HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Jets To Focus On Quinnen Williams’ Extension After Next Season

July 15th, 2022 at 7:21pm CST by Ely Allen

With the end of the 2021 NFL season signaling defensive tackle Quinnen Williams‘ eligibility to sign a contract extension to remain in New York, the intentions of both parties have become much more clear, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. While early reports on the situation left room for doubt, positing that it made fiscal sense for the Jets to wait but could improve team-player relations for the Jets to pay, all the most recent signs indicate that New York will wait until after the 2022 season to attempt to extend Williams. 

Despite not getting the line help from free agent addition Carl Lawson, Williams had a very good season, albeit a disappointing one for those who expected Williams to take his play to the next level under head coach Robert Saleh‘s new defense. Lawson’s absence caused offenses to focus on Williams, but the young defender still graded out as the 37th best interior lineman out of 109, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams was 28th in pass rush grading and 47th against the run last year while leading the team in sacks (6.0) and finishing second on the team in quarterback hits (12) and tackles for loss (7.0).

With Lawson out and offenses focused on Williams, defensive line teammates Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers both excelled their way to big paydays, with Fatukasi’s taking him to the sunny shores of Duval County. This year’s lineup sets up much better for Williams to breakout. With the departure of Fatukasi, the Jets will ask Sheldon Rankins to step up. Fatukasi earned starting time over Rankins last year due to his superior play on run defense, but Rankins was more successful in the pass rush, racking up 3.0 sacks to Fatukasi’s zero. On the ends, New York will not only add a healthy Lawson opposite Franklin-Myers, but will also bring in rookie first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II. On obvious passing downs, New York can substitute Franklin-Myers on the inside for Rankins and bring in Johnson on the end. Regardless of how they form it, the defensive line around Williams should set him up better for success.

Another factor that could lead Williams to his best season in a contract year is his own health. Williams was forced to have surgery to fix a broken bone in his foot in the spring of 2021. This caused him to miss all of the team’s spring practices and most of the Jets’ training camp. With a full offseason with Saleh under his belt, Williams should be fully prepared to excel in his fourth season.

In terms of the contract situation, things have been quiet. Williams is heading into his fourth season with the team, making him eligible for a contract extension. The Jets also picked up the fifth-year option on Williams’ rookie contract, ensuring he can stay with the team through the 2023 season. After that the franchise tag amount is not insane for defensive tackles, so New York could retain Williams through the 2024 season at a bargain price.

Though he’s never quite graded out like the best at his position, Williams will likely get paid like them when he eventually gets a new contract, due to his effectiveness and production. So it makes much more fiscal sense to keep paying Williams like a rookie for as long as the team feasibly can. Luckily for them, Williams has no problem with that. Williams and his agent, Nicole Lynn, “have not made noise about his contract this offseason.”

Williams has been consistent in affirming that money is not currently a driving factor for him. If he can have a career-year, though, on the eve of a new contract, Williams may let his play do all the negotiating he hasn’t bothered to initiate and can land a massive second contract as a free agent. For now, though, the Jets and Williams are content to wait it out.

CB Jason McCourty Retires After 13 Seasons

July 15th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Devin McCourty signed another contract to continue his career this offseason, his twin brother is walking away from the game. Jason McCourty announced his retirement Friday (via Instagram).

This wraps a 13-year run for Jason McCourty, who began his NFL career a year before Devin did. After playing alongside his twin at Rutgers in the late 2000s, Jason entered the NFL in 2009 as a sixth-round Titans pick. The longtime NFL cornerback went on to play 173 games with four teams, collecting a Super Bowl ring along the way. Jason’s decision comes less than a month from his 35th birthday.

McCourty signed a five-year extension with the Titans just before the 2012 season, and he nearly played out that contract. Being released by the Titans during the 2017 offseason led McCourty to three other teams — the Browns, Patriots and Dolphins — and five more NFL seasons.

Tennessee certainly received considerable value from the 2009 sixth-rounder. McCourty’s 108 games are the most by a Titans cornerback since the franchise’s 1997 relocation. They trail only Cris Dishman and Zeke Moore‘s 109; both played exclusively with the Oilers. The Titans had interest in keeping McCourty in 2016, but at a different price. That led to a separation and McCourty playing the 2017 with the Browns. Although the Patriots showed interest in 2017, McCourty chose Cleveland. That Browns edition went 0-16.

