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Offseason In Review: San Francisco 49ers

August 16th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers entered the 2014 season fresh off third straight trip to the NFC championship game and were expected to once again contend for conference supremacy and a Super Bowl. They stumbled to a disappointing 8-8 record, however, thus ending their three-year reign as an NFL superpower. What ensued was a bizarre offseason headlined by a diaspora of several figures who were integral to the 49ers’ recent success and could’ve been part of the solution going forward.

Notable losses:

Unexpected retirements contributed to the shredding of San Francisco’s roster during the offseason. Four of the team’s standouts – linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, defensive lineman Justin Smith and offensive tackle Anthony Davis – elected to step away from the sport.

Willis was a defensive captain for the Niners and perennially among the premier players in the league throughout his eight-year career, during which he totaled 100-plus tackles six times and made seven Pro Bowls. The normally durable Willis missed 10 games last year (he hadn’t missed more than three in any previous campaign) because of a toe injury, but he finished every season from 2007-13 anywhere from first to fourth among inside linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ grading system. Willis was a Hall of Fame-caliber defender who, at age 30, still had plenty to offer, and his void will be immensely difficult for the 49ers to fill.

Borland’s retirement came as an even bigger shock than Willis’, given that Borland only played one season in the league. The 49ers drafted the former Wisconsin Badger in the third round last year and he proceeded to pile up 107 tackles and a pair of interceptions in his rookie season. Borland’s play earned him a fourth-place ranking among 37 ILBs who played at least 50 percent of snaps in 2014, per PFF (subscription required). His presence would’ve helped make up for a lack of Willis, as it did last season when Willis was injured, but the 24-year-old decided to leave the game out of self-preservation.

“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland said. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.

Like Borland, Davis – who appeared in and started 71 games for the 49ers between 2010-14 – also chose to retire because of health concerns.

“This will be a time for me to allow my brain and body a chance to heal. I know many won’t understand my decision, that’s OK,” the 25-year-old said in a statement.

Unlike Borland, though, Davis’ flight from football looks as if it’ll be more a hiatus than a real retirement. The 25-year-old tweeted in June that he’d “be back in a year or two,” and iterated that sentiment to NJ Advance Media earlier this week.

While it appears Davis will be back in the league at some point, the same can’t be said for the 35-year-old Smith. The longtime defensive line stalwart elected to step away after 14 productive seasons, the last seven of which were spent in San Francisco. He amassed 87 sacks during his career and was consistently one of the best D-linemen in the league with the 49ers, with whom he made five Pro Bowls and was named PFF’s top 3-4 defensive end three straight times (2009-11).

Prior to the above slew of retirements, some noteworthy contributors left the 49ers via free agency.

If Willis was the heart and soul of the 49ers’ defense, running back Frank Gore – who signed with the Colts – held the same distinction for their offense. Gore spent the first decade of his career with the 49ers and rushed for 1,000-plus yards eight times, including 1,106 last season, and finished with 250-plus carries in each of the last four years.

One of the offensive linemen who helped clear paths for Gore was guard Mike Iupati, who signed with NFC West rival Arizona. Iupati, 28, was a 49er for five seasons and made three consecutive Pro Bowls to close his career in the Bay. He earned a reputation as a dominant run blocker, ranking among PFF’s top five guards in that category two of the last three years.

The 49ers also said goodbye to a couple of well-known receivers, Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson. Crabtree, who signed with the Raiders in April, seldom lived up to pre-draft hype with the 49ers after going 10th overall in 2009. He was especially disappointing last season, when he found the end zone only four times and averaged a paltry 10.4 yards per catch on 68 grabs. Johnson was also a letdown with the 49ers, who acquired him from Buffalo last year. The Niners released Johnson after a 35-catch, three-touchdown 2014, and he subsequently signed with San Diego.

Defensively, the 49ers lost their two starting corners from last year and a quality role-playing linebacker in free agency. Corners Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox joined Washington and Tennessee, respectively, after combining for nine interceptions in 2014. PFF (subscription required) ranked Culliver 13th out of 74 corners who played at least 50 percent of snaps last year, while Cox ended up 24th. Linebacker Dan Skuta also left for bigger money elsewhere, signing for $20.5MM with the Jaguars. The six-year veteran was a 49er from 2013-14 and wasn’t exactly a household name with them, but he managed to draw positive grades from PFF both seasons. He also contributed career bests in sacks (five) and forced fumbles (three) last year.

As if the 49ers didn’t take enough of a beating during the winter and spring, the coup de grace may have come earlier this month. After yet another run-in with the law – this time an arrest on hit-and-run, DUI, and vandalism charges – the 49ers parted ways with star linebacker Aldon Smith. The 49ers drafted Smith seventh overall in 2011 and he emerged as a pass-rushing demigod, accumulating a whopping 44 sacks in 50 games. However, his on-field prowess was blighted by off-field problems. The 25-year-old was arrested three different times on suspicion of drunken driving while with the 49ers and garnered a nine-game suspension last season for an April 2014 incident with a TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport.

Notable signings:

The biggest splash the 49ers made in free agency was the signing of wideout Torrey Smith. The 26-year-old mixed big-play ability with durability in Baltimore from 2011-14 and parlayed that combo into a $40MM contract. Smith has never caught more than 65 passes in a season, but he averaged 15.7 to 17.4 yards per catch each individual season with the Ravens and is coming off an 11-touchdown showing – his best so far. Just as impressive, perhaps, is the fact that Smith hasn’t yet missed a game in his career.

Accompanying Smith as a newly added skill player is running back Reggie Bush, who joins second-year man Carlos Hyde in the backfield as the 49ers try to replace Gore. Bush, a 10-year veteran, signed with the 49ers after a pedestrian 2014 with the Lions (550 total yards and two TDs on 116 touches). To Bush’s credit, he was an adept No. 1 back from 2011-13 with the Dolphins and Lions, respectively, as he exceeded the 215-carry mark three years in a row and the 1,000-yard plateau twice, and his averages ranged from 4.3 to 5.0 yards per attempt. Further, the 30-year-old has long been a threat in the passing game (466 career receptions), and should give quarterback Colin Kaepernick a capable target out of the backfield.

