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Extension Candidate: Kyle Dugger

July 6th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots haven’t signed a first- or second-round pick to a rookie contract extension since Dont’a Hightower, who was a member of the 2012 draft class. Things may change in 2023, as the Patriots have a 2020 second-round pick who is worthy of a new deal. Kyle Dugger is currently eligible for an extension, and the safety can make a strong case for a new contract in New England.

The defensive back was a surprise pick out of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, with the Patriots selecting him 37th-overall in 2020. Following an inconsistent rookie campaign that saw him in and out of the starting lineup, Dugger took it to another level over the past two seasons. Between 2021 and 2022, the safety has compiled 120 tackles, seven interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns. The 26-year-old earned his best Pro Football Focus grade in 2022, finishing 11th among 88 qualifying safeties.

The Patriots secondary will be lacking some leadership in 2023 following the retirement of Devin McCourty, and Bill Belichick and co. will surely want to maintain some continuity in their safeties room. Jabrill Peppers and Adrian Phillips provide some solid depth at the position, and the team has reportedly given cornerback Jalen Mills some reps at safety. The organization also used a third-round pick on Sacramento State defensive back Marte Mapu, perhaps some insurance in case the organization loses their starter next offseason.

However, none of those options offer as much upside as Dugger, and while the team doesn’t have a long track record of extending first- or second-round picks, the safety has easily outperformed most of the other players on that list. Of course, this is the Patriots, and we shouldn’t expect the front office to start negotiating against themselves.

Despite his impressive numbers over the past two seasons, Dugger hasn’t established himself among the top tier of safeties. A top-10 contract at the position would put him in line for an average annual value of $14MM. More likely, New England will be looking to get Dugger under contract for a discounted amount; considering his production and the current contracts at the position, a deal starting around $12MM per year could make some sense.

Fortunately for New England, Dugger’s contract status won’t be a distraction for the fourth-year player.

“That’s not on my mind,” Dugger said of his impending free agency (via Chad Graff of The Athletic). “That’s the business part. I’m on the field and trying to handle business on the field and let that be that. But I definitely enjoy playing with this organization.”

Dugger might not even be the only member of the Patriots 2020 draft class to earn an extension. Fellow second-round pick Josh Uche had a breakout season in 2022, finishing with 11.5 sacks and a top-20 edge rusher grade from PFF. The Patriots probably won’t overpay for one good season, and Uche is mostly a part-time player in their system. However, another 10-plus-sack season would put Uche in line for a massive payday next offseason. If the organization believes his 2022 season was for real, it may be in their best interest to extend the linebacker now.

Offensive lineman Michael Onwenu could be another interesting contender for an extension. The 2020 sixth-round pick earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors as a rookie, struggled during his second season, and then earned a top-four PFF mark among all guards in 2022. The lineman’s inconsistency makes him a risky extension candidate, but New England could look to hedge their bets and sign him to an affordable deal while they have the chance. As Evan Lazar of the team’s website points out, the organization does have a recent history of trying to retain interior linemen, including Shaq Mason‘s extension and Joe Thuney‘s franchise tag.

Part of the reason for the team’s lack of success in a post-Tom Brady era (besides the quarterback’s obvious defection) was the team’s lack of draft hits. The fact that the Patriots have three worthy extension candidates from their 2020 draft class shows that the organization is starting to rebound in their prospect evaluations.

AFC East Notes: Rapp, Bills, Parker, Amos

July 6th, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

After starting 48 games for the Rams over the past four seasons, Taylor Rapp will head into the 2023 season as the Bills‘ third safety behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. While the 25-year-old free agent acquisition will provide Buffalo will top-end depth at the position, the team initially targeted Rapp as insurance for one of their starters.

As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News writes, Bills safeties coach Joe Danna initially reached out to Rapp when the organization was uncertain if they’d be able to retain Poyer. The veteran ended up sticking around Buffalo on a two-year deal, and Rapp inked his one-year pact a few weeks later.