The Browns, who had signed McCourty to a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2017, traded the contract to the Patriots. One of the Pats’ pick-swap deals — a sixth-round pick for McCourty and a seventh — was enough to reunite the twin DBs. This led to the most memorable chapter of the McCourtys’ career, with Jason and Devin playing together for the next three seasons. After being part of a winless team, Jason McCourty made major contributions to a Super Bowl-winning squad a year later. McCourty’s lengthy sprint to break up a likely Jared Goff-to-Brandin Cooks touchdown connection helped the Pats become the second team to keep an opponent out of the end zone in a Super Bowl.

McCourty re-signed with the Pats on a two-year, $10MM deal in 2019 and ended his New England run with 36 starts — including all three Pats playoff games during their 2018 Super Bowl LIII run. Then-Dolphins HC Brian Flores brought in his former charge in 2021, but a foot injury limited him to just seven games last season.

For his career, Jason McCourty finishes with 18 interceptions and nine forced fumbles. He turned two of his five fumble recoveries into touchdowns and returned an INT for a score as well. Devin McCourty signed a one-year, $9MM deal to stay with the Patriots in March.

Texans Settle 30 Lawsuits Related To Alleged Deshaun Watson Sexual Misconduct

July 15th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans attempted to end their part in the Deshaun Watson saga Friday, settling 30 lawsuits with women who had made or were planning to make claims against the team related to alleged sexual misconduct by the former Houston quarterback, according to Houston TV station KPRC.

A civil suit against the Texans emerged not long after a lengthy New York Times report detailed the quarterback’s alleged improper behavior during massage therapy sessions. The first woman to file suit against the Texans, one of the four who did not settle with the embattled quarterback, accused the team of turning a blind eye to Watson’s off-field misconduct. The Texans believe the NFL, through recent inquiries, did not uncover wrongdoing on their part, Josina Anderson of USA Today tweets. Though, a thorough investigation of the Texans has not believed to have taken place.

That lawsuit alleged that the Texans, by giving Watson a Houstonian hotel and spa membership and arranging nondisclosure agreements for him, enabled their then-QB’s behavior, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Texans trainer Roland Ramirez confirmed in a deposition the team arranged for the hotel membership. Watson allegedly used the room for massages. The Times reported he received massages from at least 66 women from fall 2019 to spring 2021.

“We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021,” Cal, Hannah and Janice McNair, the family the owns the Texans, said in a statement. “Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson’s alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably. This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.”

Rumors of other accusers coming forward against Watson have surfaced this offseason, and while Friday’s count would seem to confirm those, no other lawsuits have been filed against the sixth-year QB. Watson attorney Rusty Hardin said Friday the Texans’ settlements have “no significance” to Watson’s cases, Wilson adds (via Twitter). Watson’s civil cases will run into 2023, with both Hardin and the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Tony Buzbee, agreeing on a moratorium which will last until March 1, 2023.

Watson and the Browns are awaiting disciplinary officer Sue Robinson’s ruling, which may not occur until after next week. The NFL has pushed for a full-season suspension, something the league could ensure upon appeal — unless Robinson rules Watson did not violate the league’s personal conduct policy. That scenario, one in which Watson is eligible to play Week 1, has long been considered unlikely.

OL Richie Incognito Announces Retirement

July 15th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Richie Incognito announced Friday he will retire from the NFL. Most recently a member of the Raiders, the veteran guard retired as a member of the team.

Known for both high-level performance and off-field incidents that led to multiple season-long absences, Incognito played from 2005-2020. Incognito caught on with the Raiders in 2019, after missing the 2018 season, and started 12 games. The Raiders reached an extension with the veteran blocker late in 2019 and, after scrapping that deal during the 2021 offseason, came to another agreement with him last year. Incognito did not play last season, with health issues again impeding him, and will call it quits at age 39.

