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Matt McGloin

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Kirk Cousins
  2. Mike Glennon
  3. Nick Foles
  4. Brian Hoyer
  5. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  6. Case Keenum
  7. Matt McGloin
  8. Mark Sanchez
  9. Geno Smith
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Josh McCown
  12. Christian Ponder
  13. Blaine Gabbert
  14. Matt Schaub
  15. Ryan Nassib

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams. Kirk Cousins

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

  1. Le’Veon Bell
  2. Eddie Lacy
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Darren McFadden
  6. Jacquizz Rodgers
  7. Rashad Jennings
  8. Danny Woodhead
  9. Rex Burkhead
  10. Tim Hightower
  11. DeAngelo Williams
  12. Andre Ellington
  13. Chris Johnson
  14. Christine Michael
  15. Robert Turbin

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

LeGarrette Blount (vertical)In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

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Extra Points: McGloin, Boldin, Gresham

January 9th, 2017 at 9:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted NFL notes as we wrap up this Monday night…

  • Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin, an impending free agent, said that he is seeking a place where he will get “a chance to compete for a starting role,” Josh Dubow of the Associated Press tweets. The 27-year-old has nine career starts under his belt, and he’s connected on 58-percent of his career passes for 1,868 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
  • It sounds like Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin is leaning towards a return in 2017. “I haven’t sat down with my family yet, but there’s still a passion that runs in me for football,” he said (via Nate Atkins of MLive.com). Boldin, 36, caught 67 passes for 584 yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns in 2016.
  • Tight end Jermaine Gresham may have taken less money last offseason to stay with the Cardinals, but Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says we shouldn’t expect a repeat this time around. The 28-year-old impending free agent is probably eying his final chance to get paid, and he posted a solid statline of 37 receptions, 391 yards, and two touchdowns in 2016. Somers notes that the organization would like to re-sign the veteran tight end.
  • Farhan Lalji of TSN reports (via Twitter) that the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL have released outside linebacker Frank Beltre, allowing him to sign with the Jets. It was reported this weekend that the 26-year-old had signed with New York.
  • One of the more intriguing names featured on today’s reserve/futures contract signings was cornerback Mitchell White, who signed with the Eagles. The defensive back was a standout in the CFL, leading the Ottawa Redblacks to the Grey Cup. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Michigan State product also worked out for the Texans, Bears, and Bengals. As Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, this is the second straight season the Eagles have added a CFL cornerback, as they inked Aaron Grymes to a contract last year.

AFC Notes: Jets, Titans, Bills, Raiders

January 5th, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While the Jets have two recently drafted quarterbacks on their roster in 2015 fourth-round pick Bryce Petty and 2016 second-rounder Christian Hackenberg, the franchise has little faith in either, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. General manager Mike Maccagnan opined Thursday that Petty has starting-caliber potential, but the organization only regards him as a backup behind the scenes, according to Mehta. Petty struggled mightily this season in his first taste of NFL action, completing 56.4 percent of attempts, tossing three touchdowns against seven interceptions and posting a 60.0 passer rating in parts of six games. Hackenberg wasn’t even active until Week 17, when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick, and a team source scoffed at the notion Thursday that the ex-Penn State Nittany Lion could be the Jets’ long-term solution. “He will never make it,” the source told Mehta. “Never.” Although Maccagnan stated that Hackenberg made progress during the season, the executive also implied that the Jets will look for an outside starter, revealing that “all options are on the table.”

