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PFR Originals: 1/22/17 – 1/29/17

January 29th, 2017 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff last week:

  • PFR’s Rory Parks asked readers who would win Super Bowl LI. The Falcons, three-point underdogs, are up slightly on the Patriots in the early stages. The Patriots are 4-4 in Super Bowls (4-2 in the Bill Belichick era), while the Falcons are 0-1, with their 1998 iteration losing to the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Kansas City Chiefs

January 29th, 2017 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Kansas City Chiefs, who continued their steady run under Andy Reid and John Dorsey by winning the AFC West for the first time in six years and qualifying for the divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top Cap Hits for 2017:

Other:

  • Projected cap space (via OverTheCap): $4,678,573
  • Twenty-seventh pick in draft
  • Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option on Dee Ford

Three Needs: 

 1.) Finalize secondary plans: Eric Berry‘s situation will once again be at the forefront of Kansas City’s offseason, but the Chiefs also could use some assistance at their right cornerback spot opposite Marcus Peters. The AFC West champions bent constantly but didn’t break often, as best evidenced by the unique divisional-round loss to the Steelers, but they have a decision to make regarding their defensive leader.

Among active safeties, only Earl Thomas matches Berry’s three first-team All-Pro honors, and Eric Weddle is the only one to have two such distinctions on his resume. So, Berry has a legitimate case to be the league’s highest-paid safety. He has not been underpaid by any stretch of the imagination, being one of the league’s three players to make it from the 2010 first round — the last featuring the old CBA setup friendlier towards first-rounders — to the end of the 2015 season on his rookie deal. And after the Chiefs couldn’t come to an agreement with Berry last July, he earned $10.806MM on the franchise tag. Long-term security eludes Berry, but he remains in position to cash in.

The Chiefs can shed more than $17MM in cap space by releasing Jamaal Charles and Nick Foles, creating some room for a Berry re-up. Retaining both Berry and Dontari Poe could be a stretch, but the Chiefs under John Dorsey and Andy Reid are known for backloading deals. That’s allowed them to sign Jeremy Maclin and Mitchell Schwartz despite not being cap-rich the past two offseasons. As for Berry, he will be set for his age-28 season in 2017, so a long-term deal should be reasonable.

The former No. 5 overall pick won comeback player of the year honors in 2015 but was even better in 2016, intercepting four passes and scoring two seminal defensive touchdowns — without which the Chiefs may have lost two more games this season — and is a darkhorse Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He also returned to a full-season workload after being gradually worked back into his old role in 2015 following his triumphant cancer comeback. Thanks to his on-field success and his successful battle with cancer, Berry has become the team’s most popular player. The sides weren’t close on a deal last summer but may be more in sync this year after Berry’s full-season performance. Reid lists Berry high on the Chiefs’ priority list, but the safety landscape has changed since the sides last negotiated.

Tyrann Mathieu became the highest-paid safety on a five-year, $62.5MM deal late last summer. Berry’s camp could state his case by citing his All-Pro honors and relative durability, along with the fact that the cap is expected to approach $170MM this year. The Chiefs would likely argue the Cardinals use Mathieu more as a cornerback than a safety, plus they will point out that Mathieu is four years younger than Berry. Regardless, Berry won’t be settling for a deal worth less than Harrison Smith‘s five-year, $51.25MM pact.

Kansas City has locked up many core defenders in the recent past — re-signing Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali — and ancillary parts like Ron Parker, Allen Bailey and Jaye Howard, illustrating Dorsey’s build-from-within model. A Berry deal — or a season in which the cornerstone safety plays on another franchise tag, which would be projected at $12.967MM — would limit the Chiefs’ ability to fortify the rest of their secondary. But it would be interesting to see Dorsey re-sign so many roster linchpins — re-upping Johnson and Hali from the Carl Peterson era, retaining Houston from the Scott Pioli period, and then locking up current-regime-acquired Travis Kelce — but fail to come to terms with the most popular player the Chiefs have employed this decade.

Kansas City has only rookie-deal players signed at corner, and recent third-round investments — Phillip Gaines (2014), Steven Nelson (2015), and KeiVarae Russell (2016) — have not produced a surefire starter. Nelson’s been the best of the bunch, operating as their slot corner, with Gaines playing his way out of the lineup during his third season. Russell, meanwhile, became a rare Day 2 pick to be cut as a rookie. Practice squad promotion Terrance Mitchell served as K.C.’s right cornerback down the stretch, despite the fact that the team drafting three corners last year. The Chiefs could target some second-tier UFA cogs or continue to try their hand with rookies.

They had this same need last year but didn’t pursue Prince Amukamara aggressively. Now that he stands to be back on the market, the 27-year-old looks like a second-tier candidate in a fairly well-stocked cornerback market. He’ll be seeking a multiyear deal after showcasing some durability that his Giants years lacked, but the former first-rounder doesn’t figure to be out of Kansas City’s price range. The cornerback market also features Trumaine Johnson, A.J. Bouye, Dre Kirkpatrick, Stephon Gilmore, Logan Ryan, and Darius Butler. Not all of those players are going to sign $10MM-per-year pacts. If a veteran like Poe comes off the Chiefs’ books, finding an additional boundary corner would be a place to reinvest that money on a team without many glaring needs.

If the Chiefs want to take the route the Bengals have in recent years, fortifying the position through the first round, that would obviously be a cheaper option. LSU’s Tre’Davious White, Florida’s Quincy Wilson, Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley, or Peters’ college teammate Sidney Jones could be options by the time the Chiefs’ pick with No. 27 overall selection. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter believes standout Gators stopper Teez Tabor could fall to the Chiefs at 27, and Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo sees 5-foot-10 Michigan corner Jourdan Lewis going to the Chiefs in his mock draft. This position looks to be deep for the teams with late-first-round choices, and that could be the route the Chiefs take, both for financial considerations and because some key members of their core either older than 30 or approaching it. The Chiefs need a promising contributor at this spot to keep teams from avoiding Peters.

