Did Redskins Have Any Leverage In Su'a Cravens Deal?
The Jets have an incredibly important decision upcoming that could dictate the course of their franchise for at least the next decade as they’re likely to take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft, which they traded up to get.
Jets coach Todd Bowles noted that whomever the team decides on, whether it be Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson, the art of drafting a quarterback is far from a perfect science.
“It’s all an educated guess,” Bowles said at the NFL owner’s meetings, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “… You see the film. You know the player. You see what they do. (If) somebody comes in and break their leg on the first day, you can’t do anything about that. That’s just bad luck. So, it’s an educated crap-shoot, so to speak. But you have a certain feel for certain people and definitely certainly positions.
No matter whom the Jets take with their first pick, that quarterback may not be needed to start from the onset as the team’s already signed Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater this offseason.
Here’s more from around the AFC/NFC East
- With Randy Gregory taking the necessary steps to apply for reinstatement to the league, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he hopes that Gregory will suit up for the team in 2018, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Jones went on to tell Hill that he’s not confident Gregory will be reinstated for next season, though, due to the rigorous process he’s about to undergo.
- Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post opines that the Redskins‘ haul from the Broncos for safety Su’a Cravens had much to do with the team’s lack of leverage in the situation. The Redskins and Broncos swapped fourth- and fifth-round picks for Cravens, with the Redskins picking up an additional fifth-round pick. Many had worried whether Cravens would be welcomed back into the Washington locker room. He sat out last season after suddenly announcing his retirement prior to the regular season. The Redskins took Cravens in the second round of the 2016 draft out of USC.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post looks at a couple ways the Jets quarterback battle could shake out. With Bowles already declaring that McCown will enter camp as the starter, Costello opines that Bridgewater could serve as a lottery ticket, with the soon-to-be-drafted quarterback serving as an investment and McCown as the insurance policy. Costello also notes the team could look to trade one of the veteran quarterbacks if it feels comfortable with all three entering the season.
- Giants coach Pat Shurmur has an interesting relationship with North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, which is detailed by Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Advanced Media. Shurmur’s son, Kyle, was a quarterback for Vanderbilt and played against Chubb and NC State in the 2016 Music City Bowl where Chubb recorded a sack on Kyle Shurmur. Chubb is certainly in play to be taken by the Giants with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft as they have a void at defensive end following the trade of Jason Pierre-Paul.
Broncos Acquire Su’a Cravens From Redskins
The Broncos have acquired strong safety Su’a Cravens from the Redskins. The deal will see a fifth-round pick (No. 163 overall) go to Washington in return (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News). 
Also, as part of the deal, the Broncos and Redskins will swap fourth- and fifth-round picks. The Broncos will move down from No. 109 to No. 113 in the fourth round and from No. 142 to No. 149 in the fifth round. The Redskins will also receive a sixth-round pick in 2020 if Cravens appears in a playoff game for Denver. There are a lot of components in this deal, but the Broncos are essentially acquiring a talented former second-round pick for a fifth-round choice and change.
Cravens decided late in the 2016 offseason to retire from football. The news caught the Redskins completely off guard as they were banking on Cravens to start at one of their safety spots. The youngster reversed his decision hours later, but the Redskins were still skeptical about his desire to continue playing. After a short stay on the NFI list, the Redskins parked him on the reserve/left squad list, barring him from playing in 2017.
The versatile defender was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome, according to a statement released by his agent late last year, but he is now “asymptomatic and cleared to return back to all things football.” The Redskins insisted that they would not trade Cravens this offseason, but they either had a change of heart or were not being entirely truthful.
“We’re not trading him,” coach Jay Gruden said just weeks ago. “I just saw that on the ticker. He’s still a member of this football team and we have every intention of seeing where he’s at. I’ll have to talk to him and see where he’s at mentally. Physically, I know he’s going to be in great shape. The big thing is, is this something that he wants to do? He has to commit to it full time. He’s a good football player, there’s no doubt about it. He’s a great kid. I’m sure it will work out for him.”
