NFC Notes: Giants, Saints, Bears, Vikings
Veteran signal-caller Josh Johnson is likely to emerge as the Giants‘ backup quarterback in 2017, which means free agent signee Geno Smith is in danger of being released, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Johnson spent the entire 2016 campaign with Big Blue, and though he was only for two games, he earned the trust of Giants’ coaches. New York, meanwhile, would only incur $325K in dead money by parting ways with Smith. Third-round pick Davis Webb, of course, is slated to open the season as the Giants’ third-string quarterback.
- The Saints have now signed every member of their 2017 draft class aside from first-round offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, and the Wisconsin product’s deal is on hold until he can pass a physical, reports Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter links). Ramczyk, the 32nd overall selection, is dealing with a hip issue. New Orleans had been one of two clubs (along with the Rams) that hadn’t signed a draft pick before yesterday, and the reason for that delay was fiscal. The Saints picked up $7.8MM in cap space Thursday when Jairus Byrd‘s post-June 1 release was officially processed, giving the team a bit more breathing room to sign its rookies.
- While the Bears “would like nothing more” than to extend left tackle Charles Leno, it’s unclear if Chicago plans to open contract talks before the season gets underway, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Leno, 25, is certainly a success story, as the former seventh-round pick has started 32 games for the Bears over the past two seasons. He’s steadily improved, as well, and last year graded as the No. 41 tackle among 78 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Chicago will get a relative bargain on Leno in 2017, as he’s due a base salary of only $1.797MM. A long-term deal could easily take Leno over the $10MM per year barrier, if not higher.
- Michael Floyd‘s one-year deal with the Vikings doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, but the veteran wideout can earn a pay bump through several incentives, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com details. If Floyd maxes out his incentive-based by reaching 70 catches, 1,000 yards, or 12 touchdowns, he’ll bring in an extra $4.6MM. The bonuses start at $1.5MM, which Floyd can earn by hitting 40 receptions, 500 yards, or six touchdowns. None of that incentive money is on Minnesota’s salary cap for now, as it’s all considered “not likely to be earned” because Floyd didn’t reach even the lowest thresholds in 2016. Additionally, Floyd could struggle to hit the top rung of his incentive ladder given that he’s expected to face a suspension in 2017.
Giants Notes: OL, Blount, Engram, Mahomes
The Giants exit draft weekend without many questions about their defense, but their offense has a few. Mainly, Big Blue’s offensive line may still have some issues, particularly after the blocking prospect the team preferred, Garett Bolles, went just before New York made its first-round selection. The Giants were hoping the Broncos, whose left tackle need is probably bigger than theirs since former first-rounder Ereck Flowers is an option in New York, would bypass Bolles in favor of Ryan Ramczyk or Cam Robinson, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. Multiple sources told Vacchiano the Giants zeroed in on Bolles at No. 23, but Jerry Reese has not made a first-round draft maneuver — up or down — in his 11 years leading the franchise.
With Vacchiano noting the Giants were not as high on Ramczyk or Robinson, the Giants moved on. They did not select an offensive lineman until the sixth round, though, which is interesting for a team that has concerns — per the New York-embedded reporter — about Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg and newly signed D.J. Fluker entering contract years. Earlier this month, Reese said the positions up front weren’t solidified. So, the statuses of Flowers and Fluker, who played right tackle and right guard with the Chargers, are probably yet to be determined.
Here’s more from the Giants, courtesy of Vacchiano.
- Multiple sources refuted talk of the Giants wanting to trade up to No. 10 to select Patrick Mahomes, who went to the Chiefs after they made a 17-spot jump. The Giants would have been willing to consider Mahomes at No. 23, per Vacchiano. But with Eli Manning likely to play out his contract as the team’s starter, and he’s signed through 2019, using a first-rounder on a quarterback may not have made much sense.
- LeGarrette Blount was linked to the Giants on multiple occasions earlier this month, but the team’s selection of Clemson running back Wayne Gallman in the fourth round may have closed that avenue for the 30-year-old Blount. The Giants, though, haven’t moved on from the prospect of adding Blount, Vacchiano reports. However, it looks like they are going with a backfield depth chart that houses Gallman, Paul Perkins, Shane Vereen and Shaun Draughn.