Rapp signed his contract understanding that he’d be a depth piece in Buffalo, but Bills defensive backs coach John Butler indicated that the newcomer’s versatility could afford him additional defensive snaps.

“Obviously, he understands he’s walking into a room with a ton of experience,” Butler told Skurski. “We love guys who have a versatile background. Just in the concept of their ability to play man, their ability to play zone, their ability to tackle, their ability to play the ball. I think he’s been a great addition to us and he’s fit in well, not only from a football player perspective but culturally. From a guy that just kind of is exactly what we want from a football DNA standpoint.”

Meanwhile, Rapp is more than happy to be playing alongside Poyer and Hyde.

“Those two guys, Micah and Jordan, those are the guys. They are very well established,” Rapp said. “Those guys are very special to this team, very special to this defense. Just finding different ways, unique ways to get the best 11 players out on the grass, whether that be different sub packages or different ways that I can get on the field to contribute. That doesn’t take away from getting on special teams. Just any way I can get on the field to contribute and ultimately help this team win a championship, that’s my goal, that’s all that I have in mind.”

More notes out of the AFC East…

  • With Isaiah McKenzie now in Indianapolis, the Bills will be looking for a wideout to step up behind Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty, and Trent Sherfield are battling it out for the third spot on the WR depth chart, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. The writer opines that all three of the wideouts are likely to earn roster spots, with rookie sixth-round pick Justin Shorter likely getting the sixth and final spot on the depth chart.
  • DeVante Parker‘s three-year, $33MM extension with the Patriots created about $2.4MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The wideout has fully guaranteed salaries in 2023 and 2024, and he can earn $14.7MM of his $33MM via statistical incentives (plus another $1.2MM in All-Pro incentives). Greg Auman of Fox Sports (on Twitter) ends up simplifying the contract to a three-year, $18MM pact.
  • Adrian Amos‘ one-year, $4MM deal with the Jets includes an $1.25MM guaranteed base salary and a $500K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). The safety can earn up to $900K in playing time incentives, $500K in Pro Bowl bonuses, and $850K in playoff incentives.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  8. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  9. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  10. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  11. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  12. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  13. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  14. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  15. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  16. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  17. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  18. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  19. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  20. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  21. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  22. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  23. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  24. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  25. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  26. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  27. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  28. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  29. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  30. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  31. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  32. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Jets, Patriots Interested In Dalvin Cook

July 5th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dalvin Cook market includes one well-known suitor, but a host of other teams are believed to be monitoring this situation. The Dolphins appear to have competition from two of their division rivals.

The Jets and Patriots have shown interest in the Pro Bowl running back. New England is intrigued by adding Cook to a Rhamondre Stevenson-fronted backfield, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com said recently (via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian). While the Jets are expecting Breece Hall to return by Week 1, Fowler adds they are interested in the ex-Viking as well.

This is not the first time the Patriots have come up in connection with Cook. A report last week threw New England into the mix as a possible destination for the six-year Minnesota starter. The Dolphins have long been connected to Cook and have spoken with the Miami native. Cook has called the Dolphins a perfect fit for his skillset, and the team is believed to have made an offer.

Rumblings of a Cook-Patriots partnership comes not long after the AFC East club hosted DeAndre Hopkins on a free agency visit. The Pats made Hopkins an offer and, after a DeVante Parker extension that does not appear especially lucrative, the team remains in play to add the former All-Pro wide receiver. While these are separate markets, the two high-profile free agents have planned to discuss the possibility of ending up on the same team.

The Pats are interested in adding a back to pair with Stevenson, per Fowler. The team let its previous Stevenson complement, Damien Harris, walk for barely the league minimum. Harris signed a one-year, $1.77MM Bills deal that came with just $1MM guaranteed. Cook will cost more than that, though a deal that pays him close to the $10.4MM he was due with the Vikings should not be expected. As the Pats’ offense struggled last season, Stevenson broke through for 1,461 scrimmage yards. The team hired Bill O’Brien to clean up a mess this offseason, and Fowler adds Bill Belichick senses the urgency to improve on offense.

