HEADLINES

PFR Originals News & Rumors

Impact Rookies: Seattle Seahawks

September 14th, 2016 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?

To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.

My hat is off to the Seahawks tireless college scouting staff. Yes, that was quite a bounty, drafting ten players, but they also deserve credit for their UDFA discoveries.

Second Round – Jarran Reed, DT (Alabama, No. 49 overall)

Reed’s tenure at Alabama lasted just two seasons, but the highly coveted recruit out of East Mississippi Community College proved to be an invaluable performer for the Tide. Now, he is being slotted in as one of the Seahawks’ starting defensive tackles right out of the gate. Jarran Reed (vertical)

Reed is a quick and explosive run container who plays with non-stop effort. He is a short stepper who does a very good job of using his upper body strength and lower frame power to collapse the offensive line and occupy multiple blockers. He gets into the blockers with good urgency and shows adequate hip flexibility and lower body quickness to make plays moving down the line (see 2015 Middle Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana-Monroe games). He plays stout at the point of attack and uses his hands well to keep blockers away from his chest. When he stays low in his pads, he gains leverage and shows strength and explosion coming off the snap.

Reed is a “never back down from anything” type. He sacrificed personal success to play the role of “trash man” for the Tide, using his power and frame to constantly take on double teams in order for a freed-up teammate to make the play. He is an all-out battler in tight quarters and shows enough functional quickness to make plays outside the box while also generating good urgency in pursuit. When he gets in a groove, he simply overpowers and wears down the blockers with his leg drive and combative nature.

The Alabama product might not have the 330-pound frame you look for in a three-tech, but he has above average upper body strength and that strong anchor to split double teams and collapse the offensive line. The youngster has become more conscious of using his hands to play off blocks and keeps them active when working across the face of an offensive lineman. He will engage and shed with good force and shows a surprising motor in short area pursuit. When he gets into the hole, he delivers that strong hand punch to clog the rush lanes and push back the lead blocker as evidenced by teams recording just four first downs on 52 rushing attempts against him in 2015.

Reed has long-term upside, but he also figures to pay dividends for the Seahawks D-Line right away in 2016.

Continue reading about the Seahawks’ rookies..

Read more

Impact Rookies: Los Angeles Rams

September 13th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?

To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.

Even Stevie Wonder could see that the biggest problem for Los Angeles/St. Louis was their quest to find Kurt Warner’s replacement. They finally feel they found that answer in-state, drafting Jared Goff after a trade for the rifle-armed passer. The front office then used four of their next five selection to add weapons to the receiving corps for their new signal caller. Still, all that attention led to two glaring omissions – help for both lines.

[RELATED – Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams]

Goff is expected to be brought along slowly this year and based on his exhibition performances to date, it seems like a wise idea to have him observe, rather than being thrown to the wolves. The Rams offensive line is mediocre, if even that, and will be breaking in two new guards this season, along with trying to figure out the tight end and wide receiver crowd. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft may prove to be a solid quarterback down the line, but you won’t see him listed as an “Impact Rookie.” In fact, there’s only one member of the Rams rookie class that we can envision making a mark this year.

Fourth Round – Tyler Higbee, TE (Western Kentucky, No. 110 overall)

At one point this summer, Higbee was running with the first team and it looked like he might be Los Angeles’ primary tight end. Instead, Higbee is No. 2 on the TE depth chart behind Lance Kendricks. In the Rams’ season opener, Higbee caught one pass for two yards. That’s hardly superstar production, but he did draw four targets while Kendricks saw only three. "<strong

If the Rams can figure out their offensive line issues, then Higbee could have a chance to break out a bit in his frosh campaign. There is no doubt that Higbee is an NFL caliber tight end. The big question is – will he mature enough to stay out of trouble off the field?

For a tight end, Higbee displays good quickness and timed speed. He has above average agility, flexibility, and burst and displays the ability to adjust on the run. The WKU product stays on his feet with good balance, flexibility and change of direction agility. He makes good adjustments on the run, doing a nice job of spotting coverage while running routes. He has the speed to get open after the catch and shows good hustle getting out on the edge to cut block.

