Numerous players landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last season, with the Broncos — who were forced to primarily use a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback — and the Browns — who lost HC Kevin Stefanski, key players and other staffers for a playoff game — being the most notable examples of virus-induced roster issues affecting game plans. With effective vaccines in play now, the 2021 season should be expected to run smoother.
Vaccinated players will also be protected in case they later test positive, as Paul has. If a vaccinated player tests positive and is forced to miss a game or multiple games, any per-game roster bonuses will still be paid, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This provision would point to an unvaccinated player being at risk of losing bonus money if games are missed because of a positive test.
While players are encouraged to be vaccinated, the NFLPA issued a memo to its workforce Thursday reminding that players are not required to do so (Twitter link via Pelissero). Teams’ Tier 1 and Tier 2 staffers are, however, required to be vaccinated. A few notable players have pushed back against the league’s protocols and expressed hesitancy regarding the vaccine, which has created issues for certain teams.
Thursday’s memo also noted no club official can apply pressure to a player to receive the vaccine. Teams are not permitted to cut players for refusing the vaccine, though as clubs showed through several releases of players who opted out in 2020, players who make matters more difficult for teams still run the risk of losing their jobs — even if teams will not say this is the reasoning behind such moves.
Shortly after releasingDavid DeCastro, it appears the Steelers are trying to replace him. Less than a week after their Trai Turnervisit, the Steelers are discussing a deal to bring in the five-time Pro Bowler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Chargers cut Turner this offseason, and the longtime starter has made just one free agency visit. The seven-year veteran guard battled through an injury-plagued 2020, leading to an early Los Angeles exit. But the decorated blocker said recently he is now fully recovered. At his best, Turner would certainly help a Steelers line facing major questions after considerable offseason turnover.
Turner made every Pro Bowl from 2015-19, establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top guards. The Panthers opted to extend him and let Andrew Norwell walk in free agency. While Turner rewarded Carolina, he also has not played more than 13 games in a season since 2016. The Chargers acquired him via trade last year but could only use him in nine games due to injuries.
Still, Turner just turned 28 and is one of the top free agents available. The Steelers have fully dismantled the offensive line that helped establish the team as a perennial Super Bowl contender in the 2010s, with DeCastro (released), Maurkice Pouncey (retirement) and Alejandro Villanueva (now a Raven) gone. DeCastro and Pouncey combined for 15 Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro honors.
Turner’s experience would help a Pittsburgh team that will feature a 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger and a host of unproven blockers. As of now, no Steeler O-lineman has more than one season of NFL starting experience. And only one — tackle Chukwuma Okorafor — even meets that criteria.
Already set to feature a far less experienced offensive line this season, the Steelers are now pivoting further in that direction. They are releasing All-Pro guard David DeCastro, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
A starter since his 2012 rookie season, DeCastro has made the past six Pro Bowls and has secured two first-team All-Pro nods. The former first-round pick is going into his age-31 season. This is certainly a surprise, given DeCastro’s accomplishments and the makeup of Pittsburgh’s offensive front.
It does not sound like DeCastro is 100% healthy at this stage of his career, however. Ankle issues plagued him in the recent past, and he underwent surgery to address the problem. The nine-year veteran is evaluating his NFL future, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). DeCastro did not show for Pittsburgh’s OTAs but reported to minicamp. He did not participate in the mandatory offseason workouts, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly tweets. This release comes with a non-football injury designation, per Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 (on Twitter).
The Steelers and DeCastro agreed to a five-year, $50MM extension back in September 2016. That deal worked out well for Pittsburgh, which ascended to lofty heights on offense in the mid-2010s and remained a top-tier attack for several seasons. DeCastro was a key driver for both Le’Veon Bell All-Pro campaigns, teaming with Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster to form an elite interior O-line. All three players are gone, and all the O-line starters from the “Killer B’s” era are no longer with the team. Pouncey retired, while left tackle Alejandro Villanueva signed with the Ravens after the draft.
One season remained on DeCastro’s contract, but the $10MM-per-year deal was manageable due to the guard market’s growth in the nearly five years since DeCastro signed his deal. The Steelers will save at least $8MM on their 2021 salary cap, but replacing another high-end O-lineman will be a task. The Steelers did bring in former Panthers and Chargers starter Trai Turnerfor a visit last week. The five-time Pro Bowler’s Pennsylvania trip makes more sense now.