Stephenson and Cook would qualify as a top-shelf 1-2 punch, but Hall would make for a high-end backfield tandem partner as well. Cook called the Dolphins a perfect fit but brought up the Jets as a team he has seen linked to him as well. New York has made a more concerted effort to improve on offense, trading for Aaron Rodgers and adding a host of his ex-Packer teammates. Mecole Hardman also joined the Jets, who now have a clear window to load up their roster around Rodgers. Hall may be a candidate for the active/PUP list in training camp, but nothing has emerged to indicate the 2022 second-round pick will not be ready for the regular season.

The Jets carry third-year back Michael Carter, who as of now looks to be the favorite to back up Hall this season, and gave UDFA Zonovan Knight some work last year. The team re-signed and then waived Ty Johnson, however. The Patriots made a similar move in their backfield, signing ex-Jet James Robinson before cutting him before their offseason program ended. Injury concerns led to the once-productive Jaguar’s Foxborough exit. Behind Stevenson, the Pats roster 2022 draftees Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. Those two combined for just 28 carries as rookies.

Cook, who is going into his age-28 season, has said he would like to sign with a contending team that has a steady role available. The Dolphins may check both boxes, as Cook could seemingly overtake the Raheem Mostert–Jeff Wilson duo for touches. Stevenson and Hall would not be as easy to leapfrog. The Patriots have recently created cap space as well, extending Parker and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. The Jets are likely to lose some 2023 cap space, with Rodgers’ contract needing a second offseason restructure. Such a move would raise his 2023 cap number from its current $1.2MM place.

Although the Dolphins are a ways down the road with Cook, he has clearly not been enamored by his hometown team’s initial proposal. As the running back market might clear up via resolutions for franchise tag recipients Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard at the July 17 extension deadline, Cook may be keen on waiting longer before committing.

DeVante Parker's Patriots Extension Heavy On Incentives

July 4th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Adam La Rose
  • The Patriots recently retained DeVante Parker on a three-year extension worth up to $33MM. $14MM in guarantees is reportedly included in the deal, but its base value this year ($1.22MM) and next ($3.3MM) leaves most of his compensation set to be earned via incentives, as detailed (on Twitter) by Henry McKenna of Fox Sports and corroborated by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The pact’s incentives are tied to playing time, reception and yardage totals and All-Pro honors, which comes as little surprise given the modest statline Parker put up (31-539-3) in his debut Patriots campaign. Reiss notes that more than half of the value of the contract will be tied to incentives, making the former Dolphins’ performance a key storyline to follow moving forward.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Kraft: ‘Money Spending Will Never Be Issue’ For Patriots

July 4th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

It might still be too soon to call what is transpiring in New England a cold war, but the Robert Kraft–Bill Belichick relationship has certainly seen better days.

The owner appeared to fire another salvo at the historically successful head coach recently. Belichick defended the Patriots’ unexpected 2021 spending spree by pointing out how the team’s commitments from 2020-22 ranked 27th on average. The Pats’ 2021 splurge remains an outlier for the generally conservative franchise.

[RELATED: Patriots Remain In DeAndre Hopkins Pursuit]

“Our spending in 2020, our spending in 2021, and our spending in 2022 — the aggregate of that — was we were 27th in the league in cash spending,” Belichick said in January. “Couple years we’re low, one year was high, but over a three-year period, we are one of the lowest-spending teams in the league.”

This comment came after a question regarding the 2021 free agency period — and not necessarily a dig at Kraft stinginess — but when asked about a willingness to spend money, Kraft shot back to continue what has been a somewhat icy stretch between the two Patriot bigwigs.

