HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Dolphins Eyeing Offensive Guards

February 19th, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are moving on from veteran offensive lineman Branden Albert — and shifting 2016 first-round pick Laremy Tunsil from left guard to left tackle — because the club believes it can find a replacement guard on the cheap, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.Adam Gase (Vertical)

[RELATED: Top Three Offseason Needs — Miami Dolphins]

Albert was scheduled to earn nearly $9MM in 2017, funds Miami will now be able to put towards acquiring a new interior offensive lineman. However, given that part of the Dolphins’ calculation in parting ways with Albert was financial, the team isn’t likely to invest the entirety of that savings into guard reinforcements, per Jackson. Indeed, Miami is instead targeting bargains at the position.

With those parameters in place, high-priced options such as Kevin Zeitler, T.J. Lang, Ronald Leary, and Larry Warford are probably not on Miami’s radar. As such, one player who could make sense for the Dolphins is free agent Patrick Omameh, who played under Miami head coach Adam Gase with Chicago in 2015, writes Jackson. Omameh, 27, graded as the No. 31 guard in the league last season on 454 snaps with Jacksonville, per Pro Football Focus.

While the Dolphins want to secure a free agent to handle one guard spot, Miami is likely to fill the other side with an amalgamation of Kraig Urbik, Anthony Steen, and a draft pick, per Jackson. Veteran Jermon Bushrod, who played more than 1,000 snaps for the Fins last season, is a free agent and may not be retained, though he’s indicated he’d like to continue his career.

5 Key Stories: 2/12/17 – 2/19/17

February 19th, 2017 at 3:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Dolphins get an offseason head start. Miami began clearing cap space with a fervor last week, releasing defensive linemen Mario Williams and Earl Mitchell, and — after deciding not to cut him — are now working on a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to the Jaguars. Additionally, the Dolphins handed veteran defensive end Cameron Wake another extension, and have begun pondering their plans for the next few months. A trade for a high-profile cornerback could be on the itinerary, while Miami is also expected to target edge help.Victor Cruz (vertical)

Roster purge for Big Blue. The Giants made several personnel moves last week, parting ways with veterans Victor Cruz (link) and Rashad Jennings (link), while another report indicated the club won’t make a push to re-sign free agent tight end Larry Donnell. Running back Adrian Peterson also doesn’t appear to be on New York’s radar, even though the veteran back posted a cryptic tweet indicating possible interest in the Giants. Meanwhile, the Giants want to retain defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency begins.

Left tackle market evolves. Before last week, the free agent list of left tackles consisted of Andrew Whitworth, Riley Reiff, and a bunch of uninspiring options. Recently, however, the market has grown, as both the Jets and Jaguars declined their respective options on offensive linemen Ryan Clady and Kelvin Beachum, respectively. Along with Albert (who, as noted above, could be traded), left tackles are becoming a bit more available, and should face a healthy market.Tom Brady

Patriots mulling Tom Brady extension. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, New England wants to work out a new deal with Brady, who is already signed thorough the 2019 campaign. The two sides have begun negotiations, but no contract is imminent at the moment. By hammering out a new pact, the Patriots could theoretically reduce Brady’s upcoming cap charges, which come in at $14MM, $22MM, and $22MM over the next three seasons.

Tony Romo expects to be released. While the Cowboys could aim to trade Romo over the next weeks, the quarterback himself expects to be cut rather than dealt away. Such a move could be preferable to Dallas, as well, because a post-June 1 release of Romo would save the club more money than a trade. Plus, cutting Romo would allow him to choose his next destination, which would represent a professional gesture by the Cowboys given Romo’s contributions to the team.

