2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: AFC West
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is a little more than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. We examined the AFC East on Tuesday, the AFC North on Wednesday, and the AFC South yesterday, before shifting our focus to the West today. Here’s a breakdown of the franchise and transition tag candidates for the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers:
Denver Broncos:
- Candidates: Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton
- Odds of being used: Likely
- Even after signing cornerback Chris Harris to a lucrative contract extension earlier this season, the Broncos have a handful of impact players eligible for free agency. Demaryius Thomas is the most likely to be tagged, but if he and the Broncos can quickly reach a long-term agreement, there are other guys who shouldn’t be overlooked. Julius Thomas saw his stock dip a little when he missed time late in the season, but the tight end price tag is modest compared to most positions.
Kansas City Chiefs:
- Candidates: Justin Houston, Rodney Hudson
- Odds of being used: Likely
- Like the Broncos, the Chiefs have a number of contributors eligible for free agency, including tackle Ryan Harris, linebacker Josh Mauga, and defensive back Ron Parker. Houston and Hudson are the two best candidates for a franchise tag though, and of those two, Houston represents the much likelier option. The only question would be whether the NFL’s sack leader would be considered a defensive end or a linebacker for salary purposes — in 2014, the defensive end franchise salary was nearly $2MM higher.
Oakland Raiders:
- Candidates: Stefen Wisniewski
- Odds of being used: Unlikely
- The Raiders should do everything they can to lock up Wisniewski, but the franchise tag will be an absolute last resort. Offensive linemen are all grouped together for franchise purposes, so Oakland would have to commit to a left tackle salary for the center if he’s tagged. While the Browns used the transition tag on Alex Mack last year, Mack is arguably the league’s best center, and for the most part, the position just isn’t worth that kind of investment. I’d expect Wisniewski to land a deal in the neighborhood of $5-7MM per year.
San Diego Chargers:
- Candidates: King Dunlap, Brandon Flowers
- Odds of being used: Possible
- There are bigger names headed to free agency in San Diego, including running back Ryan Mathews and veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, but Dunlap and Flowers are probably the two free-agents-to-be the Chargers should value most. Dunlap has emerged as an above-average left tackle in recent years, and given the holes elsewhere on the offensive line, his presence would benefit Philip Rivers going forward. As for Flowers, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as one of the league’s best cornerbacks before injuries slowed him down in the second half. A franchise tag salary would be an overpay for either player, but it’s an option San Diego should at least consider if extensions can’t be agreed upon.
Coach/Exec Notes: Nolan, Gamble, 49ers, Jets
Executives around the NFL are looking forward to seeing Josh McDaniels‘ game plan for the Patriots this Sunday against the Seahawks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who says that a Pats win would boost McDaniels’ stock and make him one of the top head coaching candidates in the league a year from now. The New England offensive coordinator drew interest from teams seeking a head coach over the past month, though those clubs ultimately went in other directions.
Let’s check out a few more items from around the NFL relating to coaching staffs and front offices….
- Former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has joined the Chargers as the team’s linebackers coach, replacing Joe Barry, the team announced today in a press release. With Barry heading to Washington to take a defensive coordinator job, San Diego adds a coach in Nolan who has plenty of experience as a DC himself, including the last three seasons in Atlanta. If there was any lingering doubt that Dan Quinn would bring in his own coordinator when he takes over the Falcons‘ job, that doubt was dispelled with the Chargers’ announcement.
- Mere weeks after he was let go by the Eagles, personnel executive Tom Gamble is returning to San Francisco. The 49ers announced today that their former director of player personnel is rejoining the organization as a senior personnel executive. The announcement of Gamble’s hiring comes on the same day the Eagles confirmed that they were promoting Ed Marynowitz to Gamble’s old position in Philadelphia.
- The Jets made a pair of announcements today, naming ex-Bears scout Rex Hogan as their director of college scouting and formally hiring three more position coaches – Jimmie Johnson (TEs coach), Daylon McCutcheon (DBs assistant), and Ryan Slowik (DL assistant) – to Todd Bowles‘ staff.
AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Chiefs
Reports earlier in the week indicated that the Raiders had lined up an interview with Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham for their own DC position, and it appears the job is Grantham’s if he wants it. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Oakland has offered Grantham a two-year deal to become the team’s new defensive coordinator. While dipping into the NCAA ranks for a coordinator is a departure from the usual operating procedure for hiring a top assistant, the Raiders may have had trouble attracting top candidates for the opening if new head coach Jack Del Rio intends to handle some or all of the defensive play-calling on his own.