“He has never come to me and not gotten everything he wanted from a cash-spending perspective. We have never set limits,'” Kraft said of Belichick during an interview with the Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard (h/t to the Boston Herald). “Money spending will never be the issue, I promise you, or I’ll sell the team.”

This would qualify as less newsworthy in a normal Patriots offseason. But this one also featured Kraft putting his six-time Super Bowl champion coach on shakier ground with March comments that gave off a win-or-else vibe. Last week, Kraft also said he would only consider this season a success if the franchise claims its seventh Super Bowl title. With the Patriots a mid-pack AFC team not mentioned with the conference’s elites, they will face long odds to accomplish that. Kraft and Belichick also have not seen eye to eye regarding last year’s Matt Patricia role and the treatment of Mac Jones, the latter seeming to have more support from the owner than the head coach.

Excepting the 2021 offseason, the 2017 Stephon Gilmore contract and select other instances, Belichick has not been known for big-ticket outside expenditures. The Pats did add JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason but did so for the same fully guaranteed amount the Raiders gave outgoing Patriot Jakobi Meyers ($16MM). The team made an offer to Hopkins, who appears content to wait for his market to change.

Kraft pulling the plug on the Belichick era would be among the most controversial decisions in NFL history. The 24th-year Patriots HC sits second all time in wins (329), having passed George Halas last year. Belichick trails all-time leader Don Shula by 18 wins, putting him in position to potentially pass the Hall of Famer in 2024. Kraft firing Belichick, 71, under any circumstances would qualify as surprising, even considering the team’s below-.500 finishes in 2020 and 2022. But canning the future Hall of Famer as he is on the doorstep of a hallowed record would bring a bizarre conclusion to one of the most storied runs in NFL history.

Latest On Patriots’ Tackle Situation

July 4th, 2023 at 2:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not re-signing Isaiah Wynn, the Patriots have some questions at their tackle posts. New England might boast some depth, should everyone stay healthy here, though the soundness of its strategy at this position can be debated.

Trent Brown is back in place as the Pats’ left tackle, but the ninth-year veteran struggled with fitness during minicamp. Weight clauses exist in Brown’s Patriots contract, just as they did when the team reacquired him from the Raiders and reworked his deal. Brown’s weight at various offseason points will trigger the bonuses. Given his minicamp form, it is worth wondering how many of those benchmarks the talented blocker will hit this year.

The team was connected to making a more concerted effort to upgrade at right tackle, but Riley Reiff is in place on a one-year, $5MM deal. The 34-year-old tackle signed for $4.15MM guaranteed and, as of now, is positioned to re-emerge as a Week 1 starter. The Bears stationed Reiff as a backup to open last season, but he closed the year as the 3-14 team’s right tackle starter. Reiff, however, took left tackle reps during the Patriots’ offseason program, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.

Reiff has extensive experience on both sides, having been drafted in the 2012 first round by the Lions to play left tackle. He worked as Detroit’s full-time left-sider for three seasons and Minnesota’s for four. The Bengals used Reiff as their starting right tackle for much of their 2021 AFC championship season, but an injury ended his run before the playoffs. Reiff has made 149 career starts. Although Reiff’s profile did not present the intrigue Mike McGlinchey, Jawaan Taylor or Kaleb McGary‘s did at free agency’s outset, the Patriots passed on a big-ticket signing or a high draft choice for this role.

Reiff seeing left tackle time could point to Brown’s roster spot being uncertain. When healthy, Brown has played well during his two New England stints. He played 17 games last season but missed eight in 2021, which followed an absence-riddled Raiders tenure. Brown’s cap number ($12.25MM) sits third on this year’s Pats roster. The team would save $8MM by releasing the 6-foot-8 cog, who is going into his age-30 season.

Brown reporting to training camp in shape and staying healthy would be the best O-line outcome for the Patriots, but Reiff’s experience does provide some insurance. That said, questions also surround Reiff given his age. Reiff spent time with the backups during minicamp and has not started and finished a season as a first-stringer since 2020.