This era-ending transaction will leave the Steelers with major question marks up front. Only one starter is set to return from last year’s unit — Chukwuma Okorafor — and he will be playing a new position. Okorafor is slated to slide from right to left tackle; he has one season’s worth of starting experience. The Steelers re-signed Week 1 right tackle starter Zach Banner, but he is coming off an ACL tear and has started one game in four NFL seasons. Second-year player Kevin Dotson, a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana, is on track to start at left guard. The Steelers drafted Kendrick Greenin this year’s third round; he will have a chance to succeed Pouncey at center.
The Panthers have signed third-round offensive lineman Brady Christensen, per a club announcement. As the No. 70 overall pick, the BYU product will make $5.16MM on his four-year deal, including a signing bonus of $1.12MM.
Scouts Inc. assigned a seventh-round grade to Christensen, whose stature and lack of lateral quickness might point him to the interior, rather than the outside. However, the Panthers were (and are) extremely bullish on him during the draft. Initially, the Panthers planned to take Christensen with the No. 60 overall pick. Then, they got word of the Saints’ interest in wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Fortunately for them, Christensen was still there at No. 70, even after they took Marshall 60th.
Christensen, 25 in September, spent three seasons with the Cougars, blocking for No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. It remains to be seen how the Panthers will use him this year, but it sounds like Cam Erving, Greg Little, and Dennis Daleywill vie for the left tackle job. That may leave Christensen to fight for time at right tackle or one of the two guard spots.
With Christensen in the fold, third-round tight end Tommy Tremble stands as the Panthers’ last straggler.
Diggs reported to minicamp and participated in all of the assigned drills, but he wants a new pact to reflect his performance. As it stands, he’s set to enter the final year of the three-year, $18.6MM deal he originally signed with Detroit. Diggs is fresh off of his first ever Pro Bowl selection — last year, he notched five interceptions and ten passes defensed, solidifying himself as one of the stronger safeties in the NFL. Meanwhile, his salary ranks 19th at the position.
The Seahawks don’t have much of a contingency plan if Diggs leaves, and they haven’t been able to draft well for the safety position outside of Earl Thomas in 2010. The Seahawks certainly want to keep Diggs, but a new deal for the 28-year-old would probably cost north of $12MM. If they don’t lock Diggs up now, they’ll run the risk of a much higher price tag. The Seahawks should also be motivated to get a deal done before other safeties sign their next deals. Marcus Maye (Jets) and Marcus Williams (Saints) are both gunning for extensions to replace their one-year, $10.6MM tag for 2021.
Still, the Seahawks will have to rank and balance their priorities. In addition to Adams and Diggs, they could also explore an extension for veteran lineman Duane Brown.
He was one of the NFL’s premier defensive tackles across multiple seasons. Now, he stands as one of the very best free agents left on the board. We haven’t heard much about Kawann Short since he was released in February, but the former Panthers star shouldn’t have too much trouble finding his next employer.
Short said “a few teams” reached out over the winter, mostly with interest in one-year deals due to his recent shoulder injuries. That’s a clear red flag, but suitors might feel better knowing that the Panthers have left the door open to a reunion. New GM Scott Fitterer told Short that’d he’d be willing to talk about a new deal — something less than his previous five-year, $80MM pact.
Short, 32, has played in just five games over the past two seasons. He’s torn both of his rotator cuffs in that span, preventing him from doing his usual fine work. Before all of that, Short was a key pillar of the Panthers’ defense. His first nod came in 2015 when he registered eleven sacks. In 2017, he turned in a 7.5-sack season. And, just two years ago, he earned his second Pro Bowl nod.
The veteran won’t match his previous $16MM AAV, but plenty of teams should be willing to put a deal on the table. For starters, there’s the Buffalo—Carolina pipeline; Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott would love to add him to the Bills’ already stacked interior. Alternatively, if former foe Dan Quinn wants to add Short to his defense, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would surely break out the checkbook. The Seahawks also have a knack for signing big-name vets and a healthy Short would ease the sting of losing Jarran Reed. Though it’s hard to bank on Short’s health and availability, he’d be one heck of a summer addition on a one-year, ~$2MM deal.
