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Offseason In Review: New Orleans Saints

August 8th, 2015 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an eventful offseason in New Orleans, where the Saints entered the month of March way over the salary cap, necessitating a handful of trades, cuts, and restructures. With Drew Brees leading the way, the Saints should always have a chance to contend in the NFC South, but 2015 has been a year of transition for the club, and a new-look Saints team will take the field this year when the season gets underway.

Notable signings:

The Saints may have parted ways with more than one of Brees’ favorite receiving targets, but they made sure to keep the offensive backfield well stocked — the team’s two biggest free agent deals of the offseason, in terms of years and dollars, went to running backs.

One of those backs, Mark Ingram, is a familiar face in New Orleans, re-signing with the club after a career year in which he racked up 964 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Ingram’s 226 carries were by far the most he has received in any of his four NFL seasons, and he excelled in the increased role. Ingram may not be a lock to play in all 16 games, but with Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas no longer in New Orleans, he finally got his chance to carry the load for the Saints, and I expect him to get plenty of work again in 2015 after getting $6.1MM in guaranteed money to return.

Joining him as a change of pace in the backfield is former Bill C.J. Spiller, an intriguing addition who should be able to do some of the things that Sproles and Bush used to do in New Orleans. Like Ingram, Spiller has had injury issues and probably shouldn’t be counted on for 16 full games, but he can still be an explosive player when he sees the field. From 2011 to 2013, Spiller averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry and racked up 115 total receptions. His contract, which is very similar to Ingram’s, suggests the Saints envision a time-share between the two players, and Spiller could excel if he’s not being relied on to be the primary playmaker on offense.

Outside of the two running backs, the Saints didn’t spend much in free agency, which can be at least partly attributed to their lack of cap flexibility. Most of the club’s other veteran free agent additions came on the defensive side of the ball, where Brandon Browner, Kevin Williams, and Anthony Spencer are among the newest Saints.

Of the three, Browner figures to have the biggest impact, and his contract reflects that — no free agent got more guaranteed money from the Saints this offseason than the $7.75MM Browner received. Considering New Orleans’ top two corners in 2014 – Keenan Lewis and Corey White – both ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ grades for the season, the investment makes sense. Browner should help fortify a Saints secondary that will get Jairus Byrd, last season’s top signee, back, but he’ll have to cut down on the penalties. Per PFF, he was called for 15 last season, the second-highest mark among cornerbacks, despite playing less than 600 snaps.

While Browner will see the field more often and play a more significant role for the Saints, Spencer is another free agent addition worth keeping an eye on. He’s on a minimum-salary deal, so there’s little downside from New Orleans’ perspective, and Spencer isn’t far removed from an 11-sack season in 2012. Of course, he has undergone microfracture surgery since then, and probably will never be the same player, but he’s another year removed from that procedure, and reuniting with former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan could help him.

Notable losses:

On reason the Saints have found themselves up against the cap so often in recent years is a frequent inability to determine when it’s time to move on from a player. Often, the team finds itself releasing a player not long after signing him to an extension, which was the case with Thomas. The longtime Saints running back signed an extension in 2014 that locked him up for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, then was cut by New Orleans before he was able to play a single down on that new deal. In the short term, Thomas’ extension allowed the Saints to reduce his ’14 cap charge, but in the long term, it leaves unnecessary dead money on the club’s cap.

A more extreme example of this lack of foresight was the case of Junior Galette. After Galette’s breakout 2013 campaign, in which he posted 12 sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles, the Saints rewarded him at the start of the 2014 season with a four-year, $41.5MM extension, featuring a huge chunk of guaranteed money. Several months later, the Saints were already trying to trade him, and ultimately decided to simply part ways with the standout pass rusher after multiple off-field incidents. If the Saints had waited a little longer to extend the 27-year-old, who was kicked off Temple’s football team in college, they wouldn’t be stuck with more than $17.5MM in dead money on their cap for Galette over the next two seasons.

New Orleans’ cap situation also played a role in the loss of promising defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, who was eligible for restricted free agency. The cap-strapped Saints opted to non-tender Walker, and before he signed with the Lions, the amount of interest the ex-Saint received from smart personnel people around the league was “staggering,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Of course, not all of the Saints’ cap casualties will be as difficult to replace as players like Galette and Walker. White and linebacker Curtis Lofton were among the team’s defenders who ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ rankings at their respective positions. Lofton’s tackles totals during his three years in New Orleans were lofty, and he was extremely durable, never missing a game for the team, but moving on from him in favor of younger, cheaper players was the right call.

Trades:

  • Acquired C Max Unger and a 2015 first-round pick from the Seahawks in exchange for TE Jimmy Graham and a 2015 fourth-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Chiefs in exchange for G Ben Grubbs.
  • Acquired LB Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 third-round pick from the Dolphins in exchange for WR Kenny Stills.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 167; CB Damian Swann) from Washington in exchange for a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 187; WR Evan Spencer) and a 2016 sixth-round pick.

The list of notable losses above featured a handful of key contributors for the 2014 Saints, but the list of players traded away by the team over the last several months is arguably even more star-studded. Topping this list is Jimmy Graham, Brees’ favorite target for the last few seasons.

Graham was another player whom the Saints probably extended too soon, considering he was traded away less than a year after he signed a long-term extension with the club, and will count for $9MM in dead money against New Orleans’ cap in 2015. Still, the structure of Graham’s contract allowed the Seahawks to add him to their books at a much lesser rate than they would’ve paid in free agency, which is why Seattle was willing to part with a first-round pick for him, so the extension didn’t totally backfire for the Saints.

The team’s other big trade of the offseason involved sending Kenny Stills to the Dolphins for veteran linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick, a deal that looked similar to the Graham trade. Both swaps allowed the Saints to add a veteran contributor at an area of weakness – center Max Unger in the trade with Seattle and Ellerbe in the Miami deal – as well as adding an early draft pick.

Considering how cheap rookie contracts are these days, it made sense for the Saints to stockpile draft picks in an effort to add talented, inexpensive players to help balance out the presence of their aging, overpriced veterans, and the glut of dead money on their cap. No team had more picks in the first three rounds of the draft than the Saints’ five selections, and the Graham and Stills deals were a key reason why. Landing a fifth-round pick from the Chiefs for veteran guard Ben Grubbs was a bonus, though it left New Orleans with a hole to fill on its offensive line.

Extensions and restructures:

  • Jahri Evans, G: Extended through 2017. Received $5.4MM signing bonus and $9.5MM in total guarantees. 2015 base salary reduced from $6.8MM to $1.003MM. Created $4MM in cap space.
  • Cameron Jordan, DE: Extended through 2020. Five years, $55MM. $22.969MM guaranteed. $1.25MM in incentives available annually from 2017-2020.
  • Jairus Byrd, S: Restructured contract to create $4.8MM in cap space for 2015, converting a $6MM roster bonus into a signing bonus.
  • Marques Colston, WR: Accepted pay cut. Base salary reduced from $6.9MM to $1.445MM in 2015 and from $7.7MM to $2.65MM in 2016.
  • Dannell Ellerbe, LB: Accepted pay cut before trade from Miami. Reduced base salary in ’15 from $8.5MM to $1.1MM, in ’16 from $6.45MM to $4.1MM, and in ’17 from $6MM to $4.1MM. Includes guarantee of 2015 base salary, $1.5MM signing bonus, $2.1MM 2015 roster bonus, $1MM roster bonus in 2016 and 2017, and $100K annually in workout bonuses.
  • Junior Galette, LB: Restructured contract to create $10MM in cap space for 2015, converting a $12.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus.
  • David Hawthorne, LB: Accepted pay cut. Base salary reduced from $2MM to $1.19MM in 2015 and from $4MM to $1.75MM in 2016.

It’s fair to wonder how many of the players who restructured their contracts and/or accepted pay cuts would still be Saints if they had been unwilling to do so. I imagine when the offseason began, the team approached nearly all its high-priced veterans about reworking their deals, and the players who were open to the idea – such as Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, and David Hawthorne – remained on the roster. Others, like Lofton and Grubbs, may have been less thrilled about the idea, prompting the Saints to cut or trade them.

In some cases, the Saints had deliberately structured contracts to accommodate restructures — there was no way that the huge roster bonuses due to players like Byrd and Galette wouldn’t be converted to signing bonuses, for instance. That’s okay for now, but as we saw with Galette, that bonus money will still hit the cap at some point, and if the Saints have to move on from a player earlier than expected, that money will land on their cap sooner rather than later.

As the Saints worked to reduce big salaries, push those big numbers back to later years, or get rid of those salaries entirely, one exception was defensive end Cameron Jordan, who figures to be relied on more significantly with Galette out of the picture. $11MM per year may seem like a steep price for a defensive lineman who has only recorded double-digit sacks once in his NFL career, but Jordan is also stout against the run, and the cost around the league of extensions for players like Corey Liuget and Cameron Heyward showed that the Saints weren’t paying higher than market value.

Draft picks:

  • 1-13: Andrus Peat, T (Stanford): Signed
  • 1-31: Stephone Anthony, LB (Clemson): Signed
  • 2-44: Hau’oli Kikaha, OLB (Washington): Signed
  • 3-75: Garrett Grayson, QB (Colorado State): Signed
  • 3-78: P.J. Williams, CB (Florida State): Signed
  • 5-148: Davis Tull, OLB (Chattanooga): Signed
  • 5-154: Tyeler Davison, DT (Fresno State): Signed
  • 5-167: Damian Swann, CB (Georgia): Signed
  • 7-230: Marcus Murphy, RB (Missouri): Signed

Loaded with extra draft picks in the first three rounds, the Saints predictably used most of those selections on defensive players, adding inside linebacker Stephone Anthony, outside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha, and cornerback P.J. Williams.

Williams was considered a potential first-round pick based on talent, but was arrested on a DUI charge just a few weeks before the draft, raising concerns about his NFL future. Those charges were ultimately dismissed, and with an extra third-rounder, the Saints could afford to roll the dice on Williams. The team could have a steal if Williams stays out of trouble going forward, though after what they went through with Galette, Sean Payton and his coaching staff figure to keep a close eye on the former Florida State corner, just in case.

The Saints’ other two top picks were a little less predictable, as the club snagged offensive tackle Andrus Peat in the first round, and quarterback Garrett Grayson in the third. An NFL team can never have too many offensive linemen, but the Saints have solid starters on each side of their line, with Terron Armstead penciled in on the left side and Zach Strief expected to play on the right side, so it’s not clear whether Peat will get a chance to start in his rookie season.

Grayson, meanwhile, certainly won’t be starting in his rookie year, barring an injury to Brees. While the former Super Bowl MVP is entering the final year of his contract, he’s expected to stick with the Saints for at least a couple more seasons. Bringing a developmental quarterback on board at this point doesn’t necessarily suggests New Orleans views Grayson as its QB of the future, but it’s an interesting use of a pick that could have been used on adding more defensive help or an offensive playmaker to help Brees win in the short term.

Other:

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Drew Brees, QB: $26,400,000
  2. Jimmy Graham, TE: $9,000,000 (dead money)
  3. Jahri Evans, G: $7,000,000
  4. Marques Colston, WR: $6,500,000
  5. Ben Grubbs, G: $6,000,000 (dead money)
  6. Jairus Byrd, S: $5,500,000
  7. Junior Galette, OLB: $5,450,000 (dead money)
  8. Curtis Lofton, LB: $5,000,000 (dead money)
  9. Keenan Lewis, CB: $4,500,000
  10. Max Unger, C: $4,500,000

NFL fans and observers spent most of the 2014 season waiting for the Saints to step up and take control of a weak NFC South division that didn’t feature a single .500 team. When that didn’t happen, New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis and the front office decided a retooling was in order, and created a little breathing room under the cap by jettisoning a number of veteran contributors.

