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Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LI?

January 29th, 2017 at 10:40am CST by Rory Parks

We are a week away from Super Bowl LI, and the world is rife with Super Bowl predictions, analysis, prop bets, and recipes. As preparations for America’s unofficial national holiday rage on, it is time for our readership to let us know their pick to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Will the Patriots bring home their fifth world championship? Or will the Falcons rise to the occasion and parade the Lombardi through the streets of Atlanta for the first time in franchise history?

Oct 22, 2016; London, United Kingdom; General view of Super Bowl Lombardi Trophy during NFL Fan Rally at the Victoria House prior to game 16 of the NFL International Series between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons, of course, set the league ablaze with the NFL’s most prolific offense, led by an MVP-caliber season from quarterback Matt Ryan. Behind Ryan, second-year head coach Dan Quinn, and second-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons won the NFC South and secured a first-round bye. Once in the playoffs, Ryan was able to exorcise some of his postseason demons, leading his team to home victories over the Seahawks and Packers en route to Houston, the site of Super Bowl LI.

While the Falcons will be appearing in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1998 season, this is all pretty familiar to the Patriots. New England took home its eighth straight AFC East title in 2016, and despite Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension to open the season, a season-ending injury to Rob Gronkowski, and some disappointing defensive performances, the Patriots steamrolled their way to a 14-2 record, a No. 1 overall seed, and two fairly easy postseason wins (although their divisional round victory over the Texans was a bit more of a struggle than one might have expected).

New England is currently viewed as a slim favorite in what could turn into a high-scoring affair, but Atlanta looked unstoppable in its romp over the Packers last week, and this one has all the potential to be memorable.

So what say you? Will Super Bowl LI be business as usual? Or will a new team join the world champion ranks?

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Kansas City Chiefs

January 29th, 2017 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Kansas City Chiefs, who continued their steady run under Andy Reid and John Dorsey by winning the AFC West for the first time in six years and qualifying for the divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Top Cap Hits for 2017:

Other:

  • Projected cap space (via OverTheCap): $4,678,573
  • Twenty-seventh pick in draft
  • Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option on Dee Ford

Three Needs: 

 1.) Finalize secondary plans: Eric Berry‘s situation will once again be at the forefront of Kansas City’s offseason, but the Chiefs also could use some assistance at their right cornerback spot opposite Marcus Peters. The AFC West champions bent constantly but didn’t break often, as best evidenced by the unique divisional-round loss to the Steelers, but they have a decision to make regarding their defensive leader.

Among active safeties, only Earl Thomas matches Berry’s three first-team All-Pro honors, and Eric Weddle is the only one to have two such distinctions on his resume. So, Berry has a legitimate case to be the league’s highest-paid safety. He has not been underpaid by any stretch of the imagination, being one of the league’s three players to make it from the 2010 first round — the last featuring the old CBA setup friendlier towards first-rounders — to the end of the 2015 season on his rookie deal. And after the Chiefs couldn’t come to an agreement with Berry last July, he earned $10.806MM on the franchise tag. Long-term security eludes Berry, but he remains in position to cash in.

The Chiefs can shed more than $17MM in cap space by releasing Jamaal Charles and Nick Foles, creating some room for a Berry re-up. Retaining both Berry and Dontari Poe could be a stretch, but the Chiefs under John Dorsey and Andy Reid are known for backloading deals. That’s allowed them to sign Jeremy Maclin and Mitchell Schwartz despite not being cap-rich the past two offseasons. As for Berry, he will be set for his age-28 season in 2017, so a long-term deal should be reasonable.

The former No. 5 overall pick won comeback player of the year honors in 2015 but was even better in 2016, intercepting four passes and scoring two seminal defensive touchdowns — without which the Chiefs may have lost two more games this season — and is a darkhorse Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He also returned to a full-season workload after being gradually worked back into his old role in 2015 following his triumphant cancer comeback. Thanks to his on-field success and his successful battle with cancer, Berry has become the team’s most popular player. The sides weren’t close on a deal last summer but may be more in sync this year after Berry’s full-season performance. Reid lists Berry high on the Chiefs’ priority list, but the safety landscape has changed since the sides last negotiated.

