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AFC East Links: Wallace, Johnson, Robey

July 5th, 2014 at 10:44am CST by Matt Feminis

Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace, who signed a five-year, $60MM deal ($30MM guaranteed) last year, did not have the big-play impact he or the team was hoping for last season. Wallace played all 16 games and tallied 73 catches, but he scored just five touchdowns and averaged 12.7 yards per catch, the lowest mark of his five-year career. ESPN’s James Walker says “former offensive coordinator Mike Sherman seemed lost with how to use his newfound toy. Miami’s offense with Wallace was too predictable and it impacted everyone’s production.”

Walker also says the arrival of new coordinator Bill Lazor is reason for optimism, but Wallace is also dependent on the offensive line (which will have five new starters) to give quarterback Ryan Tannehill time to connect with his No. 1 deep threat. Tannehill was sacked 58 times last year and his deep ball accuracy was below 33 percent per Pro Football Focus.

Here’s a few more AFC links:

  • Chris Johnson “is the Jets’ most accomplished skill-position player since LaDainian Tomlinson,” asserts ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Despite Johnson’s downward career trend, Cimini points out Johnson’s string of 1,000-yard seasons and his “extraordinary” durability. The Jets are hoping Johnson’s “home run” ability adds a quick-strike element to their offense.
  • New Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has been impressed with the talent in his secondary, including the nickel back combatants Nickell Robey and Corey Graham, writes A.J. Devine on BuffaloBills.com.
  • The Patriots specialists appear to be set with the exception of long snapper, where fourth-year pro Danny Aiken will try to hold off undrafted free agent Tyler Ott, notes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss.
  • At the beginning of the week, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus provided some AFC East depth chart update notes. Among them, he says Patriots defensive lineman Sealver Siliga was “above average” last season and is deserving of more snaps.

Cap Work Remaining For Broncos

July 5th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Matt Feminis

Until rosters are cut down to 53 players, teams are required to be under the $133MM salary cap with their top 51 salaries. In the wake of an aggressive offseason which included signing big-ticket free agents Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, DeMarcus Ware and Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos’ top 51 costs $132MM, meaning John Elway and Co. have some bookkeeping to do between now and the end of training camp, explains ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.

Key points:

  • The team is trying to lock up free agents-to-be Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas long-term.
  • Including rollover, the team has about $4.6MM of workable cap space.
  • “Quarterback Peyton Manning has the team’s highest cap figure, at $17.5 million and the Broncos have the biggest cap gap of any position between starter and backup with No. 2 Brock Osweiler, still on his rookie deal, coming in at $959,094 against the cap.”
  • The team has seven tight ends on the roster, five of which — including Thomas, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen — are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2015.
  • “Dead money” hits include Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ($2.1MM), Chris Kuper ($1.83MM) and Willis McGahee ($500k).
  • Terrance Knighton‘s representatives were seeking a renegotiation of his contract which calls for him to make $2.75MM in 2014 before the big defensive lineman hits free agency, but the team did not acquiesce.
  • Kicker Matt Prater and punter Britton Colquitt will cost a combined $7.4MM against the cap this season.

NFC Notes: Saints, Lofton, Eagles, Packers

July 4th, 2014 at 9:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The staff at ESPN.com examined the key questions for the NFC South heading into 2014, and Mike Triplett writes that despite popular opinion, the Saints don’t have a salary cap emergency on their hands. While New Orleans is constantly up against the cap, it hasn’t stopped them from signing big-ticket free agents; this offseason, they were able to bring in Jairus Byrd at a $9MM AAV. General manager Mickey Loomis’ roster management means that the team can’t afford to miss in the draft, or else the Saint could end up in the Cowboys’ situation — no cap space and bereft of talent.