Defensively, the 49ers’ only noteworthy pickup in free agency was lineman Darnell Dockett, who was with Arizona from 2004-14. Dockett missed all of last season with a torn ACL and, at 34, his best days are likely behind him. Nevertheless, the three-time Pro Bowler has 40.5 career sacks and should aid the 49ers’ pass rush. Just don’t expect him to contribute against the run.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 17; DL Arik Armstead), a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 117; TE Blake Bell), and a 2016 fifth-round pick from the Chargers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 15; RB Melvin Gordon).
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 165; P Bradley Pinion) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 244; OL Trenton Brown) from the Colts in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 151; DT David Parry).
  • Acquired a 2016 sixth-round pick from the Cowboys in exchange for a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 246; TE Geoff Swaim).
  • Acquired a 2017 seventh-round pick from the Browns for P Andy Lee.

Extensions and restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-17: Arik Armstead, DL (Oregon): Signed
  • 2-46: Jaquiski Tartt, S (Samford): Signed
  • 3-79: Eli Harold, OLB (Virginia): Signed
  • 4-117: Blake Bell, TE (Oklahoma): Signed
  • 4-126: Mike Davis, RB (South Carolina): Signed
  • 4-132: DeAndre Smelter, WR (Georgia Tech): Signed
  • 5-165: Bradley Pinion, P (Clemson): Signed
  • 6-190: Ian Silberman, G (Boston College): Signed
  • 7-244: Trenton Brown, OL (Florida): Signed
  • 7-254: Rory Anderson, TE (South Carolina): Signed

Considering how their offseason went, it would obviously help the 49ers’ cause if at least a couple of their rookies stepped in and acquitted themselves well immediately. That includes ex-Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead, whom the team took in the first round. But the 6-foot-7, 292-pounder was viewed as a raw (albeit highly talented) prospect pre-draft and has work to do to climb up the 49ers’ depth chart, as the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows wrote Friday.

Thanks to all the offseason departures San Francisco endured at linebacker, third-rounder Eli Harold will have an opportunity to make his presence felt quickly and replace Aldon Smith on the right side. Harold, who has shared reps with third-year man Corey Lemonier this summer, combined for 15.5 sacks during his final two season at Virginia and has impressed his new head coach so far.

“Eli Harold, he came in beeping (like on radar),” Jim Tomsula said last week, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “Again, rookie going through it, we’ve all seen it, the ups and downs. He hasn’t had the downs, but we are still early on in this thing. But Eli is doing a really good job. He’s an energetic guy. I think everybody sees what we saw in him and why we drafted him.”

Other:

In 2011, the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh as their head coach after seven strong years in the college ranks. The Niners were in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought when Harbaugh took the job, but his arrival brought dramatic improvement in the form of a superb 44-19-1 regular-season mark and three playoff berths. However, his relationship with CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke deteriorated and became particularly discordant in 2014. That led to a divorce between the sides in December, and Harbaugh went back to college to coach Michigan.

To take over for Harbaugh, the 49ers hired from within and chose Tomsula. The 47-year-old had run the 49ers’ defensive line since 2007 and was their interim head coach for one game back in 2010 (a 38-7 win over the Cardinals).

Tomsula continued the in-house theme with his coordinator hires, promoting Eric Mangini (defense) and Geep Chryst (offense). While Mangini was an offensive consultant with the 49ers in 2013 and their tight ends coach last season, the majority of his coaching career has been spent on defensive staffs. He took Vic Fangio‘s old job, while Chryst grabbed the reins from Greg Roman. Chryst, who was last an O-coordinator with the Chargers in 1999-2000, was previously San Francisco’s quarterbacks coach.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,265,753
  2. NaVorro Bowman, LB: $7,654,000
  3. Joe Staley, LT: $7,600,000
  4. Ahmad Brooks, OLB: $7,055,000
  5. Vernon Davis, TE: $6,967,920
  6. Anquan Boldin, WR: $6,909,000
  7. Aldon Smith, OLB: $4,854,875
  8. Antoine Bethea, S: $4,750,000
  9. Ray McDonald, DT: $4,609,971 (dead money)
  10. Phil Dawson, K: $4,134,000

While it’s unwise to write teams off prior to the season in the parity-driven NFL, it’s hard to imagine the 49ers improving on their .500 record from last year after their calamitous offseason. They’re likely to have a difficult time staying afloat as part of a division that houses a Super Bowl favorite (Seattle) and a pair of potential playoff contenders (Arizona and St. Louis).

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

PFR Originals: 8/9/15 – 8/16/15

August 16th, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

  • Zach Links looked back at the Chargers‘ offseason, which included the re-signing of King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers, as well as the additions of free agents such as Orlando Franklin, Stevie Johnson, and Joe Barksdale.
  • Washington lost two tight ends to season-ending injuries last week, as both Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen will miss the 2015 season. Luke Adams looked at some options — both via free agency and trade — as the club seeks to replace some production at tight end.
  • The Seahawks have been active in extending key players this summer, and I eamined whether left tackle Russell Okung might be next in line for a long-term deal.
  • In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion, encouraging readers to post their thoughts in the comments section. The issues touched on by Zach and Luke last week:
    • Will Steve Smith make the Hall of Fame? (link)
    • Will Geno Smith regain his job as the Jets‘ starting QB when he returns from injury? (link)
    • Who will be the 2015 MVP? (link)

Week In Review: 8/9/15 – 8/16/15

August 16th, 2015 at 2:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

  • The Chargers signed quarterback Philip Rivers to a four-year, $84MM extension that will keep him in San Diego through 2019.
  • Receiver T.Y. Hilton agreed to a five-year, $65MM extension with the Colts.
  • The Buccaneers and linebacker Lavonte David reached agreement on a five-year extension worth $50.25MM.
  • Jets quarterback Geno Smith is out eight-to-ten weeks after linebacker IK Enemkpali broke his jaw during an altercation. Enemkpali was immediately waived, and subsequently claimed by the Bills.
  • Ravens receiver Steve Smith announced that he will retire following the 2015 season.

Injuries:

  • Bears – Kevin White, WR (link)
  • Bills – Jarius Wynn, DE (link)
  • Eagles – JaCorey Shepherd, CB (link)
  • Rams – E.J. Gaines, CB (link)
  • Steelers – Shaun Suisham, K (link)
  • Vikings – Phil Loadholt, T (link)
  • Washington – Niles Paul, TE (link) and Logan Paulsen, TE (link)

Signed:

  • Buccaneers – Tony McDaniel, DE (link)
  • Eagles – Deontae Skinner, LB (link)
  • Patriots – Ryan Lindley, QB (link)
  • Steelers – Garrett Hartley, K (link) and David Nelson, WR (link)

Released:

  • Patriots – Matt Flynn, QB (link)

Trade:

  • Patriots – acquired G Ryan Groy from the Bears in exchange for LB Matthew Wells (link)

Suspended:

  • Cardinals – Bobby Massie, T: thee games (substance abuse)

Extension Candidate: Russell Okung

August 15th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks haven’t been shy about locking up their own players to long-term extensions — Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner each agreed to deals within the past month, but they’re just the most recent Seattle players whom the club has committed to. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Marshawn Lynch, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright, and Doug Baldwin all reached extensions with the Seahawks (or in the case of Bennett, re-signed just days into free agency) within the past 18 months. But there’s still one key Hawk who is heading for free agency and hasn’t yet worked out a new contract — left tackle Russell Okung.

