Giants Acquire LB Alec Ogletree From Rams
The Rams are trading linebacker Alec Ogletree to the Giants, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will see Ogletree and the Rams’ 2019 seventh-rounder go to the G-Men in exchange for a fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick. 
Thanks to the extension he signed last fall, Ogletree is under contract through 2021. The Rams probably didn’t expect to part ways with him so soon even that the deal included $18MM in full guarantees with $33MM in cash flow over the first three years. L.A. is moving on from him, partially due to financial constraints, but the Giants believe they’re acquiring a quality playmaker on D.
Ogletree, a former first-round pick, started in all 15 of his games last season and racked up 95 tackles and two sacks. The advanced metrics have never been fond of him, but those who have watched him play disagree with the analytics.
Linebacker was one of the Giants’ biggest areas of need this offseason, particularly with Akeem Ayers, Jonathan Casillas, Mark Herzlich, Devon Kennard, Keenan Robinson, and Kelvin Sheppard all headed towards free agency. Last year, the Giants’ run defense sagged and opposing tight ends had their way across the middle of the field. The Giants are hoping that Ogletree’s presence will help in both areas.
The acquisition of Ogletree gives new defensive coordinator James Bettcher a big-time weapon to work with. Ogletree spent much of his career in a 4-3 scheme, but he transitioned to a 3-4 set under Wade Phillips last year, similar to Bettcher’s. It’s worth noting, however, that Ogletree didn’t cleanly fit into 3-4, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com (Twitter link) writes.
This marks the latest deal in what has been a busy offseason for the Rams. In recent weeks, L.A. has acquired cornerback Marcus Peters from the Chiefs and shipped defensive end Robert Quinn to the Dolphins.
The Rams were not expected to part ways with Ogletree, but it’s a logical move for cap reasons. Moving Ogletree may allow the Rams to hold on to linebacker Mark Barron and re-sign wide receiver Sammy Watkins. There’s also the outside chance that the Rams find space to retain cornerback Trumaine Johnson and the extra breathing room could help the team in their bid to eventually extend Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, and Jared Goff.
Per league rules, the trade will not become official until March 14.
Seahawks Trade Michael Bennett To Eagles
Trade alert! The Seahawks are sending defensive end Michael Bennett and a seventh-round pick to the Eagles for a fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link). Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) first reported that Bennett was Philadelphia-bound. 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Also Part Ways With Richard Sherman?]
Bennett has been the subject of trade speculation for months now and the Falcons were among the teams to express interest in acquiring him recently. The return for him may seem underwhelming given his ability, but his market was suppressed by his contract, which still has three seasons and $26MM left.
The Seahawks’ loss is now the Eagles’ gain. Bennett didn’t have his best season in 2017, but he did earn a third Pro Bowl nod as he registered 8.5 sacks. His inside pass rush ability helped to propel Seattle to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons and he’ll look to do more of the same for the defending champs. The Eagles project to start a defensive line of Bennett, Cox, Derek Barnett, and Brandon Graham, and that’s as good of a D-Line as you’ll find in the NFL.
After acquiring Bennett, the Eagles may explore a potential trade of defensive end Vinny Curry, Schefter tweets. The Eagles like Curry, but his cap number for 2018 is a bit too pricey given their limited amount of room.
The Bennett deal opens up roughly $2.2MM in cap space for the Seahawks, though they’re still saddled with about $5.2MM in dead money. The trade also helped Seattle escape the $3MM bonus he was due later this month and freed them of the future seasons left on his deal. The Eagles now assume that contract, which has Bennett under control through the 2020 season.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks gain an insurance policy in the event that Paul Richardson leaves in free agency. Given the buzz surrounding him, it’s very possible that they’ll lose him on the open market. Enter Johnson, who has posted a 40-yard-dash time of 4.36 seconds in the past. He doesn’t have a stat line that comes close to Richardson (he had just five grabs for 45 yards last season), but his speed could allow him to fill a similar role in Seattle.
Richard Sherman, Seahawks Discuss Future
Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has been the subject of trade speculation this offseason. We may soon get a sense of what is in store for him. Sherman is scheduled to meet with coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider to discuss his future, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
This “meeting” may not take place in person, however. Pelissero reports that the two sides will meet on Wednesday, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) hears that Sherman is in transit to NFLPA meetings in Las Vegas, which begin on Thursday. Any talks regarding Sherman’s future will take place while the veteran is in Vegas, according to Schefter.
Sherman has been wishing teammates farewell over the past 24 hours, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), though nothing has been set in stone yet. Jeremy Lane seemed to hint at receiving a goodbye text from Sherman on Twitter, but No. 25 told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he’s “not sure what that’s about.”
