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Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles

July 6th, 2015 at 9:32pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ve seen some teams shake things up in the offseason, but few teams have undergone the kind of overhaul that the Eagles have. Coach Chip Kelly secured complete control in the front office and we’re all waiting to see whether he’s crazy, a genius, or some mixture of both.

Notable signings:

Byron Maxwell was widely viewed as the best FA corner available and ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list. The 27-year-old enjoyed his first season as full-time starter for the Seahawks in 2014, starting 12 games as Seattle made it second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles were long seen as the favorites to land Maxwell and they were able to go wire-to-wire to land him as the Jets, another possible suitor, were zeroed in on a reunion with Darrelle Revis. At $63MM over six years with $25MM fully guaranteed, it’s very possible that Maxwell was an overpay. However, the Eagles believe that he will be a significant upgrade over Cary Williams, who was cut loose. Interesting note on that front, however: Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t see a big difference between Maxwell and Williams in 2014. Maxwell finished the year with a -0.2 overall grade, good for 45th amongst corners. Williams, meanwhile, finished with a -1.0 score, putting him 49th amongst all corners. In short, both players were painted as average corners by the advanced metrics. He’ll be joined in the secondary by Walter Thurmond, who apparently was not thrilled with the Giants’ medical care. Thurmond will be making the switch to safety, a transition he says he can make comfortably.

DeMarco Murray (vertical)

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Did DeMarco Murray put too many miles on his odometer during his brilliant 2014 campaign? Kelly certainly doesn’t think so. There were many teams who were linked to the former Cowboys star throughout the year, but no one expected the Eagles to get heavily into the mix and come away signing him. Murray, who has struggled with injuries in years past, put it all together in 2014 for his best campaign yet. The 27-year-old ran for 1,845 yards and 13 scores with 2,261 all-purpose yards. After a season in which he showed that he can stay healthy, produce (4.7 YPC), and work at a nearly unprecedented rate, Murray hit the open market as the top RB available. The advanced numbers also showed that Murray was also at the top of the heap last season. Pro Football Focus‘ numbers (subscription required) resulted in an overall score of 15.2, placing him fifth amongst all tailbacks in 2014. His lack of meaningful production in the passing game, fumbles, and below average blocking were his only real demerits. Can Murray repeat his ’14 performance? Or, at the very least, can he do better than the guy he’s replacing? (More on that later.)

Before the Murray signing, the Eagles added Ryan Mathews and, at the time, it appeared that he would be the new No. 1 back in Philadelphia. Once Murray was inked, many wonders if Mathews would wind up elsewhere or, at the very least, reworking the performance-based incentives in his contract. At the end of the day, Mathews stayed and he’s now slated to work in tandem with Murray and Darren Sproles. Considered an injury-prone player for the first three seasons of his career, Mathews finally stayed healthy and put it all together for the Chargers in 2013, rushing for a career-high 1,255 yards. He was unable to keep that run of good health going in 2014 though, playing just eight games for San Diego due to injuries. The former 12th overall pick can be one of the league’s best backs when he’s at 100% and he could help form a lethal three-headed backfield if he stays healthy.

Now, the question is, who will be handing the ball off to those backs? Well, one possibility is Mark Sanchez, who was re-signed to a two-year contract worth $9MM with $5.5MM guaranteed. Sanchez played nine games for the Eagles in 2014, with mixed results. He completed over 64% of his passes, averaging 268 yards per game with a 14 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio. Sanchez, a former No. 5 overall pick, will duke it out with a former No. 1 overall pick to be the team’s starting signal caller. Tim Tebow is also on the depth chart, though he is considered to be the fourth quarterback at this time.

If Murray ever finds himself homesick, he turn to Miles Austin for some familiarity. Austin, of course, isn’t the same sort of impact player Murray is at this stage of his career, but he had a decent bounce-back season in Cleveland last year. In 2014, Austin caught 47 balls for 568 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. The 30-year-old has racked up 348 catches for more than 5,000 yards during his nine-year NFL career, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Cowboys. Of course, he has also missed a ton of time due to injuries in recent years.

After some offseason deliberations between offers from the Eagles and Giants, linebacker Brandon Graham ultimately opted to remain in Philly. In February, Graham was said to be seeking a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $30MM, with $20MM in guaranteed money. Ultimately, he settled for less, but still got $14MM guaranteed on a $26MM pact. The 21-year-old recorded 5.5 sacks and 46 total tackles in 2014. The former first-round choice has moved around a bit in the front seven over the years, having seen time at defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker. Last season, he played the bulk of his snaps at outside linebacker and enjoyed his best season to date. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed him as the third best OLB in a 3-4 set last season. PFF was also high on Graham in 2013, ranking him as the 15th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Notable losses:

The Eagles and Evan Mathis were wrestling over a contract dispute all offseason long until the situation reached a rather surprising conclusion. Many expected that Mathis and the Eagles would eventually reach a compromise or that the guard would find a suitable trade after he was given permission to seek one out. Instead, the Eagles simply decided to cut Mathis loose in June. Mathis, of course, is considered one of the league’s best guards. In 2014, despite playing just 608 offensive snaps, the former third-round pick ranked as the league’s best left guard, performing particularly well as a run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF had previously graded Mathis as the NFL’s No. 1 guard in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The veteran continues to look for his next NFL home.