2.) Figure out a post-Derrick Johnson future: The inside linebacker has enjoyed a long and productive career for the Chiefs, having signed a contract with three Kansas City regimes and serving as an 11-year starter. But Johnson will turn 35 next season and sustained a severe Achilles injury for the second time in three years. Kansas City’s run defense did not perform well in 2016, ranking 26th against the rush, and that became an even more glaring problem after Johnson’s mid-December injury. Le’Veon Bell consistently marched the Steelers into field goal range in the teams’ divisional-round meeting, and the running back’s methodical sojourns into the red zone led to to the Chiefs’ elimination.

Johnson has stood as the rock of the Chiefs’ run defense for years, most recently evidenced by its rapid improvement in 2015 upon his return. But it’s time to fortify this position, because the Chiefs don’t have much else there.

In addition to the four-time Pro Bowler, the Chiefs boast bottom-end investments at inside linebacker. Ramik Wilson, a 2015 fourth-rounder, and Justin March-Lillard, a 2015 UDFA, represent the team’s top prospects. Josh Mauga suffered a season-ending injury over the summer, and when Johnson couldn’t play in the final four games, the Chiefs were down to their spare parts in crucial spots. A two-year starter, Mauga is a UFA. Johnson will almost certainly be on the roster in 2017 since he signed a three-year, $21MM deal to stay in western Missouri last March. The dead money/cap savings ratio does not add up for an early cut, and Johnson could still make an impact as he did coming off the 2014 Achilles injury. He’s not considering retirement.

But this remains an area in desperate need of a young talent, because Johnson’s latest injury may render him unable to return to his previous level. The options aren’t plentiful in free agency, but the Chiefs should probably be looking to the draft for help here. They need a long-term successor. If the Chiefs believe this is a bigger issue than CB2, there are are a few ILBs who could be had at the back end of the first round.

Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham dominated as a sideline-to-sideline player, finishing with 125 tackles (16.5 for loss) in 13 games last season. Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan (102 stops last year) and Northwestern’s Anthony Walker (29 TFLs since 2015) fit the profile as well. Of course, quality 3-4 inside linebackers can be acquired later in the draft, as the likes of AFC West rivals Brandon Marshall and Denzel Perryman prove. With inside ‘backers not the most coveted of commodities come April, the Chiefs could see one of those aforementioned three prospects potentially fall to them in the second round, where they hold the No. 59 overall choice.

3.) Assess Alex Smith‘s viability: In a town known for employing polarizing quarterbacks, Smith has served as a lightning rod during most of his tenure. The latest narrow Chiefs postseason defeat continued to cast doubt on Smith’s ability to lead this team deep into the playoffs. However, Kansas City remains committed to him on what’s become one of the lower-end deals for a franchise quarterback. The former No. 1 overall pick has two years left on his contract and will only turn 33 in May, but the Chiefs are 1-3 in the playoffs behind Smith. Smith’s outing against the Steelers may have been the worst of his playoff performances in Kansas City, which has a veteran nucleus whose window depends on the middling passer.

While a report identified the Broncos as Tony Romo‘s top target, they would only be interested in him if he were to be released. The Texans, too, have emerged as a speculative landing spot, but the Broncos just invested a first-round pick in Paxton Lynch, and the Texans would incur a $25MM dead money blow by moving on from Brock Osweiler. The Chiefs have a steadier option than both teams from a short-term perspective, with Smith having quarterbacked the team during its mid-2010s resurgence. But they may be a stealth Romo candidate due to their status in the NFL pecking order.

The Chiefs’ 43 wins since 2013 trail only the Patriots, Seahawks and Broncos. But as Adam Teicher of ESPN.com notes, the team may have gone as far as it could with Smith under center. This echoes a sentiment Chiefs sources expressed during the Chiefs’ march to the AFC West crown. In 15 starts in 2016, the risk-averse passer threw just 15 touchdown passes. It would cost the franchise less to separate from Smith this year, at $7.2MM in dead money. The Chiefs would not be able to afford a Romo trade on his current deal (league-high $24.7MM cap number in 2017), but on a renegotiated contract, this landing spot makes sense for the 37-year-old passer.

If healthy, Romo is an upgrade over Smith. The other passers who figure to be available via trade or as UFAs probably are not. However, the Chiefs have an incredibly long track record of failing to develop a passer. From the four 49ers-honed quarterbacks over the past 20-plus years, to Trent Green and Matt Cassel, the Hunt family and their GMs have a long track-record of pursuing veterans. Of course, if management determines the best way to keep this core’s championship window open is to further strengthen the roster around Smith, then a prospect passer could be considered.

The Chiefs have drafted Day 3 quarterbacks in two of the past three years, Aaron Murray and Kevin Hogan, but neither is currently on the team. UDFA Tyler Bray is currently the Chiefs’ third-stringer. They haven’t selected a quarterback in the first round since the Todd Blackledge misfire in 1983 and haven’t spent a second-round selection on this position in 25 years. This quarterback class might see three polarizing passers — Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and DeShone Kizer — go off the board before the Chiefs pick in Round 1. But they could consider Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, either via first-round pick or second-round trade-up, or Miami’s Brad Kaaya in Round 2. Neither would likely be ready for a bit, keeping the Chiefs a Smith-run operation for at least 2017 and possibly 2018.

