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Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

August 17th, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

This past offseason brought far less upheaval to San Francisco than last year’s, but it certainly wasn’t a smooth winter for the 49ers. After racking up a paltry five wins en route to a last-place NFC West finish in 2015, the 49ers made a coaching change for a second straight year. Once the 49ers tabbed Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula on the sidelines, acrimony between them and their erstwhile franchise quarterback led to months of speculation about a possible trade.

The Niners came close to sending Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos, but talks fell through after the 28-year-old refused a pay cut to join the reigning Super Bowl champions. As a result, the 49ers have a potential backup signal-caller with an $11.9MM base salary on their hands. While Kaepernick entered the summer set to compete with ex-Jaguars bust Blaine Gabbert for the starting job, a “dead arm” has recently kept the former from vying for the position. General manager Trent Baalke downplayed that Wednesday, however, and added that Kaepernick could begin ramping up activities Thursday. Regardless of whether Kaepernick or Gabbert ultimately wins the job, San Francisco looks like a strong bet to finish at the bottom of its division for the second consecutive season.

Notable signings:

Garrett Celek, TE: Four years, $10.2MM. $3.5MM guaranteed.
Phil Dawson, K: One year, $3.143MM. Fully guaranteed.
Zane Beadles, G: Three years, $9.75MM. $2.8MM guaranteed. $500K available via incentives.
Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL: One year, $1MM. $25K guaranteed.
Shaun Draughn, RB: One year, $860K. $25K guaranteed.
Christian Ponder, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Ian Williams, DL: One year, $3MM. $2MM available via incentives.
Michael Wilhoite, LB: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
Kendall Gaskins, RB: Two years, $1.14MM.
Ray-Ray Armstrong, LB: One year, $700K.
Thaddeus Lewis, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.

The 49ers entered the offseason with a whopping $62MM in cap space, but Baalke elected against indulging in any kind of a spending spree. His biggest outside expenditure during free agency was guard Zane Beadles, a former Bronco and Jaguar who has impressively logged five 16-start seasons in a row. Beadles made the Pro Bowl back in 2012, though the 29-year-old hasn’t been nearly as effective lately. In fact, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Beadles 64th out of 81 qualified guards in overall performance last season, and the Jags subsequently released him. Nevertheless, for a rebuilding team like the 49ers, investing modestly ($2.8MM guaranteed over three years) in a durable veteran was a reasonable path to take. They did the same in retaining a handful of in-house veterans, with nose tackle Ian Williams, tight end Garrett Celek, and kicker Phil Dawson serving as the most prominent members of the group.

Unfortunately, an ankle injury that Williams suffered during the offseason has ruined his 2016. The 305-pounder initially agreed to a five-year contract worth more than $25MM to stay in the Bay Area, but the 49ers nixed that over concerns about how quickly he’d recover from multiple ankle surgeries. Thus, despite grading as PFF’s 18th-best interior lineman and one of its premier 3-4 nose tackles last season, Williams had to settle for a one-year, $3MM pact. But it turns out Williams’ ankle will keep him from playing at all this year, as the 49ers placed him on season-ending injured reserve last month.

Even with Williams around, the 49ers likely weren’t going to push for a playoff spot. However, Williams’ injury is still a blow to him and the team, which signed the former Notre Dame defender as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and has since helped develop into a terrific pro. With Williams out of the picture, the 49ers are especially thin at nose tackle (depth chart), where Mike Purcell and $1MM signing Tony Jerod-Eddie – a fifth-year Niner – look primed to see most of the action.

Continue reading about the 49ers’ offseason…

Celek, 28, joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and finally got somewhat involved in their passing game last season. After combining for eight catches, 13 targets, 142 yards and no touchdowns during his first three seasons, Celek totaled 19 receptions, 28 targets, 186 yards and three scores in 2015. That encouraged the Niners enough to give the former blocking-only option a four-year, $10.2MM deal with $3.5MM in guarantees. It’s dubious whether Celek will continue the mild ascent he experienced in the 49ers’ offense in 2015, though, as he’s competing with Vance McDonald for a starting position and Kelly only deployed two-tight end sets 25.8 percent of the time in Philadelphia last season, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. That’s a significant drop from the 44 percent rate of two-TE sets the 49ers utilized under Tomsula and his offensive coordinator, Geep Chryst.

Dawson, now in his age-41 season and second in San Francisco, didn’t show any obvious signs of decline last year. The 17-year veteran hit an impressive 24 of 27 field goals, good for the 10th-best success rate in the league (88.9 percent). He also connected on all three of his attempts over 50 yards and nailed 20 of 21 extra points (the miss was blocked). Dawson hasn’t converted worse than 80 percent of his field goal tries since 2006, when he made only 72.4 percent of attempts as a member of the Browns, so it appears San Francisco was wise to bring him back for just over $3.1MM.

Notable losses:

At least in terms of career accomplishments, Anquan Boldin‘s loss is easily the 49ers’ biggest. Boldin combined for 237 receptions, 3,030 yards and 16 TDs during his three-year tenure with the club. While his numbers clearly declined last year at the age of 35, Boldin still paced the Niners in yards (789) and TDs (four, tied with Torrey Smith), and more than doubled their second-leading receiver, Smith, in catches (69 to 33).

Boldin’s production won’t be easy to replace, then, though it should lead to more targets for Smith, whose first season with the 49ers was a disappointment. The former Raven inked a five-year, $40MM deal last winter and proceeded to amass the fewest receptions, targets (61), yards (663) and scores (four, tied with his 2013 total) of his five-year career. On the bright side, Smith’s streak of 16-game seasons continued and the big-play threat kept up his field-stretching ways in notching a career-high, league-leading 20.1 yards per catch.

Now that Boldin is in Detroit, Smith should be the obvious go-to option in the 49ers’ passing attack. Aside from him, it looks as though San Francisco’s top choices at wideout will be a trio of uninspiring fourth-round picks from 2013-15 – Quinton Patton (36 catches in 26 games), Bruce Ellington (19 receptions in 26 contests) and the banged-up DeAndre Smelter (zero experience). The 49ers had a potential 2016 breakout candidate in the 25-year-old Eric Rogers, a former CFL star whom half the league pursued last winter before he signed with San Francisco. But Rogers tore his ACL earlier this month and will miss the season, forcing the Niners to wait another year to evaluate him.

Guard Alex Boone left the 49ers after seven years with the organization for a sizable payday in Minnesota, making him the only Niners departure who earned big money elsewhere. Boone was a longtime stalwart at both guard spots in San Francisco, where he started in 59 of 60 regular-season appearances from 2012-15. One of Beadles or first-round rookie Joshua Garnett (more on him later) is likely to replace Boone on the left side this year, while either of those two or Andrew Tiller could grab the reins on the right. That position is there for Beadles, Garnett or Tiller because the 49ers waived Jordan Devey, who made nine less-than-stellar starts last year and is now a member of the Chiefs.

The 49ers lost a pair of backfield members, longtime pro Reggie Bush and Jarryd Hayne, the latter of whom retired. Hayne, who emigrated from Australia last year, tried to make his mark in the NFL after a successful rugby career. It wasn’t to be, though, as Hayne made a limited impact as a rusher and return man in eight games with San Francisco. Hayne perhaps could have pushed for a spot on the roster again this season, but the 28-year-old decided to go back to his homeland and return to rugby (which seems to be going well).

Bush, meanwhile, surprisingly made less of a dent in the Bay Area than Hayne did. While the hope when the 49ers signed Bush was that he’d continue his work as a capable dual threat and give Kaepernick a backfield weapon in the passing game, he wasn’t able to do that during a truncated campaign. Before tearing his ACL in St. Louis on Nov. 1, the former Heisman Trophy winner at USC picked up just 12 touches (eight rushes, four receptions) and 47 yards in parts of five games. Thanks to a combination of his injury, career-worst showing and age (31), the 49ers chose not to re-sign the Bush.

Trades:

Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 28) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 249) from the Chiefs in exchange from a 2016 second-round pick (No. 37), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 105), and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 178).

Draft picks:

1-7: DeForest Buckner, DL (Oregon)
1-28: Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)
3-68: Will Redmond, DB (Mississippi State)
4-133: Rashard Robinson, CB (LSU)
5-142: Ronald Blair, DE (Appalachian State)
5-145: John Theus, T (Georgia)
5-174: Fahn Cooper, OL (Ole Miss)
6-207: Jeff Driskel, QB (Louisiana Tech)
6-211: Kelvin Taylor, RB (Florida)
6-213: Aaron Burbridge, WR (Michigan State)
7-249: Prince Charles Iworah, DB (Western Kentucky)

For the second straight year, the 49ers chose a former Oregon defensive lineman with their top draft pick. Incidentally, Kelly was the former head coach at Oregon, where he recruited both 2015 first-rounder Arik Armstead and this year’s seventh overall selection, DeForest Buckner, to the Ducks. The pre-Kelly 49ers brought Armstead along slowly as a rookie, giving him zero starts and using him in 32.9 percent of defensive snaps. It appears the club will take a different approach with Buckner, who showed enough early in training camp to earn a No. 1 role and a solid chunk of first-half playing time in the 49ers’ preseason opener against Houston on Sunday.

Kelly likes what Buckner has provided, saying Sunday, “I thought DeForest has had a really good camp so far and I thought he did some really good things (Sunday). There’s still some things I think he needs to clean up, but he’s obviously pushing to get a lot of playing time right now.”

Buckner garnered extensive experience during his four seasons at Oregon, but he truly shined in 2015. After accumulating 67 quarterback pressures, 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, Buckner earned Pac-12 defensive player of the year honors. Moreover, PFF’s Sam Monson wrote prior to the draft that Buckner might have been the most productive player in all of college football in 2015. If Buckner makes a seamless transition to the pros, he’ll greatly aid a 49ers team that finished 29th in both total defense and sacks last season.

With pass-rushing linebacker Aaron Lynch out for the first quarter of the season because of a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, the Niners will need Buckner to hit the ground running. Lynch recorded 12.5 sacks during his first two years and finished 10th in the league last season in hurries (28).

The 49ers stayed in the Pac-12 with their second pick, Garnett, though they had to pay a high price to move back into the first round to land the ex-Stanford guard. In trading the 37th, 105th and 128th picks to Kansas City for No. 28, the 49ers surrendered 136 cents on the dollar, according to Chase Stuart of FiveThirtyEight. It was a questionable move, but the fact that the 49ers will be able to control Garnett for five years (it would’ve been four for any prospect they’d have chosen at No. 37) likely made the deal easier to make for the organization. Garnett was an accomplished blocker at Stanford, where he won the Outland Trophy – which is given annually to the best interior offensive lineman in the nation – and earned consensus All-America honors last year.

