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Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders

By | at July 9, 2024 9:47 pm

Mark Davis expressed regret for not elevating Rich Bisaccia to the full-time head coach position in 2022. The owner, who remains tied to Jon Gruden‘s 10-year contract, signed off on paying three HCs last fall by firing Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce‘s better-than-expected showing as interim HC prompted Davis to take an unexplored route. The Raiders became the first team in seven years to bump an interim leader to the full-time post, and Pierce becomes one of the least experienced HCs in modern NFL history.

The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker’s promotion defined the Raiders’ offseason, one that also featured the Tom Telesco GM hire and a splashy Christian Wilkins signing. How the Raiders proceeded at quarterback came a close second in terms of offseason storylines. Between choosing Pierce and not taking a big swing for a QB, the Raiders took the road less traveled this offseason.

Coaching/front office:

Player support for Pierce reached the point Maxx Crosby threatened a trade request had Davis not broken with recent NFL tradition and elevated his interim HC. Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams also stumped for Pierce, who received interview requests from the Falcons and Titans. The Raiders made an early decision to pass on a true coaching searching, only interviewing two other candidates (Leslie Frazier and Kris Richard). The search process that ended with Pierce reminded of the plan that produced Gruden, with the team only clearing the Rooney Rule bar before choosing a coach. Pierce being Black, of course, separates this Raiders search from a typical Rooney Rule issue. But this still represents one of the most daring HC hires in decades.

Of the 160 men hired to be head coaches this century, only eight have moved up without previous NFL HC experience, at least one season as a coordinator (or time as a de facto coordinator, in the cases of coaching candidates under the title-phobic Bill Belichick) in the league or time as a college HC. Here is that list:

  • Antonio Pierce, Raiders (2024)
  • Jerod Mayo, Patriots (2024)
  • Jim Tomsula, 49ers (2015)
  • Mike Munchak, Titans (2011)
  • Raheem Morris, Buccaneers (2009)
  • Tom Cable, Raiders (2008)
  • Mike Singletary, 49ers (2008)
  • Lane Kiffin, Raiders (2007)

The Raiders had swerved off this route after Al Davis Cable’s interim tag, hiring veterans like Gruden, McDaniels and Jack Del Rio. Pierce went 5-4 as an interim HC, with the Raiders’ one-sided road win over the Chiefs beginning his charge in earnest for the full-time gig. Still, Pierce’s only full-time coaching positions are Raiders linebackers coach, Arizona State defensive coordinator, Sun Devils LBs coach and Long Beach Poly High HC.

Although Pierce’s nine NFL seasons took up time, he did not enter full-time coaching for nearly five years after his retirement. He also resigned from Arizona State during an NCAA recruiting investigation, but the leadership the ex-Washington and New York linebacker displayed — along with his knowledge of the Raiders’ culture — impressed players and ownership.

Al Davis pulled the trigger on the Kiffin and Cable moves, but Mark Davis is still trying to make a successful hire. The Raiders have two playoff berths since Super Bowl XXXVII, with the franchise tumbling off the contender radar quickly after that blowout. Last season did bring signs of improvement, but teams generally steer clear of promoting interims. Mark Davis passing on a true HC search to keep Pierce based largely on his players’ wishes could represent another of the owner’s shortcomings, but this will be a fascinating experiment.

A report of mutual interest between the Raiders and Jim Harbaugh, who began his coaching career as Bill Callahan‘s QBs coach in 2002, surfaced but did not precede much else of note tying the team to a big-ticket candidate. The Raiders did reach out to Harbaugh’s agent, however, before the Pierce hire. Pierce, 45, and Harbaugh will soon be matching up twice a year. The Raiders did not pursue Mike Vrabel, and Belichick connections proved fleeting. They will hope to keep the Pierce-centered momentum going. The Jaguars (Doug Marrone) were the most recent team to take this route; Marrone lasted four seasons in the full-time chair.

Interim GM Kelly sat in on Raiders HC interviews, but the Raiders were not committed to keeping Dave Ziegler‘s former assistant GM atop the front office. Davis instead chose to pair Pierce with one of the NFL’s most experienced GMs. Telesco spent 11 seasons running the Chargers, and although the team’s underachievement reputation grew to define it during this span, Davis was sufficiently impressed with the Bolts’ roster strength to look beyond their 3-for-11 playoff rate under Telesco. Not counting the Eagles having reinstalled Howie Roseman atop their FO pyramid, Telesco is only the second current GM to be given a second chance, joining Trent Baalke (Jaguars).

Telesco, 51, spent more than a decade working under Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, being present for the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win and their Super Bowl berth four years later. As Chargers GM, Telesco hammered out a Philip Rivers extension and later showed an ability to locate a franchise quarterback by drafting Justin Herbert sixth overall in 2020. The Chargers extended their Pro Bowl passer in Telesco’s final months on the job, but an inability to turn franchise QBs and offseason hype into Super Bowl pushes have plagued the Chargers for years.

Pierce’s team walloping the Chargers 63-21 on national TV led to Telesco and Brandon Staley‘s ousters. It is, then, rather interesting Telesco resurfaced alongside Pierce in Las Vegas. The Raiders gave Telesco roster control, which he also held in California. Telesco brought former Chargers exec-turned-interim GM Wooden with him, but he is working primarily with two staffers — Pierce and Kelly — he did not hire. With Kelly having interviewed for the Raiders’ GM job in 2022 and ’24, this forced partnership will be a notable AFC West storyline.

The Telesco-Pierce partnership hit an early snag when its top OC choice reneged on his commitment to join the Commanders. Kingsbury, who re-emerged as a coveted staffer after a year as USC’s QBs coach, was believed to have sought a three-year contract whereas the Raiders only offered a two-year deal. A report soon indicated new Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson helped sway Kingsbury. The Raiders then pivoted to Getsy, whom the Bears had fired weeks earlier.

Getsy, 40, has followed up a run as Aaron Rodgers‘ position coach to two gigs with below-average passers. The young coordinator certainly runs the risk of seeing his play-calling opportunities dry up early, but with many NFL OC gigs not coming with play-calling duties, Getsy has also managed to secure that role twice already.

The Bears ranked 23rd and 18th in scoring offense during Getsy’s two seasons in Illinois, numbers that appear out of line when considering Justin Fields‘ minimal trade value. Getsy took criticism for Fields’ struggles as a passer, but the ex-first-rounder showed some improvement in 2023. This came after Getsy utilized his starter’s prodigious run-game skills en route to Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing mark nearly falling in 2022.

While Getsy will work with a different genre of QB in Las Vegas, Graham is staying after the Raiders finally showed promise defensively. Graham’s first Raiders defense continued an extended run of futility in 2022, but the unit ranked ninth in scoring last season. This was the first time a Raider defense has ranked in the top half in scoring defense since 2002. Ending that unfathomable streak boosted Graham’s stock, and while he drew more HC interest, the Raiders blocked their defensive play-caller from interviewing for other DC positions.

Pierce’s former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, helped him prepare during his interim gig and assisted his former pupil in assembling his first Raiders staff. The staff includes Lewis, who returns to the NFL five years after his Bengals firing. Lewis, 65, worked as Arizona State’s co-DC with Pierce in 2020 and stayed on the Sun Devils’ staff as Pierce took on the full-time role in 2021.

The 16-year Bengals HC will work with Graham and Pierce on defense, while Philbin — and not ex-Raider HC Hue Jackson, a rumored target — is in place as a former NFL leader helping out on offense. These senior assistants could be more important on this particular staff due to Pierce’s inexperience.

Free agency additions:

Wilkins joined Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike as defensive tackles who scored market-changing deals this offseason, with the two more experienced players doing better due to unique circumstances. The Dolphins’ cap situation, which required multiple high-profile cuts and longtime starters departing in free agency, made a Wilkins franchise tag difficult. As a result, the five-year Miami starter followed Jones in scoring a monster guarantee.

After it became clear the Dolphins’ efforts to keep Wilkins off the market would fail, the Texans and Vikings surfaced as suitors. But the Raiders swooped in to add an impact piece to their Crosby-centric pass rush. Madubuike already raised the DT guarantee ceiling to $75.5MM upon being franchise-tagged and extended. Jones upped it to a staggering $95MM. Wilkins then secured $82.75MM in total guarantees ($57.5MM at signing).

To put these numbers in perspective, the top DT guarantee stood at $66MM (Quinnen Williams) entering 2024. Jones and Wilkins avoiding the tag, as the salary cap spiked by $30.6MM, keyed a market shift that will affect future teams’ negotiations with talented DTs.

Months-long Dolphins-Wilkins talks included an offer that would have made the 2019 first-rounder a top-10 highest-paid DT, with guarantees surpassing $40MM. Wilkins’ Raiders pact surpassing $80MM guaranteed highlights both favorable circumstances and the Clemson alum’s improvement as a pass rusher.

The Dolphins were hesitant to pay Wilkins on the level of the new DT market that formed — via the 2023 deals for first-rounders Williams, Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence — due to his limited production as a pass rusher. After displaying top-notch skills against the run, Wilkins broke through with nine sacks and 23 QB hits (his previous career-highs stood at 4.5 and 13 in these categories) in 2023. Wilkins finished 13th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric last season. This came after he ranked first and second, respectively, in run stop win rate in 2021 and ’22.

PFR’s No. 4 free agent, Wilkins saw Nos. 2 and 3 on that list (Baker Mayfield and Jones) cash in before the legal tampering period. Jones’ deal took an elite option off the market, clearing the runway for Wilkins’ windfall. The Raiders, who have kept costs low on their D-line for a bit, changed course and will aim for the 28-year-old DT changing the equation up front.

