HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFC West Notes: Rams, Woods, Fowler

June 3rd, 2019 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams are facing a potential cap crunch, as Vinny Bonsignore and Rich Hammond of The Athletic write. An eventual extension for quarterback Jared Goff will cost the Rams upwards of $25MM per year, meaning that tough decisions could on the way.

Edge rusher Dante Fowler, who re-signed with L.A. on a one-year deal, could very well play his way out of town in 2019. Wide receiver Robert Woods, who is slated for a $9.1MM cap hit in 2021, could be pushed out in advance to create breathing room for Brandon Cooks, who will count for $16.8MM against the cap. Cornerback Marcus Peters might not be long for the Rams either – the club can cuff him with the franchise tag for 2020, but his cost may be prohibitive beyond that point.

From a financial perspective, Andrew Whitworth‘s expected retirement after the 2019 season should help matters. When/if the 37-year-old hangs ’em up, that’ll take $10.7MM off of the books.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

This Date In Transactions History: Chiefs Release Jeremy Maclin

June 3rd, 2019 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2017, the Chiefs shocked the football world with their release of Jeremy Maclin. Despite a down 2016, Maclin still profiled as one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL and was slated to enter the year as the Chiefs No. 1 wideout. 

At the time of his release, Maclin was still only 29 and was not far removed from his 1,000-yard+ 2015 campaign. There was some logic in the move – cutting Maclin loose saved the Chiefs $10MM in cap space with just $2.4MM left in dead money, but the veteran surely would have preferred to be released in March, when there was more available money around the NFL.

Maclin never got the opportunity to justify his hefty five-year, $55MM deal in Kansas City, and he clearly wasn’t the same player when he moved on to the Ravens in 2017. Maclin finished out with just 40 catches for 440 yards for an average of eleven yards per grab – all career lows.

With Maclin out of the picture, the Chiefs were able to put a larger focus on rising sophomore Tyreek Hill. Hill was something of a gadget player as a rookie, but he truly broke out in 2017 with a 75/1,183/7 line.

Today, Hill’s football future is in limbo, but, from a football perspective, the decision to move on from Maclin proved to be a wise one. The Chiefs have boasted one of the league’s most potent aerial attacks for the last two seasons thanks in large part to Hill and a younger group of targets. Meanwhile, Maclin spent 2018 out of football before announcing his retirement earlier this year.

Chiefs Sign Khalen Saunders

June 3rd, 2019 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs signed third-round defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Chiefs have wrapped up their entire draft class. 

Saunders is slated to back up Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi on the interior line in 2019. For now, he’ll practice with the first-stringers while Chris Jones stays away from the club in an effort to land a new contract.

The Western Illinois product impressed in his final year on campus with 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks from the interior. Saunders boasts impressive agility for a 324-pound lineman and could have a bright future if he’s able to improve his conditioning.

Here’s the full rundown of the Chiefs’ 2019 draft class, via PFR’s tracker:

Patriots Sign Chase Winovich

June 3rd, 2019 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots’ draft class is nearly sewn up. On Monday, the Pats signed third-round defensive end Chase Winovich, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal worth $3.83MM with a signing bonus of roughly $997K. 

With Winovich inked, third-round running back Damien Harris stands as the Patriots’ only unsigned draft pick, as shown by PFR’s tracker:

Winovich began his career at Michigan as a tight end, but shifted to the other side of the ball for his junior season. He immediately found success, racking up five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2016. He only improved from there, notching 8.5 sacks and 19 TFL in ’17. His stat sheet wasn’t as gaudy last season, but he still managed five sacks on the year and while flashing strong technique.

Colts To Work Out Johnathan Cyprien

June 3rd, 2019 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Safety Johnathan Cyprien will work out for the Colts on Monday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Cyprien has been on the market since his release from the Titans in March, but hasn’t played since 2017 due to a torn ACL. 