While we wait to see if Grantham ultimately lands a job with the Raiders, let’s check in on some other Wednesday items from around the AFC West….
- Whether it’s Vance Joseph or Wade Phillips that eventually becomes their defensive coordinator – and it does appear it’ll be one of those two – the Broncos seem likely to transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. With a pair of very good edge rushers, Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, already under contract, the Broncos shouldn’t have to overhaul their defense to make the change.
- Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star examines seven free-agents-to-be who would make good fits for the Chiefs, leading off his list with wideout Randall Cobb. Paylor’s list is heavy on offensive linemen, including guards Mike Iupati, Orlando Franklin, and Clint Boling.
- Former star running back LaDainian Tomlinson suggested during an appearance on 1090 AM in San Diego that the Chargers should pursue Adrian Peterson if he becomes available this winter, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com agrees with LT.
West Notes: Rams, Britt, Kiffin, Chargers
The Rams’ biggest needs are at quarterback and along the offensive line, but after that the team could look to add depth at linebacker and corner, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Especially at cornerback, he notes that the need does not seem pressing, but with both Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson reaching free agency in 2015, the team could use some young corners behind them.
More about the AFC and NFC West:
- The Rams are considering a contract extension for wide receiver Kenny Britt, and Wagoner surmises that the troubled playmaker will command somewhere in the $4-$5MM range.
- The 49ers were reportedly interested in bringing Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin in to fill their offensive coordinator opening, but will have to look elsewhere as the University of Alabama have announced that Kiffin will be returning to Nick Saban’s staff in 2015, reports Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury New. Kiffin has former head coaching experience with the Raiders, as well as USC and the University of Tennessee.
- The Chargers have refuted a report by Andy Strickland of CBS Sports radio 920 AM in St. Louis that the team has a deal in place for a new stadium in Los Angeles, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. “Although we have worked for years with Goldman Sachs as our investment banker, the remainder of the story is untrue,” said special counsel with inside knowledge of the team’s stadium plans Mark Fabiani.
West Notes: 49ers, Chargers, Broncos
Broncos GM John Elway has high expectations for new head coach Gary Kubiak, but that’s alright with him, as Mike Klis of The Denver Post writes. “He is the boss,” Kubiak said. “Believe me, he’s the boss. That’s all right. I want to coach. He’s the boss.” More out of the AFC and NFC West..
- Former 49ers personnel executive Tom Gamble, who was recently let go by the Eagles, had a “long talk” with Niners GM Trent Baalke today, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. While that doesn’t necessarily mean a return to San Francisco for Gamble is imminent, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News notes (via Twitter) that the club’s director of player personnel position is open at the moment.
- Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego spoke with The Mighty 1090 Sports Radio (audio link) about the Chargers replacing Joe Barry and their biggest priorities in free agency.
- Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego graded the Raiders‘ hire of new head coach Jack Del Rio.
- Former Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been hired by the Broncos, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- The Raiders announced that they have hired Brad Seely (formerly with the 49ers) to be their special teams coordinator.
- Jets special teams coach Thomas McGaughey will likely take Seely’s old job with the 49ers, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
West Notes: Manning, Trestman, Lynch
We heard earlier this morning that current Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will accept the Broncos‘ head coaching job if and when it is offered to him, and there are a number of items related to the Broncos’ head coaching search to pass on, along with several notes from other clubs in the league’s west divisions. Let’s take a look:
- Citing colleague Ian Rapoport, NFL.com’s Conor Orr writes that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is still undecided about his future, and even though many believe his return to Denver is a foregone conclusion, Rapoport wonders if Denver’s recent activity has laid the foundation for the team to hit the reset button. After all, as Orr writes, “John Elway was concerned about the team’s toughness after a loss to St. Louis earlier in the season and wondered if his team had gotten as good as they possibly could with the current staff and roster.” Manning still has a month to make up his mind before taking a physical that will lock in his $19MM salary for next year.
- Benjamin Hochman and Mike Klis of the Denver Post wonder if the Broncos would be better off if Manning were to hang up the spikes right now (spoiler alert: the answer is “no”).
- Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com asked former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer how Kubiak and Manning will overcome the conflicts between Manning’s abilities and Kubiak’s style of play-calling, and Plummer describes how the two men could make it work.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few standouts from yesterday’s East-West Shrine Classic that could be of interest to the Chargers.