A herd of bridge- or backup-level quarterbacks hit free agency. As the Raiders acknowledged their miss on Jimmy Garoppolo, they made the biggest investment via Minshew’s $15MM. This contract rewards the spot starter after he took a $3.5MM deal to become insurance for the QB the Colts would draft. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson decision translated to 13 Minshew starts. The Colts went 7-6 in those games, coming close to a surprise AFC South title.

Minshew’s $15MM total guarantee topped the next-closest free agent QB (Sam Darnold) by more than $6MM, illustrating the market for the former Jaguars sixth-rounder. The Raiders gave Garoppolo $33.75MM guaranteed and dropped him after six starts. Minshew’s contract would generate a maximum of $7.6MM in dead money if dropped in 2025.

The Raiders agreeing to pay out Minshew’s 2025 base salary ($11.84MM) will depend on the competition between he and 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell. With the Raiders’ primary 2023 starter believed to hold an early lead, Minshew will need to summon the moxie he showed in Jacksonville and Indianapolis.

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Offseason In Review: Minnesota Vikings

By | at July 5, 2024 10:39 pm

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had gone two seasons with the quarterback his predecessor signed, but after Kirk Cousins‘ fourth set of Vikings extension talks did not produce a deal in 2023, the current Minnesota GM finally cut the cord. Cousins’ departure headlined an eventful Vikings offseason, one that later included a market-setting wide receiver contract.

As the Vikings transition at quarterback, they will use some of the money freed up by Cousins’ departure — following a not insignificant dead money total stemming from void years — on one of their Rick Spielman-era acquisitions. While Minnesota’s offseason featured notable moves at several positions, the decisions made at quarterback and wideout defined it.

Extensions and restructures:

Negotiations between the Vikings and Jefferson ran up to Week 1 last year. At that point, no team in the fifth-year option era (2011-present) had extended a first-round wide receiver with two years of rookie-deal control remaining. Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb were in that boat last year, and while extension rumors surfaced, no deals came to pass. The Vikings submitted an offer worth more than $28MM per year before the 2023 season started. With that proposal not topping Tyreek Hill‘s position-record AAV number, Jefferson predictably declined to set the stage for a 2024 reconvening. The superstar wideout was proven right by waiting.

Even though Jefferson sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games, he still managed a 1,000-yard season. Jefferson, 25, had already shattered Randy Moss‘ NFL record for receiving yardage through three seasons, accumulating 4,825. Jefferson’s age, his monster production, the Vikings moving off a proven QB’s contract and the receiver market shifting — following a record cap spike — beyond the $30MM place worked in the fifth-year pass catcher’s favor. Jefferson secured whopping terms and returned to work to begin establishing a rapport with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy.

Skipping the start of Vikings OTAs in an effort to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Jefferson succeeded by passing Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-per-year contract. Also possessing leverage stemming from the Vikings’ natural interest in having their top player at workouts to begin training alongside its new QBs, the LSU alum pounced. Jefferson secured record-smashing guarantee figures, prevented the Vikings from backloading his deal the way Hill and Davante Adams‘ contracts are structured and managed this on a four-year agreement — one shorter than the Vikes initially sought.

The fifth wide receiver chosen in a memorable 2020 first round, Jefferson has set guarantee bars that are complicating the Cowboys and 49ers’ negotiations with their 2020 first-round wideouts. His total guarantees ($110MM) checked in $26MM north of A.J. Brown‘s new mark at the position. More importantly, the full guarantees ($88.7MM) are $36MM higher than the next-closest wideout. The WR investment business is booming, and the guarantees the Vikings authorized may give teams pause.

Rumblings about teams considering two-first-rounder trade offers for Jefferson emerged, with the Vikings loosely linked to a trade-up for LSU’s Malik Nabers. Little in terms of concrete info — unlike the Vikes and Giants’ Drake Maye trade-up offers — came out, however. No wide receiver has fetched two first-round picks in a trade since the 2000 offseason saw it happen twice — for Joey Galloway (Seahawks to Cowboys) and Keyshawn Johnson (Jets to Buccaneers) — but after Hill and Adams fetched first- and second-round picks in 2022 swaps, Jefferson’s age and the exploding WR market would have made him a clear candidate to end this drought.

The Vikings have a history of extending receivers and then trading them, having taken this route with Moss (2005) and Stefon Diggs (2020). Minnesota also unloaded Percy Harvin (2013) rather than extend him, but the Adofo-Mensah regime finished the Jefferson process with a commitment.

As it stands, the Vikings will pair Jefferson’s megadeal with McCarthy and Jordan Addison‘s rookie contracts. Although Minnesota now has the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver and tight end (T.J. Hockenson), getting off Cousins’ contract will help the club afford the market-setting accords.

For a second straight year, the Vikings gave Smith a pay cut. The safety market’s inconsistency over the past two offseasons has impacted accomplished veterans. Smith signed two extensions that placed him atop the position’s market — in 2016 and 2021 — but Adofo-Mensah has led the way in back-to-back contract reworkings.

Smith, 35, is the Vikings’ longest-tenured player by a wide margin. He had agreed to a four-year, $64MM extension in August 2021, but after a 2022 restructure, the veteran Pro Bowler agreed to a $7MM pay cut in 2023 and again reduced his deal in March. Smith’s 2021 extension ran through 2025; it now expires a year early, via void years which have become a thorny subject during the Adofo-Mensah regime. Smith reduced a $15.3MM base salary to $9MM, with a $7MM signing bonus representing a solid guarantee for a 13th-year veteran at an unstable position.

Pro Football Focus ranked Smith, whose 176 career games are tied for fifth among defenders in Vikings history, 34th among safeties last season. If Smith is not re-signed before the 2025 league year, the Vikings will be tagged with $9.5MM in dead money. This would remind of Dalvin Tomlinson‘s 2023 exit.

Free agency additions:

Not traded for one another, Greenard and Danielle Hunter — PFR’s Nos. 5 and 6 free agents this year — will nevertheless move into each other’s 2023 roles. The Vikings added Greenard early in free agency, doing so before Hunter committed to the Texans. Minnesota showed interest in Bryce Huff but paid more for Greenard. The new Vikings edge rusher’s age (27) works in his favor; he is three years younger than Hunter. The latter has delivered better work, but the Vikings are betting on Greenard’s best NFL stretch being ahead.

Drafted in Round 3 before Nick Caserio took over as GM, Greenard excelled under both Lovie Smith and then DeMeco Ryans. Greenard had tallied an eight-sack season (in 2021) before an injury-plagued 2022 stalled his early-career momentum. Last season brought new production territory. Ranking 20th with 33 quarterback pressures, Greenard led the Texans in sacks (12.5) despite Will Anderson Jr. winning Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim and smashed his career-high with 22 QB hits. Greenard ranked sixth among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric in 2023.

Starting over at OLB, the Vikings need this pace to continue. They still managed to land a 27-year-old edge defender at an upper-mid-market rate. Greenard’s $19MM AAV ranks 15th among edges, though his $38MM guarantee at signing sits eighth. He could certainly reward the Vikings on this deal, especially as the pass rush market — likely via Micah Parsons and a third Myles Garrett contract — moves toward $40MM per year.

A year after moving off the Dalvin Cook contract, the Vikings made a short-term bet on another 2017 RB draftee. Jones does not have the rushing numbers Cook compiled in Minneapolis, but the seven-year Packer is a slightly better receiving option who certainly showed more gas in the tank last season. The Vikings are quite familiar with the versatile back, who closed last season with five straight 100-yard rushing games to propel the Pack to the divisional round, and their interest emerged soon after Green Bay cut bait.

The Packers added a younger back (Josh Jacobs) but one that has not shown what Jones has as an outlet option. After reducing Jones’ pay in 2023, the Packers aimed to cut his wages once again. The sides could not agree on common ground, and the team dropped Jones shortly after the Jacobs deal was finalized. Jones’ Vikings guarantee surpasses Alexander Mattison‘s 2023 number, though not by too much, as the Vikes have one of this era’s best RBs at a midlevel rate.

The team will bet on the aging (by RB standards) talent having juice left. The 1-A back in timeshares with Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon in his career, Jones has logged 1,449 career touches. That ranks ninth among active RBs, though the number is close to where Cook’s count stood (1,503) when the Vikings dropped him.

Jones rounds out an impressive skill-position cadre that includes Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson. This array of weaponry will be available to McCarthy in the long term, but it also could represent (by far) the best options Darnold has worked with as a pro. Brock Purdy enjoyed the 49ers’ unmatched arsenal during Darnold’s San Francisco year; his Jets and Panthers arrays, with Christian McCaffrey largely injured, do not rival what the Vikings possess. Although Darnold has been given plenty of time (56 starts) to show he is a mediocre quarterback, the former No. 3 overall pick chose an interesting opportunity in Minnesota.

Also tied to the Broncos and Commanders, Darnold chose the Vikings. Denver did not make a firm offer, and it is unknown where Washington went. Regardless, Darnold is poised to enter training camp as Minnesota’s starter. Darnold has flashed at points, but for the most part, the USC alum has struggled as a pro. The 27-year-old QB has never ranked higher than 25th in QBR, but he did not have enough snaps to qualify during an intriguing 2022 season in which he helped lead the Panthers back into the playoff race. Granted, this was due to a terrible NFC South, but Darnold averaged 8.2 yards per attempt with a limited Carolina skill corps that season.

It would not surprise to see the Vikings slow-play McCarthy’s climb; this would give Darnold a window to show better form and create a potential starter market for himself in 2025.

In addition to rebooting on the edge, the Vikes spent midlevel cash to add linebacking help. Van Ginkel can be classified as a hybrid player, having experience on the edge and off the ball. He helped the Dolphins as a rotational rusher and emergency OLB starter last season, compiling six sacks and 19 QB hits.

