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Month: November 2024

Super Bowl XLIX Free Agent Performances

February 2nd, 2015 at 7:23pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s not realistic to expect a player’s value in free agency to drastically increase or decrease based on one game. However, if there is an opportunity for that future free agent to show the NFL what he’s got, it’s the Super Bowl.

There were plenty of impending free agents for both squads in last night’s game, and several of those players made major contributions. Let’s review how the looming free agents fared in Super Bowl XLIX, with the snap counts and ratings via Pro Football Focus’ advanced statistics (subscription required):

Patriots:

Active, but didn’t play or compile stats: LB Jonathan Casillas, LB Chris White, LS Danny Aiken
Injured reserve/inactives: RB Stevan Ridley, WR Brian Tyms LB James Morris

Seahawks:

Active, but didn’t play or compile stats: QB Tarvaris Jackson, OG Lemuel Jeanpierre, LB Michael Morgan, LB Malcolm Smith
Injured reserve: WR David Gilreath, TE Anthony McCoy, OG Stephen Schilling, LB Heath Farwell, DT D’Anthony Smith, DT Greg Scruggs

AFC Notes: Cody, Manziel, Hightower, Bills

February 2nd, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens made their release of defensive tackle Terrence Cody official today, cutting ties with him just weeks before he was scheduled to hit free agency. The timing of the move can be explained by Cody’s off-field legal troubles — according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), the Baltimore County Police Dept. announced today that Cody has been indicted for animal cruelty by a grand jury, and was processed and released on a $10K bail. In a series of tweets, Zrebiec details the charges against Cody, which include multiple counts of animal abuse or neglect involving a dog, illegal possession of an alligator, and marijuana possession. A former second-round pick, Cody figured to draw some interest in free agency, but the charges against him figure to diminish his value significantly.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The fact that Johnny Manziel has entered rehab does not mean he must be placed in the NFL’s substance abuse program, but the league would have the power to do so. League spokesman Greg Aiello has declined to confirm one way or the other whether the Browns quarterback will enter into the program, according to Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk.
  • Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will undergo labrum surgery now that the team’s season is over, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Hightower should be ready to go for the 2015 season.
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com takes a look at potential release candidates on the Bills, predicting that the team will at least think about cutting linebacker Keith Rivers, guard Kraig Urbik, and cornerback Leodis McKelvin.
  • Prior to hiring Joker Phillips as their new wide receivers coach, the Browns interviewed former Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow for the position, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Chargers‘ offseason, suggesting that the team should do what it can to re-sign free agents like King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers.
  • Titans fans could surely be frustrated by the production of former player (and current Patriots linebacker) Akeem Ayers, but ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky believes the organization missed out on another defender who played last night. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett gave the Patriots fits during the Super Bowl, and Kuharsky wonders what could have been had Tennessee pursued him in free agency in 2013.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Colts, Duron Carter Agree To Deal

February 2nd, 2015 at 5:40pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2, 5:40pm: The deal is finally official, as the Colts have announced the Carter signing via a press release.

JANUARY 27, 5:20pm: The Colts and Carter have agreed to terms, but official confirmation is not expected to come until February, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

4:47pm: The Colts are closing in on an agreement with CFL wideout Duron Carter, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While he typically wouldn’t be allowed to sign with an NFL team until his contract with the Montreal Alouettes expires on February 10, Carter’s agreement with the team allows for his release if he agrees to terms with an NFL club, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

Carter, who turns 24 in March, put up 1,030 yards and seven TDs on 75 catches in 2014 for the Alouettes. He has been a hot commodity so far this offseason, having met with – and worked out for – a number of teams over the last few weeks, including the Vikings, Browns, Panthers, Chiefs, and others. While Indianapolis was reported over the weekend to be the frontrunner for the young wideout, Minnesota was also viewed as a strong contender for Carter, particularly given his father’s history with the club.

Off-field issues and baggage plagued Carter earlier in his career, as he bounced between multiple schools, including Ohio State and Alabama, before going undrafted in 2013. Having produced consecutive solid seasons in Montreal, Carter has seen his stock rise, and while his new NFL deal likely won’t pay more than the minimum base salary, he should be in line for one of this year’s biggest signing bonuses among reserve/futures signees.

