Case Keenum

2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 20th, 2018 at 12:13am CST by Zachary Links

Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.

As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.

Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:

Quarterback: $23.09MM
Running back: $11.72MM
Wide receiver: $16.23MM
Tight end: $10.36MM
Offensive line: $14.54MM
Defensive end: $17.52MM
Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
Linebacker: $15.47MM
Cornerback: $14.88MM
Safety: $11.08MM
Punter/kicker: $5.06MM

(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)

Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:

Virtual Locks:

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year. This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16.
Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.

Strong Candidates:

Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.

Toss Up:

Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: Team president Bruce Allen has intimated that the Redskins could tag Cousins in an effort to get something for him via trade. Could the Redskins be that petty when it comes to Cousins? Yes, absolutely. But the Redskins would be taking on a monumental risk by applying the tag to him when they already have Alex Smith penciled in as their starter. Cousins also feels that he has a strong grievance case against Washington if he is cuffed, so the Redskins could wind up hurting their own flexibility during the most important part of the offseason for absolutely nothing.
Andrew Norwell, OG, Panthers: Heading into this week, our feeling was that Norwell was a very strong candidate for the tag. But, on Monday night, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer learned that the Panthers are not expected to use their franchise tag on any player. Norwell, a former UDFA, has established himself as one of the very best guards in the NFL. This year, he set new personal watermarks in advanced analytics and graded out as the No. 3 ranked OG in the league, per Pro Football Focus. If the Panthers do not tag him and do not find a way to retain him before mid-March, he could be a goner. Old friend Dave Gettleman, who has roughly $24.5MM in cap space to work with, would pounce at the chance to add Norwell to the Giants’ offensive line.
Star Lotulelei, DE, Panthers: Again, the Panthers are not expected to use the tag. If they change their minds on that front, they’d probably lean towards using it on Norwell anyway. With limited cap room to work with, Carolina will likely allow Lotulelei to leave while giving a larger role to 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler.
Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins: In December, Landry’s agent asked the Dolphins for a deal worth about $14MM annually with $30MM in guarantees. As of late January, the ‘Fins have not come to the table with a counter offer. The Dolphins could surprise us and keep Landry in place with the tag, but right now it doesn’t feel all that likely. The wide receiver has told those close to him that he doesn’t expect to return to Miami, so he could be in position to be the highest-paid wide receiver in this year’s free agent crop. A word of caution to Landry and agent Damarius Bilbo: Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, and Kenny Britt reportedly believed that they were in line for $12MM/year offers last year. Jeffery and Pryor both had to settle for one-year, eight-figure pillow contracts (with drastically different results, of course). Britt got an AAV of just $8.1MM on a four-year deal, and that failure will be fresh in the mind of any team exploring Landry.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins , TE, Jets: The Jets reportedly offered ASJ a two-year, $8MM deal, which he rejected. The one-year tag ($9.8MM) is worth more than the total of that two-year offer, so it seems highly unlikely that Gang Green will take the plunge. Seferian-Jenkins had his best career year with 50 catches for 357 yards and three TDs, but the Jets reportedly won’t go overboard to retain him.
Justin Pugh, OG, Giants: Pugh is perhaps the longest of the longshots listed here. He is included only because of the Giants’ serious need up front and the dearth of quality interior linemen in this year’s free agent class. In theory, the Giants could overpay to put a placeholder on him, but we don’t expect the new regime to go that route, particularly since he didn’t grade out well in his injury-shorted 2017. If the Giants want to apply the tag to Pugh, it will be interesting to see how he is classified since he has also spent time at tackle.

Broncos Interested In Case Keenum?

February 10th, 2018 at 9:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Plenty of variables exist in what promises to be a complex quarterback marketplace this offseason. Kirk Cousins and the Broncos are centerpiece elements of it, with both the quarterback and the team standing to affect how free agency and the draft unfolds.

