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Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

July 4th, 2014 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

  • Kamerion Wimbley (DE/OLB): Restructured contract. Base salaries and cap hits reduced for 2014, 2015, and 2016. Received $2.55MM in total roster bonuses and workout bonuses (not all guaranteed).
  • Craig Stevens (TE): Restructured contract. Base salary for 2014 reduced from $3.4MM to $1.6MM in exchange for $500K guaranteed and up to $100K in roster bonuses.

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 54) and a fourth-round pick (No. 122) from the Eagles in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 42).
  • Acquired a sixth-round pick (No. 178) from the Redskins in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 186) and a seventh-round pick (No. 228).

Draft picks:

  • Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (1.11)
  • Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington (2.54): Signed
  • Daquan Jones, DT, Penn State (4.112): Signed
  • Marqueston Huff, CB Wyoming (4.122): Signed
  • Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky (5.151): Signed
  • Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU (6.178): Signed

Other:

  • Hired Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as head coach.
  • Hired Jason Michael and Ray Horton as offensive and defensive coordinators.
  • Have discussed extension for Jurrell Casey.
  • Declined Jake Locker‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($14.666MM).
  • Signed 13 rookie free agents after the draft.

In the years following the departure of former head coach Jeff Fisher, the Titans struggled to remain relevant, finishing 9-7, 6-10, and 7-9 in three seasons with Mike Munchak at the helm. Tennessee seemed rudderless, especially on offense, and questionable personnel decisions by general manager Ruston Webster only exacerbated the team’s lack of direction. A coaching staff overhaul might be the first step towards determining a team identity, but the Titans’ offseason moves leave much to be desired, as it simply doesn’t appear the team got any better.Michael Oher

Replacing Munchak as head coach will be Ken Whisenhunt, the former Cardinals head coach, who spent 2013 as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. While he brought former San Diego tight end coach Jason Michael with him to Tennessee to serve as offensive coordinator, Whisenhunt will call the plays himself. In addition to changing the Titans’ scheme (he favors a more spread out attack than the previous regime), the 52-year-old will bring Super Bowl experience to Nashville.

Whisenhunt is known as something of a quarterback guru — he helped develop Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and revived the careers of Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers in Arizona and San Diego, respectively. In Tennessee, he faces perhaps his most difficult challenge in reversing the fortunes of 2011 first-rounder Jake Locker. The Titans declined their 2015 option on the fourth-year QB, meaning 2014 is perhaps his best and final chance to prove he is an NFL-caliber starter. If he fails in-season, the team can turn to backup Charlie Whitehurst, who signed a two-year, $4.25MM deal after spending last season under Whisenhunt in San Diego, or sixth-round rookie Zach Mettenberger, who fits the mold of big-bodied quarterbacks that Whisenhunt has favored over his career.

While the Titans are using 2014 as a decision-making year at the quarterback position, they acted more swiftly at the running back spot. They released longtime ball-carrier Chris Johnson, creating $6MM in cap space in the process. Tennessee selected Washington product Bishop Sankey in the second round, and will pair him with holdover Shonn Greene to form a 1-2 punch at RB. Joining them will Dexter McCluster, added on a three-year $9MM pact, who despite playing primarily receiver in his career, is expected to play the Danny Woodhead-role in Whisenhunt’s offense. If McCluster does see time at pass-catcher, he will join an impressive position group, headlined by Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, and Justin Hunter, that hasn’t seen much turnover since 2013 (Kenny Britt left for St. Louis, but he wasn’t a factor last year).

Tennessee’s most questionable roster machinations over the past few months have involved the offensive line. First, the Titans released longtime right tackle David Stewart, a reasonable move both because Stewart’s play had suffered and it cleared over $6MM off the books. However, Stewart is to be replaced in the starting lineup by free agent signee Michael Oher (four years, $20MM), who was even worse in 2013, grading out just the 68th-best tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Compounding that move was another head-scratcher — the drafting of Taylor Lewan at pick No. 11. With stalwart Michael Roos manning the left side, one of Oher or Lewan will have no place to play, meaning the Titans seemingly misused either $20MM or a first-round pick.

While the Titans’ offense might face a learning curve in 2014, the defense, which will also undergo a scheme change, boasts more talent, and should improve upon last season’s 22nd-ranked DVOA. New coordinator Ray Horton ostensibly runs a 3-4 look, but is a major proponent of multiple fronts, meaning versatility will be key. The most visible difference will probably be at linebacker, where Derrick Morgan (entering a contract year) and Kamerion Wimbley will be asked to switch from hand-in-the-ground ends to stand-up outside linebackers. Joining them in the LB rotation will be inside ‘backer Wesley Woodyard, who signed a four-year contract worth $15.75MM, and OLB Shaun Phillips, added from Denver on a two-year, $5MM deal.

Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, a 2013 breakout star who finished as PFF’s fifth-best DT, will be making the switch to nose tackle in Horton’s front. In a typical 3-4 defense, a NT would be asked to fill two gaps (essentially take up space); in Horton’s modified look, however, Casey will still only be assigned one gap, meaning he will still have the freedom to do what he does best — rush the passer. To help solidify the line, Tennessee re-signed Ropati Pitoitua on a three-year deal, added Al Woods from Pittsburgh, and drafted Daquan Jones in the fourth round. Pitoitua and Woods will help at end, while Jones is more of a classic 3-4 tackle, but all three exhibit the requirement of Horton-coached player — versatility.