Higbee might not be bulky, but he does not step away from b fourthlocking assignments down field. He needs to be more physical in his in-line blocking approach, though. He is a well-coordinated athlete with good speed and quick feet for his position. He shows good balance in his routes and has enough speed to threaten the defenses on deep patterns, but is more comfortable on controlled routes. Higbee runs with a normal stride and builds quickly to top speed. He is not really explosive, but has the balance and body control to make proper adjustments on the move.

Higbee has soft hands and is very good with hand placement on the ball. He will catch in his hands, extend and pluck outside the framework and look natural doing both. The thing you notice on film is his ball concentration skills. Once he gets the ball within his grasp, it will result in a clean catch. When in stride, he catches the ball smoothly, showing the hand/eye coordination to make proper body adjustments and will extend some to catch out of the body’s framework.

As a fourth-round pick, Higbee may make some GMs regret passing him up. But, he’ll need the offense around him to get it together.

Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams

September 12th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams had the top pick in this past year’s draft. They added a number of veteran defensive free agents. They signed their top wideout to a lucrative extension.

Still, despite all of these headlines, the biggest “move” by the Rams was their relocation to Los Angeles. After 20 years (and a Super Bowl championship) in St. Louis, the organization is returning to the City of Angels.

Following a 2015 season that featured a 7-9 record and plenty of promise from Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley, the assumption would be that the team would take another step forward in 2016. The Rams will undoubtedly be in a bigger spotlight, but did the front office do enough to bring a contender to Los Angeles?

Notable signings:

The Rams were clearly encouraged by their step forward in 2015, so the front office spent their offseason re-signing many of their key free agents.

"<strongMark Barron, a former first-round pick, may be the most notable signing. After having revived his career in St. Louis last season, the 26-year-old inked a five-year contract to remain with the organization. Barron set career-highs in tackles (76) and forced fumbles (three) in 2015, and he’ll presumably remain as the team’s starting outside linebacker, providing some experience to a youthful unit.

Cornerback Trumaine Johnson will also remain with the team. The 26-year-old ultimately accepted his franchise tender, keeping him in Los Angeles for at least one more season. The starting cornerback had his most productive season in 2015, establishing career-highs in tackles (58), interceptions (seven), and passes defended (17). The defensive back will be joined by Coty Sensabaugh, who joined the Rams this offseason following four seasons with the Titans. The 27-year-old started 15 games last season, compiling 42 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

Elsewhere on defense, defensive lineman William Hayes will be sticking around for three more seasons. The 31-year-old has split his eight-year career between the Titans and Rams, and the veteran finished with at least four sacks in each of his four seasons in St. Louis. Veteran lineman Eugene Sims will also be returning to the organization, and the front office brought in a former first-rounder in lineman Dominique Easley to round out the defensive line.

On the other side of the ball, the team’s big re-signing was center Tim Barnes, who has appeared in 61 of a possible 64 games since going undrafted in 2012. The 28-year-old "<strongshould be the veteran leader of the Rams’ offensive line, as the other four starters are all 24-years-old or younger.

Barnes will be blocking for quarterback Case Keenum, who signed his restricted free agent tender with the squad. The 28-year-old has 15 career starts through four NFL seasons, and the coaching staff felt comfortable making the journeyman their starter, even over first-overall pick Jared Goff. In five games last season, Keenum completed 61-percent of his passes for 828 yards, four scores, and one interception.

The organization held on to wideout Brian Quick, who has yet to breakout after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 27-year-old had his least productive season in 2015, hauling in only 10 catches for 102 yards. The Rams also retained a pair of running backs in Benny Cunningham and Chase Reynolds.

Continue reading about the Rams’ offseason…

Read more

PFR Originals: 9/4/16 – 9/11/16

September 11th, 2016 at 3:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

  • After Tim Tebow signed with the New York Mets in order to pursue his dream of a baseball career, Zach Links joined the ensuing conference call with Tebow and Mets general manager Sandy Alderson. Alderson, for his part, emphasized that signing Tebow was not a public relations move, while Tebow revealed that he’s actually been interested in trying out baseball for more than year.
  • The PFR staff made its predictions for the 2016 season, projecting postseason teams, Super Bowl winners, and individual awards. The Cardinals, Seahawks, Panthers, and Patriots are among the favorites to win the championship in our opinion, while many of our writers think that Aaron Rodgers can return to form and capture the MVP crown.
  • PFR has continued to look back at the offseasons for all 32 clubs, examining the major signings, departures, trades, and other notable offseason events for each team. We covered two clubs over the past week:
  • Zach rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.

Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

September 8th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

"<strong

The defending NFC champion Panthers were in the midst of a quiet offseason until general manager Dave Gettleman made the shocking decision in late April to remove the franchise tag from star cornerback Josh Norman, with whom long-term contract talks weren’t progressing. The 28-year-old offered to sign his franchise tender for 2016, but the Panthers had already filed the paperwork to rescind it, thereby allowing Norman to hit the open market and quickly ink a massive deal with Washington.

With most worthwhile free agents off the board by the time Carolina waved goodbye to Norman, the club wasn’t able to make any notable veteran additions to replace him. As a result, the Cam Newton-led Panthers are left to hope a group of less established corners will step up in the wake of Norman’s departure and help them reach even greater heights than they did last season.

Notable signings:

"<strong

It looked as though defensive end Charles Johnson would precede Norman’s exit when the Panthers released him March 3, but the gamble to ax Johnson in a cost-cutting move ultimately paid off for the club. In releasing Johnson and re-signing him less than a week later on a cheap pact, the Panthers saved $8MM. Johnson, who reportedly turned down more money from other teams, missed seven of 15-1 Carolina’s regular-season games in 2015 and finished with his fewest sacks (one) since his rookie season in 2007, but he did bounce back to take down the opposing quarterback in each of the team’s three playoff contests. Johnson, 30, has 63.5 sacks during his nine-year Panthers career – including anywhere from 8.5 to 11.5 in each season from 2010-14.

Joining Johnson along the Panthers’ defensive line is newcomer Paul Soliai, who is continuing in the NFC South after spending the previous two years with the Falcons. Atlanta released Soliai both because of a high cap hit and an inability to fit into head coach Dan Quinn‘s defense. The 6-foot-4, 345-pounder saw his snaps decrease from 502 in 2014 to 357 last season, Quinn’s first year on the job, but the Panthers are betting he’ll fare well in their system and replace the released Dwan Edwards as durable run-stuffing depth behind Star Lotulelei. Soliai, a nine-year veteran and one-time Pro Bowler, has appeared in no fewer than 14 games in eight straight seasons.

"<strong

Offensively, both fullback Mike Tolbert and right tackle Mike Remmers inked modest deals to remain in Carolina. As an unrestricted free agent, there was more danger in losing Tolbert, a two-time Pro Bowler who has managed to remain relevant as fullback usage across the NFL has dwindled. The Panthers deployed Tolbert on over 38 percent of their offensive snaps last year, and the 5-9, 250-pounder picked up 454 total yards and four scores on 80 touches (62 rushing, 18 receiving). Tolbert should once again complement Newton and Jonathan Stewart as a useful part of the Panthers’ run-based attack this season.

Remmers, who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2012, made just one combined appearance with the Buccaneers and Chargers in his first two years before heading to Carolina in 2014. He logged five appearances, all starts, that year and then started each of the Panthers’ games last season. Remmers had an ugly showing in the Panthers’ Super Bowl 50 loss to Von Miller and the Broncos, but he partook in all 1,102 of their snaps during the regular season and graded a solid 39th among Pro Football Focus’ 77 qualified tackles. Carolina then retained Remmers, a restricted free agent, with a second-round tender ($2.553MM).

Read more

Pro Football Rumors’ 2016 NFL Predictions

September 8th, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The 2016 NFL season gets underway tonight, and the writers at Pro Football Rumors have weighed in with projections for the upcoming year. We’ve predicted which teams will earn playoff berths, which clubs will win their respective conferences, the Super Bowl champion, and the winners of the league’s major awards.

Can the Vikings repeat as NFC North champions under the guidance of Sam Bradford? No one at PFR seems to think so as all six of us picked the Packers to regain the divisional crown. There was also a clean sweep for last year’s NFC champs as Panthers are predicted by all to win the NFC South. Looking for some gutsier predictions? I personally have the Jets winning the AFC East and several perennial contenders out of the playoff picture entirely.

Click on the link below to see forecasts from Zach Links, Connor Byrne, Ben Levine, Rory Parks, Dallas Robinson, and Sam Robinson. And please head to the comments section to chime in with your own prognostications for the 2016 NFL season!