Tyrann Mathieu became the highest-paid safety on a five-year, $62.5MM deal late last summer. Berry’s camp could state his case by citing his All-Pro honors and relative durability, along with the fact that the cap is expected to approach $170MM this year. The Chiefs would likely argue the Cardinals use Mathieu more as a cornerback than a safety, plus they will point out that Mathieu is four years younger than Berry. Regardless, Berry won’t be settling for a deal worth less than Harrison Smith‘s five-year, $51.25MM pact.

Kansas City has locked up many core defenders in the recent past — re-signing Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali — and ancillary parts like Ron Parker, Allen Bailey and Jaye Howard, illustrating Dorsey’s build-from-within model. A Berry deal — or a season in which the cornerstone safety plays on another franchise tag, which would be projected at $12.967MM — would limit the Chiefs’ ability to fortify the rest of their secondary. But it would be interesting to see Dorsey re-sign so many roster linchpins — re-upping Johnson and Hali from the Carl Peterson era, retaining Houston from the Scott Pioli period, and then locking up current-regime-acquired Travis Kelce — but fail to come to terms with the most popular player the Chiefs have employed this decade.

Kansas City has only rookie-deal players signed at corner, and recent third-round investments — Phillip Gaines (2014), Steven Nelson (2015), and KeiVarae Russell (2016) — have not produced a surefire starter. Nelson’s been the best of the bunch, operating as their slot corner, with Gaines playing his way out of the lineup during his third season. Russell, meanwhile, became a rare Day 2 pick to be cut as a rookie. Practice squad promotion Terrance Mitchell served as K.C.’s right cornerback down the stretch, despite the fact that the team drafting three corners last year. The Chiefs could target some second-tier UFA cogs or continue to try their hand with rookies.

They had this same need last year but didn’t pursue Prince Amukamara aggressively. Now that he stands to be back on the market, the 27-year-old looks like a second-tier candidate in a fairly well-stocked cornerback market. He’ll be seeking a multiyear deal after showcasing some durability that his Giants years lacked, but the former first-rounder doesn’t figure to be out of Kansas City’s price range. The cornerback market also features Trumaine Johnson, A.J. Bouye, Dre Kirkpatrick, Stephon Gilmore, Logan Ryan, and Darius Butler. Not all of those players are going to sign $10MM-per-year pacts. If a veteran like Poe comes off the Chiefs’ books, finding an additional boundary corner would be a place to reinvest that money on a team without many glaring needs.

If the Chiefs want to take the route the Bengals have in recent years, fortifying the position through the first round, that would obviously be a cheaper option. LSU’s Tre’Davious White, Florida’s Quincy Wilson, Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley, or Peters’ college teammate Sidney Jones could be options by the time the Chiefs’ pick with No. 27 overall selection. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter believes standout Gators stopper Teez Tabor could fall to the Chiefs at 27, and Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo sees 5-foot-10 Michigan corner Jourdan Lewis going to the Chiefs in his mock draft. This position looks to be deep for the teams with late-first-round choices, and that could be the route the Chiefs take, both for financial considerations and because some key members of their core either older than 30 or approaching it. The Chiefs need a promising contributor at this spot to keep teams from avoiding Peters.

2.) Figure out a post-Derrick Johnson future: The inside linebacker has enjoyed a long and productive career for the Chiefs, having signed a contract with three Kansas City regimes and serving as an 11-year starter. But Johnson will turn 35 next season and sustained a severe Achilles injury for the second time in three years. Kansas City’s run defense did not perform well in 2016, ranking 26th against the rush, and that became an even more glaring problem after Johnson’s mid-December injury. Le’Veon Bell consistently marched the Steelers into field goal range in the teams’ divisional-round meeting, and the running back’s methodical sojourns into the red zone led to to the Chiefs’ elimination.

