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This Date In Transactions History: Broncos Sign Brandon Lloyd

June 15th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Josh McDaniels‘ stint in Denver is not remembered fondly, one of the fliers the coach/de facto GM took during his tumultuous tenure turned out to pay big dividends. Ten years ago today, the Broncos signed wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. This led to one of the more randomly great receiving seasons in modern NFL history.

After stays as a starter with the 49ers, Redskins and Bears between 2003-08, Lloyd signed a one-year pact with the Broncos on June 15, 2009. The deal paid him less than $700K. However, the Broncos used the ’09 season as an evaluation period for the former fourth-rounder. Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley resided on the ’09 Broncos, who deactivated Lloyd for 14 games. But their 2010 team relied on him heavily.

McDaniels kept Lloyd in Denver via multiyear deal worth more than $2MM in 2010. Although the Broncos stumbled to one of the worst seasons in franchise history, a 4-12 campaign that included McDaniels’ midseason firing, Lloyd blew up for one of the organization’s greatest receiving showings. After an eight-catch 2009, Lloyd produced 77 receptions, 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. That yardage total not only led the NFL by a fairly healthy margin, it remains the third-highest single-season figure in Broncos history — trailing only Demaryius Thomas (2014) and Rod Smith (2001). Thomas and Eric Decker took a backseat to Lloyd as rookies.

The then-29-year-old wideout’s showing with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow at that offense’s controls — after the Broncos had parted ways with Marshall and Stokley — earned Pro Bowl acclaim. But less than a year later, the Broncos traded Lloyd to the Rams. A contract dispute, and the team’s Tebow-based shift to one of the more run-centric offenses in recent NFL annals a year later, led to Lloyd’s midseason departure.

Both sides benefited from the exit. Thomas and Decker helped attract Peyton Manning to Denver in 2012, and Lloyd signed a three-year, $12MM deal with the Patriots (who had recently rehired McDaniels) that year. Lloyd, who recorded one 1,000-yard receiving season in 11 NFL campaigns, was the Patriots’ second-leading receiver in 2012 but was released the following offseason.

The conditional pick the Broncos received from the Rams turned into a 2012 fifth-rounder, which became Malik Jackson. The defensive lineman started in both Super Bowl XLVIII and Super Bowl 50 and remains a well-regarded interior presence eight years into his career.

Poll: Which New Head Coach Will Experience Most 2019 Success?

June 13th, 2019 at 8:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Coaching staff turnover was abundant this offseason, but most of that change occurred at the assistant level: while there were 28 instances of alteration among offensive and defensive coordinators, only eight new head coaches will be leading teams in 2019, a number that fits in nicely with yearly averages. Naturally, most of these eight new HCs are taking over clubs that are in something of a rebuilding phase, as no club that made the postseason in 2018 decided to make a change at the top.

With that in mind, we’d like to ask PFR readers which new head coach will experience the most success during the upcoming campaign? While we aren’t solely asking about record (the Dolphins could win five games and consider that a success, for example), we’re looking mostly at wins and losses.

Here’s a refresher on the NFL’s new head coaches:

In the AFC, Taylor will not only lead an extremely young coaching staff in Cincinnati, but hope bringing the Rams’ offense to the Queen City leads to positive results. Kitchens and the Browns will enter the 2019 season with extremely high expectations, and he has the benefit of experienced coordinators — Todd Monken and Steve Wilks — on each side of the ball. In South Beach, Flores will attempt to change the Dolphins’ culture as the club embarks on a potentially multi-season rebuild. Miami’s prior coach, Gase, is now in New York where he’ll be tasked with developing second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.

Moving to the NFC, Kingsbury is probably the most intriguing NFL head coaching hire in several years, and all eyes will be on the desert as he meshes his Air Raid offense with No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray. LaFleur comes to Green Bay with only one season of play-calling experience under his belt, but Packers fans won’t be happy with a step back while Aaron Rodgers is still under center. And in Tampa Bay, Arians will add his “no risk it, no biscuit” mantra to an offense that already loved to throw deep in 2018.

So, who do you like? Which of these coaches will post the most successful season in 2018? (Link for app users).