The franchise sits at a crossroads after its fourth consecutive home playoff loss. How it operates in the coming months here, either supplying Smith with more help or bringing in his replacement/successor, will be critical to changing this enduring trajectory.

2017 Top 3 Offseason Needs By Team

January 27th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Over the last few weeks, Pro Football Rumors has been taking a closer look at the 2017 offseason on a team-by-team basis. Our Top 3 Offseason Needs series focuses on each club’s most glaring roster issues, free agents, potential cap casualties, positions of possible focus, and other issues facing teams this winter.

Just in case you missed our preview for your favorite team, we’re rounding up all of our Offseason Needs pieces in this post. We have several more teams to examine before free agency officially gets underway on March 9, so if your team isn’t linked below, be sure to keep a close eye on PFR — it’ll be coming soon.

Here are the links to our 2017 Top 3 Offseason Needs pieces to date:

AFC East:

AFC North:

AFC South:

AFC West:

NFC East:

NFC North:

NFC South:

NFC West:

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Los Angeles Chargers

January 27th, 2017 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Los Angeles Chargers, who posted a 5-11 record in 2016 and have since hired a new head coach and relocated north up the I-5.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

  1. Philip Rivers, QB: $20,000,000
  2. Brandon Flowers, CB: $11,000,000
  3. Corey Liuget, DL: $9,500,000
  4. D.J. Fluker, G: $8,821,000
  5. Keenan Allen, WR: $8,650,000
  6. King Dunlap, T: $8,125,000
  7. Orlando Franklin, G: $7,600,000
  8. Travis Benjamin, WR: $6,500,000
  9. Joey Bosa, DE: $5,880,380
  10. Joe Barksdale, T: $5,546,875

Other:

Three Needs:

1) Fix the offensive line: Los Angeles’ front five has been a problem for some time, but given the contract structures of the club’s offensive linemen, the Chargers were essentially locked into most of their starting group, including tackles King Dunlap and Joe Barksdale and guards Orlando Franklin and D.J. Fluker. Now that another season has passed, the effects of cutting ties with several of those players (specifically, the dead money charges that would accelerate onto Los Angeles’ salary cap) have become minimized, meaning the Chargers could rework the line this offseason.Orlando Franklin (Vertical)

Barksdale, 29, probably isn’t going anywhere, as he just signed an extension with the Bolts in the spring of 2016. As such, it would cost the Chargers more to release Barksdale than it would to retain him. Franklin, too, will likely be kept for at least one more campaign, as Los Angeles would incur nearly $5MM in dead money by cutting ties. Though he struggled last season, Franklin was a significant free agent signing just two years ago, and the Chargers will likely give him one more year to turn things around.

Changes could take place at other spots along the line, however, including left tackle, where Dunlap is currently atop the depth chart. Dunlap, who agreed to a $1.2MM paycut last offseason, has missed 13 games over the past two years, and hasn’t been especially effective when on the field. Los Angeles would clear out $6.5MM in cap space by designating Dunlap a post-June 1 cut, and that looks like the best course of action at present.

Of course, releasing Dunlap would leave a hole on Philip Rivers‘ blindside, but the Chargers could use some of their newfound cap room to pursue a free agent left tackle. The market for offensive tackles isn’t exactly abundant, and the only two starting options that are readily available are the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth and the Lions’ Riley Reiff. Other players could soon become free agents, as Russell Okung and Kelvin Beachum are tied to options that are likely to be declined, while Ryan Clady could simply be released even after reworking his contract with the Jets.Ryan Ramczyk (Vertical)

More likely, the Bolts would need to target their next left tackle through the draft, and while this year’s class of tackles isn’t strong, Los Angeles should have a few choices when the seventh pick comes up. In his initial mock draft, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com sent Alabama OT Cam Robinson to the Chargers, and while Robinson has generally been viewed as this year’s No. 1 blindside protector, there’s been a recent wave of support for Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, whom Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks as his 14th overall player. In a typical draft, neither Robinson nor Ramczyk might be worth a top-10 selection, but it would behoove Los Angeles to draft for need this year.

Guard could also be addressed in the coming months, and although Franklin will be probably be retained, the same can’t be said about D.J. Fluker, who has spent the past two seasons on the interior after playing right tackle during his first two NFL campaigns. Because he is a former first-round pick, Fluker is scheduled to earn $8.821MM under the terms of his fifth-year option, a total that would give him the league’s fifth-highest cap hit among guards. That figure isn’t fully guaranteed until the start of the new league year in March, meaning the Chargers can release Fluker without any fiscal consequences.Matt Slauson (Vertical)

Los Angeles should do just that, both due to Fluker’s uninspiring play and the fact that the Chargers have a ready-made solution on the interior. Veteran Matt Slauson is entering the second season of a two-year, $3MM deal (quietly one of the better bargains in the NFL), and although he spent the 2016 campaign at center, he could shift back to his native guard position for 2017. Such a transition would allow 2016 third-round pick Max Tuerk — who used his rookie season as something of a redshirt year (zero snaps) — to take over at center.

Depth has become an issue for the Chargers’ offensive line in recent years, so the club should take a hard look at the veteran market — as well as invest a pick or two — on assets that could step up in the event of injuries up front. If the Panthers’ Mike Remmers can’t find a starting job in free agency, he’d make for a fine swing tackle in southern California. Same goes for Stefen Wisniewski, Tim Lelito, and Brian Schwenke along the interior, all of whom could be paid a slight premium in exchange for accepting backup roles with Los Angeles.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Los Angeles Rams

January 27th, 2017 at 5:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. This year’s series continues with the Rams, whose second act in Los Angeles began horrifically this season. The Rams sputtered to a 4-12 showing, which led to the in-season firing of the embattled Jeff Fisher and the postseason hiring of the youngest head coach in the modern era, 31-year-old Sean McVay.