Johnson has stood as the rock of the Chiefs’ run defense for years, most recently evidenced by its rapid improvement in 2015 upon his return. But it’s time to fortify this position, because the Chiefs don’t have much else there.

In addition to the four-time Pro Bowler, the Chiefs boast bottom-end investments at inside linebacker. Ramik Wilson, a 2015 fourth-rounder, and Justin March-Lillard, a 2015 UDFA, represent the team’s top prospects. Josh Mauga suffered a season-ending injury over the summer, and when Johnson couldn’t play in the final four games, the Chiefs were down to their spare parts in crucial spots. A two-year starter, Mauga is a UFA. Johnson will almost certainly be on the roster in 2017 since he signed a three-year, $21MM deal to stay in western Missouri last March. The dead money/cap savings ratio does not add up for an early cut, and Johnson could still make an impact as he did coming off the 2014 Achilles injury. He’s not considering retirement.

But this remains an area in desperate need of a young talent, because Johnson’s latest injury may render him unable to return to his previous level. The options aren’t plentiful in free agency, but the Chiefs should probably be looking to the draft for help here. They need a long-term successor. If the Chiefs believe this is a bigger issue than CB2, there are are a few ILBs who could be had at the back end of the first round.

Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham dominated as a sideline-to-sideline player, finishing with 125 tackles (16.5 for loss) in 13 games last season. Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillan (102 stops last year) and Northwestern’s Anthony Walker (29 TFLs since 2015) fit the profile as well. Of course, quality 3-4 inside linebackers can be acquired later in the draft, as the likes of AFC West rivals Brandon Marshall and Denzel Perryman prove. With inside ‘backers not the most coveted of commodities come April, the Chiefs could see one of those aforementioned three prospects potentially fall to them in the second round, where they hold the No. 59 overall choice.

3.) Assess Alex Smith‘s viability: In a town known for employing polarizing quarterbacks, Smith has served as a lightning rod during most of his tenure. The latest narrow Chiefs postseason defeat continued to cast doubt on Smith’s ability to lead this team deep into the playoffs. However, Kansas City remains committed to him on what’s become one of the lower-end deals for a franchise quarterback. The former No. 1 overall pick has two years left on his contract and will only turn 33 in May, but the Chiefs are 1-3 in the playoffs behind Smith. Smith’s outing against the Steelers may have been the worst of his playoff performances in Kansas City, which has a veteran nucleus whose window depends on the middling passer.

While a report identified the Broncos as Tony Romo‘s top target, they would only be interested in him if he were to be released. The Texans, too, have emerged as a speculative landing spot, but the Broncos just invested a first-round pick in Paxton Lynch, and the Texans would incur a $25MM dead money blow by moving on from Brock Osweiler. The Chiefs have a steadier option than both teams from a short-term perspective, with Smith having quarterbacked the team during its mid-2010s resurgence. But they may be a stealth Romo candidate due to their status in the NFL pecking order.

The Chiefs’ 43 wins since 2013 trail only the Patriots, Seahawks and Broncos. But as Adam Teicher of ESPN.com notes, the team may have gone as far as it could with Smith under center. This echoes a sentiment Chiefs sources expressed during the Chiefs’ march to the AFC West crown. In 15 starts in 2016, the risk-averse passer threw just 15 touchdown passes. It would cost the franchise less to separate from Smith this year, at $7.2MM in dead money. The Chiefs would not be able to afford a Romo trade on his current deal (league-high $24.7MM cap number in 2017), but on a renegotiated contract, this landing spot makes sense for the 37-year-old passer.

If healthy, Romo is an upgrade over Smith. The other passers who figure to be available via trade or as UFAs probably are not. However, the Chiefs have an incredibly long track record of failing to develop a passer. From the four 49ers-honed quarterbacks over the past 20-plus years, to Trent Green and Matt Cassel, the Hunt family and their GMs have a long track-record of pursuing veterans. Of course, if management determines the best way to keep this core’s championship window open is to further strengthen the roster around Smith, then a prospect passer could be considered.