In any case, it’s clear that Sherman’s Seattle future is in flux. The Seahawks can save $11MM by parting ways with Sherman, but he’d have to gain medically clearance before being traded. Sherman says that he should be back on the field by June after having surgeries to fix his Achilles as well as a bone spur (Twitter link via Pelissero). With free agency just around the corner, an outright release cannot be ruled out for one of the league’s most prominent corners.
Sherman ranked as the 33rd-best CB in the league in 2017 this year, per Pro Football Focus. His 82.7 overall score was solid, but it is also a career-low for him. His ruptured Achilles tendon in November is also a concern and the Seahawks might not be able to justify keeping him at his current cost. A pay cut would make some sense here, but one has to wonder if Sherman’s pride would be a barrier.
Lions Listening To Offers For TE Eric Ebron
The Lions were listening to trade offers for tight end Eric Ebron at last weekend’s scouting combine, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
This isn’t the first time Detroit general manager Bob Quinn has discussed Ebron in trade talks, as the 24-year-old tight end was reportedly drawing interest prior to the 2017 trade deadline. Although the Lions had multiple inquiries, they opted to retain Ebron last November, and now have him under contract next season thanks to his fifth-year option.
Because Detroit exercised Ebron’s 2018 option, the former first-round pick is now scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.25MM for the upcoming campaign. That total is guaranteed for injury only, meaning the Lions could release Ebron before March 14 — the first day of the new league year — and escape that entire total. Any team that acquired Ebron would be responsible for that entire total, although they could opt to extend the pass-catcher, something Detroit had mulled but never accomplished.
Ebron, for his part, appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his four-year career. He recorded 53 receptions for 574 yards and four touchdowns, and while his yards per reception dropped nearly a full yard, Ebron ranked 11th in the league in yardage among tight ends and 12th in receptions. Ebron’s blocking skills aren’t anything special, as he finished 37th among 71 tight ends in run-blocking, per Pro Football Focus.
Interest in Ebron could be linked to a relatively weak free agent tight end market, where Trey Burton, Jimmy Graham, and Tyler Eifert ranks as the top three options available. Teams might believe Ebron and his one-year salary — or a short extension — is a better value than any tight end on the open market, all of whom have their flaws. Detroit, of course, may be weighing the same considerations, as a trade would mean it needs to potentially replace Ebron and Darren Fells, the latter of whom will reach free agency next week.
Top 2018 Free Agents By Position: Defense
NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense on Monday, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.
Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2018:
Edge defender:
- Julius Peppers
- William Hayes
- Trent Murphy
- Pernell McPhee
- Aaron Lynch
- Alex Okafor
- Adrian Clayborn
- Kony Ealy
- Connor Barwin
- Jeremiah Attaochu
- Junior Galette
- Derrick Shelby
- Barkevious Mingo
- Kareem Martin
- Erik Walden
As a positional group, pass rushers comprise interesting market on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not often that a list of best available players is topped by a 38-year-old, but Peppers is the top free agent edge defender after the Cowboys and Lions deployed the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah, respectively. As with quarterbacks, NFL clubs are extremely reluctant to allow pass rushers to hit the open market, so top-tier options are rarely ever truly “available.” Peppers, for his part, hasn’t even declared whether he’ll return in 2018, but indications are that he’ll suit up for a 17th campaign after posting 11 sacks last year.
Alongside Peppers, other veterans populate the edge market, and while William Hayes may not be a household name, he’ll be a contributor for whichever team signs him. A stout run defender, Hayes is also capable of generating pressure despite managing only one sack in 2017. The Dolphins used Hayes on only 271 defensive snaps a season ago, and have since replaced him by acquiring fellow defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams. Now that he’s entering his age-33 season, Hayes should come cheap, but will almost assuredly outplay his contract.
Nearly every other available pass rusher has some sort of flaw which will likely limit his market next week. Trent Murphy is only 27 years old and put up nine sacks in 2016, but he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury. Pernell McPhee, Alex Okafor, Junior Galette, and Derrick Shelby have also been plagued by health questions in recent seasons. And Adrian Clayborn famously registered the majority of his 2017 sacks (and 20% of his career sack total) in one game against overwhelmed Cowboys backup Chaz Green.
The two names that I keep coming back to are Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers). Yes, Lynch has been suspended for substance abuse, struggled with his weight, and was reportedly in danger of being waived prior to last season. He’s also extremely young (he won’t turn 25 years old until Thursday) and ranked fifth in the league with 34 pass pressures as recently as 2015. Attaochu, a 25-year-old former second-round pick, also has youth on his side, and while he hasn’t quite flashed as much as Lynch, he’s also been buried on LA’s depth chart for much of his career.