The former Rams third-round pick played 164 career games (all starts) and made four Pro Bowls. Three of those honors came with the Bills, when Incognito helped LeSean McCoy reach two 1,000-yard seasons, but the other came with the Dolphins. Incognito’s Dolphins tenure will probably be what is most remembered about his career, but he capitalized on the additional chances given to him by the Bills and Raiders.

At the center of the bullying scandal involving then-Miami O-lineman Jonathan Martin, Incognito was suspended by the team and did not play in 2014. The NFL’s investigation found Incognito harassed Martin with racial and homophobic remarks. Despite being sidelined in his age-31 season, Incognito came back and signed two Bills contracts — the second of which a three-year, $15.75MM deal during the 2016 offseason. The Nebraska alum played two years on that second Buffalo deal, helping the McCoy- and Tyrod Taylor-driven attack lead the league in rushing in 2016.

The Bills released Incognito during the 2018 offseason, and he claimed he was retiring at that point. A subsequent an altercation at a Florida gym led to Incognito being placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, and an arrest for a separate incident later that offseason led to a second full-season Incognito absence.

The Rams had previously cut Incognito during the 2009 season, after a game during which he received multiple personal foul penalties for headbutting, and he ended up with the Bills initially via waiver claim. The Dolphins gave Incognito a one-year deal in 2010 and extended him in 2011. Prior to the bullying scandal that broke midway through the 2013 season, Incognito started 55 games with the Dolphins.

After the Raiders gave the polarizing lineman another chance in 2019, he helped Josh Jacobs to a 1,150-yard rushing debut — a season in which Oakland ranked in the top 10 in rushing DVOA. The Raiders gave Incognito a two-year, $14MM extension in December 2019, but the early-season foot injury he suffered in 2020’s second game ended up sidelining him for most of that year. A calf injury shut down Incognito for all of the 2021 season.

This was certainly one of the more unique careers in modern O-line history. Despite injuries and controversies, Incognito became the rare lineman to play into his late 30s.

Latest On Chiefs’ Orlando Brown Jr. Offer

July 15th, 2022 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears the Chiefs and Orlando Brown Jr. will reassess this situation in 2023. After Brown’s agent indicated the Pro Bowl left tackle will not reach a long-term agreement with the Chiefs by Friday’s 3pm CT deadline, more details on Kansas City’s offer have emerged.

The Chiefs are believed to have offered a market-topping deal, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes the proposal contained a lofty final-year payment that inflated the average annual value to that place. A $40MM-plus salary existed in the 2027 season, lifting the contract’s value past Trent Williams‘ $23MM-per-year figure (Twitter link).

That strategy worked for the Dolphins with Tyreek Hill and the Raiders with Davante Adams, who have massive nonguaranteed salaries in the final years of their respective contracts to elevate the AAVs to market-changing levels. Brown’s camp sought more security.

The Chiefs’ offer contained $91MM over the first five years. While each year of contracts factors into AAV figures, the Brown offer averaged $18.2MM through five years — a mark that would have stood eighth among tackles. The dummy year interfered with Brown’s hopes here, Garafolo adds (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes the offer’s first five years included $95MM and adds the deal featured a $30.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link). The full offer was six years, $139MM, narrowly topping Williams’ six-year, $138.1MM contract.

Kansas City traded its 2021 first-round pick for Brown. Although that deal did include Baltimore’s second-round pick coming back — used to select Nick Bolton — Kansas City gave up a big haul to acquire the Pro Bowl blocker. The Chiefs will have Brown attached to the $16.7MM franchise tender — one he has not signed. The fifth-year tackle teased a holdout into the regular season, surely as an effort to convince the Chiefs to up their pre-deadline offer. Brown’s $16.7MM figure will be guaranteed when he signs the tender. A second Brown tag would cost the Chiefs almost $20MM in 2023.

Barring restructures for Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, the Chiefs will soon have Brown’s tender and their top offensive and defensive players tied to top-five NFL cap figures. Mahomes’ will spike from $7.4MM in 2021 to $35.7MM this year. Jones’ will climb from $8.5MM in 2021 to $29.4MM. With Brown’s tag on the books alongside these cap numbers, it will represent a new-look Chiefs payroll.