The Chiefs have drafted Day 3 quarterbacks in two of the past three years, Aaron Murray and Kevin Hogan, but neither is currently on the team. UDFA Tyler Bray is currently the Chiefs’ third-stringer. They haven’t selected a quarterback in the first round since the Todd Blackledge misfire in 1983 and haven’t spent a second-round selection on this position in 25 years. This quarterback class might see three polarizing passers — Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and DeShone Kizer — go off the board before the Chiefs pick in Round 1. But they could consider Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, either via first-round pick or second-round trade-up, or Miami’s Brad Kaaya in Round 2. Neither would likely be ready for a bit, keeping the Chiefs a Smith-run operation for at least 2017 and possibly 2018.

The franchise sits at a crossroads after its fourth consecutive home playoff loss. How it operates in the coming months here, either supplying Smith with more help or bringing in his replacement/successor, will be critical to changing this enduring trajectory.

Broncos Could Pursue Tony Romo As Free Agent

January 29th, 2017 at 8:41am CST by Rory Parks

If Tony Romo has a say in the matter, he would like to be suiting up for the Broncos in 2017. And, as Mike Klis of 9News writes, the Broncos may be willing to oblige, if Romo should become a free agent in the offseason. Per Klis, “[a] source in the Broncos’ football department did not dismiss the possibility of bringing in the Dallas Cowboys quarterback — providing the situation reaches the point where Romo is no longer Cowboys’ property.”

Tony Romo

Romo, of course, is under Cowboys’ control through the 2019 season, but after the emergence of Dak Prescott in 2016, Dallas will likely look to move their long-time quarterback in the coming months. The Cowboys’ preference would be to trade Romo and to recoup some sort of draft pick compensation for him, but given that the soon-to-be 37-year-old is currently slated to earn $14MM in 2017, $19.5MM in 2018, and $20.5MM in 2019, that could be a difficult proposition.

If Romo were to be released, however, he would surely garner a fair amount of interest on the open market, and the Broncos could be in play. As Klis writes, Denver is unlikely to swing a trade for Romo, but if the club was in a position to negotiate a reduced contract with him, it may make sense for them to do so. After all, the Broncos are loaded on the defensive side of the ball, and they have some serious talent at the offensive skill positions as well. Their quarterback play could prevent them from taking full advantage of that talent, and the addition of Romo would immediately make them legitimate championship contenders.

GM John Elway has repeatedly stated that he is happy with the team’s current quarterback group of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, but while those young signal-callers may well develop into quality starters, they clearly have a ways to go before they reach that point. By the time they do, the rest of the roster may not be as strong as it is now.

As Klis observes, Elway did pursue Colin Kaepernick last year, so it stands to reason that he would make a push for a much more accomplished quarterback this offseason, assuming the price is right.

Chris Ballard Books Second Colts Interview

January 29th, 2017 at 8:06am CST by Sam Robinson

The buzz surrounding Chris Ballard as Ryan Grigson‘s potential successor looks legitimate. The Chiefs’ director of football operations became the first candidate to secure a second interview with the Colts, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This could be a quick process, per Schefter, who reports (on Twitter) the Chiefs are bracing to lose Ballard to the Colts. The second summit is set for Sunday.

The four-year Chiefs executive was part of a six-person interview contingent that met with Colts brass from Wednesday-Friday in Mobile, Ala. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets, Ballard did not disappoint in that interview, and it appears as if he will, in fact, be offered the position. Per Breer, Ballard was the Colts’ top choice all along, although that of course conflicts with earlier reports tabbing interim GM Jimmy Raye III as the favorite for the job.

But Ballard and Packers exec Eliot Wolf emerged as the early favorites once the club began interviewing outside candidates, and rumblings of the Colts being “definitely intrigued by” John Dorsey‘s top lieutenant — and Ballard’s preferring Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub as his head coach — emerged yesterday. Ballard, Wolf and George Paton — whose interview reportedly went well — came away with positive reviews from the Colts’ meeting process thus far.