Sep 4, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung (76) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Green Bay 36-16. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY SportsOkung, the first draft pick of the Pete Carroll/John Schneider regime, hasn’t exactly been the picture of health since entering the league out of Oklahoma State in 2010. The 27-year-old has only played in about 73% of Seattle’s games during the past five years, missing 21 out of a possible 80 contests. Just last season, Okung missed only two games, but he was plagued with injuries throughout the year, dealing with calf and chest ailments while also playing through a torn labrum.

Not only has Okung suffered through injuries, but when he has been able to take the field, his production hasn’t been great. Outside of the 2012 season, when he graded as the league’s eighth-best tackle and was named to the Pro Bowl, Okung has never even placed among the top 30 tackles in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, including last season, when he ranked just 36th (subscription required). Last year, specifically, most of Okung’s negative grade was attributed to his subpar run blocking, as he actually graded out pretty well in terms of pass-blocking.

Indeed, if there is one thing that Okung does not do, it’s give up sacks. In three years with Wilson as the club’s starting quarterback, Okung has been responsible for just four sacks. And that’s not simply a function of Wilson’s ability to move in the pocket, as Wilson has been sacked the second-most times among all QBs since entering the league. It’s Okung’s linemates who are giving up most of Wilson’s sacks, as Okung gave up just 22 total pressures in 2014, ranking 13th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.

So now that we’ve covered what type of player Okung is, let’s tackle another question: Can Seattle afford him? The Seahawks have done a marvelous job of keeping their Super Bowl corps together, whether by extending a player like Kam Chancellor at a below-market rate, keeping Bennett for less than he’s worth, or finding a viable starting QB in Wilson in the third round. But at a certain point, it becomes impossible to keep everyone, as evidenced by the fact that linebacker Bruce Irvin — like Okung, a former first-rounder — is widely expected to depart via free agency after the season.

As it stands now, Over the Cap projects the Seahawks to have about $14.4MM in cap space heading into the 2016 offseason (for context, that ranks as the 10th-least amount of room in the league). That number doesn’t figure to increase by that much, as there aren’t any obvious candidates for release on Seattle’s 2016 roster. One tactic could be to restructure the contracts of either Sherman or Thomas, converting some portion of their base salaries into signing bonuses and therefore creating more immediate cap relief. But, for the most part, the Seahawks will have to work with what they have.

Still, $14.4MM isn’t nothing — even after accounting for draft pick signings, it’d be enough to re-sign Okung. However, retaining Okung would likely mean saying goodbye to Irvin (as expected), Brandon Mebane, Ahyta Rubin, and possibly Jermaine Kearse. Additionally, it would leave little money left over for a free agent addition at, say, receiver, or along the interior offensive line. In other words, 2016 becomes the year where Seattle will have to start choosing precisely who it wants to keep around — they won’t be able to extend every contributor.

If Okung does hit free agency, he’ll be doing so along with an impressive crop of fellow left tackles. Barring any extensions between now and next March, the FA left tackle class will include Trent Williams, Anthony Castonzo, Andrew Whitworth, Nate Solder, Cordy Glenn, and Donald Penn. Williams is perhaps the most interesting comparable, as both he and Okung were selected in the top 10 of the 2010 draft, and both dealt with injuries last season (Williams missed just one game but was hampered knee, ankle, and shoulder problems throughout the 2014 campaign). Indeed, based on Pro Football Reference‘s metrics, they match up rather well:

NumYrs Players whose career was of similar quality and shape
3 Trent Williams, Marvin Powell, Blake Brockermeyer, Joe Bostic, Mike Kenn, Mick Tingelhoff*, Kent Hill, Homer Elias, Kent Hull, Alex Barron
4 Alex Barron, Joe Bostic, Todd Steussie, Blake Brockermeyer, Trent Williams, Dan Dierdorf*, Sean Farrell, Kenyatta Walker, Frank Garcia, Donald Penn
5 Alex Barron, Tra Thomas, Bryant McKinnie, Trent Williams, Joe Bostic, Frank Garcia, Homer Elias, Dan Dierdorf*, Todd Steussie, Blake Brockermeyer
Career George Foster, Orlando Franklin, Brad Badger, Bryan Bulaga, Zach Strief, Mike Pouncey, Will Beatty, Dave Taylor, Kyle Cook, Alex Barron

Two other players on that list, Bryan Bulaga and Will Beatty (both of whom appear under the Career section) are interesting for the purposes of this discussion, as they’ve both earned new contracts in the relatively recent past. Bulaga, a right tackle, signed a five-year, $33.75MM deal with the Packers in March that contained $8MM in guarantees. Beatty, a left tackle, signed in 2013, so his contract is a little outdated, but for reference, the Giants handed him $37.5MM over five years ($18.35MM guaranteed).

Okung was part of the last draft class that signed under the old CBA, so his current contract is artificially inflated. He’s earning about $8.08MM per season, so Beatty’s annual salary would actually represent a downgrade. That presents something of a problem: I don’t think Okung is good enough to jump into Brandon Albert/Duane Brown territory (~$9MM per year), but I also don’t believe that he’s interested in taking a pay cut. If we bump Okung’s AAV up to $8.25MM and stretch it over five years, that gives us a total of $42.25MM.

I’d guess Okung would think long and hard about accepting that offer, especially if the guarantees were in the neighborhood of $13-15MM. But would Seattle want to pay that much? They’d be giving Okung more than Joe Staley, Jared Veldheer, Eugene Monroe, and Jermon Bushrod on an annual basis, and I’m not sure Okung is better than any of them. Maybe the Seahawks would balk at such a price, hoping they can land of the top collegiate tackle prospects, or perhaps they could throw a short-term deal at someone like Whitworth.