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Previously a successful offensive coordinator with the Redskins, McVay is inheriting a 22-year-old quarterback, Jared Goff, who underwhelmed as a rookie after the Rams traded up to select him first overall in the draft. The Rams don’t have either a first- or third-round pick this year because of that trade, which is a painful reality for a franchise that would have otherwise chosen fifth overall. Goff could begin to realize his vast potential under McVay, of course, and that would make the deal much easier to accept.

As the Rams wait to see how the two wunderkinds will fare in Year 1 of their partnership, their Les Snead-led front office will work to improve a roster that scored the fewest points and allowed the third-highest total in the NFL in 2016.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:

  1. Tavon Austin, WR: $14,977,116
  2. Mark Barron, LB: $11,000,000
  3. Michael Brockers, DT: $11,000,000
  4. Robert Quinn, DE: $10,750,334
  5. Alec Ogletree, LB: $8,369,000
  6. Greg Robinson, OT: $6,772,213
  7. Jared Goff, QB: $6,349,471
  8. Rodger Saffold, G: $6,222,233
  9. William Hayes, DE: $5,500,000
  10. Lance Kendricks, TE: $4,250,000

Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $40,203,030

Other:

Three Needs:

1.) Repair the offensive line: If you’re building around youth at quarterback and running back, two places the Rams have invested heavily over the past couple years, common sense says you should possess a strong group of blockers. That wasn’t the case in 2016 for the Rams, whose offensive line graded as Football Outsiders’ fourth-worst group and Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst unit. Only lowly Cleveland allowed more sacks than Los Angeles (49), whose rushers posted the league’s 10th-lowest yards-per-carry mark (3.9). Dual-threat wide receiver Tavon Austin drove up the latter figure, averaging 5.7 yards on 28 rushes. The Rams’ actual backs, including 2015 rookie sensation Todd Gurley, were far less impressive. Gurley shockingly stumbled to a 3.2 YPC – down 50 percent from his 4.8 the prior season – on 278 attempts and failed to eclipse the 85-yard mark in any of his 16 games. He certainly isn’t blameless for his dreadful second season, but it’s clear he and Goff need more support up front.

While the Rams are fine at left guard (Rodger Saffold) and right tackle (Rob Havenstein), they’d be wise to seek upgrades along the remainder of the line. That includes left tackle, where Greg Robinson has busted since going second overall in the 2014 draft. It’s doubtful the Rams will move on this offseason from Robinson, as he’s still young (24) and will be on their books at his full cap hit ($6.77MM-plus) even if they release him. They’ll surely decline his fifth-year option for 2018, however, and ought to look for a starting-caliber replacement for at least next season. Unfortunately, neither free agency nor the draft will brim with blindside options this offseason.

The open market’s top solution could be the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth, who’s stellar but also aging (35). Otherwise, tackles scheduled to reach free agency include less capable protectors like Riley Reiff (Lions), Matt Kalil (Vikings) and Luke Joeckel (Jaguars). As is the case with Robinson, both Kalil and Joeckel have been letdowns since their respective teams used top five picks on them in recent years, though it might be worth pointing out that Kalil is a California native who formerly thrived in the Rams’ temporary stadium, the LA Coliseum, as a member of the USC Trojans. Past success aside, he’s certainly not a premier blocker these days.

In the event the Rams wait until the draft, where they’re scheduled to pick 37th, they could end up in contention for any of Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, Utah’s Garrett Bolles or Alabama’s Cam Robinson. All three tackles currently reside in the top 50 prospect rankings of draft gurus Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) and Matt Miller (Bleacher Report).

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Moving to the interior, where the Rams should add a second high-end guard to complement Saffold and make life easier for Gurley, T.J. Lang (Packers), Kevin Zeitler (Bengals) and Ronald Leary (Cowboys) stand out as the foremost soon-to-be free agents. While all figure to rake in sizable contracts in the coming months, any would significantly improve the Rams’ line.

It would behoove the Rams to land one of those three, as the early second round doesn’t seem as if it’ll overflow with possibilities. Jeremiah and Miller only have one guard apiece in their top 50 – Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp is the former’s 16th-ranked player, while the latter’s list includes Indiana’s Dan Feeney at No. 37 (which matches LA’s pick).

Lastly, it’s possible the Rams will search for a superior center to Tim Barnes, who, to his credit, is coming off back-to-back 16-start seasons. For Gurley’s sake, it would make sense to target a better run blocker like A.Q. Shipley (Cardinals) or J.C. Tretter (Packers) on the open market. Jason Kelce could also become available if the Eagles release him, which looks like a legitimate possibility.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Green Bay Packers

January 25th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Green Bay Packers, who rallied from a poor start to take the NFC North crown before being defeated in the NFC championship game.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

  1. Aaron Rodgers, QB: $20,300,000
  2. Clay Matthews, LB: $15,200,000
  3. Randall Cobb, WR: $12,750,000
  4. Sam Shields, CB: $12,125,000
  5. Jordy Nelson, WR: $11,550,000
  6. Mike Daniels, DL: $10,400,000
  7. Bryan Bulaga, T: $7,850,000
  8. Morgan Burnett, S: $7,000,000
  9. David Bakhtiari, T: $6,171,000
  10. James Starks, RB: $3,750,000

Other:

  • Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $35,719,981
  • 29th pick in draft
  • Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Three Needs:

1) Clean up the secondary: Let’s begin with one obvious fact: Anyone who watched Sunday’s NFC championship game witnessed the Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan continuously torch Green Bay’s defensive backfield — which gave up the NFL’s most yards per attempt during the regular season — on their way to nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. Here’s another obvious fact: Packers general manager Ted Thompson, for the most part, doesn’t venture into the free agency waters, preferring to build his club internally.Damarious Randall (vertical)

Those two opposing statements leave Green Bay with two possible offseason approaches to addressing its secondary. One option sees the club sticking to its usual formula, pinning its hopes on improvement from third-year cornerbacks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, and filling in the gaps with developmental draft picks. Alternatively, the Packers could — as quarterback Aaron Rodgers termed it earlier this week — “reload” by attacking the free agent market with vigor for the first time since the Julius Peppers signing in 2014.

