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Poll: Should Giants Trade For Josh Rosen?

By | at March 30, 2019 3:27 pm

NFL teams in need of a long-term answer at quarterback appear to have an interesting opportunity this offseason. One of 2018’s top quarterback prospects may well be available at a discount rate — both financially and in terms of draft capital — less than a year after being selected.

Nothing has cooled on the Cardinals-Kyler Murray front, leaving Josh Rosen as one of the more intriguing potential trade chips in memory. Kliff Kingsbury in February said Rosen would be the starting quarterback on his first Cardinals team, and while he has not officially changed his stance on this, the odds entering April of Rosen having a second opportunity with the Cards look longer than the likelihood of the UCLA product being traded.

The Giants loom as a possible landing spot. If/when Rosen becomes available, one of the teams that passed on him last year will be interested. Big Blue did not have a consensus on the top quarterback in last year’s draft, but with Eli Manning having recently turned 38 and Dave Gettleman having chosen Saquon Barkley over Sam Darnold 11 months ago, the prospect of a first-round quarterback talent being available at a lower rate has to be somewhat enticing — especially for a Giants team that has numerous needs on defense.

Gettleman traded both Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Eli Apple in the past year and opted against placing the Giants’ franchise tag on Landon Collins. The team has a few surefire starters — Alec Ogletree, Jabrill Peppers, Janoris Jenkins, Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill — but is lacking talent elsewhere on its first unit. Both of the Giants’ first-round picks could go toward rebuilding their defense. They are not looking to package their Nos. 6 and 17 picks to move up, either.

None of this year’s group of passing prospects has wowed the Giants, who have been up and down on Dwayne Haskins. If Big Blue is dead-set on the Ohio State-honed quarterback, this is a fairly big secret. Gettleman, however, said his Manning successor will need to be a first-round pick. None of this year’s quarterbacks would outrank Rosen as prospects, in the eyes of multiple high-profile evaluators, either. Prior to selecting Barkley, though, the Giants may not have had Rosen as one of the top-three quarterbacks on their board last year.

The Cardinals took Rosen at No. 10 overall, giving up merely third- and fifth-round draft picks to move up five spots last year. The results were not pretty.

Rosen completed 55 percent of his passes, averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and threw 11 touchdown passes compared to 14 interceptions. He finished with a league-worst 26.1 Total QBR. Football Outsiders assessed the 6-foot-4 passer as last year’s worst full-time quarterback, with Rosen’s DVOA and DYAR figures well behind the pack. Arizona, though, employed two offensive coordinators last year and experienced rampant trouble on its offensive line, creating a shaky setup for a rookie quarterback.

It will almost certainly not cost a team a first-round pick to land Rosen this year. A second, or possibly a third, figures to be enough to pry the 2018 prospect away. The Giants hold the No. 37 overall pick but do not have another selection until No. 132; Big Blue’s third-rounder went toward 2018 supplemental draft cornerback Sam Beal. This would complicate a Giants trade for Rosen, with other teams seemingly likely to pursue the low-cost passer as well. With the Cardinals having paid his signing bonus, a team acquiring Rosen would have him for less than $7MM through the 2021 season. That is obviously great value, if a team believes the 22-year-old is a worthwhile starter.

So should the Giants be the team that pulls the trigger for Rosen, or should they focus on one of this year’s rookie QBs? After his rough debut season, do you view him as a legitimate option to be a long-term starter? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Should the Giants trade for Josh Rosen?
Yes 75.48% (1,822 votes)
No 24.52% (592 votes)
Total Votes: 2,414
27 comments Arizona Cardinals New York Giants PFR Originals PFR Polls

Checking In On 2019’s Restricted Free Agents

By | at March 27, 2019 8:26 pm

The deadline for NFL restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival clubs is April 19, so RFAs have roughly three weeks to discuss deals with other teams. So far, only one RFA — running back Malcolm Brown — has inked an offer sheet, but the Rams matched the terms of the pact, meaning he’ll head back to Los Angeles.

As a reminder, RFA tenders are named based on the draft choice compensation they demand. If a team gives an offer sheet to a restricted free agent who was tendered at the second-round level, for example, and that player’s original club declines to match the contract terms, the new team must sacrifice a second-round pick in order to sign the player. The lowest tender will give the original club a draft choice equal to that which was originally used to draft the player (undrafted players tendered at the original round level, therefore, require no draft compensation).

