Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Richard Sherman And Earl Thomas Not Expected To Be Dealt Soon
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com believes neither Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman or safety Earl Thomas will be on the move via trade anytime soon (video link).
As for Thomas, Rapoport believed it was more likely the team would agree to a new deal with the standout safety rather than deal him. Thomas, 28, is also entering the final year of his new contract, which will earn him $8.5MM in base salary, along with a $10.4MM cap hit. Rapoport did go on to say that the Seahawks could obviously look to deal Thomas — a three-time All-Pro as well — if they are blown away by an offer.
Seahawks Announce Coaching Changes
- Bruce Irvin‘s contract will count $8.25MM against the cap next season, but the Raiders wouldn’t be stuck with any dead money if they moved on from the veteran linebacker. If the Raiders were to cut Irvin, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson believes a reunion with the Seahawks would make plenty of sense. Michael Wilhoite and Terence Garvin are both free agents and Cliff Avril is dealing with a serious neck injury, so Seattle could certainly be in the market for reinforcement at linebacker. After being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, Irvin played the first four seasons of his career in Seattle.
- The Seahawks recently announced changes to their coaching staff (via Seahawks.com’s John Boyle). The majority of the additions had previously been reported, but we did learn that the team had hired offensive assistant Steve Shimko. The coach previously served as the offensive coordinator at Garden City Community College in Kansas, and he previously worked with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer at the University of Georgia.
[SOURCE LINK]
Marcus Peters Fallout: Reid, Draft, Contract
Andy Reid and Clark Hunt were not yet on board with Marcus Peters as a long-term Chiefs component, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Concern inside Chiefs headquarters centered on a possible Peters extension, per Rapoport. The fourth-year cornerback is now eligible for a long-term deal, and it’s fairly clear the Chiefs had significant reservations about being the team that signed the accomplished corner to that contract. And that issue may have been forced this year. But Peters’ issues in the locker room played a key part in the franchise wanting to trade him, Rapoport reports.
The Chiefs knew Peters would demand to be the NFL’s highest-paid corner, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports, leading to this preemptive strike. Peters is set to make barely $3MM this season, and the Rams are now responsible for picking up his fifth-year option — which they surely will given the timing of this trade. Peters skipped OTAs last year, and Paylor notes a possible training camp holdout could have transpired this summer. A 2016 first-team All-Pro and 2015 defensive rookie of the year, Peters received his best Pro Football Focus assessment for his 2017 work. Entering his age-25 season, Peters has 19 interceptions. He forced a career-high five fumbles in 2017.
Here’s more from the Peters front.
- Rapoport reports this Rams/Chiefs deal will bring a package of picks to the Chiefs, but none of those is believed to be a first-rounder. That will mean the Chiefs still do not have a 2018 first-rounder after shipping it to the Bills in last year’s Patrick Mahomes deal. Kansas City picked up an extra third-rounder in January’s Alex Smith deal and collected a compensatory sixth-rounder in this draft as well. The Rams already shipped a 2018 second-round pick to the Bills for Sammy Watkins, so this latest trade could leave Los Angeles’ selection supply weakened.
- Wade Phillips‘ strong personality should mesh well with Peters’ polarizing style, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com tweets, recalling a conversation he had with a veteran defensive backs coach when Peters was draft-eligible in 2015. Phillips’ ability to get through to Aqib Talib helped the Broncos’ mercurial corner craft the most memorable portion of his career, with Talib helping the Broncos to a Super Bowl title in his first season with Phillips and landing on the All-Pro first team in his second.
- The 49ers were also interested in Peters, with the Browns’ interest being disputed, but the Seahawks were not exploring a Peters back back to Seattle despite his history in the city, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Peters was kicked off the University of Washington’s team during the 2014 season. Additionally, the playmaking corner measures just under 6-foot and has 31 1/2-inch arms. Pointing out the Seahawks haven’t drafted a boundary corner with arms shorter than 32 inches during Pete Carroll‘s tenure, Condotta writes Peters may not have been a fit in Seattle.
2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
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.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Richardson, Redskins, Bucs, Lions
With teams officially able to place the franchise tag on players beginning tomorrow, there is growing speculation that the Seahawks will use the option on defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
Condotta cited a number of league insiders who believe the team is likely to use the tag due to the Seahawks paying a steep price to acquire him leading up to the 2017 season. Shortly before the 2017 campaign kicked off, Seattle sent wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick to the Jets in exchange for the fifth-year lineman.