Cyprien was given the green light by doctors in May, which should mean that he’ll find a deal sooner rather than later. He’d be a logical fit in Indianpolis where Clayton Geathers is sidelined after having his knee scoped. Malik Hooker, meanwhile, has been a full participant in practice, but past hernia, hip, foot, ACL, and MCL issues have held him back in the past. Last year, Hooker missed a pair of regular season games plus the Colts’ divisional-round loss to the Chiefs.

The advanced metrics have never been high on Cyprien, but evaluators still view him as an effective stopper in the secondary. The 28-year-old (29 in July) has started in all 70 of his career games.

Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul

June 2nd, 2019 at 9:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The prospect of Jason Pierre-Paul missing a sizable chunk of the 2019 season has been mentioned. Bruce Arians recently added fuel to it. Arians said JPP will need at least five, “maybe six” months to recover from the neck injury he suffered in a car accident a few weeks back.

“He’s doing good; his spirits are good,” Arians said during an ESPN interview (via JoeBucsFan.com). “You know, it’s just one of those things, you just wait and wait and wait, and make sure the thing doesn’t displace and not have to have an operation. We got our fingers crossed and are praying for him all the time.”

Pierre-Paul will not undergo surgery, which would have ended his second Bucs season before it started, but Arians’ timetable will shelve the Pro Bowler until at least November and possibly into December. Depending on how Arians’ debut Tampa Bay season unfolds, it is certainly possible JPP does not play in 2019. JPP will turn 31 on New Year’s Day. He is due a non-guaranteed $12.5MM in 2020.

The Bucs replaced Gerald McCoy with Ndamukong Suh up front, but on the edge, they are considerably weakened without Pierre-Paul. Carl Nassib (career-high 6.5 sacks last season) returns and will play outside linebacker in base sets. So will offseason addition Shaquil Barrett. The Bucs used a fourth-round pick to select Iowa’s Anthony Nelson, who registered 23 sacks from 2016-18.

Edge rushers still available: Nick Perry, Derrick Morgan, Matt Longacre, Connor Barwin, Michael Johnson and 2018 Dolphin cogs William Hayes and Andre Branch. After the Suh deal, the Bucs do not have much in the way of cap space. And they have three draft picks still to sign.

AFC Notes: Colts, Jets, Browns, Titans

June 2nd, 2019 at 9:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two offseasons featuring extensive injury rehab, Malik Hooker has been a full-fledged participant in the Colts‘ latest program. Surgeries to repair hernia and hip issues delayed Hooker’s Colts work after the franchise used a first-round pick on him in 2017, and rehab from the ACL and MCL tears Hooker suffered that season sidetracked him last year. Nothing is impeding the third-year safety at the moment.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt since I left college,” Hooker said, via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “Probably even better than that. For me to finally be able to have a whole offseason to work my body, it’s been great.”

Hooker dealt with nagging hip and foot injuries, the former sidelining him for two regular-season games and the latter keeping him off the field for Indianapolis’ divisional-round loss in Kansas City. Hooker graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 14 overall safety last season, a marketed improvement from his seven-game rookie slate. A full offseason of work figures to benefit the ascending talent.

Here is the latest from the AFC, shifting first to the other Colts safety starter:

  • While Hooker is having a rare stretch free of injury talk, Clayton Geathers is resting after an offseason knee surgery. The fifth-year safety, who recently re-signed with the Colts, said (via Erickson) he underwent a “cleanup” procedure this year. Knee trouble plagued Geathers for much of last season, the defender categorizing it as “a battle” to make it to game days weekly. This marks the second straight offseason Geathers underwent knee surgery. Foot and neck problems have severely constrained the former second-round pick as well during his career. Geathers has not played more than 12 games in a season since 2015, but he said he is feeling better after this latest surgery.
  • The Jets wrapped up their Joe Douglas interview Sunday and, despite the Eagles executive being the favorite to land the vacant GM job, the team will follow through with its Champ Kelly meeting. The Bears’ assistant director of player personnel began his interview process by dining with Jets brass Sunday night, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, before interviewing Monday. Kelly marks the last of the scheduled interviews, following Douglas, Seahawks co-player personnel director Scott Fitterer and Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot in doing so.
  • If the Browns do end up trading Duke Johnson, they appear to have found a successor in second-year UDFA Dontrell Hilliard. Browns running backs coach Stump Mitchell praised Hilliard’s ability as a passing-down back and potential slot receiver — essentially Johnson’s role — and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com believes the Browns are confident Hilliard could replace the veteran incumbent. She suggests the team could fetch a fifth-round pick for Johnson, long the subject of trade rumors, but notes Browns brass likely deems that too low a return. Hilliard played in 11 games last season, catching nine passes for 105 yards.
  • The left side of the Titans‘ offensive line appears set, with Rodger Saffold set to play in between Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones. As for the guard who lines up next to right tackle Jack Conklin, Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com tabs Kevin Pamphile as the favorite at this point. Pamphile started 35 Buccaneers games from 2014-17 and was a full-time first-stringer in ’16 and ’17. The former fifth-round pick started two Titans games last year. The Titans did use a Day 2 pick on a guard, No. 82 overall choice Nate Davis out of Charlotte.