The Broncos’ faith in safeties Darian Stewart, Justin Simmons, and Will Parks led them to part ways with former Pro Bowler T.J. Ward last September. If Cravens is healthy and ready to rededicate himself to football, Simmons or Stewart could be displaced from the starting lineup with Parks pushed a bit further down the depth chart. Simmons was arguably Denver’s best safety in 2017 and he plays at strong safety, so it will be an interesting situation to watch. Cravens may also see time at linebacker, as he did in his rookie season with the Redskins.
As a rookie, Cravens tallied 34 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and one interception. In his ten games, Cravens graded out as the league’s No. 27 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
Redskins Notes: Hankins, Logan
Although the Giants are not actively shopping wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., team owner John Mara (once again) didn’t dismiss the idea of dealing the star pass-catcher. “Do I want [Beckham] to be traded? Absolutely not,” said Mara, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). “I want him to be a Giant. I can’t promise that’s going to happen. We’re not looking to get rid of him, OK? I’d like him to be a Giant. But if you’re asking me for a 100% guarantee, nobody has that.” Beckham may reportedly consider a holdout if he’s not extended by the start of the 2018 season, but he’s clearly not in the good graces of New York’s decision-makers at the moment. Mara recently indicated he’s “tired of answering questions” about OBJ, who was involved in a video that may have involved drug use earlier this year.
Let’s take a look at more from the NFC East:
- Free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is in a holding pattern with the Redskins after meeting with the club last week, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Asking price could be an issue, as Keim indicated Washington views Hankins as a potential complementary piece of its run defense rather than a key cog. As such, Hankins may not be in the Redskins’ plans unless his cost comes down. Fellow interior lineman Bennie Logan remains under consideration, but given that Washington has yet to schedule a visit, its interest clearly isn’t serious. If neither Hankins nor Logan end up in the nation’s capital, the Redskins should be expected to target defensive tackle help through the draft.
- New Cowboys linebacker Joe Thomas‘ two-year deal is worth up to $3.6MM, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Thomas, who had spent his entire career in Green Bay, received a $1MM signing bonus and will also have $400K of his base salary guaranteed. The Packers opted to non-tender Thomas as a restricted free agent rather than pay him an original round tender of $1.907MM, and Thomas won’t meet that mark with Dallas, either, as Demovsky reports Thomas will collect just $1.6MM total in 2018. Thomas, 26, will likely spend most of his time on the Cowboys’ special teams unit, but will provide depth in case Sean Lee or Jaylon Smith go down with injury.
- Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk has schedule a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Because he’s likely considered a local prospect, Kirk shouldn’t count against Dallas’ allotment of 30 prospect meetings. The Cowboys have already added Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson to a pass-catching corps that also includes Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and — for now — Dez Bryant, but Kirk could give the club another dimension on offense. Kirk averaged a 78/952/9 line during three seasons with the Aggies.
Redskins Sign LB Pernell McPhee
The Redskins have officially signed free agent edge rusher Pernell McPhee, the club announced today.
McPhee, 29, was released by the Bears earlier this offseason after a disappointing three-year run in the Windy City. Chicago inked McPhee to a five-year deal prior to the 2015 campaign, but he was only able to stay healthy for 36 games over the past three years. The former undrafted free agent still managed to post 12 sacks during his time with the Bears, and he was effective when able to stay on the field.
Despite his question marks, McPhee still ranked as the No. 4 edge rusher heading into the free agent period. While that ranking was due in part to McPhee’s talent, it also spoke to the lack of pass-rushing options on the free agent market. Among PFR’s top-15 edge rushers, only three — Kony Ealy, Connor Barwin, and Junior Galette — are still without a contract.
Washington won’t ask McPhee to serve as a starter, as he’ll instead provide rotational snaps behind Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan. McPhee has shown the ability to line up from several different areas of the field in the past, and keeping his playtime low could help stave off further injuries. The Redskins don’t intend to re-sign fellow veteran Junior Galette, so McPhee will immediately step into Galette’s role as the Redskins’ third pass-rusher.
Before signing with Washington, McPhee also took a meeting with the Falcons.