- The Giants opted to select Evan Engram over David Njoku, doing so despite the Miami product receiving a bit more pre-draft hype, and that pick was viewed by some as a reach. But Vacchiano notes buzz swirled about a team trying to trade up in front of the Giants to select Engram, identifying the Bills and Falcons as interested suitors. The Browns traded back into the first round to take Njoku, so they may have been in on this pursuit as well. Njoku was scheduled to visit the Giants earlier this month, but the team cancelled the meeting.
- A jump in front of the Buccaneers or Broncos for the right to take O.J. Howard, whom the Giants “loved,” or Bolles would have cost the team a third-round pick, Vacchiano reports. The Giants stood tight at 23, viewing Engram and third-round pick Davis Webb as a better package than either Howard or Bolles.
- Webb’s addition makes Geno Smith‘s place in New York odd, with Vacchiano writing the former Jets starter is almost certain to open camp on the PUP list and is a likely candidate for the Reserve/PUP come the regular season. Smith is recovering from a torn ACL and is signed through 2017 only. Vacchiano views returning backup Josh Johnson as the favorite to beat out Smith for a job. This could end up being a paid rehab year for the fifth-year passer, especially considering Manning hasn’t missed a start since becoming the starting quarterback in 2004.
East Notes: Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Eagles
The Jets did not make a real effort to re-sign Geno Smith, as NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. When asked whether he had any contact with the quarterback during free agency, coach Todd Bowles replied, “No. I would have been happy to have him back. But things don’t work out like that all the time.” Smith will now look for a fresh start with the other tenant of the Meadowlands.
More from the East Coast:
- With Smith on hand, the Big Blue QB depth chart could get crowded as the team is open to taking a signal-caller early in the draft. The Giants had scouts at the pro days for Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Miami’s Brad Kaaya, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com. Kaaya had an encouraging showing at his pro day, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). He would seemingly be a more realistic target for the Giants than Watson, who could be off the board when the Giants’ first-round pick (No. 23) comes up. Kaaya might have to wait until Day 3 to come off the board.
- The Cowboys had two big-time defensive end prospects, Michigan’s Taco Charlton and UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley, in for visits, according to the Dallas Morning News. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks both players among his top 25, though McKinley could be on the shelf until late in the summer after undergoing shoulder surgery. Dallas is also looking at Washington cornerback Kevin King, whom it worked out, relays Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). King has the makings of a Day 1 pick, so he could be a possibility for the Cowboys at No. 28.
- Eagles defensive back Ron Brooks took a pay cut Friday, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). He’s now slated to make $1MM in 2017, down from the $1.85MM he had been scheduled to collect. The Eagles also changed 2018 into an option season for Brooks, whom they signed to a three-year, $6MM deal last March. Brooks missed most of last season with a ruptured quad, appearing in six games and picking up five starts.
- Defensive end Chris Long‘s two-year contract with the Eagles is worth $4.5MM plus incentives, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Giants May Draft Quarterback Early
The odds of the Giants drafting Eli Manning‘s successor relatively early in the draft are greater than many may believe, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Team co-owners Steve Tisch and John Mara recently spoke to reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, about the importance of finding a long-term option under center.
“No, you can’t beat age. I think it’s certainly at the back of everybody’s mind — including Eli’s,” Tisch said. “There’s no urgency. There’s no panic. But I think if you’re a responsible owner, responsible GM, you’ve got to start thinking about it.”
“I think we have to start thinking about it,” Mara said. “I think you always have to look at drafting a quarterback where you can. Our philosophy going into the draft — at least mine — is just take the best player. It doesn’t matter what position he is. I think if there’s a chance to take a quarterback — it doesn’t have to be this year — then you should take him.”
Now that the quarterback draft class of 2004 — Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger — is aging, all three’s clubs have noted the possibility of selecting a quarterback this year. Giants general manager Jerry Reese said earlier this year his team would begin thinking about acquiring a youthful signal-caller, and the need is all the more important given that the 36-year-old Manning is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.
Meanwhile, head coach Ben McAdoo is at least giving lip service to the idea that the recently-signed Geno Smith could be a long-term option for the Giants. “I can’t see why not,” McAdoo said of Smith, per Vacchiano (Twitter link). “We’ve got a long way to go for that.” To be fair, Smith is still only 26 years old, but his sub-60% completion percentage and career touchdown-to-interception ration of 28:36 doesn’t exactly scream starter.