The secondary will see some change — while safety will continue to be a three-man rotation between Michael Griffin, Bernard Pollard (re-signed on a two-year pact), and George Wilson, the cornerback position suffered the loss of Alterraun Verner, who signed with the Buccaneers. The Titans selected CB Marqueston Huff out of Wyoming in the fourth round, but Verner’s vacated spot will be filled by the winner of a Blidi Wreh-Wilson/Coty Sensabaugh/Tommie Campbell battle; the victor will play opposite veteran Jason McCourty.

Work is left to be done in Tennessee; extensions for Casey and Morgan are possible, and the offensive line needs to be sorted out. But 2014 will be an important year for the Titans. Failure could result in wholesale changes at key positions like quarterback and offensive tackle, while success could mean a new contract for Locker and praise for Whisenhunt and his staff. A winning season isn’t necessarily expected for the Titans next season, but improvement is — how well new schemes on both sides of the ball fare will determine how much more development is needed.

Spotrac and Over the Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Longest-Tenured GMs In The NFL

July 4th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, when we examined the list of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, I observed that more than half of the league’s current coaches have only been in their positions since 2012, meaning they have two seasons or less under their belts with their respective teams. That’s not quite the case with general managers, but there has still been plenty of turnover in front offices around the league in recent years.

Although only three teams hired new GMs in 2014, seven did so in 2013, meaning nearly a third of the NFL’s general managers have no more than one season in the books with their current clubs.

Still, on the other end of the spectrum, a handful of general managers have become mainstays with their respective clubs. Among coaches, only New England’s Bill Belichick had joined his team prior to 2003, whereas six GMs fit that bill. Two of those six – Jerry Jones and Mike Brown – are outliers, since they’re team owners and serve as de facto GMs. But the Patriots, Steelers, Saints, and Ravens have all had the same general managers making their roster decisions for well over a decade.

You can find the complete list of the NFL’s longest-tenured general managers below, along with the date they took over the job. In some instances, an executive served as the head of football operations before officially being named as the general manager, so in those cases, we’ve tried to indicate the date on which he became his team’s top football exec. A few names in the group are accompanied by footnotes at the bottom of the page to further clarify their roles.

Here’s the full list:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers): February 18, 2000[4]
  5. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  6. Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens): November 22, 2002
  7. Ted Thompson (Green Bay Packers): January 14, 2005
  8. Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings): May 30, 2006[5]
  9. Rick Smith (Houston Texans): June 5, 2006
  10. Jerry Reese (New York Giants): January 15, 2007
  11. Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons): January 13, 2008
  12. Martin Mayhew (Detroit Lions): December 29, 2008
  13. Bruce Allen (Washington Redskins): December 17, 2009
  14. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010[6]
  15. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010
  16. Trent Baalke (San Francisco 49ers): May 20, 2010[7]
  17. John Elway (Denver Broncos): January 5, 2011[8]
  18. Reggie McKenzie (Oakland Raiders): January 5, 2012
  19. Ryan Grigson (Indianapolis Colts): January 11, 2012
  20. Ruston Webster (Tennessee Titans): January 18, 2012
  21. Phil Emery (Chicago Bears): January 29, 2012
  22. Les Snead (St. Louis Rams): February 10, 2012
  23. David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 8, 2013
  24. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013
  25. Tom Telesco (San Diego Chargers): January 9, 2013
  26. Dave Gettleman (Carolina Panthers): January 10, 2013
  27. John Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs): January 13, 2013
  28. John Idzik (New York Jets): January 18, 2013
  29. Doug Whaley (Buffalo Bills): May 16, 2013
  30. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014
  31. Dennis Hickey (Miami Dolphins): January 27, 2014
  32. Ray Farmer (Cleveland Browns): February 11, 2014

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Colbert was initially hired as the team’s director of football operations and received the newly-created general manager title in 2011.
  5. Spielman was initially hired as the team’s VP of player personnel and received the GM title in 2012.
  6. While Schneider holds the title of GM, head coach Pete Carroll has the final say on roster moves for the Seahawks.
  7. Baalke held the role of the team’s VP of player personnel until he received the GM title in 2011.
  8. Elway was initially hired as the team’s executive VP of football operations and received the GM title in 2014.

Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

July 3rd, 2014 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Draft picks:

  • Jack Mewhort, OL, Ohio State (2.59): Signed
  • Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss (3.90): Signed
  • Jonathan Newsome, DE, Ball State (5.166): Signed
  • Andrew Jackson, LB, Western Kentucky (6.203): Signed
  • Ulrick John, OT, Georgia State (7.232): Signed

Other:

One of the earliest entries in this year’s Pro Football Rumors’ Offseason In Review series was a look at the Browns, a team that made massive wholesale changes and the most talked about draft pick of the year. While there’s a massive personnel and culture change underway in Cleveland, that’s not the case in Indianapolis. This was an offseason of retooling for the Colts, who hope that their minor tweaks will be enough to put them atop the AFC South in 2014.