An offseason search for a free agent corner isn’t without precedent in Green Bay, as Thompson & Co. were suitors for Darrelle Revis in 2015. Cap room shouldn’t be an issue for the Packers, as the club already boasts more than $35MM in space and could clear more by releasing (or demanding a paycut from) Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb, Sam Shields, and James Starks. The open market should be flush with cornerback options, although a number of elite defenders — such as the Texans’ A.J. Bouye and the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson — could be facing the franchise tag.Logan Ryan (Vertical)

Still, while Green Bay might not be open to hunting for a true No. 1 corner, the team should at least target a second-tier option that could lock down one side of the field, alleviating pressure on the rest of the Packers’ young defensive backfield. Logan Ryan (Patriots) jumps off the page as a near-perfect fit for Green Bay, as the 25-year-old ranked as the No. 14 CB in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus, and would serve as an immediate upgrade to the team’s current depth chart. Ryan should require a multiyear deal, so if the Packers are only interested in short-term commitments, Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, or Prince Amukamara could be preferable.

If Green Bay wants to get a bit more creative, it could also explore a trade for Browns defensive back Joe Haden, whom multiple teams scouted in advance of last year’s trade deadline. Haden is still only 27 years old and is signed through the 2019 campaign, and although injuries have affected his play over the past few seasons, he’d be a worthwhile project for the Packers. Fellow Cleveland corner Tramon Williams (a former Packer) was also the subject of trade rumors last fall, and could be a target for Green Bay following his likely release this spring.

The draft offers the final avenue for the Packers to acquire a new cornerback, and the club should have several options when pick No. 29 comes around. While Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore will be long gone, his teammate Gareon Conley could still be available, as could Florida’s Teez Tabor, Washington’s Sidney Jones, or Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey. If Green Bay goes in another direction in Round 1, the team could still look at corner on Day 2, and Chad Reuter of NFL.com projects the Packers to select Fabian Moreau (UCLA) at pick No. 61 in his first mock draft of the year.

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Top 3 Offsesason Needs: Oakland Raiders

January 25th, 2017 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Oakland Raiders, who ended a 13-season playoff drought by going 12-4 and advancing to the AFC bracket. A historically ill-timed injury to Derek Carr spoiled the Raiders’ realistic chances at making a postseason run, but the team is well-positioned to be a factor for years to come. Whether they’re going to be identified with Oakland or Las Vegas, the Raiders have the pieces to be considered one of the AFC favorites in 2017.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

  1. Kelechi Osemele, G: $13,200,000
  2. Sean Smith, CB: $9,500,000
  3. David Amerson, CB: $8,500,000
  4. Michael Crabtree, WR: $7,000,000
  5. Bruce Irvin, LB: $7,000,000
  6. Rodney Hudson, C: $6,850,000
  7. Austin Howard, T: $6,400,000
  8. Amari Cooper, WR: $6,180,151
  9. Donald Penn, T: $6,100,000
  10. Khalil Mack, LB/DE: $5,942,683

Other:

  • Projected cap space (via OverTheCap): $46,560,487
  • 24th pick in draft
  • Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for LB Khalil Mack

Three Needs:

1.) Address the defensive interior: Extensions for Derek Carr and, eventually, Khalil Mack will begin to affect the Raiders’ offseason spending after years of the team’s payroll being devoid of homegrown re-ups. But if they were going to make a big outside investment at a position this year, interior defensive line would be a key spot to target. Oakland actually entered training camp in fairly good shape here, but enduring the ignominy of finishing a season with a league-worst 25 sacks despite having a possible defensive player of the year leading that charge will force Reggie McKenzie into addressing this area. Mack and Bruce Irvin delivered 18 of those 25 sacks and give the Raiders their best set of bookend pass-rushers since Howie Long and Greg Townsend during their early Los Angeles days. But they don’t have a lot of help right now.

Mario Edwards remains an intriguing prospect, but this latest injury — a hip malady that sidelined him for 14 regular-season games after he was initially expected to be shelved for merely a few — showed durability will likely be an issue. He’s now missed 16 games in two years. The Raiders can’t count on him to be the top interior presence he was in 2015, when he graded out as a top-10 run-stopper among edge defenders (per Pro Football Focus). Edwards is the Raiders’ best holdover interior rusher and when available solves multiple problems for a defense that ranked 23rd against ground attacks, but Oakland needs help here.

Its investment in Jihad Ward did not reveal a piece ready to make an impact, with the raw second-rounder recording no sacks in 13 starts. PFF tabbed the Illinois product as its worst interior defender. Denico Autry profiles as a backup at best. Stacy McGee finished with 2.5 sacks to lead the uninspiring supporting cast, and he’s a UFA. Oakland uses both 4-3 and 3-4 looks, with new defensive assistant John Pagano likely to implement additional usage of the latter alignment, and has run-stopping DTs Dan Williams and Justin Ellis under contract for 2017. Neither is a high-end option, and Williams’ $4.5MM cap number can be shed entirely to gain more space if the Raiders so choose. But the team will need some incumbents to supplement whatever talent is acquired. However, as the only non-rookie-deal player in this mix, Williams looms as a release candidate.