In total, more than 30 restricted free agents have been tendered this offseason. Let’s take a look at where things stand with those RFAs:

Signed to offer sheet:

First-round tender ($4.4047MM):

  • None

Second-round tender ($3.095MM):

Original round / right of first refusal tender ($2.025MM):

Tendered, then extended:

Tendered, then signed to new deal:

2 comments PFR Originals

PFR Originals: 3/17/19 – 3/24/19

By | at March 24, 2019 2:31 pm

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

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Extension Candidate: Melvin Gordon

By | at March 24, 2019 10:08 am

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon said at the end of January that he would wait until Le’Veon Bell signed a new contract before engaging in extension talks with the Bolts. He later walked back those comments and said he would be open to negotiating an extension with the Chargers immediately, but regardless, Bell has finally landed his much-ballyhooed deal and Gordon and LA now have another benchmark to consider in their own negotiations.

GM Tom Telesco has said that he is open to considering an extension for Gordon — who is entering the final year of his rookie deal — this offseason, per Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. However, Telesco indicated he didn’t have a timetable for a new deal, and given that there have not been any public reports concerning an extension, it may not happen until the summer at this point.

Gordon’s injury history is a complicating factor, but his talent is undeniable. The 2015 first-round pick does not have eye-popping YPC numbers in his career (he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his four professional seasons), but he did manage 5.1 yards per tote in 2018. He is also a major weapon as a receiver, compiling over 400 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons. He has 28 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving scores in his career, and he was a key part of the Chargers’ return to the postseason last year.

But he did miss four games down the stretch in 2018, and he had December IR trips in 2015 and 2016. He did manage a full 16-game slate in 2017, and Telesco said he does not have “too many concerns” about Gordon’s durability, though that may not be entirely true.

In any event, Gordon stands to cash in and will surely be paid at the high end of the running back market. Todd Gurley is currently the pacesetter with an average annual value of $14.375MM and $45MM in guarantees, while Bell just landed a $13.125MM/year pact. The Cardinals’ David Johnson is now working under a $13MM/year deal and stands to earn $32MM in guarantees.

Gordon is due a modest $5.61MM this year under his fifth-year option, and if he does not get the long-term deal he’s looking for, he could force the issue by holding out. But it sounds as though both sides are willing to continue their relationship for the foreseeable future, and as Miller observes, Gordon is a popular figure in the Chargers’ locker room, so team brass will want to be careful about how it handles negotiations with him.

The guess here is that Gordon gets his extension sometime before the start of the regular season and lands a four-year deal worth about $14MM per year and with $35MM or so in guarantees.

5 comments Extension Candidate Los Angeles Chargers PFR Originals

This Date In Transactions History: Charles Clay Joins The Bills

By | at March 23, 2019 9:35 am

Four years ago today, Charles Clay officially went to the Bills on a five-year, $38MM deal. Has the deal been worth it?

The 2011 sixth-round pick out of Tulsa spent the first four seasons of his career in Miami. Between 2013 and 2014, Clay averaged 63.5 receptions for 682 yards and 4.5 touchdowns. The tight end then hit free agency as a transition player, and he garnered a relatively lucrative offer from Buffalo.

Then, on this date in 2015, the Dolphins decided to not match the offer, clearing the way for Clay to officially join the Bills. At the time, the pairing made sense. Then-offensive coordinator Greg Roman planned to capitalize on the tight end’s versatility, as Clay had the ability to line up in multiple formations.

The result? Well, Clay’s numbers through his first three seasons in Buffalo were about on-par with his Miami numbers. The tight end was actually remarkably consistent between 2015 and 2017, compiling at least 49 receptions and 520 receiving yards.

However, the veteran took a major step back in 2018. In 13 games, he hauled in 21 receptions for 184 yards and no touchdowns. With a year remaining on his contract, the Bills moved on from Clay back in February. The move saved Buffalo $4.5MM. Clay ended up catching on with the Cardinals on a one-year, $3.25MM deal.