Latest On Broncos’ Offseason Plans

February 19th, 2017 at 2:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos will attempt to address their defensive line during the free agent period, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Former Dolphin Earl Mitchell is one candidate to join Denver’s front, and Klis reports Mitchell will meet with the Broncos on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Mitchell has a busy schedule, as he’ll visit the Seahawks on Monday/Tuesday, the 49ers on Tuesday/Wednesday, and the Falcons on Thursday/Friday.Earl Mitchell (Vertical)

[RELATED: Broncos Working To Re-Sign Kayvon Webster]

If Denver is able to sign Mitchell (who would play end in the Broncos’ 3-4 scheme), it will then focus on securing a replacement for nose tackle Sylvester Williams, per Klis. Williams, a former first-round pick, is expected to test the free agent waters on March 9. The Broncos are also interested in retaining defensive lineman Vance Walker, who missed the entirety of the 2016 after tearing his ACL, according to Klis.

On the offensive side of the the ball, the Broncos will target at least one lineman in free agency, reports Klis. Denver holds an expensive option on left tackle Russell Okung, right tackle Donald Stephenson is expected to be released, and the Broncos’ guards could also be upgraded. Denver’s offensive line ranked as just the league’s No. 24 unit in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus’ year-end rankings.

PFR Originals: 2/12/17 – 2/19/17

February 19th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

North Notes: Peterson, T. Taylor, Steelers

February 19th, 2017 at 12:29pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that at least a few GMs are concerned about how much Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has left and whether or not he’d be willing to accept a contract commensurate with a running back on the downside of his career. The Giants are one team that Peterson has indicated he would like to play for if he does not remain in Minnesota, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes, Big Blue has expressed no interest in acquiring the former league MVP (although the Giants have not indicated that they are uninterested either, Peterson just does not appear to fit from a schematic standpoint). Of course, the more teams that drop out of the Peterson race, or decline to enter the race at all, the more likely it is that he will stay with the Vikings on a lesser salary.

Now for more notes from the league’s north divisions:

  • Speaking of Peterson, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune lays out a list of teams that the long-time Vikings star is most likely to play for next season, and the Buccaneers are at the top of the list.
  • The Lions signed tight end Cole Wick as a UDFA last offseason, and he managed to stick on the team’s 53-man roster, catching two passes in sporadic playing time over six regular-season games before spending the final two months on IR. But as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes, Wick could find himself with a more significant role in 2017, as he and Eric Ebron are the only tight ends under contract who played a down for Detroit last year.
  • The Bears are expected to hire Derius Swinton as the club’s assistant special teams coach, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Swinton previously served in that capacity with Chicago in 2015 but became the 49ers’ special teams coordinator last season.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the chances of the Browns‘ acquiring Tyrod Taylor increased when the club hired his former Bills quarterbacks coach, David Lee, two weeks ago. However, Cabot believes Cleveland would still prefer to swing a trade for Patriots backup signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo. If they cannot land Garoppolo, the Browns will look to Taylor, Mike Glennon, etc., but even if they acquire one of those players, Cabot believes the team should still draft UNC’s Mitch Trubisky with the No. 1 overall selection.
  • The Steelers have a lot of question marks at the wide receiver position beyond Antonio Brown, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Indeed, Martavis Bryant needs to be reinstated by the league following his season-long suspension, Markus Wheaton will probably be let go in free agency, and Sammie Coates was dogged by injuries to his finger and groin and could be facing knee surgery. As such, Dulac believes the team could spend at least one early-round selection on a wideout. John Ross and JuJu Smith-Schuster are two prospects who could be available when the Steelers are on the clock for the first time.

East Notes: D-Jax, Jets, Hightower

February 19th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Rory Parks

We recently heard that Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, could command an annual salary of at least $10MM on his next contract, despite the fact that he is a 30-year-old receiver whose game is predicated on speed. Today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lends more support to those rumblings, reporting that Jackson will be generating strong interest as free agency approaches. Of course, Jackson has expressed interest in re-signing with Washington and in returning to Philadelphia, but he would likely have to take a lesser salary to stay with the Redskins and he seems to be a little resentful about the way things ended with the Eagles. But as Florio observes, it seems as if Jackson’s choice will not be limited to two clubs.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