The Colts wasted little time in putting pen to paper when free agency officially started this offseason. Just hours in, the Colts reached agreement on a new deal with their top cornerback Vontae Davis. At $39MM over four years, the Colts didn’t get away cheap, but the did fortify their secondary for years to come. Indianapolis could have had a massive crater to fill this offseason had they not wrapped him up considering the premium on free agent CBs this offseason and the dearth of quality options in this year’s draft. Now, the onus is on Davis to pay the Colts back with consistent play. When he’s on, Davis is one of the better corners in the league. When he’s not, opposing quarterbacks have a much easier time in the passing game. Just $15MM of Davis’ deal is guaranteed in total, so if things go south, the Colts can move on without having their cap flexibility crippled. In the short term, the Colts are probbaly better off with a returning Davis and Greg Toler than what they could have come up with out of house.

Of course, the Colts defense as a whole isn’t exactly world class. To help boost the linebacking corps, the Colts added former Browns locker room sparkplug D’Qwell Jackson and ex-Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones. Jackson got a four-year, $22MM deal out of the Colts and they’re hoping that the investment will bring them some hard-tackles as well as real veteran leadership for the younger players. For his part, Jackson says that he’s delighted to get away from “the Cleveland situation,” so there’s every reason to believe that he’ll bust his hump for his new club. In more ways than one, Jackson will be filling the shoes of departing LB Pat Angerer.

Jones, meanwhile, hooked on with a five-year, $33MM pact ($10MM of which is guaranteed). The four-year vet, like Jackson, brings a high-intensity approach to the game and a top notch work ethic. Jones started 20 of his 46 games played with the Ravens, totaling 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He’ll be asked to stuff the run on early downs and rush the passer on favorable down-and-distance situations and he says that he doesn’t care whether he’s lined up as a bookend or on the inside. The athletic Jones will probably see more time at DE, but don’t be surprised to see him pitch in at tackle also.

On the other side of the ball, the Colts re-signed Ahmad Bradshaw to an extremely low-risk one-year deal. Bradshaw underwent season-ending neck surgery in October and seemed destined to head elsewhere, but a minimum salary deal will keep him in blue and white. Of course, Bradshaw won’t be the focal point of the Colts’ running game as Vick Ballard and Trent Richardson figure to take the lion’s share of carries. That reality makes Bradshaw’s decision somewhat perplexing. One would think that a veteran coming off of a serious injury would rather take his services elsewhere to a team that would showcase him more and allow him to cash in in the following year. Whether that hurts Bradshaw’s wallet remains to be seen, but it’s a definite plus for the Colts. One thing Bradshaw has going for him in the battle for playing time are the departures of Tashard Choice and former Colts backfield mainstay Donald Brown.

Another former Giant notable will be joining the Colts this season – Hakeem Nicks. The wiry wide receiver was once the toast of the town in New York but injuries last season slowed him down considerably. For the first time in his career, Nicks went an entire season without finding pay dirt even once. He might not be able to regain his All-Pro form in 2014 but, then again, the Colts don’t need him too. The former UNC star will be there to help support T.Y. Hilton and veteran Reggie Wayne (perhaps supplanting Wayne if he can’t deliver), taking the spot vacated by Darius Heyward-Bey. At one-year and just $2.25MM guaranteed, Hicks would have been a solid pickup for any club this offseason. Rookie Donte Moncrief, Da’Rick Rogers, and Griff Whalen will also be there in support of the Colts’ primary receiving trio. LaVon Brazill, who got slapped with a suspension earlier today, won’t be.

Thanks to the Richardson deal, the Colts were without their first round pick in this year’s draft. With what was left, the Colts went and filled their remaining holes the best they could. Their top pick turned out to be Ohio State lineman Jack Mewhort. Adding a rookie to the mix on the offensive line is always treacherous and it might not help that they have quite a question mark in the middle of that o-line. The Colts will be rolling with sophomore center Khaled Holmes even though some expected them to go out and get someone with a more impressive pedigree, like Browns restricted free agent Alex Mack. Phil Costa, who should have been there in support of Holmes, opted to retire.

Ultimately, the Colts are a team doubling down on what they have and they didn’t feel the need to make major changes to reassert themselves in 2014. Their conservative approach to the offseason was something of a gamble in itself, and Colts fans need to hope that it will pay off.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Longest-Tenured Head Coaches In The NFL

July 3rd, 2014 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL is a league of relative parity, one where a perennial contender can bottom out practically overnight and a team expected to finish at the bottom of its division can win it — just ask the 2013 Texans and Panthers, respectively. As such, it’s probably not a surprise that NFL head coaches’ jobs are rarely safe, with most coaches around the league just one or two underachieving seasons away from being replaced.

Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, as is the case in New England, where Bill Belichick is preparing to begin his 15th season as head coach of the Patriots. However, while there are several long-tenured coaches across the NFL, most men in the position are relative newcomers. More than half of the league’s 32 coaches have only been under contract since 2012, and seven have yet to coach a single game for their new clubs.

A coach like Belichick has such a proven track record that a poor 2014 season wouldn’t jeopardize his job. But there are several names on the list below whose longevity may be surprising, and who may be entering make-or-break years. Consider Joe Philbin of the Dolphins and Dennis Allen of the Raiders, who were hired just four days apart and are in the middle of the pack for longevity — disappointing ’14 results in Miami or Oakland may have Philbin and Allen printing new résumés in December.

Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with the month and year in which they assumed the role:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals): January 14, 2003
  3. Tom Coughlin (New York Giants): January 6, 2004
  4. Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers): January 12, 2006
  5. Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints): January 18, 2006
  6. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 22, 2007
  7. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008
  8. Mike Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 24, 2008
  9. Rex Ryan (New York Jets): January 19, 2009
  10. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010
  11. Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys): November 8, 2010 (interim; permanent since January 2011)
  12. Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco 49ers): January 7, 2011
  13. Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers): January 11, 2011
  14. John Fox (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2011
  15. Jeff Fisher (St. Louis Rams): January 13, 2012
  16. Joe Philbin (Miami Dolphins): January 20, 2012
  17. Dennis Allen (Oakland Raiders): January 24, 2012
  18. Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts): January 25, 2012
  19. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013
  20. Doug Marrone (Buffalo Bills): January 6, 2013
  21. Mike McCoy (San Diego Chargers): January 15, 2013
  22. Chip Kelly (Philadelphia Eagles): January 16, 2013
  23. Marc Trestman (Chicago Bears): January 16, 2013
  24. Bruce Arians (Arizona Cardinals): January 17, 2013
  25. Gus Bradley (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 17, 2013
  26. Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 2, 2014
  27. Lovie Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 2, 2014
  28. Jay Gruden (Washington Redskins): January 9, 2014
  29. Ken Whisenhunt (Tennessee Titans): January 13, 2014
  30. Jim Caldwell (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2014
  31. Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings): January 15, 2014
  32. Mike Pettine (Cleveland Browns): January 23, 2014

Extension Candidate: Julius Thomas

July 3rd, 2014 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The decision made yesterday by arbitrator Stephen Burbank to rule in favor of the Saints on Jimmy Graham‘s positional dispute wasn’t good news for Graham. However, it may not have been bad news for tight ends in general. Had Burbank decided to consider Graham a wide receiver, teams would have made a greater effort going forward not to split out their own tight ends, which would potentially limit the pass-catching numbers for those players, who would have a harder time exploiting certain matchups.Julius Thomas

Additionally, now that Graham is officially viewed as a tight end, he’s poised to set a new high watermark for salary at the position. The Saints are reportedly willing to make Graham the league’s highest-paid player at the position, surpassing Rob Gronkowski‘s $9MM annual value. The creation of a new top tier for salary at the position should bode well when other tight ends begin to negotiate new contracts, and will only help increase the figures for future franchise and transition tags.

All of this is to say that a player like Julius Thomas, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2014 season, shouldn’t be discouraged by the Graham verdict. A franchise tag at wide receiver likely won’t be in Thomas’ future, but the franchise tag for tight ends should be on the rise next year, and if Graham cracks $10MM per year on a long-term deal with the Saints, Thomas will have a stronger case to exceed $7MM on a pact of his own.

An extension for Thomas is indeed on Denver’s to-do list, with GM John Elway confirming to Mike Klis of the Denver Post last month that the Broncos have opened extension talks with their tight end. In Klis’ view, a $7MM per year average may be the target for former fourth-round pick, who turned 26 last week.

When considering Thomas’ value, there are a handful of factors to take into consideration. Coming into the 2013 season, Thomas had just one reception on his résumé for his first two years in the NFL, and had battled ankle troubles in 2012. However, he broke out in a big way in ’13, catching 65 balls for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns, despite ceding plenty of targets with Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Wes Welker.

Thomas is young, athletic, and a gifted pass-catcher — the fact that he played only one year of college ball at Portland State could actually be a positive for the Broncos, since it suggests he still has plenty of room to continue to develop and improve following his breakout season. The tight end recently told Ross Jones of Fox Sports that he anticipates the team finding new, creative ways to use him in 2014, as he becomes more comfortable and confident in the offense.

“I do think I’m still scratching the surface,” Thomas said. “I’ve had guys who have told me that playing football around year four and year five, it starts to click and then it all starts to make sense of what you’re doing. That’s typical of a normal guy who has been playing forever. I still think I have so far to go. I need to keep getting repetitions and keep getting comfortable with things.”

Assuming Denver also believes Thomas is “scratching the surface” of his full potential, it makes sense that the team would attempt to lock him up before the upcoming season, before his value increases even further. Still, when it comes to Thomas’ next contract, the club could have some of the same concerns that exist in negotiations with wideout Demaryius Thomas. Peyton Manning‘s presence in Denver has helped pad stats for all the team’s pass-catchers, and the presence of Welker, free agent signee Emmanuel Sanders, and rookie Cody Latimer will ensure that no one receiver is necessarily indispensable to the team’s passing attack. Additionally, with Manning unlikely to continue his career for more than another two or three years, it’s worth considering who will be throwing the balls caught by the pair of Thomases if Denver signs both players to lucrative long-term deals.

If the Broncos think Thomas is the real deal though, there’s no reason not to attempt to secure him on a multiyear contract this summer. A deal like the one agreed upon between Dennis Pitta and the Ravens this offseason could make some sense — Pitta only received an average annual value of $6.4MM over five years, but $16MM of that $32MM deal is fully guaranteed. I’d guess the Broncos are more likely to push for a different sort of structure, one with a higher annual salary and a more modest guarantee. In that scenario, a five-year deal for Thomas could fall in the $35-40MM range, but with a guarantee in the neighborhood of $10-13MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Oakland Raiders

July 2nd, 2014 at 9:07pm CST by Rob DiRe

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired Matt Schaub from the Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 181). Restructured Schaub’s contract, reducing cap hits for 2014 and 2015. Two years, $13.5MM (2016 year removed). $8MM guaranteed. Can make up remainder of lost ’14 salary in incentives.
  • Acquired a seventh-round pick (No. 247) from the Seahawks in exchange for Terrelle Pryor.
  • Acquired a third-round pick (No. 81) and a fourth-round pick (No. 116) from the Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 67).