Which new head coach will have the most 2019 success?
Freddie Kitchens (Browns) 32.58% (536 votes)
Matt LaFleur (Packers) 25.35% (417 votes)
Bruce Arians (Buccaneers) 11.43% (188 votes)
Vic Fangio (Broncos) 11.19% (184 votes)
Adam Gase (Jets) 7.48% (123 votes)
Zac Taylor (Bengals) 4.56% (75 votes)
Brian Flores (Dolphins) 3.89% (64 votes)
Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals) 3.53% (58 votes)
Total Votes: 1,645

This Date In Transactions History: Broncos Release Willis McGahee

June 13th, 2019 at 9:02am CST by Zachary Links

In the summer of 2011, the Ravens released Willis McGahee in an effort to save cap space. Days later, the Broncos scooped him up to provide to starter Knowshon Moreno. It proved to be a wise decision, as Moreno went down with an injury in the very first game of the season. 

From there, McGahee took off. He topped 100 rushing yards in the team’s Week 2 win against the Bengals, torched the Packers for 103 yards off of just 15 carries in Week 4, and nearly set a new career high with 163 rushing yards against the Raiders in November. McGahee finished out the year with 1,199 rushing yards with an average of 4.8 yards per tote.

With that, the Broncos seemingly had their new No. 1 running back in 2012, the year of Peyton Manning‘s arrival. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan for McGahee. After a solid first half to the season, a helmet-to-knee hit from Quentin Jammer in November resulted in a torn MCL and an early end to his campaign.

From there, Moreno regained his spot as the team’s top RB and, on this date in 2013, McGahee was released by the Broncos. Sadly, McGahee was unable to return to his old form after the release. McGahee hooked on with the Browns after they traded Trent Richardson to the Colts, but he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry and ran for 377 yards in his 12 games, both career lows. After that, it was curtains for the former first-round pick and University of Miami star.

McGahee had an up-and-down career in the NFL, but he left the game with two Pro Bowl selections and four seasons with upwards of 1,100 rushing yards.

Poll: Which Top 10 Pick Has The Highest Bust Potential?

June 12th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL Draft is just barely in the rear view mirror, which means that teams are full of hope for their young rookies. But, of course, the NFL Draft is largely a crapshoot, and not every player will realize their full potential. 

This year’s draft had talent, but lacked a true consensus on the top player. Many evaluators pegged defensive end Nick Bosa as the player with the highest ceiling in the 2019 class, but other saw Alabama’s Quinnen Williams as the “safest bet.” The 49ers pounced on Bosa with the No. 2 pick while the Jets (and former GM Mike Maccagnan) were delighted to land Williams at No. 3 overall.

Leading up to the draft, much of the attention was on Oklahoma quarterback (and one-time MLB hopeful) Kyler Murray. When Murray announced that he would ditch the Oakland A’s, his stock exploded – Murray was considered a borderline first-round prospect in the winter, but wound up as the Cardinals’ choice at No. 1 overall. Murray has the speed that teams crave at the QB position, but questions persist about his size and overall lack of experience as a full-time starter.

The Cardinals’ long flirtation with Murray brought us the expected result, but the Raiders gave us the real first shock of the draft when they tapped Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Not to be outdone, the Giants snagged Duke’s Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. Heading into the draft, neither player was thought to be anywhere near Top 10 consideration, but Mike Mayock and Dave Gettleman were unwilling to trade down and risk losing out on their guys.

The domino effect created by those picks allowed the Bucs to grab inside linebacker Devin White (No. 5 overall), the Jaguars to land outside linebacker Josh Allen (No. 6), the Lions to snag top tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Bills to draft defensive tackle Ed Oliver (No. 9 overall), and the Steelers to finish out the Top 10 with linebacker Devin Bush. Most of those picks were warmly received, but nothing is certain in the draft.

Which Top 10 pick do you think has the highest bust potential? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

Which Top 10 Pick Has The Highest Bust Potential?
Daniel Jones 35.89% (1,439 votes)
Kyler Murray 32.92% (1,320 votes)
Clelin Ferrell 9.65% (387 votes)
Nick Bosa 6.08% (244 votes)
T.J. Hockenson 4.14% (166 votes)
Josh Allen 3.64% (146 votes)
Ed Oliver 3.07% (123 votes)
Devin Bush 2.42% (97 votes)
Quinnen Williams 1.42% (57 votes)
Devin White 0.77% (31 votes)
Total Votes: 4,010

This Date In Transactions History: Michael Vick

June 12th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2009, the Falcons moved on from the biggest star in the history of their franchise. After unsuccessful attempts to trade Michael Vick, the Falcons cut finally ties with the quarterback. 

