8 Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe
After selecting Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley in the first round of the April’s draft, the Ravens tried to trade veteran left tackle Eugene Monroe. However, Baltimore was unable to find a taker on the trade market and on Wednesday the team cut him loose.
Yes, there are some red flags for Monroe. For starters, the tackle has missed 16 games with injury over the past two years. Monroe has also been a vocal advocate for marijuana to be removed from the league’s banned substance list and Baltimore officials apparently took umbrage with his focus in that area.
However, there’s also a lot to like. When healthy, Monroe can be an impact player and can slide into the starting lineup for several NFL teams. Where could Monroe wind up? Here’s our list of the eight teams who could make a play for him:
[RELATED: Ravens Sign Bronson Kaufusi, Wrap Up Draft Class]
Arizona Cardinals — Left tackle isn’t a concern in the desert, as Jared Veldheer will continue to handle Carson Palmer‘s blindside, but right tackle is a bit more murky. After losing both Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell to free agency, the Cardinals are counting on 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries to take on a starting role. Humphries didn’t play a single snap during his rookie season, and frustrated Arizona management to the point that head coach Bruce Arians began referring to him as “knee deep” (re: Arians’ knee vs. Humphries’ posterior). If Humphries has matured over the past year or so, adding Monroe to play on the right side wouldn’t make much sense. But if the Cardinals still have questions about their talented yet raw sophomore tackle, Monroe could be a welcome veteran addition.
Chicago Bears — Finding a starting left tackle in the seventh round — as the Bears did with Charles Leno in 2014 — is certainly an accomplishment, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that Leno simply wasn’t that productive during the 2015 campaign. In 16 games (13 starts), Leno graded out as just the 55th-best tackle in the NFL among 77 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. If Chicago wants to contend in 2016, it will need better play on the blindside, and Monroe would almost certainly represent an upgrade, acting as a finishing touch to an offensive line that’s already seen additions such as Bobby Massie, Nate Chandler, and Cody Whitehair over the past several months.
Indianapolis Colts — The Colts are clearly intent on keeping Andrew Luck upright in 2016, having spent three draft picks on offensive linemen in April. While some of the spots along Indy’s front five are settled, right tackle could be up for grabs (although general manager Ryan Grigson had said he’d like to see Joe Reitz win the job). The Colts haven’t been shy about acquiring veterans in the past, having sacrificed draft pick compensation for Vontae Davis, Trent Richardson, Billy Winn, and others in recent years. If the club wants a solid veteran to lock down the right side, instead of relying on a cavalcade of mid-tier options, Monroe could be on their radar.
New England Patriots — Like the Colts, the Patriots have utilized trades to augment their roster — in 2015, they made a league-leading nine deals with other clubs, and they’ve acquired veterans such as Akeem Ayers, Keshawn Martin, Jonathan Casillas, Jonathan Bostic, and Akiem Hicks via the trade route over the past several years. In a trade, Monroe would have been a different animal, as he’s a more high-profile name and costs more than any of the players brought in by New England via swap recently. Now, he holds even more appeal as a free agent. If the Pats did sign Monroe to man right tackle, they’d likely release fellow offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer or Marcus Cannon (or both). On the surface, Monroe doesn’t seem like a Bill Belichick-esque addition, but New England has made surprising moves in the past.
New York Giants — Many draft observers believed Giants 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers was best-suited to play guard or right tackle out of the gate. Instead, New York plugged him in on the left side following an injury to Will Beatty, and Flowers proceeded to grade out as one of the four worst blindside protectors in the league, per PFF. Veteran Marshall Newhouse, the club’s projected right tackle, also ranked as a bottom-10 option at the position. The Giants need help up front, perhaps more so than any team in the NFL outside of Seattle, so it was no surprise to learn that they were talking trade with Baltimore prior to Monroe’s release and have already started courting him since he became a free agent.
San Diego Chargers — Shortly after word leaked out regarding Monroe’s release, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Chargers as a potential suitor along with the Seahawks and Giants. On the surface, the Chargers seem adequately set at tackle with King Dunlap covering Philip Rivers‘ blindside and Joe Barksdale at right tackle. Still, while Barksdale graded out as the No. 21 overall tackle in the NFL last year according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Dunlap has been injury prone in the past.
San Francisco 49ers — By almost any metric, San Francisco’s offensive line was among the worst in the NFL last season. The unit ranked second with 53 sacks allowed, and placed 31st in pass protection and 32nd in run blocking according to Football Outsiders’ data. All-Pro Joe Staley clearly isn’t a problem at left tackle, but uninspiring options such as Erik Pears and Trent Brown are among the candidates to start opposite him on the right side. The 49ers are in the midst of a complete rebuild, so perhaps adding a veteran like Monroe doesn’t make sense given their current roster makeup. But keeping Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick (or whomever else starts at quarterback in 2016) off the ground should still be a goal, and Monroe would signify an improvement.
Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks are mentioned in connection with nearly every available offensive lineman, but the club simply hasn’t shown any willingness to invest in its front five. After losing Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy in free agency, Seattle will rely on the likes of Garry Gilliam, Bradley Sowell, J’Marcus Webb, and Mark Glowinski up front. Offensive line coach Tom Cable is regarded as a masterful teacher, and he can probably turn some of those unheralded options into contributors. But it’s hard to imagine that the Seahawks would turn down an opportunity to add an immediate starter like Monroe, especially if the asking price is minimal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Cut Eugene Monroe; Giants In Pursuit
8:41pm: The Giants began pursuing Monroe as soon as the Ravens released him, and there’s a “decent chance” New York will land the lineman, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
4:33pm: Monroe is in no hurry to find his next team, a source told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. He is fully healthy, according to the source, who confirmed to Schwartz that the Giants did try to trade for him (Twitter links).
3:20pm: The Ravens officially announced Monroe’s release.
2:30pm: After trade talks with Giants fell through, the Ravens have elected to release offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’s now a free agent and the Giants, Chargers, and Seahawks are among the teams that could have interest.
[RELATED: 8 NFL Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe]
This week, the Ravens decided to shop veteran the left tackle after watching him miss a great deal of games in recent years. Monroe has also been extremely vocal about his pro-medical marijuana stance and his efforts to have marijuana removed from the league’s list of banned substances did not sit well with team ownership. The 29-year-old Monroe has missed 16 games with injury over the past two years and had cap charges approaching $9MM in each of the next three years.
By releasing Monroe, the Ravens will be left with $2.2MM in dead money while realizing $6.5MM in cap savings this year. They’ll also be on the hook for a combined $4.4MM in dead cash the next two seasons, though they’d save $13.5MM in that time. Prior to releasing Monroe, the Ravens attempted to get Monroe to accept a salary cut, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Monroe has obviously not lived up to the expectations set for him when he inked a five-year, $37.5MM contract with Baltimore prior to the 2014 season, but he could be an impact addition for another club if he can stay healthy. One also has to imagine that other clubs could be more accepting of Monroe’s pro-pot crusade.
Earlier today, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the most logical fits for Monroe.
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Joey Bosa, Chargers In Contract Dispute
The June minicamp is underway, but it is not mandatory for rookie Joey Bosa since he is still not under contract. Bosa’s reps have advised him to hold out amid a stalemate in contract negotiations, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. 
The majority of this year’s rookies have already signed their deals, but Bosa’s camp wants no offset language in his contract. With no offset language, the Chargers would pay Bosa the balance of his four-year guaranteed contract even if they release him sometime during it. Then, theoretically, Bosa could collect two salaries upon signing elsewhere. With offset language in place, the Chargers would be off the hook for Bosa’s salary with his new team, paying him only the difference. The two sides also are in disagreement about the deal’s cash flow.
The most recent collective bargaining agreement has largely made rookie contract disputes a thing of the past, but there are still instances where teams and players will clash over offset language. Last year, the Titans did not sign No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota until July after extended haggling.
The Ohio State product was widely projected to be a top 10 pick in this year’s draft, but few pundits saw the Chargers pouncing on him at No. 3. While teams traded into the top 2 picks to select quarterbacks, the Bolts were more than happy to stay put and grab Bosa.
Chargers Cut Matt Daniels From IR
- The Chargers cut safety Matt Daniels from injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). the two sides presumably reached an injury settlement.
Chargers, Keenan Allen Agree To Extension
One year ago, the Chargers locked up quarterback Philip Rivers. Over the weekend, the Bolts extended one of his top targets.
Michael Gehlken of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Chargers have agreed to a four-year extension with wideout Keenan Allen. NFL Network’s Rand Getlin tweets that the deal is worth $45MM, with at least $24MM in guaranteed money, including a $9.5MM signing bonus. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan writes that the deal is expected to be “finalized and signed” in the coming days. The team confirmed the agreement on their website.
This is quite the pay increase for Allen, as the former third-round pick signed a four-year, $2.8MM contract after being drafted in 2013. Since that time, the 24-year-old has established himself as one of Rivers’ favorite wide receivers. The former California Golden Bear compiled 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns during his rookie season, and he followed that up with a 77-catch campaign in 2014. Allen was on track to set several career-highs in 2015 before a kidney laceration ended his season.
Allen will receive $21.656MM fully guaranteed, which includes his 2016 base salary of $1.656MM, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The deal also includes another $2.5MM in injury guarantees, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Allen can earn $2MM for 2019 if he catches 90 passes and the Chargers make the postseason or if he catches 100 passes and the club wins eight games in 2016, 2017, or 2018. For 2020, Allen can make $2MM if, after unlocking the extra $2MM for 2019, he reaches 90 catches and San Diego makes the playoffs, or he logs 80 catches and the team reaches eight wins, before the 2020 season.
