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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

Offseason In Review: Kansas City Chiefs

June 30th, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by David Kipke

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Draft picks:

  • Dee Ford, DE, Auburn (1.23): Signed
  • Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice (3.87): Signed
  • De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon (4.124): Signed
  • Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia (5.163): Signed
  • Zach Fulton, G, Tennessee (6.193): Signed
  • Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OT, McGill (6.200): Signed

Other:

On December 30th, 2012, 3 days after six Chiefs had been named to the AFC Pro Bowl team, the Romeo Crennel-led squad crawled to a 38-3 defeat against the Broncos to end their season at 2-14. The team’s shortcomings were obvious: Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn took turns leading a completely stagnant offense while the defense vastly underperformed against the expectation set by the play of its four Pro Bowlers. The detrimental organizational culture had long-been questioned– with horror stories of General Manager Scott Pioli‘s intense nature and accusations of inter-departmental spying. Kansas City fans had even formed a group that received national media attention called ‘Save Our Chiefs’ that organized blackouts at home games and plane-dragged banners demanding Pioli’s firing. A regime change was imminent.

Fast forward four months:  General manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid have been hired, bringing with them high profile assistant coaches Doug Pederson, Bob Sutton, and Brad Childress, and Alex Smith has taken the reins at quarterback. A nine-game win-streak to start the 2013 Season affirmed that the massive overhaul from owner Clark Hunt had been a decidedly successful move. Although the season ended in a catastrophic Wild Card round loss to the Colts, the Chiefs entered the 2013-2014 offseason in a surprisingly stable position given the dire straits in which the franchise had found itself in 12 months prior. That said– the Chiefs still moved some pieces around this past offseason.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs’ O-line will have the most new faces of any positional unit heading into next season after the departures of three starters- Branden Albert to the Dolphins, Jon Asamoah to the Falcons, and Geoff Schwartz to the Giants. 2013 first overall pick Eric Fisher will slide over to left tackle to replace Albert, while ex-Colt Jeff Linkenbach and third-year Donald Stephenson, a former swingman, will comprise the new right side of the line.

One of the biggest headlines of the Chiefs’ offseason was the decision to let Pro Bowl return man Dexter McCluster become a free agent and sign with the Tennessee Titans. One would reasonably suspect the Chiefs to try out rookie speedster De’Anthony Thomas to fill McCluster’s void. Free agent signing Weston Dressler, who has dominated the CFL for the past few years, has also been projected to take over some of McCluster’s leftover snaps. The return of 2013 third-round pick Travis Kelce, who missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, at the tight end position could also prove to be a boon to the offense, given Reid’s historical propensity toward using tight ends.

Defensively, the Chiefs shook up their secondary significantly, parting ways with Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Flowers, free safety Kendrick Lewis, and nickelback Dunta Robinson. Many expect 2014 third-round pick Phillip Gaines out of Rice and hard-nosed veteran Husain Abdullah to factor significantly into the Chiefs’ 2014 defensive backfield.

Up front, the Chiefs’ defense made a few moves along the line, which had proved vulnerable at times last season after injuries to Pro Bowl outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. The defensive end position left vacated by former third overall pick Tyson Jackson will be fought over by Allen Bailey and Vance Walker, whom Chiefs fan will recall played with the Raiders last season. The Chiefs also hoped to provide depth to their outside linebacking corps by drafting pass rush specialist Dee Ford in the first round of the 2014 Draft. Additionally, former Alabama standout linebacker Nico Johnson will look to start alongside All Pro Derrick Johnson at the interior of Sutton‘s 3-4 defense.

The Chiefs stayed relatively quiet this offseason: although at one point they mistakenly thought that they had made waves by signing Emmanuel Sanders, the reigning AFC Wild Card team made no major acquisitions despite losing three starters on the offensive line and a Pro Bowl cornerback. In order to succeed, big strides will need to be made by Andy Reid’s young pair of bookend offensive linemen- Stephenson and Fisher. Off the field, Alex Smith’s contract renewal situation will increasingly loom over the franchise until the former 49er receives a new deal.

As long as Jamaal Charles stays healthy, the Kansas City offense possesses one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL, and the defense should continue to improve after last season’s renaissance. Although the Broncos are still clearly a superior team and will likely dominate the AFC West once again, the Chiefs will be a popular pick to win a return trip to the AFC Wild Card round.

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

Offseason In Review: Baltimore Ravens

June 29th, 2014 at 3:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired Jeremy Zuttah from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick. Extended Zuttah through 2018. Three years, $9.25MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. Reduced cap hit for 2014.
  • Acquired a seventh-round pick (No. 218) from the Browns in exchange for a 2015 sixth-round pick.