  • Regardless of what the Jets choose to do with Darrelle Revis, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that the team is exploring the upper end of the free agent cornerback market and could make a quick splash once free agency opens. A.J. Bouye, Stephon Gilmore, Trumaine Johnson and Logan Ryan are all options for Gang Green.
  • If the Patriots use a tag on impending free agent Dont’a Hightower, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes it will be the $11MM transition tag rather than the $14.5-15MM franchise tag. The transition tag allows New England the right of first refusal on any offer Hightower receives in free agency, although it does not allow the Pats to recoup any draft pick compensation if they choose to not match such an offer.
  • In the same piece, Reiss reports that Patriots receiver Danny Amendola will not be back on his current contract, which is scheduled to pay him $6MM in 2017. However, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes that New England values what Amendola can contribute on offense and on special teams, so the club would like him to have him back at a reduced salary. Given that Amendola has agreed to a restructure in each of the last two offseasons, and given that he posted only 23 catches for 243 yards in 2016, it seems likely that the two sides will be able to work something out.
  • In his latest chat with fans, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News says that he expects the Cowboys to select a defensive end with one of their first two picks in this year’s draft. The 2017 class has a fair amount of talent at the edge rushing positions, so Dallas should be able to land a quality prospect even though they are picking near the end of each round.
  • Yesterday, the Dolphins inked defensive end Cameron Wake to an extension that will keep him in Miami through 2018.

Jacob Tamme Wants To Return To Falcons; 49ers In Play

February 19th, 2017 at 9:28am CST by Rory Parks

Jacob Tamme, who was an important piece of the Falcons’ league-leading offense in 2016 before his season was cut short by a shoulder injury, is one of 17 Falcons eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason. Tamme posted a career-high 657 receiving yards in 2015, his first year in Atlanta, and he was the Falcons’ leading receiver after the first three games of 2016, with 14 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown.

Jacob Tamme (vertical)

He is roughly three months into his recovery for the shoulder surgery that he underwent in November, a process that is expected to take another two or three months. But despite the injury, and despite the fact that he will turn 32 on March 15, there will be some competition for his services. Indeed, it is difficult to see the Colts allowing Jack Doyle to depart in free agency, and outside of Doyle and Martellus Bennett –whom the Patriots will likely do their best to retain — this year’s tight end market is fairly thin.

As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes, Tamme would like to stay in Atlanta. Tamme said, “I love being a Falcon, love my teammates, love what we have going on here in this organization. I’m interested to see what the future holds.”

GM Thomas Dimitroff has said the Falcons’ primary objective is locking up their own players, and Tamme is surely a player that Dimitroff would like to have back. The team did select Austin Hooper in the third-round of the 2016 draft, and Hooper showed some promise as the season wore on, including a touchdown grab in the Super Bowl. But the tight end depth chart is currently pretty bare beyond the youthful Hooper, as Levine Toilolo is also set to become an unrestricted free agent (though it should be noted that the Falcons do have hope for Joshua Perkins, a 2016 UDFA who played for new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian when Sarkisian was at the University of Washington). Given Tamme’s experience and his apparent rapport with Matt Ryan, the Falcons would probably be wise to re-sign him.

But if they don’t, McClure’s sources indicate that the 49ers could be in play for the Kentucky product. Of course, former Falcons’ OC Kyle Shanahan is now the head coach in San Francisco, and per McClure, Shanahan would love to have a cerebral player such as Tamme on board to help implement his offense, even though the 49ers just signed tight end Vance McDonald to a five-year contract extension in December.

Tamme first made a name for himself as a favored receiver in Peyton Manning‘s Colts offense. Later, he reunited with Manning on the Broncos, but he saw his role reduced as he battled for playing time with Julius Thomas and Virgil Green. He signed a two-year, $3.2MM base value deal with the Falcons before the 2015 season.

Cardinals To Be Aggressive In Free Agency

February 19th, 2017 at 8:42am CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals entered the 2016 campaign as a popular Super Bowl pick, but they ultimately stumbled to a 7-8-1 record, easily the worst mark of the Bruce Arians era. Although their on-field performance was troubling enough, the fact that two of the franchise’s cornerstones, Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald, are approaching the ends of their careers has only intensified the concerns in the desert.