With T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, the Steelers boast perhaps the best outside linebacker tandem in football. Behind those two, however, the picture is less rosy, as Cassius Marsh and Quincy Roche reside as the top backups.
Earlier this year, defensive coordinator Keith Butler made it sound as if Pittsburgh would make an addition to that group, as Mark Kaboly of The Athletic observes. Now, however, the team appears to be taking more of a wait-and-see approach.
“We will see as we go along in training camp and go through the preseason,” Butler said last week. “We are looking for a third guy [behind Watt and Highsmith] right now who is going to step up. … We will see how it goes as we go along. Hopefully, we can stay healthy at that position.”
The Steelers inside linebacking corps was hit hard by injury in 2020, and head coach Mike Tomlin conceded that he is worried about attrition. However, like Butler, he seems content with how his OLB depth chart looks at the moment.
“I am comfortable with who we have working there right now,” Tomlin said. “We are going to coach those guys up and hope that attrition doesn’t set in.”
Marsh, a fourth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2014, has bounced around the league quite a bit. In addition to the ‘Hawks, he has suited up for the Patriots, 49ers, Cardinals, Colts, Jaguars, and Steelers. He joined Pittsburgh last December and ultimately played in one game before landing on the COVID-19 list. He has been a useful rotational piece at times, and his most consistent action came back in 2018, when he was on the field for over half of San Francisco’s defensive snaps and posted 5.5 sacks. He is also capable of lining up as a defensive end.
Kaboly says Marsh is the most likely player currently on the roster to become the “swing” OLB that the Steelers like to deploy when one of the starters needs a breather. Roche, a sixth-round rookie, is raw and will need a fair amount of work before Pittsburgh can count on him to be a reliable contributor.
If neither Marsh nor Roche performs well in training camp and the preseason, the Steelers could turn back to the free agent market. Earlier tonight, we took a look at the top pass rushers who remain unsigned, and other players could of course become available via cut or trade.
A team can never have too many pass rushers. Even as quarterbacks around the league try to get the ball out of their hands more quickly, the emphasis that most offenses put on their aerial attacks ensure that quality edge defenders will continue to be among the NFL’s most desirable commodities and, therefore, among the highest earners. As we sit in the middle of the lull between OTAs/minicamp and the start of training camp, let’s take a look at where things stand with a few of the highest-profile pass rushers that are still on the market.
Justin Houston: Houston, one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the league during his heyday with the Chiefs, just finished up a two-year contract with the Colts. He is no longer a First Team All-Pro talent, but he was still plenty productive in Indianapolis, at least from a raw statistic standpoint. He averaged 9.5 sacks per year over his two Colts campaigns, and though Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics were not high on his work in 2020 – he received middling grades in both run defense and pass rush – the 32-year-old would be an asset to most any pass rushing corps. The only two teams really connected to him this offseason, the Ravens and the incumbent Colts, both added edge defenders in the first round of this year’s draft (Indy also invested a second-round choice on DE Dayo Odeyingbo). However, Baltimore’s first-round edge, Odafe Oweh, may be a little green, and the club lost Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue to free agency this offseason. As such, the Ravens may still be in the mix, and there are surely other teams monitoring the situation.
Melvin Ingram: Like Houston, Ingram is 32, but unlike Houston, he is dealing with some health concerns. The longtime Charger earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2017-19, but knee problems limited him to just seven games in 2020. In those seven contests, Ingram failed to record a single sack, and given the lack of reporting on his knee, it’s fair to wonder if he is 100% healthy. He took a pre-draft visit with the Chiefs, and KC might still be interested, especially given Frank Clark’s recent legal trouble. Ingram also visited with the Dolphins after the draft, and while Miami selected uber-talented edge defender Jaelan Phillips with the No. 18 overall pick, the club also released LB and locker room favorite Kyle Van Noy. Plus, Phillips has a troubling medical history of his own, so there could be room in South Beach for another established pass rusher with leadership abilities. It is encouraging that Ingram’s PFF pass-rushing score of 76.3 was a top-20 mark, even if the sample size of snaps was comparatively small.