Contract Details: Claiborne, Geno Smith
Let’s take a look at the details of some recently-signed contracts:
- Morris Claiborne, CB (Jets): One year, $5MM. $2.5MM base salary. $2MM signing bonus. $31K per game bonus if on 46-man roster. (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the Daily News).
- Lorenzo Alexander, LB (Bills): Two years, $5.95MM. Cap numbers of $2.55MM (2017) and $3.4MM (2018). $1.1MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $2MM (2017, fully guaranteed) and $2.45MM (2018; $300K fully guaranteed; $1MM guaranteed for injury only). $300K roster bonus due on third day of the 2018 league year and additional per-game roster bonuses of $6K+ in 2018. Incentives up to $850K (2017) and $1.25MM (2018) in playing time and Pro Bowl incentives. (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Geno Smith, QB (Giants): One year, $775K base. $25K workout bonus. $800K in play time incentives. $12.5K per-game roster bonuses. Max value of $2MM. (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
- EJ Manuel, QB (Raiders): One year, $800K. No guaranteed money. (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com).
- Kellen Moore, QB (Cowboys): One year, $755K. $100K fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Tyson Alualu, DL (Steelers): Two years, $6MM. $1.75MM fully guaranteed. (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Kevin Minter, LB (Bengals): One year, $4MM. $2.1MM guaranteed. (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Frostee Rucker, DE (Cardinals): One year, $1.08MM. $80K fully guaranteed. $500K+ available through incentives. (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
Giants To Sign Ex-Jets QB Geno Smith
The Giants are expected to sign former Jets quarterback Geno Smith, according to Adam Schefter and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will reunite Smith and wide receiver Brandon Marshall. It’s a one-year deal worth about $2MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
[RELATED: Giants, Jason-Pierre Paul Agree To Multi-Year Deal]
Smith, 26, started one game for the Jets in 2016, but tore his ACL in that October contest and missed the remainder of the season. The former second-round pick has only attempted 56 passes over the past two years.
On Friday morning, the Giants re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson. Right now, it seems like the plan will be for the Giants to have Smith as Eli Manning‘s primary backup with Johnson in the QB3 spot. Of course, a lot can change over the next seven months and Johnson’s place on the roster isn’t a certainty. The Giants could still draft a developmental quarterback to give them another candidate to be Eli’s heir and depending on that QB’s stature, that player could even usurp Smith’s place as the primary understudy.
Smith, of course, has some unpleasant memories in East Rutherford, New Jersey. But, to his credit, he’ll face those nightmares head on and attempt to exorcise those demons in a new uniform.
Smith was PFR’s No. 14 ranked free agent quarterback heading into free agency. Reportedly, the Jets were still open to a reunion if they were unable to find a better option. The Chargers and Browns also had interest.
Chargers, Browns Interested In Geno Smith
The Chargers and Browns have expressed interest in free agent quarterback Geno Smith, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). The Giants are also eyeing the former Jets signal-caller, and met with Smith last week.
Los Angeles re-signed its No. 2 quarterback Kellen Clemens last week, but he only inked a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, meaning the Chargers would incur just $80K in dead money if they decided to cut bait with the 33-year-old. Philip Rivers has been remarkably durable during tenure as the Chargers’ starter, as he hasn’t missed a start since taking over more than a decade ago. As such, Smith wouldn’t be in line for much playing time if he opted to join Los Angeles.
The Browns, meanwhile, offers a wide open quarterback position, as the club is currently employing Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan (Cleveland also has Brock Osweiler under contract, but will reportedly trade or release him before he ever plays a down for the team). While the Browns will likely add a quarterback at some point in the upcoming draft, Smith would likely have a chance to earn playing time in northeast Ohio. For what it’s worth, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) isn’t getting the “vibe” that the Browns are interested in Smith.
Smith, 26, started one game for the Jets in 2016, but tore his ACL in that October contest and missed the remainder of the season. The former second-round pick has only attempted 56 passes over the past two years. PFR’s No. 14 free agent quarterback, Smith could still re-sign with Gang Green if the club doesn’t find a better option.