The Dolphins drafted Van Ginkel during Brian Flores‘ time in Miami, and he reached 20 QB hits in the current Vikings DC’s South Florida finale (2021). This made the Vikings’ interest unsurprising, and the team’s Cashman move points Van Ginkel to the edge. A rumored Flores-Christian Wilkins reunion did not happen, but the Vikes did not leave free agency without adding one of their DC’s ex-charges.

Cashman will join emerging UDFA Ivan Pace in the Twin Cities, and this payday marks the culmination of a journey that had the ex-Jet as a special-teamer not long ago. Strictly a special-teamer from 2020-21, Cashman still only played 14% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in 2022. But Ryans gave him steady work last year, using him at a 71% snap rate. Cashman notched 106 tackles to eclipse his career-best number by a cool 66, adding nine tackles for loss en route to PFF ranking him as a top-10 ILB regular. The Vikings are giving the Minnesota alum a chance to come home as well, as Cashman grew up in nearby Eden Prairie.

Mentioned as one of the many suitors for franchise-tagged Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, the Vikings only exited free agency with Griffin. While Griffin has 79 starts on his resume, two teams — the Jaguars and Texans — cut the soon-to-be 29-year-old CB in 2023. PFF still rated Griffin as a top-50 corner last season, but the former Seahawks mainstay qualifies as more stopgap than difference-maker. As it stands, Griffin has a path to a starting role. The Vikings, as should be expected, are still being tied to seeking CB help.

Re-signings:

Even as the guard market produced five eight-figure-per-year UFA agreements this offseason, Risner is having a tough time convincing teams he is near that level. A Broncos starter for four seasons, the former second-round pick had not exactly received poor marks from the advanced metrics providers. But Risner has now struck out twice in free agency, waiting into the 2023 season before landing a gig and sitting on this year’s open market until May. Now heading into his age-29 season, the veteran guard is running out of time to cash in. He is sitting on 73 career starts, 11 coming with the Vikings last year.

Risner made his way into Minnesota’s starting lineup in October 2023, eventually replacing the traded Ezra Cleveland. PFF assigned Risner a mid-pack rating (46th), though ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted him ninth among all interior linemen. He will battle Brandel for the Vikes’ left guard gig. Despite having just five starts and just 503 offensive snaps on his NFL resume, Brandel commanded more money than Risner this offseason.

Notable losses:

The contracts Cousins and Hunter played out made the Vikings a historical outlier regarding an ability to retain top talent. Minnesota could not use its franchise tag on Hunter due to the parties’ August 2023 reworking, and Washington having tagged Cousins twice made a third tag — which no team has applied since the 2006 CBA made doing so prohibitive — a non-starter. This led to a nine-year Vikings sack ace and the team’s six-year quarterback heading south.

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Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals

By | at July 4, 2024 10:00 pm

The Cardinals knew the 2023 season would be a challenge with quarterback Kyler Murray coming back late from a 2022 torn ACL. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon had an offense with a backup quarterback starting the year and inherited the 31st-ranked defense of 2022. Knowing that a turnaround was not likely last season, Arizona focused on implementing its new system under new leadership.

The past few months have seen the first full offseason under Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort. After spending a year seeing what does and doesn’t work, the new brain trust went to work on how best to transform the roster to best fit their needs. Riding at the bottom of the NFC West for the past two years, the Cardinals had a lot to gain and not much to lose for the 2024 season.

Trades:

The 2023 season did not see the Cardinals generate much receiving success. Aside from the emergence of second-year tight end Trey McBride, not a single player on the offense eclipsed 600 yards receiving. Mainly, this was due to injuries at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, really all over the offense. In fact, Moore and McBride were the only skill players on the team to appear in all 17 games of the season last year.

Moore was a second-round pick for Arizona out of Purdue back in 2021. As a rookie role player, Moore thrived in the WR4 role behind Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and DeAndre Hopkins. He recorded career highs in receptions (54) and receiving yards (435). In his sophomore season, Moore looked to be embracing a larger role on the offense, nearly matching his rookie stats in just eight starts. However, a groin injury landed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season, putting an early end to what looked to be a promising campaign.

Although Moore stayed healthy in 2023, the diminutive slot presence only produced 352 receiving yards. A seeming effort to retool the top end of the wide receivers room led to Moore’s shipment to Atlanta. In a rare player-for-player exchange, the Falcons provided Ridder in return. A third-round pick out of Cincinnati two years ago, Ridder competed for the honor of replacing franchise passer Matt Ryan as the new sheriff in town as a rookie. He did not beat out Marcus Mariota but ended up starting the last four games of the 2022 season after Mariota landed on IR with a knee issue.

Ridder retained the starting job heading into 2023, with the Falcons centering their offseason around him (and not pursuing high-profile QBs). Atlanta’s plan fizzled when Ridder struggled to prove effective as a full-time starter. He was benched in Weeks 9 and 10 in favor of Taylor Heinicke, though Arthur Smith claimed the move had nothing to do with his performance. An injury to Heinicke would reinstate Ridder atop the depth chart once again, but his grasp on the starting job remained a feeble one. The Falcons have since overhauled their QB room, signing Kirk Cousins and making the surprising move to draft Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1. The team dealt Ridder between these moves, keeping Heinicke on a pay cut.

In Arizona, Ridder will not be asked to start; Murray has that job locked up quite securely. But with Murray missing 18 games in the past three years, a need for a strong backup quarterback exists. Options such as Colt McCoy (3-3), Trace McSorley (0-1), David Blough (0-2), Joshua Dobbs (1-7), and Clayton Tune (0-1) have delivered only four wins in those 18 starts without Murray. It is hard to say Ridder has the talent to consistently win in a replacement scenario, but rostering a quarterback with a near-full season of starting experience is a big enough upgrade over the five players listed above, especially when all it costs is a receiver who failed to blossom in his third year of NFL play.

Free agency additions:

The Cardinals sustained some decent losses this year (see below), some willingly, and made reasonable efforts to upgrade at those positions where possible. The team focused heavily on the offensive and defensive lines. While Arizona’s offseason featured the departure of longtime left tackle D.J. Humphries, Williams comes in to fill his place — though, really, he fills the space of Paris Johnson Jr., who will flip from right tackle to left tackle to replace Humphries in 2024.

Williams may seem like a lateral move from Humphries is terms of talent, but the former Bengals first-rounder is 26 and should have a bit more tread left on the tires than Humphries (30). He also comes at a slight discount to what Humphries was owed should he have been retained.

On the defensive front, Nichols and Jones do not look pretty as upgrades, grading out on Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the 97th- and 107th-best defensive tackle regulars (out of 130) last year, but they look better than the departing Leki Fotu (117) and Jonathan Ledbetter (128) and are far more productive.

Jones proved disruptive on the Bears’ interior these past two years, totaling 7.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits over that span. Nichols hasn’t been that productive as of late, but in 2020, he also showed out as supplementary rusher for Chicago with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. If both of these players can tap into their Bears versions, they can form a reasonably promising starting interior.

The Cardinals brought in Murphy-Bunting as a veteran addition to what is shaping up to be a young group of cornerbacks. The team upgrades in a big way at linebacker, as well, bringing in Wilson to replace part-time starters Josh Woods and Zeke Turner.

On offense, Jones comes in after an injury-riddled 2023 season with the Jaguars, hoping to recapture the magic of his 2022 campaign. Given a three-year, $24MM deal, Jones rewarded the Jaguars in his first Jacksonville season by smashing his career-high marks in an 82-catch, 823-yard showing. Last season, which featured PCL and femur injuries, was not as good. The former second-round pick was also arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in November, and the Jaguars cut bait as they retooled their WR room this offseason. Jones also visited the Cowboys, Chiefs and Titans. With the Cards, he should slot in as WR3 behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.

Brown joins the team after starting at center and guard for the Seahawks and Lions in the past three years. With Hjalte Froholdt taking care of business at center, the Cardinals seem to want to use Brown’s starting experience at left guard. Brown saw regular guard duty in 2022.

The addition of Dallas is an intriguing one. His contract includes rushing yards-based incentives, so it seems like the Cardinals expect him to work as a part of the offense. In Seattle, the former fourth-round pick out of Miami (Fla.) served mostly as a special teams asset, returning both kickoffs and punts, but $2.75MM per year seems like a lot for a return specialist. Dallas already had to compete with Michael Carter and Emari Demercado for running back snaps, but then the Cardinals used a third-round pick on a rusher, muddying the waters even further.

Re-signings:

Arizona’s re-signings this offseason were mostly ancillary. Gillikin and Brewer obviously stand as the players most likely to occupy steady roles. Gillikin returns for a second year as the team’s primary punter, while Brewer is back as the long snapper for his ninth season in Arizona.

Wilkinson, Colon, Ismael, and O’Donnell provide reliable depth and versatility along the offensive line as backups. Barnes returns after tallying the team’s fifth-most tackles last season, though he likely takes a backseat with the addition of Wilson at linebacker.

Notable losses:

The biggest losses for Arizona this year come on the offensive side of the ball, though the team has done plenty in the offseason to address each. Humphries is perhaps the biggest name on this list. The 30-year-old had been a staple on the team’s offensive line since being drafted in the 2015 first round. The Pro Bowl tackle was a full-time starter from 2016-23, though he often missed significant time due to injury. Out of a possible 131 regular-season games, Humphries has missed 33. He remains unsigned.

Humphries is not too far removed from playing great football, but with the injuries mounting, the financial burden of his contract was becoming too much to shoulder. Following his torn ACL to end the regular season, Humphries became an easy target for release due to his scheduled $22MM cap hit in 2024. By releasing Humphries, the team was able to gain back $15.95MM of cap savings.