Opposing offenses torched the 49ers through the air last season, evidenced by their defense’s 30th-place DVOA against the pass. Further, quarterbacks put up a 98.1 rating (25th worst in the league), averaged 8.0 yards per attempt (30th) and threw just nine interceptions (tied for 26th) against San Francisco. With that in mind, the 49ers turned to their secondary with their third- and fourth-round picks. The first of those selections, ex-Mississippi State cornerback Will Redmond, is still recovering from the torn ACL that ended his college career last October. However, Redmond – whom Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com said might have been a first-rounder if healthy – has looked good during his time with the 49ers and could be their answer at nickel corner this year, Barrows wrote earlier this week.

Blackmon is familiar with fourth-round corner Rashard Robinson from their time in the SEC. Robinson went to LSU, where he dealt with suspensions for a failed drug test and academic issues before the team dismissed him last summer after an arrest for unauthorized entry into quarterback Anthony Jennings’ apartment. Nevertheless, the 49ers felt the troubled 21-year-old’s upside was worth the gamble. Mark Dulgerian of NFL.com regarded the 6-foot-1, 177-pounder as a potential top 40 pick based on talent, but his off-field woes dropped him to the 133rd choice.

Extensions and Restructures:

NaVorro Bowman, LB: Extended through 2022. Four years, $44MM. $20MM guaranteed.
Quinton Dial, DL: Extended through 2019. Three years, $12MM. $3.902MM guaranteed. $1.5 available via escalators.
Joe Staley, T: Restructured contract in a procedural move that did not change the club’s cap or cash outlook.

San Francisco locked up two members of its front seven, linebacker NaVorro Bowman and lineman Quinton Dial, to extensions in recent months. Bowman, the more notable and accomplished of the pair, is now under 49ers control through the 2022 campaign. The move to extend Bowman, thereby adding $44MM total and $20MM in guarantees to his previous deal, surprised because he still had three years remaining on his contract at the time. At $67.5MM, Bowman now leads all inside linebackers in overall contract value.

It’s remarkable that Bowman, 28, was even in position to receive an extension after suffering a devastating knee injury in January 2014. Back then, Bowman tore both his ACL and MCL in the 49ers’ NFC title game loss to Seattle, leading to questions as to whether he’d ever be an effective player again. Prior to the injury, Bowman was an elite performer with three straight first-team All-Pro seasons on his resume. Bowman missed all of 2014 while recovering, but he returned with a vengeance last season to make 16 starts, pile up a league-high 154 tackles on 1,101 snaps (first among Niners linebackers by 305) and once again nab first-team All-Pro honors.

PFF wasn’t particularly bullish on Bowman’s output, though, ranking him a so-so 51st among 97 qualified linebackers and assigning him a miserable grade in pass coverage. Still, Bowman’s comeback last season was a positive development for the 49ers in a season with few of those, and he’s now the long-term heart-and-soul leader of their defense – a role which Patrick Willis filled with aplomb before retiring last year.

Dial, meanwhile, took on full-time work for the first time in 2015, starting in each of his 15 appearances. Along the way, the 2013 fifth-round pick established new career marks in tackles (59), sacks (2.5) and defensive snaps (662), and PFF ranked his play a middle-of-the-pack 62nd among 123 qualified interior defensive linemen. The 49ers leaned heavily last year on Dial, who was second among their D-linemen in snaps (only Williams had more), and he’ll continue to give them a palatable option at a reasonable cost.

Other:

Hired Chip Kelly as head coach to replace Jim Tomsula.
Hired Curtis Modkins as offensive coordinator to replace Geep Chryst.
Hired Jim O’Neil as defensive coordinator to replace Eric Mangini.
Hired Derius Swinton as special teams coordinator to replace Thomas McGaughey.
Hired Al Guido as team president to replace Paraag Marathe, who was named the club’s chief strategy officer and executive VP of football operations.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for S Eric Reid ($5.676MM).
Learned OL Anthony Davis would come out of retirement.
Learned LB Aaron Lynch would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned QB Thaddeus Lewis would miss the 2016 season after tearing his ACL.
Learned DL Ian Williams would miss the 2016 season with an undisclosed injury.
Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Unsurprisingly, the doomed-to-fail Tomsula era was ephemeral. Tomsula had to follow the act of an elite head coach, former boss Jim Harbaugh, and the longtime defensive assistant was in over his head from the get-go. Plus, the deck was stacked against Tomsula immediately as a result of the 49ers taking so many shots to their roster before the season began. The departures of Willis, Chris Borland, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox ravaged a once-formidable defense, while offensive cornerstones Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis and Frank Gore also went in other directions. With those important contributors no longer around, the Tomsula-led Niners stumbled to their worst record since 2007 and suffered nine double-digit defeats.

As they searched for Tomsula’s replacement, the 49ers interviewed six candidates before hiring Kelly, who wasn’t out of work long after the Eagles fired him in December. The offensive-minded, unconventional Kelly fell one game short of lasting a full three seasons in Philadelphia, where he helped the club to a respectable 26-21 record, two 10-win showings, and a playoff appearance. Those are quality results on paper, but the wheels came off after Kelly took control of the Eagles’ roster last offseason. Once that happened, his first head coaching stint in the NFL began careening off a cliff.

Kelly wasn’t exactly a players’ coach in Philly, where there were accusations of racism and complaints about daily urine tests and his fast-paced offense, so the 49ers took a risk in awarding him a $24MM contract. Kelly has experienced plenty of success at the college and pro levels, though, and it’s possible he’ll get back on track now that he no longer has primary control over an NFL roster (that’s Baalke’s responsibility). Further, as an offensive guru who has extracted career seasons from mediocre-at-best QBs like Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford, there’s a chance he’ll be able to mold either Kaepernick or Gabbert into a usable starter. Kaepernick, of course, was among the league’s best dual-threat signal-callers just a couple years ago.

To help lead his coaching staff, Kelly hired Curtis Modkins and Jim O’Neil as his coordinators. Kelly, not Modkins, is the real offensive mastermind and gives the 49ers a much more credible play caller than Chryst.

O’Neil is the defensive successor to Eric Mangini, who was in a difficult position thanks to the aforementioned losses the 49ers had to deal with last offseason. Previously the D-coordinator with the Browns from 2014-15, O’Neil had his ups and downs in Cleveland. As a rookie coordinator, O’Neil’s group finished top 10 in both yards and points allowed. However, it plummeted toward the cellar last season, ranking just 27th and 29th in those two categories. Given Kelly’s uptempo offensive attack, O’Neil has his work cut out for him in San Francisco. In his three seasons with the Eagles, Kelly’s teams had to defend more plays than any other squad in the league.

One player O’Neil is likely to coach through at least next season is safety Eric Reid, whose 2017 fifth-year option the 49ers exercised in May. Reid, who has been a full-time starter for the Niners since they selected him 18th overall in 2013, is now slated to be on their books for upward of $5.6MM next year. Reid is coming off his first season without an interception, though PFF still ranked him an above-average 36th among 89 qualified safeties in overall performance. The 24-year-old picked off a combined seven passes during his first two seasons in the league. Four of those came as a rookie in 2013, Reid’s lone Pro Bowl campaign.

Joining Reid and the rest of the 49ers this year is right tackle Anthony Davis, another player in whom the 49ers previously invested a first-rounder. Davis, the 11th pick in 2010, started in all 71 of his pro appearances through 2014 and then took a hiatus from football last season. While Davis’ return this year was expected, he took his time applying for reinstatement to the league and even swiped at Baalke and the organization via social media before officially coming out of retirement last month.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old is now working to beat out Trent Brown for his old job. Brown, not Davis, ran with the No. 1s during the 49ers’ preseason opener. Interestingly, Davis is now 30 to 40 pounds lighter than he was in 2014, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, but it remains to be seen whether that will affect his performance.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,890,753
NaVorro Bowman, LB: $9,554,000
Joe Staley, T: $8,300,000
Ahmad Brooks, LB: $8,005,000
Torrey Smith, WR: $7,600,000
Antoine Bethea, S: $6,025,000
Ian Williams, DT: $4,000,000
Tramaine Brock, CB: $3,880,000
Erik Pears, T: $3,350,000
DeForest Buckner, DL: $3,307,453

The 49ers were neither competitive nor interesting last season. At the very least, they should be more compelling this year with Kelly at the helm. The roster isn’t going to remind anybody of the superb one the franchise had during the halcyon days of the Harbaugh era, however, so it’s unfair to expect many wins this season. Frankly, after doing so little during the offseason to address their dearth of talent, it’ll be surprising if the Kelly-led 49ers pick outside the top 10 in next year’s draft.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Beat: Terry McCormick On The Titans

August 17th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.

Now, we continue the series by discussing the Titans with Terry McCormick of the TitanInsider.com. You can follow Terry on Twitter @terrymc13.

Zach Links: After a strange year with the Eagles, do you think DeMarco Murray is poised to be an elite running back once again?

Terry McCormick: I don’t think he’ll get to the 1,800 yards that he got with the Cowboys two years ago because you have Derrick Henry in the mix, but I do think he’ll be an effective running back for the Titans, much more so than he was with the Eagles. He’ll be in a run based offense and will get plenty of opportunities to carry the football and that was evident from outset in the preseason game. The Titans want to run the football and want to run it often and he’ll be the lead back in that. He won’t put up numbers like he did in Dallas, but his numbers will rebound nicely. I’d look for him to finish the year with something between 1,100 and 1,400 yards.

Zach Links: The Titans signed Andre Johnson late last month. What can he bring to the table at this point in his career?

Terry McCormick: It’s obvious he’s not the Andre Johnson that he was five or six years ago with the Texans, but the trade of Dorial Green-Beckham opens up a spot for him on the roster. He brings not only veteran leadership to the table, but also brings what coach Mike Mularkey wants from his receivers: guys that will run the correct route and get there on time and catch the football. Part of the problem with [Green-Beckham] was that he was too inconsistent. Despite his vast physical skills, you couldn’t always rely on him to do those things. Johnson is a veteran presence and I could see him being the fourth receiver on the team. He definitely looks like he’ll make the roster.

Zach Links: What did you make of the Green-Beckham trade? Did you think the Titans should have tried to get more for him?

Continue reading about the Titans..

Terry McCormick: I think maybe they should have hung on to him and given him more time to figure things out. Guys with his skill set don’t come down the pike too often. But, in the minds of GM Jon Robinson and the coaches, they weren’t willing to wait on him to try and figure things out. They gave him a year and a half and, while he showed flashes of greatness, they didn’t happen often enough or consistently enough. He also tended to compound things with bad plays and what they got was a guy who had really high highs and really low lows. They weren’t willing to go forward with that.