Having been eligible for an extension since March, Gehlken notes that the two sides have been working on a new contract since the conclusion of the NFL draft. A five-year deal was reportedly discussed, but the current deal will allow Allen to hit free agency before he turns 30-years-old. A presumed $11MM annual salary would rank eighth in the league among receivers, tied with Larry Fitzgerald and Jeremy Maclin.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chargers' Initiative Receives Sufficient Signatures
The Chargers received the necessary 110,000+ votes to place their citizens’ initiative measure on the November ballot for the purposes of unlocking funds for a downtown stadium, Dan McSwain of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
“Most signature gathering efforts of this kind take six full months. We had just six weeks to complete our work,” Chargers chairman Dean Spanos said. “The fact that we were able to collect more than 110,000 signatures in that short period of time demonstrates tremendous support in our community for a new, combined stadium-convention center expansion downtown.”
The initiative calls for $650MM in funds from unspecified sources, which likely means money from the Chargers, fans, personal seat licenses and the NFL, per McSwain. But opponents of the initiative are formulating plans. Some are taking the stance of last year’s stadium task force that preferred to keep the Chargers at nearby Mission Valley as opposed to downtown.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer endorsed that site last year prior to the Chargers’ Carson bid being rejected. But he hasn’t come out in favor of either site recently and distanced himself from the activist group that’s attempting to prevent the Chargers-supported downtown stadium from coming to fruition.
La Canfora On Mike McCoy's Job Security
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examined the job security of each NFL head coach entering the season. In La Canfora’s estimation, Rex Ryan (Bills), Gus Bradley (Jaguars), Jim Caldwell (Lions), Mike McCoy (Chargers), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Bill O’Brien (Texans) and Jason Garrett (Cowboys) are the least secure coaches going into this year. Of that group, two (Lewis and O’Brien) were at the helm of playoff teams last season. Ryan has only been in Buffalo for a year, making him the shortest-tenured member of the septet.
Latest On Chargers, San Diego
- San Diego voters cut three candidates for City Attorney this week, which seems to bode poorly for the Chargers’ plans for a $1.15 billion downtown stadium and convention center, writes Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The two candidates who advanced, Republican Robert Hickey and Democrat Mara Elliott, are on record as saying the Chargers’ plan will need two-thirds voter approval. Bryan Pease, who received the fewest votes and is now out of the running, thought the stadium could come to fruition with a 50 percent plus one vote. In regards to the city helping fund a stadium, Elliott said, “I’d rather see the money go toward something that benefits the public. Public safety, roads, our infrastructure is crumbling. We’ve got water issues in the City of San Diego. So in my opinion, there are more critical concerns for San Diegans than there is building a private Chargers stadium.” The Chargers have until Jan. 15, 2017, to join the Rams in Los Angeles, so it stands to reason that they’ll depart by then if a stadium deal isn’t reached.
Keenan Allen, Chargers Discussing Extension
TUESDAY, 6:09pm: The Chargers are offering Allen more than $10MM annually, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who adds that the two sides aren’t all that far apart in talks.
MONDAY, 7:57pm: The Chargers are exploring a long-term deal with wide receiver Keenan Allen, sources tell Connor Orr of NFL.com. Allen and the club are interested in working out an accord with a length of four or five years, according to Orr.
Extension talks between San Diego and Allen have been rumored for some time, as Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in March that the club was expected to reach out to its star pass-catcher following once free agency and the draft concluded. Both those markers have passed, of course, but Gehlken tweets today that the situation is “still developing,” indicating that it’s too soon to say whether these negotiations will result in a deal.
Allen has been a force since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2013, and is still only 24 years old. After topping 1,000 yards receiving and scoring eight touchdowns during his rookie campaign, Allen came back down to earth in 2014, but was on pace for the best season of his career last year. With 67 receptions and 725 yards under his belt through only eight games, Allen suffered a lacerated kidney and was forced to miss the rest of the campaign. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the 2016 season, but it’s easy to wonder what might have been.
Given his career stats, Allen’s camp is sure to ask — at a minimum — to match the four-year, $40MM extension inked by Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns last week. Hurns and Allen are the same age, but Allen could surely argue that he’s worth more than than Jacksonville pass-catcher. An $11MM annual salary, making Allen the eighth-highest paid receiver in the NFL, isn’t out of the question, and the Chargers star should also top $20MM in guarantees.
Were the two sides to reach an impasse between now and next spring, the Chargers could hold the franchise tag over Allen’s head, allowing them to control him for one more season (at least). The wide receiver franchise figure was $14.599MM in 2015, so San Diego would need to be willing to carry a cap charge north of $15MM in order to retain Allen if it goes down that road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chargers Banking On Healthy Offensive Line
- The Chargers‘ offensive line should be better if it’s simply healthier, but relying on oft-injured players to stay healthy is not always a good strategy, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. San Diego will count on two players — left tackle King Dunlap and center Matt Slauson — who are already 30 years old and have dealt with various ailments in the past. At center, at least, the Chargers do have a young option in third-round pick Max Tuerk.