Assuming Carter does finalize a deal with the Colts, he should every opportunity to earn a spot on the 2015 roster, particularly with the futures of Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks still up in the air — both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter. If neither Wayne nor Nicks return to Indianapolis, Carter would join T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief as part of a young, intriguing receiving corps for signal-caller Andrew Luck.

According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Carter had effectively made his choice last week, though negotiations were ongoing this week with more than one team. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities had indicated yesterday that resolution on Carter’s situation was expected to come at some point this week.

Nick Hardwick To Announce Retirement

February 2nd, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Chargers center Nick Hardwick has decided to call it a career, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Gehlken, Hardwick will announce his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.

“I’m nervous about tomorrow just because it’s so final,” Hardwick told Gehlken. “To declare your intentions publicly and vocally, it’s so final. But I’m also really excited. It’s going to be a really good celebration of a fabulous career. I’ve had a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. That’s where I am now, reflecting what I took from it.”

Hardwick, 33, has served as San Diego’s starting center since being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2004 draft, the same year that the team added Philip Rivers. Although injuries wiped out a pair of seasons for Hardwick, along with a handful of games here and there, the veteran lineman has still logged 136 games (all starts) for the Chargers.

This past season, a neck injury forced Hardwick to the injured reserve list after Week 1, wiping out a streak of 67 consecutive starts. Considering he had already mulled the possibility of retiring a year ago, and had endured a neck injury in the past, it’s not surprising that the Purdue alum would decide to end his career at this point. Hardwick’s contract also expires this winter, so the Chargers won’t carry any cap hit on their books for him in 2015.

While Hardwick won’t leave any money on the club’s cap, his departure will leave a significant hole in the middle of the Chargers’ offensive line. With Hardwick retiring and left tackle King Dunlap eligible for free agency, that line will be a priority for San Diego this offseason.

Falcons To Hire Raheem Morris, Richard Smith

February 2nd, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2, 4:26pm: According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), Smith will indeed have the defensive coordinator title in Atlanta. The Falcons also plan to hire a secondary coach separate of Morris and a linebackers coach separate of Smith, with the intention of building a big staff like Pete Carroll‘s in Seattle.

JANUARY 26, 1:18pm: While the team has yet to formally announce anything yet, Morris and Smith have both accepted positions with the Falcons, per reports from Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter) and Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis says Smith will have a “senior defensive position” in Atlanta, so it’s still not entirely clear whether he’ll have the DC title.

9:48am: The only team in the NFL without a head coach officially in place is expected to formally install Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in that role a week from now, and is already moving toward putting together its staff. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Falcons intend to hire Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris and Broncos linebackers coach Richard Smith.

While multiple reports over the weekend indicated that Morris was expected to land with the Falcons, the team’s interest in Smith is new information, and is corroborated by Albert Breer of the NFL Network (all Twitter links). According to Breer, Smith will likely handle the run defense in Atlanta, while Morris will be in charge of the pass defense. Breer adds that Morris’ title is expected to be assistant head coach, which should mean that Smith will be named the club’s defensive coordinator.

With Quinn still focused on preparing Seattle’s defense for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots, neither Morris’ deal nor Smith’s has been finalized yet, but it appears they’ll both join a staff that’s expected to be a “big one in numbers,” per Breer, who notes that Quinn also figures to bring a Seahawks assistant or two with him to Atlanta. We heard on Friday that Seattle defensive backs coach Kris Richard was a good bet to land a defensive coordinator job with either the Falcons or Seahawks, so perhaps with Morris and Smith expected to lead Atlanta’s unit, Seattle will promote Richard to replace Quinn.

Until the Falcons officially name Quinn their new head coach, there will be several moving parts in play here, so we likely won’t get any resolution until next week. Still, it appears that the staff in Atlanta is starting to come together.

Falcons, Dan Quinn Agree To Five-Year Deal

February 2nd, 2015 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

4:19pm: The Falcons have officially hired Quinn, according to a press release from the team.

“I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons,” Quinn said in a statement. “This felt like the right fit from the beginning, and I want to thank Mr. Blank for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process. My goal is to build upon the foundation that has been laid here and to play a physical brand of football as we build a championship caliber team.”

8:26am: With the Super Bowl over, the Falcons and Dan Quinn have officially come to terms on their long-anticipated agreement that will make Quinn the team’s new head coach, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Quinn and the Falcons have agreed to a five-year contract.