- Citing Rapoport, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the Raiders, as expected, will interview Marc Trestman for their offensive coordinator vacancy within the next several days.
- Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times believes the Seahawks should retain Marshawn Lynch for at least one more season.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that former Youngstown State head coach Eric Wolford is set to become the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach.
2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR
Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB
Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;
Browns: Billy Winn, DL
Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T
Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G
Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR
Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE
Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB
Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T
Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB
Packers: Mike Daniels, DL
Panthers: Josh Norman, CB
Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB
Raiders: Miles Burris, LB
Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB
Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C
Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB
Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB
Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T
Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G
Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB
Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR
Washington: Alfred Morris, RB
Stadium Updates: Raiders, Rams, Chargers
Let’s take a look at stadium-related news, all of which happens to come from the West divisions:
- Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters today, including Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, that the club is planning to sign a one-year lease to remain in O.co stadium for the 2015 season. Despite rumors that the team could move to Los Angeles, Davis spoke as though he’s committed to Oakland. “We’re working hard to stay here,” Davis said. “We’re not using any other city as leverage. It’s not that way. It’s known that, no matter what we do here, it will not be as valuable as if we went somewhere else. That’s known. But we still want to be here. Finances are not the No. 1 goal of this organization.” As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds, Davis says that he’s willing to contribute $500MM to the cost of building a new stadium in the Bay Area. For reference, the new Vikings stadium is set to cost more than $1 billion, so the city of Oakland would presumably foot about 50% of the bill to get a new building started.
- Like the Raiders, the Rams have been tied to the LA area — Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been unequivocal in his plans to build a stadium in the Hollywood area, jeopardizing St. Louis’ chance to keep its club. NFL executive Eric Grubman, who oversees the LA market, met with the St. Louis stadium task force on Thursday, and was blunt in his directive for the city, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Take the plan and get it done,” Grubman said, referring to the city’s recent unveiling of stadium blueprints.
- Meanwhile, a third team that’s been linked to Los Angeles — the Chargers — have been growing frustrated with the city of San Diego’s lack of progress on a new stadium, writes Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. Owner Dean Spanos has been working to get city approval for a new building for twelve years, per Gehlken, and the club’s displeased reaction to mayor Kevin Faulconer’s rough stadium agenda could be a sign that the Chargers are aiming to leave San Diego.
Sunday Roundup: Austin, Ravens, Steelers
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league as Day 2 of the Divisional Round gets underway:
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is also on the Bears‘ radar.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com provides an offseason outlook for the Bears.
- Manish Metha of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets, despite their heavy interest in Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, still want to interview Kubiak for their head coaching vacancy.
- Rapoport tweets that Dick LeBeau‘s departure took the Steelers by surprise, and he adds (via Twitter) that LeBeau likely wanted to leave Pittsburgh with Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, with whom he had established a close relationship.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, reiterating what he passed along yesterday, tweets that Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler, whom the Titans attempted to hire last season, is the most likely candidate to be elevated to defensive coordinator.
- In a series of Baltimore items, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that Ravens outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is expected to cash in on the free agent market and Steve Smith has no plans to retire.
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer describes how the departure of Kyle Shanahan might impact the Browns‘ quarterback situation.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes that, with the Bills‘ hiring of Rex Ryan and the emergence of Dan Quinn as the frontrunner for the Jets head coaching vacancy, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich may stay put in San Diego.
- Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that, had the 49ers hired Ryan, Vic Fangio was likely to stay as the team’s defensive coordinator. However, now that Ryan has been hired by the Bills, Inman believes Fangio will be promoted to head coach. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, though, tweets that San Francisco will conduct a second interview with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
Chargers Sign Austin Pettis To Reserve/Futures
Following a second-half of the season that featured plenty of workouts, a veteran receiver has finally found a home. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Chargers have signed Austin Pettis. Michael Gehlken clarifies on Twitter that the deal is a futures-reserve contract.
The former third-rounder had the best season of his career in 2013, catching 38 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns. In spite of the production, Pettis still reworked his contract with the Rams in September, practically cutting his salary in half. The fourth-year player made five appearances this season, catching 12 passes for 118 yards and a score.
He was released by St.Louis in late October, and he proceeded to work out for a variety of teams, including workouts with the Seahawks, 49ers and Panthers. He auditioned for San Diego in late December.