Was the move ultimately worth it? The ~$7.5MM average annual value was a bit high, although when you also consider Clay’s blocking prowess, you could justify that type of money through the first three years of the deal. Getting little to zero production through the final two seasons isn’t a good look, but the Bills were partly paying for potential, anyway. The contract didn’t work out as planned, but it wasn’t a debilitating deal for the franchise.

0 comments Buffalo Bills PFR Originals This Date In Transactions History

2019 NFL Draft Capital By Team

By | at March 21, 2019 7:59 pm

While each NFL team is organically handed seven draft picks per season, trades involving draft choices and the compensatory pick process ensures that many clubs end up with more (or fewer) than their original seven selections. As always, you can view the complete 2019 draft order, but here we’ll look at how much draft capital each club has amassed.

Let’s take a look at how many draft picks each NFL club currently possesses:

Updated: 4-23-19 (12:57pm CT)

12 picks

  • New England Patriots
  • New York Giants

11 picks

  • Cincinnati Bengals

10 picks

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Pittsburgh Steelers

9 picks

  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Detroit Lions
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Washington Redskins

8 picks

  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Denver Broncos
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • Oakland Raiders

7 picks

  • Carolina Panthers
  • Houston Texans
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6 picks

  • Dallas Cowboys
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Jets
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Tennessee Titans

5 picks

  • Chicago Bears
  • Seattle Seahawks

Of course, not all draft picks are created equally, as holding more early-round selections is eminently more valuable than collecting mid-to-late round picks. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, we can calculate how many draft capital points each team owns heading into the 2019 NFL draft:

  1. New York Giants: 75.0
  2. Oakland Raiders: 74.1
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 66.5
  4. Green Bay Packers: 63.1
  5. San Francisco 49ers: 57.0
  6. Buffalo Bills: 53.8
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars: 52.9
  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 51.8
  9. New England Patriots: 51.7
  10. Indianapolis Colts: 50.7
  11. Pittsburgh Steelers: 50.1
  12. Cincinnati Bengals: 49.0
  13. Denver Broncos: 49.0
  14. Atlanta Falcons: 48.3
  15. Detroit Lions: 47.8
  16. Carolina Panthers: 47.4
  17. New York Jets: 47.3
  18. Washington Redskins: 45.2
  19. Houston Texans: 42.6
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: 42.5
  21. Miami Dolphins: 41.9
  22. Seattle Seahawks: 40.8
  23. Tennessee Titans: 39.9
  24. Baltimore Ravens: 39.4
  25. Minnesota Vikings: 38.4
  26. Los Angeles Chargers: 34.3
  27. Los Angeles Rams: 29.9
  28. Cleveland Browns: 29.2
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: 26.6
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 23.7
  31. New Orleans Saints: 12.7
  32. Chicago Bears: 12.4
8 comments 2019 NFL Draft PFR Originals

How The Saints Can Replace Max Unger

By | at March 17, 2019 5:00 pm

Max Unger retired Saturday in a manner befitting his wildly underrated career. He didn’t announce intentions before the 2018 season began, or post a statement on social media. Instead, Unger’s retirement simply showed up on the NFL’s transactions wire when his name was listed on the reserved/retired list. Unger, who came to New Orleans in exchange for tight end Jimmy Graham and a first-round pick in 2015, earned one first-team All-Pro berth, three Pro Bowl nods, and one Super Bowl ring during his excellent 10-year career.

But by hanging up his cleats, Unger has left the Saints in a bit of a lurch. Fully expected to compete for championships for the rest of Drew Brees‘ career, New Orleans now has a gaping hole in the middle of its offensive line. The only realistic option on the Saints’ roster to replace Unger is 2017 undrafted free agent Cameron Tom, who some observers have considered New Orleans’ center-in-waiting.

The Saints are clearly fans of Tom, as they bumped up his practice squad salary during the 2017 campaign in order to keep him from leaving for another club. After two years in the New Orleans system, Tom should be familiar with the club’s offense, but he’s started only one game for the Saints since being promoted in October 2017. Pro Football Focus assigned Tom poor marks for his 178 offensive snaps last year.