Heading into the 2015 season, there are a number of question marks surrounding the Saints: Will the offensive backfield stay healthy? Will Brees have enough receiving talent around him to continue to be productive? Will the new additions on defense help turn around a unit that allowed the second-most yards in the NFL in 2014? If things break right, the club could contend for the division title again this season, but there may be some growing pains for the new-look squad.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

August 6th, 2015 at 4:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Picked by some as a possible surprise playoff contender, the Buccaneers went on to tie the Titans with a league-worst 2-14 mark. The Bucs entered the offseason with serious question marks on both sides of the ball, but also with some flexibility to make changes.

Notable signings:

The Bucs already had one of the best outside linebackers in football in Lavonte David and this spring they brought in another intriguing player at the position. Former Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, but he does boast freakish athleticism and the Bucs likely feel that they can utilize him better than Dallas has. Carter was given a negative grade by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2014 and ranked as just the 34th best outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme out of 40 qualified players. However, in 13 games (with eight starts), the 27-year-old recorded 82 total tackles with an eye-popping five interceptions and one sack.

Another former members of the Cowboys, Henry Melton, will be making his home in the Tampa area in 2015. Melton, a former fourth-round pick, broke onto the scene with the Bears in 2010, when he finished with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best season in Chicago came in 2012, when he compiled 32 tackles and six sacks, earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl and a top-six spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings (subscription required) of defensive tackles. However, his career with the Bears ended rather unceremoniously, as Melton only appeared in three games in 2013 before injuring his ACL. Melton joined the Cowboys in 2014 and played well in part-time action, recording five sacks, but the team decided not to pick up his pricey option for 2015 and beyond, making him a free agent.

Prior to March 10th, the Buccaneers reached agreement on a two-year, $3MM deal to retain safety Major Wright. Wright, a third-round pick of the Bears in the 2010 NFL Draft, is quite familiar with Lovie Smith’s defense. He was inconsistent in Chicago, but Smith saw enough in him to sign him to a one-year deal last offseason. Now, he’s slated to be in Tampa Bay through the 2016 season.

If Carter and Melton ever get wistful for Dallas, they can reminisce with ex-Cowboys cornerback Sterling Moore, who signed a one-year deal with the Bucs. Moore, 25, played an increased role for the Cowboys in 2014, starting seven regular season games for the team and appearing in all 16. Playing 866 defensive snaps, Moore didn’t grab an interception, but defended 13 passes and made 50 tackles. He also ranked 22nd out of 108 qualified cornerbacks during his time at the position, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Notable losses:

The Buccaneers knew they had to make a change at quarterback in 2015 and in February, they let cut veteran Josh McCown loose. Coming off an excellent run in Chicago in which he threw 13 touchdowns and just one interception in relief of Jay Cutler in 2013, McCown inked a two-year, $10MM deal with the Bucs last offseason. McCown’s age-35 season, his lone year as Tampa Bay’s primary starter, didn’t go well — he won just one of 11 starts, throwing more INTs (14) than TDs (11), and completing just 56.3% of his passes. With McCown out of the picture, the Bucs were able to clear a path for their No. 1 overall pick to take over.

Defensive end Michael Johnson was another top pickup from the 2014 offseason who was shown the door in 2015. After signing a hefty five-year, $43.75MM deal, Johnson logged just four sacks, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s 53rd-best 4-3 defensive end, out of 59 qualified players (subscription required). Now, Johnson is back with the Bengals where he’ll try to get back to his old form.

The Bucs declined their fifth-year option on Adrian Clayborn, a former No. 20 overall pick, in April of 2014. Clayborn was then in a position where he would have to prove himself in order to stay in Tampa Bay, but he never got the opportunity. The 27-year-old played in only one game before being placed on IR last September. The year prior, he made 16 starts in 2013 at right defensive end and tallied 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t all that fond of Clayborn’s performance in 2013 – ranking him 47th out of 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends – and neither were the Bucs, apparently. Clayborn will now try and rebuild his value with the Falcons after signing a one-year, make-good deal.

Less than one year after the Bucs signed left tackle Anthony Collins to a five-year deal worth $30MM, they cut him loose. A former fourth-round pick in 2008 and part-time starter with the Bengals, Collins missed time with injuries last year but rated as a low-end blocker when on the field, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Collins was the sixth-highest-paid player on the Bucs’ payroll and his release cost the team $3MM in dead money while saving an equal amount.

Dane Fletcher, 28, spent four years with the Pats before signing with the Buccaneers last offseason. When the Bucs didn’t make a great effort to retain him this offseason, Fletcher wound up returning to New England. Appearing in all 16 games for Tampa Bay, Fletcher recorded 41 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 2014. While the linebacker logged 358 defensive snaps, he also contributed significantly on special teams, racking up 11 of his tackles in kick and punt coverage.

Before hitting free agency, Buccaneers linebacker Mason Foster made it known that he would like to stay with the team for 2015 and beyond. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. Foster was courted by the Bears at the outset of free agency and their newly acquired defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins joined in on the recruiting efforts. Near the end of March, Foster inked a deal with Chicago.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2016 sixth-round pick from Washington in exchange for S Dashon Goldson and a 2016 seventh-round pick.
  • Acquired DE George Johnson (RFA) and a 2015 seventh-round pick from the Lions in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 61; G Ali Marpet) and a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 128) from the Colts in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 65; CB D’Joun Smith) and a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 109; S Clayton Geathers).
  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 124; LB Kwon Alexander) from the Raiders in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 128; G Jon Feliciano) and a seventh-round pick (No. 218; T Anthony Morris).

Dashon Goldson would have gone in the category above this one had it not been for Washington. Washington GM Scot McCloughan helped bring Goldson into the league when he was with the 49ers and he jumped at the opportunity to reunite this offseason. Goldson, 30, signed a massive five-year contract worth $47.5MM with the Bucs prior to the 2013 season, but they won’t carry any dead money since there was no signing bonus on that deal. When Goldson signed that lucrative five-year contract with the Bucs, he was coming off an All-Pro season in San Francisco. However, his production has slipped a little over the last two seasons, as he has battled injuries.

The Buccaneers signed George Johnson, a restricted free agent, to a three-year, $9MM deal with de-escalators for years two and three designed to dissuade the Lions from matching. Initially, it seemed like Detroit was gearing up for a battle with the Bucs as they asked the league office for clarification on which terms they had to match on the offer sheet in order to retain Johnson. Ultimately, however, the two sides skirted a dispute by reached agreement on a trade. Tampa Bay got Johnson and a seventh-round choice from the Lions in exchange for a fifth-round selection. The 27-year-old was quietly effective in 2014, appearing in all 16 games for the Lions and earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), largely thanks to his excellent pass-rushing acumen.

Extensions and restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-1: Jameis Winston, QB (Florida State): Signed
  • 2-34: Donovan Smith, T (Penn State): Signed
  • 2-61: Ali Marpet, OL (Hobart): Signed
  • 4-124: Kwon Alexander, LB (LSU): Signed
  • 5-162: Kenny Bell, WR (Nebraska): Signed
  • 6-184: Kaelin Clay, WR (Utah): Signed
  • 7-231: Joey Iosefa, FB (Hawaii): Signed

Despite all the moves listed above, Jameis Winston stands as the face of the Bucs’ 2015 offseason. When Tampa Bay officially drew the No. 1 pick in the draft, there was little question that they would select the Florida State star, even though some evaluators saw Marcus Mariota as the best QB in this year’s class. Still, despite questions about his makeup and character, Winston is undeniably talented. When he’s on, Winston has shown a level of football intelligence than many rookie signal callers simply don’t have.

In the second round, the Bucs scored a pair of promising offensive lineman. The first, Donovan Smith, started 31 games while at Penn State, all at left tackle. Some wonder if he’s athletic enough to stick on the outside of the O-Line, but the Bucs probably think so after watching him excel at the Senior Bowl. Marpet, meanwhile, hails from Division III Hobart and it’ll be interested to see how quickly he can adjust to the pace of the NFL.

Other:

In May, the Buccaneers decided to decline the fifth-year option on Doug Martin, which means that the running back is now entering his walk year. Martin, 26, burst into the league in 2012, racking up 1,454 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, en route to a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, injuries and underwhelming production have limited him during the last couple seasons, as he has been repeatedly usurped on the Bucs’ running back depth chart. As the 31st overall pick, Martin would have been in line for a $5.621MM salary in 2016 had the Bucs elected to pick up his option.

In addition to having the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, the Bucs also had top priority on the waiver wire and they repeatedly took advantage of that. Their most notable waiver pickup of the bunch was tight end Tim Wright, who burst on to the scene with the Bucs as a rookie in 2013. Wright, 25, grabbed 54 balls for 571 yards and five touchdowns in his first season but after drafting Austin Seferian-Jenkins and signing Brandon Myers, the Bucs took advantage of their depth at tight end and sent Wright to the Pats in a deal for veteran guard Logan Mankins. Wright’s former Rutgers teammate, Khaseem Greene, and safety D.J. Swearinger, are also in Tampa Bay thanks to the Bucs’ top draw on the waiver wire.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Gerald McCoy, DT: $14,595,000
  2. Vincent Jackson, WR: $12,209,777
  3. Michael Johnson, DE: $7,000,000 (dead money)
  4. Logan Mankins, G: $7,000,000
  5. Carl Nicks, G: $4,714,000 (dead money)
  6. Jameis Winston, QB: $4,609,323
  7. Bruce Carter, LB: $4,250,000
  8. Alterraun Verner, CB: $4,250,000
  9. Dashon Goldson, S: $4,000,000 (dead money)
  10. Evan Smith, C: $3,750,000

The Buccaneers’ success in 2015 and beyond will largely be tied to the development of Winston. It remains to be seen whether he can justify his No. 1 overall selection, but at the very least, he should help improve an offense that graded out as one of the league’s worst last year.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons

August 5th, 2015 at 5:33pm CST by Zachary Links

With a different regime in place – including new head coach Dan Quinn – can the Falcons rebound from their 6-10 showing in 2014?

Notable signings:

The Falcons’ two biggest expenditures this offseason were at the linebacker position. On March 10th, the official start of free agency, Atlanta inked Brooks Reed and Justin Durant. Reed spent the first four years of his career in Houston, where he started 52 of a possible 60 games and racked up 14.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him the 26th-best 3-4 OLB in the NFL out of 46 qualifiers last season.

Now with the Falcons, Durant joins his fourth team in what will be his ninth year. He spent 2014 with the Cowboys and missed 10 games with a torn bicep, amassing 49 tackles in six contests. Durant finished 17th out of 40 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ 4-3 OLB rankings. The Cowboys reportedly hoped to retain the 29-year-old, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts.

O’Brien Schofield, another linebacker of note, followed his former coach to Atlanta this offseason. Schofield recorded 25 total tackles and two sacks last season with the Seahawks and played in all 16 regular season games.

Adrian Clayborn, 27, played only one game for the Bucs before being placed on IR last September. In the year prior, he made 16 starts at right defensive end and tallied 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Clayborn was hoping to establish himself in 2014, his contract year, but he didn’t get the opportunity to show what he can do before hitting open market. The Bucs declined their fifth-year option on the former No. 20 overall pick in April of 2014. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t all that fond of Clayborn’s performance in 2013, ranking him 47th out of 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends. Clayborn didn’t shine in his walk year like he had hoped, but the Falcons may have gotten a great value on this one-year deal.

When veteran guard Chris Chester was released by Washington, he didn’t last long on the open market. Two days after he was put on the unemployment line, the Falcons swooped in and signed him. Chester, 32, started at right guard for Washington last season, but with 2014 third-rounder Spencer Long ready to take over that role and Chester’s cap number approaching $5MM, the veteran became expendable. Still, while Spencer, a former second-round pick, may not have been in Washington’s long-term plans, he can still be a positive contributor.

Veteran free agent Jacob Tamme didn’t play a focal role in the Broncos offense last season but it’s possible that we’ll see a little more of him on the field now that he’s in Atlanta. The tight end grabbed 52 balls in 2012, but the former fourth-round pick had his reception total drop to 20 in 2013 and to just 14 in 2014.

In late February, the Falcons kept longtime kicker Matt Bryant from hitting the open market with a multi-year extension. Bryant, who has been with the Falcons since the 2009 season, has been very consistent during his time in Atlanta. He made 29 of 32 field goal attempts in 2014, with his only three misses coming from 50+ yards out. In 2013, two of his three misses were from 50+ yards.

