Stafford, 26, was part of a four-man Titans safety rotation in which each player played roughly half the club’s defensive snaps (Stafford sat at 57.2% on the year). In that time, Stafford posted 51 tackles, one sack, and one interception while grading as the league’s No. 63 safety among 90 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
With the Steelers, Stafford will slide into a reserve role behind starters Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis, and will also likely contribute on special teams. In 2016, Stafford saw action 48.3% of Tennessee’s special teams plays, a clear indication that he’s a valuable asset in that phase of the game.
Canaday, meanwhile, is likely a camp body for the Steelers, who had already released veteran long snapper Greg Warren earlier this offseason. Pittsburgh used a sixth-round selection on Colin Holba in this year’s draft, so he figures to act as the club’s long snapper once the season gets underway.
The Lions are waiving fullback Michael Burton in order to create roster space for newly-signed running back Matt Asiata, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Burton, 25, had essentially been Detroit’s starting fullback since being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, but Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter reduced the use of a traditional fullback after taking over as the club’s play-caller midway through that ’15 campaign. As such, Burton appeared in 15 games a season ago, but didn’t record any starts and played only 95 offensive snaps. He’s earned positive grades from Pro Football Focus during his career, however, and also contributes on special teams.
Because he’s not a vested veteran, Burton will go through the waiver process, and could be claimed by a club more apt to deploy a fullback in its offense. If he’s not claimed, Burton will become a free agent.
The 49ers are auditioning free agent safety Jairus Byrd today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Byrd will take part in a workout along with a group of other defensive backs, per Schefter.
While San Francisco currently boasts one starting caliber safety in Eric Reid, the club’s other safety position is a bit more murky. Jimmie Ward, a former first-round pick who’s spent his career playing nickel corner, is expected to transition to free safety for the 2017 campaign. Other safeties on the 49ers’ depth chart include Jaquiski Tartt, Don Jones, and Vinnie Sunseri, with the latter two being almost exclusively special teams players.
Byrd, 30, certainly never lived up to the six-year, $54MM contract he inked with the Saints prior to the 2014 campaign, but there’s reason to think he can still be an effective player. On 900 defensive snaps last season, Byrd posted 82 tackles, two interceptions, and three passes defensed while grading as the No. 47 safety among 90 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. 2016 also marked the first time Byrd, a former All Pro, had played the entire 16-game slate since 2012.
A free agent since being released by New Orleans in February, Byrd’s visit with the 49ers will be the first known meeting he’s taken since hitting the open market.
Orlando Franklin is searching for a third team after the Chargers cut him earlier this month. Guard has been a position the Dolphins have struggled to fill over the past few seasons, and after they moved Laremy Tunsil to his natural left tackle spot, they seemingly could be interested in more interior help.
But this apparent match doesn’t look to be a fit after Franklin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said (on his weekly WSVN-7 segment, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) he contacted the Dolphins about the 6-foot-6 blocker and was told the team is happy with its guard situation.
A former Miami Hurricane selected in the second round of the 2011 draft, Franklin visited the Jaguars last Monday. The would-be seventh-year veteran has started for six seasons — three at right tackle, three at left guard — with the Broncos and Chargers. He endured an injury-plagued season in 2015, playing only 10 games, but bounced back to start 16 last season. Franklin will be going into what would be his age-29 season in 2017.
But Franklin’s 16 2016 starts did not measure up to his Broncos work that earned him the big Bolts payday, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the No. 66 full-time guard (out of 72 performers). PFF tweeted how it’s graded Franklin throughout his career, and the noticeable spike in its respective assessments of the blocker came during the three years (2012-14) he worked with Peyton Manning, whose quick release and pre-snap adjustments helped linemen over the years.
Miami traded Branden Albert, freeing up its left tackle spot for Tunsil, and signed Ted Larsen from the Bears. The team re-signed Jermon Bushrod, who will again play guard after moving from tackle in 2016, and drafted Utah’s Isaac Asiata in the fifth round.
Aaron Lynch has an opportunity to play the Leo position in the 49ers‘ new 4-3 defense, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. That position in Robert Saleh‘s Seahawks-influenced scheme is viewed as the team’s top pass-rushing talent, but Lynch admitted the reports about his weight that surfaced earlier this offseason were true. The fourth-year edge defender clarified the weight struggles he’s having. Branch reports Lynch is currently in the 280s and wants to get down to around 270 pounds, but during his last year in San Francisco’s 3-4 scheme, Lynch ballooned to north of 300. This came during training camp, before he served a four-game suspension for substances of abuse. The then-outside linebacker was notified of a suspension last July. Lynch’s sack total plummeted to 1.5 last season after he registered 12.5 between his first two years.