Draft picks:

  • Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo (1.5): Signed
  • Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State (2.36): Signed
  • Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State (3.81): Signed
  • Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech (4.107): Signed
  • Keith McGill, CB, Utah (4.116): Signed
  • Travis Carrie, CB, Ohio (7.219): Signed
  • Shelby Harris, DE, Illinois State (7.235): Signed
  • Jonathan Dowling, S, Western Kentucky (7.247): Signed

Other:

The Raiders have been a part of one of the largest rebuilds in recent memory, a full reconstruction from top to bottom. The team has failed to put a competitive product on the field week in and week out since losing to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

This change is not merely in terms of the roster, but organization wide. Under the control of Al Davis, the Raiders appeared in five Super Bowls. Much of that success needs to be attributed to Davis’ strengths as an owner, a coach, and a general manager. However, under his last decade at the helm, a swarm of bad draft picks, poor trades, and worse contracts crippled the team, leaving them riddled with dead money.

The rebuild started anew in 2012, with former Packers’ executive Reggie McKenzie hired as general manager and former Broncos’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen hired to be the head coach. The roster began to be stripped down, and the team looked forward to a day when it could become players in free agency once again. That time arrived this offseason.

The Raiders’ offseason has been highlighted to an outsider by the notable losses. Lamarr Houston, Jared Veldheer, Rashad Jennings, and Tracy Porter all left for greener pastures in free agency. The team expressed some interest in keeping them, and was left without viable replacements on the roster. One of the most newsworthy moments of the team’s free agency period was signing Rodger Saffold, which of course fell through due to a failed physical, allowing Saffold to return to the Rams.

With an inability to attract high profile free agents, or even re-sign their own players, many teams would get into bidding wars and be forced to overpay players to add or keep them on the roster. The old Raiders may have participated in this, as they have in years past. This year, however, Oakland allowed free agency to play out. The club signed a large number of reasonable deals, with veterans who had some track record of success.

One-year deals for Tarell Brown, Charles Woodson, Khalif Barnes, Carlos Rogers, Pat Sims, and Darren McFadden gave the Raiders a group of inexpensive but experienced players with something to prove. Other short-term additions included another group of veterans with considerable upside, such as Justin Tuck, Maurice Jones-Drew, Kevin Boothe, LaMarr Woodley, Antonio Smith, Usama Young, and James Jones. Not a single one of these contracts came with more than $4.35MM in guaranteed money, or an average annual salary of over $5MM.

The team’s one major investment was in offensive tackle Austin Howard, who scored a five-year, $30MM contract with just under $10MM in guaranteed money, to shore up their offensive line.

The team will line up newly acquired Matt Schaub under center come September, another veteran with a good track record who only recently fell out of favor with his former club. He cost the team only a sixth-round pick. Compared to some of the quarterbacks the Raiders played over the past half of a decade, Schaub would only need to achieve mild success to be considered a steal. JaMarcus Russell is considered one of the biggest busts in recent draft history. Carson Palmer cost the team a first- and second-round pick. Terrelle Pryor was won in the 2011 supplemental draft for the Raiders’ 2012 third-round pick, and Matt Flynn cost them a fifth-round pick.

The Raiders’ also selected a quarterback in the second round in this year’s draft, taking Derek Carr out of Fresno State. Their first-round pick was used on linebacker Khalil Mack, a selection met with universal praise, as the Buffalo product was viewed as the best player available. Praise is not something the team was used to under Davis. The Raiders were also were able to pick up a fourth-round pick in a draft day trade with the Dolphins, moving down 14 spots in the third round. The move came a year after the Raiders picked up a second-round pick for agreeing to move from the third overall pick down to 12th overall.

These moves may not turn the Raiders into a playoff contender in 2014, as the AFC West was represented in the playoffs by the Broncos, Chargers, and Chiefs. In fact, the Chiefs were one completion from Alex Smith to Dwayne Bowe away from putting all three teams into the second round of the playoffs.

While the division could possibly take a step back, odds are that the Raiders will still end the season in last place. In that case, their coach’s job may be in jeopardy. Although Allen has had limited to work with in terms of roster, reports from earlier this offseason suggested that the team is expecting Allen to start to win with his new players.

Even if the team fails to improve on the field, new philosophies and strategies at an executive level have the Raiders trending in a positive direction. Whether or not the fruits of McKenzie’s labor result in a winning record for the Raiders this season remains to be seen. But for the first time in years, fans in Oakland can clearly see a long-term plan for success being put into practice as the team looks to return to its former glory. They may not have Al Davis sitting in their front office anymore, but it seems the Raiders once again have a commitment to excellence.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Latest On Four Remaining Unsigned Draftees

July 2nd, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve discussed before when covering draft pick signings – as well as those draftees who remain unsigned – the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement has taken most of the drama out of the contracts for rookies. With set amounts on signing bonuses and total values for most rookie deals, players will haggle over things like offset language, types of payment, and guaranteed money, but for the most part, there isn’t much wiggle room.