It sounds like the Colts could be nearing a deal with Castonzo, and maybe if Washington wants to buy low on Williams with him coming off a down season, they could reach an agreement quickly, as well. Any extensions signed by those two would go a long way towards providing a baseline for the Seahawks and Okung to work from. One added wrinkle to the talks will be that Okung plans on negotiating his own deal without the help of an agent. How exactly that will affect discussions is unclear, but is it possible that Okung overvalues himself without an agent’s counsel?

Ultimately, I think it makes sense for the Seahawks to try and work something out with Okung. The Super Bowl corps can only be retained for so long, so if there’s any chance at extending their current championship window, Seattle should take it. But there’s no doubt that the club will have to start carefully picking and choosing who it wants to re-sign beginning in 2016. As Wagner tweeted before he was ultimately extended: “Can’t keep everyone.”

Possible Tight End Options For Washington

August 14th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s preseason schedule getting underway this week, it’s the first real chance for fans to get a glimpse at how their favorite teams look this season. For many teams though, it also marks the start of a war of attrition — in the early days of training camp and the preseason, there are several clubs around the league that have already sustained multiple injuries at a specific position.

One of those teams is Washington. Scot McCloughan, Jay Gruden, and company have watched in recent days as the club’s tight ends have fallen one by one. Jordan Reed is battling a hamstring issue, but he’s in better shape than Niles Paul, who will miss the year after fracturing and dislocating his ankle last night. Logan Paulsen‘s season is also in jeopardy, as he may require toe surgery that could sideline him for most or all of the year.

The injuries leave Washington shorthanded at the tight end spot. Reed, who has caught 95 balls in his first two seasons, can probably handle the starting job if he’s healthy, but Paul and Paulsen were viewed as nice complements who were likely to make the roster, with the former contributing his pass-catching abilities while the latter served as more of a blocker. None of the other three tight ends on Washington’s roster – Chase Dixon, Je’Ron Hamm, and Devin Mahina – have appeared in a regular season NFL game, so a veteran addition may be needed.

Of course, the free agent market for tight ends isn’t exactly overflowing with talent at the moment. Former Bengals tight end Alex Smith, who played under Gruden in Cincinnati, would have made some sense, but he signed with the Saints last week. Earlier today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweeted out a list of possible targets for Washington, including Zach Miller, Fred Davis, Tom Crabtree, Mike McNeill, Michael Palmer, and Kory Sperry.

Since then, ESPN.com’s John Keim has reported (via Twitter) that Miller isn’t an option, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN has reported (via Twitter) that Washington isn’t interested in Davis, and Crabtree himself has removed his own name from the list. McNeill, Palmer, and Sperry could be possibilities for Washington, but they certainly aren’t inspiring alternatives; none of those three players has recorded more than a single reception in a season since 2012.

There are a couple other intriguing veterans on the tight end market, but neither currently appears to be a viable option for Washington. Former Packer Jermichael Finley, who suffered a significant neck injury during his last game with Green Bay in 2013, seems unlikely to continue his NFL career, despite initially saying he wanted to return to the field. One semi-retired veteran who would like to play for Washington is Chris Cooley, who said this week that it would “literally be the greatest thing in the world” to join his old team. However, so far at least, it doesn’t appear that interest is mutual.

Even if Washington doesn’t like any of the options currently on the free agent market, there should be many more choices in early September, when teams start making cuts to pare their rosters down from 90 players to 53. But McCloughan may not want to wait that long to add someone, since that wouldn’t leave much time for a new player to get acclimated to Washington’s offense.

The trade market is another avenue the team figures to explore, and one logical trade target would be Vernon Davis, who was drafted by McCloughan in 2006 and could benefit from a change of scenery after struggling mightily last season in San Francisco. According to Keim (Twitter link), however, Davis is “not a realistic option” for Washington, which makes sense. Even if the Niners were willing to move him, the veteran tight end earns a base salary of $4.35MM this year, the final season of his contract, and Washington will likely be seeking a cheaper stopgap option.

Still, there are plenty of potential trade partners around the league, such as – for instance – the Titans. With Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, and Craig Stevens almost certainly assured of roster spots, Tennessee also has tight ends Phillip Supernaw, Chase Coffman, and Tevin Westbrook in camp, and fourth-round fullback Jalston Fowler will likely see some time at the position as well. A team like the Titans has the depth to accommodate a deal with Washington, if they so choose.

Ultimately, while a trade might make the most sense for Washington, a big-name acquisition like Davis is unlikely. I expect the front office to keep a close eye on depth charts around the league, targeting young players with promise and/or potential release candidates, perhaps offering up a late-round or conditional draft pick for someone they like. If the trade route isn’t fruitful, signing a veteran free agent for depth purposes may be Washington’s only real play, whether it happens now or in a few weeks. Otherwise, the team may find itself leaning heavily on multiple unproven young players at a key offensive position.

Offseason In Review: San Diego Chargers

August 13th, 2015 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Leading up to the start of free agency, it was reported that a reunion between cornerback Brandon Flowers and the Chargers was likely. About 48 hours before things got started on March 10th, an agreement was struck. The four-year deal, which pays Flowers a healthy $36.4MM with $18.1MM guaranteed, is slated to keep Flowers in San Diego through the 2018 season. In his first season with the Charger, Flowers finished as the league’s 15th-best CB among 108 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 29-year-old, who ranked as PFR’s No. 22 free agent, started 14 games, accruing two interceptions in the process. After being released by the Chiefs last summer, Flowers signed on with San Diego on a one-year pact that netted him $3MM. He got himself a significant pay bump this time around.

The Chargers had significant problems on the offensive line in 2014 and they addressed that issue early on with the signing of Orlando Franklin. The 27-year-old Franklin has spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, playing right tackle from 2011-13 before moving to left guard last season. Franklin excelled in his positional transition, finishing as the league’s 13th-best guard according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While the O-Line struggled overall, King Dunlap was one of the brighter spots of that unit for San Diego. Way back in February, the Bolts signed him to a multi-year extension. Dunlap, 30, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles before signing with the Chargers in 2013. He has appeared in and started 27 regular-season games for the Bolts, emerging as their most dependable offensive lineman. Dunlap’s teammates named him San Diego’s Lineman of the Year in 2014 and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him the 23rd-best tackle in the league out of 84 qualifiers. That followed an even more impressive sixth overall ranking in 2013.

In March, Stevie Johnson narrowed down his list of suitors to two teams – the Chargers and Patriots. After taking some time to mull it over, the former Bills notable went with San Diego. Johnson, 28, spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Bills before being sent to San Francisco a year ago in a trade. While the Kentucky product didn’t make a real impact for the 49ers, he enjoyed some success in Buffalo, putting up three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2010 to 2012, and grabbing 23 touchdowns during that three-year stretch.