The Broncos could conceivably go either way in addressing their quarterback situation, and whether they sign Cousins or lose that race and end up taking a passer at No. 5 will determine plenty about how the offseason plays out. But what happens if the Broncos can’t land Cousins? Do they still target a veteran? And if so, would any non-Cousins addition induce Denver to use its No. 5 pick on a non-quarterback?

One other passer might. The Broncos are intrigued by Case Keenum, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report notes. He adds that a Keenum addition would allow the team to select a player at another position at No. 5, so Keenum could be the Broncos’ second choice on the veteran market. They are expected to enter the Cousins sweepstakes.

Of course, the Vikings could still place the franchise tag on their primary 2017 starter and effectively take him off the market. They are open to doing so, and may be likely to take this route with one of last season’s biggest surprises. But if Keenum hits the market, the Broncos — who discussed a Keenum trade during the 2016 offseason, when his price was much lower — figure to be interested.

Keenum will not cost what Cousins would, but the sample size of proficiency is far less than what Cousins’ career has offered, so spending lower-end or midlevel franchise-quarterback money on Keenum would be a risk. Mike Klis of 9News noted recently Denver’s Cousins contingency plan was likely to be Keenum (if available) or a bridge player that would mentor the passer the team would be in line to select at 5.

The Broncos may well believe Keenum is good enough not to be viewed as a stopgap passer, which would take a team out of the mix for a quarterback at the top of the draft. But the Vikings may believe this as well and retain Keenum to make outside interest essentially moot.

John DeFilippo Sheds Light On Minnesota Plans

February 9th, 2018 at 6:58pm CST by Micah Powell

Friday morning, former Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was hired as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota to replace Pat Shurmur, who took the head-coaching gig with the Giants. In the afternoon, he addressed his plans for the team’s offense and noted a few opportunities in the league that were presented to him.

The 39-year-old coach said he interviewed for head-coaching positions in Arizona and Chicago and was requested by a few teams for the offensive coordinator positions, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. “When the Minnesota Vikings want to talk to you, that’s a whole different ball game,” DeFilippo said. “It was obviously a special opportunity to work for Coach Zimmer and learn from him and work for another great head coach and another opportunity for myself to call plays.”

DeFilippo hasn’t called plays since serving as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015. There was an opportunity for him to become the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia if current offensive coordinator Frank Reich became head coach in Indianapolis. He, however, would not call plays due to head coach Doug Pederson fulfilling that role.

With Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater all preparing to enter free agency, DeFilippo said athleticism in the pocket is a must, Tomasson reports (Twitter link). None of those passers are really known for their athleticism, but Keenum did show an ability to sidestep the rush during his breakout 2017 campaign.

DeFilippo also said he will incorporate elements of the Eagles offense while keeping the aspects that Minnesota did well in 2017, the Star Tribune Ben Goessling tweets.

NFC Notes: Rodgers, Peterson, Keenum, Seahawks

February 3rd, 2018 at 12:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Adrian Peterson had one of the least productive seasons of his career in 2017, but the veteran running back believes he still has plenty left in the tank.

“At the end of the day, I know I can play,” he told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). “If you watch football, as far as being an evaluator of talent, if a guy has something left in the tank… he was able to see (I) can still play the game. … I would want to play maybe four more years, four to five more years.’’

There were rumblings that the Cardinals would ultimately cut Peterson, but the 32-year-old doesn’t sound overly concerned about his status in 2018.

“I haven’t heard anything from the horse’s mouth but I heard the report as well,” he told Tomasson. “But it’s just a report for now If it’s (true) it was a great run for me and a great opportunity and it will be on to the next but hopefully that’s not the case.”