During the offseason program, the Patriots used ex-Broncos swing tackle Calvin Anderson on the left side and ex-Jet Conor McDermott on the right. Fourth-round pick Sidy Sow, who has impressed the team during his initial NFL offseason, is being viewed as a right tackle, Volin adds. Sow is attempting to convert from college guard to NFL tackle. Anderson and McDermott each have 12 career starts; the latter started six games for the Patriots last season, after being signed off the Jets’ practice squad.

Although the Pats boast an interesting five-man contingent at this position, its ceiling largely hinges on Brown’s status. Training camp figures to be important at this spot, with the team likely set on its interior O-line.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Poll: Who Will Win AFC East?

July 3rd, 2023 at 10:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Offseason additions will make the AFC East perhaps the league’s most captivating divisional race. The Bills have won this division three years running, recovering from a 17-year playoff drought by advancing to five postseasons in six years of the Sean McDermott–Brandon Beane era. But the Jets and Dolphins took big swings to narrow the gap. And the Patriots present an annually high floor, having the most accomplished HC (by a rather wide margin) in the division.

Buffalo did not exactly stand pat this offseason, prioritizing a first-round trade-up for Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. This year’s top tight end draftee is expected to play a regular role as a slot performer for the Bills, who will have Stefon Diggs (assuming he is on the same page with the organization), Gabe Davis and Dawson Knox back. Buffalo also beefed up its offensive line, signing Connor McGovern — to give the division both Connor McGoverns — to go with second-round guard O’Cyrus Torrence. Signed to a low-cost deal, ex-Rams starter David Edwards also has extensive starting experience. The Bills also added former Patriots starter Damien Harris, he of 15 rushing touchdowns in 2021, to just a one-year deal worth $1.77MM.

Defensively, the Bills’ top addition came via the June Leonard Floyd signing. Buffalo guaranteed the ex-Von Miller Los Angeles teammate $7MM to both help the team while Miller recovers from his second ACL tear — if the future Hall of Famer needs regular-season recovery time like Tre’Davious White did last year — and provide a high-end complementary edge presence to help Miller and a young edge-rushing crew. Floyd has racked up 29 sacks over the past three seasons.

Last year’s second-place finishers took aim at the Bills by adding two major defensive pieces. Miami made Vic Fangio the league’s highest-paid defensive coordinator, hiring the ex-Denver HC for more than $4.5MM per year to work with Mike McDaniel. DVOA rated the Dolphins’ defense 15th last season; the team now has Jalen Ramsey in place opposite Xavien Howard. The Dolphins pried Ramsey from the suddenly cost-conscious Rams for only a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, though it took a contract adjustment as well. Ramsey earned first-team All-Pro honors in two of his three full seasons with the Rams.

The Dolphins let Mike Gesicki walk and have not made a notable tight end addition, and they re-signed their top three running backs from last season. In addition to re-upping Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, the Dolphins drafted Devon Achane in Round 3. They are also believed to be the clubhouse leaders to add Dalvin Cook as a hired gun of sorts. Cook is a Miami native who has mentioned the Dolphins as a “perfect fit.”

Most discussions of this division’s outlook will begin with the Jets’ top addition. It took far more than the Brett Favre trade required, but Gang Green landed Aaron Rodgers. It cost the team a first-round pick swap and a second-round choice this year, and the Packers will likely — barring injury — obtain the Jets’ 2024 first-rounder. But the upgrade the Jets will make in going from Zach Wilson to Rodgers is difficult to overstate. The four-time MVP attended the Jets’ OTA sessions, after skipping the Packers’ voluntary workouts in 2021 and ’22, and brought ex-Packers Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and tackle Billy Turner with him. The Jets are gambling that Nathaniel Hackett can shake off a woeful stay as the Broncos’ play-caller, and the team does have big questions at tackle, with both Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton coming off injuries.