Another notable wide receiver, Jacoby Jones, will be joining the Bolts this year, after signing a two-year free agent deal. Jones, 30, returned kicks and punts for Baltimore in 2014, but his role on offense was significantly reduced — after being targeted 68 times and hauling in 37 passes in 2013, Jones received just 18 targets and caught nine passes in 2014. He also averaged 30.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, and 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns. For what it’s worth, the Ravens say they’re confident that they can replicate Jones’ production on special teams. Jones, meanwhile, will aim to prove that he is more than just the product of a good system.

Jimmy Wilson, 28, spent the first four years of his career in Miami, appearing in 60 games as a Dolphin and intercepting four passes. He totaled just eight starts during his first three seasons before amassing a career-high 13 in 2014. Eight of those starts came at cornerback, while the other five were from the safety position. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t impressed with Wilson’s work as a corner last year, ranking him 94th out of 108 qualifiers. However, the site rated him a far better 34th out of 87 safeties.

Notable losses:

In February, the Chargers made it known that they wanted to retain Ryan Mathews. However, in March, we didn’t hear much about a possible reunion. Early on in the free agent process, Mathews paid a visit to the Eagles and the rest, as they say, is history. Considered an injury-prone player for the first three seasons of his career, Mathews finally stayed healthy and put it all together for the Chargers in 2013, rushing for a career-high 1,255 yards. He was unable to keep that run of good health going in 2014 though, playing just eight games for San Diego due to injuries. The former 12th overall pick can be one of the league’s best backs when he’s at 100%, but we haven’t seen much of that lately.

Eddie Royal caught 62 balls for 778 receiving yards with the Chargers last season and both marks were his best since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2008. The 29-year-old put himself on the map with his tremendous rookie performance in 2008 and became a focal point of the Bolts’ offense over the last two seasons. While the stats have come and gone for Royal since 2013 (no wide receiver really sees consistent targets in Philip Rivers‘ offense), he had proven himself to be a reliable option. Royal signed on with the Bears in the spring.

Before the start of free agency, the Chargers informed Dwight Freeney that they wouldn’t be pursuing another deal with him this offseason. Freeney didn’t rack up the same gaudy sacks totals with the Chargers that he did with Indianapolis as he posted just four total sacks from 2013-14. There’s evidence that he still has plenty of football left in him despite the unimpressive sack totals, but the Chargers felt that they wanted to move in a different direction. As of this writing, Freeney remains on the open market.

Even though he saw less than 400 snaps on the Chargers’ defense last season, Andrew Gachkar drew a significant amount of interest around the league since free agency began in March. The Vikings, Panthers, and Raiders all expressed interest in 26-year-old linebacker, who had spent his entire career in San Diego. While he started only five games in 2014, Gachkar was a key contributor on special teams, where he played on 217 snaps and posted 12 tackles. Ultimately, he got a two-year deal from Dallas.

Marcus Gilchrist was drafted by San Diego in the second round of the 2011 draft, and he started all 16 games for the club in each of the past two seasons. He fared poorly according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) in 2014, ranking 72nd out of 87 eligible safeties. However, he graded out much better in 2013, finishing as the 20th-best safety out of 88. He has tallied five interceptions in his four-year career, so he has not been much of a playmaker despite his strong tackling abilities and mentally-sound play. The Chargers wanted to keep him, but they didn’t want him as bad as the Jets.

Longtime Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary announced his retirement shortly after the New Year. Clary, who spent the 2014 season on the team’s reserve/PUP list after undergoing hip surgery, said that he had been planning on retirement for a long time. Although he was a sixh-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle.

Nick Hardwick, 33, served as San Diego’s starting center ever since being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2004 draft, the same year the team added Phillip Rivers. Even though Rivers continues to be the team’s franchise QB, Hardwick decided to call it a career in February. This past season, a neck injury forced Hardwick to the injured reserve list after Week 1, wiping out a streak of 67 consecutive starts. Considering he had already mulled the possibility of retiring a year ago, and had endured a neck injury in the past, the news did not come as a huge surprise. Hardwick’s contract also expired this winter, so the Chargers aren’t carrying any cap hit on their books for him in 2015.

Chad Rinehart regressed significantly last year after a decent initial campaign in San Diego, ranking as the fifth-worst guard Pro Football Focus (subscription required) measured. In March, San Diego decided that it wouldn’t give Rinehart a third year in powder blue. San Diego saved $3.25MM in cap room but incured a dead-money penalty of $1MM by cutting him.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 15; RB Melvin Gordon) from the 49ers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 17; DL Arik Armstead), a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 117; TE Blake Bell), and a 2016 fifth-round pick.

Extensions and restructures:

Corey Liuget, who turned 25 in March, has been a key contributor at defensive end for the Chargers since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. The former 18th overall pick has started 61 regular season contests for the club in his four seasons, including all 16 games in each of the last three years. In 2014, Liuget notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In June, the Chargers made Liuget a rich man and locked him down through 2020.

Draft picks:

  • 1-15: Melvin Gordon, RB (Wisconsin): Signed
  • 2-48: Denzel Perryman, ILB (Miami): Signed
  • 3-83: Craig Mager, CB (Texas State): Signed
  • 5-153: Kyle Emanuel, OLB (North Dakota State): Signed
  • 6-192: Darius Philon, DL (Arkansas): Signed

Melvin Gordon was widely viewed as the best running back in the 2015 class and many believed that there was a significant dropoff between him and the next one down on the board. That’s why the Chargers took no chances and traded up from No. 17 to grab the Wisconsin star. Gordon gained 2,587 yards on the ground last season, the second-most in FBS history behind the 2,628 yards put up by an Oklahoma State tailback by the name of Barry Sanders.