Pro Football Rumors’ 2016 Writer Predictions

Tim Tebow, Mets GM On Minor League Signing

September 8th, 2016 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

When Tim Tebow was last in the New York market, he was under center for the New York Jets. While the former University of Florida standout sold a whole bunch of No. 15 jerseys, he didn’t make a lot of plays for Gang Green and 2012 wound up being the last time Tebow was on an NFL regular season roster. After trying his luck with the Patriots and Eagles, Tebow turned his attention to broadcasting. After years of putting his charm, looks, and celebrity status to use on television, he is returning to professional sports in New York. This time, he’s trying to make it with the Mets organization as an outfielder. Tim Tebow (vertical)

Tebow, 29, has not played baseball full time in more than a decade. In his recent audition for major league clubs, he reportedly struggled to hit off-speed pitches from former big-leaguers David Aardsma and Chad Smith. One scout told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that Tebow showed a below-average 40 grade arm on the 20-80 scouts scale – a reminder of why Tebow was never able to make it as a quarterback on the professional level. Even though he showed “undeniable hitting ability” in the view of Crasnick, one has to wonder how far Tebow can get given his age, rust, and athletic limitations.

Count Mets GM Sandy Alderson among those with faith in the polarizing athlete. Alderson told reporters on a conference call today that Tebow is not being brought in as a ploy to sell merchandise. While he recognizes that Tebow faces an uphill battle in many respects, the GM says that the Mets could not pass on “a tremendous opportunity for us to associate with excellence.”

“He has demonstrated through his personality a competitiveness that our players can see first hand,” said Alderson, who pointed to pitcher Seth Lugo and minor league standout T.J. Rivera as players who have come from obscurity to find success in the Mets organization. “I think any player evaluation starts with tools and from that standpoint, without grading everything out, suffice it to say that Tim has been a great athlete. He has demonstrated more than rudimentary baseball skills and we think with his commitment to success that this is an opportunity that we think is worthwhile. In terms of power, arm, foot speed, all of those things….we think he can be a baseball player. I think that is underscored by his competitiveness and his determination to succeed and improve.”

Alderson indicated that the Mets will be patient with Tebow as he refused to put a timeline on when the former Heisman Trophy winner could potentially reach the majors. The Mets will find out how ready Tebow is “over the next weeks, months, and possibly years,” though Alderson explained that he will be absent from his Instructional League commitments for “a few days each week” so that he can fulfill his TV obligations with the SEC Network.

So, why baseball and why now? Tebow explained that walking away from baseball was the “second hardest decision” he ever had to make and, in fact, he planned on making this switch more than a year ago.

“[Then Eagles coach] Chip Kelly called in the middle of baseball training and, to me, that wasn’t just any opportunity. I figured Coach Kelly’s offense might fit me really well. But, we all know how that turned out,” said Tebow with a self-deprecating laugh. “After that, I started doing a little [baseball] training. Then, after the season, I really picked it up and now we’re here.”

Tebow explained that as he traveled the country doing speaking engagements over the last few years, the itch to play baseball would move him to call up a local team and take batting practice with them. For UFC fans, this may be reminiscent of pro wrestler-turned-real fighter C.M. Punk telling the world that he has trained for MMA with the occasional jiu-jitsu class and a “background” in Kenpo karate. But, in both cases, one can’t help but be impressed by the athlete’s positive attitude, competitive drive, and willingness to take a monumental risk in a brand new endeavor. Punk does not speak of winning the welterweight title from Tyron Woodley and Tebow isn’t telling the world that he is an All-Star in the making. For Tebow, this is about pursuing a dream – perhaps a little late in his athletic life – and making sure that he does not wake up one day as a 50-year-old baseball fan with enormous regret.

“For me, I would consider success giving everything I have,” Tebow said. “That would be looking back on this journey and saying I did everything I could do to be the best I could be. I don’t necessarily view success as how many rings, championships, or promotions you get. I view it as whether I did everything I possibly could do to succeed.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Washington Redskins

September 6th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins entered their second offseason under general manager Scot McCloughan, and while the club has shown an interest in developing a draft-based approach — as opposed to targeting high-priced free agents — Washington had to deal with the impending free agency of its franchise quarterback, and weigh a pursuit of a veteran defensive back who unexpectedly hit the open market.