Despite the fact that Ballard would like to bring in Toub as his head coach, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that Ballard’s having to work with Chuck Pagano — who will reportedly return for the 2017 campaign — will not be a deal-breaker. Instead, if the team is looking for a new head coach next offseason, the Colts could simply pursue Toub at that time (Twitter links).

After spending 12 seasons with the Bears in a scouting or scouting directorial capacity, Ballard has helped oversee a Chiefs resurgence in the mid-2010s. Only the Patriots, Seahawks and Broncos have more regular-season wins than the Chiefs’ 43 since 2013. Kansas City could be set to lose Ballard but will be retaining Dorsey for at least one more season after a report emerged Dorsey is in fact under contract through 2017.

The Chiefs blocked Ballard from interviewing with the 49ers but could not do so when the Colts’ GM job opened because league rules only enable this practice during the team’s season.

NFC Notes: Oher, Peppers, Redskins, Rams

January 28th, 2017 at 7:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ron Rivera said earlier this month he expects Michael Oher to be back with the Panthers next season, but the recently re-signed left tackle has not yet been completely cleared from the concussion that sidelined him for most of the 2016 season, Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Oberserver reports. Oher missed 13 games last season and has dealt with concussion trouble for more than four months.

Rivera did not know when Oher suffered the concussion, but Jones reports the setback likely occurred before the Panthers’ Week 3 Vikings tilt — the most recent game in which Oher played. GM Dave Gettleman said recently he had not spoken to Oher in a bit and was going to give him some time. The Panthers’ left tackle signed a three-year extension last summer, but Gettleman said he plans to investigate the position this offseason. Mike Remmers is a free agent as well, and Carolina doesn’t have any much depth here, so an Oher return is crucial. He will turn 31 in May.

Here’s more from the NFC.

  • A Julius Peppers-Panthers reunion makes sense for the 37-year-old North Carolinian as his career winds down, Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer writes. The outside linebacker who played as a 4-3 end in Carolina is a UFA. He spent four seasons with the Bears and three with the Packers, initially going to Chicago after the Panthers offered to make him the league’s highest-paid defender in 2010. The Panthers have ends Mario Addison and Charles Johnson looming as UFAs.
  • The Redskins‘ promotion of Aubrey Pleasant from assistant secondary coach to secondary coach has yet to be completed, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes. Washington’s talks with Pleasant are “at a standstill” after the team offered him the position, in a somewhat strange status for a defensive backs job. The Redskins still want to make Pleaseant its DBs boss after firing Perry Fewell. However, the Rams remain interested in Pleasant as well. Los Angeles already hired Samson Brown from the Broncos, but the former assistant secondary coach under Wade Phillips in Denver doesn’t appear to have a definitive role yet.
  • Regarding the top of the Redskins’ defensive hierarchy, one reason Joe Barry may have been ousted was due to some in the organization preferring he operate a more aggressive defense, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. However, a source told Keim he doesn’t consider new Washington DC Greg Manusky to be particularly aggressive. The newly promoted assistant promised to use an attacking style, though. Manusky’s Colts defenses did average more blitzes per season than Barry’s two in Washington did, Keim notes.
  • Should Pleasant join the Rams, he would be working with Don Shula’s grandson. The Rams plan to hire Chris Shula to work on Phillips’ defensive staff in Los Angeles, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News tweets. Chris Shula worked as a Chargers quality control coach the past two seasons. Prior to that, he served as a college defensive assistant. Shula played college football with Sean McVay.

Colts Considering Ballard/Toub Partnership?

January 28th, 2017 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Colts aren’t expected to rush in their pursuit to fill their GM position, positive reviews continue to surround one candidate. The Colts are “definitely intrigued by” Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. And that could be an interesting development because of Ballard’s ties to a recent head coaching candidate.

Ballard’s preferred choice as HC would be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, per La Canfora. That is a logical pairing, but the Colts are not currently in the market for a head coach. Jim Irsay reaffirmed his commitment to Chuck Pagano and is prepared to bring him back for a sixth season. Pagano’s seat, though, would be arguably the hottest in the NFL going into 2017 after consecutive 8-8 seasons helped end the Pagano/Ryan Grigson partnership.