It was reported over a week ago that Quinn and the Falcons had a handshake agreement in place, which could only be formally finalized after the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, the 44-year-old is viewed as a strong head coaching candidate, having interviewed with several teams since the regular season ended.

With an official press conference to announce Quinn’s hiring expected to happen on Tuesday, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator can shift his focus to completing his staff in Atlanta. Kyle Shanahan is already lined up as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Raheem Morris is joining the club on the defensive side, though not in the coordinator role.

Since Quinn is expected to have plenty of input on the defensive play-calling, it’s not clear if the Falcons will bring in an official DC to work with Quinn and Morris. If they do, Seahawks defensive backs coach Kris Richard is a candidate to make the move from the Seahawks to the Falcons as well.

Revisiting PFR’s 2014/15 NFL Predictions

February 2nd, 2015 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Back in early September, eight members of the Pro Football Rumors writing team submitted predictions for the 2014/15 NFL season, forecasting the league’s playoff teams, award winners, and Super Bowl champion. Five months later, some of those picks look prescient, while others should probably just be forgotten entirely.

Still, in the interest of accountability, we’ll take a look back today at a few of those predictions to see which ones hit or missed the mark. Let’s dive in….

The good:

  • While no one correctly predicted all six, we did fairly well as a group identifying the AFC playoff teams, with Rob DiRe, Matt Feminis, Ben Levine, and Rory Parks nailing five of the six.
  • Zach Links’ postseason predictions looked off-the-wall back in September, but he forecasted the NFC better than anyone, correctly picking five of six postseason participants, including the surprising Cowboys. Speaking of those Cowboys, Zach was also the only one of us to see DeMarco Murray‘s Offensive Player of the Year award coming.
  • Rob and Zach correctly picked multiple award winners, with Zach also predicting J.J. Watt would win Defensive Player of the Year, while Rob had Watt as DPOY and Aaron Rodgers as MVP.
  • One of the only silver linings in a series of bad predictions from me? I projected Aaron Donald as the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
  • Six of us had the Patriots playing in the Super Bowl, while Matt and Ben Levine each called New England as this year’s champion. Rory and David Kipke had the Seahawks as the NFC’s representative in the Super Bowl.

The bad:

  • As a group, we picked four different Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates and six Coach of the Year options, but none of them were eventual winners Odell Beckham Jr. or Bruce Arians.
  • Besides Zach, none of us correctly predicted more than half of the NFC’s playoff teams, with most of us just getting two of six. Disappointing seasons – or finishes – from the Saints, Eagles, 49ers, and Bears contributed to our struggles in the NFC.
  • Of those NFC underachievers, New Orleans burned us the most — seven of us thought the Saints would play in the NFC title game, four of us thought they’d make the Super Bowl, and Rob and I both had them as our champions. Whoops.
  • Among our predicted award winners who didn’t have the seasons we anticipated: Drew Brees, Tyrann Mathieu, Brandin Cooks, and Jadeveon Clowney.

The ugly:

  • I was high enough on the Buccaneers in the preseason that I gave them the nod for the second Wild Card spot in the NFC. Instead, Tampa Bay will pick first overall in this spring’s draft after a 2-14 campaign.
  • While Zach’s outside-the-box choices paid off in the NFC, his pick of the Jets to win the AFC East – led by Coach of the Year Rex Ryan – didn’t exactly pan out.

Raiders Re-Sign Charles Woodson

February 2nd, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2, 1:09pm: According to former agent Joel Corry (via Twitter), Woodson’s one-year deal has a base value of $3.2MM, including a $1.4MM signing bonus. However, it will count for $4.2MM against the Raiders’ cap after taking into account the likely-to-be-earned incentives.

JANUARY 26, 3:25pm: Agent Carl Poston tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Woodson signed a one-year contract similar to the $1.8MM deal he agreed to a year ago. Over the Cap has Woodson’s previous pact listed as a one-year, $2.5MM base deal, with $1MM in likely-to-be-earned incentives, so if it’s similar to that one, it should be worth more than just $1.8MM.

2:52pm: Charles Woodson will be back for at least one more season in Oakland in 2015, according to the Raiders, who announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive back. While details of the agreement aren’t yet known, it appears it’ll be another one-year deal for the 17-year pro.