The other big departure saw Brown sign with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in free agency. Brown finished out his first-round rookie contract in Arizona after being traded from the Ravens during the 2022 draft. Brown never quite found the same success with the Cardinals that he had in Baltimore, mostly due to missed time with injuries.

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Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Chargers

By | at June 30, 2024 10:13 pm

The AFC’s underachievement kingpins for much of this century, the Chargers saw their most recent mission hit a wall last season. After GM Tom Telesco gave Brandon Staley another year in the wake of the 2022 team’s historic collapse, both ended up gone less than a year later. In terms of pure GMs, no AFC front office boss had been in place longer than Telesco. The Bolts responded by changing their managerial structure; their decision-making hierarchy now runs through a head coach.

Jim Harbaugh will be tasked with maximizing Justin Herbert in a way Staley and Anthony Lynn could not, and the Chargers stripped away their quarterback’s long-running receiving corps. Harbaugh’s pedigree aside, many questions come out of this Bolts offseason. But the team, after years of adding first-time HCs on lower-cost contracts, veered in a different direction as the Telesco era failed to turn steady offseason hype into much of consequence.

Coaching/Front Office:

Weeks before the Chargers fired Staley, Harbaugh connections began. While the team was also tied to Lions OC Ben Johnson early in the process and later linked loosely to Bill Belichick, Harbaugh buzz persisted. Chargers ownership contacted Harbaugh’s camp upon firing Staley, laying the groundwork for a bolder Bolts hire.

The embattled yet successful Michigan leader, whom the Wolverines sought to extend following a two-suspension season that ended with the program’s first national championship in 26 years, maximized his leverage by negotiating with the Big Ten school and scheduling a second Falcons interview. Harbaugh never made it to Atlanta for that meeting, viewing the Los Angeles gig as enticing enough to make his long-rumored jump back to the NFL.

On paper, Harbaugh’s NFL exit qualified as odd. The former quarterback immediately turned around the 49ers upon arrival in 2011, guiding them to three straight NFC championship games. The 2011 and ’13 San Francisco squads fell just short of NFC championships while the ’12 team saw a still-debated non-whistle in the final seconds of Super Bowl XLVII cement a victory for Harbaugh’s older brother. Even after an 8-8 2014 season, Harbaugh enters the 2024 campaign in fifth place in all-time win percentage. For coaches who began their careers after the 1970 merger, no one outflanks Harbaugh’s .695 mark.

A power struggle with then-49ers GM Trent Baalke played the lead role in Harbaugh returning to his alma mater in 2015, but the early 2020s brought steady Harbaugh-to-NFL rumors. The fiery HC had said unfinished business remained in the pros, but interviews with the Vikings (2022) and Broncos (’23) did not provide a gateway back. Rumblings in front office circles pegged Harbaugh as difficult to work with, and while that may be accurate, the veteran leader has won everywhere he has camped.

Harbaugh, 60, guided Michigan to three straight CFP fields to continue a trend of turnarounds. The former Chargers starting QB rebuilt the Stanford program and then the 49ers. Nearly 15 years after his Andrew Luck partnership ended, Harbaugh made the jump to work with a comparable QB talent.

While the Chargers have not taken heat on a Bengals level for frugality, the perception they were not willing to go big for a high-profile head coach prompted an ownership message of reimagining the football operation upon canning Telesco and Staley. The Chargers had not hired anyone with prior HC experience since replacing Marty Schottenheimer with Norv Turner in 2007. In the years since, the Bolts paid first-timers Mike McCoy, Lynn and Staley lower salaries. Harbaugh will command a $16MM-per-year salary. While that fell short of his $18MM ask, it is believed — as HC salaries do not have to be disclosed — it places him near the top of the league.

Considering Harbaugh’s past with Baalke, it certainly made sense for the Chargers to pair him with a pre-approved GM. Interviewing Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown twice, the Chargers used a John Harbaugh connection to find their Telesco successor. Hortiz will not hold final say like Telesco did, but the longtime Ravens exec has worked with the elder Harbaugh throughout the HC’s time in Baltimore.

Hortiz, 48, served under Ozzie Newsome for 20 years and moved from the scouting level to college scouting director to director of player personnel with the Ravens. The team bumped Hortiz to the latter post in 2019, upon promoting Eric DeCosta to succeed Newsome. Hortiz has interviewed for GM jobs in the past, meeting about the Cardinals position last year and discussing the Giants and Steelers’ vacancies in 2022. Hortiz’s past with John Harbaugh, however, should give this partnership a better shot at succeeding in the long term compared to the Baalke-Jim Harbaugh pairing.

Although Alexander comes from the Jets, the former Joe Douglas lieutenant spent extensive time in Baltimore — alongside Douglas — leading up to his New York move. Hortiz hired a former coworker to be his second-in-command; Harbaugh did as well. Roman was Jim’s OC in all four years in San Francisco. The run-oriented OC — though, Roman has not spent much time with pass-first QBs — becomes a rare fourth-time NFL coordinator, having made stops in Buffalo and Baltimore since Harbaugh’s San Francisco exit.

The Ravens fired Roman after four seasons; he spent 2023 out of football. His Chargers fit will be fascinating, and it certainly appears — through the team’s actions in March and April — the Bolts will make the ground game a bigger part of their plan. It will be interesting to see how Roman tailors his style to Herbert, whose skills differ from the likes of Lamar Jackson, Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick. Roman last worked with a true pass-based signal-caller in 2012, when the 49ers made the midseason switch from Alex Smith to Kaepernick.

Harbaugh and Roman resurrected Smith’s career, and the future Chiefs starter carried a 70.2% completion rate at 8.0 yards per attempt when a concussion led to his 2012 benching. Roman was at the controls for Jackson’s dominant 2019 season, which brought a unanimous MVP, though his run-centric style wore thin as his Maryland stay progressed. Although Herbert is capable on the ground, Roman’s past will certainly make fantasy drafters uneasy about how he will proceed with one of the NFL’s most talented passers — especially given the team’s actions at wide receiver this offseason.

Minter, 41, checks both boxes when it comes to the Harbaughs. Like Mike Macdonald, the new Chargers DC worked under John Harbaugh (2017-20) and then Jim; Minter succeeded Macdonald as the Wolverines’ defensive play-caller in 2022. Minter made a significant jump, moving from Vanderbilt safeties coach to Michigan DC. The Big Ten power led Division I-FBS in scoring defense last season (10.4 points per game), and the Wolverines’ 268 yards allowed per game from 2022-23 ranked second.

Previously serving as Ravens DBs coach in the NFL, Minter will see his rise continue with this L.A. gig.

Trades:

Shortly after Harbaugh’s hire, Allen said he expected to remain with the Chargers. The team released Mike Williams to reach cap compliance by the March 13 deadline, but a day later, it bid farewell to one of the best players in franchise history. Given where WR prices have gone this offseason, Chicago having Allen tied to a mid-second-tier contract — he is due $18.1MM in 2024, the final season of a $20MM-AAV deal. The 11-year Charger’s departure may be difficult for the Bolts in the short term, as they depended on the high-end route runner for years.

A 2013 third-round pick, Allen had been the team’s longest-tenured player for years. While unlikely to join Lance Alworth in the Hall of Fame and landing a bit south of where John Jefferson was at his early-career peak, Allen is probably the best Bolts receiver of the past 35 years. His 904 receptions and 10,530 yards rank second — by a wide margin — in Bolts history.

As Antonio Gates declined, the Chargers centered their aerial attacks around Allen. The Cal alum delivered six 1,000-yard seasons, including a 1,243-yard showing in just 13 games last season. With Allen poised to help Caleb Williams‘ NFL transition, no comparable option remains on the Chargers’ roster.

The Chargers restructured Allen’s contract to create cap space last year, leading to an $11.6MM dead money charge for 2024. The team offered Allen an extension, but it appeared — per Allen’s camp — it came at a reduced rate, with the 32-year-old receiver’s agent indicating the Bolts’ one proposal included pay cuts in 2025 and 2026. As could be expected given his 2023 season and the exploding wideout market, Allen emphatically refused a pay cut.

Extensions and restructures:

The restructures from Telesco’s final offseason in charge left Bosa, Mack, Allen and Williams all with cap hits of at least $32MM. The Chargers cut ties with their longtime receiving tandem but held onto their standout edge rushers, who accepted pay cuts to stay in Harbaugh’s first season. Assembled in 2022 upon the Chargers acquiring Mack from the Bears, this pair may well be going into its final season together. Mack’s Bears-built contract expires after the 2024 season.

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Offseason In Review: New York Giants

By | at June 26, 2024 10:19 pm

The 2023 Giants offseason brought significant investments from the Joe Schoen regime in Dave Gettleman-era acquisitions. One of those moves has come to define Schoen’s regime. The team’s decision to give Daniel Jones a four-year, $160MM deal with two fully guaranteed seasons, while franchise-tagging Saquon Barkley, ended one long-running partnership and has another on shaky ground. Months after Jones’ ACL tear wrapped a woeful season from the now-well-paid quarterback, Barkley signed with the Eagles.

Following a surprise playoff showing in the Schoen-Brian Daboll partnership’s first season, the Giants tumbled off that tier in 2023. Jones is back in “prove it” territory, while Daboll — his 2022 Coach of the Year accolade notwithstanding — may join his QB in a make-or-break year. This Giants offseason involved key decisions, though it largely boiled down to one call in late April.

Trades:

The Giants look to have benefited from both the Panthers’ regime change and the fallout from the now-infamous rejected Rams trade proposal at the 2022 deadline. It took only a package headlined by a second-round pick for the Giants to pry Burns from the Panthers, who had franchise-tagged the disgruntled edge rusher. Burns, 26, will now team with Kayvon Thibodeaux to give the Giants their best-looking OLB duo since at least Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.