I think they should have given him more time, but I understand why they gave up on him. It does seem like they gave him away for only a backup offensive lineman type (Dennis Kelly), but other teams saw the flaws that the Titans saw and that hurt his stock.

Zach Links: The Titans wound up at No. 8 overall in this year’s draft and selected Jack Conklin instead of fellow tackle Laremy Tunsil. Do you think Conklin will prove to be a wise pick?

Terry McCormick: I think Conklin was very good pick and they are very happy with what he’s done so far. He’s a rookie and he’ll have growing pains when he goes against J.J. Watt or Von Miller types, but when you look at everything with Tunsil form the bong video to the problems he’s had getting accelerated with the Dolphins, I don’t think they’ll regret one bit passing on Tunsil.

Zach Links: Will the Titans improve significantly in 2016? What record do you see them finishing with?

Terry McCormick: I think they’ll be much improved and more competitive. Anything can happen in the AFC South, which was one of the weakest divisions in the NFL last year. With that said, I see them finishing 6-10 or 7-9 while being competitive in most games. I’m not ready to say they’re ready to go to the playfofs, but I think if they can take a big leap forward, they’ll be in the playoff picture next year.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images and PFR on Instagram.

Impact Rookies: Minnesota Vikings

August 17th, 2016 at 12:20pm 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.

There hasn’t been much turnover in Minnesota as just two starting positions seem to be changing from the first unit that completed the 2015 season. That might not be a good thing on offense, where the Vikings ranked 31st in the league in passing yardage (183.0 ypg) and touchdown passes (14), even though Teddy Bridgewater did try to keep his passes out of the hands of the opposition, tying for the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL by tossing just nine interceptions.

With a well-fortified running game, led by Adrian Peterson, with solid understudies in Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, the Vikes rolled to the tune of 138.2 yards per game on the ground (fourth in the NFL), finding the end zone on eighteen of their carries. The front wall was an obvious problem for the team, failing to protect their young quarterback, tying for seventh-worst in the league by allowing 43 sacks in 2015.

The team shuffled bodies up front and also saw former right tackle Phil Loadbolt retire. Former 49ers guard Alex Boone takes over on the left side, with Brandon Fusco shifting to right guard. Fusco struggled last season, perhaps from the effects from a September concussion, but he has missed a good portion of camp this year, forcing projected starting center, the ever versatile Joe Berger, to slide over to right guard.

John Sullivan, who dealt with his own injury issues after 2014, takes over at center, with Berger at guard. Meanwhile, 2015 right tackle T.J. Clemmings appears heading for the bench with former Cincinnati first rounder Andre Smith taking over that position. Bridgewater could receive added blocking protection this season, if the coaches can figure a way to get 2016 strong-man, tight end David Morgan, more opportunities to be on the field.

Underrated fourth round left tackle, Western Michigan’s Willie Beavers is a work in progress, but intrigued the coaching staff at the Senior Bowl and will be given time to develop. However, if former 2012 first round pick Matt Kalil does not turn around the slide in his career, Beavers might have to be pressed into action before he is ready for prime time.

Morgan has been dominant throughout camp as a blocker, but after pulling in 45 passes last season at Texas-San Antonio, he’s hoping to prove to the staff that he is a valid three-down player. If they are convinced he is the total package, it could cut into 2015 fifth round Mycole Pruitt’s playing time behind starter Kyle Rudolph, who has had injury issues in the past.

Stefon Diggs proved to be a fifth round find at split end last season and his continued emergence makes 2013 first round bust, Cordarrelle Patterson, a possible roster casualty, if he does not start applying himself. The arrival of first round Ole Miss standout Laquon Treadwell, promises to take away most of Patterson’s chances to impress, as the rookie is likely to push Charles Johnson to the second unit at flanker before the year ends.

First Round – Laquon Treadwell, WR (Ole Miss, No. 23 overall)

Coming out of Crete-Monee (Ill.) High School, Treadwell was a highly sought-after five-star recruit who escaped the grasp of Big Ten Conference teams in his own backyard. He was the consensus top-rated receiver during his prep senior year after leading his team to the state title by catching 81 passes for 1,424 yards and sixteen touchdowns while playing all three receiver positions. He proved to be dangerous out of the backfield, scoring seven times on reverses and he showed why he had gained so much knowledge avoiding cornerbacks, as he also had defensive starting experience, posting 56 tackles with six interceptions in 2012.

Treadwell is an aggressive route runner, using his size and strength to power through arm tackles. He does a nice job of sinking his pads and changing direction working underneath and has that deceptive second gear to head north after catching the ball in the seam. He has loose hips to spin away from contact after the catch, but not enough to execute a pirouette and leave defenders grabbing at air. He is especially effective with his plant-and-drive on crossing and out routes. He has a good array of head fakes to sell the route and keeps his hands active to get to the ball on comebacks (see 2015 Memphis, LSU and Oklahoma State games). He has the eyes to see when the quarterback is in trouble, showing urgency coming back to help there. He is most effective when going for the ball on step back throws. He runs at a proper pad level and it is very rare to see him round some coming out of his breaks, as he has the footwork and balance to recover when trying to get in and out of his cuts.

This kid has exceptional hands, along with a large radius that allows him to go outside his framework to reach for the ball in stride. He has the ability to adjust and scoop up the low throws with ease. He has the hand strength to win battles with arm tackles or to defeat jam, showing nice “fire in his belly” to compete for extra yards after the catch. He is not the type that you will see double-catching or letting the ball absorb into his body, as he has great confidence in his large mitts to look the ball in.

Although he did not go as high in the draft as once anticipated, Treadwell can be a big difference maker for the Vikings right from the jump.

Continue reading about the Vikings’ rookie class..

Fourth Round – Willie Beavers, LT (Western Michigan, No. 121 overall)

Beavers really impressed scouts with his drive blocking ability at the 2016 Senior Bowl. Most had expected the WMU prospect to be overmatched versus the top-level competition, but the three-year starter at left tackle was more than up for the challenge. He has one of the traits scouts look for in a quality left tackle “dancing bear” feet – his ability to get in front of the edge rushers to stall forward progress.

Throughout his last three seasons, opponents have had to battle vs. a blocker who can simply explode off the ball, showing a very good kick slide in pass protection. Still, what impresses evaluators the most is the way he plays with urgency in attempts to stay in front of defenders.

A three-star recruit out of South Lathrup High School, Beavers’ first season at Western Michigan was a learning experience. He saw increased playing time as the 2012 schedule progressed and even earned a pair of starts during his first season with the varsity. During the course of the next three seasons, Beavers anchored the demanding left tackle position.

He showed excellent recovery ability taking on the speedy outside pass rushers and his average of seven knockdowns per game proved that he has a strong base and nice initial punch. Some teams are so impressed with his straight-line speed to get down field, that they feel he might be able to contribute quicker in the NFL by spending a season or two as a trap-blocking offensive guard.

Since becoming more involved with the first unit as a senior, Morgan has been a revelation as a blocker. His ten touchdown-resulting blocks in twelve games led the major college’s tight ends, while his 61 knockdowns are tops for his team. He is much more decisive shooting his hands when working in-line, as added reps seems to have given him confidence in his hand punch. He has been very efficient getting into position and walling off, as he has a much stronger leg drive, which has allowed him to get a consistent anchor as a senior. He has also shown good pop and explosion as a second level blocker, making him an asset serving as a lead blocker on end-around plays. He has a better kick step getting into position in pass protection and shows very quick foot slide sustaining the rush lanes. He is quick enough to pull and trap, along with showing good shoulder power when leading through the holes.

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: Pittsburgh Steelers

August 16th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have long been one of the NFL’s model organizations, with stability among their ownership group, front office, and coaching staff proving paramount to their success. Kevin Colbert is the fourth-longest tenured general manager in the league, while Mike Tomlin has the fifth-longest tenure among head coaches. Consistently among the contenders for the AFC crown, Pittsburgh entered this offseason with a mandate to get younger on the defensive side of the ball, while suspensions for two of its young offensive stars threatened to throw a wrench in its plans.

Notable signings:

Ladarius Green, TE: Four years, $20MM. $4.75MM guaranteed.
Ramon Foster, G: Three years, $9.6MM. $2.75MM guaranteed.
William Gay, CB: Three years, $7.5MM. $1.9MM guaranteed.
Robert Golden, S: Three years, $4.95MM. $1.25MM guaranteed.
Ryan Harris, T: Two years, $3.9MM. $675K guaranteed.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR: Three years, $3.8MM. $400K guaranteed.
Bruce Gradkowski, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Greg Warren, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Steven Johnson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
David Johnson, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Ricardo Mathews, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit.

Given that the Steelers had only about $10MM in available cap space heading into the offseason, it was always unlikely that the club was going to be a major player in the free agent market. And sadly, Pittsburgh’s one major external addition isn’t delivering returns as of yet, as tight end Ladarius Green hasn’t practiced this summer as he continues to deal with chronic headaches. Green, 26, suffered two concussions in the the span of two weeks last September, so the logical conclusion is that he’s still coping with the aftereffects of those brain injuries.

At least one report has indicated that if the headaches persist, Green could contemplate retirement, and while his long-term health is certainly the most important issue in this situation, there is also a financial component involved. If Green retires, he’d have to return his signing bonus to the Steelers, but the situation becomes more murky if Pittsburgh simply releases him. If the team feels that Green wasn’t forthcoming about his injury history at the time of signing, they’d have an argument to recoup the bonus, or at least a portion of it.

Of course, Green’s potential absence will also limit the Steelers’ offense, as he’d been set to add a new dimension to a unit that will already be without Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell for varying amounts of time. Green posted 37 receptions for more than 400 yards in a limited role with the Chargers, and could’ve seen those numbers rise as he took on a full-time job with Pittsburgh. If he’s not a factor in 2016, the Steelers will instead turn to Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, and FB/TE David Johnson, who returns to the Steel City after two years in San Diego.

Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey may also see more targets if Green is sidelined, as DHB is back with the Steelers after inking a three-year deal. Now 29 years old, Heyward-Bey clearly never lived up to his draft billing after being chosen seventh overall in 2009, but he can still serve as a depth option and special teams player. He saw 39 targets last season, and that number figures to stay relatively stagnant, as though Bryant is suspended for the season, DHB is still behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates among the club’s wide receivers.

With so many of Pittsburgh’s skill players facing availability questions to start the season, the club’s offensive line could be doubly important, and veteran guard Ramon Foster will be a key factor on that front five after re-upping on a three-year pact. Foster will be entering his eighth season with the club, and he’s been remarkably durable — he played every offensive snap in 2016, and he’s appeared in 75 of 80 possible games since becoming a full-time starter. After he graded out as the No. 16 guard in the league last season (per Pro Football Focus), it’s a little surprising that the Steelers only had to invest $3.2MM annually to re-sign Foster.