Notable losses:

Steven Jackson first joined the Falcons as a free agent in March of 2013 after spending his entire career with the Rams up until that point. In February of 2015, Atlanta parted ways with the veteran. At the peak of his career, Jackson was regarded as one of the best running backs in the NFL and had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit. Unfortunately, he was never able to match that same kind of success in Atlanta. Follow running back Jacquizz Rodgers is also out of Atlanta after hooking on with the Bears.

Justin Blalock was a mainstay at the left guard spot in Atlanta since entering the league in 2007, having started all 125 games he has played during his career with the Falcons. That’s why his February release came as something of a surprise. Even putting his experience aside, the former second-round pick was still an above-average guard, according to Pro Football Focus – Blalock received positive grades from the site for each of the last five seasons (subscription required). In June, Blalock decided to walk away from the game.

Harry Douglas was a hero in 2013, when injuries to Julio Jones and Roddy White increased his role in the Falcons’ offense, allowing him to set new career highs in catches (85) and receiving yards (1,067). Jones and White returned to health for the 2014 season, and Douglas returned to his role as Matt Ryan‘s No. 3 target. With a base salary of $3.5MM for the 2015 season, the Falcons felt that Douglas wasn’t worth the cash and released him in late February, right around when they bid farewell to S-Jax.

Veteran pass rusher Osi Umenyiora didn’t draw a ton of interest on the free agent market after his deal with the Falcons expired and Atlanta didn’t seem all that interested in a reunion. Late last month, the veteran agreed to sign a one-day deal with Big Blue so that he could retire as a member of the Giants.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 137; DT Grady Jarrett) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 146; WR Stefon Diggs) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 185; T Tyrus Thompson).

Draft picks:

  • 1-8: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB (Clemson): Signed
  • 2-42: Jalen Collins, CB (LSU): Signed
  • 3-73: Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana): Signed
  • 4-107: Justin Hardy, WR (East Carolina): Signed
  • 5-137: Grady Jarrett, DT (Clemson): Signed
  • 7-225: Jake Rodgers, T (Eastern Washington): Signed
  • 7-250: Akeem King, S (San Jose State): Signed

The Falcons have struggled to produce an effective pass rush over the last couple seasons, and the arrival of Beasley is expected to help improve that aspect of the defense. It will be interesting to see how Quinn makes use of Beasley, who was considered one of the top edge rushers in this year’s draft.

Other:

  • Restructured front office. GM Thomas Dimitroff retained final say over draft and free agency, while assistant GM Scott Pioli took on more pro/college scouting and draft responsibilities.
  • Hired Dan Quinn as head coach to replace Mike Smith.
  • Hired Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator to replace Dirk Koetter.
  • Hired Richard Smith as defensive coordinator to replace Mike Nolan.
  • Signed 11 players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 19 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The hiring of Dan Quinn as Falcons head coach was the worst kept secret in football for what felt like forever. After the Super Bowl, however, the Seahawks defensive coordinator finally was able to put pen to paper with Atlanta. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, Quinn was regarded as one of the leading head coaching candidates of the offseason. He is a highly touted defensive mind, but Quinn also had a pool of talent available to him in Seattle. It’ll be interesting to see if he has enough to work with in Atlanta after the moves made this offseason.

Prior to the hiring of Quinn, the Falcons announced a restructuring of the player personnel department with changes affecting general manager Thomas Dimitroff and assistant GM Scott Pioli. Pioli has taken on pro and college scouting and NFL draft responsibilities, reporting to Dimitroff. Dimitroff also “retain[ed] management responsibility for salary cap, player affairs, equipment, sports medicine and performance, and video activities.” Each exec now reports separately to owner Arthur Blank.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Matt Ryan, QB: $19,500,000
  2. Julio Jones, WR: $10,176,000
  3. Roddy White, WR: $5,556,250
  4. William Moore, S: $5,368,750
  5. Paul Soliai, DT: $4,400,000
  6. Jon Asamoah, G: $4,268,750
  7. Justin Blalock, G: $4,120,000 (dead money)
  8. Joe Hawley, C: $4,000,000
  9. Tyson Jackson, DT: $3,850,000
  10. Jake Matthews, LT: $3,733,977

The Falcons didn’t make the flashiest moves this offseason, but they might have had one of the better offseasons of any team in the NFL. Atlanta undeniably got stronger on the defensive side of the ball and they have the right coach to make that unit as successful as possible. If the Falcons’ offensive line – which was largely neglected this spring – can perform better than last season, there’s no reason to think that they can’t come out on top in the NFC South.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Tennessee Titans

August 4th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

No one expected much out of the Titans in 2014, but their 2-14 mark was still a disappointment to fans. In the preseason, newly-hired head coach Ken Whisenhunt set the bar fairly high when he said that he wouldn’t need to exercise patience with his squad. In September, he realized that he had overestimated what he had on his roster. This time around, Whisenhunt is hoping for more out of his team. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be too hard to improve over last season.

Notable signings:

Derrick Morgan was the Titans’ most important free agent heading into the offseason and many expected him to land elsewhere. After all, he is considered a better fit as a 4-3 defensive end, and he has never really lived up to his first-round billing in five seasons with the Titans. However, despite modest sack totals (his 6.5 in 2014 matched a career high), Morgan graded as a top-10 outside linebacker according to PFF, which ranked him eighth in 2014 and credited him with 49 total quarterback pressures. Morgan paid visits to the Falcons and Buccaneers and was reportedly scheduled to hit Dallas for a meeting with the Cowboys, but he instead reached a deal to stay in Tennessee.

In addition to retaining Morgan, the Titans went out-of-house to further fortify their pass rush. A few days after the official start of free agency, the Titans inked former Washington linebacker Brian Orakpo. Orakpo, 28, is coming off a disappointing 2014 season that ended after just seven games when he tore his pectoral muscle and was placed on injured reserve. Still, despite the fact that he logged just 0.5 sacks last year, the former first-round pick was viewed as one of the top free agent players a year ago, when he was coming off a 10.5-sack season and earned a franchise tag from Washington. He was ranked as the NFL’s fourth-best 3-4 outside linebacker in 2013 by Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). Per PFF, Orakpo racked up an impressive 51 total quarterback pressures in ’13.

Da’Norris Searcy, 26, started a career-high 13 games for the Bills in 2014, racking up 65 tackles for the club to go along with three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The former fourth-round pick has shown a knack for coming up with big plays over the last couple years — in 2013, he scored touchdowns on an interception return and a fumble return. Having also been linked to the Giants, Bears, Colts, Texans, Raiders and Dolphins, Searcy had no shortage of suitors, but the Titans came out on top and got themselves a worthwhile replacement for Bernard Pollard.

In 2013, Harry Douglas emerged from the shadows in Atlanta when Julio Jones and Roddy White went down with injuries. That year, the wide receiver set new career highs in catches (85) and receiving yards (1,067). Jones and White returned to health for the 2014 season, and Douglas returned to his role as Matt Ryan‘s No. 3 target, but he still managed to rack up 51 receptions in just 12 games. Now, Douglas has reunited with ex-Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey (now Tennessee’s assistant head coach) and he could see a significant role in the Titans’ offense this season.

The Titans also signed another notable name at WR when they inked Hakeem Nicks. Once a star with the Giants, Nicks didn’t do a whole lot with the Colts in 2014, seeing career-low 68 passes thrown his way. Nicks finished the season with 405 yards and three touchdowns on 38 receptions and with other options at the position, it’s hard to see him getting significantly more targets.

The Titans brought in some support for tight end Delanie Walker when they signed former Chiefs tight end Anthony Fasano. Fasano wasn’t a focal point in KC’s offense thanks to the emergence of Travis Kelce, but he did see a lot of snaps in which he was asked to block.

Perrish Cox intercepted five passes for the 49ers in 2014, after playing limited snap counts for the team in 2012 and 2013. He also appeared in two games for the Seahawks in 2012 before returning to the 49ers. Now, he’ll help fortify the Titans’ secondary.

Brett Kern has been the Titans‘ punter in every season this decade, and the Titans made a move to ensure that happens in each subsequent year in the 2010s with a five-year deal. His new $15MM deal nearly triples the 29-year-old punter’s salary and puts him in the top 10 at the position on a per-year basis. Kern’s 46.8 yards per punt ranked fifth in the league last season.

The Titans also retained their placekicker, Ryan Succop, with a three-year deal. The 28-year-old converted 19 of his 22 field goal attempts, including both of his tries from 50+ yards. Succop also made all 27 of his extra-point attempts.

Notable losses:

Michael Oher‘s contract was considered pricey at the time of the signing and he did little to silence those critics while with the Titans. He also wasn’t terribly vital to the team’s plans following the selection of Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan in 2014. Therefore, it was not a shock to see him waived after just one season with Tennessee. Oher allowed six sacks and 26 quarterback hurries in eleven games in 2014 before landing on IR.

The Titans were not interested in a reunion with quarterback Jake Locker this offseason, but they also weren’t expecting him to walk away from the game altogether. The former first-round pick showed some flashes of talent throughout his brief career, and the 26-year-old had interest from teams, including the Eagles, but he decided to call it career after talking things over with his family. The former Tennessee playcaller never played more than 11 games in a season for Tennessee. In 2014, he was placed on IR in mid-December after suffering a shoulder injury.

Another familiar face in the Titans offense is no longer with the team – running back Shonn Greene. Greene, who will turn 30 later this month, joined the Titans in 2013 on the heels of a pair of 1,000-yard seasons with the Jets. However, the former third-round pick never matched the success he had in New York during his two seasons with the Titans. As a part-time contributor, Greene totaled 687 yards and six touchdowns over the course of the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Bernard Pollard first requested his release back in late January and the Titans eventually agreed to cut him loose in March. He played in just five games last season before landing on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, but he was a solid player as recently as 2013, when he racked up 77 tackles while starting all 16 games, and rated as the league’s No. 21 safety among 86 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In total, Pollard has amassed almost 550 tackles during his nine-year career, while adding 12 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles. The Titans found a replacement for Pollard when they inked Da’Norris Searcy in March.

Longtime Titans offensive lineman Michael Roos was slated to be one of the top offensive tackles on the free agent market, but in late February he decided to retire instead. Roos, 32, was remarkably durable during his time with the Titans until a knee injury prematurely ended his final season in the team this past October. Prior to this season, the former second-round pick had started all but one game over the course of nine years in Tennessee, almost exclusively at left tackle.

In his six years with the Titans, Nate Washington averaged over 50 catches per season in Tennessee. During the 2014 campaign, he saw just 72 targets, his lowest mark since joining the club, as Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter took on larger roles. Washington caught 40 balls for 647 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his final year in Tennessee.

Extensions/Restructures:

  • Craig Stevens, TE: Accepted a pay cut, reducing his 2015 salary from $3.5MM to $1.12MM. In exchange, he received a $350K guarantee on his salary, and $150K in incentives.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 40; WR Dorial Green-Beckham), a fourth-round pick (No. 108; FB Jalston Fowler), and a seventh-round pick (No. 245; WR Tre McBride) in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 33; Landon Collins).

Draft picks:

  • 1-2: Marcus Mariota, QB (Oregon): Signed
  • 2-40: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (Missouri): Signed
  • 3-66: Jeremiah Poutasi, OL (Utah): Signed
  • 4-100: Angelo Blackson, DT (Auburn): Signed
  • 4-108: Jalston Fowler, FB (Alabama): Signed
  • 5-138: David Cobb, RB (Minnesota): Signed
  • 6-177: Deiontrez Mount, OLB (Louisville): Signed
  • 6-208: Andy Gallik, C (Boston College): Signed
  • 7-245: Tre McBride, WR (William & Mary): Signed

Throughout the offseason, there was widespread interest in Marcus Mariota from quarterback-needy teams and speculation that the Titans could move their No. 2 overall pick. At the end of the day, the Titans didn’t want to move the Oregon star for Philip Rivers or for a sizable package from the Eagles. Mariota, in the eyes of some, was the best quarterback in this year’s class. Fortunately for the Titans, the Buccaneers did not share that same opinion.