An issue in upgrading on the D-line could be a lack of realistic options to make any kind of real impact on the UFA market. Kawann Short is unlikely to leave Carolina, and if Calais Campbell manages to make it to the market, he will be seeking a major payday. The 30-year-old dynamo would obviously be a fit, but given the current level at which he’s playing, Campbell could command $10MM per year or close to it on a medium-length deal. That would be a pursuit McKenzie would be wise to be involved in, but again, the Cardinals — who have spent to retain their homegrown defenders — would have to pass on him before the new league year commences. Nick Fairley capitalized on his prove-it deal with the Saints and could have a robust market for his services. Fairley’s career-high 6.5 sacks gave the former first-rounder three seasons of at least 5.5 takdeowns. While he’s not known as being a particularly formidable run-defending presence, the 29-year-old would provide a major upgrade as an inside pass-rusher. He would prefer to stay in New Orleans but may like what he encounters on the market if he makes it back to free agency.

Beyond Campbell and Fairley, players like former Raider Vance Walker — who is coming off a torn ACL but was productive in 2015 for the Broncos as an off-the-bench pass-rusher — and Alan Branch would represent some mid-tier stopgap avenues. The Titans’ Karl Klug also profiles as an under-the-radar buy and would fit as a three-technique rusher the Raiders covet.

ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Raiders taking Michigan State defensive tackle Malik McDowell in the first round of his initial mock draft (ESPN Insider link). Florida’s Caleb Brantley also could be available when the Raiders pick at 24, but with this position generally flooding first rounds in the recent past, it’s difficult to see a gap between Jonathan Allen — expected to go in the top five — and these talents existing in time for the Raiders to potentially choose between them. One of them might still be around by the time the Raiders are on the clock, however. McDowell is a proven disruptive presence who, while not being the most productive sacker (7.5 in three seasons in East Lansing), would add much-needed young talent to the Raiders’ rotation. If they wanted to wait until Day 2 to address this need, players like Chris Wormley (Michigan) and Jaleel Johnson (Iowa) showed ability to beat Big Ten offensive linemen, registering 5.5 and 7.5 sacks, respectively, in 2016.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Chicago Bears

January 24th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Chicago Bears, who regressed to a 3-13 record in their second season under head coach John Fox‘s leadership.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

  1. Jay Cutler, QB: $16,000,000
  2. Kyle Long, G: $8,000,000
  3. Pernell McPhee, LB: $7,825,000
  4. Lamarr Houston, LB: $6,990,000
  5. Danny Trevathan, LB: $6,850,000
  6. Josh Sitton, G: $6,822,916
  7. Bobby Massie, T: $6,034,275
  8. Akiem Hicks, DE: $5,500,000
  9. Eddie Royal, WR: $5,000,000
  10. Kevin White, WR: $4,517,195

Other:

Three Needs:

1) Secure a long-term option at quarterback: Jay Cutler is fresh off the worst Total Quarterback Rating of his career, and whether that was a product of multiple injuries or the fact that former offensive coordinator Adam Gase is no longer around, Cutler is almost assuredly set to be released this offseason. Not only is Bears head coach John Fox reportedly “done” with Cutler, but Chicago can clear $14MM off its books by cutting the 33-year-old QB this spring. Of course, by parting ways with Cutler, the Bears would be creating another gaping vacancy at the most important position in the game, meaning the club would need to conduct an extensive search for a franchise quarterback this offseason.Matt Barkley (Vertical)

The Bears do have at least one other signal-caller currently on the roster who could provide some sort of value in Matt Barkley, though he clearly doesn’t solve Chicago’s long-term problems under center. The former fourth-round pick likely made himself some money during the 2016 campaign by proving he can sustain backup level production, but he completed less than 60% of his passes, tossed 14 interceptions in six starts, and ranked 25th in DYAR among 34 qualifiers, per Football Outsiders. Barkley, who can be retained through the restricted free agent system, could potentially serve as a bridge quarterback in 2017, but the Bears shouldn’t pin their hopes on him.

Veteran Brian Hoyer also fits into the bridge QB discussion, as the 31-year-old managed six touchdowns against no picks in five starts last season before going down with a broken non-throwing arm. Hoyer had to settle for a one-year, $2MM deal last offseason despite a quietly productive 2016 campaign with the Texans, and he could be forced to agree to a similar contract this spring. With Barkley likely coming back next season, the Bears needn’t be forced to retain Hoyer, but if the club can get him back on a cheap pact, he’s not a poor option to have around.

Even if Barkley and Hoyer are kept around, Chicago still clearly needs to find a signal-caller who can lead the club for the long haul. The organization isn’t going to find such a player in free agency, where Mike Glennon represents the best target outside of Kirk Cousins, who seems likely to remain in Washington. The draft, then, represents the best avenue for the Bears to land their next quarterback, and the team’s front office has reportedly been researching the 2017 class of QBs for some time.Brad Kaaya (Vertical)

Miami’s Brad Kaaya has been the one collegiate prospect to be directly linked to the Bears, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said in November that Chicago was putting in “extensive research” on the Hurricanes quarterback. Generally considered one of the top four or five QBs available this year, Kaaya is expected to be selected on Day 2. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com credits Kaaya for his toughness, and says the 21-year-old has an “unforced throwing motion with the arm strength to make all the necessary NFL throws,” but notes that Kaaya could improve his poise under pressure.