Interior defensive line:
- Sheldon Richardson
- Dontari Poe
- Muhammad Wilkerson
- Star Lotulelei
- DaQuan Jones
- Beau Allen
- Denico Autry
- Justin Ellis
- Tom Johnson
- Bennie Logan
- Chris Baker
- Kyle Williams
- Dominique Easley
- Haloti Ngata
- Jay Bromley
Interior rushers are getting more respect in today’s NFL, but that still hasn’t translated to them being paid on the level of edge defenders — the 2018 franchise tag for defensive tackles, for example, is roughly $3MM cheaper than the tender for edge rushers. While the 2018 crop of interior defenders boasts some impressive top-end talent, none of the available players figure to earn a double-digit annual salary. Sheldon Richardson may have the best chance to do so, but Seattle determined he wasn’t worth a one-year cost of $13.939MM, so is any other club going to pay him $10MM per year? I’d guess he comes in closer to $9MM annually, which would still place him among the 25 highest-paid defensive tackles.
Dontari Poe will be an intriguing free agent case after setting for a one-year deal last offseason, but the most interesting battle among defensive tackles will take place Star Lotulelei and Muhammad Wilkerson, and I’m curious to see which player earns more on the open market. Both are former first-round picks, and it’s difficult to argue Wilkerson hasn’t been the more productive player — or, at least, reached higher highs — than Lotulelei. Wilkerson also won’t affect his next team’s compensatory pick formula given that he was released, but his off-field issues, which include a reported lack of effort and problems with coaches, could limit his appeal.
While Beau Allen and Denico Autry are potentially candidates to be overpaid based on their youth, there are bargains to be had at defensive tackle. Tom Johnson is 33 but he’s offered consistent pressure from the interior for years — his last contract was for three years and $7MM, so he shouldn’t cost much this time around. Haloti Ngata was injured in 2017 but plans to continue his career, and he can still stop the run. And Dominique Easley was outstanding as a 3-4 end in 2016 before missing last season with a torn ACL, meaning the former first-round pick could be a value play for any number of teams.Read more
Franchise Tag Deadline Recap
The 2018 NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone. Five players received the franchise tag before 4pm ET/3pm CT and one player was hit with the less frequently used transition tag.
Franchise tagged players:
- Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (story)
- Ezekiel Ansah, Lions (story)
- Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys (story)
- Lamarcus Joyner, Rams (story)
- Le’Veon Bell, Steelers (story)
Transition tagged players:
- Kyle Fuller, Bears (story)
Several high-profile players that were in the mix for the tag did not receive the designation. Among those to escape the tag were top free agent wide receivers Sammy Watkins of the Rams and Allen Robinson of the Jaguars, although both teams are reported to have interest in retaining them. We’ve known for a while that the Vikings would not tag quarterback Case Keenum and they indeed will allow him to reach free agency as they evaluate other options under center. There was some chatter about the Redskins tagging Kirk Cousins, but they came to their senses and, finally, allowed him to test the open waters.
The odds were always against the Patriots and 49ers using the costly $11.866MM tag for running backs on Dion Lewis and Carlos Hyde, respectively, but we now know that for sure. Both players are on course for free agency on Wednesday, March 14, barring an extension in the next eight days.
Patriots Exercise Kenny Britt’s Option
Kenny Britt is staying in New England. The Patriots informed the wide receiver that they will be exercising his option for the 2018 season. 
This time last year, the Browns signed Britt to a four-year, $32.5MM deal. That contract turned out to be an absolute disaster as he had just 18 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns for Cleveland. When John Dorsey replaced Sashi Brown as the Browns’ top exec, his very first move was to release Britt, even though it meant eating the guaranteed portion of his contract. Britt went unclaimed on waivers, but the Pats quickly scooped him up.
The Patriots paid Britt the prorated portion of the veteran minimum ($900K) in the first year of his deal with an option for $2018 worth $1.5MM with a chance to reach $2MM. Given that Britt is not far removed from his 1,000+ yard campaign with the Rams, his contract could turn into one of the league’s most tremendous values.
Britt saw time in only three games for New England and did not suit up for the playoffs. With a full offseason to acclimate to the Pats’ offense, he may be in position for a significant role this season. His presence may also allow the Pats to allow Danny Amendola to leave in free agency, should his asking price climb too high.