Ballard and Packers player operations director Eliot Wolf are considered the favorites for the Indianapolis GM position, a status interim GM Jimmy Raye III occupied last weekend before the official interviews commenced. The Colts met with all six of the candidates between Wednesday and Friday.

Irsay’s been connected to multiple head coaches this offseason, and while the owner said his conversations with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden were merely about the stete of his team, Sean Payton trade rumors also surfaced recently. The Colts said the call came from a Payton associate rather than being an Irsay-initiated process. Hiring a GM who has a coach preference not currently employed by the franchise would add to the uncertainty surrounding Pagano. Recently, much of Pagano’s staff received word they are going to remain in their positions for at least one more year.

The 54-year-old Toub interviewed for the Chargers’ and Broncos’ HC positions, being one of just three coaches Denver considered for its since-filled vacancy. Ballard and Toub have worked in Kansas City since John Dorsey‘s hire in 2013.

Latest On 49ers’ GM Finalist Stage

January 28th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Today represents a pivotal spot on the calendar regarding the 49ers’ near-month-long search to replace Trent Baalke. Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough will conduct second interviews in Atlanta, but one of the candidates is not considered a lock to accept the job.

While news emerged Friday the 49ers may not be ready to commit to Paton or McDonough, and thus reopen their search, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports Paton is not a lock to accept the job if offered. Rick Spielman‘s second-in-command staffer remained an integral component of this process throughout, staying in the finalist picture even before Packers execs Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf withdrew. But Paton turned down opportunities in the past to interview with the Jets and Dolphins, and the longtime Vikings exec interviewed on Wednesday to become the Colts’ GM. Jed York met with Kyle Shanahan and Paton over dinner on Friday night before the expected meetings with both candidates today.

Maiocco confirms Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports’ report about the 49ers not being ready to commit even at this juncture and adds Shanahan wants to ensure during this search the team finds a GM with whom he can share responsibilities. Maiocco reiterates Shanahan will not demand complete roster control. Only a handful of coaches in the league have that responsibility, and the 37-year-old OC looks amenable to working alongside the 49ers’ GM hire.

Paton is believed to have more experience on the financial side of matters, whereas McDonough has dealt mostly with scouting, per Maiocco. The Cardinals high-ranking personnel man played a key role in Arizona landing David Johnson, John Brown and Rodney Gunter during a successful run for the Cardinals in the middle of recent drafts. One source told Maiocco McDonough’s draft acumen is “his No. 1 asset.” Paton isn’t a common fixture on the scouting circuit, working mostly out of the office on the pro personnel side of the spectrum, Maiocco notes.

Former execs Mark Domenik and Mike Shanahan have also been linked with potential front-office responsibilities with the 49ers, who will have gone without a GM for four weeks on Sunday if no one is hired today.

Ravens To Prioritize Brandon Williams Re-Up

January 28th, 2017 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have lost several starters in free agency over the past few years and may be set to see more depart this year, but they appear intent on keeping at least one. Assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said from the Senior Bowl the Ravens “have to try and retain” defensive tackle Brandon Williams.”

“He’s an ‘A’ player for us; he’s one of our best defensive players,” said DeCosta, who earlier this week declined a Colts GM interview request to continue with the Ravens. “He’s a rock inside. This guy can stuff the run, he can rush the quarterback, he can do everything we want him to do.”