More from New York and three other AFC cities:

  • As a reward for a strong debut season as the Titans’ GM, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk decided Thursday to make Jon Robinson the second-highest-ranking member of the organization. Robinson is now the team’s executive vice president/GM after helping the Titans go from three wins in 2015 to nine victories this season. “This is an acknowledgement of his work and it puts him on equal footing with others in the league who direct football operations,” Strunk said in a statement (via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
  • Woody Johnson could be under consideration to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom when President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month, but the Jets’ owner downplayed it as speculation Thursday, per the Associated Press. If chosen, Johnson would reportedly hand control of the Jets over to his brother until the appointment ends.
  • Bills linebacker and pending free agent Zach Brown posted a message Thursday on Instagram referring to his time in Buffalo in the past tense, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com points out (on Twitter). After spending the first three years of his career in Tennessee, Brown signed a modest deal with the Bills last April. The 27-year-old then emerged as a major bargain, playing 16 games for the fourth time in a row and totaling an AFC-high 149 tackles to go with four sacks and two forced fumbles. Brown, whom Pro Football Focus graded an impressive 17th among 89 qualified linebackers, should fare much better on the open market this offseason.
  • The Raiders are still optimistic that Matt McGloin will be able to serve as the primary backup to Connor Cook in Saturday’s wild-card game round game in Houston, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. “Moxy,” who’s dealing with a shoulder injury, got some light work in Wednesday.
  • The Jets worked out Olympic sprinter Tre Houston on Thursday, writes Mehta. Houston competed in the 200 meters for Bermuda at the 2016 Rio Games and projects as a wide receiver.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Giants, JPP, Raiders, McGloin

January 3rd, 2017 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s go coast-to-coast for some news from around the NFL:

  • Despite a report that Jason Pierre-Paul could return for the divisional round and possibly even Wild Card weekend, the timeline has not changed for the Giants star, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. That means JPP is still looking at a conference round return as his best-case scenario. The defensive end is still just one month removed from sports hernia/groin surgery.
  • The Raiders are going forward with the expectation that quarterback Connor Cook starts against the Texans, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Matt McGloin is not believed to be ready for this weekend’s playoff game. If McGloin cannot go, it sounds like Oakland will have quarterback Garrett Gilbert on the active roster as the backup.
  • The Raiders worked out seven players Monday including running back LaMichael James, but no quarterbacks (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com). defensive end Alex Bazzie, linebacker Brandon Hepburn, safety Dion Bailey, and cornerback Greg Ducre also auditioned, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Draft Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos

April 30th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Ben Levine

With the fourth round nearly halfway done, let’s check in on some draft whispers from around the league…

  • The Cowboys‘ gameplan for the second round was to select Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and then move up and select Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Ogbah was ultimately selected by the Browns with the first pick of the second round, and Dallas snagged Smith two picks later.
  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says there was a general belief that the Cowboys would select quarterback Connor Cook with pick No. 101, leading to the Raiders‘ acquisition of the 100th pick. Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Oakland is planning on keeping Matt McGloin and allowing the two quarterbacks to compete for the back-up job.
  • According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), the Dolphins slapped Leonte Carroo with a “second-round grade.” Miami ended up snagging the Rutgers wideout late in the third round.
  • If Laremy Tunsil hadn’t been around at No. 13, the Dolphins would have selected UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Eli Apple, who was selected 10th overall, was also under consideration for the pick.
  • Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN’s Adam Schefter determined how much money the offensive lineman actually lost on Thursday evening (via Twitter). The Ravens were prepared to select the embattled University of Mississippi product with the sixth-overall pick, but Tunsil ended up falling to No. 13. Schefter estimates that the rookie lost nearly $7MM after having fallen eight spots.
  • The Broncos are fielding calls on several of their picks, reports Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). The team has a compensatory fourth-round pick (which can’t be traded), as well as two fifth-round selections.

RFA/ERFA Signings: 4/18/16

April 18th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll round the latest news on restricted and exclusive-rights free agents here…

Raiders Tender RFA Offer To Matt McGloin

March 4th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Raiders have assigned a second-round tender offer to restricted free agent quarterback Matt McGloin, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That offer is worth $2.553MM, which comes in the form of a non-guaranteed base salary for 2016.Matt McGloin

McGloin, 26, started six games for the Raiders in his first NFL season in 2013. While he threw tossed eight interceptions and led the club to a 1-5 record in those starts, McGloin wasn’t a disaster, throwing for 1,547 yards and eight touchdowns. He has remained a Raider since then, serving as a backup for Derek Carr in 2014 and 2015.