This Date In Transactions History: Panthers Extend Cam Newton

June 2nd, 2019 at 7:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

During what became the best year in Panthers franchise history, the team took care of its centerpiece player. On June 2, 2015, the Panthers and Cam Newton reached an agreement on a five-year extension.

This deal preceded Newton’s monster 2015 season, a year that saw him pilot the Panthers to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl 50. The extension turned out to be incredibly team-friendly — especially as the quarterback market exploded in the years that followed. Newton signed a five-year, $103.8MM contract that came with $41MM fully guaranteed.

At that point, Aaron Rodgers‘ five-year, $110MM pact — agreed to in 2013 — remained the standard. And the market did not move much for the next two years. Both Andrew Luck and Derek Carr took it higher, with the latter’s extension spiking it to the $25MM-per-year mark. Now, having Newton on a $20.8MM-AAV deal is a staggering bargain for the Panthers — regardless of the 30-year-old quarterback’s situation — and represents a mark in the win column of embattled GM Dave Gettleman. The since-fired Carolina GM did not draft Newton but oversaw the extension process.

Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, Rodgers and Russell Wilson led to the passer market ballooning to its current place, with Wilson’s $35MM-AAV accord pacing the NFL. In between Carr’s deal in June 2017 and Wilson’s April 2019 re-up, the landscape has changed significantly. Newton is now the NFL’s 16th-highest-paid passer. His full-guarantee number ranks 11th. Both Ryan and Cousins more than doubled it in their most recent deals.

Newton has not come close to replicating his 2015 MVP performance, which featured 35 touchdown passes (11 more than any other season), 636 rushing yards and 10 TDs, and a 66.0 QBR. The former No. 1 overall pick regressed in 2016 and ’17, failing to top 22 touchdown passes or the No. 21 spot in QBR in either slate. The Auburn phenom was faring well in Norv Turner‘s offense last season, but another shoulder injury halted his progress and has forced a second lengthy rehab process in three years.

Two years remain, with cap numbers of $23.2MM and $21.1MM, on Newton’s contract. He is not in a strong bargaining position right now, reinjuring his shoulder and having just resumed throwing regulation-sized footballs. But if Newton returns to the form he showed to start last season, extension talks figure to transpire in 2020. The Panthers used a third-round pick on Will Grier but remain committed to Newton as their starter.

That said, this will be a key season for the three-time Pro Bowler — particularly from a health standpoint. If 2019 does not go well, the Panthers could get out of Newton’s deal with merely a $2MM dead-money charge. Although, if the team wanted to change course after nine years of Newton, this contract (and the passer’s talent) would not make for difficult trade talks. But we’re obviously a ways away from that potential reality. The most successful quarterback in Panthers history will have a chance to rebuild his value soon.

Bruce Arians On Gerald McCoy-For-Ndamukong Suh Switch

June 2nd, 2019 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Acting swiftly after their long-rumored Gerald McCoy separation, the Buccaneers now have Ndamukong Suh set to anchor their line. Suh and McCoy’s careers have been linked together since the former was the 2010 No. 2 overall pick and the latter going one spot later.