Bengals, Jessie Bates Will Not Reach Deal; S Not Planning To Show For Training Camp

July 15th, 2022 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals’ franchise tag offseason with Jessie Bates has produced mostly reports of an impasse, leading to frustration from the talented safety. While 11th-hour momentum frequently comes on July 15 in these cases, it does not appear to be on tap in this one.

Bates and the Bengals have made “zero progress” on an extension ahead of Friday’s 3pm CT deadline, Tyler Dragon of USA Today tweets. This situation has headed to this place for a while, dating back to the 2021 offseason — when Bates expressed disappointment no extension emerged ahead of his contract year. It appears a season on the franchise tender — one Bates has not signed — will be his 2022 path.

It is not difficult to see why Bates is balking at the Bengals’ offer. Cincinnati is proposing a five-year deal that provides barely $16MM fully guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). This guarantee proposal would be well outside the top five at the position. Eight safeties signed for more than $20MM fully guaranteed. The Bengals do not guarantee salaries beyond the first year of contracts, joining the Packers on that front. This blueprint will be tested when the Bengals negotiate with Joe Burrow, but the team appears unwilling to break with procedure for Bates.

Until Bates signs his tender, he is not contractually obligated to attend Bengals training camp. That is the fifth-year safety’s plan, per Dragon, who adds Bates has no intentions to report to camp.

Once Bates signs his tender, he will be tied to a $12.9MM guaranteed salary. While Le’Veon Bell did stick to his guns and skip the 2018 season, no one else has tried this tactic since the 1990s. It should be expected Bates will play for the Bengals in 2022, but after the past two offseasons, it is not hard to see this relationship ending in 2023. A second Bates tag would cost the Bengals $15.5MM next year.

Bates, 25, has missed just two games throughout his career and has started every game he’s played. The former second-round pick has become one of the NFL’s top safeties, but a value gap has formed.

The Bengals appear unwilling to pay Bates a deal that places him on the Minkah Fitzpatrick–Jamal Adams tier. Adams created that space by signing a $17.5MM-per-year deal in August 2021. There are four safeties (Marcus Williams, Kevin Byard, Eddie Jackson and Budda Baker) tied to deals ranging from $14MM AAV to $14.75MM per annum. While a compromise spot would exist in the Justin Simmons–Harrison Smith space ($15.25-$16MM per year), the salary cap is set to keep rising — after its 2021 dip — so Bates seeking a deal close to the top of the market makes sense.

Cincinnati has Vonn Bell entering a contract year as well, clouding the team’s outlook at the position. But first-round pick Daxton Hill should be expected to become a starter soon. He is signed through 2025, with a fifth-year option that could take the deal to 2026. A Bates big-ticket deal alongside Hill’s rookie contract would seem manageable, but the Bengals have perhaps their most notable extension in franchise history to consider in 2023. In addition to Burrow becoming extension-eligible next year, so will Tee Higgins, giving the AFC champions some long-term planning to do.

Chiefs, Orlando Brown Jr. Fail To Reach Agreement On New Contract

July 15th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

With the franchise tag deadline hours away now, the news many were expecting regarding Orlando Brown Jr. has come. The three-time Pro Bowl left tackle will not sign a long-term extension with the Chiefs today, setting up the possibility of a training camp holdout. 

That wasn’t for a lack of effort on the team’s part, however. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Chiefs “made a final run at” finalizing a new contract before today’s deadline. He adds that Kansas City was willing to include fully-guaranteed money through 2023, but the desire for “more security” from Brown’s camp led to a continuation of the current stalemate (Twitter link).

To that point, Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes that the Chiefs’ top offer in terms of both signing bonus and average salary came on a six-year contract; the lack of guarantees “over the life of the deal,” though, led to its falling through. Brown’s agent, Michael Portner, said, “We got really close. We enjoyed dealing with the Chiefs and we understand their position as well. [But] I’m not gonna let these athletes sign a flashy contract without the substance or security there” (Twitter link).

Adding further to the details of the team’s offer, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Brown turned down “more based on average per year than Trent Williams.” The 49ers left tackle is currently on a deal averaging $23MM per season, making him one of just three o-lineman above the $20MM-per-annum mark. It had long been known that Brown – who took on full-time NFL blindside duties just this season, his first in Kansas City – was looking for a contract which would place him at the top of the market. The fact that he would turn down an offer allowing him to reach that level speaks to the gap between the two parties on the contract’s overall structure.