Other:

  • Hired former Falcons DC Mike Nolan as linebackers coach.
  • Learned TE Antonio Gates would be suspended four games (performance-enhancing substances).
  • Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for LB Melvin Ingram ($7.751MM).
  • Signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 21 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

On July 2nd a rash of NFL suspensions came down and none were more surprising that the four-game suspension levied upon Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who popped positive for PEDs. Gates, the Chargers‘ all-time leader in catches, will now cede the starting tight end job to understudy Ladarius Green, someone who many feel is a future star.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Philip Rivers, QB: $17,416,668
  2. Eric Weddle, S: $10,100,000
  3. Antonio Gates, TE: $9,762,500
  4. Corey Liuget, DT: $7,977,000
  5. Donald Butler, LB: $5,480,000
  6. Malcom Floyd, WR: $4,716,668
  7. Orlando Franklin, G: $4,400,000
  8. Mike Scifres, P: $4,347,500
  9. Brandon Flowers, CB: $4,250,000
  10. King Dunlap, LT: $4,125,000

In recent years, the Chargers have been a good but not great team that has yet to really solidify their status as championship contenders. Now, with several notable names leaving Denver this offseason and uncertainty in both Oakland and Kansas City, the Bolts could be in position to win the AFC West for the first time since 2009.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

PFR Originals: 8/2/15 – 8/9/15

August 9th, 2015 at 2:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

  • We continued our Offseason in Review series, looking back at each club’s additions, losses, draft classes, trades, and more. This week, Zach Links covered the Titans, Buccaneers, Falcons; Ben Levine looked at the Panthers; and Luke Adams touched on the Saints.
  • I finished up our 2015 Release Candidate series by examining the NFC West, where players such as Brandon Mebane, Isaiah Pead, and Ted Larsen might be fighting for their respective roster spots.
  • In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion and encourage readers to chime in with their thoughts in the comments section. The issues covered by Zach and Luke last week:

2015 Release Candidates: NFC West

August 8th, 2015 at 8:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.

Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.

We’ve already looked at the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North, NFC North, AFC South, and NFC South, and AFC West, so let’s wrap up with the NFC West…

Arizona Cardinals:

  • Lorenzo Alexander, LB: Alexander, 32, is basically a special-teams only player at this point in his career; he saw 336 special teams snaps in 2014, as opposed to just 51 on defense. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus didn’t rate him positively even on special teams duty, handing him a -4.0 grade (subscription required). But Alexander is regarded as a valuable veteran presence on Arizona’s roster, and given that the club would save less than $2MM by releasing him, he will probably make the final 53. Prediction: not released.
  • Ted Larsen, G: Larsen had a forgettable 2014 season, during which ranked as the league’s No. 68 guard among 78 qualifiers, per PFF. He won’t be playing left guard again, as the Cardinals handed Mike Iupati $40MM to handle that spot on the offensive line, but Larsen is actually listed atop Arizona’s depth chart at center. But the Cardinals were apparently so displeased with Larsen’s (and A.Q Shipley’s) camp performance that they re-signed last year’s starting center Lyle Sendlein, whom PFF graded as the league’s second-worst center in 2014, in the hopes that he’d be an improvement. Getting replaced by a player of Sendlein’s caliber isn’t a great look for Larsen, and given that Arizona can save $2.2MM by releasing Larsen, I don’t think he’ll last the summer. Prediction: released.

San Francisco 49ers:

  • Ahmad Brooks, LB: Any discussion of a San Francisco release candidate has to be couched with the knowledge that the club has lost a good amount of talent during the offseason. No position on the 49ers’ roster has been more affected by offseason losses than linebacker — Chris Borland and Patrick Willis both announced their retirement, while Aldon Smith was released yesterday following an arrest. So even though Brooks lost playing time last season (and wasn’t effective when he did play, grading as a bottom-five 3-4 outside linebacker per PFF), the team will rely on him as its top OLB in 2015. The Niners could save about $4.7MM by releasing the 31-year-old Brooks, but when their other option at outside ‘backer are rookies Eli Harold and Marcus Rush, the club will gladly by the price to keep Brooks. Prediction: not released.
  • Vernon Davis, TE: The 49ers’ offense didn’t take quite the offseason hit that did the team’s defense, but San Francisco’s starting 11 is noticeably lacking in terms of playmakers. That descriptor might no longer fit Davis, who caught just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last year, his worst totals since his rookie season. Davis publicly complained about his contract status last summer, but never received a new deal, and now the club save $4.9MM in cap space by cutting him. Earlier this week, however, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said that he’s interested in working out an extension with Davis, so the 31-year-old tight end will definitely stick around for 2015. Prediction: not released.

Seattle Seahawks:

  • Brandon Mebane, DT: The Seahawks don’t have much cap space to work with after extending both Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, and with that in mind, they released Mebane’s running mate at defensive tackle — Tony McDaniel — earlier this week. Clubs don’t need a ton of cap space to get through the season — Seattle should be fine with its ~$4.9MM — but Mebane’s roster spot still could be in jeopardy for several reasons. First, Mebane is coming off an injury-plagued 2014 season; he was placed on injure reserve in November after suffering a hamstring injury. Second, if the Seahawks did feel that they needed more cap room, Mebane would be the logical candidate to go, as the club could save $5.5MM by cutting him. But with McDaniel gone, Seattle probably wants some stability on the interior of its defensive line, and Mebane was a solid player as recently as 2013. Prediction: not released.

St. Louis Rams:

  • Isaiah Pead, RB: It’s been a quick fall to irrelevance for Pead, whom the Rams selected out of the University of Cincinnati in the second round of the 2012 draft. After garnering just 17 rushing attempts through his first two seasons, Pead missed the entire 2014 season after tearing his ACL. He recently accepted a pay cut, lowering his base salary from about $940K all the way down to the minimum. But I wonder if St. Louis is even interested in paying Pead that much — he’s buried on the deptch chart behind Todd Gurley, Tre Mason, and Benny Cunningham, and he isn’t a real factor on special teams, having hovered around 15% ST participation during his first two years in the league. Prediction: waived.

Offseason In Review: New Orleans Saints

August 8th, 2015 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an eventful offseason in New Orleans, where the Saints entered the month of March way over the salary cap, necessitating a handful of trades, cuts, and restructures. With Drew Brees leading the way, the Saints should always have a chance to contend in the NFC South, but 2015 has been a year of transition for the club, and a new-look Saints team will take the field this year when the season gets underway.

Notable signings:

The Saints may have parted ways with more than one of Brees’ favorite receiving targets, but they made sure to keep the offensive backfield well stocked — the team’s two biggest free agent deals of the offseason, in terms of years and dollars, went to running backs.

One of those backs, Mark Ingram, is a familiar face in New Orleans, re-signing with the club after a career year in which he racked up 964 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Ingram’s 226 carries were by far the most he has received in any of his four NFL seasons, and he excelled in the increased role. Ingram may not be a lock to play in all 16 games, but with Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas no longer in New Orleans, he finally got his chance to carry the load for the Saints, and I expect him to get plenty of work again in 2015 after getting $6.1MM in guaranteed money to return.