Steelers Apply Franchise Tag To Le’Veon Bell
As expected, the Steelers have hit Le’Veon Bell with the franchise tag. The move will prevent the running back from exploring unrestricted free agency while giving the two parties until July to hammer out a long-term deal. 
On Monday, Bell indicated that he was still far apart with the Steelers on contract negotiations. He also said that his threat of retirement from January was legitimate and still in play.
The Steelers, ostensibly, are willing to make Bell the league’s highest-paid running back with a deal that tops Devonta Freeman‘s $8.25MM average yearly salary. Bell, meanwhile, wants a contract that reflects his value not only as a rusher, but as a receiver.
Bell certainly has a case. In 2017, he had 85 catches and 655 yards with two receiving touchdowns. That didn’t detract much from his rushing totals, either. Bell racked up 1,291 yards and nine rushing TDs off of a league-high 321 carries in 2017.
The Steelers now find themselves in a very similar position as last season. They have cuffed Bell with a one-year placeholder, this time at a 20% increase, amounting to $14.544MM. Bell did not take kindly to the move last summer and waited until just before the season to ink his tender. The 26-year-old could do the same this year or even ramp up the retirement talk.
If Bell holds out, the Steelers will not be without leverage. If Bell plays games, the Steelers could threaten to relinquish the tag late in the offseason and leave him on the curb after most of the league’s cap room has already been spoken for.
Bears Use Transition Tag On Kyle Fuller
The Bears are going to apply the transition tag to cornerback Kyle Fuller, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The transition tag will enable the Bears to match any offer presented to Fuller, though they will not receive draft compensation in the event that they do not match. 
With ample cap room, the Bears will pretty much have the ability to retain Fuller regardless of the offer sheet he signs. That doesn’t mean that the Bears will match any contract, but they have the means to retain one of their top defenders.
The transition tag for cornerbacks this year is $12.971MM. The non-exclusive franchise tag, which would have entitled the Bears to draft compensation if Fuller signed an offer sheet elsewhere, would have cost the team $14.975MM. There is one key advantage to the transition tag over the franchise tag – the Bears can negotiate a long-term deal with Fuller beyond the July deadline for franchised players.
The move comes as something of a surprise, though Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported earlier in the week that the transition tag was still a possibility for Fuller. There is reportedly interest on both sides in moving forward together, so a long-term deal seems possible.
In 2017, Fuller totaled 68 tackles and ranked as PFF’s No. 22 ranked cornerback over the likes of Ronald Darby, Byron Maxwell, Jason McCourty, Richard Sherman, and other notables. However, he had a bit of an up-and-down track record in the three previous years. The former No. 14 overall pick did well as a rookie in 2014 and followed that up with a decent showing in 2015, but his entire 2016 season was lost due to a knee injury. The Bears declined Fuller’s fifth-year option, but in hindsight, they wish they had him under contract for 2018 at the much cheaper rate of $8.526MM.
Fuller is no longer an unrestricted free agent, but other quality unencumbered cornerbacks remain. Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Bashaud Breeland, E.J. Gaines, and Morris Claiborne currently headline this year’s CB class.
Rams Tag Lamarcus Joyner
The Rams have placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on safety Lamarcus Joyner. Because each team is only allowed to tag one player per offseason, this means that Sammy Watkins will be ticketed for free agency unless the two sides come to an agreement between now and March 14. 
[RELATED: Rams Trade Robert Quinn to Dolphins]
The Rams are still intent on keeping Watkins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Although the Rams value both players, tagging Joyner was the less costly option. The franchise tag for safeties this year is $11.287MM. Conversely, the tag for wide receivers is $15.982MM.
The Rams have a fair amount of flexibility this offseason, so an extension for Watkins could still be in the cards. At the same time, they’ll have to factor for future deals with running back Todd Gurley and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. On the plus side, their recent trade of Robert Quinn to the Dolphins has opened up additional room.
Joyner, a 2014 second-rounder, never started more than eight games in a season until 2017. He shifted from cornerback to free safety in his contract year and broke out in a big way. Last season, Joyner started 12 contests and graded out as the third-best safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
The Rams have until July 16 to hammer out a long-term deal with Joyner. If the two sides are unable to reach a multi-year accord, Joyner will play out the 2018 season under the terms of his one-year tender.
Before the tag, Joyner profiled as the top available safety in free agency. Now, the best safeties available include the likes of Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, Bradley McDougald, Tyvon Branch, and Marcus Gilchrist. It remains a deep class at safety, but none of those players offer the same kind of upside as Joyner. There will be some notables on the trade market as well, but as of this writing, the Seahawks seem intent on keeping Earl Thomas.