A complex route formed to deliver Burns to New York; a fork in that road emerged in October 2022. As the Panthers regrouped following Matt Rhule‘s firing, they dealt Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for four picks. None of those was a first-rounder. Other Carolina cogs drew extensive interest, with Burns at the front of that pack. Shortly after the Rams missed out on McCaffrey, the team — at the end of its “eff them picks” period — attempted to add a reinforcement to a sinking Super Bowl title defense by offering two first-rounders and a third for Burns.

Still owing the Lions their 2023 first-rounder from the Matthew Stafford trade, the Rams could not offer their 2023 first. That turned out to matter, as then-GM Scott Fitterer — whose job security was unstable after David Tepper axed Rhule — viewed the opportunity to discuss an extension with Burns as more valuable than 2024 and ’25 firsts. Denying Burns a chance to land in Los Angeles with a likely extension awaiting reframed the Panthers’ re-up talks with their top pass rusher.

Irked at Carolina turning down a big trade offer that doubled as a path for an L.A. extension, Burns did not come to terms with the team that drafted him. As Burns’ asking price soared, Fitterer balked at extending him in 2023. After Fitterer’s firing, the Panthers took what they could get — after pausing extension talks in early March — and finally cut bait.

Burns and the Panthers were not believed to be close on terms, as the five-year veteran pushed for a deal in the $30MM-per-year range before Nick Bosa became the NFL’s first $30MM-AAV edge rusher. Burns asking for terms bettering T.J. Watt‘s Steelers extension understandably spooked the Panthers, who did receive trade offers for the Ron Rivera-era draftee at last year’s deadline. Of course, those proposals are not believed to have come in near where the Rams went.

The Giants gave Burns a five-year, $141MM extension upon completing the trade. Not seeing Azeez Ojulari deliver consistency alongside Thibodeaux, the Giants greenlit a big-ticket deal that should pair well — for the time being, at least — with their top-10 pick’s rookie contract. Although the Jaguars’ Josh Allen passed Burns this spring, the new Giants OLB still ranks third among edges in AAV ($28.2MM) and fourth in total guarantees ($87.5MM) and fully guaranteed money ($76MM). Much will be expected from a player who has proven reliable while settling in outside the top tier, production-wise, at his position.

While Jones’ AAV checks in beyond Burns’, the latter received the most guaranteed money in Giants history. Burns is 1-for-5 in 10-plus-sack seasons, totaling 12.5 in 2022, and he ranks just 12th in sacks since 2019 (46). In terms of QB hits since Burns entered the league, he ranks 14th (95). The Florida State alum has certainly done well for himself despite solid but unspectacular work in Charlotte, though he was asked to deliver high-end production despite his team playing from behind more often than not.

Thibodeaux registered 11.5 sacks on a bad team last season. He certainly stands to benefit from Burns’ presence, and it will be interesting to see how the Giants proceed when their younger OLB becomes extension-eligible. That point comes in January, though with a fifth-year option in place to extend Thibodeaux’s rookie deal through 2025, the Giants have some time with their current arrangement. Burns’ 2024 and ’25 salaries are guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Giants’ roster on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his full 2026 salary is guaranteed.

This is a big commitment for the Giants, who also looked into Bryce Huff. The team presumably inquired about Huff before Burns talks accelerated, though the trade negotiations with Carolina — which featured extensive familiarity considering Schoen worked with the Panthers for nearly 20 years and worked with Morgan in Buffalo — began well before the trade came to pass.

 Free agency additions:

Daboll brought in multiple former Bills pieces this offseason, the Singletary move being the most notable. After producing on a near-veteran-minimum contract with the Texans, the sixth-year RB will be tasked with replacing Saquon Barkley in New York. Barkley and Singletary are on different talent planes, as their respective contracts illustrated in March; the Giants believe they will be able to get by with the latter, who still quadrupled his guarantee figure from 2023.

Singletary, 26, operated in Daboll’s offense over his first three seasons. During that span, the Bills used the 5-foot-7 back as their primary option behind Josh Allen. Despite drafting Zack Moss in the 2020 second round, Buffalo kept Singletary in the lead role. The ex-Florida Atlantic standout — a 2019 third-round pick — missed just one game over his final three Bills seasons and has offered reliable production. From 2021-23, Singletary totaled between 1,091 and 1,099 scrimmage yards. He has not offered too much as a receiver, never eclipsing 280 yards in a season. Receiving production from backs — a Barkley strong suit at points — will be an area to monitor within the Giants’ offense this season.

Next Gen Stats gave Singletary a mid-pack ranking in rush yards over expected, but he outplayed the one-year, $1.77MM Houston contract. The Texans turned to Singletary over Dameon Pierce to help their C.J. Stroud-piloted operation to the playoffs. Singletary also ran behind a makeshift offensive line for much of the season, as the Texans dealt with injuries basically everywhere Shaq Mason was not playing up front. Singletary notched a career-high 898 rushing yards, though the Texans did not offer him as much as they ended up paying Joe Mixon (three years, $19.75MM; $13MM guaranteed at signing).

Big Blue did not offer Barkley much blocking aid, and last year involved a spate of injuries. The team tried a low-cost approach at guard last season; the effort failing prompted more spending in 2024. Enter Runyan and Eluemunor, who are in place at left and right guard.

Having given Elgton Jenkins a top-market contract, the Packers predictably let Runyan walk. The latter will play his home games in the stadium where his father, a longtime Eagles right tackle, frequently tussled with Michael Strahan. One of five UFA guards to draw an eight-figure-per-year contract this offseason, Runyan brings three years of starter experience to New York. PFR’s No. 32 overall free agent, Runyan should be a big upgrade from recent Giants guard offerings.

The $10MM-per-year blocker logged full seasons at both guard positions, shifting to RG to accommodate Jenkins’ move back inside during the 2022 season. A 50-game starter, the former sixth-round pick ranked 17th among interior O-linemen in pass block win rate last season. Pro Football Focus slotted Runyan 47th among guards.

This year marks a new position and foreign contractual territory for Eluemunor, who had played on three straight one-year deals (none eclipsing $3MM) with the Raiders. The low-cost starter parlayed his work at right tackle and right guard into a midlevel contract. Eluemunor, 29, started 31 games — mostly at RT — for the Raiders over the past two seasons. PFF rated the former Ravens fifth-rounder 36th among tackles in 2023.

The Giants’ decision to give Evan Neal another shot at right tackle will kick Eluemunor inside, where has not played regularly since 2021. Even in his 2021 Raiders debut, Eluemunor only logged 266 snaps at guard. He did not see any time there last season. PFF has rated Neal as a bottom-two tackle regular in each of the past two seasons, and he is coming off a midseason foot fracture — an injury initially misdiagnosed as a sprained ankle — that sidelined him throughout the Giants’ offseason program.

Eluemunor looms as an emergency fix for the Giants, who have some interior insurance in Stinnie — who started in Super Bowl LV and made 11 starts last season — and Schlottmann (14 career starts in Denver and Minnesota). The Giants have converted guard Joshua Ezeudu tentatively in place as their swing tackle, but the 2022 third-rounder allowed five sacks despite playing just 266 snaps in place of Andrew Thomas last season.

The offseason additions aside, Neal’s development remains paramount in New York, as the Schoen regime drafted him seventh overall. Neal continuing down this road would remind of Ereck Flowers‘ underwhelming (in New York, that is) career path.

Before the Giants came to terms with Lock, they were on the Jameis Winston radar. The latter ended up in Cleveland, helping lead Lock to the Big Apple. A run of rumors has emerged regarding Lock’s role, and while the ex-Broncos and Seahawks QB has not been a team’s preferred starter since Teddy Bridgewater‘s second 2021 concussion forced Vic Fangio to move Lock back into his lineup, the former second-round pick has been mentioned as a possible Jones competitor at multiple points this offseason.

Seahawks GM John Schneider said the prospect of a competition with Jones helped lure Lock away from Seattle, and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah noted shortly after the draft the Missouri alum carries a legitimate shot at wresting the job from Jones. Lock has said he expects his role to be a Jones backup, and Daboll pushed back on the notion this will be a competition. Lock seeing starts may not remind of the ignominious Mike Glennon stretch, but if the Giants are starting the inconsistent ex-Broncos option without Jones having suffered an injury, the team’s big-picture plan will have veered well off course.

Lock’s only full season as a starter (2020) featured him leading the NFL in INTs (15) despite only finishing 12 games. The Broncos traded for Bridgewater to demote the John Elway-era draftee and then included him in 2022’s blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. Despite Lock initially being viewed as more likely to succeed Wilson in Seattle, he lost a battle with Geno Smith and never threatened the eventual Comeback Player of the Year’s job security again.

Lock, 27, is a career 59.7% passer who holds a 6.7 yards-per-attempt figure. The Giants could look to park Jones late in the season — similar to the Raiders and Broncos’ actions with their starters over the past two years — in a bubble-wrap scenario that prevents $12MM in injury guarantees from entering the equation, but that would seemingly only come up if the team is well out of the playoff mix. Still, Lock represents an interesting wild card whose usage could be telling about the franchise’s immediate future.

Wilson’s short free agency tour stopped through New York, though this “what if” involving a Giants QB investment did not rival the one that came in April. Wilson, who ended up with the Steelers on a vet-minimum deal, would have likely held the upper hand on Jones in a competition. As of now, Lock is intriguing insurance.