If the Saints aren’t comfortable moving forward with Tom as their starting center, they’ll have three paths available via which they could find a new pivot: the upcoming draft, a trade, or by sorting through the remaining free agents. Let’s take a look at each avenue:

Draft

After entering the 2017 draft with the fifth-most draft capital in the NFL, the Saints have since eschewed the concept of acquiring top-end, controllable assets over the past two seasons. With the now-40-year-old Brees under center, it’s difficult to argue with that win-now approach, but the strategy has limited New Orleans’ ability to place multiple bets in the draft. In 2018, the Saints started the draft with only 30.2 point of draft value (29th in the league), and my preliminary calculations have the club in the same range or lower for 2019.

In fact, following a series of trades executed by general manager Mickey Loomis, New Orleans has only one selection — No. 62 — inside the draft’s first 167 picks. The Saints didn’t just give those picks away, of course, as they moved up to acquire defensive end Marcus Davenport in the first round of last year’s draft before picking up veterans Teddy Bridgewater and Eli Apple for third- and fourth-round slots, respectively. But barring a trade down next month, New Orleans will make only one choice within the first five rounds of the 2019 draft.

If the Saints want to find a center via the draft, history tells us they should use that 62nd overall pick to do so. Why? It’s pretty hard to find a center in the later rounds of the draft. I looked at all the centers taken in the fifth round or later of each draft since 2011, the year when the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement was installed. That CBA put more limitations on practice time, which likely made it harder to develop players at more cerebral positions such as center.

From 2011-17, 18 centers were drafted in Rounds 5-7. Of those 18, only three (16.7%) started more than 10 games during their respective rookie seasons: Jason Kelce (2011 Eagles), Corey Linsley (2014 Packers), and Luke Bowanko (2014 Jaguars). It’s difficult enough to find starting-caliber players at any position in the fifth round or later, but adding a late-round starter at center — where that player will be expected to make protection calls from day one — seems exceedingly risky.

So who could the Saints look at with their second-round pick? Dane Brugler of The Athletic (subscription required) lists four center within his top-80 2019 prospects. North Carolina State’s Garrett Bradbury comes in at No. 14, so he’s unlikely to be available for New Orleans when its 62nd selection rolls around, but Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy (No. 40), Mississippi State’s Elgton Jenkins (No. 44), and Penn State’s Connor McGovern (No. 78) could be in consideration.

Trade

Center depth isn’t plentiful around the NFL, so most teams aren’t going to be lining up to trade their the pivot to the suddenly-needy Saints. And as we’ve already discussed, New Orleans doesn’t have the sort of early-round draft capital needed to target an established starter. More likely, the Saints will need to swap one of its late-round selections — either in this year’s draft or from 2020 — in order to land a current backup.

Here are a few options the Saints could target via trade:

Ethan Pocic (Seahawks): Pocic was the 58th overall pick as recently as 2017, but he wasn’t a key factor on a Seattle offensive line that greatly improved in 2018. Under new offensive line coach Mike Solari, the Seahawks moved from 30th in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards — which attempts to parse out responsibility for a club’s run-game success — to 12th in 2018, but Pocic started just four games and played only 296 offensive snaps. Viewed as a poor scheme fit for Seattle, Pocic doesn’t really have a role heading into the 2019 campaign, meaning he could be available for a cheap price.

Billy Price (Bengals): Cincinnati doesn’t typically admit its draft mistakes in short order, so the idea of the club moving on from Price after only one season is probably far-fetched. And it’s not entirely fair to call Price a mistake: while PFF charted him as a bottom-four center and one of the lowest-graded first-round rookies, Price was still recovering from a torn pectoral when the regular season got underway, and later missed six games with a foot injury. Still, the Bengals now have a new coaching staff in place, and placed a second-round tender on 26-year-old restricted free agent Trey Hopkins, who excelled at center in Price’s absence.

Ted Karras (Patriots): New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is a miracle-worker. Two of his former pupils — left tackles Nate Solder and Trent Brown — have reset the offensive line market in consecutive offseasons, and the Patriots’ front five ranked top-three in both adjusted sack rate and adjusted line yards last year. Maybe Karras could bring some of that wisdom to New Orleans? Although he’s only started five games over three seasons, it’s not like Karras hasn’t put anything on tape, as PFF placed him on its All-Preseason team in 2018 after he allowed just one sack and one hurry on 82 pass-blocking snaps.