With the ability to run as well as he could throw, Vick was one of the brightest young stars in the NFL. In six seasons, he earned three Pro Bowl nominations and led the Falcons to the NFC championship game twice. The first go-round in 2002 snapped a four-year playoff drought in Atlanta.

The trajectory of Vick’s career and the entire Falcons franchise changed in 2007 when Vick was indicted for his role in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting ring. The Falcons pretty much made up their minds on Vick after the quarterback was sentenced to nearly two years in prison, but there were paperwork and cap issues to sort out. The Falcons successfully recovered ~$20MM of Vick’s $37MM signing bonus in ’07, but it wasn’t until the summer of ’09 that they formally terminated his nine-year deal which had the potential to be worth as much as $130MM.

The Falcons were able to move on from the Vick era after selecting Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. Vick, meanwhile, managed a second act in the NFL after landing with the Eagles. He was signed to be Donovan McNabb‘s backup in 2009, but he wound up as the team’s starting QB in 2010 after McNabb was traded and Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion. Vick went on to take the Eagles to the playoffs and eventually sign a six-year, $100MM extension with Philly.

Vick’s subsequent stints with the Jets and Steelers were less remarkable and he was unable to find an NFL home in 2016. In the summer of 2017 – on the eight-year anniversary of his release from Atlanta – Vick retired after signing a ceremonial contract with the Falcons.

This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Sign Chad Johnson

June 11th, 2019 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

In the summer of 2012, the Dolphins were less-than-enamored with their options at wide receiver. The Dolphins had just recently traded Brandon Marshall – fresh off of his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season – to the Bears for a pair of third-round picks. Then, in the draft, they did not select a wide receiver until the sixth round.

‘‘You would like to have some players make it easy and distinguish themselves, maybe make the picture a little bit clearer,’’ head coach Joe Philbin said (via The Boston Globe). ‘‘We have to catch the ball more consistently at every position on offense, because it is not quite where it needs to be.’’

After missing out on the first and second wave of free agent wide receivers, the Dolphins placed a call to Drew Rosenhaus to inquire on Chad Ochocinco (née Chad Johnson). On June 11, 2012, the Dolphins inked the eccentric veteran to a one-year deal.

Ochocinco’s career credentials were as impressive as his touchdown celebrations were inventive. To that point, he had 766 catches for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns, six Pro Bowl nods, and two First-Team All-Pro selections.

However, the receiver’s best days were spent with the Bengals and he looked like a shell of his former self with the Patriots in the 2011 season. In his lone campaign with New England, Johnson had just 15 catches for 276 yards and one touchdown and was targeted just 32 times in total. Johnson clearly didn’t mesh with the Patriots’ offense and he didn’t impress in his two intra-divisional games against the Dolphins either. Against Miami, he had just one catch in each of those two games.

Ochocinco – who changed his name back to Johnson shortly after signing with Miami – didn’t mesh with Philbin and the rest of the staff. The melding of personalities turned out to be the least of his issues. In August, Johnson was arrested on domestic battery charges. Johnson proclaimed his innocence, but the Dolphins released him the very next day. Thanks to “Hard Knocks,” we have video of Philbin’s final conversation with Johnson.

Johnson’s deal with the Dolphins up being his final NFL contract. Johnson went on to play for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 2014 and was suspended for the 2015 season when he skipped mandatory practices. He re-emerged in 2017 to play in a single game for the Monterrey Fundidores of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional de México, where he scored on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the Fundidores’ winning effort.

5 Key Stories: 6/2/19 – 6/9/19

June 9th, 2019 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eagles make major investment: Carson Wentz became the first of the 2016 draftees-turned-franchise quarterbacks to sign an extension. The former No. 2 overall pick agreed to a four-year, $128MM (in new money) re-up that came with more than $100MM in guarantees and $66MM in full guarantees. The $32MM-per-year average and full guarantee figure placed Wentz in the top five among QBs, and the total guaranteed amount (which includes injury guarantees) is believed to be the most in NFL history. The Eagles are gambling on a quarterback who has finished the past two seasons injured, but Wentz’s 2017 season (and some aspects of his ’18 work) showed immense potential. The fallout from this deal has impacted the Cowboys and Rams, the other teams using 2016 QB picks as starters.