That means that we shouldn’t expect to see many – if any – holdouts when training camps get underway later this month. Still, four of 2014’s 256 draft picks have still yet to ink their contracts, so it’s worth checking in on them to see if we can discern any particular reason why that’s the case. Here are the four draftees who remain unsigned, along with the latest updates on each of them:

  • Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8): As of last Tuesday, Gilbert didn’t sound like he was too involved in his own negotiations, deferring to his agent when asked about contract talks by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He echoed that stance later in the week, suggesting that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be in attendance when the Browns’ training camp begins. Still, even with potential disputes over offsets and roster bonuses in play at the No. 8 spot, I’d be pretty surprised if the rookie cornerback wasn’t present for the first day of camp.
  • Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11): Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote this week that he thinks the delay on Lewan may be a result of the offensive tackle looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. Last year’s 11th overall pick (D.J. Fluker) didn’t receive these bonuses in his deal, but Lewan’s teammate, No. 10 pick Chance Warmack, did get them. Considering Lewan is viewed as the Titans’ left tackle of the future, making him a more essential piece on the offensive line than Warmack, he has a reasonable case for those roster bonuses. In Florio’s view, a brief training camp holdout is a possibility for Lewan.
  • Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39): Lee was long viewed as a likely first-round pick, so the delay on his signing may be related to his trying to recoup some guaranteed money after slipping to No. 39. In his latest mailbag, John Oesher of Jaguars.com couldn’t offer any specific details on the holdup for Lee, but stated confidently that something should get done before training camp.
  • Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67): There haven’t been many rumblings about the contract talks, who is the last third-rounder to sign. Most recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote last Monday that the unresolved issues for Turner “are not insurmountable.”

2014 NFL Trades

July 2nd, 2014 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL isn’t a league known for its blockbuster trades, but as NBA and NHL free agency got underway on July 1, a couple NFL clubs pulled off a deal of their own, with the Ravens sending linebacker Rolando McClain to Dallas. By our count, it was the 36th trade in the league this year, and the 11th involving at least one veteran player. While the other 25 deals were simple draft pick swaps, many of those trades could also end up significantly shaping franchises — Sammy Watkins, Johnny Manziel, and Teddy Bridgewater were among the rookies selected with traded draft picks.

We’re only about halfway through 2014, and as the fall trade deadline approaches, we’ll likely see several more deals consummated around the league. We’ll keep tabs on all those moves right here, with our 2014 NFL trade tracker. You can find this page, which will be updated every time a new trade is finalized, on our right-hand sidebar under the “PFR Features” menu at any time.

Here, in reverse chronological order, are 2014’s NFL trades:

October 28

  • Rams acquire S Mark Barron.
  • Buccaneers acquire 2015 fourth-round pick and 2015 sixth-round pick.

October 28

  • Patriots acquire LB Jonathan Casillas and 2015 sixth-round pick.
  • Buccaneers acquire 2015 fifth-round pick.

October 22

  • Patriots acquire LB Akeem Ayers and 2015 seventh-round pick.
  • Titans acquire 2015 sixth-round pick.

October 18

  • Jets acquire WR Percy Harvin.
  • Seahawks acquire conditional 2015 fourth-round pick (if Harvin is on Jets’ roster in 2015; otherwise, pick is a 2015 sixth-rounder)

August 31

  • Texans acquire QB Ryan Mallett.
  • Patriots acquire conditional 2016 sixth-round pick (if Mallett plays 40% of Texans’ snaps in 2014; otherwise, pick is a 2016 seventh-rounder).

August 30

  • Cowboys acquire DE Lavar Edwards.
  • Titans acquire conditional 2015 seventh-round pick.

August 30

  • Seahawks acquire DB Marcus Burley.
  • Colts acquire 2015 sixth-round pick.

August 26

  • Broncos acquire K Brandon McManus.
  • Giants acquire conditional 2015 seventh-round pick.

August 26

August 21

August 20

  • Colts acquire RB David Fluellen.
  • Eagles acquire K Cody Parkey.

August 19

  • Eagles acquire RB Kenjon Barner.
  • Panthers acquire conditional 2015 seventh-round pick (if Barner spends at least four games on the Eagles’ 46-man active roster in 2014).

August 12

  • Patriots acquire DT Jerel Worthy.
  • Packers acquire conditional 2015 seventh-round pick (if Worthy makes Patriots’ 53-man roster in 2014).

August 12

July 1

  • Cowboys acquire LB Rolando McClain and conditional 2015 seventh-round pick.
  • Ravens acquire conditional 2015 sixth-round pick.

June 18

May 10

  • Ravens acquire 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 218; WR Michael Campanaro).
  • Browns acquire 2015 sixth-round pick.

May 10

  • Titans acquire 2014 sixth-round pick (No. 178; QB Zach Mettenberger).
  • Redskins acquire 2014 sixth-round pick (No. 186; RB Lache Seastrunk) and seventh-round pick (No. 228; K Zach Hocker).

May 10

May 10

  • Buccaneers acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 149; OT Kevin Pamphile).
  • Bills acquire 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 221; OLB Randell Johnson) and 2015 fifth-round pick.

May 10

  • Panthers acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 148; CB Bene’ Benwikere).
  • Vikings acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 168; later traded to Falcons) and 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 225; CB Jabari Price).