Notable signings:

The Redskins didn’t wade very deeply into the free agent waters, choosing to spend their money at lower end of the market. However, the club did make two exceptions to that strategy, and each was its own unique situation. The first was on offense, where Washington retained its quarterback — fifth-year pro Kirk Cousins — via the franchise tag after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal.Kirk Cousins (Vertical)

It’s not surprising that that Cousins and the Redskins couldn’t come to a middle ground on his value given that he only has one full season of starting experience (and only one half-season of exceptional play). Washington was reportedly offering an extension that contained $24MM in guarantees and a $16MM per year salary, but given that the franchise tag will pay Cousins nearly $20MM in 2016 alone, he had no reason to accept such a proposal.

Both the club and Cousins seem content with the idea of him playing out the year under the tag, and the issue will clearly be revisited next offseason. If the Redskins want to place the franchise tender on Cousins again in 2017, they’d have to be willing to pay him almost $24MM (120% the value of the 2016 tag). But the more likely scenario — if Cousins plays well once again — entails the two parties coming to terms on an extension.

While Cousins is only locked up for one season, Washington signed cornerback Josh Norman for the next five years, agreeing to a $75MM contract with the All Pro after the Panthers rescinded the franchise tag. Josh NormanThe deal contains $36.5MM in full guarantees, but nearly 60% of that total comes in the form of guaranteed 2016 and 2017 base salaries. As such, the Redskins could conceivably exit the deal after two seasons without much dead money being left on the cap.

If Norman continues his current level of play, of course, Washington won’t have any reason to get out of the contract. Norman, 28, enjoyed a career-year in 2015 as he was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl. He produced career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18), and was well-regarded by advanced metrics as well, finishing as the league’s 12th-best corner by Pro Football Focus’ grades.

Norman wasn’t the only addition the Redskins made to their secondary, as the club also agreed to terms with former Broncos safety David Bruton. Nearly 30 years old, Bruton has never been a full-time starter during his NFL career, David Bruton (vertical)but he’ll get that opportunity now opposite DeAngelo Hall. Denver played a bunch of three-safety looks last year, so Bruton did see action on more than 40% of snaps in 2015. Meanwhile, Will Blackmon, Greg Toler, and Duke Ihenacho will all vie for rotational snaps in the defensive backfield while adding value on special teams.

Washington also made several cheap signings along the front seven, and two of them — defensive lineman Ziggy Hood ($20K guaranteed) and Kedric Golston (no guaranteed money) — are listed as starters on the club’s official depth chart that was released today. Along with fellow new addition Kendall Reyes and holdovers Ricky Jean-Francois and Anthony Lanier, the Redskins figure to rotate their defensive lineman quite a bit in order to keep everyone fresh.

Two re-signings that didn’t make much sense were tight end Vernon Davis and linebacker Mason Foster. Davis, 32, has a familiarity with McCloughan from the pair’s time in San Francisco, but the veteran tight end looked completely lost with both the 49ers and Broncos last season. Clearly, he won’t be asked to be a No. 1 option with Jordan Reed in tow, but $1.1MM in guarantees is not an insignificant amount of money. Foster, meanwhile, wasn’t very effective after being signed last September, and other free agent options such as Craig Robertson or Zach Brown could have been more cost-effective moves.

Continue reading about the Redskins’ offseason…

Read more

Impact Rookies: Arizona Cardinals

September 1st, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?

To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.

First Round – Robert Nkemdiche, DT (Mississippi State, No. 29 overall)

The NFL Draft Report casts a wary eye on the Cardinals’ first round selection. In sort of a déjà vu’ for the staff, could this Ole Miss prospect pull a “Honey Badger” and see the error of his ways off the football field, or are we again seeing a remake of the Demetrius Underwood situation, where a talented player simply self-destructs in life? We are very cautiously including him in this article, because it’s hard to cast the troubled Nkemdiche as an “impact player,” despite his talent. Robert Nkemdiche (Vertical)

[RELATED – Click here to read our in-depth recap of the Cardinals’ offseason] 

Currently, Nkemdiche is slated to be one of the first defensive ends off of the bench in relief of Chandler Jones and Calais Campbell. The Cardinals say they want to extend Campbell, but that could be a tall order as they also have to carve out a monster deal to retain Jones. If all works out with Nkemdiche, he can serve as insurance against Campbell going elsewhere in free agency.