More from the NFC South:

  • It’s been a rough offseason injury-wise for linebackers around the league, and a few NFC LBs (Sean Weatherspoon and Sean Lee among them) have been affected, according to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today.
  • Curtis Lofton comes in at No. 11 on the Times-Picayune’s Larry Holder’s ranking of the top Saints players; in 2014, Lofton led New Orleans in tackles for the second straight season.
  • The Eagles will probably retain kicker Alex Henery, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com, and Phildelphia special teams coach Dave Fipp highlights the difficulty in finding a versatile kicker. “If you get a guy who’s a better kicker than him kicking field goals and a better touchback guy, let me know where he is,” said Fipp. “Every team in the league wants him. There’s not a lot of those guys floating around out there. It’s going to be hard to beat him out, but he’s got to get better at a bunch of things, too.”
  • 2013 first-rounder Datone Jones didn’t play many snaps last season for the Packers, but he seems insatiable regarding his future plans for success, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I won’t be satisfied until I’m the best in the league,” said Jones. “That’s the only way I’d be satisfied. Other than that, I still won’t be satisfied until I retire. No matter what year I have next year or the years to come, I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied.” Jones will likely be used in sub packages as a pass-rush specialist in 2014.

Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

July 4th, 2014 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

  • Kamerion Wimbley (DE/OLB): Restructured contract. Base salaries and cap hits reduced for 2014, 2015, and 2016. Received $2.55MM in total roster bonuses and workout bonuses (not all guaranteed).
  • Craig Stevens (TE): Restructured contract. Base salary for 2014 reduced from $3.4MM to $1.6MM in exchange for $500K guaranteed and up to $100K in roster bonuses.

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 54) and a fourth-round pick (No. 122) from the Eagles in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 42).
  • Acquired a sixth-round pick (No. 178) from the Redskins in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 186) and a seventh-round pick (No. 228).

Draft picks:

  • Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (1.11)
  • Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington (2.54): Signed
  • Daquan Jones, DT, Penn State (4.112): Signed
  • Marqueston Huff, CB Wyoming (4.122): Signed
  • Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky (5.151): Signed
  • Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU (6.178): Signed

Other:

  • Hired Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as head coach.
  • Hired Jason Michael and Ray Horton as offensive and defensive coordinators.
  • Have discussed extension for Jurrell Casey.
  • Declined Jake Locker‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($14.666MM).
  • Signed 13 rookie free agents after the draft.

In the years following the departure of former head coach Jeff Fisher, the Titans struggled to remain relevant, finishing 9-7, 6-10, and 7-9 in three seasons with Mike Munchak at the helm. Tennessee seemed rudderless, especially on offense, and questionable personnel decisions by general manager Ruston Webster only exacerbated the team’s lack of direction. A coaching staff overhaul might be the first step towards determining a team identity, but the Titans’ offseason moves leave much to be desired, as it simply doesn’t appear the team got any better.Michael Oher

Replacing Munchak as head coach will be Ken Whisenhunt, the former Cardinals head coach, who spent 2013 as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. While he brought former San Diego tight end coach Jason Michael with him to Tennessee to serve as offensive coordinator, Whisenhunt will call the plays himself. In addition to changing the Titans’ scheme (he favors a more spread out attack than the previous regime), the 52-year-old will bring Super Bowl experience to Nashville.

Whisenhunt is known as something of a quarterback guru — he helped develop Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and revived the careers of Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers in Arizona and San Diego, respectively. In Tennessee, he faces perhaps his most difficult challenge in reversing the fortunes of 2011 first-rounder Jake Locker. The Titans declined their 2015 option on the fourth-year QB, meaning 2014 is perhaps his best and final chance to prove he is an NFL-caliber starter. If he fails in-season, the team can turn to backup Charlie Whitehurst, who signed a two-year, $4.25MM deal after spending last season under Whisenhunt in San Diego, or sixth-round rookie Zach Mettenberger, who fits the mold of big-bodied quarterbacks that Whisenhunt has favored over his career.