While Mariota is widely considered to be a “safe” pick, the same can’t be said for Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Beckham has been a YouTube star for several years thanks to his highlight reel catches in high school, but he ran into some off-the-field issues at the college level. It remains to be seen whether DGB will pan out as an NFL talent.

Other:

Justin Hunter was supposed to have a breakout season for the Titans in 2014, but that didn’t quite materialize. Hunter let down the organization again this offseason when he was arrested for felonious assault. Hunter’s legal situation will play out over the coming weeks and that will dictate the level of punishment he’ll receive from the league office.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Jason McCourty, CB: $8,600,000
  2. Andy Levitre, G: $8,600,000
  3. Michael Griffin, S: $8,100,000
  4. Jurrell Casey, DL: $6,720,000
  5. Delanie Walker, TE: $5,275,000
  6. Sammie Lee Hill, DT: $4,666,668
  7. Brian Orakpo, OLB: $4,468,750
  8. Derrick Morgan, OLB: $4,000,000
  9. Da’Norris Searcy, S: $3,625,000
  10. Ropati Pitoitua, DL: $3,612,500

The Titans don’t exactly look like world beaters heading into 2015, but they certainly look like an improved team heading in the right direction. Few people are picking them to win the division, but they could challenge the Colts and Texans down the road, maybe as soon as 2016.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

July 31st, 2015 at 8:36am CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have managed to make the playoffs for two straight seasons, an impressive feat considering general manager Dave Gettleman had little room to work with under the cap.

Finally armed with some financial flexibility, the Panthers had a surprisingly quiet offseason. Some could be disappointed that the team failed to bring in any game-changing additions, but the organization seemed to be more focused on locking up their own guys long term.

Notable signings:

Gettleman had previously indicated that Carolina’s cap room could result in the team pursuing bigger-name free agents.

“Last year we were shopping in the dollar store,” the general manager said in January (via Chris Burke of SI.com). “This year we may be able to move up in class a little bit.”

He quickly stepped back from his comments, perhaps trying to temper fans’ expectations.

“I said we’re going to move up in class,” he added. “I didn’t say we’re going to go out and spend big money on a player.”

This latter statement ended up being a clue into the Panthers’ offseason strategy. The Panthers ended up adding some notable players, but none of their free agent additions made Luke Adams’ list of the top 50 free agents. Instead of plugging their holes with pricey, popular players, the Panthers decided to pursue guys on short-term, less-lucrative contracts.

The team’s “biggest” offseason signing was offensive lineman Michael Oher, who had been released by the Titans in February. The former first-round pick struggled during his only season in Tennessee, and injuries limited the 29-year-old to a career-low 11 games.

The poor performance resulted in Oher being ranked 75th among 84 offensive tackles last season (via Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics). However, Byron Bell, the player he’ll likely be replacing, ranked 83rd on that same list. Still, such a slight upgrade won’t do much to improve one of the worst offensive lines in the league.

The Panthers did give Cam Newton some new toys to play with on offense, bringing in Ed Dickson, Ted Ginn Jr. and Jarrett Boykin. The trio wasn’t particularly flashy in 2014 (Kelvin Benjamin finished with 680 more yards than the three players combined), but each player has a 600-plus yard season on their resume. Ginn in particular had seemed to develop some rapport with Newton during his previous stint with the Panthers.

Elsewhere on offense, the team brought in quarterback Joe Webb to compete with Derek Anderson for the backup gig. Jordan Todman proved to be a bit of a receiving threat out of the backfield for the Jaguars, but Jonathan Stewart still figures to be the primary target among the running backs.

Defensively, the organization ultimately signed five defensive backs to their squad. It remains to be seen whether any of these players will be anything more than backups, but the signings at least provide the unit with some depth.

The most intriguing signing of the bunch is veteran Charles Tillman. The 34-year-old’s 12-year tenure with the Bears came to and following an injury-marred last two seasons. The two-time Pro Bowler was considered a top cornerback as recently as 2012, so if he can somehow stay healthy, the Panthers may have found a bargain.

Kurt Coleman could be another sneaky grab for the franchise. The 27-year-old has settled into more of a backup role in recent years, but he’s still managed to bring above-average production. He gave the Chiefs 37 tackles, a forced fumble, and three interceptions in 2014, and he was ranked 26th among 87 cornerback candidates on PFF.

The pair of defensive tackle re-signees, Dwan Edwards and Colin Cole, weren’t rated favorably by PFF, and neither of the two played more than 600 snaps last season. The duo should still be able to provide solid depth behind Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei.

Notable losses:

The Panthers played the majority of last season without their best defensive player, forcing the team to adjust and compensate for his absence. Therefore, Hardy’s departure this offseason shouldn’t have as big of an impact as someone like, for instance, Ndamukong Suh.

While the organization is likely relieved to have rid themselves of Hardy and his baggage, there’s no denying the impact he could have had on the team’s defense in 2015. After all, the 27-year-old was one of the best players in the league as recently as 2013.

Charles Johnson had a standout season, and the trio of Kony Ealy, Wes Horton and Mario Addison all filled in admirably for the Pro Bowler. Hardy’s departure seemed inevitable, and the organization essentially had an entire season to prepare for this moment. Still, it doesn’t make Hardy’s exit any easier.

Perhaps the Panthers’ toughest offseason move was releasing veteran running back DeAngelo Williams. The franchise leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns was officially released in March, with the transaction ultimately saved the team about $2MM against the cap. The 2014 season wasn’t a particularly productive campaign for Williams, as the 32-year-old set or tied career-lows in games played (six), attempts (62), rushing yards (219) and touchdowns (zero).

Replacing Williams in the lineup shouldn’t be difficult. However, like last season’s departure of Steve Smith, the team may miss the veteran’s presence in the locker room.

The Panthers reinforcement on the offensive line could be connected to the departures of Byron Bell and Fernando Velasco. Bell had been a Panthers mainstay for the previous four seasons, starting 56 of his 62 games played. Despite his starting role, the former undrafted free agent had never performed above league average, according to PFF. The advanced metrics consistently ranked Bell among the worst tackles in the league, culminating in him earning the distinction of receiving PFF’s second-lowest score among tackles in 2014. Velasco performed mostly in a backup role during his lone season with the Panthers, but he still received a better rating than four of his lineman teammates.

DeCoud’s tenure in Charlotte lasted only one season. The 30-year-old started 11 of his 15 games for the Panthers, compiling 49 tackles, three passes defended and one interception. The veteran’s role diminished as the season progressed, making him expendable this offseason.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 41; WR Devin Funchess) from the Rams in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 57; T Rob Havenstein), a 2015 third-round pick (No. 89; QB Sean Mannion), and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 201; WR Bud Sasser).
  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 102; T Daryl Williams) from the Raiders in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 124), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 161; OLBNeiron Ball), and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 242; CB Dexter McDonald).

The Panthers made a pair of moves to move up during this past year’s draft. They moved up 16 spots in the second round to select Michigan wideout Devin Funchess, giving up three 2015 picks in the process. The former tight end finished with 62 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns last season. The hope is that the 6-5, 230-pound rookie will be long-term compliment to Benjamin.

The Panthers sacrificed another three 2015 picks to move up 22 spots in the fourth round, selecting offensive tackle Daryl Williams. The addition of Oher and the precense of Mike Remmers may limit the Oklahoma product to more of a backup role for at least this season.

Extensions and restructures:

The Panthers locked up three key players during the offseason, including handing out a lucrative five-year extension to Newton. The signing was clearly an indication by the franchise that the former first overall pick was their guy going forward, and the organization seemingly set the market for young, franchise signal-callers. The 26-year-old finished with the lowest quarterback rating of his career in 2015, but Pro Football Focus still ranked him as the eighth-best quarterback last season.

Olsen has been one of Newton’s most consistent targets since he joined the Panthers in 2011. The 30-year-old set career-highs this past season in catches (84) and yards (1,008), and he recorded his seventh-straight season with at least five touchdowns. Along with Benjamin, the Panthers now have three key members of their offense signed for at least three more seasons.

Davis struggled through injuries from 2009 through 2011, but the veteran has established himself as one of the top linebackers in the league since then. The 32-year-old ranked fifth among 40 linebacker candidates (via PFF), and he was rated behind Luke Kuechly as the second-most valuable defender on the Panthers.

Draft picks:

  • 1-25: Shaq Thompson, LB (Washington): Signed
  • 2-41: Devin Funchess, WR (Michigan): Signed
  • 4-102: Daryl Williams, T (Oklahoma): Signed
  • 5-169: David Mayo, ILB (Texas State): Signed
  • 5-174: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB (Auburn): Signed

There’s no denying Shaq Thompson’s talent, but some evaluators have questioned whether the Washington product truly has the size to play linebacker. Furthermore, the team’s two best defensive players (Davis and Kuechly) play the same position, and there were clearly other areas of need.

As mentioned previously, the Panthers gave up four extra draft picks to move up in both the second and fourth round. While the additional depth may have been good for the franchise, you can’t criticize a front office for going after the players they want.

David Mayo and Cameron Artis-Payne weren’t “reaches” by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve got to wonder whether Gettleman would have been better off drafting for need.

Other:

Picking up Kuechly’s option was perhaps the most predictable move of the Panthers offseason, as Gettelman had previously said he’d “have to be brain-dead” to not exercise the contract.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Charles Johnson, DE: $20,020,000
  2. Cam Newton, QB: $13,000,000
  3. Ryan Kalil, C: $11,795,000
  4. Jonathan Stewart, RB: $8,300,000
  5. Greg Olsen, TE: $6,300,000
  6. Thomas Davis, LB: $5,900,000
  7. DeAngelo Williams, RB: $4,333,333 (dead money)
  8. Luke Kuechly, LB: $4,002,283
  9. Steve Smith, WR: $4,000,000 (dead money)
  10. Mike Tolbert, RB: $3,425,000

The Panthers’ roster has seen plenty of turnover since last season, and the roster certainly improved, if only slightly. Assuming the team’s young players continue to improve (and assuming that Newton doesn’t get passive following a new contract), this team should be in contention for a playoff spot once again.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

July 24th, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 2014 campaign ended horrifically for the Colts, whose season came crashing down in a 45-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. In response, Indy spent the offseason adding multiple established veterans on both sides of the ball in hopes of overthrowing the Pats and earning a Super Bowl trip for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Notable signings:

The Colts had the NFL’s third-ranked offense last year, but that belied a subpar rushing attack that finished 22nd in yardage and 25th in per-attempt average. Their most productive back, Ahmad Bradshaw, suffered a season-ending broken fibula in November. Bradshaw was hardly a workhorse when healthy, though, exceeding double-digit carries just four times in 10 games. Enter Frank Gore, the longtime 49er whom the Colts signed to a three-year, $12MM deal in free agency. Gore gives the Colts something they’ve been missing for a while – a durable, productive back. Despite his advanced age relative to the position, the 32-year-old Gore’s production certainly hasn’t stalled. In 2014, the 10-year veteran appeared in all 16 games, surpassed the 250-carry mark, and rushed for 1,100-plus yards. It was the fourth straight season in which Gore accomplished all three of those feats simultaneously. Moreover, he has never amassed fewer than 4.1 yards per carry in a season – another welcome change for a Colts team whose previous leading rusher, Trent Richardson, totaled a paltry 3.3 yards per attempt last year.

The Colts’ other big offensive move in free agency was to further beef up an Andrew Luck-led passing game that led the league in yardage last year. Indy signed wideout Andre Johnson, who had been with AFC South rival Houston his entire career (since 2003), to a three-year, $21MM contract. Like Gore, the 34-year-old Johnson is on the wrong end of the aging curve, but he also remains a viable weapon. Johnson caught 85 passes last season, though he averaged a meager 11.0 yards per reception (his lowest total since 2005) and racked up only three touchdowns. Bear in mind, though, that Johnson isn’t far removed from a two-year stretch that saw him haul in 221 catches and over 3,000 yards from 2012-13. Additionally, Johnson stands to benefit from the presence of Luck, who is far more talented than any quarterback he played with in Houston. In Johnson, Luck should have another solid target to accompany T.Y. Hilton, Indy’s undisputed No. 1 receiver, first-round wideout Phillip Dorsett and tight end Coby Fleener.