Redskins Won’t Re-Sign LB Junior Galette
The Redskins have informed free agent edge rusher Junior Galette that he will not be re-signed, as Washington senior vice president for personnel Doug Williams told Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.
“I did tell him we were going in another direction, and he was very thankful,” Williams said. “He had two Achilles’ injuries, and we stuck by him. We gave him a chance, and he’s very appreciative of it. He told me, ‘Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know whether I’d still be here,’ so it was a good conversation.”
Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering those aforementioned torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps.
While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Reports recently indicated Washington was working to retain Galette, but Redskins always expected another team to make a better offer. Washington has already lost one free agent pass rusher this offseason, as Trent Murphy inked a three-year deal with Buffalo.
Galette, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, isn’t wanting for interest, as he’s reportedly drawn the eye of both the Rams and Browns.
Redskins Likely To Sign LB Pernell McPhee
Free-agent linebacker Pernell McPhee informed the Falcons, following a visit with them, that he intends to sign with the Redskins, sources told Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). ESPN’s John Keim also reported that a deal between McPhee and the Redskins is likely, though nothing is official yet (on Twitter).
The former Bears edge rusher had visited with the Redskins earlier in the week. We had McPhee ranked as the No. 4 edge rusher available in this year’s free-agent class and he was the top player still available at the position based on our rankings.
Washington had extra cap space thanks in part to trading for Alex Smith and letting Kirk Cousins walk in free agency. McPhee joins linebacker Zach Brown (three years, $21MM) and cornerback Orlando Scandrick (two years, $6.85MM) as the team’s free-agent signs on defense.
The Redskins were projected to go with Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith at outside linebacker prior to the news of McPhee’s likely addition. Defensive tackle looks to be next up on the team’s offseason wishlist as they’ve hosted free agents Sylvester Williams and Bennie Logan for visits.
McPhee, 29, struggled to stay on the field in three seasons with the Bears, missing a total of 12 games in his time with the team. Last season, he appeared in 13 games and recorded four sacks. The Bears cut McPhee in late February after signing him to a five-year deal prior to the 2015 season.
McPhee was one of the most sought-after free agents in the 2015 offseason. He was coming off a career-best 7.5 sacks in 2014 with the Ravens and had missed just four games in his four-year tenure with Baltimore. The Ravens originally took McPhee in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Mississippi State.
Redskins Could Seek To Extend Rather Than Add In Free Agency
Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media looks at 10 unanswered questions stemming from the indictment of Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, including whether the Eagles and Seahawks already knew, when the NFL found out and how it impacts his roster status with the Eagles.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported Friday (on Twitter) that the Seahawks were unaware of the incident before Friday. Rosenblatt wonders whether Seattle may be forced to return the compensation it received by trading Bennett if it was discovered that they were previously aware of the incident. The Houston Police department reportedly attempted to reach out to Bennett and the NFL about the incident late last year, per Rosenblatt.
If the Eagles were to release Bennett, they’d save $5.65MM in cap space, without any dead cap. Rosenblatt points out that veteran leadership in the Eagles defense with players like Malcolm Jenkins could help fight off any off-field distractions that stem from the incident. It’s also possible the Eagles could make a precautionary move to add a defensive end, with Vinny Curry already released and signed with the Buccaneers. Chris Long reportedly signed a new deal to remain with the Eagles in 2018 earlier this week.
Here’s more from around the AFC/NFC East
- By trading for Alex Smith rather than re-signing Kirk Cousins, the Redskins saved $10MM in cap space this year. In a mailbag piece, ESPN’s John Keim points to the team’s lack of spending this offseason as an indication of its desire to extend players currently on the roster. Some of those players who could be extended include Preston Smith, Jamison Crowder, Brandon Scherff and Matthew Ioannidis.
- The Dolphins’ search for quarterback help this offseason did not end with the signing of Brock Osweiler to a one-year deal, sources told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Osweiler will have to earn his role as the backup behind Ryan Tannehill as the team may still look to add a quarterback in the draft and have shown interest in several players expected to go in the first round.