“I know last year I probably wasn’t as committed,” Lynch said, via Branch. “I mean, I was committed, but I basically [had] some off-field issues, getting suspended and getting hurt. So I don’t think my mind was in the right place as far as how the season was going. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t committed. I’m working my ass off right now. Getting down to the weight I need to get, doing everything they want me to do.”
The 24-year-old Lynch not making weight could result in the 49ers moving on from him, but the team is thin on pass-rushers. Branch writes the team did not draft a “legitimate Leo” candidate until the sixth round (Pita Taumoepenu of Utah), and the Bay Area-based writer isn’t categorizing No. 3 overall pick Solomon Thomas (8.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss in 2016) as such.
Here’s more from the NFC.
Ron Brooks is still recovering from the quadriceps injury he suffered in October of 2016 and did not participate in team drills during the first segment of Eagles OTAs, Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com reports. Brooks took a paycut in March that trimmed nearly $1MM off his 2017 salary. He will make $1MM this season. The Eagles remain thin at cornerback after losing Nolan Carroll and drafting Sidney Jones, who may not be ready to play in 2017. Rookie third-rounder Rasul Douglas lined up as Philly’s No. 3 corner, per Spadaro, with Jalen Mills shifting inside when the team lined up in that formation last week.
LeGarrette Blount‘s one-year deal on a $1.25MM base salary is plenty worth it for the Eagles to find out if he can thrive outside of New England, Bob Brookover of Philly.com writes, noting that Blount never being paid more than $1.85MM in a season doesn’t add up with his career production. The 30-year-old rushed for a career-high 18 touchdowns last season — the most any NFL back’s totaled since Adrian Peterson in 2009 — but averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. While he’s averaged 5.0 yards per tote twice, those seasons came with lighter workloads.
The Saints keeping their corners healthy could see the position look rather deep compared to the barren outlook of 2016, Nick Underhill of The Advocate writes. Marshon Lattimore joins Sterling Moore, Delvin Breaux and P.J. Williams in a secondary that did not feature a lot of the latter duo due to injuries last season. Underhill adds that Williams could see time in the slot for New Orleans and would have last year under optimal circumstances. Any optimism can, of course, be countered by mentioning how Lattimore comes with a history of hamstring trouble and that Breaux and Williams suffered severe injuries in 2016. But under ideal conditions, the Saints appear to be much deeper than they were for most of 2016.
Cowboys cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated early Monday morning, according David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Dallas police arrested the 30-year-old Carroll, who posted bond at 2:45 p.m. Monday and was released from custody. Moore points out the Cowboys offer free Uber rides for players who feel they’re unfit to drive. Police pulled Carroll over for a traffic violation around 2:20 a.m., leading to the arrest, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
The Cowboys signed Carroll in March, and the veteran defender is expected to start for the team after doing so with the Eagles. Dallas signed Carroll during an offseason that saw both Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr defect in free agency. Carroll signed a three-year, $10MM deal to join Dallas after playing three seasons as a starter in Philadelphia.
A former Dolphins draft pick, Carroll is expected to start for the Cowboys this season. Now, he might face a suspension. Already having embattled defenders Randy Gregory and Rolando McClain no closer to returning, the Cowboys received notice last week David Irving failed a drug test and faces a four-game suspension. A Carroll ban would further deplete a defense that also lost Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox.
The Cowboys added corners Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis on Day 2 of the draft, and if Carroll incurs a suspension from this, they could be pressed into duty alongside Orlando Scandrick. Second-year man Anthony Brown factors into this equation as well.
As the rumors continue to connect Colin Kaepernick to his only known suitor this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) no deal is imminent between the parties yet.
That said, Rapoport reports last week’s Seahawks summit was not a courtesy visit for Kaepernick. The interest is real, but no agreement is close at this point.
Kaepernick made the trip to Seattle on May 24, preceding an Austin Davistrek to the Pacific Northwest. ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend that the majority of the NFL personnel he spoke to believe this union will happen. But for now, the 29-year-old former Super Bowl starter remains without a team as he enters what would be his seventh NFL season.
A few NFC teams that elected to move toward different backup quarterback options reportedly did not consider Kaepernick for those positions. The Cowboys went with Kellen Moore, who has five game appearances in five years, and the Buccaneers signed Ryan Fitzpatrick. Giants owner John Mara told TheMMQB.com’s Jenny Vrentas he received more letters about the then-49er’s national anthem protest than he has about any other issue. The Giants, who were not connected to Kaepernick this offseason, ended up selecting Davis Webb in the third round.