Peterson split last season between the Saints and Cardinals. After an underwhelming start in New Orleans, Peterson ultimately started six games for Arizona, compiling 448 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 129 carries.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

While Aaron Rodgers made it clear that he wants to play into his 40s, he also told the Associated Press that it may require him to play for another team. The Packers quarterback cited the departure of Brett Favre, who bounced between the Jets and Vikings after more than a decade in Green Bay. “I think you have to be humble enough to realize if it could happen to Brett, it can happen to you,” Rodgers said.
The Vikings will have some tough choices to make at the quarterback position this offseason, but Case Keenum is hoping he’ll get another chance at the starting gig. The 29-year-old told 1500ESPN’s Mackey and Judd that he’d like to finish what he started in Minnesota.“We love Minnesota, we love it here, we love the season we had, we definitely feel like there’s some unfinished business with how things ended,” Keenum said (via Matthew Coller of 1500espn.com). “At the same time, we understand tough decisions have to be made and so we’ll see what happens.”
Mary Jo White will be leading the NFL’s investigation into Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, reports ESPN.com’s David Newton. Back in December, it was reported that the owner was under investigation for workplace misconduct. White had previously served as a federal prosecutor in New York City and as the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Obama.
The Seahawks have hired former Texans special teams coach Larry Izzo as their new assistant ST coach, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Izzo was the special teams coach in Houston for the past two years, but was fired last month after back-to-back dismal seasons. He’ll now work under Brian Schneider, who’s been in Seattle since 2010. Izzo, a former NFL linebacker and special teams maven in the AFC East, is replacing Heath Farwell, who took a similar role with the Panthers.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Poll: Where Will Case Keenum Play In 2018?

January 28th, 2018 at 11:20am CST by Rory Parks

Case Keenum was one of the best stories of the 2017 season. Stepping in for the injured Sam Bradford, Keenum performed at a very high level throughout much of the regular season and guided Minnesota to the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. In the NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Saints, Keenum made up one-half of the Minnesota Miracle that catapulted the Vikings to the NFC title game against the Eagles.

But outside of that remarkable play, which was largely aided by a defensive lapse on the part of the New Orleans secondary, Keenum struggled in the playoffs, and he could not generate any momentum in the team’s 38-7 loss to Philadelphia last week. So, even though we heard just last Sunday that it would be shocking if the Vikings did not put the franchise tag on Keenum this offseason, it may not be so simple.

Indeed, while Keenum could certainly be a late bloomer who finally got a real chance to show what he could do in 2017, the fact remains that he is a career journeyman who will turn 30 in just a couple of weeks. And, since he did put up a couple of clunkers in the regular season to go along with his disappointing playoff performance, it may be hard to convince Minnesota to put the ~$23.3MM tag on him this offseason, let alone sign him to a long-term deal.

On the other hand, there are plenty of teams who are looking for a competent signal-caller, so Keenum could have a number of suitors. The Browns always need a quarterback, and they are loaded with plenty of cap space. Of course, they also have two of the top four picks in the draft, and they are widely expected to use one of those picks on one of this year’s top collegiate quarterbacks.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have a talented roster and could be just a QB away from competing in 2018. Arizona just saw Carson Palmer retire, and they could realistically make a play for Keenum. The Jaguars came heart-wrenchingly close to advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history last week, and it has been rumored for months that they will be in the QB market in 2018. Keenum could certainly be a fit there, though Jacksonville could simply opt to bring back Blake Bortles, who was decent in the regular season and who played well in the team’s last two playoff contests. The Jags have also been connected to more established signal-callers like Alex Smith, who could be traded from Kansas City this offseason.

The Bills were interested in Keenum last year, and they could certainly be interested again this year, as Tyrod Taylor is far from a sure thing. But they will need to ask themselves whether Keenum would be a significant upgrade over Taylor, which is not an easy question. And Buffalo’s divisional rival, the Jets, are in need of a QB, but they, too, could look to fill that need in the draft. New York has also been connected to Smith in recent trade rumors.

More landing spots could become available as the offseason goes on. For instance, if the Redskins cannot agree to terms with Kirk Cousins, or if they choose not to franchise tag him for the third straight year, then they could take a look at Keenum.

The Vikings, though, also have a lot of cap room, so they could put the franchise tag on Keenum and still have enough space to address other needs. But they will also need to determine what to do with Teddy Bridgewater, whom they drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft and who has gamely battled back from a horrific ACL injury. Bridgewater is also an unrestricted free agent, and it’s not out of the question that Minnesota could bring back both him and Keenum.