Free Agency

The first wave of free agency is already over four days after the market officially opened, and the top two free agent centers are off the board. Mitch Morse became the league’s highest-paid center after agreeing to a four-year, $44MM deal with the Bills, while the Panthers landed Matt Paradis on a three-year, $27MM pact. Other veterans capable of playing center, such as Spencer Long, Eric Kush, Jonotthan Harrison are already spoken for, too, leaving the Saints with few options if they want go the free agency route.

However, New Orleans still has a small list of available centers that are capable of starting:

Nick Easton: This is the one free agent center we know the Saints are targeting, as Easton met with New Orleans last week. The 26-year-old Easton has interest from the Vikings — for whom he played from 2015-18 — and at least one other unidentified team, so New Orleans may have to up its offer in order to land him. That could be a problem given left tackle Terron Armstead, left guard Andrus Peat, and right guard Larry Warford will each count for more than $9MM on the Saints’ 2019 salary cap. Easton, for his part, started 12 games at guard and center for the 2018 Vikings, but missed all of last season with a neck injury.

John Sullivan: The Rams opted to decline Sullivan’s option for the 2019 season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s no longer able to play. Los Angeles would have had to pay Sullivan $4.25MM for next year plus a $2MM option bonus, and that sum would have placed the 11-year veteran inside the top-15 highest-paid centers. At age-33, Sullivan is no longer worth that money. The real problem, though, was Sullivan’s production: while he was as available as ever (16 starts and 95.8% of snaps), Sullivan allowed 37 pressures, the most of any center in the league per PFF.

Travis Swanson: A former third-round pick of the Lions, Swanson has plenty of experience under his belt, having started 53 games over the past five seasons. Working against Swanson is the fact that he was released by the Jets — a team that desperately needed competent offensive linemen — last September. Swanson, rebounded, however, latching on with the Dolphins and eventually becoming Miami’s starter for 12 games after Daniel Kilgore went down with a season-ending injury. He played 92% of the Dolphins’ snaps after taking over, allowing only 2.5 sacks and committing just one penalty, per Stats LLC.

Brett Jones: Jones isn’t a very attractive option if you look only at 2018, as he started just three games after being traded from the Giants to the Vikings in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Jump back one season, though, and Jones looks like a starting-caliber player. A former undrafted free agent, Jones started 13 games and excelled for New York in 2017. PFF assigned him its fourth-highest pass-blocking efficiency score among centers, and charged him with multiple pressures allowed in just one of his starts. That performance was enough for the Giants to utilize a second-round restricted free agent tender on Jones.

Stefen Wisniewski: Still only 29 years old, Wisniewski was benched by the Eagles in Week 5 after a lackluster performance at left guard. Wisniewski hasn’t played center since the 2015 campaign, but it was his primary position from 2011-15 when he made 77 starts for the Raiders and Jaguars. He’s probably a better fit for the Saints as a contingency plan rather than as an outright starter.

8 comments New Orleans Saints PFR Originals

Poll: Which Big FA Spender Made The Most Of Its Money?

By | at March 17, 2019 10:34 am

The first wave of free agency is over, and a number of starter-quality players remain available. That list includes the likes of Justin Houston, Ndamukong Suh, and Ziggy Ansah, all of whom could still command lucrative multi-year pacts.

However, much of the big money has already been spent, and while it seems that the the free agency “winners” often have difficulty translating their offseason success into regular season wins, it is always worth taking an early guess at how the top free agents will impact their new teams (or how well the contracts of players who were eligible for free agency but who re-signed with their original clubs will age).

Yesterday, we directed our readers to a page provided by OverTheCap.com that tracks team-by-team spending on all contracts that free agents have signed since the Super Bowl. The page breaks down spending into categories like total contract value, total guarantees, and full guarantees.

For purposes of this poll, we will examine the top five spenders thus far in terms of total contract value. We realize that may be an imperfect measure, given that even blue chip free agents often do not play out the entirety of their contacts, but we also feel as though it accurately depicts which teams were most prepared to make big commitments to immediately improve their rosters. Plus, the list of the top five spenders in terms of total contract value is almost identical to the list of the top five spenders in terms of total guarantees, though the Bills, not the Packers, would be a top-five team if we were using total guarantees as a guide.