QB Geno Smith To Visit Giants
Geno Smith is believed to be meeting with the Giants today, reports Art Stapleton of USA Today (via Twitter). This is the first reported visit for the free agent quarterback.
For the second straight season, Smith played sparingly behind starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Since the start of the 2015 season, the former second-rounder has appeared in only three games, completing 62-percent of his passes for 391 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
His last full season as a starter came in 2014. He led the Jets to a 3-10 record in 13 starts (14 games), completing 59.7-percent of his passes for 2,525 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. The speedy signal-caller added another 238 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Eli Manning is the lone quarterback on the Giants current roster, as both Josh Johnson and Ryan Nassib are unrestricted free agents.
We graded Smith as the 14th-best available quarterback in our free agent positional rankings.
Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Offense
NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.
Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.
Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:
Updated 3-7-2017, 2:55pm CT
Quarterback:
- Mike Glennon
- Nick Foles
Brian Hoyer(story)- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Colin Kaepernick
- Josh McCown
- Case Keenum
- Matt McGloin
- Mark Sanchez
- Ryan Mallett
- Christian Ponder
- Blaine Gabbert
- Geno Smith
Matt Schaub(story)- EJ Manuel
Honorable mention: Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Shaun Hill 
Colin Kaepernick’s agents have (wisely) let everyone know that their client will stand for the National Anthem in 2017. That may seem like a minor point, but teams say they would have automatically removed him from consideration if he continued his attention-grabbing protest. He grabbed headlines for his actions on the sidelines last year, but he actually turned in an OK season. From a football standpoint, Kaepernick would make sense for a lot of teams as a QB2 with upside.
Interestingly, this list includes three quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it as the Jets’ starter and three rejects from the 49ers. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all six of those players (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert) come with varying degrees of potential and proven effectiveness. Smith, somehow, could reportedly be retained by the Jets and installed as the starter in 2017.
Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.
Running back:
- Eddie Lacy
- Adrian Peterson
- LeGarrette Blount
- Latavius Murray
- Jamaal Charles
- Darren McFadden
- Jacquizz Rodgers
- Rex Burkhead
- Rashad Jennings
- Danny Woodhead
- Tim Hightower
- DeAngelo Williams
- Andre Ellington
- Chris Johnson
- Christine Michael
Honorable mention: Robert Turbin, Travaris Cadet, Benny Cunningham, Lance Dunbar, Bobby Rainey, Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, James Starks
As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.
The Patriots believe they won’t be able to match the offers that come in LeGarrette Blount‘s direction. Latavius Murray could circle back to the Raiders, but he won’t be agreeing to a deal with them before free agency opens on Thursday.
Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.
Jets Rumors: Smith, Okung, Jefferson
The bidding for Mike Glennon could get out of hand, so we shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility that Geno Smith is brought back and installed as the team’s starting quarterback in 2017, a team source tells SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. Of course, that will all depend on his recovery from ACL surgery, his desire to stay in New York, and whether the Jets are able to land a more attractive option. Even though he was selected by the previous regime, Vacchiano hears that coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan “don’t hate him.”
Here’s more on Gang Green:
- The Jets are going to be in on the market for left tackle Russell Okung, a league source tells Vacchiano. He adds that the Jets may also target Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson but refers to Okung as the Jets’ biggest non-QB target. Personally, we don’t agree with the assessment that Okung is a more ambitious pursuit than the Cardinals safety. On our first edition of the Top 50 Free Agents list, we ranked Jefferson No. 8 in terms of earning power while Okung was all the way down at No. 43.
- The Jets are expected to tender restricted free agent center Wesley Johnson, a source tells Vacchiano. The SNY scribe says he “seems like a candidate” for the second-round tender.
- The Jets are putting an emphasis on the run game and have plans to add a fullback in free agency this year, a source tells Connor Hughes of NJ.com. The Jets haven’t ruled out signing former Pro Bowlers Mike Tolbert or Marcel Reece and the Falcons’ Patrick DiMarco is also an option, Hughes hears. We have DiMarco ranked as the third-best fullback on the free agent market, behind Kyle Juszczyk and James Develin. Tolbert is all the way down at No. 7 because of his age and diminished blocking skills