Given that Chicago holds the third overall pick, however, the club doesn’t have to settle for Kaaya or another mid-round option, and could target one of the top three quarterbacks available this year: Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, or Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer. Of course, the two teams drafting ahead of the Bears — the Browns and 49ers — are also in the market for a quarterback, so Chicago’s choice could be limited once it officially gets on the clock. Still, the Bears should get a shot at one of those three QBs, and though the club hasn’t been specifically linked to any of the trio tJimmy Garoppolo (Vertical)hus far, it’s entirely fair to assume Chicago will go after a quarterback at No. 3.

The trade market could be yet another route for the Bears, especially since one NFL executive recently told Bucky Brooks of NFL.com that he’s “scared to death” of the 2017 quarterback draft class. Tony Romo could make sense for Chicago, but general manager Ryan Pace & Co. are probably looking for a signal-caller who can stick around for awhile. Instead of Romo, then, the Bears might target another Eastern Illinois graduate, Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo, whom New England is reportedly willing to deal this offseason. The Pats, though, are thought to be seeking a first- and fourth-round pick in exchange for Garoppolo, an extremely high ask especially considering that Garoppolo would still need to be extended. The Bengals’ A.J. McCarron, who is open to being traded, could represent a more affordable target.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Houston Texans

January 24th, 2017 at 2:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue with the Houston Texans, who are fresh off their third straight nine-win season and second consecutive AFC South title. After a 27-14 victory over the injury-plagued Raiders in the wild-card round, the Texans’ season ended at the hands of the Patriots in a 34-16 divisional romp.

Depth Chart

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:

  1. Brock Osweiler, QB: $19,000,000
  2. J.J. Watt, DE: $14,500,000
  3. Duane Brown, LT: $9,650,000
  4. Brian Cushing, LB: $9,547,500
  5. Kareem Jackson, CB: $9,000,000
  6. DeAndre Hopkins, WR: $7,915,000
  7. Jeff Allen, RG: $6,500,000
  8. Lamar Miller, RB: $6,500,000
  9. Whitney Mercilus, LB: $6,050,000
  10. Derek Newton, RT: $5,500,000

Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $25,757,451

Other:

  • Twenty-fifth overall pick in draft
  • Must exercise or decline DE Jadeveon Clowney‘s fifth-year option for 2018

Three Needs:

1.) Once again, find a quarterback: The Texans thought they solved their long-standing quarterback woes last offseason when they released 2015 playoff goat Brian Hoyer and signed ex-Broncos backup Brock Osweiler to a big-money deal in free agency. Instead, all they did was make their situation under center much worse. Osweiler was an utter disaster in his first year as a Texan, leading head coach Bill O’Brien to bench him in favor of unexciting reserve Tom Savage toward the end of the season. While Savage was far from special in three showings, he was more effective than Osweiler and would have remained the team’s starter if not for a Week 17 concussion.

Brock Osweiler

Savage’s injury forced O’Brien to pivot back to Osweiler for the playoffs, and he was decent enough in the Texans’ win over Oakland. Unsurprisingly, though, Osweiler couldn’t handle Super Bowl-bound New England, which held him to a microscopic 4.93 yards per attempt and intercepted two of his 40 passes in a game the Texans could have made interesting with a better signal-caller.

Osweiler’s showing against the Pats was all too typical of his 15-game regular season, in which he completed 59 percent of passes, recorded a paltry 5.8 YPA and tossed 15 scores against 16 picks. Those numbers wouldn’t have been satisfactory for a starter with a guaranteed $3.7MM on his contract, let alone the $37MM Houston handed Osweiler.

Moving forward, the good news for the Texans is that they won’t be tethered to Osweiler for the life of his four-year, $72MM accord; on the negative side, his contract will once again be an albatross next season. Even if the Texans were to designate the 26-year-old as a post-June 1 cut, he’d cost them $19MM in dead money in 2017. Regardless, they’re going to have to search for a superior QB this offseason and hope Osweiler’s successor does a better job complementing Houston’s abundance of talented performers on both sides of the ball. That includes superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins, whom Osweiler managed to render somewhat ordinary (by Hopkins’ spectacular standards) in 2016.

Tony Romo (featured)

Having spent his entire career in Texas to this point, soon-to-be ex-Cowboy Tony Romo seems like a natural fit for a win-now team like the Texans as he approaches his 37th birthday. However, along with his age, there are other obvious concerns regarding Romo, including what he has left in the tank after missing the majority of the past two seasons because of injuries and a demotion. There’s also a question of whether Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would deal Romo to Texas’ younger franchise. And whether he comes as a trade acquisition or gets his release and signs as a free agent, Romo figures to be pricey next season. That, of course, wouldn’t be ideal for a Houston club which will have Osweiler occupying a massive amount of spending room.

Salary notwithstanding, there may not be a better match than the Texans for Romo. He’d reportedly like to go to the Broncos, but they’re inclined to roll with a younger, homegrown option. Teams like the Bills, Jets and Bears could chase Romo, though none are as close to contention as Houston.

If we’re to assume the Redskins will either re-sign Kirk Cousins or place the franchise tag on him, the free agent market won’t offer much in the way of proven options. And if the Texans are going to bring in a veteran via the open market, it’s hard to imagine them pinning their hopes on another backup — Mike Glennon, Landry Jones or Matt Barkley, for instance — given how poorly the Osweiler experiment has gone.

