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2016’s Major NFL Coaching Changes

May 11th, 2016 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Because most NFL coaching changes happen in January, those moves can often be overshadowed by the postseason and – subsequently – by the major moves that teams makes in free agency and during the draft. However, those coaching changes shouldn’t be overlooked.

A year ago, more than half of the league’s 32 teams made changes at at least one of their head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator spots, and many of these hirings turned into major stories throughout the 2015 season. New Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase was lauded for his work with Jay Cutler, and new Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter had similar success with rookie Jameis Winston. Both Gase and Koetter turned their one-year OC gigs into head coaching jobs.

Meanwhile, in Denver, Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips enjoyed a ton of success in their first year as the Broncos’ head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively. Phillips’ impact on the defense, in particular, buoyed the Broncos to a Super Bowl win despite mediocre quarterback play.

Which new coaches could make a similar impact this year? We may have to wait to find out, but there are certainly plenty of candidates. The full breakdown of 2016’s major coaching changes from around the league is below. Interim coaches who were promoted to a permanent job, such as Mike Mularkey with the Titans, aren’t included.

Head coaches:

Offensive coordinators:

Defensive coordinators:

Special teams coordinators:

Other 2015 head coaches with new jobs:

  • Indianapolis Colts: Hired former Dolphins HC Joe Philbin as offensive line coach.
  • Minnesota Vikings: Hired former Eagles interim HC Pat Shurmur as tight ends coach.
  • New Orleans Saints: Hired former Dolphins HC Dan Campbell as assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
  • University of Illinois: Hired former Buccaneers HC Lovie Smith as head coach.

Other 2015 OCs, DCs with new jobs:

  • Baltimore Ravens: Hired former Buccaneers DC Leslie Frazier as secondary coach.
  • Miami Dolphins: Reassigned former DC Lou Anarumo to defensive backs coach.
  • Philadelphia Eagles: Hired former Browns OC John DeFilippo as quarterbacks coach.
  • San Diego Chargers: Hired former Jaguars DC Bob Babich as linebackers coach.
  • Tennessee Titans: Reassigned former OC Jason Michael to quarterbacks coach.
  • University of Cincinnati: Hired former Dolphins OC Zac Taylor as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
  • Washington: Hired former Colts DC Greg Manusky as outside linebackers coach.

Recap Of Undrafted Free Agent Signings

May 11th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the 2016 NFL draft ended, teams begin to issue press releases announcing which undrafted players had agreed to – and subsequently signed – contracts with them. All 32 teams have now officially confirmed their undrafted free agent signings, and we’ve rounded them all up below to make it easier to find your favorite team’s UDFA class, along with whatever bonus info has been reported.

It’s worth noting that some of these announcements are now a little outdated, as many clubs made changes to their groups of undrafted free agents following their rookie minicamps, signing new rookies and cutting players that they’d just added a few days earlier. To catch up on those newer signings, you can check out our transactions page or go to a specific team’s page for all the latest news.

Here are the original 2016 UDFA classes for all 32 teams:

AFC East:

AFC North:

AFC South:

AFC West:

NFC East:

NFC North:

NFC South:

NFC West:

PFR Originals: 5/2/16 – 5/8/16

May 8th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of the original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Examining Veteran Players Most Affected By NFL Draft

May 4th, 2016 at 3:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2016 draft class has already made its mark on NFL veterans league-wide, as players like Washington’s Chris Culliver and Tampa Bay’s Connor Barth were cut after their respective clubs selected potential replacements over the weekend. With more moves likely on the horizon, let’s take a look at some other veterans who could be affected:

Baltimore Ravens: Eugene Monroe, T
A day after the Ravens selected Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley sixth overall, a report emerged that indicated Baltimore was unlikely to release Monroe, the club’s left tackle for the majority of the past two-and-a-half seasons. And while the Ravens’ offensive line depth could be augmented by sliding either Monroe or Stanley inside to left guard, it’s fair to question whether Monroe will still be on Baltimore’s roster come September. The 29-year-old has missed 20 games over the past three seasons with various injuries, and is set to count for $8.7MM on Baltimore’s 2016 cap. The Ravens could save $6.5MM by designating him as a post-June 1 cut, a move that seems entirely possible.Lamarr Houston (Vertical)