Joining him as a change of pace in the backfield is former Bill C.J. Spiller, an intriguing addition who should be able to do some of the things that Sproles and Bush used to do in New Orleans. Like Ingram, Spiller has had injury issues and probably shouldn’t be counted on for 16 full games, but he can still be an explosive player when he sees the field. From 2011 to 2013, Spiller averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry and racked up 115 total receptions. His contract, which is very similar to Ingram’s, suggests the Saints envision a time-share between the two players, and Spiller could excel if he’s not being relied on to be the primary playmaker on offense.

Outside of the two running backs, the Saints didn’t spend much in free agency, which can be at least partly attributed to their lack of cap flexibility. Most of the club’s other veteran free agent additions came on the defensive side of the ball, where Brandon Browner, Kevin Williams, and Anthony Spencer are among the newest Saints.

Of the three, Browner figures to have the biggest impact, and his contract reflects that — no free agent got more guaranteed money from the Saints this offseason than the $7.75MM Browner received. Considering New Orleans’ top two corners in 2014 – Keenan Lewis and Corey White – both ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ grades for the season, the investment makes sense. Browner should help fortify a Saints secondary that will get Jairus Byrd, last season’s top signee, back, but he’ll have to cut down on the penalties. Per PFF, he was called for 15 last season, the second-highest mark among cornerbacks, despite playing less than 600 snaps.

While Browner will see the field more often and play a more significant role for the Saints, Spencer is another free agent addition worth keeping an eye on. He’s on a minimum-salary deal, so there’s little downside from New Orleans’ perspective, and Spencer isn’t far removed from an 11-sack season in 2012. Of course, he has undergone microfracture surgery since then, and probably will never be the same player, but he’s another year removed from that procedure, and reuniting with former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan could help him.

Notable losses:

On reason the Saints have found themselves up against the cap so often in recent years is a frequent inability to determine when it’s time to move on from a player. Often, the team finds itself releasing a player not long after signing him to an extension, which was the case with Thomas. The longtime Saints running back signed an extension in 2014 that locked him up for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, then was cut by New Orleans before he was able to play a single down on that new deal. In the short term, Thomas’ extension allowed the Saints to reduce his ’14 cap charge, but in the long term, it leaves unnecessary dead money on the club’s cap.

A more extreme example of this lack of foresight was the case of Junior Galette. After Galette’s breakout 2013 campaign, in which he posted 12 sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles, the Saints rewarded him at the start of the 2014 season with a four-year, $41.5MM extension, featuring a huge chunk of guaranteed money. Several months later, the Saints were already trying to trade him, and ultimately decided to simply part ways with the standout pass rusher after multiple off-field incidents. If the Saints had waited a little longer to extend the 27-year-old, who was kicked off Temple’s football team in college, they wouldn’t be stuck with more than $17.5MM in dead money on their cap for Galette over the next two seasons.

New Orleans’ cap situation also played a role in the loss of promising defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, who was eligible for restricted free agency. The cap-strapped Saints opted to non-tender Walker, and before he signed with the Lions, the amount of interest the ex-Saint received from smart personnel people around the league was “staggering,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Of course, not all of the Saints’ cap casualties will be as difficult to replace as players like Galette and Walker. White and linebacker Curtis Lofton were among the team’s defenders who ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ rankings at their respective positions. Lofton’s tackles totals during his three years in New Orleans were lofty, and he was extremely durable, never missing a game for the team, but moving on from him in favor of younger, cheaper players was the right call.

Trades:

  • Acquired C Max Unger and a 2015 first-round pick from the Seahawks in exchange for TE Jimmy Graham and a 2015 fourth-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Chiefs in exchange for G Ben Grubbs.
  • Acquired LB Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 third-round pick from the Dolphins in exchange for WR Kenny Stills.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 167; CB Damian Swann) from Washington in exchange for a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 187; WR Evan Spencer) and a 2016 sixth-round pick.

The list of notable losses above featured a handful of key contributors for the 2014 Saints, but the list of players traded away by the team over the last several months is arguably even more star-studded. Topping this list is Jimmy Graham, Brees’ favorite target for the last few seasons.

Graham was another player whom the Saints probably extended too soon, considering he was traded away less than a year after he signed a long-term extension with the club, and will count for $9MM in dead money against New Orleans’ cap in 2015. Still, the structure of Graham’s contract allowed the Seahawks to add him to their books at a much lesser rate than they would’ve paid in free agency, which is why Seattle was willing to part with a first-round pick for him, so the extension didn’t totally backfire for the Saints.

The team’s other big trade of the offseason involved sending Kenny Stills to the Dolphins for veteran linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick, a deal that looked similar to the Graham trade. Both swaps allowed the Saints to add a veteran contributor at an area of weakness – center Max Unger in the trade with Seattle and Ellerbe in the Miami deal – as well as adding an early draft pick.

Considering how cheap rookie contracts are these days, it made sense for the Saints to stockpile draft picks in an effort to add talented, inexpensive players to help balance out the presence of their aging, overpriced veterans, and the glut of dead money on their cap. No team had more picks in the first three rounds of the draft than the Saints’ five selections, and the Graham and Stills deals were a key reason why. Landing a fifth-round pick from the Chiefs for veteran guard Ben Grubbs was a bonus, though it left New Orleans with a hole to fill on its offensive line.

Extensions and restructures:

  • Jahri Evans, G: Extended through 2017. Received $5.4MM signing bonus and $9.5MM in total guarantees. 2015 base salary reduced from $6.8MM to $1.003MM. Created $4MM in cap space.
  • Cameron Jordan, DE: Extended through 2020. Five years, $55MM. $22.969MM guaranteed. $1.25MM in incentives available annually from 2017-2020.
  • Jairus Byrd, S: Restructured contract to create $4.8MM in cap space for 2015, converting a $6MM roster bonus into a signing bonus.
  • Marques Colston, WR: Accepted pay cut. Base salary reduced from $6.9MM to $1.445MM in 2015 and from $7.7MM to $2.65MM in 2016.
  • Dannell Ellerbe, LB: Accepted pay cut before trade from Miami. Reduced base salary in ’15 from $8.5MM to $1.1MM, in ’16 from $6.45MM to $4.1MM, and in ’17 from $6MM to $4.1MM. Includes guarantee of 2015 base salary, $1.5MM signing bonus, $2.1MM 2015 roster bonus, $1MM roster bonus in 2016 and 2017, and $100K annually in workout bonuses.
  • Junior Galette, LB: Restructured contract to create $10MM in cap space for 2015, converting a $12.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus.
  • David Hawthorne, LB: Accepted pay cut. Base salary reduced from $2MM to $1.19MM in 2015 and from $4MM to $1.75MM in 2016.