Defensively, the Colts finished a respectable 11th in the league last season. However, the Patriots exposed them twice – once in a 42-20 November shellacking and in the aforementioned AFC title game blowout. New England rushed for a ridiculous 423 yards in those games, and quarterback Tom Brady was basically untouched in both matchups (Indy sacked him once in total). The Colts responded to the latter issue by signing a couple of vets in linebacker Trent Cole (two years, $14MM) and lineman Kendall Langford (four years, $17.2MM).

The 32-year-old Cole added 6.5 sacks for the Eagles last season, giving him 85.5 during the decade he spent in Philadelphia, and Pro Football Focus ranked him a solid 12th out of 46 qualifying OLBs (subscription required) for his pass rushing.

As for Langford, the most impressive fact about the seven-year veteran’s career is that he never missed a game in either of his previous stops (Miami and St. Louis). He’s just two years removed from a career-high five-sack season and thinks the best is yet to come as part of the Colts’ 3-4 defense.

“I feel like I’m back at home in a 3-4 scheme,” Langford told the Colts’ official website last month. “I’m excited about it.”

Head coach Chuck Pagano echoed Langford’s sentiment.

“Kendall Langford, you guys are going to be surprised,” Pagano said. “You think we just brought in a run stopper, but he’s shown in some of these 11-on-11 drills that he’s got some pass rush capabilities, will get push inside.”

The Colts’ pass rush looks better on paper with the acquisitions of Cole and Langford and the return of linebacker Robert Mathis – who led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2013 before missing all of last year with a torn Achilles’. While the Colts did rank ninth in sacks in 2014, they lacked fearsome pass rushers and had to rely too much on blitzing to generate pressure.

Elsewhere on defense, the Colts retained three of their own key players – linebacker Jerrell Freeman, cornerback Darius Butler and Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams – and signed ex-Broncos LB Nate Irving. The Colts hope the 27-year-old Irving, whom PFF ranked 12th among 60 qualifying 3-4 ILBs against opposing ground games last year (subscription required), can help improve their 18th-ranked run defense and make less them less vulnerable against teams like the Patriots.

Notable losses:

The Colts said goodbye to some recognizable names during the offseason, including Reggie Wayne – one of the franchise’s all-time best players – but general manager Ryan Grigson adequately replaced most of them. Johnson, Dorsett and second-year man Donte Moncrief will do more than enough at wideout to make the losses of Wayne and Hakeem Nicks easy to swallow. If his career is any indication, Gore will be a major improvement over both Bradshaw and Richardson. Langford, on the other hand, has his work cut out for him in grabbing the reins along the D-line from the retired Cory Redding and the released Ricky Jean-Francois, who combined for 1,300-plus snaps last year. Redding was particularly impressive in 2014, appearing in over 70 percent of Indy’s defensive snaps and drawing significant praise from PFF for his play.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 third-round pick (No. 65; CB D’Joun Smith) and a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 109; S Clayton Geathers) from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 61; G Ali Marpet) and a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 128).
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 151; DT David Parry) from the 49ers in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 165; P Bradley Pinion) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 244; OL Trenton Brown).

Extensions/Restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-29: Phillip Dorsett, WR (Miami): Signed
  • 3-65: D’Joun Smith, CB (Florida Atlantic): Signed
  • 3-93: Henry Anderson, DE (Stanford): Signed
  • 4-109: Clayton Geathers, S (UCF): Signed
  • 5-151: David Parry, DT (Stanford): Signed
  • 6-205: Josh Robinson, RB (Mississippi State): Signed
  • 6-207: Amarlo Herrera, LB (Georgia): Signed
  • 7-255: Denzelle Good, T (Mars Hill): Signed

The Colts pulled off a surprise in the first round when they added yet another receiver in Dorsett, an ex-Miami Hurricane who tries to make up for less-than-ideal size (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) with explosiveness (a 40-yard dash time of 4.29, 24.2 yards per catch in college). Dorsett is similar to the 5-9, 178-pound Hilton in stature and style, and one wonders if the Colts chose the former as a potential long-term replacement for the latter. Hilton could potentially depart Indy as a free agent next offseason, which would leave the Colts looking for a star-caliber, field-stretching wideout. Regardless of what happens with Hilton, the Colts hope Dorsett can be just that, and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton expects him to make an immediate impact.

“His play speed is exceptional,” Hamilton told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). “We can attack the field vertically.”

Indy also may have added another couple immediate impact types in a pair of third-round picks, cornerback D’Joun Smith and defensive end Henry Anderson.

Smith, who intercepted nine passes at Florida Atlantic (including seven in 2013), gives the Colts depth behind Vontae Davis, Darius Butler and Greg Toler, and could wrest playing time from the latter two if they don’t improve on last year’s performance. Both Butler and Toler surrendered ratings of over 102 to opposing quarterbacks, according to PFF – which ranked Butler 67th and Toler 99th, respectively, out of 108 qualifying corners (subscription required).

If Smith’s anywhere near as good as he is confident, he’ll be a huge pickup for the Colts.

“Under the right tutelage and the right coach that’s going to make my technique even better, I’m probably going to be the best cornerback to play the game,” Smith told the Colts’ website in May.

As for Anderson, the Colts picked the ex-Stanford Cardinal 93rd overall after a standout college career (first-team All-Pac-12 in 2014).

“He’s what you’re looking for at end in this defense,” Grigson said, according to Colts.com.  “I know we’re going to have him for a long time.

For his part, Anderson said in May that he’s “really excited about coming in and providing as much help as possible to the defense.”

Given the losses of Redding and Jean-Francois, Anderson is likely to have the opportunity this year to quickly become a fixture along Indy’s D-line.

Other:

  • Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for QB Andrew Luck ($16.155MM).
  • Signed 10 players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 15 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The Colts made the no-brainer decision to keep Luck in the fold for at least two more seasons, exercising his fifth-year option for 2016. The question is when, not if, they’ll ink him to a deal that keeps him a Colt for the duration of his career. Since the Colts chose Luck with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, he has started all 52 of their games (playoffs included), led them to three straight double-digit-win outputs, and thrown for 86 touchdowns and nearly 13,000 yards in the regular season. He’ll be paid handsomely for his performance and status as the face of Indy’s franchise, and ESPN’s Mike Wells wrote earlier this week that the Colts and Luck will get to work on a contract extension after the upcoming season.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Vontae Davis, CB: $11,250,000
  2. Andre Johnson, WR: $7,500,000
  3. Robert Mathis, OLB: $7,470,586
  4. Anthony Castonzo, LT: $7,438,000
  5. Arthur Jones, DL: $7,100,000
  6. Andrew Luck, QB: $7,034,363
  7. Trent Cole, OLB: $6,953,125
  8. Gosder Cherilus, RT: $6,900,000
  9. Greg Toler, CB: $5,833,334
  10. D’Qwell Jackson, LB: $5,750,000

After a productive offseason, the Colts look like a better team than the one that made the final four last year. At the very least, barring injuries, their two-year reign atop the AFC South should extend to a third season. That would mean a fourth straight playoff berth, which could lead to a third consecutive January confrontation with the Patriots – who have humiliated the Colts in back-to-back postseasons.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Houston Texans

July 23rd, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

After going 9-7 in 2014, the Texans have been widely praised for their offseason moves. Did they do enough to establish themselves as the favorites in the AFC South?

Notable signings:

One of the Texans’ top priorities this offseason was retaining cornerback Kareem Jackson and they got that accomplished days before the start of free agency. Jackson landed himself at number 21 on Pro Football Rumors Top 50 Free Agents, and figured to be highly sought after as one of the top free agent corners on the market. The Texans selected Jackson 20th overall out of Alabama in the 2010 NFL Draft. He struggled during his first two NFL seasons, but improved and was considered the team’s top corner last season, surpassing veteran Johnathan Joseph. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had Jackson rated as the eleventh-best corner in the league last season, putting him ahead of notables such as Rashean Mathis, Brandon Flowers, Aqib Talib, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

The Texans also got a deal done with offensive tackle Derek Newton before March 10th. The former seventh-round pick has established himself as one of the most reliable members of the Texans offense, as he’s started 46 of a possible 48 games since 2012 (the two missed games were a result of a knee injury). Newton wasn’t rated favorably by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) during his first two years as a starter, but the statistics favored the 27-year-old’s performance this past season. Newton ranked 19th among 84 offensive tackle candidates, and his run blocking skills earned him the fourth-best ranking for that particular attribute. However, his pass blocking rating left some to be desired, as he finished in the bottom half of the league in that ranking.

Houston’s defensive line will feature young star J.J. Watt and a possible rising young(er) star in Jadeveon Clowney. This offseason, the Texans added some veteran leadership to the mix. The Texans inked Vince Wilfork to a two-year deal in March after the Pats declined his option. Wilfork, 33, spent all previous 11 years of his NFL career in New England, playing 158 regular season games for the Pats, and starting 148 of those. Second-year pro Louis Nix may be the future for the Texans at nose tackle, but Wilfork represents a very nice stopgap option until Nix is ready to assume the role.

After going through three starting quarterbacks in 2014, the Texans badly needed to make a change under center. Coach Bill O’Brien & Co. are hoping that Brian Hoyer can be that difference maker. Hoyer, 29, saw his first extended run as a starter in 2014, and though his overall numbers – including a 55.3% completion percentage, 12 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and a 76.5 passer rating – weren’t overly impressive, he led the Browns to a 7-6 record in his starts before giving way to Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw near the end of the season.

The Texans also retained Ryan Mallett and the two signal callers will battle it out for the starting job this summer. Mallett, 26, was acquired by the Texans in a trade with the Patriots last offseason, and got a chance to start a couple games for Houston in 2014 before landing on injured reserve due to a pectoral injury. Mallett’s 54.7% completion percentage and 67.6 passer rating likely didn’t have teams burning up his agent’s phone this weekend, but Texans GM Rick Smith and O’Brien both spoke highly of him in the offseason.

Rahim Moore initially ranked as the 28th-best overall free agent and the second-best safety in this year’s class, in our estimation. However, once Devin McCourty re-signed with New England and players like Antrel Rolle and Da’Norris Searcy came off the board, Moore became the most-coveted safety on the market. The UCLA product was Denver’s free safety for the majority of the last four seasons, and was very impressive in 2014, racking up 51 tackles to go along with four interceptions.

Cecil Shorts spent the first four years of his NFL career in Jacksonville, totaling 176 receptions for the Jaguars. His best season came in 2012, when he racked up 979 yards on just 55 receptions, reaching the end zone seven times. The former fourth-round pick has been nagged by injuries over the last two years, and averaged just 10.5 yards per catch in 2014. If he stays healthy, he could be a beast for Houston. If not, he might not be much of a factor at all.

Akeem Dent spent the 2014 season with the Texans after playing for the Falcons for three years. In his first year in Houston, the former third-round pick recorded 38 tackles and a sack in part-time action, earning playing time at multiple linebacker spots.

Notable losses:

The Andre Johnson saga made headlines all offseason long in Houston until March 9th when the Texans agreed to release him. The Texans reportedly wanted the wide receiver to take a pay cut and Johnson was reportedly open to it, until he came out on the record and made it clear that he wasn’t. Whatever the case was, the two sides parted ways just prior to the official start of free agency. Johnson, who is entering his age-34 season, caught a team-high 85 balls in 2014, but that was his lowest total for a full season in about a decade. The former third overall pick also averaged just 62.4 yards per game, the third-lowest mark of his 12-year career.

