Today’s minor moves:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis, G Darrell Greene, CB D.J. Killings, S Tre Sullivan, WR Bryce Treggs, WR Greg Ward
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Jeff Knox
The Cardinals aren’t expected to spend at the top of the cornerback market in order to bring in a defender such as Malcolm Butler or Trumaine Johnson, and will instead attempt to re-sign veteran defensive back Tramon Williams while drafting a corner, tweets Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com.
Arizona has long struggled to find a corner to play opposite Patrick Peterson, but Williams filled that void in 2017, posting arguably the best season of his lengthy career while ranking as the NFL’s No. 9 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. He also finished 23rd in Football Outsiders’ success rate and 18th in yards per pass allowed, while the Cardinals as a team ranked sixth in DVOA against opposing No. 2 wide receivers.
However, Williams will be 35 years old when the 2018 campaign gets underway, so it’s unclear if he’ll be able to land anything more than the one year, $2MM deal he inked with the Cardinals last summer. Coming off a far less productive campaign, Williams didn’t sign until the end of July in 2017. While he almost certainly won’t have to wait that long to find a new contract this offseason, his age will prevent him from truly cashing in.
If Williams signs elsewhere, Arizona will need to draft a cornerback early or add another free agent defensive back. Williams, Peterson, and Justin Bethel were the only Cardinals corners to play more than 7% of the club’s defensive snaps a season ago, and Bethel is now a free agent, as well. Other Arizona defenders such as Harlan Miller and C.J. Goodwin can’t be counted on to start, while 2016 third-round pick Brandon Williams was asked to play only a single defensive snap in 2017.
In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll begin this year’s series with the Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 6 and subsequently limped to a 7-9 record.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Geronimo Allison, WR (ERFA)
- Ahmad Brooks, LB
- Donatello Brown, CB (ERFA)
- Morgan Burnett, S
- Joe Callahan, QB (ERFA)
- Quinton Dial, DL
- Jahri Evans, G
- Brett Goode, LS
- Demetri Goodson, CB
- Davon House, CB
- Jeff Janis, WR
- Ulrick John, T
- Joe Kerridge, FB (ERFA)
- Justin McCray, G (ERFA)
- Adam Pankey, G (ERFA)
- Lucas Patrick, C (ERFA)
- Taybor Pepper, LS (ERFA)
- Richard Rodgers, TE
- Jacob Schum, P (RFA)
- Joe Thomas, LB (RFA)
- Herb Waters, WR (ERFA)
- Jermaine Whitehead, S (ERFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:
- Aaron Rodgers, QB: $20,900,000
- Randall Cobb, WR: $12,750,000
- Jordy Nelson, WR: $12,550,000
- Clay Matthews, LB: $11,400,000
- David Bakhtiari, T: $11,200,000
- Nick Perry, LB: $10,750,000
- Davante Adams, WR: $10,537,500
- Mike Daniels, DE: $9,900,000
- Bryan Bulaga, T: $8,350,000
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S: $5,957,000
Other:
- Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $21,979,291
- 14th pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for CB Damarious Randall
Three Needs:
1) Add an explosive wide receiver: While nearly every statistical decline by the Packers’ 2017 offense can be at least somewhat attributed to the loss of Aaron Rodgers (and the related poor play of backup quarterback Brett Hundley), there is a way to strip out the performance of Green Bay’s signal-caller and assess the play-making ability and speed of the club’s offensive weapons. The NFL’s Next Gen Stats use on-field location data to track player acceleration, and the Packers have not fared well over the past two seasons. According to researcher Anthony Staggs, Green Bay’s wide receivers tied for last among the 32 NFL clubs with an average speed of 12.81 mph as ball carriers since 2016. Fleet-footed the Packers are not.
Green Bay’s wide receiver room could look a lot different in 2018, both due to the recent performance of the team’s pass-catchers and financial realities. Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are the 17th- and 18th-highest-paid wideouts in the league, and it’s not clear that either is worth his current salary. Cobb hasn’t topped 650 yards receiving since 2015, while Nelson looked his age (32) last season. The Packers could save nearly $9.5MM by releasing Cobb and more tan $10MM by cutting Nelson this offseason, and while both are candidates to be let go, I wonder if Cobb will be saved by his relative youth (he’s still only 27 years old).
Let’s assume the Packers will need to add at least one outside receiver to play alongside Davante Adams, who recently inked a four-year, $58MM extension. The first place to look will be the free agent market, and two options who could be had for relatively cheap are the Colts’ Donte Moncrief and the Cardinals’ John Brown. Marcus Mosher of Bleacher Report’s NFL1000 series recently discussed both options through a series of GIFS (Moncrief: No. 1, No. 2; Brown: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3), noting Moncrief’s “insane amount of unlocked talent” and Brown’s “easy speed” and ball-tracking ability. Neither has been effective since the 2015 campaign, meaning Green Bay should be able to land either on a one- or two-year deal.