While the Titans are using 2014 as a decision-making year at the quarterback position, they acted more swiftly at the running back spot. They released longtime ball-carrier Chris Johnson, creating $6MM in cap space in the process. Tennessee selected Washington product Bishop Sankey in the second round, and will pair him with holdover Shonn Greene to form a 1-2 punch at RB. Joining them will Dexter McCluster, added on a three-year $9MM pact, who despite playing primarily receiver in his career, is expected to play the Danny Woodhead-role in Whisenhunt’s offense. If McCluster does see time at pass-catcher, he will join an impressive position group, headlined by Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, and Justin Hunter, that hasn’t seen much turnover since 2013 (Kenny Britt left for St. Louis, but he wasn’t a factor last year).

Tennessee’s most questionable roster machinations over the past few months have involved the offensive line. First, the Titans released longtime right tackle David Stewart, a reasonable move both because Stewart’s play had suffered and it cleared over $6MM off the books. However, Stewart is to be replaced in the starting lineup by free agent signee Michael Oher (four years, $20MM), who was even worse in 2013, grading out just the 68th-best tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Compounding that move was another head-scratcher — the drafting of Taylor Lewan at pick No. 11. With stalwart Michael Roos manning the left side, one of Oher or Lewan will have no place to play, meaning the Titans seemingly misused either $20MM or a first-round pick.

While the Titans’ offense might face a learning curve in 2014, the defense, which will also undergo a scheme change, boasts more talent, and should improve upon last season’s 22nd-ranked DVOA. New coordinator Ray Horton ostensibly runs a 3-4 look, but is a major proponent of multiple fronts, meaning versatility will be key. The most visible difference will probably be at linebacker, where Derrick Morgan (entering a contract year) and Kamerion Wimbley will be asked to switch from hand-in-the-ground ends to stand-up outside linebackers. Joining them in the LB rotation will be inside ‘backer Wesley Woodyard, who signed a four-year contract worth $15.75MM, and OLB Shaun Phillips, added from Denver on a two-year, $5MM deal.

Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, a 2013 breakout star who finished as PFF’s fifth-best DT, will be making the switch to nose tackle in Horton’s front. In a typical 3-4 defense, a NT would be asked to fill two gaps (essentially take up space); in Horton’s modified look, however, Casey will still only be assigned one gap, meaning he will still have the freedom to do what he does best — rush the passer. To help solidify the line, Tennessee re-signed Ropati Pitoitua on a three-year deal, added Al Woods from Pittsburgh, and drafted Daquan Jones in the fourth round. Pitoitua and Woods will help at end, while Jones is more of a classic 3-4 tackle, but all three exhibit the requirement of Horton-coached player — versatility.

The secondary will see some change — while safety will continue to be a three-man rotation between Michael Griffin, Bernard Pollard (re-signed on a two-year pact), and George Wilson, the cornerback position suffered the loss of Alterraun Verner, who signed with the Buccaneers. The Titans selected CB Marqueston Huff out of Wyoming in the fourth round, but Verner’s vacated spot will be filled by the winner of a Blidi Wreh-Wilson/Coty Sensabaugh/Tommie Campbell battle; the victor will play opposite veteran Jason McCourty.

Work is left to be done in Tennessee; extensions for Casey and Morgan are possible, and the offensive line needs to be sorted out. But 2014 will be an important year for the Titans. Failure could result in wholesale changes at key positions like quarterback and offensive tackle, while success could mean a new contract for Locker and praise for Whisenhunt and his staff. A winning season isn’t necessarily expected for the Titans next season, but improvement is — how well new schemes on both sides of the ball fare will determine how much more development is needed.

Spotrac and Over the Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Josh Gordon

July 4th, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned yesterday that Browns receiver Josh Gordon, facing a year-long suspension after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, will be able to appeal at a hearing in late July. If the ban is upheld, Gordon, whose reinstatement would come only at the discretion of commissioner Roger Goodell, would be barred from interacting with his teammates or showing up at Cleveland’s facilities. This loss of a “support system,” writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, has some close to Gordon worried that the 23-year-old might never make it back to the NFL.