Chicago Bears: Lamarr Houston and Willie Young, EDGE
Chicago’s draft class has already had an impact on one veteran, as Matt Slauson was cut soon after the club drafted interior lineman Cody Whitehair in the second round. Houston and Young could be next up on the chopping block, after the Bears added two new pieces to their front seven in the forms of linebacker Leonard Floyd and defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. Head coach John Fox said in March that the club was unlikely to release either Houston or Young, but Chicago would incur less than $2MM in dead money by making both post-June 1 cuts.

Los Angeles Rams: Nick Foles and Case Keenum, QB
Keenum would likely have more suitors around the league given his play last season, but Foles appears to be the odd man out in Los Angeles after the Rams made Jared Goff the No. 1 overall pick. Foles is generating some trade interest, with as many as five clubs reaching out to the Rams to express intrigue. Foles’ roster bonus has already been paid by LA, so he’d make for a cheap backup option, as an acquiring team would only be responsible for his $1.75MM base salary.

Minnesota Vikings: Captain Munnerlyn, CB
The Vikings are expected to work in second-round pick Mackensie Alexander at slot corner, the position currently manned by Munnerlyn. Head coach Mike Zimmer likes veteran players — as evidenced by Minnesota starting 37-year-old Terence Newman for all 16 games last season — so Munnerlyn is probably safe. His contract expires after 2016, however, at which Alexander’s presence could mean Munnerlyn isn’t re-signed.Geno Smith (Vertical)

New York Jets: Geno Smith, QB
After the Jets drafted Christian Hackenberg in the second round, Smith sits in a rather precarious situation. If New York is unable to come to an agreement with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Smith would likely open the 2016 season as the starting quarterback. But if Fitzpatrick is brought back into the fold — as is still expected — Smith could be on the outs, even though GM Mike Maccagnan has said he’s not opposed to keeping four quarterbacks on the roster.

Philadelphia Eagles: Sam Bradford, QB
We won’t spend much time on Bradford, as his desire to be traded out of Philadelphia has been well-documented even before the club officially drafted Carson Wentz. The Eagles have said they won’t deal their presumptive starting quarterback, but if Bradford continues to sit out team activities, the situation could become increasingly awkward. Working against Bradford is that many of the clubs that previously needed QB help – several of which I documented when looking at destinations for Bradford – have since added signal-callers.Alterraun Verner (Vertical)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alterraun Verner, CB
Verner has been a disappointment since signing a four-year deal with the Bucs prior to the 2014 season — he was benched in 2015 (ultimately starting only six games) and graded as the No. 91 cornerback among 111 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. With first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves III and veteran Brent Grimes, who signed a two-year deal in March, now on the roster, Verner’s status in Tampa is tenuous at best.

Washington: Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Andre Roberts, WR
Washington made one of the more surprising choices of the first round, trading down one spot before selecting TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson. Roberts, a slot receiver who managed only 11 receptions last season, seems like the most obvious release candidate, but Garcon and Jackson may not be safe, either. Washington probably wouldn’t release all three pass-catchers, but post-June 1 cuts of Garcon and Jackson would save the club $8MM each. For what it’s worth, John Keim of ESPN.com adamantly believes the team will hang on to Garcon.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Largest NFL Free Agent Contracts Of 2016

May 3rd, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

It can be difficult to determine the true value of an NFL contract, particularly one signed in free agency. We often evaluate contracts by their average annual value, but an agreement that pays $10MM for one year certainly isn’t as strong a commitment as one that pays $50MM over five years. Meanwhile, the overall value of a deal can make it look more more impressive than it actually is, since players often won’t get the opportunity to play out the full contract before they’re released or asked to take a pay cut.Brock Osweiler (vertical)

Fully guaranteed money may be the best barometer by which to assess a new free agent contract, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story. A player who signs a long-term contract with a small amount of guaranteed salary could eventually play out the entire deal and earn the non-guaranteed portion as well, depending on his performance.