- In a response to a fan question, ESPN’s Mike Reiss said he could see the Patriots moving up in the first round of the upcoming draft to take a long-term option replacing Nate Solder at left tackle — if the right prospect were to slide down the draft board. Reiss also notes that the Patriots had just four picks in last year’s draft, which could keep them from dealing a package of picks once again. At the moment, Tony Garcia seems to be the likeliest candidate to take over at left tackle for New England.
- While being introduced to the Philadelphia media, Mike Wallace said that playing with Carson Wentz was “99 percent” of the reason he signed with the Eagles, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Wallace also said he passed up other offers that would’ve netted him more money in signing his one-year deal with the Eagles.
Rams, Browns Interested In Junior Galette
The Rams and Browns both have interest in Redskins free agent edge rusher Junior Galette, according to Chick Hernandez of CSN Washington (Twitter link). While Los Angeles and Cleveland are indeed eyeing Galette, neither club has made an official offer, reports John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps.
While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Reports last week indicated Washington was working to retain Galette, but Keim says the Redskins expect another team to make a better offer. Washington has already lost one free agent pass rusher this offseason, as Trent Murphy inked a three-year deal with Buffalo.
The Rams make sense as a Galette destination not only because they need edge rushing help (especially after trading Robert Quinn), but because Los Angeles coaches Sean McVay and Joe Barry each worked with Galette in Washington. If signed by the Rams, Galette would likely be in for a major role, as the club’s current crop of outside linebackers — Matt Longacre, Samson Ebukam, and Carlos Thompson — don’t offer a ton of experience.
The Browns, too, have connections to Galette, as front office consultant Scot McCloughan brought Galette to Washington as the Redskins’ general manager, while defensive coordinator Gregg Williams held the same title in New Orleans during the early portion of Galette’s career. Cleveland ranked 17th in adjusted sack rate a season ago, and its only free agent addition on the edge (thus far) is former Bengal Chris Smith, although the Browns did attempt to trade for Quinn.
NFL Contract Details: Scandrick, Shelby, Latimer, Wynn
Let’s take a look at the most recent new contracts around the NFL:
- Orlando Scandrick, CB (Redskins): Two years, $6.85MM. $1MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
- Derrick Shelby, DE (Falcons): One year, $3.25MM. $2MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Cody Latimer, WR (Giants): One year, $2.5MM. $2.47MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
- Marshall Newhouse, T (Bills): One year, $1.5MM. $500K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $250K available via playing time incentive (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Kerry Wynn, DE (Giants): One year, $1.25MM. $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via Raanan).
- L.P. Ladouceur, LS (Cowboys): One year, $1.015MM. $630K guaranteed. $90K signing bonus. Minimum salary benefit (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com).
Contract Details: A. Smith, Pugh, Curry, ASJ
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently signed NFL contracts:
AFC
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE (Jaguars): Two years, $10MM. $4MM guaranteed. $3.21MM signing bonus. $500K 2019 option bonus. $500K annually available via catch, playoff, and touchdown incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Adrian Clayborn, DE (Patriots): Two years, $10MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
- Albert Wilson, WR (Dolphins): Three years, $24MMM. $14.45MM guaranteed. $4.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Marcus Gilchrist, S (Raiders): One year, $4MM. $3.85MM guaranteed. $1.85MM signing bonus. $1MM available via playtime, interceptions, and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Tramaine Brock, CB (Broncos): One year, $3MM. Fully guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News).
- Seantrel Henderson, T (Texans): One year, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFC
- Alex Smith, QB (Redskins): Four years, $94MM. $55MM guaranteed. $27MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com).
- Justin Pugh, OL (Cardinals): Five years, $45.025MM. $15.75MM guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Vinny Curry, DE (Buccaneers): Three years, $23MM. $6.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
- Zach Brown, LB (Redskins): Three years, $21MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4.5MM signing bonus. $1MM annually available in Pro Bowl, All-Pro incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ed Dickson, TE (Seahawks): Three years, $10.7MM. $3.6MM guaranteed. $2.6MM signing bonus. $1.1MM annually available via catch, yards, and Pro Bowl incentive (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Aaron Lynch, LB/DE (Bears): One year, $4MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).