Re-signings:

Notable losses:

In terms of accomplishments, Frank Gifford is the best running back in Giants history. Production-wise, it is Tiki Barber, who still sits in the top 30 on the NFL’s rushing yardage list. For sheer talent, it is difficult to beat Barkley, whom the Giants hoped would make a Canton case someday. If Barkley is to launch a Hall of Fame case, he will need to make significant contributions in Philadelphia.

The Giants closed a six-year Barkley partnership by determining they did not want to pay what it required — or even close to it — to employ the two-time Pro Bowler in 2024. That will mean, barring injury, two games against Barkley this season.

The team made it clear in 2023 Jones would be its priority and Barkley the secondary concern. Positional value supported this stance, despite Barkley being a far superior player. Barkley played the season on a $10.1MM franchise tag. Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain early in the season, but he exited 2023 a safer bet following Jones’ ACL tear. As the Giants launched a serious research effort to consider adding a Jones replacement, Barkley said they were not among the four teams to make an offer (though, Barkley and Schoen’s accounts may differ here, as a recent Hard Knocks trailer dangled). This led to a three-year, $37.75MM Eagles agreement.

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2023 Offseason In Review Series

By | at September 9, 2023 10:59 pm

Quarterback acquisitions generated top headlines this offseason, while the slew of developments affecting the running back market moved that position’s value to a precarious point. On that note, our latest Offseason In Review series is in the books. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how teams assembled their 2023 rosters:

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

4 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Offseason In Review PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins

By | at September 9, 2023 6:00 pm

Following a busy offseason in 2022, the Dolphins didn’t take nearly as many swings in 2023.

It’s hard to blame them. The front office didn’t have to make up for any mistakes from last spring, as the team’s major acquisitions (receiver Tyreek Hill and offensive tackle Terron Armstead) both proved to be worth the investment. The organization also seemed to make the right decision in Mike McDaniel, as the head coach helped guide the Dolphins to their first playoff appearance since the 2016 season.

The Dolphins are clearly hoping that they can take another step forward during McDaniel’s second season at the helm. Of course, much of the team’s success will depend on the health of Tua Tagovailoa, but the team made enough offseason moves to remain in the playoff conversation heading into the 2023 campaign.

Trades:

For the second-straight offseason, the Dolphins made their biggest splash via trade, as they acquired one of the league’s top cornerbacks. Jalen Ramsey was more than productive during his three-plus seasons with the Rams, earning Pro Bowl nods each season while also being named to a pair of first-team All-Pro squads.

He didn’t earn the same accolades in 2022, but it was still a standout season for the veteran. Ramsey didn’t miss a game for the first time since 2018 while establishing career highs in tackles (88), passes defended (18), and interceptions (four). The 28-year-old ended up grading out as Pro Football Focus’ third-overall cornerback (among 118 qualifiers), and he paced the position with his run defense score.

The Dolphins clearly identified cornerback as a need heading into the offseason. Miami’s defense struggled in 2022, particularly against the pass. Miami ranked 27th in passing yards allowed per game and 29th in interceptions. The Dolphins’ need was only magnified when it was revealed that Byron Jones was unlikely to play again, leading to his release.

Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the team won’t immediately get to see their new acquisition on the field. Ramsey suffered a torn meniscus during training camp, keeping him on the sideline for the first few months of the season. There was initial hope that Ramsey could be ready for the season opener, but his placement on injured reserve assures that he won’t see the field until Week 5 at the earliest.

Elsewhere on the trade front, the Dolphins swapped cornerbacks with the Cowboys before the roster deadline. The team gave up on former first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene, who appeared in 32 games for the Dolphins across three seasons. In exchange, they received Kelvin Joseph, a former second-rounder who played the majority of his snaps on special teams over the past two seasons in Dallas.

The Dolphins added Dan Feeney to their offensive line mix during the offseason, guaranteeing $3.13MM of his salary in the process. The veteran was ultimately squeezed off the roster, but the front office managed to find a taker in the Bears vs. cutting him for nothing.

Free agency additions:

Miami used free agency to fill some key backup spots on their roster. The team’s biggest acquisition was linebacker David Long, who was added to the linebackers room following four seasons with the Titans. The former sixth-round pick saw a larger role during each of his four seasons in Tennessee, culminating in a 2022 campaign where he compiled a career-high 86 tackles. Long has missed time in each of his four NFL seasons, but as long as he’s healthy, he’s expected to start at inside linebacker next to Jerome Baker.

Eli Apple was added as a depth piece while the Dolphins looked to rework their cornerback corps, but he’ll likely see a significant role with Jalen Ramsey sidelined to start the season. Fortunately, Apple brings plenty of starting experience, as the veteran has started 78 of his 88 appearances. The 28-year-old spent the past two seasons in Cincinnati, collecting 98 tackles and two interceptions in 31 games.

DeShon Elliott also brings some starting experience to Miami’s secondary, with the former sixth-round pick having 35 starts on his resume. After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens, Elliott spent the 2022 season in Detroit, where the safety chipped in 96 tackles and one interception. He’ll likely be the top backup to safeties Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland.

On the offensive side of the ball, the team made their biggest addition on the offensive line. Isaiah Wynn was once a first-round pick by the Patriots, but he fell out of favor in New England. Following a 2022 season where he was limited to only nine games (seven starts), the lineman hit free agency with little fanfare. He eventually got a one-year contract from Miami, where he’ll provide an upside option on the offensive line. While Wynn only ranked 72nd among 81 qualifying OTs in 2022 (per Pro Football Focus), he graded as an above-average option in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, including a 2020 campaign where he ranked 11th at his position.

The rest of the team’s offensive additions are destined for backup roles. Mike White showed a little something while serving as the Jets backup/occasional starter over the past two seasons, and he’ll now be the team’s top insurance if (or when) Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tyler Kroft projects as more of a backup/blocking tight end, but he’ll help soak up some of the snaps that were lost when Mike Gesicki left for the Patriots. Braxton Berrios only missed one game for the Jets over the past four seasons, and he’ll likely see a role as a key returner and as a WR option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

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Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

By | at September 9, 2023 2:35 pm

The 49ers have managed to field top-flight rosters — outside of the quarterback position — over the past two seasons. That talent, along with Kyle Shanahan‘s play-calling acumen, powered San Francisco to consecutive NFC championship games. Neither going the 49ers’ way applies some pressure for the otherwise well-built team to come up with a viable quarterback solution. For the time being, that is Brock Purdy, who has recovered from UCL surgery.

Undoubtedly affected by the Trey Lance miss, the 49ers have used Purdy as a partial makeup call. Will the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant’s form last? If not, the 49ers have Sam Darnold as a new option. Either Purdy or Darnold would step into an offense housing four first-team All-Pros, and with Javon Hargrave in the fold, the 49ers are prepared to throw a better defensive front at opponents this season. Will this be the year Shanahan’s bunch takes the final step and wins the organization’s sixth title?

Extensions and restructures:

Days before Week 1, contingency plans were in place in the event the Bosa contract was not finalized. Fortunately for the 49ers, they will have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in uniform Sunday. Holdout is technically the correct term to use, but Bosa’s effort differed from those waged by Chris Jones and Zack Martin. With the 49ers having worked on this contract for weeks and having planned it for over a year, they surely expected Bosa to either hold in or hold out. That differs from the Martin and Jones holdouts, somewhat contentious in nature. With the 49ers allowed to waive Bosa’s fines due to this being a rookie-contract holdout, Bosa’s absence barely qualifies as a speedbump. And, like Martin, the holdout benefited Bosa.

The question throughout this holdout centered around how much longer Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year contract — one the Chiefs have attempted to treat as an outlier — would reside atop the defensive salary pecking order. Donald used a retirement threat and generational dominance to secure those terms without any new years added to his deal. Six years younger than Donald, Bosa used his importance to a loaded 49ers team — but one that depends on its top player to stay on the Super Bowl-contending level — to secure a true market reset.

T.J. Watt‘s $28MM-AAV deal topped the edge defender market for two years, and the Steelers OLB locked down his game-changing second contract three days before the 2021 season. Bosa nearly matched that, accepting the 49ers’ offer four days before his team’s Week 1 trip to Pittsburgh. Watt’s contract only topped Joey Bosa‘s AAV by $1MM, making the 49ers’ Nick Bosa re-up’s result an eye-popping conclusion.

The guarantee-at-signing figure is not yet in place, and the number through three years will need to be measured as well to fully evaluate this contract. The 49ers also made Trent Williams the highest-paid tackle by inflating the AAV with a lofty final-year number. On the surface, however, Nick Bosa’s contract reshapes the edge rusher market. The $122.5MM total guarantee amount checks in more than $20MM north of Joey Bosa’s previous defender record.

This contract may create some difficulties for the Chiefs and Jones to cross the finish line, as it weakens Kansas City’s effort to classify Donald’s contract as an outlier, and cause trouble for the Cowboys and Micah Parsons down the road. Nick Bosa has more than demonstrated his value in San Francisco. Along with Jimmy Garoppolo‘s return to health, Bosa’s 2019 arrival catalyzed the 49ers’ transformation from 4-12 team to Super Bowl LIV entrant. Bosa sat out much of his final Ohio State season, readying for the NFL, and ended up in San Francisco largely because of Garoppolo’s injury ruining the 2018 team’s season.

The rare third-generation NFLer, Bosa put himself back on track for this contract by returning from a September 2020 ACL tear to play all 20 49ers games in 2021. Bosa led the league in tackles for loss that year and posted a career-high 18.5 sacks last season. His 48 QB hits in 2022 broke up a J.J. Watt sweep atop that list. While the recently retired superstar still holds four of the top five figures since QB hits became charted, Bosa’s 48 hits now sit third on that list. The 49ers will bet on the younger of this generation’s NFL Bosas anchoring their defense for the long haul.