May 10

  • Cowboys acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 146; WR Devin Street).
  • Lions acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 158; DT Caraun Reid) and 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 229; K Nate Freese).

May 10

  • Bears acquire 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 131; S Brock Vereen) and 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 246; OT Charles Leno Jr.).
  • Broncos acquire 2014 fifth-round pick (No. 156; LB Lamin Barrow) and 2015 fifth-round pick.

May 10

  • Bengals acquire 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 111; C Russell Bodine).
  • Seahawks acquire 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 123; WR Kevin Norwood) and sixth-round pick (No. 199; OT Garrett Scott).

May 10

  • Bills acquire RB Bryce Brown and 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 237; OT Seantrel Henderson).
  • Eagles acquire 2014 seventh-round pick (No. 224; DT Beau Allen) and additional draft pick that will be either a 2015 fourth-rounder, a 2016 third-rounder, or a 2016 fourth-rounder, depending on conditions met by Brown and WR Stevie Johnson.

May 9

May 9

  • Jaguars acquire 2014 third-round pick (No. 93; G Brandon Linder).
  • Patriots acquire 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 105; C Bryan Stork) and sixth-round pick (No. 179; G Jon Halapio).

May 9

  • Texans acquire 2014 third-round pick (No. 83; DT Louis Nix).
  • Eagles acquire 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 101; CB Jaylen Watkins) and fifth-round pick (No. 141; DE Taylor Hart).

May 9

  • Dolphins acquire 2014 third-round pick (No. 67; OT Billy Turner).
  • Raiders acquire 2014 third-round pick (No. 81; G Gabe Jackson) and fourth-round pick (No. 116; CB Keith McGill).

May 9

May 9

  • 49ers acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 57; RB Carlos Hyde).
  • Dolphins acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 63; WR Jarvis Landry) and fifth-round pick (No. 171; OLB Jordan Tripp).

May 9

  • Broncos acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 56; WR Cody Latimer) and seventh-round pick (No. 242; LB Corey Nelson).
  • 49ers acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 63; later traded to Dolphins), fifth-round pick (No. 171; later traded to Dolphins), and 2015 fourth-round pick.

May 9

  • Chargers acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 50; OLB Jeremiah Attaochu).
  • Dolphins acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 57; later traded to 49ers) and fourth-round pick (No. 125; CB Walt Aikens).

May 9

May 9

May 9

  • Lions acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 40; LB Kyle Van Noy) and fifth-round pick (No. 146; later traded to Cowboys).
  • Seahawks acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 45; WR Paul Richardson), fourth-round pick (No. 111; later traded to Bengals), and seventh-round pick (No. 227; FB Kiero Small).

May 9

  • Cowboys acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 34; DE/OLB Demarcus Lawrence).
  • Redskins acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 47; LB Trent Murphy) and third-round pick (No. 78; G Spencer Long).

May 9

  • 49ers acquire WR Stevie Johnson.
  • Bills acquire a 2015 fourth-round pick which could become a third-rounder depending on Johnson’s performance.

May 8

  • Vikings acquire 2014 first-round pick (No. 32; QB Teddy Bridgewater).
  • Seahawks acquire 2014 second-round pick (No. 40; later traded to Lions) and 2014 fourth-round pick (No. 108; DE Cassius Marsh).

May 8

  • Browns acquire 2014 first-round pick (No. 22; QB Johnny Manziel).
  • Eagles acquire 2014 first-round pick (No. 26; DE/OLB Marcus Smith) and third-round pick (No. 83; later traded to Texans).

May 8

May 8

May 8

  • Bills acquire 2014 first-round pick (No. 4; WR Sammy Watkins).
  • Browns acquire 2014 first-round pick (No. 9; later traded to Vikings), 2015 first-round pick, and 2015 fourth-round pick.

April 21

April 4

March 23

  • Ravens acquire C/G Jeremy Zuttah.
  • Buccaneers acquire 2015 fifth-round pick.

March 21

March 14

  • 49ers acquire QB Blaine Gabbert.
  • Jaguars acquire 2014 sixth-round pick (No. 205; C Luke Bowanko) and conditional 2015 pick (if Gabbert starts eight or more games in 2014).

March 13

March 13

  • 49ers acquire OL Jonathan Martin.
  • Dolphins acquire conditional 2015 seventh-round pick (if Martin makes 49ers’ opening day roster in 2014).

Poll: Will Eagles Regret Releasing DeSean Jackson?

July 2nd, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, Redskins wideout Andre Roberts told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his decision to sign with Washington may have been different had he known DeSean Jackson was going to be on the team. Roberts, who has been eclipsed by Larry Fitzgerald and, at times, Michael Floyd, in Arizona, signed on with the Redskins in free agency in hopes that he could show his stuff as a more primary receiver. When Jackson came aboard to join forces with Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss, it bumped Roberts down a peg on the depth chart.