It’s hard to believe that we’re even having this discussion, but here we are. Where do you think Keenum will play next season? He has expressed a desire to stay in Minnesota, but will he get that chance, or will he wind up elsewhere? Let us know in the poll below, and feel free to elaborate in the comments section.

Latest On The Vikings QB Situation

January 22nd, 2018 at 8:40pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Vikings 2017 campaign ended in disappointment after they were blown out in the NFC Championship game at the hands of the Eagles. Now as the team enters the offseason, they face the very unique challenge of having all three of the quarterbacks on their roster entering free agency at the same time. Michael Rand of the Star Tribune talked to both Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater as the team moved their stuff out of the locker room on Monday afternoon.

Keenum, who turns 30 in February, put together a surprisingly productive season after he spent much of his career as a backup. There were rumors that Keenum could be franchised tagged coming off of their miracle finish against the Saints, but that may now put put to rest given the offense’s performance this past weekend. Nevertheless, Keenum told reporters that he would love to come back to Minnesota next season because of the connection he feels to the franchise and the city.

I love this team,” said Keenum. “I love these guys. Love the coaching staff. I love this whole organization. … The culture they have around here is just awesome. Minnesota itself, the people here have been great.”

On the other hand, Bridgewater completed the major accomplishment of working his way back to becoming active after his scary leg injury that he suffered in training camp prior to the start of the 2016 season. Bridgewater told reporters that he understood why the Vikings played things the way they did.

“In a perfect world, I would have loved to have been dressing, but I understand decisions are made to give this team the best chance to win,” said Bridgewater. “I understand that and I’m a pro. I know what it takes. It happened, and I dealt with it.”

But not that he’s healthy, the 25-year-old added that he “definitely, without a question” is capable of being a team’s top signal caller.

Rand notes that Bridgewater and Sam Bradford have real injury questions, which makes Keenum the likely pick of the front office out of three options. However, he does add that it’s entirely within reason that the Vikings could go outside of the organization and sign a guy like Kirk Cousins to solidify the position moving forward.

Vikings Could Franchise QB Case Keenum?

January 21st, 2018 at 4:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are open to using the franchise tag in order to retain quarterback Case Keenum, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com goes a step further, noting it “would be beyond shocking” for Keenum not to receive the franchise tender.

Keenum, a career journeyman who inked a one-year, $2MM pact with Minnesota last offseason, posted the best season of his career in 2017 while leading the Vikings’ offense to a No. 5 finish in offensive DVOA. The soon-to-be 30-year-old ranked seventh in passer rating and ninth in adjusted net yards per completion during the 2017 regular season, and finished first in Football Outsiders‘ individual DVOA metric. Keenum, of course, will quarterback the Vikings in tonight’s NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.

The Vikings have the fifth-most cap space (about $57MM) of any NFL team in 2018, so the ~$23.3MM franchise tag is palatable for general manager Rick Spielman & Co. A franchise tender would also allow Minnesota to lock in Keenum for only a single season, alleviating any concerns that Keenum will turn back into a pumpkin during the course of a long-term deal. The Vikings have yet to enter extension discussions with Keenum or any of their other their pending free agent quarterbacks, a list that includes Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater.

Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is expected to accept the Giants’ head coaching position when Minnesota’s postseason run concludes, and while some reports have indicated Shurmur could bring Keenum along to his new destination, that now seems unlikely given that New York is expected to retain Eli Manning. Speculatively, the Bills could be a potential suitor given that they expressed interest in Keenum last offseason.

Sam Bradford To Be No. 2 QB

January 14th, 2018 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

Sam Bradford was activated from IR yesterday, and today ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reports that Bradford will serve as Case Keenum‘s backup for the Vikings’ divisional round matchup against the Saints this afternoon (Twitter link). Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer has never activated three quarterbacks, so it is likely that Teddy Bridgewater will be inactive for the contest.