Everson Griffen: Griffen’s free agency stay in 2020 lasted until August, when he inked a one-year deal with the Cowboys. Even though Dallas was still very much in the running for the historically weak NFC East, the club dealt Griffen to the Lions in advance of the trade deadline. The four-time Pro Bowler tallied six sacks across 14 games split between Dallas and Detroit, earning a 73.6 pass-rushing mark from PFF in the process (good for 25th out of 108 qualifiers). Now 33, Griffen is probably best utilized as a situational pass rusher at this point, but he could do well in such a role. While there has been no reported interest in his services this year, his recent history suggests that he is content to wait until late summer for the right opportunity to present itself.
Olivier Vernon: Vernon, who will turn 31 in October, came to the Browns in 2019 as part of the blockbuster Odell Beckham trade. He lost six games to injury in his first Cleveland season and managed only 3.5 sacks. He was a candidate to be traded or released last offseason as the team flirted with Jadeveon Clowney, but ultimately he agreed to a paycut to remain with the Browns for 2020, the last year of his previous contract. He picked up nine sacks in 14 games – he has not played a full 16-game slate since 2016 – and while three of those sacks came against an injury-ravaged Eagles O-line, advanced metrics continue to be high on him. Pro Football Focus considered him the 20th-best edge player in the league last year, a grade that incorporated identical (and strong) 71.6 marks for his run defense and his pass rushing acumen. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn Achilles in the regular season finale, which is probably why there have been no reports of interest in him to date (and why he is not higher on this list). Depending on his prognosis, he could be an intriguing late summer or in-season add for any number of clubs.
Bruce Irvin: Irvin suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season, which he and the Seahawks had hoped would represent a successful second stint in Seattle. The ‘Hawks made him the No. 15 overall pick of the 2012 draft, which was generally viewed as a reach at the time, but the West Virginia product has put together a lengthy and productive NFL career. In his lone season with the Panthers in 2019, Irvin posted a career-high 8.5 sacks, and before his two-game campaign last year, he hadn’t posted a single-season sack total of less than 5.5 since his second pro season in 2013. At 33, he is the oldest player on this list, but assuming he has not faced any setbacks in his recovery, he should be ready to roll by the start of the 2021 season, or close to it. He might have a hard time getting much by way of guaranteed money, but he should certainly have an opportunity to continue his playing career if he wants to. But he may not want to. In March, Irvin posted a tweet that said, “I think it’s time,” which many obviously construed to be a hint that he was hanging up the cleats. There hasn’t been anything concrete, though, so his playing status is still unclear.
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howardheld out of minicamp and appears prepared to stay away from the club until he lands a new contract. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, Howard is “dug in” on the issue, and if he does not get what he wants, the impasse could last well into August.
Howard is coming off a tremendous season, intercepting a league-leading 10 passes (the second time in three seasons he has paced the NFL in INTs), and grading out as the second-best CB in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Though the five-year, $75MM pact Howard signed with the Dolphins in 2019 made him the highest-paid corner in the league at the time, his $15MM AAV is now the sixth-highest mark in football (one spot behind teammate Byron Jones, who is not as good as Howard but who was lucky enough to sign his free agent contract one year later).
So, if Howard had only one or two years left on his deal, a renegotiation would probably be a no-brainer for the Dolphins. But Howard has four years left, and it would set a dangerous precedent to rework a contract with that much time remaining. Plus, under the terms of the new CBA, Miami does have some leverage, as Howard would stand to lose $50K in unforgivable fines for each day of training camp he misses, and if he fails to report on time, he would lose an accrued season towards free agency.
In light of his dominant 2020 campaign, Howard might feel comfortable with those penalties. He may believe that, if the Dolphins won’t pay him, another club will be willing to trade for him and give him the top-of-the-market deal he’s seeking, thereby negating the fines and, perhaps, the free agency issue. However, Miami was justifiably demanding a king’s ransom for Howard at last year’s trade deadline, and it’s unlikely the club will lower its asking price too much.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores recently acknowledged that Howard’s situation is a “unique” one, but he did not sound especially keen to rework the CB’s existing contract.