In any event, let’s quickly review what the big spenders have done with their money so far.

New York Jets

The Jets entered free agency with the most money to spend, and they did not disappoint. GM Mike Maccagnan, on a quest to keep his job, has doled out contracts worth nearly $200MM, and about half of that money is fully-guaranteed. The big fish, of course, are C.J. Mosley and Le’Veon Bell, both of whom should immediately improve their respective units, although both come with some question marks. Mosley is a high-character, intelligent player who is generally strong against the run but who is not particularly gifted in coverage, so it’s fair to wonder whether he will justify the Jets’ commitment to him. Bell, meanwhile, is undoubtedly explosive, and the Jets structured his contract in a team-friendly way, but he also comes with obvious character concerns and a lot of wear-and-tear. Re-signing Henry Anderson was a more low-key move that could nonetheless pay major dividends.

Green Bay Packers

Packers fans are not used to seeing their team mentioned as a big free agency spender, but the club has given out over $184MM to its signees thus far (though less than one-third of that figure is guaranteed). Green Bay has made a concerted effort to upgrade its pass rush as it prepares to bid adieu to long-time QB hunter Clay Matthews, and to that end, it acquired former Raven Za’Darius Smith and former Redskin Preston Smith. Neither player has a double-digit sack season to his credit, but both are young and come with plenty of upside. Za’Darius Smith has also shown an ability to provide a pass rush from the interior of the line, and Preston Smith is a strong overall edge defender who still has room to grow. Former Bears safety Adrian Amos was also acquired to add some much-needed physicality to the back end of the defense.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers made two big splashes at the outset of free agency, signing former Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander and trading for (and extending) former Chiefs pass rusher Dee Ford. Alexander is coming off a season-ending ACL tear, but San Francisco is betting that he can make a full recovery and return to form. The club was also in dire need of someone who can get to the QB, and they believe Ford is that guy. Ford has had an up-and-down career thus far, and though the Niners gave him what appears to be a massive contract (five years, $87.5MM), they can get out of that deal fairly quickly with minimal salary cap ramifications. The club is also taking a low-risk, high-reward gamble on talented but injury-prone corner Jason Verrett, and they added Tevin Coleman to their stable of running backs.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders grabbed headlines when they traded for star wideout Antonio Brown, but because he wasn’t a free agent, the new deal he landed from the club doesn’t factor into the $165MM worth of contracts that the team has handed out in free agency. That number does include deals for Tyrell Williams — who will pair with AB to lead what could become a prolific passing attack — and Trent Brown, who will likely be tasked with protecting Derek Carr‘s blindside. The Raiders were also in on Bell, and they added safety Lamarcus Joyner to serve as Karl Joseph‘s running mate in their defensive backfield. They still need some pass rush help and could be players in the market for Houston and Ansah.

Detroit Lions

The Lions were projected by many to be active in the free agent market, and they spent some money to try and keep pace in a crowded NFC North. The big-money acquisition was former Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers, who may end up replacing Ansah as the club’s top sack artist (though the Lions have not ruled out re-signing Ansah). The Lions brought in tight end Jesse James, who offers some ability as a pass catcher and who is also a strong pass blocker, and they added Danny Amendola in the hopes that he can provide Matthew Stafford the type of reliable slot target that he lost when the club traded Golden Tate last season. Another free agent acquisition, Justin Coleman, should represent an upgrade at nickel corner.

So have at it. Which of the five big spenders made the most of their money? Let us know what you think in the poll and in the comment section.

Which Big FA Spender Made The Most Of Its Money?
Packers 30.01% (974 votes)
Raiders 21.16% (687 votes)
Jets 18.36% (596 votes)
Lions 17.59% (571 votes)
49ers 12.88% (418 votes)
Total Votes: 3,246
20 comments Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Las Vegas Raiders New York Jets PFR Originals PFR Polls San Francisco 49ers

2019 NFL Trades

By | at March 10, 2019 4:55 pm

We’ve already seen a few trades consummated in advance of the 2019 league year, and with the draft not too far off, several more deals figure to be completed this spring. We’ll track those moves – and the rest of the year’s trades, right up until the fall deadline – in this space.