Obviously, the Redskins are happy that Jackson fell to them, even if it left Roberts a little bit perturbed. As the season approaches, however, one can’t help but wonder if the Eagles will regret having let their stud wide receiver go. Philly released Jackson over the offseason and also watched Jason Avant hook on with the Panthers. What’s left for Chip Kelly & Co. is Jeremy Maclin, who is back from a torn ACL, last year’s breakout star Riley Cooper. and a supporting cast of Arrelious Benn, second-round pick Jordan Matthews, and third-round pick Josh Huff. Cooper’s play in 2013 provided an unexpected boost for the club and Huff is a former Kelly pupil from Oregon, but the receiver corps as a whole is undeniably not as strong without Jackson in the mix.

Will Philly come to regret releasing Jackson?

Will The Eagles Regret Releasing DeSean Jackson?
Yes 53.36% (151 votes)
No 46.64% (132 votes)
Total Votes: 283

Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos

June 30th, 2014 at 11:17pm CST by Rory Parks

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 56) and a seventh-round pick (No. 242) from the 49ers in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 63), a fifth-round pick (No. 171), and a 2015 fourth-round pick.

Draft picks:

  • Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State (1.31): Signed
  • Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana (2.56): Signed
  • Michael Schofield, OT, Michigan (3.95): Signed
  • Lamin Barrow, LB, LSU (5.156): Signed
  • Matt Paradis, C, Boise State (6.207): Signed
  • Corey Nelson, LB, Oklahoma (7.242): Signed

Other:

After acquiring living legend Peyton Manning two years ago, the Broncos probably thought they would have another Lombardi Trophy in their collection by now. But after being upset by Baltimore in a double-overtime thriller in the 2012 playoffs, Denver was blindsided by Seattle’s suffocating defense one year later in Super Bowl XLVIII. In an attempt to get his team over the hump, GM John Elway was very aggressive in free agency, landing a number of marquee pieces to ensure that the Broncos get another crack at the title.

DeMarcus Ware

On offense, Elway made the difficult decision to let wide receiver Eric Decker walk in free agency. Decker had put up over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, but the Broncos knew they would be unable to meet Decker’s open-market price (especially since they are also mulling extensions to dynamic receiving threats Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas). The team did sign former Steeler’s wideout Emmanuel Sanders, who offers a different skillset than Decker and whose speed and elusiveness, combined with Manning’s accuracy, could create nightmarish problems over the middle of the field.

Along the offensive line, Denver added veteran center Will Montgomery and will reshuffle the unit with the return of Ryan Clady from injury and the departure of left guard Zane Beadles. Clady will resume his post at left tackle, so Chris Clark–who replaced Clady at that spot last season–will move over to right tackle. Orlando Franklin, last year’s right tackle, gets bumped inside to left guard to replace Beadles. The mix-up might have created a bit of confusion and disappointment for Franklin, but it should not negatively impact what was a tremendous offensive line in 2013. The group excelled in pass protection, giving up just 20 sacks–though Manning’s quick trigger surely played a significant part in that–and they were effective in run blocking as well.

Speaking of the running game, the Broncos let running back Knowshon Moreno leave in free agency–he ultimately signed a modest deal with the Dolphins–and have not attempted to replace him with a veteran. Instead, they seem comfortable riding their stable of young backs, none of whom have started a game in the NFL. But all the Broncos really need from their run game is the ability to pick up first downs off of short yardage and touchdowns off of goal-to-go situations. Talented but unproven runners like Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and C.J. Anderson should be able to carry the load.

The defensive side of the ball is where the Broncos made the biggest splashes in free agency. According to Football Outsiders’ metrics, Denver had a middle of the pack defense in 2013, ranking 9th against the run–as measured by Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA)–but 21st against the pass and 15th overall. Those evaluations were supported by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked the Broncos’ defense second-best in the league against the run but just 17th in coverage and 14th in pass rushing.

Enter DeMarcus Ware. Released by the Cowboys, the perennial All-Pro found a home in the Mile High City, where he and Von Miller will create a formidable pass rush duo that should boost the team’s sack total (the Broncos racked up 41 sacks in 2013, tied for 13th-most in the league). In the secondary, although Denver lost Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Giants, they replaced him with Aqib Talib, who resurrected his career with back-to-back solid seasons in New England. Although Pro Football Focus (subscription required) suggests this is something of a downgrade–Talib was ranked 57th out of 110 qualified corners, whereas Rodgers-Cromartie was ranked 6th-best–it would be surprising if Talib did not perform at least as well as the man affectionately known as DRC. This is not to mention, of course, the addition of first-round selection Bradley Roby, a talented cornerback in his own right.

The Broncos also added safety T.J. Ward to boost the back end of the defense. Ward thrives against both the run and the pass, and he adds some much-needed athleticism to a defense that said goodbye to aging veterans Mike Adams, Champ Bailey, and Quentin Jammer.

Manning, who is an aging veteran himself, shows no signs of slowing down and said that he plans to play out his current contract, which runs through the 2016 season (when Manning will be 40). Because of Manning’s age and the age of other key players–Ware and Wes Welker, for instance–there is a belief that Denver’s window to win it all is fairly small. However, as shown above, the Broncos are also getting younger and more athletic in some areas, and should they reach extensions with Demaryius and Julius Thomas, they will have secured a key part of their offensive future.

In any event, barring an injury to Manning, this team is not going anywhere in the next several years. They should take home the AFC West title again this season, and, although it is rare for such things to happen in the NFL, we may see a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch in Super Bowl XLIX. The Broncos are certainly favorites to represent the AFC in the big game again, and if they do, their offseason additions may just be enough to bring a third title to Denver.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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