Oct 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim before a NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Although both Palmer and Fitzgerald will be back for the 2017 season, it is clear that Arizona needs to start planning for life without them. Nonetheless, the Cardinals still have a talented roster, so it makes sense for them to try and stay aggressive while their championship window is still open. And, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, GM Steve Keim plans to do exactly that.

During a recent interview, Keim discussed whether or not his club would make a “splash” move in free agency, saying, “I don’t know what you would consider ‘splash,’ but we’ll certainly be aggressive and keep our foot on the gas pedal, try to keep pushing this thing in the right direction. There’s no doubt we took a step back last year. We’ve got to pick up the pieces and make some good decisions this offseason.”

Arizona does have roughly $38MM in projected cap room, and Chandler Jones could eat up a chunk of that room if the Cardinals put the franchise tag on him or sign him to a long-term deal — Keim reiterated that the tag was a real possibility — but outside of him, the club does not have many of its own free agents that they must re-sign (Calais Campbell will get a lucrative payday, but given his age, he probably won’t be out of the Cardinals’ price range if they choose to bring him back).

In addition to being aggressive in free agency, Keim did note that the team has to carefully balance long- and short-term goals, as he never wants to enter a true rebuilding phase. He said, “It’s a tough double-edged sword for me. There are guys like [Palmer] and [Fitzgerald] where you know the end is sooner rather than later. So you have to try and build around them and, so to speak, go for it now.

“But that’s our mindset every year. We’re never in a rebuilding phase. To me, you owe it to your fanbase to go for it every year, to be aggressive either in free agency or the draft. But you also have to keep in mind that you are going to do the right thing for the organization for the long-term. That’s the biggest challenge.”

So who might the Cardinals pursue on the open market? Our Dallas Robinson recently took a look at the team’s top three offseason needs, and while it will be difficult to address two of those three needs — a true No. 1 receiver and a long-term quarterback solution — in free agency, the club will certainly be able to spend money on a cornerback or two to provide Patrick Peterson with a much-needed running mate.

But as Keim said, “There isn’t any position, if we feel we can significantly upgrade that spot, that we won’t either draft a player or sign a player in free agency.”

Extra Points: 2018 QBs, Watt, Gronk, Garrett

February 18th, 2017 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the 2017 class of rookie quarterbacks carrying potentially significant risk, a strategy to eye the 2018 class may enter the mind of some decision-makers as the draft nears. But a college scouting director told TheMMQB.com’s Albert Breer the ’18 crop won’t be without risk, either, so hoping an Andrew Luck-type player emerges will be a gamble.

“I’d say no on [UCLA’s Josh] Rosen,” said a college scouting director, via Breer, regarding the class of 2018’s potential to produce a franchise quarterback, with Breer adding “off-field issues” and a nerve injury may be presently holding Rosen back. “[USC’s Sam] Darnold, I like a lot, but needs to repeat that this year. He wasn’t good enough to start the season at USC — Why? And Josh [Allen, of Wyoming] needs to make a lot of strides to be considered a top guy. He’s talented, but not accurate.”

Rosen will be draft-eligible in 2018. Darnold will be a redshirt sophomore in 2017, and Allen a junior. An AFC scouting director told Breer a strategy of waiting for this group instead of gambling on the current one would need a committed owner, but the method may fall short due to it simply being too far away to predict these younger passers’ futures.

Here’s more from around the league.