One category doesn’t tell the whole story, and you can argue that even all three combined don’t necessarily tell us which players signed the “best” contracts, but using all three categories certainly helps provide a more complete picture.

A year ago, Ndamukong Suh‘s massive long-term contract with the Dolphins ranked first among free agents in terms of overall value, annual average, and fully guaranteed money, while Darrelle Revis‘ pact with the Jets placed second in each category. In 2016, there’s no clear-cut No. 1 deal like Suh’s. In fact, while the same names generally show up among the top five for overall value, annual average, and fully guaranteed money, a different player sits atop each of our three lists below.

Brock Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, Josh Norman, and Malik Jackson represent the top four players – in some order – on all three of our lists, having signed the biggest and best free agent deals of 2016. But there are some other names that show up just once or twice, whose contracts are more difficult to evaluate.

Russell Okung‘s five-year, $53MM contract with the Broncos, for instance, ranks seventh in terms of total value and average annual value, but doesn’t come anywhere close to cracking the top 10 in guaranteed money. Okung’s potential earnings hinge heavily on whether or not the Broncos pick up the option after the first year of the contract. If Denver declines that option, the total value of Okung’s deal will end up being far, far less than $53MM.

Josh NormanJason Pierre-Paul, meanwhile, shows up at No. 8 in terms of annual average value, but he’s on a one-year contract. The majority of his money is guaranteed, and he’s making a good one-year salary, but he doesn’t have the long-term security or the overall guarantees of the other guys mentioned below.

Finally, it’s also worth mentioning the players who received franchise tags from their respective clubs this offseason. Von Miller, Kirk Cousins, Eric Berry, Cordy Glenn, Alshon Jeffery, Trumaine Johnson, and Muhammad Wilkerson are all expected to make between $10-20MM in 2016, but they were never unrestricted free agents, and their contract situations aren’t resolved yet, so we haven’t included them in our free agency breakdown. Similarly, a player like Sam Bradford, who re-signed with his own team before the free agent period began, is not included below.

Without further ado, here are the biggest free agent contracts of 2016:

Largest contracts by overall base value:

  1. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $85.5MM, six years
  2. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $85MM, five years
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $75MM, five years
  4. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $72MM, four years
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $62.5MM, five years
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders): $58.5MM, five years
  7. Russell Okung, T (Broncos): $53MM, five years
  8. Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): $46.2MM, five years
  9. Mark Barron, LB (Rams): $45MM, five years
  10. Alex Mack, C (Falcons): $45MM, five years

Largest contracts by annual average:

  1. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $18MM
  2. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $17MM
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $15MM
  4. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $14.25MM
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $12.5MM
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders):$11.7MM
  7. Russell Okung, T (Broncos): $10.6MM
  8. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (Giants): $10MM
  9. Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): $9.5MM
  10. (tie) Damon Harrison, DT (Giants) / Bruce Irvin, LB (Raiders): $9.25MM

Largest contracts by fully guaranteed money:

  1. Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): $40MM
  2. Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): $37MM
  3. Josh Norman, CB (Washington): $36.5MM
  4. Malik Jackson, DE (Jaguars): $31.5MM
  5. Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): $28.8MM
  6. Kelechi Osemele, G (Raiders): $25.4MM
  7. Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): $20MM
  8. Alex Mack, C (Falcons): $20MM
  9. Brandon Brooks, G (Eagles): $17MM
  10. (tie) Mark Barron, LB (Rams) / Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers) / Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): $15MM

Data from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2017

May 2nd, 2016 at 11:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for teams to pick up the fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2013 draft has come and gone, with only 17 of 32 players having their options exercised. An 18th player, Lane Johnson of the Eagles, has already signed a long-term extension, so he shouldn’t be grouped with the 2013 draftees whose options were declined or were not applicable for other reasons, but overall, this year’s option decisions reflect how unspectacular 2013’s first round was, particularly at the top.