Texans abandon GM after one season: We have yet to hear much in the way of reasoning for Brian Gaine‘s ouster, but the defending AFC South champions cut bait in Year 2 of a five-year contract. Gaine, who had previously worked as a Texans exec under Rick Smith, oversaw an 11-5 season in 2018. It’s possible a lack of movement on the Jadeveon Clowney front contributed to this. Regardless, the Texans are moving on their GM search. Former Browns GM Ray Farmer and ex-Lions GM Martin Mayhew are the first candidates. But the franchise’s top choice appears to be longtime Patriots exec Nick Caserio, who worked with Bill O’Brien at one point.

Hours later, Jets make their choice: The Texans tried to interview Joe Douglas during their 2018 GM search. Shortly after their job became available again, the Jets landed their top choice. Long their preferred option, Douglas did not make it easy on them. The Jets reportedly doubled their initial salary offer, after Douglas declined them multiple times. They also look to have attempted to assuage his concerns about their ownership situation by doing a six-year deal. While Daniel Jeremiah will not be joining Douglas’ staff, another longtime analyst — ESPN’s Todd McShay — is in the mix.

Trent Williams unhappy with Redskins: At first, the 10th-year tackle was believed to be staying away from his team because of dissatisfaction with his through-2020 contract. Then, a more ominous report emerged indicating Williams wanted to leave the Redskins because of their handling of his recent medical procedure. It is possible both reasons are at the root of his absence, with the financial component not to be dismissed here. Either way, a seven-time Pro Bowler is at odds with his team — one that did not make notable offseason investments at tackle.

Gerald McCoy makes his decision: After three visits, the six-time Pro Bowler opted to remain in the NFC South. McCoy chose the Panthers and will face the Buccaneers twice this season. The 31-year-old lineman received a one-year, $8MM deal from Carolina. This may or may not have been the best offer. Only $4MM of the Panthers’ proposal was guaranteed, while the Ravens may have offered $8MM in guarantees. The Browns also viewed McCoy as an $8MM-per-year player — after the Bucs removed his $13MM 2019 cap number from their payroll — but “weren’t touching” the $10.25MM McCoy could receive via incentives.

PFR Originals: 6/2/19 – 6/9/19

June 9th, 2019 at 3:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

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

  • This morning, Rory Parks examined the situation of the Cowboys and Dak Prescott. We heard yesterday that the two sides were still far apart in extension talks, and the matter is slightly more pressing for Prescott than it is for other members of his draft class. While 2016 quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Carson Wentz had fifth-year options in their contracts to keep them under control through 2020, Prescott will be a free agent after this season. Rory took a look at where everything stands, and why Prescott still hasn’t been wrapped up.
  • As part of our ‘this date in transactions history’ series, Zach Links took a look at the 2010 trade that sent Isaac Bruce from the 49ers back to the Rams. The legendary receiver was traded back to the Rams so he could retire as a member of the team that drafted him. Bruce had an incredible 16 years in the NFL and the Rams have his number 80 retired, but he was recently denied entry into the Hall of Fame for the third time.
  • Perhaps the biggest news of the past week was Wentz signing a massive extension with the Eagles. Debates quickly sprung up about whether the Eagles were wise to give him the deal that they did considering his injury history. Our Zach Links asked readers in a poll whether or not Philly would come to regret the deal, and voters decidedly said yes. As of this writing, ‘yes’ is winning with just over 62 percent of the vote. Wentz got around $107 million guaranteed in the deal, a massive sum.
  • Every year surprise teams get good out of nowhere, and teams with lofty expectations collapse. To that end, Dallas Robinson asked readers in a poll which team that came in first place last year is likeliest to miss the playoffs in 2019. The Ravens won with a solid plurality, getting over 34 percent of the vote. The Cowboys came in second with 22.8 percent.
  • Zach also took a look at where teams stood in signing their draft picks. As of a few days ago, eight teams had wrapped up their entire draft class. You can see the contract status of every pick by using PFR’s tracker.
  • In another installment of our ‘this date in transactions history’ series, Zach examined the Chiefs’ decision to release Jeremy Maclin in 2017. It was a shocking move at the time, as he was only 29 and projected to enter the season as Kansas City’s top wideout. The five-year, $55MM deal he signed with the Chiefs never worked out, and Maclin announced his retirement back in March.
  • In another issue of the ‘this date in transactions history’ series, Sam Robinson looked back on the five-year extension the Panthers gave Cam Newton in 2015. Given the way quarterback contracts exploded in the following years, the Panthers got a very team-friendly deal, as Newton signed for five-years and $103.8MM. Newton is recovering from another shoulder surgery this offseason, and has a big year ahead of him. If he can prove he’s healthy in 2019, he should be in line for another extension next year. His current deal runs through the 2020 season.