While the Texans spent big to keep Derek Newton on the offensive line, they said goodbye to fellow tackle Tyson Clabo in May. Clabo, 33, signed a two-year contract last July with the Texans, but after starting each and every one of his 116 career NFL games prior to the 2014 season, he was a reserve for Houston. For the season, Clabo logged just 101 offensive snaps, with 73 of those coming in Week 16 against the Ravens. Before he joined the Texans, Clabo spent most of his career with the Falcons, earning a Pro Bowl berth following the 2010 season, and also spent a single season in Miami in 2013.

Daniel Manning, who will turn 33 next month, announced his retirement roughly one week ago. In 2011, he joined the Texans, where he played out the final four years of his NFL career. While Manning never developed into an elite defender in Chicago or Houston, he was a solid complementary piece for both teams, appearing in a total of 128 regular season games (96 starts) over the course of his nine-year career. During that span, the Abilene Christian product recorded 549 tackles, grabbed 11 interceptions, and forced 10 fumbles. Manning also contributed as a kick returner during his last few years in Chicago, averaging a league-best 29.7 yards per return in 2008.

The Texans wanted to keep Kendrick Lewis in Houston, but he was not interested in backing up Moore in 2015, so he decided to pursue a starting role elsewhere. He eventually found that opportunity with the Ravens. Lewis graded out positively in 2014 according to Pro Football Focus, leading the Texans’ secondary in snap count (subscription required).

Brooks Reed spent the first four years of his career in Houston, where he started 52 of a possible 60 games and racked up 14.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him the 26th-best 3-4 OLB in the NFL out of 46 qualifiers last season. While the Texans didn’t make a great effort to keep him, new Falcons coach Dan Quinn obviously sees something in him.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2016 seventh-round pick from the Rams in exchange for QB Case Keenum.
  • Acquired a 2016 seventh-round pick from the Jets in exchange for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
    • Texans’ pick could turn into a sixth-rounder based on Fitzpatrick’s playing time in 2015.
  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 43; ILB Benardrick McKinney) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 229) from the Browns in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 51; DE/OLB Nate Orchard), a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 116), and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 195; FB/TE Malcolm Johnson.
  • Acquired a 2015 third-round pick (No. 70; WR Jaelen Strong) from the Jets in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 82; OLB Lorenzo Mauldin), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 152; G Jarvis Harrison), a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 229), and WR DeVier Posey.

Out with the old, in with the new at quarterback. Having signed Brian Hoyer, the Texans didn’t have much use for QBs Case Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick, so they parlayed both players into late-round draft picks.

Extensions/Restructures:

Last month, the Texans tacked another two years onto Johnathan Joseph‘s deal. Joseph was a Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2012, but didn’t play at his best in 2013 due to injury. The nine-year vet was on the field for all 16 regular season games in 2014, however. Last year, Joseph pulled down two interceptions, caused two fumbles, and racked up a total of 75 tackles. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had him as an above average corner in 2014, giving him a 5.0 overall grade good for 23rd amongst all qualified corners. The No. 23 ranking at cornerback might not put him up there with elite corners like Darrelle Revis, but it was his best showing since he finished No. 11 on PFF in 2011.

The Texans declined their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus in order to sign him to a long-term deal. The new pact keeps Mercilus in Houston through the 2019 season. The 25-year-old has played in all but one of the Texans’ regular season games across the last three seasons. Playing primarily as a starter for the last two, Mercilus has racked up a combined 12 sacks, 97 tackles, and two forced fumbles. The Texans obviously are happy with Mercilus, but the advanced metrics aren’t so wild about him. In 2014, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as just the 35th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 set out of 46 qualified players. In 2013, his overall rating of -18.1 put him dead last (42nd out of 42) amongst 3-4 OLBs.

 

Draft picks:

  • 1-16: Kevin Johnson, CB (Wake Forest): Signed
  • 2-43: Benardrick McKinney, ILB (Mississippi State): Signed
  • 3-70: Jaelen Strong, WR (Arizona State): Signed
  • 5-175: Keith Mumphery, WR (Michigan State): Signed
  • 6-211: Reshard Cliett, OLB (South Florida): Signed
  • 6-216: Christian Covington, DT (Rice): Signed
  • 7-235: Kenny Hilliard, RB (LSU): Signed

Many were surprised to see Johnathan Joseph get a lucrative extension following the selection of Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson. Even though Joseph is slated to be around for another three seasons, Johnson is clearly being looked at as the team’s future at the position. Johnson is blessed with tremendous athleticism and could have a bright future ahead of him if he can add weight to his lanky frame.

Other:

  • Promoted George Godsey to vacant offensive coordinator role.
    • Godsey and head coach Bill O’Brien called plays in 2014.
  • Signed 10 players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. J.J. Watt, DL: $13,969,000
  2. Johnathan Joseph, CB: $11,750,000
  3. Duane Brown, LT: $9,500,000
  4. Arian Foster, RB: $8,706,250
  5. Brian Cushing, LB: $7,891,250
  6. Kareem Jackson, CB: $7,453,125
  7. Andre Johnson, WR: $7,319,585 (dead money)
  8. Brian Hoyer, QB: $5,218,750
  9. Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB: $5,062,045
  10. Derek Newton, RT: $4,500,000

One of the Texans’ biggest problems last season was the quarterback position and the signing of Hoyer should go a long way towards fixing that. With defensive reinforcements like Moore, Kevin Johnson, second-round pick Benardrick McKinney, and Wilfork, it’s not hard to see the Texans as an elite team in 2015.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars

July 23rd, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars had their work cut out for them this offseason but they also had the most cap space of any team in the league.

Notable signings:

The Jaguars prioritized finding a playmaker this offseason and they did that by pouncing early on tight end Julius Thomas. In fact, Jacksonville reportedly had an agreement in place with him days before the official start of free agency. Thomas, a 2011 draftee, broke out during his third season in Denver, emerging as a key target for Peyton Manning in 2013. His reception and yards totals both decreased last season as he dealt with injuries (ultimately missing six games), but he still finished with 12 touchdowns. Many believed that Thomas, the No. 4 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, would receive heavy interest from the Seahawks, but he chose instead to sign with Jacksonville where he’ll catch passes from second-year quarterback Blake Bortles.

After landing Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins had little use for fellow defensive tackle Jared Odrick. At that point, the Jaguars pounced on the 27-year-old and kept him in the state of Florida. When Luke Adams of PFR listed his top 50 free agents in March, he ranked Odrick 23rd, as the fourth defensive tackle on the board behind Suh, Terrance Knighton, and Nick Fairley. At the time, he estimated that the asking price would be in the neighborhood of $6MM annually. However, Odrick actually got a deal worth $8.5MM per season with $22MM guaranteed overall.

Doug Free started eleven games at right tackle for the Cowboys in 2014, but Jermey Parnell started seven, including the two playoff games while Free was out with injuries. While Parnell wasn’t viewed as a first tier free agent tackle with the likes of Free, Bryan Bulaga, King Dunlap, and Byron Bell, Parnell was in the second tier of attractive options thanks to his solid play in limited time as a starter. Parnell’s deal is worth $6.5MM per year over five years, a big bump from what he was getting in Dallas.

It was reported that several teams were pushing to land Davon House, but ultimately the corner signed a lucrative deal with the Jags. House only saw part-time action in nickel and dime packages with the Packers, but quarterbacks only completed 46.8% of their passes into his coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus. PFF’s advanced stats, by the way, placed him fourth among all qualified cornerbacks. The Packers, Jets, Seahawks, Bears, Cowboys, and Vikings had also been viewed as potential players for House.

Skuta, 29, also drew interest from the Dolphins and Eagles, the latter of whom would have had a “ton of interest” in signing him had they not retained Brandon Graham. A key contributor on special teams for the 49ers, Skuta also saw more than 300 snaps at outside linebacker for San Francisco, racking up five sacks. He spent four seasons with the Bengals before joining the Niners in 2013. Skuta’s deal came out to $20.5MM over five years, somewhat surprising given his body of work to date.

It took a while, but former center Stefen Wisniewski found an NFL home when he signed with the Jags in mid-April. Wisniewski had spent his entire four-year career with the Raiders, starting 61 games. The Penn State product missed only three games in those four seasons, and he managed to play 16 games in 2014 in spite of a torn labrum. The injury resulted in Wisniewski undergoing surgery this offseason, and it also provided a possible explanation for the player remaining unsigned for so long. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Wisniewski high marks for his performance during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, as the center ranked in the top-20 among eligible center candidates. He received his first negative rating in 2014, but he still ranked 22nd among 41 candidates.

The Jaguars did a lot of free agent shopping this year but they also retained a notable player of their own in defensive lineman Tyson Alualu. Alualu was the first-round pick of the Jaguars in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was considered to be a reach at 10th overall at the time of the pick, and has been underwhelming at best during his tenure with the team. Clearly, however, they believe that the 28-year-old is capable of doing much more going forward.

Sergio Brown, 27, made a career-high eight starts in 2014. All in all, the free safety recorded 34 tackles, 6 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one sack on the year. Last year, Brown re-signed with the Colts on a one-year deal worth $1.4MM with a $300K signing bonus.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was pretty impressed with Brown’s work in 2014, ranking him as the 24th best safety in the NFL with a 5.3 score.

Notable losses:

Will Blackmon, who has spent the last two seasons with the Jaguars, was one of the top three cornerbacks for the team during his time in Jacksonville, starting 12 of 23 games. His 2014 campaign was cut short by a broken finger, which landed him on the injured reserve list with about two months left in the season. The 30-year-old was notified of his pending release in February as the team opted to go younger in the secondary.

Bryant, 31, was long rumored to be a cap casualty. Bryant saw time in all 16 games in his first and only season for the Jaguars. In total, he racked up 23 tackles to go with one pass deflection and one sack. Bryant graded out as being just below average according to Pro Football Focus‘ (subscription required) metrics, coming in with a -1.6 grade. Overall, that placed him No. 31 out of 59 qualified 4-3 defensive ends. Bryant’s contract called for him to earn $19MM in total between the years of 2014 and 2017. However, his only guaranteed money came in year one between his $3.5MM roster bonus and $1.225MM base salary in ’14.

Cecil Shorts, 27, spent the first four years of his NFL career in Jacksonville, totaling 176 receptions for the Jaguars. His best season came in 2012, when he racked up 979 yards on just 55 receptions, reaching the end zone seven times. The former fourth-round pick has been nagged by injuries over the last two years, and averaged just 10.5 yards per catch in 2014. Now, he’s in Houston and if he’s healthy, he could be a difference maker for the Texans.

Alan Ball, 30, spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville and was quietly one of the best parts of the Jaguars’ secondary. In 2013, Ball recorded a +7.5 Pro Football Focus grade in over 1,000 snaps, ranking 22nd among 110 qualified cornerbacks (subscription required). His 2014 season was cut short by a biceps injury, which landed him on injured reserve after seven games, but he still held his own in the first half of the season, recording 22 tackles and an interception.

J.T. Thomas, 27 in August, appeared in all 16 games for the Jaguars last season and made ten starts. In total, he had a career-high 85 tackles to go with five pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t all that impressed with Thomas’ play in 2014, giving him an overall grade of -16.1, placing him as one of the worst inside linebackers in the NFL.

Jordan Todman played for Jacksonville from 2012 through 2014, totaling 450 rushing yards on 111 carries and 314 receiving yards on 40 catches during his 33 games with the Jags. The Panthers inked him a one-year deal in late March.

Just days ago the Jaguars released Ace Sanders, a player who once looked like he could be a focal point of the team’s offense. The 23-year-old, selected 101st overall in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Jaguars, had a decent rookie season, hauling in 51 balls, though he only averaged 9.5 yards per catch and reached the end zone just once. However, Sanders wasn’t a major part of the offense last season, after Jacksonville used multiple 2014 draft picks to add receiving help. Sanders saw just seven targets in 2014, earning most of his playing time on special teams, where he returned 32 punts, averaging 7.1 yards per return.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 104; S James Sample) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 229; TE Ben Koyack) from the Jets in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 103; QB Bryce Petty).