Sources close to Gordon draw parallels to Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon, who was banned from the first four games of 2013, and then suspended indefinitely following Week 8 after violating the substance abuse policy; he is not expected to reinstated for the 2014 season. The fear is that without the encouragement offered by fellow Browns, as well Cleveland’s coaching staff, Gordon won’t be able to properly manage his life decisions, forcing Goodell to conclude that the young pass-catcher is not prepared to re-enter the league.

There is the possibility that this situation could be nullified by an agreement resulting in a reduced suspension. Gordon was originally suspended for four games last season, and although he was ultimately docked four game checks, he only missed playing in two contests. However, Cabot has previously reported that even if Godron’s ban was reduced to something like eight games, he would not be permitted to engage with the team while he was banished.

Without Gordon, the Browns will look to implement a run-heavy offense under new coordinator Kyle Shanahan, utilizing their standout offensive line to block for new additions Ben Tate and Terrance West. However, if Gordon is allowed to return to the field in 2014, Cleveland’s offense would be able to feature a true No. 1 receiver who could garner much of the defense’s focus. In just 14 games last year, Gordon led the league with 1,646 receiving yards, catching 87 balls and nine touchdowns. The receivers on the Browns depth chart behind Gordon include Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Nate Burleson, and Anthony Armstrong.

East Notes: Hanie, Cowboys, Eagles, Pace

July 4th, 2014 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

As Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, Brandon Weeden may have been the biggest beneficiary of Kyle Orton‘s absence from the Cowboys’ spring workouts, but it’s worked out for Caleb Hanie as well. The quarterback, who drew interest from Dallas in 2008 before he signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, is competing for a roster spot and isn’t going to let Orton’s presence – or lack thereof – at training camp affect his approach.

“If he’s here, I’ll notice,” Hanie said. “If he’s not, I don’t worry about that. I just worry about what I can do and control and see how it goes from here.”

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

PFR Commenting Policy

July 4th, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

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If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult though, and most commenters have no problems doing so, as well as helping rein each other in. We are grateful for all of our longtime commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure. This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.

Longest-Tenured GMs In The NFL

July 4th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, when we examined the list of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, I observed that more than half of the league’s current coaches have only been in their positions since 2012, meaning they have two seasons or less under their belts with their respective teams. That’s not quite the case with general managers, but there has still been plenty of turnover in front offices around the league in recent years.

Although only three teams hired new GMs in 2014, seven did so in 2013, meaning nearly a third of the NFL’s general managers have no more than one season in the books with their current clubs.

Still, on the other end of the spectrum, a handful of general managers have become mainstays with their respective clubs. Among coaches, only New England’s Bill Belichick had joined his team prior to 2003, whereas six GMs fit that bill. Two of those six – Jerry Jones and Mike Brown – are outliers, since they’re team owners and serve as de facto GMs. But the Patriots, Steelers, Saints, and Ravens have all had the same general managers making their roster decisions for well over a decade.

You can find the complete list of the NFL’s longest-tenured general managers below, along with the date they took over the job. In some instances, an executive served as the head of football operations before officially being named as the general manager, so in those cases, we’ve tried to indicate the date on which he became his team’s top football exec. A few names in the group are accompanied by footnotes at the bottom of the page to further clarify their roles.

Here’s the full list:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers): February 18, 2000[4]
  5. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  6. Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens): November 22, 2002
  7. Ted Thompson (Green Bay Packers): January 14, 2005
  8. Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings): May 30, 2006[5]
  9. Rick Smith (Houston Texans): June 5, 2006
  10. Jerry Reese (New York Giants): January 15, 2007
  11. Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons): January 13, 2008
  12. Martin Mayhew (Detroit Lions): December 29, 2008
  13. Bruce Allen (Washington Redskins): December 17, 2009
  14. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010[6]
  15. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010
  16. Trent Baalke (San Francisco 49ers): May 20, 2010[7]
  17. John Elway (Denver Broncos): January 5, 2011[8]
  18. Reggie McKenzie (Oakland Raiders): January 5, 2012
  19. Ryan Grigson (Indianapolis Colts): January 11, 2012
  20. Ruston Webster (Tennessee Titans): January 18, 2012
  21. Phil Emery (Chicago Bears): January 29, 2012
  22. Les Snead (St. Louis Rams): February 10, 2012
  23. David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 8, 2013
  24. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013
  25. Tom Telesco (San Diego Chargers): January 9, 2013
  26. Dave Gettleman (Carolina Panthers): January 10, 2013
  27. John Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs): January 13, 2013
  28. John Idzik (New York Jets): January 18, 2013
  29. Doug Whaley (Buffalo Bills): May 16, 2013
  30. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014
  31. Dennis Hickey (Miami Dolphins): January 27, 2014
  32. Ray Farmer (Cleveland Browns): February 11, 2014