Woodson, who turned 38 in October, signed a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Raiders last March and started all 16 games for the club, grabbing four interceptions to go along with a career-high 111 tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t love his performance, ranking him 68th out of 87 qualified safeties, due in part to the 355 yards after catch he allowed, a figure that was highest among safeties.

Still, PFF’s grades were significantly kinder to Woodson in 2013, and even as he enters his age-39 season, the former fourth overall pick still appears capable of logging major time in the secondary. Woodson has averaged more than 1,100 defensive snaps in his last two seasons in Oakland, placing him within the top 10 for safeties in both 2013 and 2014.

Woodson was one of the team’s only safeties who managed to stay healthy for the entire 2014 season, as Oakland saw both Tyvon Branch and Usama Young head to injured reserve within the first few weeks of the year. Brandian Ross started for much of the season alongside Woodson, but either Branch or Young should return to the starting lineup in 2015. The club will have to make a decision on Branch, whose ’15 cap hit is currently $9.657MM.

Ravens Release Terrence Cody

February 2nd, 2015 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2, 1:08pm: The Ravens have officially released Cody, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JANUARY 23, 1:00pm: Peter Schaffer, Cody’s agent, says his client’s dog died due to worms and “there was no animal cruelty” involved, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (TwitLonger link).

“If this affects at all my client’s ability to get a job, I’m going to do everything in my legal power to protect his rights,” Schaffer said. The agent also spoke to Aaron Wilson about the issue, suggesting that the league has created an “atmosphere of hysteria that tramples on due process rights” and that the state attorney should be focusing on “real issues” (all Twitter links).

11:25am: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun provides the likely motive for the Ravens’ decision to cut ties with Cody rather than waiting for his contract to expire. According to Wilson, the defensive tackle is under investigation for animal cruelty, and the case is being discussed with the Baltimore County State attorney’s office. The Ravens are aware of the allegations against Cody, who has yet to be charged with a crime, says Wilson.

10:48am: The Ravens will terminate the contract of defensive tackle Terrence Cody following the Super Bowl, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move will allow Cody to hit the open market, making him free to sign a new deal with any of the league’s 32 teams.

After starting all 16 regular season games for the Ravens in 2011, Cody played a part-time role for the club over the next two seasons, then barely saw the field at all in 2014 while he recovered from hip surgery. Cody began the season on the physically unable to perform list, and though he was activated in early November, the 26-year-old just appeared in one game for Baltimore, playing nine defensive snaps in Week 14 against Miami.

Assuming Cody doesn’t re-sign with the Ravens, it’s a disappointing end to a stint that began when he was selected by the club in the second round of the 2010 draft. It’s also a slightly premature end — having been on a one-year contract, Cody would have been eligible for free agency in March anyway. By releasing him from his contract early, the Ravens will allow the veteran defensive lineman to get a headstart on finding a new job.

AFC West Notes: Manning, Raiders, Broncos

February 2nd, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have made changes at head coach and offensive coordinator since the end of their season, and their star quarterback has considered retirement, but Las Vegas still likes the team’s chances for 2015. Betting site Bovada.lv gives Denver 10/1 odds to win next year’s Super Bowl, with only the Seahawks, Patriots, and Packers ahead of the Broncos. On the other end of the spectrum, no club has longer odds at a championship than the Raiders, who are tied with the Jaguars at 200/1 odds.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:

  • Gil Brandt of NFL.com is the latest to report that Peyton Manning is likely to return for another season in 2015, indicating in a tweet that he’s hearing the Broncos quarterback will “almost certainly” be back. Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com wrote yesterday that Manning could announce his return at some point this week, after Woody Paige of the Denver Post reported a couple weeks ago that the veteran signal-caller was leaning toward continuing his career.
  • Providing an update on the Raiders‘ hunt for a defensive coordinator, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle says that it still doesn’t seem as if the team is any rush to make a decision. According to Tafur (all Twitter links), Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. remains a candidate, and Oakland could also dip into the college ranks — with National Signing Day coming up this week, a coach could wait until after that to take the Raiders job. As for Mike Smith, who has been considered Jack Del Rio‘s top choice all along, the former Falcons head coach would like to take a year off, and hasn’t changed his mind on that yet, per Tafur.
  • The Broncos have hired Fred Pagac as their outside linebackers coach, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Pagac, a former defensive coordinator for the Vikings, worked with the Bills’ linebackers in 2014.
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