With the Seahawks likely to have about $14 MM in cap space this offseason, they would likely need to rework some deals or extensions in order to afford the $14.5 MM tag the defensive tackle would command. In the piece, Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly said Richardson could be a transition-tag candidate, which would cost the Seahawks roughly $11.7 MM.
If the team doesn’t use the tag, it is likely to lose out on the impact defensive tackle. In January, it was reported the Richardson has a soft spot for the Jets and could land back with his former team.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Redskins are interested in re-signing receiver Ryan Grant, according to ESPN’s John Keim. In 2017, Grant posted career highs with 45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns. Keim notes the team is expected to look for a speed wideout to pair with Josh Doctson on the outside. If the team brought back Grant, that would essentially relegate him to fourth-wideout duties.
- The Lions plan to bring back tight end Eric Ebron, and unrestricted free agent Darren Fells and the team are not close to a contract extension, the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett writes. Should Fells leave, which seems likely, Birkett says Michael Roberts is planning on playing a starter’s role in 2018. Ebron’s $8.25 MM deal becomes guaranteed on the first day of the new league year.
- The Buccaneers are hiring Brentson Buckner as their new defensive lineman coach, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (Twitter link). Buckner spent the last five seasons working with the Cardinals in the same position.
Sheldon Richardson A Tag Possibility?
ESPN.com’s NFL Nation reporters took a crack at predicting how each team may use its franchise tag this offseason. Of note, Jeff Dickerson predicts the Bears will use their tag to retain free agent-to-be Kyle Fuller, despite a report he would not be returning to Chicago. The franchise tag for cornerbacks last season was $14.21MM. Other notable predictions included the Seahawks tagging Sheldon Richardson, the Dolphins placing their top tag on Jarvis Landry and the Giants keeping a key offensive line piece in Justin Pugh. All are among the top players at their respective positions set to hit unrestricted free agency. Miami tagging Landry would make for an interesting situation considering the fifth-year receiver and the Dolphins have been at an impasse about an extension for several months. This led to a report that Landry doesn’t believe he’ll be back in Miami. Landry’s also believed to want a deal in the $14MM-AAV range. With the wide receiver tag is expected to be worth approximately $16.2MM, Landry could be a candidate to sign a franchise tender early in the event the Dolphins proceed this way.
ESPN: $30MM/Year Not Unreasonable For Wilson
Yesterday, we learned that Seahawks QB Russell Wilson could be in line for a new contract with an AAV of $30MM as early as next offseason (he is under club control through 2019, and Seattle does not revisit deals that have more than one year remaining). While that report raised some eyebrows, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (who penned the above-referenced article) tweets that Wilson’s current deal — which he signed in 2015 — has an AAV of 15.31% of the 2015 salary cap. A $30MM AAV on his next contract would represent 15.87% of the projected 2019 cap, so it would be a reasonable benchmark for Wilson to shoot for. Given that, and given Wilson’s accomplishments in the league, a $30MM/year deal does not seem especially far-fetched.
Could Russell Wilson Make $30MM Per Year?
- Following the massive deals signed by Jimmy Garoppolo and Alex Smith, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson believes Russell Wilson could be in line for a contract that pays him $30MM per season. When the Seahawks quarterback signed an extension three years ago, he was second in average annual salary (behind Aaron Rodgers). However, following the latest deals and projected contracts for Kirk Cousins and Drew Brees, Wilson could now fall all the way to 10th. Ultimately, the writer believes the organization could pursue a new deal with Wilson before next offseason.
[SOURCE LINK]
Seahawks Could Dictate Offseason
- The Broncos and the Seahawks are two teams who could dictate the 2018 offseason, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. While one recent report indicated Denver wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are likely to stick on the club’s 2018 roster, other general mangers believe one or both will be available on the trade market. The Broncos are also trying to land a franchise quarterback and deal cornerback Aqib Talib, meaning they’ll be heavily involved in transactional machinations over the next few weeks. Seattle, meanwhile, is facing change at multiple areas along its vaunted defense, as injuries to Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor could cloud the team’s plans.