Joining Foster in the offensive line room will be tackle Ryan Harris, but it’s still unclear whether the former Bronco will act as a starting option or serve as a backup. Harris emerged as Denver’s left tackle after incumbent Ryan Clady went down for the season, and helped stabilize the club’s offensive line on the way to a Super Bowl title. With the Steelers, Harris will compete with Alejandro Villanueva, who started 10 games at left tackle for Pittsburgh as a 27-year-old rookie. So far, it sounds as though the two are neck-and-neck.

One offensive player who probably won’t contribute much during the upcoming season is veteran quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who is dealing with a “sizable” hamstring tear suffered in the Steelers’ first preseason game. Gradkowski, 33, also missed all of last season with an injury, and his absence means Landry Jones will be the club’s clear cut No. 2 quarterback. If Pittsburgh feels the need to add another arm, Michael Vick — who played for the team last season — is still sitting on the open market, though Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) doubts that Vick will end up with the Steelers.

Safety Robert Golden, meanwhile, wasn’t re-signed with the thought that he’d be starting, but the makeup of the defensive backfield has changed enough that Golden will once again be counted on to to play a large role. Second-round rookie Sean Davis had been ticketed to take Golden’s place as Pittsburgh’s strong safety, but following a serious injury to cornerback Senquez Golson, Davis is likely to see most of his action at slot corner, meaning Golden will see a heavy snap count in the back end.

A convenient line of logic might dictate that linebacker Steven Johnson could play a key role as a top backup behind Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons given that he comes over from the Titans, whose defense was led by former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. However, Johnson only saw 27 defensive snaps last season, meaning he’s simply a special teams piece. Veteran defensive lineman Ricardo Mathews, then, is a much more likely candidate to see snaps, as he should be the third defensive end behind Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.

Continue reading about the Steelers’ offseason…

Mike Adams, T: Waived
Cortez Allen, CB: Released
Will Allen, S
Kelvin Beachum, T
Antwon Blake, CB
Brandon Boykin, CB
Terence Garvin, LB
Will Johnson, FB
Doug Legursky, C
Steve McLendon, DT
Heath Miller, TE: Retired
Sean Spence, LB
Byron Stingily, T
Shaun Suisham, K: Released then retired
Cam Thomas, DT
Jordan Todman, RB
Michael Vick, QB

Heath Miller, 33, began his career back in 2005, when the Steelers selected him with the 30th overall pick in the draft. The Virginia product immediately became a starter, and appeared in 168 regular-season games (167 starts), plus another 15 playoff contests, for the franchise over the next 11 years. Miller’s best years came in 2009, when he caught a career-high 76 passes, and in 2012, when he racked up 816 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Miller remained productive for the Steelers until his final season, totaling 60 receptions, 535 yards, and two touchdowns in 2015. No tight end in franchise history accumulated more total catches (592), receiving yards (6,569), or receiving touchdowns (45) than Miller. While he probably isn’t a Hall of Famer — he doesn’t crack the top-25 in approximate value among tight ends since the merger — Miller would certainly enter Pittsburgh’s Ring of Honor (if it had one).

Aside from Miller, most of the Steelers’ offense will return next year, but the one other exception is left tackle Kelvin Beachum, who signed a unique deal with the Jaguars during free agency. Beachum is an excellent blindside protector when healthy, and given that his new contract only calls for $1.5MM in guarantees and a 2016 cap charge of $5.375MM, it was a tad surprising that Pittsburgh didn’t make a serious attempt to retain him. Instead, the Steelers will let the relatively inexperienced Alejandro Villanueva battle it out with veteran Ryan Harris for the starting job.

On defense, Pittsburgh lost or let go of four defensive backs who have all struggled to find solid homes this offseason. Of the quartet, only two have signed contracts. Slot corner Brandon Boykin first landed a deal with the Panthers and then, after being released, with the Bears, but he’s already been placed on injured reserve and will miss the season. Veteran cornerback Antwon Blake, meanwhile, secured $200K guaranteed from the Titans, but doesn’t figure to be any higher than fourth on Tennessee’s depth chart.

A pair of Allens, Cortez and Will, haven’t yet inked new contracts after being cut loose by the Steelers. Cortez Allen was released even though he had agreed to an extension worth nearly $25MM in 2014. Since a solid 2013 season, the 27-year-old had regressed and struggled with injuries, appearing in just 12 total games over the last two seasons. By acknowledging their mistake with Allen and cutting him, the Steelers reduced his cap number from $5.75MM to $4.05MM for 2016, creating $1.7MM in cap space.

Cortez Allen hasn’t drawn any interest since earning his release in April, and Will Allen has sat on the open market even longer, as his contract expired in March. Allen is now 33 years old, but still managed to start 13 games and play on nearly three-quarters of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season. It’s possible that he could score a phone call from an interested club if injuries set in, and it’s conceivable that the Steelers may even express intrigue given the rash of injuries to their secondary.

Up front, Pittsburgh never made a serious effort to retain nose tackle Steve McLendon, who inked a three-year deal with the Jets. The Steelers were reportedly resistant to handing a hefty salary to a player who only sees the field for about 25-30% of the club’s defensive snaps. Defensive tackle Cam Thomas is also gone after the Pittsburgh declined to offer him a contract for the 2016 season. After playing on more than 40% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in 2014, Thomas struggled to get on the field in 2015, seeing action on less than 17% of plays.

Finally, longtime Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham won’t be back with the club in 2016, and he won’t be kicking for anyone, as Suisham announced his retirement after being released earlier this year, citing the difficult recovery from an ACL tear. Over the course of his ten-year career (excluding his lost 2015 campaign), Suisham suited up for the Cowboys and Redskins in addition to the Steelers. In his last five years with Pittsburgh, Suisham has nailed 84.1% of his field goal attempts and 99.3% of his extra point tries.

Draft picks:

1-25: Artie Burns, CB (Miami)
2-58: Sean Davis, DB (Maryland):
3-89: Javon Hargrave, DT (South Carolina State)
4-123: Jerald Hawkins, T (LSU)
6-220: Travis Feeney, LB (Washington)
7-229: Demarcus Ayers, WR (Houston)
7-246: Tyler Matakevich, LB (Temple)

It’s a generally accepted narrative that the Steelers preferred William Jackson III with the 25th overall pick, but after the Bengals took yet another first-round corner at pick No. 24, Pittsburgh opted for Miami’s Artie Burns. As scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas wrote in PFR’s Impact Rookie series, Burns might not yet have the refined skills that he’ll need to develop, but he’s a born playmaker.

“Burns is built for speed,” according to Thomas. “He has an angular frame with very good quickness. He shows good hip snap and change of direction agility. He does not take wasted steps in transition and can close on the ball quickly when the play is in front of him.

Burns shows smoothness with his feet in his pedal and has the range to make plays along the sidelines. He shows good hand/eye coordination, but you’d like to see him generate a second gear in order to recover quicker on deep routes. He has valid feet for the position and good arm usage to stick it to receivers in press coverage.”

Sean Davis, meanwhile, graded higher on several evaluators’ boards, including that of Thomas and NDT Scouting’s Kyle Crabbs, who ranked Davis as No. 3 defensive back in the 2016 class behind only Jalen Ramsey and Jackson. Davis will likely have a larger role during his rookie year than will Burns, who isn’t expected to start. The former Maryland Terp had been projected to see time at strong safety, but now that Senquez Golson is set to miss four months or so with an injury, Davis has been lining up at slot corner.

Third-rounder Javon Hargrave is probably the only other Steelers rookie with a legitimate chance to see significant playing time in 2016, as he’s set to be the reserve nose guard to begin the season. Given that he’s making the leap from FCS competition to the NFL, Hargrave will certainly face a steep learning curve, but given that Daniel McCullers, who only played 105 snaps last year, is the current starter along the interior, Hargrave should have the opportunity to push for playing time.

Other:

Declined 2017 fifth-year option for LB Jarvis Jones ($8.369MM).
Learned WR Martavis Bryant would be suspended for the 2016 season (substance abuse policy).
Learned RB Le’Veon Bell would be suspended four games (substance abuse policy).
Learned CB Senquez Golson could miss up to four months with a foot injury.
Signed 10 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Two of Pittsburgh’s finest offensive weapons just can’t seem to stay out of their own way, as receiver Martavis Bryant will miss the season after another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, while running back Le’Veon Bell is banned four games after reportedly missing a drug test. Bryant isn’t challenging his suspension, but Bell is, and is fairly confident that he’ll win an appeal, the results of which should be in later this week. Bell is coming off a major injury and has now been suspended twice by the league, so it’s no surprise that the Steelers aren’t currently negotiating with him as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Pittsburgh could still work out a long-term deal with linebacker Jarvis Jones, but they chose not to lock him into a $8.369MM salary in 2017 via his fifth-year option. That’s probably the right call, as Jones simply hasn’t done enough during his three years with the club to warrant such a payday, as he graded as only the No. 67 edge defender among 110 qualifiers last season, per PFF. He’ll be a starter again in 2016, but he could lose snaps to James Harrison and Arthur Moats, which would further deplete his value.

While Jones hasn’t produced much during his time with the Steelers, cornerback Senquez Golson hasn’t produced anything, though it’s hard to fault him given that injuries have knocked him out in each of his first two seasons. After being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft, Golson was taken down by shoulder surgery, and missed the entirety of his rookie season. This year, it’s a foot ailment that will sideline him for four months, meaning that while he’s a candidate for IR/designated to return, it’s more likely that he’s absent for a second straight campaign.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Ben Roethlisberger, QB: $23,950,000
Lawrence Timmons, LB: $15,131,250
Antonio Brown, WR: $12,370,833
Maurkice Pouncey, C: $10,551,000
Cameron Heyward, DE: $10,400,000
David DeCastro, G: $8,070,000
Mike Mitchell, S: $6,763,750
Marcus Gilbert, T: $6,461,000
Cortez Allen, CB: $4,500,000 (dead money)
Shaun Suisham, K: $3,503,000

This offseason, it seems as though the Steelers were attempting to get back to their roots in terms of roster management. In too many recent seasons, Pittsburgh had been leveraged to the hilt, constantly reworking veteran deals that created cap space in the present but presented problems down the road. This year, the Steelers didn’t renegotiate a single contract, and because they never spend serious money in the free agent market, the club’s cap situation should look better in the years to come. On the field, there’s no reason why Pittsburgh shouldn’t be considered among the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Impact Rookies: Detroit Lions

August 16th, 2016 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

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 – Taylor Decker, OT (Ohio State, No. 16 overall)

Decker came into the draft with a fair amount of buzz and, unsurprisingly, the Lions immediately penciled him in as their starting left tackle. It’s true that Decker had a rough time in his preseason debut on Friday against the Steelers, but we’re expecting Decker to pick things up pretty quickly this season in Detroit.