Other receivers that could make sense for the Packers include Paul Richardson and Jaron Brown, who managed the most 20+ yard catches among free agent wideouts; Mike Wallace, who’s made a career out of handling deep balls; and Brice Butler, who boasts an intriguing size/speed combination and is looking for a starting job. Given the presence of Adams, and the fact that at least one of Cobb or Nelson will likely be retained, Green Bay doesn’t need to go searching for a No. 1 wide receiver, and can instead target marginal upgrades with specific skills.
Having said that, the Colts T.Y. Hilton would look good in green and gold and would immediately give the Packers one of the best wide receiving corps in the league. Hilton, of course, isn’t a free agent, but his name did pop up in trade rumors last October. While Indianapolis reportedly holds Hilton in “high regard,” it’s possible he could still be available for the right price, especially if the Colts decide to undergo something of a mini-rebuild. Hilton, 28, is under contract for three more seasons with base salaries between $11MM and $14.5MM. Other wideouts who could be acquired via trade (or following a release), such as Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, aren’t fits for Green Bay, but Michael Crabtree could be on new general manager Brian Gutekunst‘s radar if he’s cut by the Raiders.
The Packers could also use the draft to secure another wideout, but they likely won’t invest a first-round pick on the position. While other receivers could sneak into the first round, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley is the only lock to be selected on Day 1. Green Bay, for what it’s worth, hasn’t used a first-round pick on a pass-catcher since 2002 when they took Javon Walker out of Florida State. SMU’s Courtland Sutton, whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report says has the best potential of any 2018 receiver, could be on the table for the Packers in Round 2, while D.J. Chark (LSU), Deontay Burnett (USC), and Deon Cain (Clemson) are among the speedy options who may be available in the middle rounds.
2) Fix the pass defense: Green Bay’s secondary was among the NFL’s worst in 2017, as the unit ranked 26th in DVOA (including a dead last finish against opposing No. 1 wide receivers), 30th in yards per attempt allowed, and 31st in passer rating allowed. All of the Packers’ primary cornerbacks, including Damarious Randall, Davon House, Josh Hawkins, and Kevin King, finished in the bottom quartile of Pro Football Focus‘ CB rankings. While changes could come organically — much of the Packers’ secondary is still young aside from House, and new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine should be an improvement over Dom Capers — Green Bay should look into adding another corner this spring.Read more
The Vikings officially requested permission to interview Eagles’ quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about their offensive coordinator job, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Minnesota will meet with DeFilippo on Thursday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link).
It has been reported that DeFilippo is likely to stay in Philadelphia for a third season, but the Vikings will find out soon enough. If he stays, DeFilippo will probably earn a raise and possibly an elevated title, but he’d be unlikely to make OC money as a QB coach. Meanwhile, he’s blocked from ascending the ranks in a meaningful way thanks to the presence of OC Frank Reich. However, Reich is in the mix for the Colts’ head coaching position, so that could be an opportunity for DeFilippo to take the next step.
To date, the Vikings have interviewed four candidates to fill the position Pat Shurmur vacated.
The Colts have received permission to interview Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and will do so later this week, tweets Mike Chappell of CBS4. Indianapolis will meet with Campbell on Thursday before speaking with Reich on Friday, per Chappell. The Colts, of course, were forced to restart their head coaching search on Tuesday after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels backed out of his agreement to take over the role. Campbell and Reich were actually part of Indianapolis’ original list of possible interviewees, but their team’s playoff runs prevented meetings, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. So far, Campbell and Reich are the only candidates known to have scheduled interviews with Indy, but Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub and Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier are also viewed as possible contenders
Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:
- Former Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson could be a candidate for the same position with the Cowboys, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Johnson interviewed for Oakland’s head coaching job earlier this year (in what was widely viewed as a meeting to satisfy the Rooney Rule), but wasn’t retained by new HC Jon Gruden. Johnson, who entered the pro coaching ranks in 2010, has coached offensive lines and tight ends during stops in Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Detroit. Dallas’ top choice to lead its tight ends was reportedly former Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael, but he instead opted to join the Cardinals’ staff.
- The Chargers have hired former UCLA assistant Rip Scherer as their new tight ends coach, reports Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Scherer will replace John McNulty, who recently left Los Angeles in order to become Rutgers’ offensive coordinator. Scherer, for his part, has a history of coaching quarterbacks in the NFL, and has done so with the Browns (2005-08) and Panthers (200-10). The rest of his coaching tenure has been spent in the NCAA, and he’s been a play-caller at stops such as Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, and Southern Miss.
- D’Anton Lynn, the son of Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, will be hired as the Texans‘ assistant defensive backs coach, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. The younger Lynn has followed his father to each of his last three stops, serving as a defensive assistant in New York, Buffalo, and — most recently — Los Angeles. He’ll now work under Houston defensive backs coach Anthony Midget, whom himself was promoted from the assistant job to the full-time role earlier this offseason.
- The Browns have added Sam Shade to their staff as an assistant special teams coach, the club announced today. Shade will work under Amos Jones, who replaced Chris Tabor as Cleveland’s primary special teams coach earlier this year. Shade spent the 2017 campaign as Georgia State’s cornerbacks coach, and previously served as special teams coordinator at Samford for seven seasons.
Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo has been a candidate for head coaching and offensive coordinator jobs this offseason, but Philadelphia does not want him to leave. In fact, the Eagles may prefer to keep DeFilippo as the club’s offensive coordinator instead of incumbent Frank Reich, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
DeFilippo’s contract with the Eagles doesn’t expire until February 14, and Philadelphia is not allowing him to speak with other clubs until that pact officially concludes. That’s not being done out of spite, per Florio, but instead because the Eagles hope they can retain DeFilippo going forward.
Of course, with Reich already in place as team’s OC, Philadelphia has no way to promote DeFilippo aside from firing Reich (something that seems totally unlikely coming off a Super Bowl title). However, Reich is now reportedly being considered for the newly-created vacancy in Indianapolis, meaning the Eagles could have an open spot for DeFilippo if Reich lands with the Colts.
The 39-year-old DeFilippo interviewed for head coaching positions in Arizona and Chicago this offseason, and is still being considered for open offensive coordinator positions. The Vikings are willing to wait until DeFilippo’s contract with the Eagles expires before hiring an OC of their own, while the Giants have also been mentioned as a possible suitor. Notably, neither New York nor Philadelphia would offer DeFilippo true play-calling ability, while Minnesota would.
Jason Peters plans to play in 2018 and head coach Doug Pederson is of the belief that it will be with the Eagles. On Wednesday, Pederson said that he expects the veteran to serve as the team’s starting left tackle next season.
“This guy is a Pro Bowl left tackle,” Pederson said (via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com). “Guys like that, in my humble opinion, they can go out whenever they want to go out. I respect him, and what he’s done, and how he’s working right now through injury. If you had to hold a gun to my head right now, I’d say ‘yeah, he’s my left tackle.’”
Of course, that is a decision that will be made by top Philadelphia exec Howie Roseman, not Pederson. Given Peters’ monstrous cap hit for 2018 and the team’s very limited amount of room, it’s far from a given that Peters will be stay on board. Philadelphia is projected to be more than $10MM over the cap in 2018, and Peters will count for roughly $10.6MM of the team’s total commitments. If Peters were released, the Eagles would create ~4.3MM in cap space (or $7MM if he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut).
Peters, who has already said he plans to continue his career next season, only played in seven games in 2017 before tearing his ACL, but still graded as the NFL’s No. 4 offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus. If Peters isn’t around, the Eagles would likely turn to either right tackle Lane Johnson or swing tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (the latter of whom struggled early but improved down the stretch) to man the blindside.
Ben Roethlisberger says he wants to play for at least three more seasons and the Steelers are on board with that. On Wednesday, team president Art Rooney II told a small group of reporters that he will eventually have a conversation with Big Ben about extending his deal beyond 2019. 
[RELATED: Le’Veon Bell Discusses Contract Situation]
“We haven’t had a long conversation about that other than him saying he is interested in playing beyond his contract,” Rooney said (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). “That’s good news to me, and certainly his play this year makes you feel like he does have a few years left. All that is great in terms of the contract. We’ll address that at the right time. But bottom line is we’re excited that’s the way he feels and we’ll continue to work with him and hopefully get a couple more rings with him.”
Roethlisberger turns 36 in March and has flirted with retirement in the past, but he is still playing football at a high level and wants to add a third ring to his collection. In 2017, Roethlisberger had a 64.2% completion rate with 28 touchdowns and a 92.4 quarterback rating. He finished stronger than he started with 348 yards and three touchdowns per contest over his final seven games.
Since entering the league in 2004, Roethlisberger owns a career 135-63 record in the regular season.
The Lions have a new head coach, but they’re not shaking up the entire staff. During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Matt Patricia confirmed that offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter will be staying on board (Twitter link via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News). 
Cooter missed out on becoming the Lions’ new head coach, but he’ll remain on board as the offensive play caller. Given Patricia’s defensive background, one has to imagine that Cooter will continue to have a high degree of control over his side of the ball.
The 33-year-old has long been viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks, but the results have not been tremendous in his two full seasons as Detroit’s OC. Under his command, the Lions’ offense ranked 15th in DVOA in 2016 and 17th in 2017. On the plus side, he has a strong working relationship with Matthew Stafford and he offers consistency during a time of significant change.
On Wednesday, the Lions officially named Paul Pasqualoni as their new defensive coordinator.
The 49ers announced that defensive end Cassius Marsh has signed a two-year extension with the team. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Marsh, 26 in July, was initially set for free agent in March. Instead, he’s under contract with San Francisco through the 2019 campaign.
Marsh was traded from the Seahawks to the Patriots last September in exchange for a fifth- and seventh-round pick. He went on to play in nine games for the Pats (one start), compiling 19 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. As time wore on, however, he fell out of the rotation and was released in November. The Niners claimed him off waivers and gave him an opportunity to play. Marsh tallied ten tackles and two sacks in six games with SF.