2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Franchise Tag Kawann Short

February 27th, 2017 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have applied the franchise tag to Kawann Short, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The long-expected move has since been confirmed by Carolina.

Now that Short has been tagged, the two sides will have until July to work out a long-term deal. If they are not able to come to a new agreement, Short will likely play out the 2017 season on a one-year, $13.468MM pact.

Short was ranked No. 3 on PFR’s most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings and was our top interior defender to potentially reach the open market. Unlike former teammate Josh Norman, Short is on record as saying he’s okay with signing the franchise tender. The 28-year-old was the third-best interior defender in the league this season, per Pro Football Focus, and his 87.7 overall score was roughly in line with his 2015 mark, even though he had five less sacks. By PFF’s metrics, only defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Calais Campbell ranked ahead of Short in 2016.

The price tag for a Short extension went up when Fletcher Cox and Muhammad Wilkerson inked lucrative new deals last summer. Carolina would probably like to re-up Short at roughly $15MM per year on a multi-year deal, but it might take an AAV of ~$17MM or more to get something done based on how the market looks now. Even that number could trend upwards depending on how things break in March.

Ingram, Johnson To Be Franchise Tagged?

February 27th, 2017 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Melvin Ingram and Trumaine Johnson are among the players expected to be franchise tagged between now and March 1, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter also lists Kirk Cousins, Le’Veon Bell, Kawann Short as guys who are likely to get the tag.

While Cousins, Bell, and Short have long been seen as likely franchise candidates, things were less certain when it came to California’s two top free agents. Ingram has racked up 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons, but the Chargers have lots of holes to fill and some believed that the team would direct those resources elsewhere. Johnson, meanwhile, is coming off of a so-so season and the Rams will have to pay a surcharge in order to tag him for a second time.

It’s likely that the latest salary cap projection is playing a role in the decisions. It now sounds like the cap will land somewhere between $166MM and $169MM, up from $155.27MM last year. The one-year franchise tenders are expensive, but they are easier to swallow now that all 32 teams will have a little extra room to work with.

Our most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings had Ingram as the fourth-best free agent on the board. Johnson was outside of the Top 10 but earned honorable mention.

Cardinals Franchise Tag Chandler Jones

February 27th, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

As expected, the Cardinals have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Chandler Jones. The Cardinals had until March 1 to make the call, but they are taking care of business early.

In theory, the non-exclusive tag allows room for Jones to land elsewhere if he signs another team’s offer sheet and the Cardinals opt not to match. However, any team signing Jones away would have to give Arizona two first-round picks. That’s a steep price to pay on top of whatever contract he commands. Therefore, Jones will likely play 2017 under a one-year, $14.55MM tender for linebackers unless the two sides reach agreement on a longer pact between now and July.

In January, coach Bruce Arians said that the Cards would apply the franchise tag to Jones if they were unable to immediately lock him up to a long-term deal. Weeks later, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill gave additional confirmation of those plans.

“We’re not going to mess around with that,” Bidwill said with regards to Jones. “He’s a great pass rusher, but if we can’t agree to terms that work for us, we’re just going to franchise him. His people know that.”

In my most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings, I had Jones as the No. 2 player available, second only to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Our defensive rankings by position naturally had Jones as the top edge rusher available. Now, that mantle belongs to teammate Calais Campbell.

Jones now becomes the first player to get hit with the franchise tag in the 2017 offseason. More players will receive the designation in the next 48 hours.

Steelers, Antonio Brown Move Towards Deal

February 27th, 2017 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Antonio Brown are making significant progress towards a big-money extension, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The goal is for the deal to be completed by March 9th.

If the two sides can agree to terms before the start of free agency, the Steelers will have a better idea of their spending room before dollars start flying.

A new deal for Brown will presumably reset the market for wide receivers, even though it would be an extension one year prior to Brown’s potential entry into free agency. The 28-year-old (29 in July) is the NFL’s best receiver and coming off of his third consecutive first-team All-Pro selection. He has matched or exceeded 100 catches, 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns in each of the past four seasons. Teams have asked about acquiring Brown via trade, but the Steelers have firmly rejected all overtures.

Currently, Julio Jones leads all wide receivers in terms of total contract value ($71.25MM overall), per-year average ($14.25MM per year), and total guaranteed cash ($35.5MM). After him, Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant are tied or roughly tied in those categories, with Thomas holding a slight edge in total guaranteed money.

Brown is currently signed through 2017 with a cap charge of roughly $13.6MM.

Browns Release WR Andrew Hawkins

February 27th, 2017 at 10:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have released wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, according to a team press release. The Browns will save $1.8MM against the cap by parting ways with the veteran.

“Andrew Hawkins was a great asset to the organization in his three seasons with our team,” top exec Sashi Brown said in the statement. “He was an outstanding example to our young players both on and off the field. The well-intended work he did in the Cleveland community was greatly appreciated and the respect he earned throughout our league for never being afraid to responsibly create an educated dialogue around a societal issue is commendable. I’m not sure where Andrew’s next stop will be but his history shows that whatever he sets his mind to accomplish, success is sure to follow.”

Hawkins, 31 in March, has spent his entire career to date in the AFC North. After playing for the Bengals from 2011-2013, he hooked on with the Browns as a free agent prior to the 2014 season. Cleveland gave him a four-year, $13.6MM pact and the Bengals ultimately decided against matching, allowing the restricted free agent to get away.