Draft picks:

  • C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama (1.17): Signed
  • Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State (2.48): Signed
  • Terrence Brooks, S, Florida State (3.79): Signed
  • Crockett Gillmore, TE, Colorado State (3.99): Signed
  • Brent Urban, DT, Virginia (4.134): Signed
  • Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Costal Carolina (4.138): Signed
  • John Urschel, G, Penn State (5.175): Signed
  • Keith Wenning, QB, Ball State (6.194): Signed
  • Michael Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest (7.218): Signed

Other:

Following the 2012 season, the Ravens were on top of the world. After winning the AFC North with a 10-6 record, they went on incredible ride through the playoffs that was culminated by beating the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Joe Flacco, the Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback who had bet on himself in the offseason, came up aces, securing a six-year, $120.6MM contract. All was well in Baltimore, and the team was expected to remain competitive for years to come.

The 2013 season didn’t play out as planned, however — Flacco and the entire offense regressed, finishing 25th in scoring, 28th in total yardage, and 30th in offensive DVOA. Even the team’s vaunted defense suffered, and the Ravens finished third in the division with an 8-8 record, missing the playoffs for the first time during John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach.Steve Smith

To help repair its offense, Baltimore hired former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak to replace play-caller Jim Caldwell, who took the head job with the Lions. Kubiak is a known fan of multiple tight end formations, and he will have plenty of options to work with in 2014. After inking four-year veteran Dennis Pitta to a five-year, $32MM extension, the Ravens brought in Kubiak’s former protégé Owen Daniels, signing him to bargain one-year deal worth $1MM. Add in third-round pick Crockett Gillmore, and this looks like a tight end group that could serve as the basis for a play-action-heavy offensive scheme.

Joining the TEs on offense will be new addition Steve Smith, who signed for three years and $10.5MM. The 35-year-old Smith, who will line up opposite Torrey Smith, certainly isn’t the player he once was, but is entering an offense where he will be surrounded by more playmakers than in Carolina. He should act as a nice complementary piece, and bring some of the toughness and attitude for which the Ravens were once known. Jacoby Jones, who will add speed both on offense and special teams, was retained on a four-year, $12MM pact. Baltimore signed Justin Forsett (another former Kubiak student), but the running back corps will remain largely the same. Ray Rice was the worst RB in football season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and will likely be facing a suspension due to a domestic incident. As such, Forsett, fourth-rounder Lorenzo Taliaferro, and Bernard Pierce may have to play a larger role to begin the season.

Another change on offense will be the implementation of a zone-blocking scheme along the offensive line. Center Jeremy Zuttah was acquired (then extended) from the Buccaneers with that transition in mind, as the versatile 28-year-old is a smart player who can fit along most any front five. The Ravens also brought back left tackle Eugene Monroe, whom they acquired from the Jaguars in midseason, on a five-year deal worth $37.5MM, and he should add stability to Flacco’s blindside. No replacement was signed to take over right tackle following the departure of Michael Oher, so the winner of a Ricky Wagner–Ryan Jensen battle will likely man the right side come September.

On the defensive side of the ball, Baltimore’s moves exhibited why Ozzie Newsome is regarded as one of the best general managers in the game. The Ravens, sticking to their best-player-available strategy in the draft, selected Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley, regarded by some as the best defensive prospect in the draft, with pick No. 17. Mosley should become an immediate starter in the middle alongside veteran Daryl Smith, who was re-signed on a four-year, $13.6MM contract. Smith, who racked 123 tackles, five sacks, and three interceptions in 2013, and Mosley should form one of the better inside linebacker duos in the league. The outside linebacker spots will be held down once again by Terrell Suggs, who was extended through 2018, and Elvis Dumervil, with Pernell McPhee and 2013 second-rounder Courtney Upshaw backing them up.

In front of the linebackers, second-rounder Timmy Jernigan (another Newsome draft-day steal) will be joining an already-stout defensive line. Jernigan, at 6’2″, 300 pounds, will be part of a rotation at end in the Ravens’ 3-4 defense, along with Brandon Williams and Chris Canty, as the team seeks to replace the production of Arthur Jones, who left for Indianapolis. At nose tackle, the über-effective Haloti Ngata will enter his ninth season in the league, and will be backed up by the massive Terrence Cody.