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Colbert was initially hired as the team’s director of football operations and received the newly-created general manager title in 2011.
  5. Spielman was initially hired as the team’s VP of player personnel and received the GM title in 2012.
  6. While Schneider holds the title of GM, head coach Pete Carroll has the final say on roster moves for the Seahawks.
  7. Baalke held the role of the team’s VP of player personnel until he received the GM title in 2011.
  8. Elway was initially hired as the team’s executive VP of football operations and received the GM title in 2014.

AFC South Links: Jaguars, Titans, Colts

July 4th, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Our Offseason in Review series has moved on to the AFC South, with Zach Links looking last night at 2013’s division champs, and the roster shuffling done by the Colts this winter and spring. Keep an eye on PFR over the long weekend for the next few installments in the series, as we tackle the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans. In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends out of the South:

  • Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida takes an in-depth look at new Jaguars wideout Marqise Lee, who is one of four 2014 draftees who remains unsigned. Considering Hornack’s piece doesn’t touch on Lee’s contract situation at all, it seems there’s little reason to be concerned about the two sides reaching an agreement this month.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union believes there should be some optimism for the Jaguars‘ pass rush this season, if only because it can’t be any worse than it has been over the last couple seasons. The club added Dekoda Watson and Chris Clemons in free agency, and expects continued growth from Andre Branch.
  • Within his latest Titans mailbag, ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky says he expects there to be a wide receiver on the team in Week 1 or Week 2 that isn’t currently on the roster.
  • Kevin Bowen of Colts.com also fields questions in a mailbag today, discussing the Colts‘ starting running back job, the team’s defensive line rotation, and its receiving corps.

Ravens Notes: Rice, Butler, Smith

July 4th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Rob DiRe

Joe Flacco has been keeping a close eye on the progress of running back Ray Rice this offseason, and says the former All-Pro has looked impressive, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “He’s definitely in good shape,” said Flacco. “I don’t know if he’s any quicker or anything like that; you’ll have to ask him. I can say he definitely looks good and he’s running the ball well. Our guys are creating some room out there even with no pads on.” Rice has reportedly dropped 20 pounds this offseason after struggling with injuries and performance in 2013.

Here are some other notes from around the Raven offseason:

  • Undrafted rookie Jeremy Butler has already gotten off to a good start with the Ravens, writes Wilson. Butler has been talking to receivers coach Bobby Engram since before the draft, and the two have big hopes for their union. “I bring that physicality to the table and overpower defenders,” said Butler. “I’m just a hard-nosed Ravens style player. I can bring that element to the offense.”
  • The Ravens struggled on offense last season, but they hope that the fireworks will return in 2014, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. The team ranked 30th in the NFL in big plays (run plays of 10+ yards or pass plays of 25+ yards), but Brown writes that with big-play weapons Jacoby Jones and Rice back and healthy, new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak should be able to move the ball down field.
  • Another big play receiver, Torrey Smith, is looking for a new contract, but there might be a few bumps to smooth out on the way to an extension, writes Brett Foote of EbonyBird.com. Smith plays like an elite wide receiver at times, but also has a reputation as a one trick pony. Deep threats that do not provide versatility usually have ceilings on how much they are valued, and Foote compares Smith’s potential contract to the likes of the deals received by Antonio Brown and DeSean Jackson, both of which average less than $9MM per year.
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