Hawkins was a focal part of the offense initially, tallying 63 catches for 824 yards and two scores in his first Browns season. Since then, however, he has been more of a supporting piece. In 2016, he had just 33 catches for 324 yards and three scores.

Panthers Re-Sign DE Wes Horton

February 27th, 2017 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced they’ve re-signed defensive end Wes Horton. It’s a two-year deal for the veteran. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.

Horton, 27, appeared in eleven games for the team last season, including ten starts. he finished out the year with eleven total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. When averaged out per game, the 2016 season amounted to his most productive yet.

Horton first made a name for himself in 2013 when he joined the Panthers as an undrafted rookie. He wound up making 15 starts for Carolina in 2014 while Greg Hardy was suspended. Horton might not be a starter for Carolina when the 2017 season opens, but they’re probably planning on significant playing time for him even if he’s a reserve.

Dolphins, Kenny Stills Far Apart In Talks

February 27th, 2017 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

Kenny Stills is days away from free agency and, at this moment, it doesn’t sound like the Dolphins are going to be able to keep him off the market. Stills could fetch around $12MM/year and the Dolphins are unwilling to go that high for him, sources tell Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald.

Multiple NFL sources tell Salguero that Stills is more likely to leave via free agency than stay in Miami. At the same time, talk of Stills joining up with the Eagles is gaining momentum. The Dolphins will continue to negotiate with Stills’ reps, but it sounds like they will hold the line as they look to add at defensive end, linebacker, guard, potentially defensive back. The team also has to address the long-term futures of players like safety Reshad Jones, receiver Jarvis Landry, and linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Stills isn’t the only free agent that could wind up leaving the Dolphins in March. The team has also indicated to defensive end Andre Branch and tight end Dion Sims that they will not necessarily outbid the field to keep them. It seems the Dolphins are pushing a team-first agenda in which they are expecting free agents to give the team a hometown discount. One has to wonder if players will buy into that program.

Chiefs To Tag Eric Berry Over Dontari Poe?

February 27th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have only one franchise tag to give but they have two key free agents that are worthy of consideration. Right now, the “expectation” is that they will tag Eric Berry and allow Dontari Poe to be an unrestricted free agent, unless one of them agrees to a new deal in the next 48 hours, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

Evaluations of Poe will vary depending on who you talk to. By our measure, Poe ranks as the fifth-best pending free agent defensive tackle, behind Kawann Short, Calais Campbell, Johnathan Hankins, and Brandon Williams. Some league execs might consider the former first-round pick to be as high as No. 3 on that list. No matter what, Poe will get major money thrown at him from all angles if he reaches the open market, and that could price him out of Kansas City.

Berry was retained with the franchise tag prior to the 2016 season and he has been vocal about not wanting to play under another one-year tender. If the Chiefs follow through on this plan and tag Berry, they could conceivably wind up in a standoff with their most popular player. Ideally, KC would probably like to work out a multi-year deal with the strong safety and use the franchise tag on Poe, particularly since the defensive tackle is amenable to playing on the lucrative one-year tender.

Here’s a fun fact from Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter): the $12.97MM tag for Berry would push him to $73.82MM in career earnings, which means that he would remain the highest paid safety in NFL history on a average per-year basis. Of course, Berry would prefer to keep the mantle of highest-paid safety while also gaining the security of a multi-year deal.

Mutual Interest Between Cowboys, Josh McCown

February 27th, 2017 at 7:44am CST by Zachary Links

There’s mutual interest between the Cowboys and backup quarterback Josh McCown, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the Tony Romo situation has to play out first. Werder adds that the Cowboys’ desire to add McCown could be a factor in the timing of the call on Romo.

Of course, Romo currently stands as the No. 2 quarterback on the Cowboys’ depth chart, but the veteran is pushing for an opportunity to start elsewhere. It is believed that Romo would like to be granted an outright release while the Cowboys, presumably, would like to get something for him via trade. If Romo is cut loose, he will have total freedom to choose his next team. In that event, some have speculated that the Cowboys and Romo could make a tacit agreement in which Romo does not sign with a specific list of rival clubs.

McCown, 38 in July, is listed as one of my top 15 quarterbacks available this offseason. He’s obviously no longer a starting caliber QB, but he could serve as an experienced Plan B behind star Dak Prescott. For his part, McCown says he has heard from four or five interested teams.

Bears Unlikely To Franchise Alshon Jeffery

February 27th, 2017 at 7:17am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Bears are not expected to use the franchise tag on Alshon Jeffery, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The word all offseason long has been that the Bears will part ways with the wide receiver. With days to go before the franchise tag deadline, it doesn’t sound like they’re going to have a change of heart. Furthermore, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears the two sides haven’t had contract talks as of late.

Jeffery is now slated to enter the free agent market as the No. 1 wide receiver available. The Bears star is coming off of a so-so year that included a four-game ban for performance-enhancing drugs, but he’s still a major talent and a proven performer. In 2013, Jeffery flashed his full potential when he caught 89 passes for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns. In the following season, he had 85 catches for 1,133 yards and ten scores. Injuries slowed him in 2015 and he struggled in the Bears’ sluggish offense last season, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that he can rebound in the right system.

The Bears used the franchise tag on Jeffery last season, meaning that another tender would cost the team roughly $17MM. It’s possible that Chicago will still make an attempt to keep the 27-year-old, but they won’t entertain it at that price.