The 2012 draft was also considered to be bust-heavy in the top 10, but a year ago, six of those 10 players had their fifth-year options exercised for 2016. This time around, only three top-10 picks had their options picked up (plus Johnson’s extension), and Eric Fisher and Tavon Austin certainly weren’t no-brainer decisions. Luke Joeckel, Barkevious Mingo, Jonathan Cooper, and Dee Milliner are among the underachieving top-10 picks whose options were declined by their respective teams.

Of course, just because a player has his option exercised or declined, that doesn’t necessarily dictate his future earnings. These fifth-year options are only guaranteed for injury only for now, so assuming a player stays healthy, his team could still release him by March 2017 without being on the hook for any ’17 salary, even if his option was exercised today. Conversely, a player who had his option declined could have a bounce-back year and do well on the open market next March.

Last year, Mark Barron, Bruce Irvin, and Doug Martin were among the players whose options were turned down. All three signed long-term pacts worth north of $35MM last month. On the other end of the spectrum, Robert Griffin III had his option exercised, but was cut before it became fully guaranteed, and “settled” for a $15MM contract in free agency.

As we wait to see how the latest round of option decisions looks a year from now, let’s recap the action. Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2017:

Exercised:

  1. Eric Fisher, T (Chiefs), $11.902MM: Exercised
  2. Ezekiel Ansah, DE (Lions), $12.734MM: Exercised
  3. Tavon Austin, WR (Rams), $12.268MM: Exercised
  4. D.J. Fluker, G (Chargers), $8.821MM: Exercised
  5. Sheldon Richardson, DE (Jets), $8.069MM: Exercised
  6. Star Lotulelei, DT (Panthers), $6.757MM: Exercised
  7. Kenny Vaccaro, S (Saints), $5.676MM: Exercised
  8. Eric Reid, S (49ers), $5.676MM: Exercised
  9. Justin Pugh, G (Giants), $8.821MM: Exercised
  10. Kyle Long, G (Bears), $8.821MM: Exercised
  11. Tyler Eifert, TE (Bengals), $4.782MM: Exercised
  12. Desmond Trufant, CB (Falcons), $8.026MM: Exercised
  13. Sharrif Floyd, DT (Vikings), $6.757MM: Exercised
  14. Xavier Rhodes, CB (Vikings), $8.026MM: Exercised
  15. DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Texans), $7.915MM: Exercised
  16. Alec Ogletree, LB (Rams), $8.369MM: Exercised
  17. Travis Frederick, C (Cowboys), $8.821MM: Exercised

Not exercised:

  1. Luke Joeckel, T (Jaguars), $11.902MM: Declined
  2. Dion Jordan, DE (Dolphins): Not applicable this year due to suspension (contract tolled)
  3. Lane Johnson, T (Eagles): Not applicable due to long-term extension
  4. Barkevious Mingo, OLB (Browns), $11.925MM: Declined
  5. Jonathan Cooper, G (Patriots), $11.902MM: Declined
  6. Dee Milliner, CB (Jets), $11.913MM: Declined
  7. Chance Warmack, G (Titans), $11.902MM: Declined
  8. D.J. Hayden, CB (Raiders), $8.026MM: Declined
  9. EJ Manuel, QB (Bills), $11.357MM: Declined
  10. Jarvis Jones, OLB (Steelers), $8.369MM: Declined
  11. Bjoern Werner, OLB: Not applicable due to release
  12. Datone Jones, OLB (Packers), $8.369MM: Declined
  13. Sylvester Williams, DT (Broncos), $6.757MM: Declined
  14. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR (Vikings), $7.915MM: Declined
  15. Matt Elam, S (Ravens), $5.676MM: Declined

PFR Originals: 4/24/16 – 5/1/16

May 1st, 2016 at 3:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

2016 NFL Draft Results By Team

April 30th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are all 253 picks of the 2016 NFL draft, broken down by team. You can find a complete breakdown of the draft results by round right here.