Here’s a breakdown of 2019’s trades to date, in reverse chronological order:

Post-Draft

August 28

  • Jets acquired CB Nate Hairston.
  • Colts acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

August 22

August 12

  • Patriots acquired TE Eric Saubert.
  • Falcons acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

August 11

  • Vikings acquired K Kaare Vedvik.
  • Ravens acquired a 2020 fifth-round pick.

August 9

August 8

  • Texans acquired RB Duke Johnson.
  • Browns acquired a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick.
    • Pick will become third-rounder if Johnson is active for 10 games with the Texans.

August 5

  • Jets acquired OL Alex Lewis.
  • Ravens acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

May 15

  • Chiefs acquired LB Darron Lee.
  • Jets acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

May 6

  • Bears acquired K Eddy Pineiro.
  • Raiders acquired a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick.
    • Oakland will acquire pick if Pineiro is on Chicago’s active for five games.

April 29

  • Seahawks acquired TE Jacob Hollister.
  • Patriots acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.

During Draft

April 27

  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 236; WR John Ursua).
  • Jaguars acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

April 27

April 27

  • Broncos acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 187; WR Juwann Winfree).
  • Panthers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 212; T Dennis Daley) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 237; WR Terry Godwin).

April 27

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 163; P Jake Bailey).
  • Eagles acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167; QB Clayton Thorson) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 246).

April 27

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 159; DT Byron Cowart).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162; LB Cameron Smith) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 239; WR Dillon Mitchell).

April 27

  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 149; WR Hunter Renfrow).
  • Cowboys acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 158; CB Michael Jackson) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 218; RB Mike Weber).

April 27

  • Bengals acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 136; C Michael Jordan).
  • Cowboys acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 149) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 213; S Donovan Wilson).

April 27

  • Falcons acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 135; DE John Cominsky).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 137; TE Foster Moreau) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 230; DE Quinton Bell).

April 27

  • Rams acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 134; DT Greg Gaines) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 243; S Nick Scott).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167).

April 27

  • Titans acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116; S Amani Hooker).
  • Jets acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 121; TE Trevon Wesco) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 157; LB Blake Cashman).

April 27

  • Vikings acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 114; G Dru Samia).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 120; WR Gary Jennings); and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 204; RB Travis Homer).

April 27

April 27

  • Colts acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 109; S Khari Willis).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 129; CB Isaiah Johnson) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 135)

April 27

  • Broncos acquired LB Dekoda Watson and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 212).
  • 49ers acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 148; LB Dre Greenlaw).

April 27

  • Saints acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 105; S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson).
  • Jets acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 168).

April 27

  • Bengals acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 104; QB Ryan Finley).
  • 49ers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 110; P Mitch Wishnowsky), a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 183; T Justin Skule), and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 198; CB Tim Harris).

April 26

  • Rams acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 97; T Bobby Evans) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 101; T Yodny Cajuste) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 133; QB Jarrett Stidham).

April 26

  • Bills acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 96; TE Dawson Knox).
  • Redskins acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 112; RB Bryce Love) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 131; G Wes Martin).

April 26

  • Jets acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92; T Chuma Edoga).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 93) and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 217; CB Kris Boyd).

April 26

  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 88; LB Cody Barton) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 209; DT Demarcus Christmas).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 159).

April 26

  • Lions acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 81; S Will Harris).
  • Vikings acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 88) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 204).

April 26

  • Bears acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 73; RB David Montgomery) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 205; CB Duke Shelley).
  • Patriots acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 87; RB Damien Harris), a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 162), and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

April 26

  • Rams acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 70; S Taylor Rapp).
  • Buccaneers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 94; CB Jamel Dean) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 99; S Mike Edwards).

April 26

April 26

  • Dolphins acquired QB Josh Rosen.
  • Cardinals acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 62; WR Andy Isabella) and a 2020 fifth-round pick.

April 26

  • Chiefs acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 56; WR Mecole Hardman).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 61; S Taylor Rapp) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 167).

April 26

  • Saints acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 48; C Erik McCoy) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 116).
  • Dolphins acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 62), a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 202; T Isaiah Prince), and a 2020 second-round pick.