The first thing you notice about Decker is his quickness and flexibility in his kick slide. He has classic natural knee bend with good hip snap to redirect and mirror the edge rushers. He is nimble moving his feet in his pass set-up, retreating fluidly while maintaining body control. He shows good urgency and leg drive coming off the snap, demonstrating the knee bend to drop his weight well. Decker’s balance and flexibility allows him to change direction fluidly and shows very good acceleration when blocking into the second level. He is quick to readjust and plays on his feet, showing good body control and balance operating in space. His lower body flexibility lets him recover to anchor and he is very smooth changing direction to get in front on traps and pulls.

Decker has that quick first step, above average body control, exceptional balance, and good leg drive to walk his assignment off the snap in run blocking situations. He is quick and agile enough to generate solid second level blocks and works hard to maintain the rushing crease. He shows ease-of-movement when redirecting and keeps his weight down and hips loose to flow with the play. He knows how to use his size to wall off and has the foot balance to sustain. You can see on film that Decker comes off the snap with a hard charge, using his leg drive and foot balance to stay on his blocks (see 2015 Virginia Tech, Michigan and Notre Dame games). He has the lower body strength and explosion to consistently drive and create rush lanes, but he can also gain position and use his body to wall off and hold.

Obviously, the natural ability is there, but his intelligence and instincts also made him such a highly-regarded prospect. Decker is sharp when it comes to learning and retaining plays. He has experience at both offensive tackle positions, but also knows the assignments for any of his line mates, if he needs to fill in during an emergency. He brings an aggressive nature to his game, more like a defender’s mentality, yet plays in control. That’s why we’re betting on him, despite the Friday night hiccups.

Continue reading about the Lions’ rookies..

Second Round – A’Shawn Robinson, DT (Alabama, No. 46 overall)

Heading into the draft, many believed that Robinson would find his way into the first round. However, he slipped and the Lions were happy to catch him at No. 46 overall. Robinson now has an opportunity to play alongside Haloti Ngata at defensive tackle and hopefully absorb his years of knowledge.

Much like his teammate, Jarran Reed, Robinson was often shuttled in and out of the lineup, thanks to a slew of four- and five-star recruits on the defensive front wall. He started 30-of-42 games for Alabama, recording 133 tackles (49 solos) with nine sacks for minus 53 yards, 22.0 stops for losses totaling 76 yards and eighteen quarterback pressures. He also broke up five passes while causing and recovering a fumble.

Because of his run stuffing skills, Robinson should shine as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 alignment. He is good at keeping his feet on the move and has the balance that makes it tough for blockers to knock him down. He has that short area pursuit speed to give chase down the line and with his change of direction agility and field vision, he is quick to redirect and neutralize the cutback lanes. He plays hard and uses his body effectively to fight through blocks and – when he keeps his pads down – he does a good job of splitting double teams. At that low pad level, he is more effective using his strength to push the blockers back through the rush lanes. He has the short area burst to string plays wide and his lower body base and anchor makes it very difficult for defenders to move him off his anchor.

Robinson is also an effective wrap-up tackler. He might not punish ball carriers on every play, but is consistent at using his long reach to secure and drag down the opponent. He has the strength to prevent blockers from locking him up, but must get a good grip as he does try to escape blocks rather than forcefully defeat them. When his motor is “on,” he has the strength to punish and generates good lower body power behind his hits, making steady improvement keeping his feet to drive the lead blocker back through the rush lane. He is good at breaking down and engulfing ball carriers in space and shows functional power. When making the wrap-up tackle, he is good at squaring up and bringing his hips and legs.

Third Round – Graham Glasgow, C/G (Michigan, No. 95 overall)

Mr. Travis Swanson, turn around and see who might be taking away your starting job. Jim Harbaugh is old school coaching at its finest, as he follows the mantra set by Paul Brown and Chuck Noll – if you want a great offensive line, start in the middle to built that foundation. In Glasgow, the Lions get a player who could one day rival Detroit’s former starting center, Dominic Raiola for longevity in the pivot.

Glasgow enters the league with three seasons as a starter under his belt. After appearing in five games as a reserve guard during his freshman year, he made nine starts at center and four more at left guard during his sophomore campaign. The All-Big Ten Conference choice started all eleven games he appeared in at left guard in 2014, but with Harbaugh’s arrival in 2015, he moved his best trap blocker inside to center, where he was the Hugh R. Rader Memorial Award recipient as Michigan’s top offensive lineman.

There is no question that Glasgow understands positioning. He does an excellent job when asked to turn and seal his opponent away from the ball carrier, working hard to sustain his blocks through the whistle. One reason for his move to center is that he possesses excellent hand placement, balance, anchor and mirroring technique as a pass blocker. Some scouts feel that the Wolverine does not necessarily stand out in any way one area, but his ability to play every position along the line is very enticing.

Glasgow is a functionally solid technician who relies on his short-area quickness to get in front on traps and pulls, along with using his size and strength to gain success widening the inside rush lanes. He does a fine job in recognizes blitzes and stunts, maintaining balance when retreating to protect the pocket. He fires off the snap with good explosion, making sure to get his hands into the defender’s chest smoothly.

Glasgow also shows enough long distance skills and quickness out of his stance to maintain a wall for the passer. He’s become a very good cut blocker working in-line and fires low off the snap with hands on the rise to get into a defender’s jersey quickly. He’s a rare sized center (6:06), but even though he’s tall, he stays low in his pads on inside traps and pulls well when running towards the outside.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PFR Originals: 8/7/16 – 8/14/16

August 14th, 2016 at 2:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

In PFR’s new series The Beat, Zach Links is conducting interviews with beat writers, columnists, and TV personalities about the team that they cover. Zach spoke with two writers last week:
- Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times discussed the Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch, Pete Carroll and John Schneider‘s dual extensions, Michael Bennett‘s contract, and Doug Baldwin‘s long-term deal.
- Justin Rogers of the Detroit News chatted about the Lions, Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin, Taylor Decker, Jim Caldwell‘s hot seat, and Ezekiel Ansah‘s contract status.
PFR has continued to go over each team’s rookie class with the assistance of scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas, who has served as a consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades. Dave covered four clubs last week:
- Chicago Bears
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
In the latest entry in our Offseason in Review series, PFR examined the Dolphins‘ moves over the last few months, which included rescinding the franchise tag on Olivier Vernon, drafting offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, and signing veterans such as Mario Williams, Arian Foster, Isa Abdul-Quddus, and, just last week, Chris Culliver.
Zach rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.

Impact Rookies: Green Bay Packers

August 12th, 2016 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

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 – Kenny Clark, DL (UCLA, No. 27 overall)

Sometimes, even big men fly under the radar, as seems to be the case with this Bruins standout. Named his team’s MVP, he was a dominating force in the middle of the line, taking over starting duties as a sophomore. Well-respected by the staff and teammates, the co-captain preferred to not be in the limelight. However, NFL scouts saw him as a bright light on a dark night.

In three seasons, Clark delivered 153 tackles with six sacks and 18.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. In his two seasons as a starter, he delivered 117 of those tackles in run force, posted a total of 28 hits for losses (assists and solos) while bringing down twelve other ball carriers for no gain. Twenty-four of those stops came inside the red zone, including seven on goal-line stands.

Clark has really come on strong in recognizing blocking schemes and it was rare to see him bite on misdirection or play action during his junior season. He has no problems taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field, needing minimal reps to retain. He plays with very good awareness, taking advantage of his impressive arm length to keep blockers off his feet and legs. The UCLA product demonstrated that he picks up schemes quickly and he does well staying with the flow of the play to close on the ball.

Clark has a very explosive initial step with quick feet, good athleticism and balance for his size, along with the body control and low pad level to come off the snap and get an immediate advantage versus a lethargic offensive lineman. He flashes a strong, consistent hand punch, enough to consistently put the blocker up on his heels, driving with good leverage walking that lineman back into the pocket. He has that initial burst needed on movement and the suddenness to gain advantage when engaging double teams. He has good initial quickness coming off the snap and for a player of his size, that burst can surprise an offensive lineman.

Clark appears poised to show that he should have gone earlier than No. 27 in this year’s draft. Word out of Green Bay is that Clark will start at nose tackle in the base 3-4 and his skill set plus versatility will ensure that he sees plenty of time on the field as an NFL frosh.

Continue reading about the Packers’ rookies..

Second Round – Jason Spriggs, OT (Indiana, No. 48 overall)

The team might have hedged their bets on the offensive line jelling this year by taking Indiana’s Jason Spriggs in the second round. Injuries have always impacted the Packers front wall and Spriggs has obvious pedigree as a left tackle, having allowed just one sack for the pass-happy Hoosiers during his last three seasons in the lineup. He also showed impressive versatility for teams by playing well at Senior Bowl practices as a guard.

Spriggs has a tall frame with minimal body fat, but will need to add at least 20-to-25 pounds of bulk to succeed at left tackle. Fortunately, he’s entering a situation in Green Bay where he is going to be brought along behind starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Still, he’ll be seeing plenty of snaps in relief of both players and, in the event of an injury, Green Bay won’t hesitate to throw him into the fire.

In pass protection, Spriggs demonstrates more than enough foot quickness to slide, good knee bend and hip flexibility, patience and a strong hand punch. He stays square and balanced when shuffling and sliding. Even when he gets over-extended, he is quick to recover, thanks to his above average athletic ability. The thing that separates him from others is his drop step/kick to gain depth and width needed to anchor. He struggled at times in 2014 with his kick slide (was playing with knee and neck injuries at the time), but made adjustments and, as the year progressed, he developed the balance and body control needed to make the reach blocks, use his change of direction agility to wall off and generate the foot quickness to recover.

When it comes to run blocking, Spriggs has a bit of work to do, but the potential is certainly there. He has the power to move the pile and drives block with leverage, but could be exceptional here with more weight. The Packers rookie is a good in-line blocker, possessing a wide base as he runs his feet well. He also has the good footwork to stay on his feet on the move and can handle the switch-off well when working in combination with his guard (see 2015 Wake Forest, Rutgers, Michigan and Purdue games).

Fourth Round – Blake Martinez, LB (Stanford, No. 131 overall)

When scouts see Martinez perform on the football field “old school” thoughts start going through their heads. While he may not be flashy, he plays with great aggression. He wasn’t the biggest “mike” guy in the draft, but when he attacks the inside gaps, he does so with authority. He is a lunch-pail toting, blue-collar level middle linebacker who has drawn comparisons to Nick Barnett and David Harris, two scrappy performers who played well above their athletic talent.