Cornerback remains one of the most stable positions on the Ravens roster; Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith, whose fifth-year option was exercised, will attempt to shut down opposing receivers. Baltimore’s safety group, however, will have a bit different look — gone is James Ihedigbo, and in are free agent signee Darian Stewart (one year, $1.3MM) and third-round pick Terrance Brooks, who will likely play in some sort of rotation opposite Matt Elam, the team’s 2013 first-round-pick.

There are still pressing issues to be resolved in Baltimore — an extension for Jimmy Smith needs to be worked out, the defense needs to get even younger, and the offensive line could use a veteran addition. Additionally, Flacco’s massive contract figures to hinder the Ravens’ cap situation for some time. However, the team has one of the best GM-coach tandems in the NFL in Newsome and Harbaugh, and the methodical, detail-oriented approach on display year-after-year in Baltimore will likely continue to serve the team well. The Ravens probably aren’t the favorites in a tight AFC North, but a wild card spot isn’t out of the question, and might even be likely.

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

PFR Originals: 6/22/14 – 6/29/14

June 29th, 2014 at 1:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

Offseason In Review: San Diego Chargers

June 29th, 2014 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 50) from the Dolphins in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 57) and a fourth-round pick (No. 125).

Draft picks:

  • Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (1.25): Signed
  • Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech (2.50): Signed
  • Chris Watt, G, Notre Dame (3.89): Signed
  • Ryan Carrethers, DT, Arkansas State (5.165): Signed
  • Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State (6.201): Signed
  • Tevin Reese, WR, Baylor (7.240): Signed

Other:

The Chargers were a surprise entrant in last year’s playoffs, gutting out a tense victory over division-rival Kansas City on the last day of the regular season and getting some help from other clubs along the way to secure the AFC’s second wild-card spot. They went on the road to knock off AFC North champion Cincinnati on wild card weekend before finally succumbing to Denver in the divisional round.

Brandon Flowers

Nonetheless, 2013 was a year of fresh starts and pleasant surprises for San Diego and first-year head coach Mike McCoy. Quarterback Philip Rivers set a career-high with a 69.5% completion percentage and threw 32 touchdown passes, just two short of his career best. Eight of Rivers’ touchdown passes went to rookie wideout Keenan Allen, who fell to the third round of the 2013 draft because of injury concerns and made the other 31 clubs in the league look foolish for passing on him. Rivers was also sacked just 30 times after being dropped almost 50 times in 2012, perhaps a testament to the surprisingly strong performance of free agent acquisition King Dunlap at left tackle and the steady play of rookie D.J. Fluker on the right side.

In an attempt to ensure continued stability along the offensive line in 2014 and beyond, the Chargers re-signed guard Chad Rinehart to a two-year, $6MM deal in March. Although Rinehart enjoyed his best season in 2011, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), he did perform well in San Diego’s two playoff games last season and still has the potential to be an above-average starter in the league.

The biggest concern on offense may be the loss of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who was hired to be the Titans head coach after his one impressive season in San Diego. The Chargers promoted quarterbacks coach Frank Reich to offensive coordinator just one day after Whisenhunt’s hiring, and early returns are encouraging. As Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes, the Chargers’ offense was “purring” in offseason workouts, with Rivers distributing the football all over the field to diverse and talented playmakers like Allen, Ladarius Green, Malcom Floyd, and Vincent Brown.

The Chargers are largely relying on their incumbents to ensure that the offense remains among the league’s most productive units for the second consecutive season. The club did not enter the offseason with a great deal of salary cap space, and they did not draft an immediate playmaker on offense. The biggest acquisition on that side of the ball was former Colts’ running back Donald Brown, who signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal in March. Brown adds a quality complement to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, and he represents a useful insurance policy should Mathews struggle with injuries after finally putting together a healthy and productive campaign in 2013.

The team did hand out a lucrative contract extension to linebacker Donald Butler, keeping the prospective free agent off the market with a seven-year, $51.8MM deal (though only $11.5MM of that is guaranteed). Butler suffered through injury and inconsistency in 2013, but he is just 25 and still has a great deal of potential. Butler will team with Manti Te’o to form what the Chargers hope will be one of the most dynamic pairs of inside linebackers for years.

Te’o and Butler will be flanked by outside linebackers Dwight Freeney and Jarret Johnson (both of whom agreed to take a pay cut in March), but perhaps not for long. Given the age and declining skills of both Freeney and Johnson, the Chargers targeted edge rushing help in the draft and, to that end, traded their second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 57 and 125 overall) to the Dolphins in order to trade up seven spots to No. 50. With that pick, the team chose Jeremiah Attaochu, a 6’3″, 243-pound pass rusher out of Georgia Tech. The Chargers also exercised defensive end Corey Liuget‘s fifth-year option for 2015, thereby keeping another young, high-ceiling defender who can get to the quarterback under club control.