Seattle’s situation makes sense for the passer, with Russell Wilson‘s skill set somewhat aligning with Kaepernick’s and the team housing unseasoned backups. But as the team prepares to begin OTAs on Tuesday, Trevone Boykin andJake Heaps are Wilson’s only understudies under contract. Of that duo, only Boykin has appeared in a game. The former TCU star attempted 18 passes as a rookie but has been arrested twice this year after encountering previous legal issues before 2017.
Beyond Kaepernick, Davis, Robert GriffinIII, Shaun Hill and Christian Ponder reside as notable UFA quarterbacks the Seahawks could consider. Pete Carroll also said RG3 is not out of the question in an interview earlier this month, but the team is believed to prefer Kaepernick over him.
Major changes could soon be on the way for Seattle’s star-studded secondary, a staple during the team’s run of five straight double-digit win seasons and an integral part of its 13-3, Super Bowl-winning 2013 campaign.
Cornerback Richard Sherman and the safety tandem of Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have consistently been the best players in Seattle’s famed Legion of Boom defensive backfield throughout the club’s half-decade of excellence, but the futures of each have either come into question recently or will over the next year. Sherman has been the subject of trade rumors of late and is reportedly at the center of a rift with key members of the organization; Thomas considered retirement after a broken tibia ended his season last December; and Chancellor is scheduled to become a free agent in a little under 10 months.
With both Sherman and Thomas signed through 2018, determining what to do with Chancellor will be general manager John Schneider‘s most pressing matter leading up to next offseason. The strong safety is set to wrap up a four-year, $28MM contract – a deal that led to earlier disharmony between him and the Seahawks. Chancellor, seeking a raise back in 2015, held out through the summer and didn’t return to the team until Week 3 of the season. That came after the Seahawks refused to upgrade Chancellor’s contract and even went so far as to dock him upward of $1MM for the time he missed.
Whatever ill will may have existed between the two sides faded, though, as Chancellor actually expressed happiness with his situation last June. Chancellor then went on to rack up 85 tackles and two interceptions over 12 games in an injury-shortened season, and though he went without a Pro Bowl nod for the first time since 2012, he did rank as Pro Football Focus’ third-best safety among 90 qualifiers. Since then, head coach Pete Carroll has suggested that the Seahawks would like to extend Chancellor, and Schneider seemed to imply the same in an interview with KJR-AM in Seattle earlier this month.
“We have several guys that we will get to,” said Schneider (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). “We want to be able to take care of our team and he’s obviously a huge part of that.”
If the two sides do discuss an extension, the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro will seek elite money relative to his position. Chancellor, who already paces all strong safeties in cap hit (~$8.04MM) and base salary ($6.8MM), saw a similarly aged star at his position – the Dolphins’ Reshad Jones – cash in earlier this offseason. Jones, despite having missed 10 games in 2016, landed a four-year, $48MM extension with just under $20MM fully guaranteed in March.
Both Chancellor and Jones were fifth-round picks in the 2010 draft, and they’ve turned into top-caliber defensive backs with similar traditional numbers since becoming starters as NFL sophomores. Dating back to 2011, Chancellor has started in all 84 appearances, averaged 6.87 tackles per game, and totaled 12 interceptions and seven forced fumbles. Jones has started in all 78 outings over the same span, piling up fewer tackles (5.54 per game) but notching more picks (15) and returning three for touchdowns. The Dolphin also has a clear edge in sacks (eight to one), but he has forced five fewer fumbles (three).
Whether Chancellor is better than Jones is up for debate. It’s inarguable, though, that Chancellor is a premier safety who has a case for a Jones-type payday. However, forking over that type of cash to a player on the cusp of his 30s – one who hasn’t played a full season since 2013 – might give the Seahawks pause. With Sherman and Thomas also nearing their 30s and potentially their own trips to the open market, Schneider is going to have to decide soon which (if any) to commit to for the long haul. It seems unrealistic to expect all three to remain in Seattle on huge contracts as they continue to age, which means the clock is likely ticking on the team’s iconic secondary.
Eric Rowe isn’t necessarily a lock to serve as the Patriots’ No. 3 cornerback in 2017, suggests Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Rather, it could be Jonathan Jones who emerges behind stars Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler, as Reiss notes that the second-year man got first-team reps as the Patriots’ nickel corner during OTAs last week. With that in mind, Rowe’s playing time during the upcoming season might depend on matchups. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, the Patriots could feature Rowe as their nickel corner against teams with multiple big receivers or clubs with tight ends who function as large wideouts, relays Reiss. That was the case in Super Bowl LI when the Pats put Rowe on the Falcons’ best receiver, the 6-3, 220-pound Julio Jones.