More established signal-callers like Tyrod Taylor, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick might end up on the open market, too, if their teams release them (or if Kaepernick opts out of his deal). While Taylor is the most intriguing of the three, his potential availability looks increasingly unlikely. Cutler isn’t far removed from a respectable 2015 in Chicago, though he’s coming off a poor, injury-riddled season and was on the verge of losing his job to Hoyer. Kaepernick bounced back to a degree in 2016, meanwhile, but teams that explore signing him will have to make multiple determinations: 1. Is he a legitimate starter anymore? 2. Are they on board with having such a politically polarizing player in a prominent role? As shown in a late-August poll of various club executives, Kaepernick’s outspokenness hasn’t exactly endeared him to decision-makers within the league.

Jimmy Garoppolo (vertical)

The trade route could represent a possibility for QB-needy Houston, too. Considering both his potential and his minimal salary for next season, Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo would seem to make sense as a target. New England is open to moving Garoppolo — and, for what it’s worth, O’Brien is friendly with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick — but his presence on the trade market would perhaps spark a bidding war. Thus, the Texans would once again have to ask themselves whether it would be worthwhile to spend valuable assets on a largely untested signal-caller who has played second fiddle to an all-time great. It hasn’t worked with Osweiler, Peyton Manning‘s former understudy.

There’s also the draft, in which the Texans hold the 25th overall selection, but many scouts regard this year’s class of passers as among the worst in recent memory. Plus, the highest-ranked QBs in the 2017 crop — in some order, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer — should all be off the board when the Texans’ pick arrives. No one else even ranks among NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 prospects, while Texas native and ex-Texas Tech star Patrick Mahomes (No. 50) is the only QB outside the Watson-Trubisky-Kizer group on Bleacher Report prospect expert Matt Miller’s latest big board.

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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Seattle Seahawks

January 23rd, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Seattle Seahawks, who earned their fifth straight postseason appearance in 2016 before being bounced in the divisional round.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

  1. Russell Wilson, QB: $18,800,000
  2. Richard Sherman, CB: $13,361,000
  3. Michael Bennett, DL: $10,768,750
  4. Earl Thomas, S: $10,400,000
  5. Jimmy Graham, TE: $10,000,000
  6. Doug Baldwin, WR: $9,650,000
  7. Kam Chancellor, S: $8,125,008
  8. Bobby Wagner, LB: $7,600,000
  9. K.J. Wright, LB: $6,800,000
  10. Cliff Avril, DE: $5,500,000

Other:

  • Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $32,879,707
  • Twenty-sixth pick in draft

Three Needs:

1) Ameliorate the offensive line: Seattle’s problems up front have been incredibly well-documented, and realistically, the offensive line could probably be listed first, second, and third in this piece. But although the Seahawks ranked 25th in adjusted sack rate and 26th in adjusted line yards, head coach Pete Carroll said earlier this month that his club probably won’t be active in free agency as it attempts to address the front five.

“I don’t think that way. That’s now how we — ‘OK, let’s take money and put it here and all of a sudden you’re going to get better.’ You’ve got to get guys that can play worthy of it, and when they demonstrate that then they get paid,” Carroll said. “I don’t think you can just buy your way to it. We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to go out and spend a ton of money in free agency on one guy to try to save the day. That’s now how we function at all.”Justin Britt (Vertical)

The Seahawks did find one solution during the 2016 season, as Justin Britt — who has been shifted from offensive tackle to guard to center during his three years in the NFL — finally found a home at the pivot, and should solidify the middle of Seattle’s line for years to come. The rest of the group, however, represents what Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus termed an “unavoidable problem.” George Fant, Garry Gilliam, and Bradley Sowell all ranked as bottom-10 tackles last season, per PFF, while guards Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi also graded out poorly.

Guard is probably the lesser of the two priorities, as Glowinski (fourth round, 2015) and Ifedi (first round, 2016) are both recent draft picks who just completed their first seasons as starters. But if the Seahawks want to scour the free agent market for a cheap alternative, there are options available. Chance Warmack is set to become a free agent after flaming out with the Titans, and though he clearly never lived up to his draft billing (10th overall in 2013), Warmack might offer the sort of tool package that Seattle offensive coach Tom Cable could seek to rework. Saints veteran Jahri Evans, who spent training camp with the Seahawks last season, is also expected to be available once again.

Tackle — both right and left — needs to be the primary focus for Seattle this offseason, and though Carroll clearly doesn’t think free agency is the correct avenue to find talent, the Seahawks would do well to bring in at least one external option in the next few months. Old friend Russell Okung could hit the market if the Broncos decline his option, which seems likely given that said option will lock in an additional four years, $48MM, and $19.5MM in guarantees. Fellow left tackle Kelvin Beachum is in a similar situation, as the Jaguars hold an option that is also likely to be declined.Andre Smith (vertical)

Aside from Okung or Beachum, it’s difficult to see how the Seahawks could improve via the free agent market, assuming that they’re not going to spend at the top of the market to bring in Riley Reiff, Andrew Whitworth, Ricky Wagner, or the like. The Vikings’ Matt Kalil figures to be available, but he’s been among the worst tackles in the league since his promising rookie season. Menelik Watson and Sebastian Vollmer could come cheap, but neither has played a significant number of snaps lately. Veteran Andre Smith, who managed only four games with the Vikings before being placed on injured reserve, stands out as a potential option on one-year deal.

If Seattle wants to add a new tackle through the draft, the club should have several options on Days 1 and 2. Alabama’s Cam Robinson is viewed as the best tackle in the 2017 class, in the estimation of Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com, while Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk — whom Josh Norris of Rotoworld recently mocked to the Hawks — isn’t far behind. Garett Bolles (Utah) is also “shooting up” draft boards, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report recently noted, and could end up becoming the first tackle selected. Florida States’ Roderick Johnson, Temple’s Dion Dawkins, and Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey could also be considered in the first few rounds of the draft.

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