Martinez is a compactly built athlete who might lack the bulk to shed vs. the bigger offensive lineman, but shows very good balance and body control, along with the ability to stay on his feet. He has a strong hand punch to shock and reroute short area receivers, partially compensating for the lack of long arm reach to keep defenders off his body. He has a good feel for plays in front of him and the quick outside range to string plays wide.

This kid plays until the whistle and you will never see him throttle down when not involved in the play. He does a good job of making calls and no longer plays with the reckless abandon he showed at strong-side linebacker earlier in his career. The Packers recognize this and they already have him ticketed for big things on defense. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com noted recently, Martinez will start in the base 3-4 formation while also seeing time in other packages. The two-time captain will be relied upon as a leader, despite being one of the younger players in green and yellow on the field.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Impact Rookies: Chicago Bears

August 11th, 2016 at 9:39am CST by Zachary Links

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 – Leonard Floyd, OLB (Georgia, No. 9 overall)

The Bears came into the draft looking to improve the talent on both of their lines. But, they instead traded up from No. 11 to No. 9 to land Georgia ‘backer Leonard Floyd. Hopefully, he survives the rigors of training camp, as his professional debut saw him carted off the practice field after he was overcome by the heat and scrimmage action.

When the NFL teams arrived in Athens for the Georgia March 17th Pro Day, they not only wanted to see how Floyd performed in drills, they also wanted to figure out what his best position might be. . That has been the “pleasant” problem for Georgia coaches during the last three years – where to put their top playmaker. It was not as if he could not perform at any of these positions, but more so that he was needed elsewhere to fill the voids created by injuries or poor performances by others. Since first putting on the Georgia uniform, Floyd played all the “name” game positions – Jack, Sam, Mike and Will. He’s lined up as a rush end and even played inside as a defensive tackle for three contests late in the 2014 campaign.

Wherever he has played, Floyd has done so at a high level. He started 32-of-38 games at various positions while recording 184 tackles that saw him deliver 33 of those stops behind the line of scrimmage. He got in on twenty quarterback sacks and pressured opposing passers 54 times. On five of those plays in the backfield, he caused fumbles, recovering two to set up Georgia touchdown drives. All in all, a good day of work is usually the norm for Floyd on Saturdays. Now, he’s likely ticketed for the outside linebacker position on Sundays with Chicago.

Floyd has never been known for being a bulky guy and his thin frame did draw considerable concerns from scouts who analyzed him in 2014. He played at 237 last season after checking in at 220 during his first two years, but impressed team decision-makers with his 244-pound weigh-in at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. While his frame is likely at a maximum growth potential, he demonstrated to the Bears that he has plenty of strength and also eased concerns about his surgically repaired shoulder.

Floyd has that quick first step that will usually see him gain advantage on a slower offensive lineman. He can get up field quickly and reaches the corners with good urgency to push the outside running game back in. He flashes that burst to surprise a lethargic blocker (see 2015 ULM, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Missouri and Georgia Southern games), which allows him to get instant penetration. He has the lateral range to slip into the backfield when working in-line and with his quick hands and feet, he has no problem retreating and chasing down receivers when working in the second level (might be considered as a Sam linebacker because of this). He has the acceleration to take a wide loop around the corner and still pressure the pocket.

He stays low in his pads and has the loose hips to redirect, also displaying the second gear needed to excel in long pursuit. He is a quick twitch type with very active hands and good balance, keeping his feet on the move while doing a nice job of avoiding low blocks. Because of his shoulder surgery, Floyd was limited a bit early in the year, but as the 2015 season progressed, he showed that he actually was getting stronger and quicker deeper into the games, thanks to his excellent athletic ability. There’s no reason to doubt that he can do the same at the next level.

Continue reading about the Bears’ rookie class..

Second Round- Cody Whitehair, G (Kansas State, No. 56 overall)

Regarded as the one of the best offensive guard prospects in the draft, Whitehair spent his last 26 games lining up at the demanding left tackle position. He had previously started 22 times at left guard, but made his debut with the Wildcats first unit lining up at right tackle. With that wealth of experience, college football’s most versatile blocker could play almost anywhere on the line for the Bears. Of course, that’s a good thing in the wake of Hroniss Grasu‘s season-ending injury.

Whitehair was scheduled to take over left guard duties after the team shed Matt Slauson from their roster in the offseason, but he might have to slide further inside if Ted Larsen proves he’s not capable there. For now, the plan is for Larsen to play center and for Whitehair to start at left guard, as shown on Roster Resource.

Whitehair is not a mauler who can simply use his size to take over blocks, lock on and grind it out with the more physical defenders, but in 2015, his positioning technique saw him do a solid job of using his size to take over defenders. What he lacks in brute strength, he makes up in good hand usage and a decent punch. He has the ability to wall off and screen edge players, but must improve his base power in order to finish at the next level. Still, with his explosion and quickness, he can generate enough pop on contact to surprise an opponent.

He is really a technically sound blocker when he plays with a flat back to get movement at the point of attack. The thing you see on film is the success he has in the second level, as he has a good concept for taking proper angles to screen and wall off. When he keeps his pads down, he can gain movement on contact, but he gets most of his success for the ground game as a cut-and-reach blocker. When he tries to get too physical, he will sometimes lose his base (gets too narrow with his feet), but he does get good movement once he engages the defender, using his active hands to steer and has shown in 2015 better strength behind his hand punch to jolt.

Since moving to left tackle as a junior, Whitehair has shown marked improvement taking on edge rushers and protecting the pocket. He now keeps his head on a swivel in pass blocking scenarios (he used to put his head down, at times) and displays the initial quickness and hand technique work in his pass set to get under and lock on to a defender’s jersey. The Kansas State product has an adequate base for pass protection, unless he gets too high in his stance. He might not have the strongest anchor you will find in a left tackle, but has the recovery quickness and slide agility to stay in front of the edge rushers. The thing I like is his ability to sink his hips, slide and shuffle his feet and recoil his hands quick enough to generate another punch. It is rare to see him over-extend or get too aggressive, as he plays with a good tempo and vision. As a senior, he has been very quick with his pass set (see Louisiana Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State games). When he comes out of his stance, he sets with a good base, demonstrating the quick feet to adjust in space.

Quarterback Jay Cutler will be counting on Whitehair to do a solid job at guard as his offensive line has undergone massive changes. In fact, the entire offensive unit is in an upheaval, as Cutler is the only starter from the end of 2015 returning in 2016 at the position he played.

Fifth Round – Jordan Howard, RB (Indiana, No. 150 overall)

Howard began his college football at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2013. As a sophomore in 2014, he set a UAB single-season record with 1,587 rushing yards and ranked seventh among Division I FBS players with an average of 132.3 rushing yards per game. Following the shutdown of UAB’s football team, Howard transferred to Indiana prior to the 2015 season.

Howard missed several games and left a few others while dealing with a nagging ankle problem since the Hoosiers’ fifth contest. It was not the first time that he had to overcome injuries, as UAB was one of the few teams still interested in him on the recruiting trails after other colleges backed off the tailback when he suffered a torn meniscus and a pelvis stress fracture during his prep junior season.

Despite his injury-shorten season at Indiana that saw Howard miss eighteen quarters of action, he finished second in the Big Ten Conference with an average of 134.8 rushing yards per game (ninth nationally) and with 146.6 all-purpose yards per game (14th). He closed out the season with 1,213 rushing yards (third in the league 34th nationally) on 196 carries, a 6.2-yard average (third in the league), with nine rushing touchdowns, ten total TDs, and eleven receptions for 106 yards with one score.

The Bears recognize that Howard is an underrated power-type running back with a nice burst into an inside hole, as he displays excellent field vision and the burst, along with solid footwork needed to pick through traffic and find a running lane. He is very effective in either a one-back or I-formation, as he shows patience and good ability to read his blocks and follow his fullback through the rush lanes. He demonstrates good forward body lean and his leg drive allows him to fall forward and get those few extra yards breaking through arm tackles.

Howard is limited as a receiver and does not show valid blocking skills to serve as a fullback, but he does a good job of securing the ball and shows the upper body strength needed to drag multiple defenders when running between tackles. He is not a fancy runner and you will not see him make one of those nifty cutback-and-explode moves, but he will run hard through the holes. For a 235-pounder, he can generate enough straight-line speed. You won’t see much of a breakaway gear from him, but he is functionally fast enough to get outside and make it hard for safeties to get the angle.

What Howard does best is break tackles and that is why the Bears feel he is a valid short yardage candidate in tandem with the speedy Jeremy Langford. He’s proven that he can get on the edge or into space, but he is better served following inside blocks and moving the pile. He’s a patient runner, but also has some ability to spin off or sidestep a defender near the line of scrimmage, where his powerful stiff-arm ability has been very successful in preventing secondary types from bringing him down once he negotiates past the second level.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Beat: Bob Condotta On The Seahawks

August 10th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.

Now, we continue the series by discussing the Seahawks with Bob Condotta of the The Seattle Times. You can follow Bob on Twitter @bcondotta and check out his stories here.

Zach Links: Marshawn Lynch dominated headlines this offseason after he announced his retirement in February and reportedly may have waffled a bit on the decision in May. Was Marshawn giving real thought to playing in 2016? If so, did he want to play somewhere other than Seattle?

Bob Condotta: My understanding is no, that he was never thinking of playing this season in Seattle or anywhere else.

Zach Links: Recently, the Seahawks extended coach Pete Carroll through 2019 and GM John Schneider through 2021. Did the Seahawks attempt to get Carroll to sign through 2021 to match up with Schneider?

Bob Condotta: I haven’t been able to determine that. But years on contracts has not seemed to matter much to Carroll since his initial deal. He also signed a three-year extension following the Super Bowl win in 2013, so the one he just got matches that one. Despite whatever chatter is out there, there’s no real thought that Carroll would ever leave Seattle for another job. But with Schneider being 20 years younger than Carroll, there was a thought it was important to sew him up for as long as possible. So I think that accounts for the difference in contracts.

Zach Links: In 2014, Michael Bennett signed a team-friendly deal to stay in Seattle. In 2015, he began complaining about his under-market contract and he continues to be unhappy with the pact. Do you think the Seahawks will cave and give him a significant pay bump this summer?

Bob Condotta: Hard to tell. I do know Bennett would like them to. His agent and the team have continued to have negotiations. But the Seahawks have worries about setting a precedent of giving new deals to players with more than a year remaining on their contracts. That’s the only reason they have hesitation about giving Bennett a new contract.

Continue reading about the Seahawks..

Zach Links: Doug Baldwin‘s new four-year, $46MM extension ($24.25MM in guarantees) makes him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. Were you at all surprised by the size of the deal?