Free agency additions:

Among San Francisco’s signings, Hargrave’s contract obviously jumps out. Not long after Garoppolo’s contract came off their books, the 49ers sprang into action and allocated that cash to strengthen a strength. After the Bosa signing, the 49ers now have three defensive linemen making more than $17MM per year. The 49ers’ decision to trade DeForest Buckner, extend Arik Armstead and replace Buckner with Javon Kinlaw backfired. But they faced an either/or proposition with Buckner and Armstead at the time. Hargrave comes in as a fearsome hired gun, an arrangement made possible by Purdy’s seventh-round rookie contract.

The Eagles rolled out an embarrassment of riches on their D-line last season, threatening the 1984 Bears’ sack record. While Philadelphia (70 sacks) fell two short of the 46 defense’s longstanding mark, the team produced four double-digit sack totals. Hargrave was among those, tallying a career-high 11 sacks. This is a big commitment for a D-tackle going into his age-30 season, but Hargrave used his Eagles contract to confirm he is among the league’s best inside rushers. After toiling as an unearthed gem of sorts alongside Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt in Pittsburgh, Hargrave broke through in Philly.

Buckner and Bosa only overlapped for one season, which happened to produce a Super Bowl berth, so it will be interesting to see what well-regarded D-line coach Kris Kocurek can do with a Bosa-Armstead-Hargrave troika. Missing only three games in seven seasons, Hargrave also offers durability the 49ers have lacked from Armstead and Kinlaw. This certainly looks like the 49ers’ best defensive line since that 2019 unit.

Kocurek reviving Ferrell’s career would further highlight his potential for a defensive coordinator post. The Raiders surprised most by taking Ferrell fourth overall in 2019, but the Mike Mayock–Jon Gruden pick did not live up to his draft slot. During his final two years with the Raiders, the Clemson product had drifted to the backup level. Ferrell totaled just 5.5 sacks over the past three seasons, lowering his price in free agency. Had Bosa extended his holdout past Week 1, however, Ferrell was in place to start alongside 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson. The fifth-year edge rusher looms as a wild card in Steve Wilks‘ defense.

The 49ers targeted Oliver as a nickel who could match up with bigger slot receivers, following Jimmie Ward in that regard. The Falcons moved Oliver inside later in his run with the team, and Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-10 corner last year. That said, the 210-pound cover man did not impress in the preseason. It will be interesting to see if he can stick as the slot option for the 49ers, who have Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir camped on the boundaries.

Shanahan has shown tremendous confidence in Purdy, who completed his rehab and shed limitations earlier than expected. But Darnold came into the NFL undeniably more talented. And the former No. 3 overall pick impressed during his first offseason in San Francisco. Shanahan has spoken highly of the former Jets and Panthers starter, and while Darnold has enjoyed plenty of opportunities to showcase his skill (55 starts), it is difficult to compare his New York and Charlotte setups to Shanahan’s infrastructure. Darnold, 26, joined the 49ers largely because of Shanahan and their array of skill-position talent.

Darnold has also shown himself to be an unremarkable pro QB through five seasons, and he has battled availability issues in each of his seasons. But it did not seem to be much of a contest between he and Trey Lance for the 49ers’ backup job, even as Lance carried experience in Shanahan’s system. Darnold QB2 buzz circulated in the spring and intensified before camp.

The 49ers had targeted a veteran QB due mostly to Purdy and Lance’s injury issues, but Darnold has the pedigree to potentially challenge Purdy, should the former Iowa State starter struggle coming off elbow surgery. Brutal QB injury fortune has hounded the Shanahan-era 49ers. While Darnold is only tied to a $4.5MM salary, he could become an important figure in the NFC’s Super Bowl chase.

Re-signings:

Center retention was not particularly costly around the league this offseason. Five teams — the 49ers, Browns, Jets, Panthers and Vikings — preferred continuity over installing an outsider at the pivot. The Brendel, Ethan Pocic, Connor McGovern, Bradley Bozeman and Garrett Bradbury deals all came in at less than $6MM. For Brendel, that represented a reward for capitalizing on a surprising opportunity.

The 49ers brought in ex-Shanahan Falcons cog Alex Mack for what turned out to be a one-off in 2021, installing him over Brendel. Rather than chase a veteran last year, the team promoted Brendel, who came into the season with 250 offensive snaps in six seasons. The confidence paid off for the 49ers, who received 20 total starts from Brendel. The former UDFA, who will turn 31 on Sunday, graded fifth in ESPN’s run block win rate metric during his starter audition.

Overall, the 49ers should be better positioned on their interior O-line due to the experience first-time starters Brendel, Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford gained last season. Feliciano, who shifted back to guard this offseason, started for the Giants at center throughout last season. He makes for a nice swing backup and potential Burford platoon partner. But right tackle does present a question.

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4 comments Offseason In Review PFR Originals San Francisco 49ers

Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By | at September 8, 2023 10:04 pm

Sticking with their all-in approach around Tom Brady a year too long, the Buccaneers still benefited considerably from their 2020 free agency coup. The franchise added a second Super Bowl title and saw Brady display better form in 2021. Brady’s unretirement helped the Bucs stay atop the NFC South, but it took a historically terrible division for that to happen. The Bruce Arians-to-Todd Bowles transition did not go well, and the latter’s seat may already be warm.

The Bucs’ round of early-2020s restructures — Brady’s chief among them — led to cap trouble this year and did not allow for the team to make splashy outside upgrades. As a result, the Bucs are not receiving much attention going into their first post-Brady season.

Free agency additions:

Mayfield will soon take snaps for a fourth team in barely 20 months. The Ravens also discussed terms with Mayfield, though those talks were framed around the former No. 1 overall pick becoming a QB2 upgrade. The Bucs carried an obvious quarterback need following Brady’s second retirement, but the $35.1MM void-years bill kept the team out of the Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo markets. While the Bucs also considered Jacoby Brissett, he ended up with the Commanders for twice the money Mayfield scored. With the Bucs mandating a low-cost veteran, the former No. 1 overall pick has what likely profiles as a last chance to prove himself as a starter.

With the exception of rookie-contract players, Mayfield’s $4MM AAV is miles below every other Week 1 QB. The $4MM base value make it more in line with the backup tier, and many QB2 options — Brissett, Andy Dalton, Taylor Heinicke, Marcus Mariota, Jarrett Stidham — landed more than the player who was in talks with the Browns about a lucrative extension in 2021.

It is difficult to overstate the tumble Mayfield’s stock has taken since he was at the heart of the Browns snapping a 17-season playoff drought. A shoulder injury keyed a 2021 dip, but Mayfield did not bounce back in Carolina. Instead, his Panthers tenure ended with the team waiving him — as he sat dead last in QBR — despite having clawed back into the dreadful NFC South race. Illustrating how bad Mayfield was in Carolina, his memorable Los Angeles stay — which included the two-days-notice 98-yard game-winning drive to stun the Raiders — did not pull him out of last place. Mayfield played well against the Broncos on Christmas Day but still finished miles behind the second-worst signal-caller in 2022 QBR.

Bucs were willing to take what amounted to a flier on the 2017 Heisman winner, and instead of drafting another passer, they only pitted two-year third-stringer Kyle Trask against Mayfield. It took all three preseason games for Mayfield to beat out the 2021 second-rounder. Mayfield finished the 2020 season with 26 touchdown passes, eight interceptions and a 10th-place QBR finish. That represents his most recent healthy season, one that powered Kevin Stefanski to Coach of the Year honors and involved the Browns embarrassing the Steelers in Round 1 despite Stefanski home with COVID-19.

The Bucs will hope a stable Mayfield offseason leads to this form resurfacing, but while Tampa Bay may have that Cleveland team outflanked for receiver talent, an elite Browns O-line aided the 6-foot-1 QB that year. New Tampa Bay OC Dave Canales coaching under ex-Sean McVay assistant Shane Waldon in Seattle stands to help Mayfield, who is going into his age-28 season. But it will certainly not surprise to see Trask receive an extended look. Barring a Mayfield turnaround few expect, the Bucs look likely to enter the 2024 offseason with a dire QB need.

For the second time in four years, McLaughlin and Rodrigo Blankenship battled for a kicker job. After Blankenship beat out McLaughlin to succeed Adam Vinatieri in Indianapolis in 2020, the latter won the relocated rematch. While McLaughlin has enjoyed some extended work — in being a full-time option in Cleveland and Indianapolis over the past two years — the Bucs will be the 2019 UDFA’s seventh NFL team.

Both Feiler and Gaines served as multiyear starters in Los Angeles — Feiler at right guard for the Chargers, Gaines as a defensive tackle for the Rams — and their price tags aligned with the Bucs’ offseason itinerary. Purging more veterans than the Bucs did this year, the Rams let both Aaron Donald‘s recent wingmen — Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson — walk. Gaines, 27, started for the past two seasons and totaled 8.5 sacks and 19 QB hits in that span. With Calijah Kancey arriving in Round 1, it looks like Gaines will return to a bench role.

Feiler, 31, has been a starter for the past five seasons — for the Steelers and Bolts — and Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-20 guard in 2019 and ’21. The Bucs have the former UDFA at a discount because of a down 2022, when PFF slotted him outside the top 60 at the position. Given the Bucs’ rampant injury issues up front last season, Feiler offers short-term stability. He has missed just four games over the past four years. The Feiler addition will allow the Bucs to move 2022 second-rounder Luke Goedeke to right tackle, his primary college position.