It’s fair to wonder how many of the players who restructured their contracts and/or accepted pay cuts would still be Saints if they had been unwilling to do so. I imagine when the offseason began, the team approached nearly all its high-priced veterans about reworking their deals, and the players who were open to the idea – such as Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, and David Hawthorne – remained on the roster. Others, like Lofton and Grubbs, may have been less thrilled about the idea, prompting the Saints to cut or trade them.

In some cases, the Saints had deliberately structured contracts to accommodate restructures — there was no way that the huge roster bonuses due to players like Byrd and Galette wouldn’t be converted to signing bonuses, for instance. That’s okay for now, but as we saw with Galette, that bonus money will still hit the cap at some point, and if the Saints have to move on from a player earlier than expected, that money will land on their cap sooner rather than later.

As the Saints worked to reduce big salaries, push those big numbers back to later years, or get rid of those salaries entirely, one exception was defensive end Cameron Jordan, who figures to be relied on more significantly with Galette out of the picture. $11MM per year may seem like a steep price for a defensive lineman who has only recorded double-digit sacks once in his NFL career, but Jordan is also stout against the run, and the cost around the league of extensions for players like Corey Liuget and Cameron Heyward showed that the Saints weren’t paying higher than market value.

Draft picks:

  • 1-13: Andrus Peat, T (Stanford): Signed
  • 1-31: Stephone Anthony, LB (Clemson): Signed
  • 2-44: Hau’oli Kikaha, OLB (Washington): Signed
  • 3-75: Garrett Grayson, QB (Colorado State): Signed
  • 3-78: P.J. Williams, CB (Florida State): Signed
  • 5-148: Davis Tull, OLB (Chattanooga): Signed
  • 5-154: Tyeler Davison, DT (Fresno State): Signed
  • 5-167: Damian Swann, CB (Georgia): Signed
  • 7-230: Marcus Murphy, RB (Missouri): Signed

Loaded with extra draft picks in the first three rounds, the Saints predictably used most of those selections on defensive players, adding inside linebacker Stephone Anthony, outside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha, and cornerback P.J. Williams.

Williams was considered a potential first-round pick based on talent, but was arrested on a DUI charge just a few weeks before the draft, raising concerns about his NFL future. Those charges were ultimately dismissed, and with an extra third-rounder, the Saints could afford to roll the dice on Williams. The team could have a steal if Williams stays out of trouble going forward, though after what they went through with Galette, Sean Payton and his coaching staff figure to keep a close eye on the former Florida State corner, just in case.

The Saints’ other two top picks were a little less predictable, as the club snagged offensive tackle Andrus Peat in the first round, and quarterback Garrett Grayson in the third. An NFL team can never have too many offensive linemen, but the Saints have solid starters on each side of their line, with Terron Armstead penciled in on the left side and Zach Strief expected to play on the right side, so it’s not clear whether Peat will get a chance to start in his rookie season.

Grayson, meanwhile, certainly won’t be starting in his rookie year, barring an injury to Brees. While the former Super Bowl MVP is entering the final year of his contract, he’s expected to stick with the Saints for at least a couple more seasons. Bringing a developmental quarterback on board at this point doesn’t necessarily suggests New Orleans views Grayson as its QB of the future, but it’s an interesting use of a pick that could have been used on adding more defensive help or an offensive playmaker to help Brees win in the short term.

Other:

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Drew Brees, QB: $26,400,000
  2. Jimmy Graham, TE: $9,000,000 (dead money)
  3. Jahri Evans, G: $7,000,000
  4. Marques Colston, WR: $6,500,000
  5. Ben Grubbs, G: $6,000,000 (dead money)
  6. Jairus Byrd, S: $5,500,000
  7. Junior Galette, OLB: $5,450,000 (dead money)
  8. Curtis Lofton, LB: $5,000,000 (dead money)
  9. Keenan Lewis, CB: $4,500,000
  10. Max Unger, C: $4,500,000

NFL fans and observers spent most of the 2014 season waiting for the Saints to step up and take control of a weak NFC South division that didn’t feature a single .500 team. When that didn’t happen, New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis and the front office decided a retooling was in order, and created a little breathing room under the cap by jettisoning a number of veteran contributors.

Heading into the 2015 season, there are a number of question marks surrounding the Saints: Will the offensive backfield stay healthy? Will Brees have enough receiving talent around him to continue to be productive? Will the new additions on defense help turn around a unit that allowed the second-most yards in the NFL in 2014? If things break right, the club could contend for the division title again this season, but there may be some growing pains for the new-look squad.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Community Tailgate: Who Will Win NFC West?

August 7th, 2015 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still a few weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Since we began our Community Tailgate series, we’ve been examining each division in football, slowly but surely making our way through all eight and asking you which team you think will win each division in 2015. Having already looked at the first seven, we finally arrive today at the NFC West.

On paper, the Seahawks appear to be strong favorites in the West. The team didn’t lose any of its most important players in the offseason, and has appeared in consecutive Super Bowls. Still, there are some potential red flags in Seattle. Reports have indicated that Kam Chancellor‘s holdout could extend into the regular season if the two sides don’t reach a compromise. And while the addition of Jimmy Graham should help the Seahawks’ passing game, center Max Unger headed to New Orleans in that trade, leaving the club to work in another new starter on the offensive line, which is arguably the weakest position group on the roster.

In recent years, the 49ers have been Seattle’s primary competition in the West, but an offseason exodus has left plenty of question marks in San Francisco. Among the 2014 Niners who were released, retired, or signed elsewhere? Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Justin Smith, Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox, head coach Jim Harbaugh, and, most recently, Aldon Smith.

The new-look Niners may exceed expectations and challenge for the division crown, but the Cardinals look like the stronger team. Arizona was in first place in the West last year before its top two quarterbacks went down with injuries. With Carson Palmer ready to return in 2015, head coach Bruce Arians will look to lead the Cards back to the postseason.

Finally, the Rams may not have won a division title since 2003, but St. Louis’ defense looks increasingly fearsome, having added Nick Fairley to what was already one of the NFL’s best defensive lines. If Nick Foles can provide consistent, steady production at quarterback, the Rams could be a dark horse in the West.

Who do you think will win the NFC West in 2015? Let us know in the comment section below!

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