The most pressing concern for the Chargers this offseason was their porous secondary, and they attacked that unit with vigor. They re-signed Richard Marshall, who was largely ineffective in a part-time role in 2013, but they perhaps hit a pair of home runs in the draft and free agency. They used their first-round pick to select top cornerback prospect Jason Verrett out of TCU, and they were the winners of the recent Brandon Flowers sweepstakes, signing the former Chiefs’ corner to a one-year, $3MM deal to prove that he is the elite defender that everyone thought he was in 2011 and 2012.

So the secondary, anchored by stalwart Eric Weddle at free safety, received a significant upgrade, which may be enough to catapult defensive coordinator John Pagano‘s group into the top half of the league (last year, the Chargers ranked 23rd in yards allowed, though they did yield the 11th-fewest points per game). Combined with what projects to be a strong offensive unit, the Chargers should challenge for the playoffs again. Although dethroning the Broncos in the AFC West may be too much to ask, the wildcard is well within reach.

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

Dead Money

June 28th, 2014 at 9:15pm CST by Luke Adams

In our most recent PFR Glossary entry, we explored the different kinds of guaranteed money found in NFL contracts, concluding that the only figures in a contract can be considered fully guaranteed are signing bonuses and salary that is guaranteed for injury, skill, and cap purposes. This fully guaranteed portion of a contract is also known as dead money, from a club’s perspective — it will hit the player’s team’s cap sooner or later, whether he plays out his full contract or whether he gets released early in the deal.

Because signing bonuses are prorated, teams signing bigger contracts that include bonuses typically can spread out that guaranteed money over several years. However, if a team releases a player while it still owes him some or all of this guaranteed money, it “accelerates” onto either the current league year (if the player is released prior to June 1) or the following year (if the player is released after June 1), and applies to the team’s cap even when the player is no longer on the roster. This is what makes it “dead” money.

Let’s take a look at a free agent who signed a new contract this offseason for a practical example. As our Zach Links covered in his Offseason in Review piece on the Browns earlier this week, linebacker Karlos Dansby inked a four-year, $24MM pact with the team — the agreement included a $6MM signing bonus and $6MM in guaranteed base salary ($4MM in 2014 and $2MM of his $4MM salary in 2015). Therefore, the contract currently contains $12MM in dead money – $5.5MM in ’14, $3.5MM in ’15, and $1.5MM each in ’16 and ’17.

When the dead money left on a player’s contract is greater than his current year cap hit, he’s in little danger of being released. Dansby has a $5.5MM cap number in 2014, compared to $12MM in total dead money, meaning even if the Browns had reason to want to cut him (which is unlikely, considering it’s only been a few months since they made that offer), it would make little sense to do so. Under the post-June 1 rule, if Dansby were released now, his $12MM in dead money would hit the cap for a total of $5.5MM this year and $6.5MM in 2015, with the remaining dead money accelerating on that season’s cap. That means Cleveland would be taking larger overall cap hits to get him off the roster than to keep him on it.

In some instances, even a huge amount of dead money isn’t enough reason for a team to keep a player on its roster. For instance, LaMarr Woodley headed into 2014 with a cap number of $13.59MM and $14.71MM in dead money remaining on his contract. By designating him as a post-June 1 cut, the Steelers were able to reduce Woodley’s ’14 cap hit to just $5.59MM, while his ’15 cap hit decreased from $14.09MM to $8.58MM.

Of course, in that scenario, a 2015 cap number of $8.58MM is still exorbitant for a player who won’t be on the team’s roster, which is why clubs who manage the cap the best generally try to keep dead money for non-roster players to a minimum. There are ways of constructing deals to avoid piling up dead money charges, including avoiding large signing bonuses. Darrelle Revis‘ six-year, $96MM pact with the Buccaneers looked massive on paper, but it featured yearly $16MM salaries, with no bonus, meaning the deal didn’t include any guaranteed money. So when Tampa Bay cut the star cornerback earlier this year, the team wasn’t on the hook for any salary, and Revis doesn’t count against the club’s cap at all in 2014.

NFL players often don’t have a ton of job security, but if a player has a sizable amount of dead money left on his contract, it gives him more leverage than he’d otherwise have. If you’re wondering if a veteran player on your favorite team might be a candidate to be cut, it’s worth checking a salary database like Over the Cap or Spotrac to see how much dead money is remaining on his deal. The higher that number is, the less likely the player is to go anywhere in the near future.

Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.

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