Edmonds joins Mayfield in coming off a rough 2022. After his Cardinals work led to a two-year, $12MM Dolphins pact, Edmonds proved a poor fit in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. The Dolphins included the underwhelming satellite back as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade. The Broncos then cut him in March. In a bad year to be a free agent running back, Edmonds did score another opportunity and will slide in as the team’s passing-down back complementing Rachaad White. Edmonds, 27, did excel in a similar role alongside Kenyan Drake in 2020 but saw James Conner‘s re-emergence overshadow him the following year.

Re-signings:

"<strongIn Saints-like fashion, the Bucs managed to move from $55MM-plus over the cap upon Brady’s February 1 retirement to a place where they could make a viable offer to retain Dean. The Bucs followed their Carlton Davis blueprint with Dean. A year after they let Davis test free agency and then signed him to a three-year, $44.5MM deal, the Bucs reeled Dean back in early during the legal tampering period. Neither Davis nor Dean landed top-10 cornerback money, but both contract sit in the top 15 among AAV at the position.

Excelling in press coverage, Dean played a major role for the 2020 Super Bowl champion Bucs iteration and overtook Sean Murphy-Bunting last season. Dean did perform better in 2021 compared to 2022, allowing no touchdowns and limiting QBs to a collective 50.0 passer rating; those numbers shot up to four and 86.0 last season. But Dean also played more snaps last year, going from 685 in 2021 to 885. PFF rated Dean as last season’s 10th-best corner, and the former third-round pick will stay with the team that drafted him.

One of the best players in franchise history, David is back with the Bucs on a fourth contract. For a bit, it looked like the linebacker stalwart would leave Tampa after 11 seasons. David, 33, signed a lucrative five-year deal in 2015 and then, as the Bucs completed a historic talent-retention effort to retain the entire core of their Super Bowl LV-winning team, reupped on a two-year deal in 2021. This contract will bring a pay reduction for one of this era’s best off-ball linebackers, but as the Bucs transition to their post-Brady period, keeping David and Dean ensures continuity from their Super Bowl squad.

The former second-round pick totaled 124 tackles last season and has 10-plus TFLs in four of the past five seasons. David’s three sacks last season quietly ran his total to 29 over the course of his career. With Devin White generating criticism for inconsistency, the Bucs have continued to rely on David. The Nebraska product has seen his consistency pay off. After the Bucs ended a playoff drought that had covered David’s first eight seasons, he became a vital piece for two strong teams to start the 2020s.

Shaq Barrett‘s return from a midseason Achilles tear should move Nelson back to a rotational role — behind Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka — but the former fourth-round pick does have 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Barrett coming back will give the Bucs an interesting two-deep at outside linebacker, with third-rounder Yaya Diaby joining Nelson, who forced three fumbles last season as the Bucs attempted to get by without their top sack artist.

Notable losses:

Brady’s Bucs period added a key separation between he and Bill Belichick‘s legacies, and while the tenure did not necessarily end well, the QB icon reaching seven Super Bowl titles and ending a 12-year Tampa Bay playoff drought classifies the 2020 signing as an undisputed win for the franchise. Brady’s preposterously long prime lasted through the 2021 season, and although he showed flashes (in the form of some wild comebacks) as the 2022 Bucs broke down, the unretirement year brought clear decline signs. Brady used last season to fulfill his longtime goal of playing through age 45, and that feat allowed him to become the only regular QB to go through a season at that age.

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5 comments Offseason In Review PFR Originals Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks

By | at September 7, 2023 9:48 pm

Life after Russell Wilson began for the Seahawks in 2022, a season in which very little was expected of the team. Rather than setting upon a long-term organizational reset, however, Seattle remained competitive in large part due to the surprising success Geno Smith found in his latest opportunity to serve as an NFL starter. The veteran steered the team to a playoff berth, and the young contributors added in each of the past two drafts offer considerable reasons for optimism moving forward.

Weaknesses on defense were exposed throughout the season, though, and much of the team’s efforts in recent months (including a reunion with an icon from Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning core) has been aimed at addressing them. If they prove to have been successful, Smith – the reigning Comeback Player of the Year who has a new, more lucrative Seahawks deal in place – will be well-positioned to prove 2022’s success was not a fluke.

Free agency additions:

Seattle ranked 30th against the run in 2022, and breakdowns in the front seven were common during the regular season. That factored into the team’s postseason exit as well, as the 49ers recorded over 500 yards of offense in their wild-card victory over the Seahawks. Long before free agency began, it was therefore obvious that much of the offseason would need to be devoted to reconfiguring the defensive line and linebacking corps.

Jones will be at the heart of that effort, tasked with providing a much-needed boost with respect to interior pass-rushing production. The Seahawks finished tied for seventh in the league in sacks last year, but much of that came off the edge. If Jones can replicate his success from Denver, more balance will be attained. The 26-year-old totaled 22 sacks and 60 pressures across four years with the Broncos, making him one of the most attractive members of a deep D-line free agent class.

The Broncos were interested in retaining Jones, but for a time he seemed to be headed toward a deal with his hometown Browns. In the end, the former third-rounder landed a contract with a higher AAV than what both Denver and Cleveland gave to Zach Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson, respectively. The latter two are regarded as better run defenders than Jones, but if he remains productive on passing downs, he will be central to a rebound performance from Seattle’s defense.

Both Reed – who is returning to Seattle after spending his first five seasons there – and Edwards are in line for starting roles alongside Jones. That new trio will give the team a much different look in its second year with a 3-4 base scheme, although depth additions could be on the radar. In any event, the play of the revamped D-line will be a major storyline in 2023.

The Seahawks already had the league’s most expensive safety tandem in Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs before adding Love to the mix. The latter expressed a desire to remain with the Giants after his breakout season, though he was acutely aware of how his 2022 production helped his earning power. The 25-year-old will be able to hit the open market a second time rather quickly if he plays out this Seattle deal without an extension, though he could play his way into the team’s long-term plans if he picks up where he left off last season.

Love posted career-highs in a number of categories during the 2022 campaign, his first operating as a full-time starter. He remained a constant in a Giants secondary which faced injury absences for much of the year, seeing usage at a number of different spots on the field. The Notre Dame alum thus made himself one of several noteworthy safeties who were available in free agency, although a number of players with a longer track record at the position secured more lucrative deals.

Adams’ history of missed time – which will continue into the 2023 campaign – could make Love’s presence particularly important for Seattle. Plenty of playing time should be available when the Seahawks’ starting trio are all healthy, in any case, and Love will be a central figure in the team’s play on the backend.

Wagner’s fifth career contract is far smaller than all but his rookie pact, but it will be a valuable one on several fronts if he can maintain his level of play upon his return to the Emerald City. A central figure in the Legion of Boom-era defenses throughout a 10-year Seahawks run to begin his career, the eight-time Pro Bowler’s time with the team appeared to be over when he took a five-year, $50MM contract with the division rival Rams last offseason.

The 33-year-old drew the No. 1 PFF grade amongst inside linebackers in his debut Los Angeles season. After a calamitous title defense, however, the Rams elected to part ways with several high-priced veterans. Part of that process including granting Wagner’s release request, clearing the way for his return to Seattle, one which could result in up to $7MM in earnings. The six-time first-team All-Pro will reprise the starting role at the Seattle LB spot he has held for most of his career, and a continuation of his past performances would go a long way in stabilizing the Seahawks’ reconfigured front seven.

Bush could play a role in that regard as well, and success in a new environment would do wonders for his career. The former Steelers first-rounder flamed out in the seasons following his 2020 ACL tear, seeing his playing time drop sharply in each of the past two years. Bush, 25, will likely work in a rotational capacity behind Wagner and incumbent starter Jordyn Brooks, neither of whom are on the books for 2024. He could thus play his way into an extended stay in Seattle, or at least help his prospects in free agency next spring.

 Re-signings:

After the blockbuster deal sending Wilson to Denver, a QB competition which received little fanfare took place last summer. Many expected Lock, part of the package sent by the Broncos, to beat out Smith for the starting role. It was instead the latter who earned the No. 1 job, and he held it for every snap of the regular and postseason.

Six years removed from his last campaign as a full-time starter, Smith authored an incredibly unlikely success story in 2022. The 32-year-old led the league in completion percentage (69.8%), shattered his career high in touchdown passes (30) and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting. A considerable raise from the $3.5MM he saw in 2022 and the smaller figures represented in his previous one-year Seahawks pacts was in order.

On the other hand, Seattle was frequently named as a team to watch with respect to drafting a passer in April. Both head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider admitted to doing more QB scouting than usual while in the rare position of having a top-five pick (owing to the Broncos’ struggles in their first season with Wilson at the helm). A long-term answer at the position will still likely be coming sooner than later. But for at least one more year the Seahawks will maintain the Smith-Lock tandem.

Should Smith’s 2022 turn out to be fluky, the Seahawks will be able to escape this contract fairly easily in 2024. The team could move on via a post-June 1 cut in either of the next two offseasons and see notable cap savings against only an $8.7MM dead cap charge. Despite his success last year, Smith will therefore face another round of considerable expectations as he looks to back up his production and lead the Seahawks to consecutive postseason berths.

Lock’s deal can reach up to $7.5MM via incentives, something which would come into play if Smith were to miss time or regress. Either scenario could put his Seattle future in jeopardy, given the fact his contract only includes full guarantees for this season.

Myers proved to be a solid investment in 2019 after his stints with the Jaguars and Jets. He has gone a combined 98-for-112 on field goals during his time in Seattle (including 13-for-17 on kicks beyond 50 yards). The 32-year-old earned a second career Pro Bowl nod in 2022 and made the decision to authorize a re-up an easy one from the team’s perspective. Meyers now sits third in the league for AAV amongst kickers ($5.28MM) behind only Justin Tucker and Matt Gay, setting himself up to continue his consistent play with the Seahawks.

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3 comments Offseason In Review PFR Originals Seattle Seahawks
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