Brown, like Bengals safety Jessie Bates, didn’t sign his franchise tender (valued at $16.7MM). Since he is not under contract, he will not be subject to fines if he does indeed stay away during training camp, which begins later this month. Meanwhile, SI’s Albert Breer notes (on Twitter) that a second tag next season would cost the team $19.99MM, though a camp holdout on Brown’s part could be aimed in part at obtaining an assurance the team wouldn’t go down that path.

Given today’s news, the situation between Brown and the Chiefs will be one of the most intriguing storylines in the build-up to the season.

Packers LB Quay Walker To Start Immediately?

July 15th, 2022 at 10:08am CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers double-dipped not only on the defensive side of the ball in the first round of the 2022 draft, but on the program they selected both Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker from. Each of the Georgia products figure to play significant roles on the team’s defense for years to come, but the latter could see a significant role right away during his rookie season. 

Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes that a lack of depth at inside linebacker could make Walker the “x-factor” of the position group (subscription required). The six-foot-four, 240-pounder took on a larger role in each of his four seasons with the Bulldogs, totalling 65 stops, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2021. Those numbers fall short of the production put up by teammate and fellow inside ‘backer Nakobe Dean, but injury concerns about the latter and perceived athletic upside for Walker helped make him the top selection at the position in April.

Green Bay already had De’Vondre Campbell at the position heading into this season; the 29-year-old enjoyed a career year during his first season with the Packers, earning First-Team All-Pro honors. The team responded this offseason by signing him to a five-year, $50MM deal. As noted by Schneidman, he was joined in spring practices by Walker with the starting members of the defense.

That is in line with previous reporting on Walker’s expected role as a rookie. His skillset both against the run and pass should allow him to remain on the field in a variety of situations, especially with an experienced partner in the middle of the unit in Campbell. Assuming Walker plays a large role right away, that would also represent a notable difference in the immediate expectations for Wyatt; the team’s superior defensive line depth has the latter slated for rotational duties in 2022.

If Walker can succeed early on as a first-teamer, the Packers’ defense could take the step forward many are expecting they could, given the moves made to bolster the unit.

Cowboys Envisioning Jalen Tolbert As Starting WR

July 15th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys lost two key members of their wide receiver corps this offseason, having traded Amari Cooper to the Browns and watched Cedrick Wilson head to Miami in free agency. That should leave plenty of snaps available for other wideouts on the roster throughout the 2022 season. 

In the immediate future in particular, the absence of Michael Gallup should leave another starting spot open until his return from injury. As a result, third round rookie Jalen Tolbert “is expected to start Week 1,” as noted by The Athletic’s Jon Machota (subscription required).

The 23-year-old finished his career at South Alabama with two highly productive campaigns. In 2020, he posted his first 1,000-yard season, scoring eight touchdowns along the way. He took a step forward last year, leading the Sun Belt in catches (82) and yards (1,474) en route to being named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. His 17.5 yards per catch average across those two seasons should allow him to contribute as at least a deep threat right away in the NFL.

Tolbert and free agent signing James Washington will likely occupy the starting spots alongside CeeDee Lamb until Gallup is healthy. Even then, Tolbert could showcase enough early in the year – if not on offense, at least on special teams, where he is expected to operate as the Cowboys’ top punt returner – to claim a significant role of some kind. If the six-foot-three, 190-pounder can acclimate to the pro game quickly, Dallas’ potent passing offense could absorb the losses of Cooper and Wilson quickly enough to remain one of more efficient units in the league.

Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

July 14th, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Indianapolis’ seven-Pro Bowler squad was poised to become the sixth non-strike-year team to go from 0-3 to the playoffs, a collapse nixed that distinction and brought more change. An irate Jim Irsay led the way to the Colts again making a switch at quarterback, swiftly pivoting from Carson Wentz and bringing in Matt Ryan.