The Bucs managed to bring in Suh for $9.25MM. McCoy was set to earn $13MM this season on his seven-year Bucs contract. Bruce Arians described both McCoy’s financial situation and his place in Todd Bowles‘ new 3-4 defense as not being an optimal fit.

“It just wasn’t a fit,” Arians said during an ESPN interview (via JoeBucsFan.com). “Whether it was financial, whatever, on the field, you know, it just didn’t fit. I’ve been through this a number of times with guys and great players and it just comes a time when they have to separate the organization. You go back to Franco Harris not being a Steeler; this has happened for a long, long time.”

McCoy’s 123 career Bucs games only sit 13th in franchise history, with multiple Super Bowl XXXVII icons spending much more time with the franchise. But he entered this offseason as Tampa Bay’s longest-tenured active defender. Despite McCoy and Suh entering the league together, Suh is more than a year older. He is going into his age-32 season, while McCoy will be 31 throughout the 2019 campaign.

Placing a great deal of emphasis on Suh’s attendance track record (two missed games in nine seasons, and those were due to a 2011 suspension), Arians identified the former Lions, Dolphins and Rams defensive tackle as being a superior fit for the team’s new defense.

“Consistency. He never misses a game, very seldom ever misses a practice,” Arians said of Suh. “Plays extremely hard the way I like to play. He fits our three-man scheme a lot better in terms of his versatility up and down the front.”

Suh played 1,058 snaps last season, while McCoy was on the field for 731. However, McCoy (54.5 career sacks) played in 15 games from 2015-17 and has not missed more than three in a season since 2011. Suh (56 career sacks) played 329 snaps in a nose tackle role in the Rams’ 3-4 defense last season, though. The Bucs had deployed a 4-3 scheme throughout McCoy’s tenure. McCoy has visited the Browns, Ravens and Panthers and is believed to be on the verge of choosing his next team.

PFR Originals: 5/26/19 – 6/2/19

June 2nd, 2019 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

  • With five franchises set to deploy new starting quarterbacks this year, and among those multiple teams having not yet decided on a starter, I asked which of the new signal-caller investments will work out most in 2019. Thus far, readers view the Jaguars’ Nick Foles selection as the one that will pay off most immediately. Interestingly, Las Vegas’ offensive rookie of the year favorite, Kyler Murray, sits fourth.
  • As post-June 1 cut money became available, Ben Levine provided a refresher on how this type of transaction works. Of the teams that made this type of release, the Chiefs — with $9.55MM due to their Eric Berry cut — saw the biggest 2019 cap-space spike.
  • The Bills may have an entirely new offensive line this year, with a host of outside investments now on the team and 2018 starters possibly at different positions. Dallas Robinson took an expansive look at how Buffalo managed to revamp its front. This new line, and the additions the franchise made to its receiving corps, figures to enhance Josh Allen‘s 2019 capabilities.
  • More than 200 rookies have signed their deals. Many of the stragglers are, unsurprisingly, third-round picks. Zach Links took a look at where the 2019 crop of unsigned rookies stands.
  • Going along with the Foles intrigue, there certainly appears to be a belief among the PFR community the Jaguars can return to their pre-2018 trajectory. Dallas asked readers which 2018 last-place team is most likely to book a playoff berth this season. The Jags are the runaway leaders, with the Raiders’ new acquisitions likely influencing their portion of the vote.
  • Follow along where the Jets are in their general manager search process with PFR’s 2019 general manager search tracker. A key candidate wrapped up his two-day interview Sunday.
  • Only one running back went off this year’s board in the first round, but Zach’s poll asking which of this year’s rookie runners will finish with the most yards did not produce Josh Jacobs by a wide margin — as last year’s did for Saquon Barkley. Instead, Bears third-rounder David Montgomery has plenty of believers.
  • Before his lengthy career with the Steelers, Ryan Clark began his NFL run with the Giants. Ben continued PFR’s “This Week in Transactions History” series looking at the day Big Blue cut ties with the future Super Bowl-winning safety. He spent two years in Washington before finding his way to Pittsburgh.
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