Here are the complete 2016 NFL draft results by team:

Updated 7-29-16 (10:30pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Read more

2016 NFL Draft Results By Round

April 30th, 2016 at 5:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are all 253 picks of the 2016 NFL draft, broken down by round, and featuring trades.

Here are the complete 2016 NFL draft results:

Round One:

  1. Los Angeles Rams (from Tennessee): Jared Goff, QB (California)
  2. Philadelphia Eagles (from Cleveland): Carson Wentz, QB (North Dakota State)
  3. San Diego Chargers: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB (Ohio State)
  4. Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott, RB (Ohio State)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, DB (Florida State)
  6. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, T (Notre Dame)
  7. San Francisco 49ers: DeForest Buckner, DL (Oregon)
  8. Tennessee Titans (from Miami via Philadelphia and Cleveland): Jack Conklin, T (Michigan State)
  9. Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay): Leonard Floyd, OLB (Georgia)
  10. New York Giants: Eli Apple, CB (Ohio State)
  11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Chicago): Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida)
  12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DL (Lousiville)
  13. Miami Dolphins (from Philadelphia): Laremy Tunsil, T (Ole Miss)
  14. Oakland Raiders: Karl Joseph, S (West Virginia)
  15. Cleveland Browns (from Los Angeles via Tennessee): Corey Coleman, WR (Baylor)
  16. Detroit Lions: Taylor Decker, T (Ohio State)
  17. Atlanta Falcons: Keanu Neal, S (Florida)
  18. Indianapolis Colts: Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama)
  19. Buffalo Bills: Shaq Lawson, DE/OLB (Clemson)
  20. New York Jets: Darron Lee, LB (Ohio State)
  21. Houston Texans (from Washington): Will Fuller, WR (Notre Dame)
  22. Washington (from Houston): Josh Doctson, WR (TCU)
  23. Minnesota Vikings: Laquon Treadwell, WR (Ole Miss)
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: William Jackson III, CB (Houston)
  25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Artie Burns, CB (Miami)
  26. Denver Broncos (from Seattle): Paxton Lynch, QB (Memphis)
  27. Green Bay Packers: Kenny Clark, DL (UCLA)
  28. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City): Joshua Garnett, G (Stanford)
    New England Patriots — lost due to NFL discipline (Deflategate)
  29. Arizona Cardinals: Robert Nkemdiche, DL (Ole Miss)
  30. Carolina Panthers: Vernon Butler, DT (Louisiana Tech)
  31. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Germain Ifedi, T (Texas A&M)

Read more

2016 NFL Draft Primer

April 28th, 2016 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After weeks of anticipation – or months, if your favorite team was eliminated early from 2015 playoff contention – the 2016 NFL draft finally gets underway tonight in Chicago. Pro Football Rumors will have you covered for the entire three-day event, passing along all 253 picks, along with all the trades, news, and rumors that come along with the draft.

While ESPN and NFL Network reporters typically don’t scoop teams’ draft picks before they’re announced on the TV broadcast, writers from other outlets have been known to report picks a few minutes before they’re officially announced. If and when that happens this year, we won’t be “spoiling” picks ahead of time on our social media accounts, so if you want to be kept in suspense until commissioner Roger Goodell makes his announcements, you’re safe to follow us on Twitter or Facebook without having to worry that those surprises will be ruined.

However, if a trusted reporter does get word of a pick before it happens, we’ll be passing it along on our site. So if teams’ picks are being reported ahead of time, and you want to know them immediately rather than waiting for an announcement from Goodell, be sure to refresh ProFootballRumors.com early and often tonight. Our post recapping the first-round results will be updated with teams’ picks as soon as they’re reported, even if that happens before they’re formally announced on ESPN.

With that in mind, here’s some info to get you prepared for the 2016 draft:

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