Williams and right tackle Ricky Wagner profile as Baltimore’s top UFAs, but Wagner’s price might escalate past the Ravens’ comfort zone. Williams’ could as well, but the team has the franchise tag it could use in the meantime. Williams comprises part of a loaded defensive tackle class, with Kawann Short, Dontari Poe and Johnathan Hankins all sitting as UFAs. After Fletcher Cox‘s 2016 deal raised the AAV bar north of $17MM for DTs, this could be a pricey offseason for teams who want to acquire top talent on the defensive interior. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com projects the defensive tackle franchise tag to cost $13.468MM. The Ravens stand to possess just more than $15MM in cap space.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old Williams has started for the Ravens the past three seasons after arriving from Division II Missouri Southern. His run-stopping ability graded out well on Pro Football Focus in 2016, anchoring what the site called a top-flight run-defending front seven. The 335-pound talent doesn’t have quite the high profile of Short or Poe but is still set to cash in, and the Ravens aren’t exactly playing it coy about his importance to their team.

“[Williams] fits in with the tradition of Ravens defensive tackles and nose tackles, whether it’s Haloti [Ngata], Kelly Gregg, even going further back to Kemo [Ma’ake Kemoeatu], Sam Adams, Tony Siragusa,” DeCosta said. “Brandon’s right there with all those guys.”

Chiefs’ John Dorsey Signed Through 2017

January 28th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumors about a John Dorsey reunion with the Packers this year to some degree involved the Chiefs GM leaving after his contract expired. Previously, Dorsey was believed to be in the final year of his deal during the 2016 season, but Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports Dorsey is signed through the 2017 campaign.

Paylor adds Dorsey is expected to remain in Kansas City through then, barring an “unforeseen development.” Dorsey was considered a candidate to fill Ted Thompson‘s post when he stepped down from his post, but Packers coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this week the 64-year-old Green Bay GM was not going anywhere — at least not in 2017.

Dorsey’s worked with just two franchises, spending the first 21 years of his NFL tenure with the Packers before taking the Chiefs’ job in 2013. The 56-year-old GM helped guide the Chiefs to playoff berths in three of the past four years and four consecutive winning seasons, doing so after Kansas City went 2-14 in 2012. Paylor does not note if any years remain on Dorsey’s deal beyond 2017, but with Thompson being committed to the Packers in ’17, the Dorsey-to-Wisconsin rumors may resurface next year.

The Colts interviewed Dorsey’s right-hand man, player personnel director Chris Ballard, for their GM job earlier this week. So, the Chiefs could be set for some upheaval regardless. They remain interested in extending Andy Reid‘s contract, however. Reid is entering the final season of his deal, and given the success he’s attained in Kansas City, it’s a good bet the sides reach an agreement soon.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Alexander, Stills, Jets

January 28th, 2017 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Lorenzo Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Bills last offseason, and the outside linebacker thanked the organization by having his best NFL season. The 33-year-old finished the campaign with 76 tackles and 12.5 sacks, both career-highs.

Despite the fact that the Bills gave the veteran an opportunity this past season, the Pro Bowler told Alex Marvez of The Sporting News that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll return for a second season in Buffalo.

“[The Bills] have reached out to me. They want me to be back … I’m waiting to see what all the offers are on the table,” he said. “My wife and I will sit down and make the best decision for ourselves.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the AFC…

  • The Jets haven’t selected an offensive player in the first round since 2009, when they selected quarterback Mark Sanchez. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini doesn’t believe the Jets are going to break that streak in this year’s draft. Besides running backs Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Mike Williams, the draft is “top-heavy” with defensive players. General manager Mike Maccagnan generally operates by the “best player available” logic, which will presumably result in a player on the defensive side of the ball.
  • The Dolphins are reportedly prioritizing re-signing impending free agent wideout Kenny Stills, and at least one of his teammates would be very happy if the receiver returned to Miami.“It’d be great for us to have him back,” running back Jay Ajayi told Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. “I know he wants to be back. I know the team wants him back. So whatever we need to do to make that happen, hopefully we do that.” Stills finished the season with 726 receiving yards and a career-high nine touchdowns.
  • Running back LeSean McCoy is a big fan of new Bills head coach Sean McDermott. The two previously worked together with the Eagles when McDermott was the team’s defensive coordinator. “He’s tough, he’s honest and he’s fair,” McCoy told Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. “I think he’s the right guy for the job. The guys in Buffalo, we need somebody we can believe in and we can trust.”
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