Now-49er Kyle Juszczyk was more of a Swiss Army knife than a fullback for the Ravens, meaning it may take multiple players to replace him, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Running backs Lorenzo Taliaferro and Danny Woodhead, fullback Ricky Ortiz and tight end Nick Boyle could try to make up for Juszczyk’s departure as a group. The versatile Juszczyk parlayed his time in Baltimore as a lead blocker/pass catcher/special teamer into a record contract for a fullback (four years, $21MM, including $10.5MM guaranteed). Although the Ravens wanted to keep Juszczyk, their offer wasn’t competitive with the 49ers’, reports Zrebiec.
Le’Raven Clark started in just three of eight appearances as a third-round rookie in 2016, but he ended the year as the Colts’ No. 1 right tackle and looks likely to win the job this season, per Kevin Bowen of the team’s website. Joe Reitz and Joe Haeg picked up the bulk of the work at right tackle while Clark was on the bench, but the former has since retired and the latter is primarily a guard. As for Clark, he’s “got enough talent” to be a full-timer, according to Chuck Pagano, though the head coach noted that the 24-year-old must improve as a pass blocker. Pro Football Focus agrees, having assigned Clark an awful pass-blocking grade during his inaugural campaign.
Of the 15 quarterbacks selected in last year’s draft, seven ended up starting at least one regular-season game in 2016. The Rams’ Jared Goff and the Eagles’ Carson Wentz comprised the top two picks of the draft, but it was Cowboys fourth-round signal-caller Dak Prescott, the 135th overall choice, who ultimately emerged as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the face of a 13-3 team.
When the Cowboys drafted Prescott, there was little expectation he’d garner significant playing time right away, let alone thrive from the get-go, with Tony Romo on the roster. But debilitating summer injuries to Romo and backup Kellen Moore opened the door for Prescott, who’s now firmly entrenched under center in Dallas. Romo, realizing he wasn’t going to start again for the Cowboys, is now working for CBS.
While it’s hard to imagine any rookie quarterback from this year’s 10-man class bursting on the scene in Prescott-like fashion, it stands to reason at least some will get opportunities to do so. Like last year, three passers went in the first round of the 2017 draft, though immediate playing time isn’t a guarantee for any. For now, Mitch Trubisky (No. 2 overall, Bears), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10, Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12, Texans) are in understudy roles.
Trubisky, a one-year starter at North Carolina for whom Chicago somewhat controversially traded up a spot to select, reportedly won’t see the field as a rookie unless free agent investment Mike Glennon flops. Considering Glennon previously held a starting job in Tampa Bay but didn’t do enough to keep it, he very well could struggle enough for Trubisky to grab the reins in 2017.
Watson might also take the helm sooner than later, as the ex-Clemson national championship winner whom the Texans traded up 13 spots to draft is behind a veteran, Tom Savage, who’s almost completely untested. Given that the Texans have sullied quality rosters with subpar quarterbacks in recent seasons, it could behoove them to plug in Watson if Savage, he of two career starts and zero touchdown passes, looks like another Brock Osweiler this year.
An early path to playing time appears less clear for Mahomes, even though Kansas City paid a high price to go up 17 places to secure him. At the moment, the ex-Texas Tech gunslinger looks like a good bet to red shirt 2017 behind Alex Smith as the Chiefs take at least one more kick at the Super Bowl can with the steady (albeit non-elite) veteran at the helm.
Perhaps more than any other QB in this year’s class, Browns second-rounder DeShone Kizer stands out as someone who looks destined to amass playing time as a rookie. The 52nd pick and former Notre Dame dual threat has impressed in the very early going in Cleveland. Moreover, his main competitors for the Browns’ open starting job, Osweiler and Cody Kessler, aren’t exactly Otto Graham and Bernie Kosar.
As Prescott and 2012 third-rounder Russell Wilson have shown in the past half-decade, a quarterback doesn’t necessarily have to come off the board at the top of the draft to star right away. That’s surely heartening to the Giants’ Davis Webb (third round, No. 87), the 49ers’ C.J. Beathard (third round, No. 104), the Steelers’ Joshua Dobbs(fourth round, No. 135), the Bills’ Nathan Peterman (fifth round, No. 171), the Lions’ Brad Kaaya (sixth round, No. 215) and the Broncos’ Chad Kelly (seventh round, No. 253). Barring injuries, though, Webb, Dobbs and Kaaya have virtually no chance to earn starting roles at any point in 2017, as each is behind an established veteran. On the other hand, there’s no Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger or Matthew Stafford on any of the rosters of the 49ers, Bills and Broncos, which could give Beathard, Peterman and Kelly a glimmer of hope. Still, for various reasons, all three look like major long shots to break out as rookies. Then again, the same could’ve been said about Prescott 12 months ago.