Bob Condotta: No. Baldwin is one of those players whose value to the Seahawks may be hard for people outside of Seattle to really ascertain. Baldwin in a lot of ways embodies everything that the Seahawks preach — an undrafted free agent who initially forged his way on to the roster via special teams and has embraced every role the team has given him on the way to becoming one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. Given the way the Seahawks play, merely judging him by his stats is to miss the point of all that Baldwin does for the Seahawks. But the Seahawks understand that, and also know that the other Seahawks understand what Baldwin’s value is to the team. Seattle has been aggressive about rewarding its own core players, those who grew up in the organization. Baldwin was simply the latest to get his reward.

Zach Links: The Seahawks signed former Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans late last week. What, in your opinion, does he have left in the tank at this point?

Bob Condotta: Really hard to tell at this point, with Evans just one practice in to being a Seahawk. Ask me in a week or so and I can give a better answer. It may be especially hard to tell in the first week since the Seahawks are initially working Evans at left guard while he played right guard during his New Orleans career. Seattle is doing that cause it wants to see if Evans can be a swing guard — it’s unlikely he would beat out Germain Ifedi to be the right guard at this point. But if he can play left guard or show some versatility, that’s what the Seahawks want to see.

Zach Links: Do you think the Seahawks will wrestle the NFC West crown away from the Cardinals this year?

Bob Condotta: I certainly think they can. Seattle had a lot of issues last season that they don’t have entering this season — a hold out, injuries to every key player in the secondary, to name two — and also have a quarterback and receiving group entering the prime of its career. Seattle and Arizona may be the two best teams in the NFC by the time the season is done. But while the Seahawks certainly respect Arizona they don’t fear the Cardinals. The Seahawks feel if they are healthy and playing right they can beat anybody.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins

August 10th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Dallas Robinson

With the exception of the Rams, perhaps no team in the NFL defines mediocrity more than the Dolphins. Since winning the AFC East with an 11-5 record in 2008, Miami has not earned another postseason appearance, posting a 49-63 record during that time while never winning more than eight games in a single season. A new coaching staff is now in place, and tasked with the same assignment that prior regimes have failed to complete time and again: dethrone the Patriots as division champions.

Notable signings:

Mario Williams, DE: Two years, $17MM. $8.485MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available annually via incentives.
Isa Abdul-Quddus, S: Three years, $12.75MM. $4.225MM guaranteed.
Andre Branch, DE: One year, $2.75MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
Matt Moore, QB: Two years, $3.55MM. $2.25MM guaranteed.
Jason Jones, DE: One year, $1.535MM. $1.01MM guaranteed.
Jermon Bushrod, OL: One year, $1.5MM. $985K guaranteed.
Arian Foster, RB: One year, $1.5MM. $400K guaranteed. $2MM available via incentives.
Kraig Urbik, G: Two years, $2.5MM. $250K guaranteed.
Spencer Paysinger, LB: One year, $840K. $200K guaranteed.
Sam Young, T: One year, $910K. $150K guaranteed.
MarQueis Gray, TE: One year, $675K.
Isaiah Pead, RB: One year, $675K.
Griff Whalen, WR: One year, $675K.
Jacques McClendon, G: One year, minimum salary benefit.
James-Michael Johnson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Danny Lansanah, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Daniel Thomas, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Chris Culliver, CB: One year, details unknown.

Perhaps no club swung and missed more often while searching for help at a single position than the Dolphins as they trawled for a new running back after losing Lamar Miller during free agency. Miami eyed options such as James Starks and Chris Johnson, offering the latter more money than did the Cardinals (with whom he ultimately re-signed), and even signed the Broncos’ C.J. Anderson to a restricted free agent offer sheet. But after Denver matched on Anderson, the Dolphins did little to augment their backfield over the next four months except select Kenyan Drake — who doesn’t project as a starter in 2016 — in the third round of April’s draft.

In mid-July, however, Miami finally struck a deal with veteran back Arian Foster, whom the club had first met with all the way back in March. Foster will turn 30 years old before the regular season begins, and the torn Achilles he suffered last season was just the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited him throughout his career. But, when he’s healthy, Foster is electric. In the four seasons when he’s managed to play 13+ games, Foster has rushed for at least 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, adding an average of 50 receptions during those campaigns.

Second-year pro Jay Ajayi, Foster’s direct competition for snaps, is no beacon of health himself, as knee issues worried some draft observers in 2015 and caused Ajayi to fall to the fifth round. And regardless of the fact that Ajayi was listed as the first-team back on Miami’s “official” depth chart released this week, the Fins are clearly hoping Foster can serve as their bell-cow back. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently tweeted, Foster has shown during camp that he’s “head and shoulders the best running back on the Dolphins'” roster.

The group blocking for Foster and/or Ajayi could look a little different this season, especially at the guard position, where Miami added veterans Jermon Bushrod and Kraig Urbik. The latter is probably going to serve as depth, but the Dolphins reportedly want Bushrod to win the right guard job instead of Billy Turner. Bushrod, 31, is a career left tackle, and he’s acknowledged the difficulty of not only moving to the interior, but to the opposite side. Miami has locked-in options at center and both tackle spots, but guard will be an area to watch during camp, as Bushrod, Urbik, Turner, Laremy Tunsil, and Dallas Thomas will all compete for time.

Miami also added trench reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball, agreeing to terms with three veteran defensive ends to augment a rotation that already includes former All Pro Cameron Wake. After losing Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby during the free agent period, the club’s first move was to sign former Bills defensive end Mario Williams, who had reportedly been seeking $10MM annually. While he didn’t reach that mark, there’s some question as to whether Williams is worth the $8.5MM average he did receive.

During his final season in Buffalo, Williams posted only five sacks and graded as the league’s No. 93 edge defender among 110 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, and later drew criticism from Bills head coach Rex Ryan, who said Williams complained about having to drop into coverage. New Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Williams is going to be a “different guy” in South Beach, and he’ll have to be to justify his salary.

Along with Williams, Miami also signed Jason Jones, who last played for the Lions, and inked ex-Jaguar Andre Branch. Jones, for his part, was an especially solid addition, as the Dolphins were able to land him for only $1.5MM on a one-year contract. He’ll act as a rotational run-stuffer behind Wake and Williams. Branch, meanwhile, can’t stop the run and has never lived up to his second-round draft status, but he’s a capable pass-rusher who can produce in limited snaps. Miami could conceivably move either Williams or Wake inside next to Ndamukong Suh on passing downs, allowing Branch to get after the quarterback from the edge.

Just today, the Dolphins agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Chris Culliver, signing the former 49er/Redskin to a one-year deal. Culliver, 28 next week, didn’t draw much interest on the open market after being released by Washington, and that’s likely due to concerns about his ACL, which he tore in November. There aren’t many details available about the one-year pact as of yet, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com did note that the deal can be worth “up to $5MM.” That type of phrasing can mean many different things, and we’ll need to know the complete specifics before fully analyzing the deal, but it likely doesn’t offer much in the way of guarantees.

Aside from a few veteran linebackers who will likely earn playing time via special teams (Spencer Paysinger, Danny Lansanah), the Dolphins’ only other notable signing was that of safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, whom they lured away from the Lions with a three-year deal. Abdul-Quddus was excellent after wresting away a starting job from James Ihedigbo last year, posting 40 tackles and ranking as the No. 21 safety in his eight starts, according to PFF. However, IAQ has only posted a half-season’s worth of production during his five-year career, so there’s definitely some risk in this contract, but that uncertainty is somewhat negated by the modest financials.

Continue reading about the Dolphins’ offseason…

Quinton Coples, DE: Released
Louis Delmas, S
Jason Fox, T: Waived
Brent Grimes, CB: Released
Greg Jennings, WR: Released then retired
Rishard Matthews, WR
Brice McCain, CB: Released
Lamar Miller, RB
Damontre Moore, DE: Waived
Derrick Shelby, DE
Kelvin Sheppard, LB
Olivier Vernon, DE: Rescinded transition tag

The Dolphins lost several interesting players this offseason, but none was more impactful than defensive end Olivier Vernon, who signed a massive deal (five years, $85MM, $40MM guaranteed) after Miami rescinded his transition tag. The argument can be made that the Dolphins made a mistake by not assigning Vernon the franchise tag — which would have been worth about $15.7MM — from the start. Mario Williams, Andre Branch, and Jason Jones account for roughly $10.7MM on Miami’s 2016 cap, so for $5MM more, the club could have retained one of the league’s elite edge defenders instead of signing three mid-range options.

But rationalizing the Dolphins’ choice with Vernon is also possible, although it requires one to view the team’s front office in a different light. Miami has traditionally employed a “stars-and-scrubs” approach to roster-building, but allowing Vernon to walk in free agency and instead sign multiple defensive ends is the antithesis of that philosophy. Once the Dolphins placed the transition tag on Vernon, and subsequently realized a number of clubs were willing to pay him far more that they were, Miami had no choice but to revoke the tag, as doing so enabled them to recoup a 2017 compensatory pick. The ideal solution, though, was probably to franchise Vernon, and either live with him on a one-year deal, or see what the trade market had to offer.

Vernon wasn’t the only pass-rusher the Dolphins saw go elsewhere this offseason, as Derrick Shelby left South Beach after a four-year run. Shelby is only 27 years old and graded as the league’s No. 21 edge defender last season (per PFF), but it’s hard to discount that he’s registered only nine sacks over his entire career. Sacks aren’t everything, as pressures, hits, and hurries also affect a quarterback’s rhythm, and Shelby is a good run defender, too. But the Falcons were willing to hand him $18MM over four years, including $7.5MM in guarantees, a price that the Dolphins (rightly) weren’t willing to match.

Aside from Miami’s two defensive line defections, the club’s most notable loss was running back Lamar Miller, who left for Houston after the Dolphins never seriously entertained re-signing him. Miami (especially its prior coaching staff) never seemed to fully trust Miller, as his high-water mark for carries was only 217. Miller is a productive running back who’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry over the duration of his career, and he actually got better when he received more carries, rushing for 5.1 yards per carry when he got those 217 attempts in 2014. Still, choosing not to hand veteran running backs multi-year contracts is a strategy that will never hear any argument from me.

Elsewhere among the skill positions, wide receivers Rishard Matthews (free agency) and Greg Jennings (release/retirement) won’t be members of the 2016 Dolphins. Jennings failed to put up any sort of numbers during his one-year stint with Miami, so we won’t waste much time on him. Matthews, however, posted the best season of his career in 2015, catching 43 passes for 662 yards (15.4 yards/reception) while scoring four times. The 26-year-old signed a reasonable $5MM per year deal with the Titans, but the Dolphins never had any intention of going that high to retain him.