Extensions/Restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-3: Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB (Florida): Signed
  • 2-36: T.J. Yeldon, RB (Alabama): Signed
  • 3-67: A.J. Cann, OL (South Carolina): Signed
  • 4-104: James Sample, S (Louisville): Signed
  • 5-139: Rashad Greene, WR (Florida State): Signed
  • 6-180: Michael Bennett, DT (Ohio State): Signed
  • 7-220: Neal Sterling, WR (Monmouth): Signed
  • 7-229: Ben Koyack, TE (Notre Dame): Signed

At No. 3 overall, the Jaguars grabbed the most gifted edge rusher in the draft in Florida’s Dante Fowler. Unfortunately, Jags fans will have to wait a while to see their rising star after Fowler suffered an ACL tear in his first practice. Fowler notched 15 sacks last season and finished his three-year Gators career with 33. Picking No. 3 for the second straight year, the Jaguars were counting on Fowler to elevate their pass pursuit. Jacksonville boasted the seventh-best sack total in the league last season with 45 but finished 22nd in pass defense.

In the second round, the Jags selected Alabama tailback T.J. Yeldon. Of course, the Jaguars have been disappointed by the production of Toby Gerhart and they’re hoping to reignite the running game with Yeldon. Yeldon is a tough back who has grimaced his way through a fair share of injuries in college. Mike Mayock of NFL.com pointed out that a lack of speed is the big knock on the youngster, but injuries may have played a part in that.

Other:

Greg Olson’s two-year stint with the Raiders wasn’t overly successful, with his offense finishing in the bottom five in the NFL in DVOA both years, including 30th overall in 2014. Still, Olson didn’t have a ton of talent to work with in Oakland — in 2013, Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin split time at quarterback, and this past season, second-round rookie Derek Carr took the reins, with James Jones and Andre Holmes acting as his top receivers. The Jags are hoping that he’ll click with Bortles and give them a powerful offense in the AFC South.

Doug Marrone, who led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014, narrowly missing a playoff spot, opted out of his contract following the team’s final regular season game. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 despite the fact that he’s no longer coaching the team. Many figured that Marrone already had another head coaching gig lined up but, as it turns out, that was not the case.

A day after he was cut by the Ravens following his DUI arrest, running back Bernard Pierce was claimed off waivers by the Jaguars. Last season, Pierce appeared in 13 regular season games for the Ravens, rushing for a career-low 366 yards off of 93 attempts with two touchdowns. Even with Baltimore’s backfield situation in flux, Pierce was unable to become a major part of the rushing attack, slipping down the depth chart after Justin Forsett emerged as the team’s No. 1 back.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Julius Thomas, TE: $10,300,000
  2. Jared Odrick, DL: $9,000,000
  3. Jermey Parnell, RT: $8,000,000
  4. Paul Posluszny, LB: $6,885,416
  5. Davon House, CB: $6,500,000
  6. Luke Joeckel, LT: $5,782,254
  7. Sen’Derrick Marks, DT: $5,425,000
  8. Zane Beadles, G: $5,000,000
  9. Chris Clemons, DE: $5,000,000
  10. Blake Bortles, QB: $4,694,273

Can the Jaguars turn things around after going 3-13 last season? Much of that will depend on the growth of rising sophomore Bortles, but then again, few quarterbacks could have thrived behind the Jaguars’ weak offensive line last season. Defensively, a big season out of Sen’Derrick Marks plus strong play from new pickup Odrick would go a long way towards helping their cause.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Chicago Bears

July 22nd, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears were a trendy playoff pick heading into the 2014 season, but a 5-11 finish was followed by the dismissal of both general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman. Now, Chicago might be entering rebuilding mode, though they did use free agency to bring in several interesting players.

Notable signings:

There’s no doubting that Eddie Royal is a solid football player — he was excellent out of the slot for the Chargers last season, catching 72 passes for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. And while his $5MM annual salary isn’t all that exorbitant (although it’s higher than Julian Edelman, for example, and equal to that of Emmanuel Sanders), it’s pretty surprising that the Bears handed Royal $10MM in guarantees. That’s more than Torrey Smith, who is widely regarded as a superior pass-catcher, garnered, and it ranks 16th among all receivers (not counting rookie deals). It might seem like Royal has been around forever, but he just turned 29, so perhaps his relative youth helped him score this contract, but I have a hard time believing many other clubs would have agreed to this deal. Chicago must be certain that the Royal/Jay Cutler relationship is strong enough to post positive results over the next three years.

Making the Royal deal all the more surprising is the fact that he got more guaranteed money than the Bears’ true free agent prize, pass-rusher Pernell McPhee. It’s hard to even label McPhee with a position, as we’ve seen him get after the quarterback from all along the defensive line and several linebacker positions, and it will be interesting to see where new Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio asks 26-year-old line up. It’s a little hard to believe that while his total contract is valued at nearly $40MM, McPhee was only able to secure $8.75MM in guarantees. That could have something to do with his relative lack of experience, as 2014 was the first season that he topped 600 snaps on defense. We’ve seen other defensive players leave Baltimore via free agency and tank before, but the Bears certainly have high hopes for McPhee, who ranked as the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Elsewhere on the defensive side of the ball, the Bears added veteran safety Antrel Rolle, inking the former Giant to a three-year deal. Chicago ranked 29th in DVOA against the pass last season, running out the likes of Chris Conte for extended stretches of time. At age 32, Rolle probably isn’t the same player that he was during his early career in Arizona or his first few seasons in New York, but he should add a level of stability to Chicago’s back end that it hasn’t had in recent years. He’ll also act as a complement, and perhaps mentor, to second-year pro Brock Vereen, the projected starter at free safety.

Rolle wasn’t the only experienced defensive back signed by the Bears this offseason, as they also brought in cornerback Alan Ball, who spent the last two years in Jacksonville. He isn’t a star (PFF rated him as the No. 40 CB in ’14), but like Rolle, he’ll bring a level of competency a Chicago defense that sorely needs it. During the offseason, some around the league had said that the Bears’ defense was so poor last year that they might need 10 new starters (with Kyle Fuller being safe). Given the presence of Fuller and Tim Jennings, Ball won’t be on those new starters, but he will be an insurance option if something happens to the top two corners.

Outside of those four signings, the Bears didn’t do all that much in free agency. However, I was particularly impressed by new general manager Ryan Pace‘s use of the minimum salary benefit to bring in players who could contribute at a low cost. Sam Acho, for instance, could turn out to be a valuable addition, as the 26-year-old former Cardinal is capable of playing either inside or outside linebacker. Mason Foster, also only 26 years old, has four years experience as a starting middle linebacker. Will Montgomery ranked as the league’s 15th-best center per PFF last year despite playing less than 600 snaps. Those were my three favorite MSB additions, but it’s not impossible that players such as Jacquizz Rodgers, Tracy Porter, or Daniel Thomas could contribute something in 2015, as well. Pace was able to bring in a bevy of high-quality role players who won’t embarrass themselves if thrust into increased playing time, and did so while handing out less than $600K in guarantees.

Notable losses:

The Bears didn’t seem to make much of an effort to re-sign Stephen Paea, as the defensive lineman told reporters when he signed with Washington that he chose the nation’s capital over Dallas, Detroit, and Tampa, with no mention of Chicago. The 26-year-old graded as the No. 11 DT in the league according to PFF, and given that he’s earning just slightly more annually than Eddie Royal, I wonder if the Bears would have been wiser to spend that ~$5MM per year on Paea. Although he’s only played defensive tackle thus far in his career, the 6’1″, 300-pounder has the size to play 3-4 end (and it’s the role he’ll play in Washington).

Sentimentally, Chicago lost two of its most beloved defenders, linebacker Lance Briggs (who remains unsigned) and cornerback Charles Tillman (who joined the Panthers). Briggs, 34, played in only eight games last season but was the Bears’ third-best defender per PFF, while Tillman appeared in just two games before injuring his triceps. It makes sense that neither was retained given that the club is going younger on defense, but I wonder if Briggs might be an option later in training if Vic Fangio is unhappy with his crop of inside linebackers.

Another long-time Bear — center Roberto Garza — was released in April despite having signed a one-year extension in December. The pact was inked by the club’s regime, so it’s clear that Ryan Pace & Co. didn’t value Garza at the same level. Garza, 36, had been with the Bears since the 2005 season, playing 154 regular season contests (145 starts) during that stretch, primarily at center and right guard. Chicago also declined to bring back fellow center Brian De La Puente, who had a very successful season in ’14 during which he saw 501 snaps, mostly while filling in at center for Garza during the early portion of the year. De La Puente is only 30 years old and had to surprisingly accept a one-year deal for the minimum salary benefit last offseason, and he remains unsigned as of this writing.

Safety Chris Conte offered youth (he’s entering his age-26 season) and experience (more than 600 snaps in each of his first three seasons), but he’s dealt with shoulder injuries throughout his career and has produced at merely an average level. In 2014, Conte graded as the No. 63 safety among 87 qualifiers per PFF. He’d been better than that in the two seasons prior, but he’s always been in the middle of the pack relative to his peers. The Bears moved on, adding the veteran Antrel Rolle as a replacement, while Conte followed ex-Bears HC Lovie Smith to Tampa Bay.

Josh Morgan actually played a decent number of snaps while acting as Chicago’s third receiver last season, but the team added Kevin White in the draft and will hope that Marquess Wilson will take the next step and supplant Morgan, who signed with the Saints. The only notable departure who saw more than 400 snaps was inside linebacker D.J. Williams, who, at age 33 and having dealt with multiple injuries in recent years, might be nearing the end of his NFL run.

 Trades:

The Bears didn’t move around at all during the draft, but they did swing a trade near the beginning of the league year, shipping veteran receiver Brandon Marshall to the Jets. Marshall was among the NFL’s best receivers as recently as 2013, but last season saw him catch just 61 passes for 721 yards, and he missed the final three games with broken ribs. The 31-year-old was due a 2015 base salary of $7.5MM and scheduled to count $9.575MM against the cap.

Marshall’s 2015 salary was set to become guaranteed on the third day of the 2015 league year, so Chicago was forced to quickly make a deal to clear his that total. The club will carry $5.625MM in dead money this year as a result of the trade.

Draft picks:

  • 1-7: Kevin White, WR (West Virginia): Signed
  • 2-39: Eddie Goldman, DT (Florida State): Signed
  • 3-71: Hroniss Grasu, OL (Oregon): Signed
  • 4-106: Jeremy Langford, RB (Michigan State): Signed
  • 5-142: Adrian Amos, S (Penn State): Signed
  • 6-183: Tayo Fabuluje, T (TCU): Signed

Kevin White and Eddie Goldman, Chicago’s top two selections, will be counted on to start almost immediately, with White replacing the production of Brandon Marshall, and Goldman pushing Will Sutton for snaps at nose tackle. It remains to be seen how White will acclimate to the NFL; there’s no doubting his speed and/or raw ability, but some wonder if he’ll need some time to refine his game.

Hroniss Grassu, like Goldman, will have to compete for snaps with Will Montgomery, and the veteran probably has the edge here, though Grassu could also act as insurance at guard in case Matt Slauson suffers another injury. Jeremy Langford will join Ka’Deem Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Daniel Thomas in the race to back up Matt Forte, and most think Langford has the most long-term value of that group.

Other:

Phil Emery‘s run as the Bears’ general manager — highlighted by the ill-advised seven-year extension handed to Jay Cutler — officially came to end in December, and the team fired head coach Marc Trestman on the same day. Though the duo had fielded a largely successful club in 2013, 2014 saw number of issues — discord among players, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer throwing Cutler under the bus, failed signings such as Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston — come to the forefront, leading the pair to be ousted after only two years on the job.

To replace Emery, the Bears settled on former Saints executive Ryan Pace as their new GM after a search that saw Chicago meet with Chris Ballard of the Chiefs, Brian Gaine of the Dolphins, and Lake Dawson of the Titans. At 37, Pace becomes the youngest general manager in the league. It was fair to wonder if Pace would employ the same sort of contract structures in Chicago that often led the Saints to having little or no cap space, but given that Pace’s title was player personnel director, he probably doesn’t deserve blame for New Orleans’ cap woes.