April 26

  • Browns acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 46; CB Greedy Williams).
  • Colts acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 49; LB Ben Banogu) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 144; S Marvell Tell).

April 26

  • Patriots acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 45; CB Joejuan Williams).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 56) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 101).

April 26

  • Broncos acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 42; QB Drew Lock).
  • Bengals acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 52; TE Drew Sample), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 125; DT Renell Wren) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 182; RB Trayveon Williams).

April 26

  • Bills acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 38; OL Cody Ford).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 40; CB Trayvon Mullen) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 158).

April 26

  • Panthers acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 37; T Greg Little).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 47; S Marquise Blair) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 77).

April 26

  • Jaguars acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 35; T Jawaan Taylor), a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 140; RB Ryquell Armstead), and a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 235; DT Dontavius Russell).
  • Raiders acquired a a 2019 second-round pick (No. 38) and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 109).

April 25

  • Falcons acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 31; T Kaleb McGary) and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 203; RB Marcus Green).
  • Rams acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 45) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 79; CB David Long)

April 25

  • Giants acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 30; CB Deandre Baker).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 37), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 132; S Ugo Amadi), and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 142; LB Ben Burr-Kirven).

April 25

  • Redskins acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 26; DE Montez Sweat).
  • Colts acquired a 2019 second-round pick (No. 46) and a 2020 second-round pick.

April 25

April 25

  • Packers acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 21; S Darnell Savage).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 30), a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 114), and a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 118).

April 25

  • Steelers acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 10; LB Devin Bush).
  • Broncos acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 20; TE Noah Fant), a 2019 second-round pick (No. 52), and a 2020 third-round pick.

Pre-Draft

April 23

  • Chiefs acquired DE Frank Clark and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 84).
  • Seahawks acquired a 2019 first-round pick (No. 29), a 2019 third-round pick (No. 92), and a 2020 second-round pick.
    • Kansas City currently owns two 2020 second-round picks and will send the lower pick to Seattle.

April 1

March 28

  • Eagles acquired RB Jordan Howard.
  • Bears acquired a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick.
    • Pick could become fifth-rounder based on unknown conditions.

March 28

  • Cowboys acquired DE Robert Quinn.
  • Dolphins acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

March 15

  • Titans acquired QB Ryan Tannehill and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 188).
  • Dolphins acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick (No. 233) and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

March 13

March 13

  • 49ers acquired DE Dee Ford.
  • Chiefs acquired a 2020 second-round pick.

March 13

  • Eagles acquired WR DeSean Jackson and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Buccaneers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 208).

March 13

  • Jets acquired G Kelechi Osemele and a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 196).
  • Raiders acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 140).

March 13

  • Raiders acquired WR Antonio Brown.
  • Steelers acquired a 2019 third-round pick (No. 66) and a 2019 fifth-round pick (No. 141).

March 13

  • Patriots acquired DL Michael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Eagles acquired a 2020 fifth-round pick.

March 13

  • Cardinals acquired T Marcus Gilbert.
  • Steelers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick (No. 207).

March 13

  • Redskins acquired QB Case Keenum and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
  • Broncos acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.

March 13

  • Broncos acquired QB Joe Flacco.
  • Ravens acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick (No. 113).
3 comments PFR Originals

Six Players Receive Franchise Tag

By | at March 5, 2019 3:29 pm

The franchise tag window closed on Tuesday afternoon with six players receiving the restrictive one-year tender: 

The tags, as expected, took some of this year’s top players out of the free agent frenzy, which begins on March 13. There were also some notable absences, including Giants safety Landon Collins, Patriots linebacker Landon Collins, and Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. All of those players figure to strike it rich with new teams.

From here, these six teams have until July 15 to work out extensions with their franchise tagged players. If no deal is struck, the players will be bound by the terms of the tender. Of course, as we saw with Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell in 2018, players can skip mandatory workouts and even games, if they are willing to forfeit cash and hold off on signing.

Potential holdouts aside, you can expect to see most of these players back with their respective clubs in 2019. The key exception, of course, is Ford, who has been dangled in trade talks.

8 comments PFR Originals
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