The Curious Case Of Dak Prescott

June 9th, 2019 at 9:19am CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that the Cowboys and Dak Prescott are still far apart in their extension talks, and the relationship between player and team could become strained if this situation drags out into the regular season. Prescott’s base pay jumps from $630K in 2018 to just over $2MM in 2019, which is a tidy raise, but still far below market value for a three-year starter, two-time Pro Bowler, and former Rookie of the Year who has quarterbacked his team to two playoff berths.

But while the resume that Prescott has put together during his brief time in the league is quite impressive, there is still plenty of skepticism as to whether he will continue on an upward trajectory or if he will settle in as a decidedly above-average quarterback that needs a strong supporting cast to succeed. It is telling that both of Prescott’s Pro Bowl nods (2016, 2018) came when star running back Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing, and even with a productive Zeke, Prescott wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire in 2018 before the arrival of Amari Cooper helped to spark the offense.

At the same time, it’s unfair to expect any quarterback to thrive without surrounding him with talent at the skill positions and on the offensive line. The adage that suggests a good QB should make his teammates better is often overused and only true to a certain extent. You can’t, after all, get blood out of a stone, and asking your signal-caller to consistently elevate a collection of mediocre players is not a workable strategy.

Prescott is undoubtedly eyeing the massive extension that Carson Wentz just landed from the division rival Eagles and wondering why Dallas can’t offer him that kind of cash. Prescott may never be the type of player to throw for over 30 TDs a season, but he has been nothing but durable during his first three years in the league, which Wentz certainly cannot say. For what it’s worth, Spotrac pegs Prescott’s market value at $29.4MM per year, not too far south of Wentz’ new pact, which carries an AAV of $32MM.

Yesterday’s report indicated that negotiations could last until at least training camp, and obviously both sides are motivated to get something done. Unlike Wentz, Prescott’s earnings potential would likely take a major hit if he were to sustain some sort of significant injury, and the Cowboys have several other contracts to address (including those of Cooper and Elliott).

There is a lot of work to do, especially for a team that knows all too well the constraints of a roster that offers little salary cap flexibility. It would still come as a shock if Prescott plays for anyone other than the Cowboys for the foreseeable future, but until a new deal is signed, there will be room for doubt.

This Date In Transactions History: Issac Bruce

June 7th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2010, the 49ers shipped Issac Bruce to the Rams. However, this wasn’t an ordinary trade. The deal was facilitated in order to allow Bruce, 37 at the time, to retire with his original franchise. 

Bruce started his career with the Rams in 1994, the team’s final season in Los Angeles. The second-round pick played sparingly as a rookie, but he broke out as an NFL sophomore in St. Louis with 119 catches, 1,781 yards, and 13 touchdowns, all of which went down as his career bests. In his 14 illustrious years with the Rams, Bruce amassed four Pro Bowl trips and eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in eight different seasons.

“Sixteen years was enough for me,” Bruce said at his farewell press conference. “I think a lot was done. But that second training camp practice (in two-a-days) may have played a part in it. I was ready to move on and do something else other than playing football.”

After so many productive seasons in the NFL, Bruce had little left to prove. Bruce was the leading wide receiver in the Rams’ “Greatest Show On Turf” Super Bowl-winning season and left the team as its all-time receiving leader with 14,109 yards. His second act with the Niners was not quite as flashy with 835 yards in his first SF season and 264 yards in his 2009 finale.

“The two years I was away, I kept tabs on this organization,” Bruce said. “I played against this organization, I played against its players. The funny thing is I found myself encouraging them when things didn’t look bright for them. I looked down and saw myself in a different colored uniform. It was honestly just to me personally — it just wasn’t right.”

So, with the trade, Bruce returned back to the Rams and became the last member of the Rams’ first Los Angeles run to hang ’em up. Later, his No. 80 jersey was retired by the team.

Bruce was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the third time in 2019, but he remains a candidate for induction down the road.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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