Nkemdiche has Ndamukong Suh-like athletic ability, but his problems occur when he seems to throttle down more than he plays with intensity. His occasional “let-ups” on the field became much more noticeable this year and he did seem to be more concerned about his running back duties than he did in giving pursuit as a defender. The Ole Miss defender made only two long distance tackles this year, despite having valid lateral agility and burst to give proper chase. When his head is in the game, Nkemdiche demonstrates the ability to easily take plays from the chalkboard to the field.

He needs minimal reps to retain and evident by the fact that he has started every game during his career, he has a good feel for blocking schemes and the vision to locate the ball in a hurry. He understands his assignments and his feel for the ball is above average, but his woeful inconsistency and attention to detail can be maddening, at times. He is not the type who will make an effort on every play to get to the ball and there are more than a few times where he is caught out of position due to a mental error.

Nkemdiche is a hard worker in the weight room, but is the type that needs to be pushed to get the best effort out of him. He has the ability to be a self-starter and he is a good field leader who lets his actions speak louder than his words, but his inconsistency has now become an issue. He is compliant to the coach’s wishes and plays with good intensity and effort when he performs to his ability, but he runs too hot-and-cold to be strongly considered a football player on par with his athleticism.

Ultimately, on the field, we believe that Nkemdiche has a lot to offer. How he performs at the next level, however, will hinge largely on his own head.

Read more

Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

August 30th, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

After one of the busiest offseasons in the NFL, the Titans are looking to take one major step forward in their rebuilding process.

Notable signings:

There was lots of activity in Tennessee over these last few months, but relatively little happening on the free agent market. One notable move they did make was the signing of center Ben Jones, which strengthened their interior line while hurting the rival Texans. Given the season-ending injury suffered by presumptive starter Nick Martin, the loss of Jones will sting extra hard in Houston. Ben Jones (Vertical)

Jones, 26, was with the Texans since 2012, when he entered the league as a fourth-round pick out of Georgia. He became Houston’s full-time starter in 2014, and he’s started all 32 games since. Jones posted solid marks from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the No. 18 center in the league last season, noting that he was better in the pass game than as a run-blocker.

Early on in free agency, the Titans re-signed defensive tackle Al Woods to a three-year pact. Woods, who recently turned 29, picked up 22 tackles in 14 games (nine starts) for the Titans in 2015. With fellow nose tackle Sammie Lee Hill recovering from a knee injury to open the season, Woods saw most of the playing time at the position, earning 362 defensive snaps to Hill’s 190 for the season. While Pro Football Focus ranked Woods just 88th out of 123 interior defenders, PFF gave him a solid grade as a run defender, and he was primarily used on early downs. At the time of his new deal, it looked like Woods would be slotted in as the team’s starting nose tackle. However, the Titans found their new starter in the draft (more on that later).

Rishard MatthewsWide receiver Rishard Matthews was a pleasant surprise for Dolphins fans and fantasy owners alike in 2015. In 11 contests last season, Matthews totaled 662 yards and averaged 15.4 per reception as the Fins’ downfield complement to Jarvis Landry. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury later in the season ended his breakout campaign prematurely. That bad break also may have capped his free agent market somewhat. Ultimately, the Titans were able to sign Matthews to a three-year deal with a paltry $2.5MM guaranteed. After Dorial Green-Beckham was jettisoned to Philly, Matthews probably now stands as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.

Matthews isn’t the only Miami import as the Titans also signed cornerback Brice McCain. McCain started 10 games and played 735 defensive snaps for the Dolphins in 2015, picking up an interception to go along with 39 tackles. However, the Dolphins decided to cut him this year in order to save $2.5MM against the cap. Despite making 10 starts for Miami last year, he’ll play a reserve role this year behind starters Jason McCourty and Perrish Cox.

The Titans reportedly made quarterback Matt Cassel a priority in free agency as they wanted to shore up the quarterback position behind Marcus Mariota. Evidently, the Cassel signing was made so that the Titans could move on from Zach Mettenberger later on in the offseason.

Read more

Load More Posts