When Ryan makes his Indianapolis debut in Week 1, the Colts will join an exclusive club. Fewer than 10 teams since 1970’s AFL-NFL merger have started six straight seasons with different Week 1 QBs. Entering this offseason, that list stood at five. It will balloon to eight, largely because of Irsay’s Wentz-related directive. Both the Colts and Commanders, along with the Broncos, will go into a sixth straight season with a different starting quarterback. Will Ryan be the one that stops this carousel and makes a quality Indianapolis roster relevant in the Super Bowl chase?

Trades:

Indianapolis’ past six Week 1 starters certainly outdistance Denver and Washington’s sextets for star power, but only Andrew Luck has won a Colts playoff game during this span. A franchise that had Peyton Manning start every game for 13 years and rostered Luck for seven more has moved from Scott Tolzien to Luck to Jacoby Brissett to Philip Rivers to Wentz to Ryan over the past six openers. Brissett worked as the team’s primary starter over this span, but the team has since made three high-profile QB moves. The latest caused the most ripples.

Shortly after the Broncos submitted their top post-Manning QB-fix measure, acquiring Russell Wilson, the Colts sent Wentz to Washington. To say Irsay soured on Wentz would be understating the team’s transition. After giving up first- and second-round picks for the ex-Frank Reich Eagles pupil, the Colts were put off by the QB’s leadership struggles, his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and his being at the center of one of the NFL’s worst collapses in years.

Based on the tepid markets that emerged for Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo, the Colts collecting a haul of three Day 2 picks for Wentz represents a coup for GM Chris Ballard, who benefited from Ryan’s desire to relocate to Indianapolis. As the Falcons ate an NFL-record $40.52MM in dead money by trading Ryan, the Colts did not take on any for moving Wentz.

Deshaun Watson fallout immediately hit Carolina, Atlanta and New Orleans, but Indiana soon felt the impact of the seismic trade. Ten years ago, the 49ers made a strong push for Manning. Days after the QB legend picked the Broncos, the 49ers extended then-starter Alex Smith as a patching-up effort of sorts. The Falcons took the opposite path with Ryan. After the team’s Watson meetings leaked out, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot let Ryan speak with the Colts. The talks led quickly to a deal for a mere third-round pick.

To tally an early scorecard here, here is how the compensation packages rank for starting QBs this offseason:

  1. The Texans received three first-rounders, a third and two fourths for Watson
  2. The Seahawks collected two firsts, two seconds, a fifth and three players (Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Drew Lock) for Wilson
  3. The Colts landed a second-round pick, a third and either a 2023 second or third for Wentz
  4. The Falcons recouped this year’s No. 82 overall pick for Ryan
  5. The Browns managed a 2024 fourth- or fifth-rounder for Mayfield

Following the Ryan trade, the Falcons regrouped with Marcus Mariota. The Saints then retained Jameis Winston, whom the Colts discussed a deal with during their 12-day period between Wentz and Ryan. Just as they did after releasing Manning in 2012 (leading to Luck at No. 1 overall) and letting Brissett walk in 2020 (leading to Rivers), the Colts regrouped well. Considering what has happened in Denver and Washington in recent years, Indianapolis has enjoyed good fortune in filling its QB1 gig.

The Colts are already willing to commit to Ryan for two seasons, despite the former MVP entering his age-37 campaign. How Ryan fares this season will determine how quickly Indianapolis needs to consider making a significant draft investment at the position — one it has continually addressed with stopgap measures post-Luck.

Reich has raved about Ryan’s initial Indy offseason, but the 2016 MVP/Super Bowl LI starter has gone five years without even making the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Perhaps exposing some flaws in ESPN’s Total QBR metric, Wentz (ninth) ranked 12 spots ahead of Ryan in 2021. Ryan, however, ranked 16th (2020), 14th (2019) and ninth (2018) in the previous three years. The Falcons also saddled their aging, immobile passer with one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines and, after Calvin Ridley‘s early-season departure, had lost both their talented receiver starters (Ridley and Julio Jones) in four months. Last season probably should not be used as a primary gauge on Ryan, who has proven durable (one career missed game) and above-average passer throughout his career.