Another ex-Packer, Adrian Amos, arrived in town to help the Jets cover for one of their other additions, Chuck Clark, tearing an ACL. First-round defensive end Will McDonald — believed to be, by most, an emergency option after the Steelers took Broderick Jones — also led off the Jets’ draft. Not many holes existed for Robert Saleh‘s vastly improved defense.

An assistant hire profiles as the Patriots’ top move. After a strange effort to give defensive coach Matt Patricia offensive play-calling duties predictably backfired, the Pats rehired Bill O’Brien as OC. The former Texans HC already has the offense headed in a better direction, and he is believed to be on the same page with free agent target DeAndre Hopkins despite pulling the trigger on the 2020 Houston-Arizona trade. The Pats also gave Mac Jones a weapon in J.J. Smith-Schuster, the Chiefs’ top 2022 wideout who will be tasked with replacing Jakobi Meyers.

The Patriots have failed to form a top-11 scoring defense exactly once in the past 15 years, and Bill Belichick‘s unit now has first- and second-round picks Christian Gonzalez and Keion White. The team re-signed Jonathan Jones and is prepared to move the secondary staple back inside, but a big question mark now looms with emerging boundary defender Jack Jones, who faces potential prison time for gun charges.

Have the Jets and Dolphins done enough to topple the Bills? Are the Patriots — a 2021 playoff team that took a big step back on offense under Patricia and Joe Judge — being slept on? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this division in the comments section.

Who will win the AFC East?
Buffalo Bills 58.90% (2,403 votes)
Miami Dolphins 21.81% (890 votes)
New York Jets 10.10% (412 votes)
New England Patriots 9.19% (375 votes)
Total Votes: 4,080

Patriots To Extend LB Ja’Whaun Bentley

June 29th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second straight day, the Patriots agreed to terms on an extension with one of their veteran contributors. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is signing a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Following DeVante Parker‘s three-year re-up, Bentley will sign a deal that can max out at $18.75MM. The sixth-year defender will collect $9MM fully guaranteed. This is Bentley’s third Patriots contract.

Bentley, 26, has been a regular Pats starter for the past three seasons. The Purdue alum agreed to terms on a two-year, $6MM deal during free agency in 2022. Considering the guarantee here, Bentley will secure a nice payout compared to his previous pact. The new deal will tie Bentley to the Patriots through the 2025 season.

This is an interesting decision from Bentley, who was going into a contract year. The former fifth-round pick could have pursued a more lucrative pact as a 2024 free agent, but this year’s market was not particularly fruitful for off-ball linebackers. Beyond the monster deal given to Tremaine Edmunds ($18MM per year) and the Giants’ Bobby Okereke pact ($10MM AAV), a host of contracts in the $5-7MM-per-year range came to pass. Bentley’s guarantee puts him at the top of that mix of recently signed ILB vets.

Thursday’s agreement also could represent solid value for the Patriots. Pro Football Focus tabbed Bentley as a top-10 off-ball ‘backer in 2022. Last season, Bentley started all 17 Pats games and made a career-high 125 tackles. He added three sacks and six quarterback hits, notching an interception as well. New England keeping its post-Dont’a Hightower linebacking anchor will bring good continuity on a perennially stout defense.

Like Parker’s accord, Bentley’s may create 2023 cap space as well. The Pats had Bentley tied to a $5.1MM cap hit this year. Spreading bonus money out would free up some funds. The Patriots’ Parker agreement will not lead to them standing down re: DeAndre Hopkins. Veteran NFL reporter Mike Giardi tweets that the Bentley extension will indeed give New England more spending power for the immediate future.

The Patriots were relatively quiet with respect to additions at linebacker spot this offseason. Veteran Chris Board was signed, though he is best known for his work on special teams rather than defense. Further depth was added during the draft with Marte Mapu, who has seen time both at LB as well as safety so far. Regardless of how the team chooses to align its options at the second level of the defense, Bentley will be a mainstay there for years to come.

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