Bradford started the Vikings’ first game of the 2017 season and performed well in leading his team to a convincing win over — coincidentally enough — the Saints. But he has not played in a full game since that opening contest, and as Bridgewater was continuing to recover from last season’s ACL injury, Keenum was given the chance to show what he could do.

He did not disappoint. He went 11-3 as a starter, led the Vikings to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and set himself up for a big payday in the coming months. Like Keenum, Bradford and Bridgewater will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, so Minnesota will have some very interesting decisions to make when their season is over.

Mortensen also tweets that, on November 7, Bradford visited Dr. James Andrews to have his left knee cleaned out and a bone spur shaved. As a result, the pain in his knee is not nearly as severe as it was prior to the surgery. Apparently, he feels good enough and has played well enough since returning to the practice field earlier this month to serve as Keenum’s backup in a playoff contest.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Cards, Packers, 49ers

January 13th, 2018 at 9:34pm CST by Micah Powell

For the first time all season, the Vikings will have all three of their quarterbacks healthy when they host New Orleans on Sunday. Even with the return of Sam Bradford and the health of Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum “is the guy” reports Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

This should come as no surprise, as Keenum has been among the league’s top signal-callers since taking over for Bradford early in the season. The question, however, will be if the team wants to have all three suit up on Sunday. Florio’s sources say that won’t be determined until right before kickoff. Florio thinks untimely concussion evaluations could play into the decision.

Regardless of the decision, Keenum will have as long a leash as possible as the starter. The sixth-year quarterback enjoyed a breakout campaign, throwing for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns while posting a stellar 98.3 passer rating. It is unknown at this time if Bradford will leapfrog Bridgewater for the backup role.

Here is more from around the NFC:

Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is the perfect candidate for the Cardinals head-coaching vacancy, AZ Central’s Dan Bickley writes. Bickley notes Shurmur’s ability to get the most out of his quarterback as the underlying factor. He also thinks the hiring of Shurmur would ensure the return of Larry Fitzgerald. The hiring, however, would go in opposition to former head coach Bruce Arians’ wishes that defensive coordinator James Bettcher get the job.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy reportedly met with team president and CEO Mark Murphy and expressed concerns Russ Ball wouldn’t be aggressive in free agency, USA Today’s Pete Dougherty reports. The meeting in theory caused Murphy to not promote Ball to general manager after Ted Thompson left the spot. Dougherty has doubts that the meeting had any impact on the situation. He also laid out another theory that Murphy preferred Brian Gutekunst all along for the job.
There is confidence on both sides that the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo will strike a deal, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco writes. If the sides don’t reach an agreement, it’s almost a guarantee that the quarterback will be franchised. After leading the Niners to wins in each of his first five starts, Jimmy G is a safe bet to be the QB in San Francisco for a long time.

Case Keenum Drew Interest From Bills, Bears

January 12th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The rise of Case Keenum has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. Vaulted into the Vikings’ starting quarterback job out of necessity, Keenum outperformed some of the league’s biggest names and guided the Vikings to a 13-3 record. It turns out that Keenum could have been another team’s diamond in the rough instead.

The Bears and Bills both expressed interest in the QB, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. However, Keenum says that he chose the Vikings because they showed a greater desire to sign him.

The Bills’ previous interest in Keenum is particularly notable as they still face uncertainty under center. Tyrod Taylor is due a $6MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2018 league year and stands to earn $10MM in base salary. Now that offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has been shown the door, the Bills could further overhaul the offense by moving on from the 28-year-old (29 in August).

Meanwhile, some believe that Keenum will arrive with Pat Shurmur as a package deal if Shurmur gets a head coaching job. That could appeal to both the Cardinals and Giants.

In 2017, Keenum ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 QB, slotting him ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins. Keenum’s 67.6% completion percentage was the second-highest in the NFL, trailing only Drew Brees.

Keenum will look to continue his improbable success story with a win over the Saints on Sunday in the divisional round.

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