By assigning McGloin a second-round tender, the Raiders will likely assure that they don’t lose their No. 2 signal-caller to a rival team. Had they given him an original-round tender worth $1.671MM, the Raiders would have only held the right of first refusal — the higher tender will allow the team to collect a second-round pick as compensation if McGloin signs elsewhere.

Considering the Raiders have a projected $70MM+ in cap room, the decision to increase their offer to McGloin by less than $1MM to reduce the risk of losing him makes plenty of sense.

According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Oakland has also tendered an offer to RFA offensive tackle Matt McCants. McCants, a backup lineman for the Raiders, will get the low-end, $1.671MM tender, per Caplan. The tender will entitle the team to a sixth-round pick as compensation if McCants signs elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders To Release Christian Ponder

September 4th, 2015 at 8:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders will release quarterback Christian Ponder, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). As a result, Oakland will absorb $1.5MM in dead money this year, per Caplan (via Twitter). Ponder’s departure means Matt McGloin will serve as Derek Carr‘s primary backup.

Ponder, a first-round pick from Florida State in 2011, spent the first four years of his career as a Viking. He appeared in 38 regular-season games and made 36 starts, struggling throughout his tenure in Minnesota to live up to his draft status. The 27-year-old threw 38 touchdowns against 36 interceptions and had a sub-60 percent completion rate with the Vikings. His best season was 2012, when he threw 18 TDs and 12 picks for a playoff-bound team.

The Raiders signed Ponder to a one-year, $2.25MM deal during the offseason in the hopes that he’d replace Matt Schaub as a quality backup for Carr. However, he was outdone in the preseason by McGloin and will now look for work elsewhere.

AFC Mailbags: McGloin, Richardson, Bengals, Jets

June 27th, 2015 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start the day with some notes from the AFC…

  • Considering the presence of Derek Carr and Christian Ponder, Bill Williamson believes the Raiders could shop quarterback Matt McGloin. If he ends up having a good preseason, another team could look to acquire the 25-year-old.
  • Regardless of the play of Raiders running back Latavius Murray, Williamson believes Trent Richardson will make the team’s opening day roster.
  • Coley Harvey would prefer to “wait and see” how the Bengals receivers perform before declaring that they need more depth at the position.
  • Rich Cimini guesses that four running backs will make the Jets roster, an indication that Zac Stacy will be safe. As the writer points out, the team surrendered a draft pick for Stacy, so the organization will try to make it work.
  • If Henry Anderson ends up starting on the defensive line for the Colts, Mike Wells says we can point to Kendall Langford‘s contract as a mistake.

Raiders To Sign Christian Ponder

March 13th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

3:45pm: With the Ponder deal set to be finalized, the Raiders are expected to cut Schaub unless a team is willing to give up a draft pick for him, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that he wouldn’t be surprised if McGloin is eventually cut as well.

3:24pm: The Raiders are expected to sign Ponder to a one-year deal, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

2:48pm: Former Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder became an unrestricted free agent for the first time this week, and his first visit will be to Oakland to meet with the Raiders, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Bill Musgrave, who worked with Ponder in Minnesota for multiple seasons, was hired back in January as the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator

Ponder, who turned 27 last month, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder likely isn’t being considered for any starting roles or even QB competitions this offseason, but he’s a former 12th overall pick and could still be a solid backup.

Derek Carr is set to enter the 2015 season as the Raiders’ starter, but the backup situation in Oakland is uncertain, particularly with a new coaching staff in place. Matt Schaub remains under contract, but the team could clear his entire $5.5MM cap hit from its books by cutting him. Matt McGloin is also under contract.

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