One of the key points in this year’s draft came at No. 9, when the Broncos — who did extensive work on quarterbacks coming in — passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones to selectPatrick Surtain II. Denver passing on potential long-term starters transpired shortly after new GM George Paton acquired Teddy Bridgewater from the Panthers.
With the Broncos choosing Surtain, Bridgewater and Drew Lock reside as their quarterbacks. They split reps down the middle this offseason and will continue this competition during training camp, when chapter six in the franchise’s post-Super Bowl 50 quarterback saga commences in earnest.
The Broncos have started an NFL-most 10 players at quarterback — counting Phillip Lindsay‘s wildcat snap in the COVID-19-created Kendall Hinton game last season — since Peyton Manning‘s March 2016 retirement. Denver has tried free agency (Case Keenum, the second Brock Osweiler acquisition), the trade market (Joe Flacco, Bridgewater) and the draft (Lock, Paxton Lynch) to fill this spot. The Broncos’ most successful post-Manning season — 2016, when the team went 9-7 — came with 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian at the controls.
Now on his fifth team, Bridgewater is still just 28 and has a history with Paton. The Vikings drafted the Louisville alum in the 2014 first round, when Paton was working as GM Rick Spielman‘s top lieutenant. The former Jets (briefly), Saints and Panthers quarterback has developed a reputation as a risk-averse passer, and Carolina was eager to jettison him after authorizing a three-year, $63MM deal in 2020. The trade agreement knocked Bridgewater’s 2021 cap hit down to just $4.4MM and made him a 2022 free agent. But Bridgewater makes sense for a team with high-end defensive capabilities, which a healthy Broncos iteration possesses.
Bridgewater finished 17th in QBR last season; Lock ranked 29th. The 2019 second-round pick was often erratic during his second NFL season, tying for the NFL INT lead (15) despite missing three games. Lock, however, was thrust into an unusual spot in 2020 — learning a new offense in a virtual offseason — and lacked top receiver Courtland Suttonfor most of the season. But, with longtime GM John Elway ceding the reins to Paton, Lock’s grace period is over.
The elephant in this room: will the Broncos’ interest inAaron Rodgers be relevant soon? The Broncos have lapped the field in Rodgers rumors, with the Raiders — another team Rodgers is open to joining — comfortable withDerek Carr for the time being. Depending on which skill-position players would be left in Denver after a trade, Rodgers would be equipped with a host of young weapons and a defense positioned to be one of the league’s best.
Even as some around the league wonder if the Packers are bracing for the reigning MVP’s exit, they are holding firm and possess leverage. Despite a return that could feature two or three first-round picks and one or more established young starters, Green Bay is understandably clinging to hopes this situation can be salvaged. The Bengals traded disgruntled QB Carson Palmer in October 2011, after the incumbent had staged a retirement in an effort to leave Cincinnati, and Palmer made nine starts for the Raiders that year. The Broncos likely would be open to a Rodgers in-season arrival, but ideally for them, the Packers begin trade discussions before the season.
Denver passing on Fields also leaves the door open, albeit narrowly, for Deshaun Watson. Twelve years younger than Rodgers, at 25, Watson is believed to be interested in being traded to the Broncos. The team had Watson on its radar as well. Kareem Jackson, conflict of interest notwithstanding, said his former Texans teammate has Denver atop his destination list. The Broncos are believed to prefer Rodgers to Watson, with the latter’s off-field issues undoubtedly factoring into this equation. Watson faces an uncertain future, with the Commissioner’s Exempt List and/or a suspension potentially looming. But if clarity emerges here before the trade deadline, the Broncos — assuming they do not acquire Rodgers — may be back in play for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Will the Broncos end up swinging a trade this year, or will 2022 be the window for such a transaction? Can Bridgewater or Lock seize the job and halt Rodgers and Watson rumors for good? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section.
Numerous players landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last season, with the Broncos — who were forced to primarily use a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback — and the Browns — who lost HC Kevin Stefanski, key players and other staffers for a playoff game — being the most notable examples of virus-induced roster issues affecting game plans. With effective vaccines in play now, the 2021 season should be expected to run smoother.