Jumping back to the defensive side of the ball, Miami cut bait with cornerback Brent Grimes (and his wife, Miko) after the pair spent three seasons with the club. Numerous reasons could have contributed to Grimes’ release, including the fact that he’s now 33 and is getting beat in coverage more often, but Miko’s controversial comments on social media reportedly played a role in the Dolphins asking Grimes to accept a pay cut (which he refused). A number of teams refused to entertain the idea of signing Grimes thanks to Miko’s antics, but he eventually landed $7MM guaranteed from the Buccaneers. Miko (shockingly) has since attacked Miami’s front office and ownership with ethnic slurs.

Grimes is the more high-profile player, but fellow corner Brice McCain might be the more important loss. McCain was forced to play outside corner last year, and predictably struggled, given that he’s much more suited for the slot. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has argued, McCain would likely be an improvement over Bobby McCain (no relation), who is currently projected to start inside for the Dolphins, and Brice wasn’t very expensive, as he secured only $1MM guaranteed from Tennessee. Fellow defensive back Louis Delmas is also gone, but he didn’t play a snap in 2015 after suffering yet another knee injury during the preseason.

Two more veterans — linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and offensive tackle Jason Fox — won’t be back with the Dolphins after each played more snaps than they should have in 2015. Sheppard is now a Giant after playing on more than 60% of Miami’s defensive plays last season, but he’s not a lock to make the final New York roster and won’t be missed in South Beach. Fox, meanwhile, was forced to play more than 80% of the Dolphins’ snaps thanks to injuries along the front five, but graded as one of the six worst tackles in the league, according to PFF.

Trades:

Acquired CB Byron Maxwell, LB Kiko Alonso, and a 2016 first-round pick (No. 13) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8).
Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38) from the Ravens in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 42) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 107).
Acquired a 2016 third-round pick (No. 86) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186), a 2017 third-round pick, and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- 2017 fourth-rounder acquired by Vikings will be a compensatory pick if Dolphins receive one.
Acquired two sixth-round picks (Nos. 196 and 204) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250) from the Patriots in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147).
Acquired a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 196) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 227).
Acquired a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 223) from the Browns in exchange for CB Jamar Taylor and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250).

Miami and personnel chief Mike Tannenbaum clearly don’t hold draft capital in the same high regard that many other clubs around the league do, as the Dolphins consistently sacrificed future value for the present, trading away multiple picks to move up and acquire single selections. It’s a curious way to build a roster, and as Chase Stuart of Football Perspective wrote, it’s a strategy that is “emblematic of an organization that puts little emphasis on depth relative to star power.”

Take Miami’s Day 2 trade with the Vikings, for example. According to Stuart’s value chart, the Dolphins paid something close to 176 cents on the dollar (!) to trade up and draft draft Leonte Carroo. Minnesota, as Stuart detailed, essentially picked up a free fourth- and sixth-round pick by simply waiting until next year to make their choices. Miami either doesn’t understand this concept, or fails to recognize the extremely heavy discount that it is placing on future draft picks.

Tannenbaum & Co. also took a bath when trading for veterans, as they traded away the equivalent of a early fifth-round pick to acquire Byron Maxwell, his hefty contract, and Kiko Alonso. Miami may still have some hope that Maxwell can turn into a playable No. 1 cornerback, and Alonso will be cheap in 2016 as he plays out his rookie contract.

But Maxwell’s massive contract is an entity unto itself, and even though the rest of Maxwell’s prorated bonus accelerated onto the Eagles’ cap and the Dolphins were able to restructure Maxwell’s deal, the trade still makes little sense. Miami will pay Maxwell a guaranteed $8.5MM this season and is on the hook for $3MM guaranteed in 2017, so the fact that Philadelphia was able to both dump that contract plus acquire extra draft capital is rather astonishing.

Draft picks:

1-13: Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)
2-38: Xavien Howard, CB (Baylor)
3-73: Kenyan Drake, RB (Alabama)
3-86: Leonte Carroo, WR (Rutgers)
6-186: Jakeem Grant, WR (Texas Tech)
6-204: Jordan Lucas, DB (Penn State)
7-223: Brandon Doughty, QB (Western Kentucky)
7-231: Thomas Duarte, TE (UCLA)

Even if he never succeeds in the NFL, Laremy Tunsil will likely be remembered for the foreseeable future given the drama that surrounded him on draft night. As most surely recall, Tunsil — who was thought to be the favorite to be selected with the first overall pick before the Titans traded down — was considered a lock to be chosen in the top-six, but a free fall began a video surfaced showing Tunsil smoking out of a bong. Clubs at the top of the draft, most notably the Ravens, weren’t able to gather on the information quickly enough (and also may have had injury concerns about the Ole Miss tackle), leading Tunsil to tumble down that board until Miami snatched him up at No. 13.

And though Tunsil is considered one of the premier left tackle prospects to enter the league in some time, he’ll begin his career at guard thanks to the presence of Branden Albert on the blindside. Albert, however, is entering his age-32 season, and has missed time in each of the last four seasons, meaning Tunsil is quite likely to see action at left tackle this season. Offensive line expert Lance Zierlien of NFL.com compared Tunsil to Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith during the pre-draft process, and if Tunsil even comes close to matching Smith’s production, the Dolphins will have made the right choice.

Miami was also counting on Xavien Howard to start early in his career, as the club has little depth behind Byron Maxwell in the secondary. The former Baylor Bear looked like the favorite to land the Dolphins’ No. 2 corner job, but after suffering a knee injury during minicamp, Howard underwent surgery and is now on the active/PUP list. Rookie defensive backs nearly always face a steep learning curve, and Howard will now encounter an even more difficult challenge given that he will miss a portion of training camp.

Skill position players Kenyan Drake and Leonte Carroo, meanwhile, don’t figure to play large roles during their rookie years given that they’re each pretty far down the depth chart. Drake could be listed as low as fourth among Miami’s running backs, and it would take a number of injuries for him to see playing time (but given that Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi are the team’s top two backs, health concerns are certainly on the table). Carroo, meanwhile, has a clearer path to snaps, but he’s behind Kenny Stills for the moment.

Extensions and Restructures:

Cameron Wake, DE: Extended through 2017. Two years, $14.125MM. $10MM guaranteed. $2.5MM available via incentives.
Ndamukong Suh, DT: Restructured contract to create $16MM in cap space, converting $20MM in 2016 base salary into a signing bonus.
Byron Maxwell, CB: Restructured contract after trade from Eagles. Lowered 2017 base salary from $10MM to $8.5MM in exchange for $2MM increase in 2017 guarantee.
Jordan Cameron, TE: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.5MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $7.5MM to $6MM in exchange for a $5MM guarantee.
Koa Misi, LB: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.275MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $4.275MM to $3MM.

Cameron Wake was already set to make roughly $8.3MM for the 2016 season, so while the Dolphins could have asked him to accept a pay cut (especially given that’s coming off injury), the club instead lowered Wake’s cap hit for the upcoming campaign while adding $3MM in guarantees for 2017. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap wrote in his analysis of the deal, Miami is clearly projecting Wake for a solid season, and if the veteran defensive end does return to his old form, then the team has indeed scored a below-market deal. And the risk is negligible, because if Wake does fall off a cliff, the Dolphins will have paid him only ~$1.7MM more than was originally scheduled.

While Wake’s new deal can be rationalized, the same cannot be said for the restructuring of Ndamukong Suh‘s pact. Already one of the most onerous contracts in NFL history, Suh’s deal now contains an extra $4MM in prorated bonus money in each of the next five years, which gives the star defensive tackle enviable protection against being released. Realistically, Miami now cannot move on from Suh until after the 2019 campaign.

That timeline will be acceptable if Suh continues his current level of production (though he’s still making considerably more than any other defensive tackle), but if Suh experiences a dropoff, the Dolphins will be in an undesirable situation. Additionally, there wasn’t a pressing need for Miami to restructure this deal — though they were tight on cap space, the club made other moves (releasing Brent Grimes and Greg Jennings, forcing Jordan Cameron and Koa Misi to accept pay cuts) that created fiscal room. The Fins have essentially locked themselves into a half-decade of a highly-paid Suh when they weren’t required to do so.

Other:

Promoted college scouting director Chris Grier to general manager to replace Dennis Hickey.
Hired Adam Gase as head coach to replace Dan Campbell (interim).
Hired Clyde Christensen as offensive coordinator to replace Zac Taylor.
Hired Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator to replace Lou Anarumo. Reassigned Anarumo to defensive backs coach.
Signed RB C.J. Anderson to a four-year, $18MM RFA offer sheet, which the Broncos matched.
Claimed DT Chris Jones off waivers.
Learned DE Dion Jordan was granted reinstatement.
Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

New general manager Chris Grier will have a voice in Miami’s front office, but Mike Tannenbaum clearly still runs the show and maintains final say on personnel decisions. Changes to the coaching staff will likely have a larger impact on the upcoming season, as Adam Gase landed the Dolphins’ head coaching position after being considered for several openings during the 2015 offseason. Gase has been very successful during his NFL career, helping lead one of the most productive offenses in league history while with the Broncos, and turning around Jay Cutler‘s career with the Bears.

Gase will call the offensive plays in South Beach, meaning new OC Clyde Christensen will maintain more of a planning role, and serve as a sounding board for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Christensen’s last two pupils were Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, so he should have a shot at bringing the best of Tannehill to the forefront. On defense, former Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph secured the coordinator role after having been Denver’s first choice for the same job during the 2015 offseason. He’ll try to rescue a unit that ranked just 25th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA last year.

One possible member of Joseph’s unit is former third overall pick Dion Jordan, who earned his conditional reinstatement from the NFL and has since been cleared to practice after presumably meeting the league’s requirement of counseling. However, Jordan is recovering from offseason knee surgery and apparently hasn’t looked great during practice sessions, so he’s no lock to make the squad, especially given that the Dolphins added a good deal of help to their defensive line over the past several months.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Ndamukong Suh, DT: $12,600,000
Ryan Tannehill, QB: $11,640,000
Branden Albert, T: $10,150,000
Mike Pouncey, C: $10,025,000
Cameron Wake, DE: $8,525,000
Byron Maxwell, CB: $8,500,000
Reshad Jones, S: $8,202,942
Jordan Cameron, TE: $8,000,000
Mario Williams, DE: $6,500,000
Koa Misi, LB: $3,603,000

New head coach Adam Gase has drawn rave reviews at every stop during his career, and the laudation hasn’t ceased now that he’s made his way to Miami. Gase is seen as the savior who can rectify Ryan Tannehill‘s career, and while he may able to turn around the franchise quarterback (with the help of an improved offensive line), the Dolphins’ defense needs to take just as big a leap forward if the club has any serious hopes of contention in 2016.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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