Aside from the Broncos, the Bears interviewed the fewest candidates of any club searching for a new head coach. Chicago was one of only two teams who were replacing its general manager in addition to its HC, so it’s possible they wanted to have Pace in place before getting too deep into its coaching hunt. But it’s also conceivable the Bears simply got lucky, as just four days after Denver parted ways with John Fox, Chicago scooped him up, signing the 60-year-old to a four-year contract. Fox, entering his 14th season as an NFL head coach, will bring Adam Gase with him from Denver to head up the offense, while adding former 49ers DC Vic Fangio to lead the defense (and shift to a 3-4 scheme).

The one true black mark of Chicago’s offseason was the signing of defensive end Ray McDonald, who had already been in legal trouble twice (domestic violence and sexual assault) before joining the Bears. Financially, it was a no-risk signing for the club, but the optics could not have been worse. The public relations backlash only increased when McDonald was arrested again just two months after inking his contract, this time on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment. Chicago released McDonald almost immediately, but the reaction following the incident was clear — Pace had made the first big mistake of his tenure.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Jay Cutler, QB: $16,500,000
  2. Jared Allen, DE/OLB: $12,500,000
  3. Matt Forte, RB: $9,200,000
  4. Jermon Bushrod, LT: $8,050,000
  5. Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB: $6,990,000
  6. Pernell McPhee, OLB: $6,675,000
  7. Martellus Bennett, TE: $6,125,000
  8. Brandon Marshall, WR: $5,625,000 (dead money)
  9. Eddie Royal, WR: $5,500,000
  10. Tim Jennings, CB: $5,250,000

2014 will probably be something of a rebuilding year for the Bears. Turnarounds can happen quickly in the NFL, and given that Chicago hired a veteran coach in John Fox, it’s probably aiming to be in contention again in the very near future. But with three other solid teams in the division, it’s quite possible that the Bears are cellar-dwellers once again, barring vast improvement on the part of either Jay Cutler or the defense as a whole.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Detroit Lions

July 20th, 2015 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions had 23 free agents and only $18.44MM worth of cap space this offseason, leading to some tough choices over the spring. Their limited space also meant saying farewell to a defensive superstar.

Notable signings:

The Lions had to kiss a lot of frogs before finding their kicking prince in 2014. Eventually, they settled on Matt Prater and locked him up to a three-year extension worth $9MM. Prater, 30, began the 2014 season by serving a four-game suspension in Denver for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and was ultimately cut by the Broncos, ending a seven-year tenure with the club. After signing with the Lions, Prater was a little shaky in his first few games, but settled down and ended up making 21 of 26 field goal attempts. In 2013, he was a Pro Bowler, making all but one of 26 field goal attempts for the Broncos.

Back in February, Lions GM Martin Mayhew said that he would like to retain Mathis for the 2015 season and praised Mathis’ “position versatility.” In mid-March, he was able to check that off on his offseason to-do list. In 2014, Mathis started all 16 regular season games for the Lions, finishing with 54 total tackles, one interception for a touchdown, and two forced fumbles. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed him as the 12th best cornerback in the entire NFL last season with an overall score of 9.1. For reference, that posting put him ahead of such notables as Chris Culliver, Brandon Flowers, Aqib Talib, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Before the start of free agency, the Lions locked up both of Matthew Stafford‘s backups – Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore. Orlovsky, 31, didn’t see game action in 2014, as Stafford stayed healthy for the whole season. The former Buccaneer last played in a regular season game in 2012 for Tampa Bay. Moore, 25, didn’t come close to appearing in a regular-season game for the Lions in 2014, and has yet to appear in a game during his three-year NFL career. However, the team was likely impressed by his performance during the preseason last year — Moore completed 35 of 51 passes for 361 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions during those exhibition games, with a passer rating of 108.4.

Isa Abdul-Quddus isn’t a big-name player, but as Birkett notes, he’s a valuable backup and a key player on special teams, where he racked up five tackles. He did end up starting four games last season, and posted 22 total tackles on the year. The Lions originally claimed the 25-year-old off waivers from the Saints last February.

Linebacker Josh Bynes, a restricted free agent, was not tendered an offer by the Lions, but he was re-signed at a lower rate. The 25-year-old appeared in 26 games for the Ravens from 2011 through 2014 and made nine starts along the way. He began the season on the Ravens’ taxi squad, but the Lions signed him to their active roster in late September.

Wide receiver Greg Salas, a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2011, has bounced around the league a bit over the years but hopes to have a longer stay with the Lions. Over the course of his four-year NFL career, the 26-year-old has accumulated 43 receptions, including eight last year for New York — most of those catches came in Salas’ rookie season, when he hauled in 27 balls for the Rams.

Notable losses:

All season long, the possible departure of Ndamukong Suh hovered over Ford Field like a dark cloud. In March, what many viewed as the inevitable took place when Suh inked a lucrative free agent deal elsewhere. The good news for the Lions is that they won’t have to see a whole lot of their former start defensive tackle since he signed on with the AFC’s Dolphins. By PFF’s count, Suh racked up 72 total quarterback pressures in 2013, well ahead of any other DT besides Gerald McCoy, and he generated 57 quarterback pressures in 2014, tops in the league among defensive tackles. Another notable name, who we’ll get to in a bit, will now be charged with stuffing the run in Detroit.

Suh was the most notable defensive tackle to leave the Lions this offseason, but he wasn’t the only one. Nick Fairley inked a one-year deal with the Rams that will pay him a base of $5MM with incentives that can take him up to $7.5MM. Fairley had his 2014 season derailed by injuries, but he was very effective when healthy, as evidence by the widespread interest in him in March. A former 13th overall pick, Fairley had his best season in 2013, when he recorded 35 tackles and six sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles. Despite that impressive showing, the Lions elected not to exercise his relatively inexpensive ($5.477MM) fifth-year option for the 2015 season, allowing him to reach free agency.

Reggie Bush, 30, spent the last two seasons in Detroit. The former second overall pick had an excellent season in 2013, racking up more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in just 14 games, establishing a new career high. However, he was plagued by injuries in 2014, and wasn’t overly effective when he did play. Overall, Bush accumulated just 297 yards on the ground and another 253 through the air in 11 games. Having inked a four-year, $16MM contract two years ago, Bush had been under contract through the 2016 season. A total of $3.556MM in dead money will now count toward the Lions’ cap in 2015.

Joining Suh in Miami will be defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, who hooked on just last month. Although he wasn’t as coveted a free agent as his ex-Lions teammate, Mosley was a solid contributor in Detroit last season as well. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked him 26th out of 81 qualified defensive tackles, viewing him as slightly above average against both the pass and the run.

Over the years, Dominic Raiola became synonymous with two things: the Detroit Lions and dirty play. He’ll no longer be a part of the former in 2015 and it’s not clear if he’ll get a chance to show off the latter anywhere else. The veteran center was not re-signed as 2014 third-rounder Travis Swanson appears poised to take over the position.

Rob Sims, 31, helped give the Lions stability at left guard when he joined the team in 2010. Now, after his contract lapsed, he’s still looking for work. The veteran struggled early on in 2014 as he continued to recover from offseason injuries. He allowed two sacks against the Bills in Week 5 and garnered a negative grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in half of the Lions’ first ten games. But once his injuries started to get behind him, Sims played well down the stretch. Starting in Week 11 against the Cardinals Sims earned a positive grade from PFF in every game.

Andre Fluellen, 30, spent nearly all of his career with the Lions since being drafted by the team in the third round back in 2008. However, he never played a significant role in Detroit, acting as a part-time contributor over the course of 77 career games (75 with Detroit). In 2014, Fluellen recorded 10 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in 183 defensive snaps. We’ll have to see if he takes on a bigger role with the Bills in 2015.

Trades:

  • Acquired DT Haloti Ngata and a 2015 seventh-round pick from the Ravens in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2015 fifth-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Buccaneers in exchange for DE George Johnson (RFA) and a 2015 seventh-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 28; G Laken Tomlinson), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 143), a 2016 fifth-round pick, and OL Manny Ramirez from the Broncos in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 23; DE/OLB Shane Ray).
  • Acquired a a 2015 third-round pick (No. 80; CB Alex Carter) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 88; DE Danielle Hunter) and a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 143; TE MyCole Pruitt).
  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 113; DT Gabe Wright) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2016 third-round pick.

The Lions lost the heart and soul of their defense to free agency this offseason but they moved quickly to find a replacement. The Ravens expressed optimism they would be able to retain the 31-year-old Haloti Ngata via some sort of contract restructure involving either an extension or a pay reduction, but that was not the case. On March 10th, Detroit received Ngata and a seventh-round pick while sending a fourth- and fifth-round pick to the Ravens. Ngata is reuniting with Teryl Austin, Detroit’s defensive coordinator, who previously coached in Baltimore. The Lions will assume Ngata’s base salary of $8.5MM for the upcoming season. The nine-year veteran has started 133 games in his career, accruing 25.5 sacks.

Defensive end George Johnson tried to make the case that he should be classified as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but his battle fell short when the NFLPA eventually saw things Detroit’s way. As a restricted free agent, many expected that he would stay put in Detroit. The 27-year-old carved out a role for himself as the preferred bookend off of the bench in 2014 and the Bucs took notice, inking him to a three-year, $9MM deal. The pact included de-escalators for years two and three and the Lions initially disputed the offer sheet, saying that they were unclear on what exactly they had to match. Rather than get an arbitrator involved, the two sides agreed to a deal in which Detroit received a fifth-round choice for the defensive end.

Draft day was incredibly slow in terms of trades but the Lions made a move in the first round that armed them with multiple picks plus a veteran offensive lineman in Manny Ramirez. The Broncos were smitten with linebacker Shane Ray and when he fell to Detroit at No. 23, Denver came calling. The Lions grabbed guard Laken Tomlinson at No. 28.

Extensions and restructures:

Draft picks:

  • 1-28: Laken Tomlinson, G (Duke): Signed
  • 2-54: Ameer Abdullah, RB (Nebraska): Signed
  • 3-80: Alex Carter, CB (Stanford): Signed
  • 4-113: Gabe Wright, DT (Auburn): Signed
  • 5-168: Michael Burton, FB (Rutgers): Signed
  • 6-200: Quandre Diggs, CB (Texas): Signed
  • 7-240: Corey Robinson, T (South Carolina): Signed

By drafting Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, the Lions got themselves a very capable replacement for Rob Sims at left guard. The Duke standout started all four years in college and hasn’t allowed a sack in the last two seasons. Tomlinson was widely pegged as a second-round guy, but late in the first round was hardly a stretch for him. In his draft profile on Tomlinson, Mike Mayock of NFL.com cited his lack of range and athleticism as a concern.

In the second round, the Lions found someone to help replenish the running back chart and potentially overtake Joique Bell as the No. 1 guy. Last year, Bell ran for 860 yards and seven TDs and showed that he can move the chains, even with a weak offensive line. Bell will probably be the Week 1 starter, but Abdullah could see more carries come his way as the season goes on.

Other:

In March, Mayhew expressed some uncertainty about Riley Reiff’s option, but it would’ve been a huge surprise if the club had actually declined the option. In April, they did what we all knew they would do. By exercising Reiff’s fifth-year option, the Lions extended the 26-year-old’s rookie contract by one year, keeping him locked up through the 2016 season. In 2014, Reiff’s Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) placed him in a tie for 23rd out of 84 qualified offensive tackles.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Calvin Johnson, WR: $20,558,000
  2. Matthew Stafford, QB: $17,721,250
  3. Ndamukong Suh, DT: $9,737,500 (dead money)
  4. Haloti Ngata, DT: $8,500,000
  5. Stephen Tulloch, LB: $5,800,000
  6. Golden Tate, WR: $5,350,000
  7. Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $5,071,228
  8. DeAndre Levy, LB: $4,500,000
  9. Jason Jones, DE: $3,983,334
  10. Chris Houston, CB: $3,900,000 (dead money)

After finishing 11-5 and securing a Wild Card in 2014, the Lions will look to take a step forward in 2015 and overtake the Packers for the divisional crown. The big question is, how will their defense fair without one of the league’s most tenacious lineman?

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

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