameron and defensive tackle Earl Mitchell are also mentioned as potential release candidates.
- Quarterback is one of the Broncos most pressing roster issues heading into the offseason, says Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The writer believes Brock Osweiler is more likely to return that Peyton Manning, but he also suggests the team could like elsewhere. The writer suggests Robert Griffin, Colin Kaepernick, Chase Daniel and Drew Stanton as potential targets.
Matt Forte Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Colts
Since running back Matt Forte announced earlier this week that he wouldn’t be returning to the Bears, writers have been going crazy with potential landing spots for the 30-year-old running back. The Patriots and Jets were suggested as potential destinations, along with several other teams.
Those rumblings have carried over to this morning, and we’ve compiled several notes regarding the Pro Bowler below…
- If the Dolphins lose Lamar Miller and the price proves to not be too rich, it can be in the team’s best interest to pursue Forte, writes Greg Cote of The Miami Herald. The running back has a relationship with new coach Adam Gase, who was the offensive coordinator with the Bears last season.
- Forte makes “zero sense” for the Giants, write Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The writer would prefer the team gets younger, and Forte wouldn’t necessarily fit on a squad that already has four running backs.
- Forte probably won’t be on the Colts radar, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. While the team is looking to get younger at the position, a three-year difference in age between Forte and Frank Gore shouldn’t be enough to entice the team. Instead, Wells could envision the team pursuing a younger running back who they could pair with Gore.
Dolphins Notes: Front Office, Vernon, Wake
The Dolphins and assistant general manager Eric Stokes have mutually decided to part ways, the club announced today. Stoke, whose scouting career dates back to 2000, came to Miami from Tampa Bay, joining Dennis Hickey in making the leap from the Buccaneers to the Dolphins in 2014. Hickey, of course, was let go by Miami last month, and the team in turn promoted Chris Grier to take over as general manager.
Here’s more from South Beach:
- The team also announced that it has hired former Wisconsin secondary coach Daronte Jones as its new assistant defensive backs coach. Prior to his coaching experience in Madison, Jones spent time with Hawaii, UCLA, and the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He’ll be part of a revamped Miami coaching staff that includes new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and defensive backs coach (and former interim DC) Lou Anarumo.
- The Dolphins have yet to enter into “serious negotiations” with pending free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. Set to reach the open market next month, the 25-year-old Vernon would surely garner plenty of interest from suitors around the league if he doesn’t reach a deal with Miami. A report last month indicated that Vernon was the club’s No. 1 priority among internal free agents.
- Miami is unlikely to be able to retain Vernon without first restructuring the contract of fellow defensive end Cameron Wake, but the team has not approached Wake about reworking his deal, per Walker. Wake, 34, is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, and is due to count $9.8MM against the Dolphins’ cap, but the club could save $8.4MM by releasing him.
- Given that former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase is head coach in Miami, it’s fair to wonder if running back Matt Forte — who was informed he won’t be re-signed in Chicago — might be a fit with the Dolphins. It’s an idea we explored today on the Pro Football Rumors Instagram account.