  • A trade of J.J. Watt would be one of the more earth-shattering scenarios the NFL could produce, but Joel Corry of CBSSports.com discussed this hypothetical gargantuan Texans deal with executives who didn’t think it was laughably unrealistic. Houston’s defense improved statistically without Watt, finishing first in total defense, and the team needs help offensively. One exec said it would take two first-round picks for the Texans to consider it, likening a Watt return package similar to that of a franchise quarterback. Another hypothetical deal involved the Texans including Brock Osweiler‘s contract in a trade and accepting less compensation in return. Corry adds that Jadeveon Clowney will likely receive a contract extension in 2018 for an amount eclipsing Watt’s six-year, $100MM deal. Corry projects that would induce a new Watt contract since it wouldn’t be realistic to have a three-time defensive player of the year be the second-highest-paid defender on his own team.
  • Taking said Internet-breaking premise further: Corry discussed with execs a Watt-for-Rob Gronkowski exchange, with the Patriots — in the mind of a league exec — needing to include more than just their No. 32 overall pick in addition to Gronk to make the Texans consider that deal. Another exec couldn’t picture the teams doing this trade due to Gronkowski’s extensive injury history.
  • Myles Garrett‘s lack of consistency has drawn questions from some NFL personnel, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (video link). The Texas A&M edge-rushing maven piling up statistics against inferior competition — 16 of his 31 career sacks came against Texas-San Antonio, Rice, Louisiana-Monroe, Lamar and Nevada — and disappearing for times in bigger spots, makes some curious about his reliability. Cabot is not certain Garrett will be the first player taken despite the Browns’ reported “astronomical grade” on the ex-Aggie. This runs counter to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller noting Garrett beginning to distance himself from the pack. This draft’s quarterback scrutiny could tilt the scales in Garrett’s favor.
  • Cameron Wake‘s two-year, $19MM extension will not have a factor on Lorenzo Alexander‘s potential UFA deal, Corry tweets, noting the disparity between the two aging players’ careers. Wake, 35, has four double-digit sack seasons and has been the Dolphins’ premier sack artist this decade while Alexander, 33, emerged from nowhere to lead the Bills with 12.5 last year.

Bengals To Assess A.J. McCarron Trade?

February 18th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Somewhat overlooked in what promises to be an eventful offseason when it comes to available quarterbacks, A.J. McCarron may be firmly in the mix here. The Bengals are expected to gauge the market for a potential trade of their backup quarterback over the next month, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com notes.

And NFL evaluators look to be more intrigued by McCarron than a name that’s risen to a higher tier than Cincinnati’s backup has in terms of trade buzz. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah surveyed five NFL personnel execs about the respective trade values of McCarron and Jimmy Garoppolo, and the decision-makers rated McCarron as the more attractive trade piece.

“I wouldn’t feel good about making a major commitment to any of these quarterbacks,” one executive explained regarding those believed to be available. “If I had to choose one, I would go after McCarron. Ideally, you get him for a late second- or early third-round pick. Then, if it doesn’t work out, you draft a QB in 2018.”

Another exec told Jeremiah he would target McCarron over Garoppolo if his team needed a quarterback. The 26-year-old McCarron has thrown 119 career passes, completing 66 percent of those, but each came in 2015 after what turned out to be a Dalton season-ending injury. The 25-year-old Garoppolo only made it through one game healthy in his Deflategate audition last season, but the former second-round pick has nonetheless drawn extensive interest from QB-needy franchises.

This comes as a bit of a surprise given Garoppolo being linked to several teams — the Browns, 49ers and Bears — compared to scant reports emerging about a prospective deal for McCarron. Multiple second-round picks could be on the table in a Garoppolo deal, with a first-round selection potentially in the realm of possibility.

Earlier this month, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noted the Browns could pursue McCarron — who spent three years under Hue Jackson‘s tutelage — as a fallback option in case Garoppolo’s price became too much for their liking. Marvin Lewis said recently no team inquired about McCarron last offseason, but the team would have demanded a first-round pick in a deal then, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It’s reasonable to suggest that could still be the asking price, but if the demand remains nonexistent, it stands to reason the former fifth-round pick could be had for less.

The Cincinnati backup’s value may be viewed as higher because it’s been determined he’s under team control for two more seasons, as an RFA in 2018, compared to Garoppolo being set for a contract year. Being set to enter a fourth season behind Andy Dalton, McCarron would not be opposed to a trade that would let him compete for a starting job.

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