The Colts will outfit the steady signal-caller with an offensive line featuring three high-end blockers (Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Braden Smith) and a running back (Jonathan Taylor) who won the 2021 rushing title by 552 yards — the biggest gap since Chris Johnson led the league by 590 in 2009. Then again, the Colts do not exactly have many answers at their skill positions beyond Michael Pittman Jr. But Reich coaxed a 27-to-7 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio from Wentz, a more erratic passer compared to Ryan. Barring a notable skill diminishment, it should be a good bet Ryan can better complement the Colts’ well-rounded roster. Though, another wide receiver addition certainly would help.

Although the Colts ranked eighth in 2021 defensive DVOA, no player recorded more than seven sacks. No defensive end currently on Indy’s roster registered more than Kwity Paye‘s four. The Colts opted not to replace Justin Houston with a veteran last season, but they smartly reversed course here a year later. Ngakoue will team with Gus Bradley in a third city, after the two worked together in Jacksonville and Las Vegas, and provide the Colts with a proven edge rusher.

Positioning themselves as the beneficiary of the Raiders replacing Ngakoue, 27, with a 32-year-old Chandler Jones, the Colts have a prime-years edge rusher with five seasons of at least eight sacks on his resume. Ngakoue (10 2021 sacks) tied for 16th (with Jones) with 36 QB pressures last season, when he ranked 14th with 12 QB knockdowns. Ngakoue’s 47.5 sacks since 2017 are tied for sixth in the NFL.

His presence alongside DeForest Buckner will benefit Paye and 2021 second-rounder Dayo Odeyingbo, with the seventh-year veteran’s scheme familiarity being an added bonus in this equation. Given Ngakoue’s fit with Bradley, it would not surprise if the Colts entered extension talks. One season, on a $13MM cap number, remains on former third-rounder’s Raiders-constructed deal.

Big on extending their own under Ballard, the Colts punted on a Ya-Sin re-up. Despite taking on more money by trading a rookie deal for a veteran contract, the Colts added a scheme fit and a more consistent defender. Ya-Sin will also cost more in 2023, as the Raiders now have the former second-rounder in a contract year. Landing Ngakoue here is better than a mere 2024 compensatory pick, though Ya-Sin’s departure forced the Colts to start over at outside cornerback.

Notable signings:

Moving on from both their starting outside cornerbacks from last year — Ya-Sin and Xavier Rhodes — the Colts will bet on Gilmore having at least one more quality season in him. Indianapolis’ Gilmore contract was out of step with what other 30-something corners Patrick Peterson and Casey Hayward received in free agency, but the former Patriots stopper is not too far removed from authoring one of the most dominant seasons in modern cornerback history. Since Gilmore’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year campaign (six INTs, 44.1 passer rating as the closest defender), however, he missed 12 games because of a quad injury. While Gilmore played only 304 defensive snaps with the Panthers last season (two INTs, 78.6 passer rating allowed), Pro Football Focus rated him just outside the top 10 at the position.

Gilmore played out the five-year, $65MM deal he signed with the Patriots in 2017 and elevated his profile considerably on that contract. The Patriots signed off on a 2020 raise as well. But Gilmore, like Chandler Jones, did miss out on joining his peers atop the market while he excelled on what became a team-friendly accord.

This Colts payday comes in well below where Gilmore, who expressed dissatisfaction with his contract during the 2020 and ’21 offseasons, sought to be. Gilmore’s path illustrates the risk of signing long-term deals, but while the 11th-year defender was unable to climb to the Jalen Ramsey earnings tier, the Colts guarantee bumps him past $90MM in career earnings. Not too bad. Indianapolis was able to revive Rhodes’ value, but with both he and Ya-Sin gone, the team is counting on Gilmore (32 in September) to remain an upper-echelon player.

Like Ngakoue, Facyson, 27, will join Bradley in a third city. The former Chargers and Raiders corner started nine games with Las Vegas last year but made just four starts over the previous three seasons. The Colts will ask either Facyson, a former UDFA, or 2020 sixth-rounder Isaiah Rodgers to start alongside Gilmore. Regardless of who wins this battle, the Colts’ CB2 spot will feature less experience. While Pro Bowl slot man Kenny Moore anchors Indianapolis’ corner crew, Gilmore staying healthy appears paramount to the team’s 2022 defensive success.

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