We may never know the real inner workings of the negotiations between Jeremy Maclin and the Eagles, but it didn’t seem like Philly put up much of a fight to retain him in March. Maclin, coming off a breakout season in which he caught 85 passes for more than 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns, was quickly scooped up by the Chiefs, who gave him a five-year, $55MM deal with $22.5MM fully guaranteed.

Despite initially engaging in discussions to keep him around on a reworked contract, the Eagles opted to part ways with Trent Cole in early March. Cole, 32, was a fixture on the Eagles’ defense since being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. During his 10 years in Philadelphia, Cole played 155 games (145 starts), racking up 85.5 sacks, 569 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles. However, after posting six consecutive seasons with eight or more sacks from 2006 to 2011, Cole’s production fell off — he has recorded just 17.5 sacks since 2012. Cole eventually wound up hooking on with the Colts on a two-year, $16MM deal with $8MM guaranteed. Graham will now be counted on to supply the production in Cole’s absence.

Byron Maxwell came east to join the Eagles and Cary Williams switched places with him, joining the Legion of Boom in Seattle. The 30-year-old Williams started all 16 games in each of the past three seasons but he was probably miscast as a No. 1 corner with the Eagles. Williams can earn $18MM over three seasons on his new deal with the Seahawks and he won’t have to pay state income tax either.

Nate Allen started 15 games for the Eagles last season at safety, racking up 62 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass deflections, and a sack. Allen had a pretty solid year in 2014, finishing out with a 3.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), good for 28th out of 87 qualified safeties. Still, as expected, the Eagles let him go in free agency.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Bradley Fletcher as the 92nd best cornerback last season out of 108 qualified players at the position. That doesn’t make Fletcher sound like much of a corner, but was much better in 2013 when he ranked 44th out of 110 players at the position. The Eagles didn’t have the patience to find out of he could get back to his old form, but the Pats decided to roll the dice.

Long before Mathis was shown the door, the Eagles did the same with fellow offensive lineman Todd Herremans. Over the course of the last decade, the 10-year veteran has appeared in 127 games for the Eagles, starting 124 of them at every spot besides center on the offensive line. In recent years, Herremans had served as Philadelphia’s right guard or right tackle, though his 2014 campaign came to an early end due to a biceps injury.

Extensions and restructures:

DeMeco Ryans’ 2014 season came to an early end when he suffered a torn Achilles and landed on the injured reserve list. In the eight games he played for the Eagles, he logged 45 tackles, recovered a fumble, and grabbed an interception. Ryans saw his deal extended by one season, even though the Eagles didn’t seem to necessarily need him in the wake of one of their biggest offseason moves. Ryans’ 2014 season came to an early end when he suffered a torn Achilles and landed on the injured reserve list. In the eight games he played for the Eagles, he logged 45 tackles, recovered a fumble, and grabbed an interception.

Trades:

  • Acquired LB Kiko Alonso from the Bills in exchange for RB LeSean McCoy.
  • Acquired QB Sam Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams in exchange for QB Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Eagles will acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick if Bradford plays less than 50% of Philadelphia’s snaps in 2015, or a 2016 third-round pick if Bradford doesn’t play at all in 2015 due to injury.
  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 47; DB Eric Rowe) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 191; CB JaCorey Shepherd) from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 52; DT Jordan Phillips), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 145; CB Bobby McCain), and a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 156; CB Tony Lippett).
  • Acquired a 2016 third-round pick from the Lions in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 113; DT Gabe Wright).

The trade of star running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso will go down as one of the most surprising moves of the 2015 offseason and also as the trade that nearly broke PFR. There were rumblings of discord between Kelly and McCoy, but few saw a deal like this coming.

McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013 but he still had a very productive season in terms of traditional stats, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. The advanced metrics, meanwhile, show a much sharper contrast between the two campaigns. In 2013, McCoy was rated as the very best tailback in football according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), racking up a 27.3 overall rating which was more than 8 points higher than the runner-up, Jamaal Charles. In 2014, however, McCoy was near the bottom of all qualified tailbacks with a fairly terrible -9.3 grade thanks in large part to his poor showing in the passing game.

Alonso, 25 in August, didn’t see the field in 2014 after tearing his ACL in July of 2014. After being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, Alonso finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 87 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. PFF (subscription required) rated Alonso as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in his rookie season. Because Alonso spent the year on the NFI (non-football injury) list, he’ll only be a restricted free agent after 2016. He’s also significantly cheaper than McCoy, which gave Kelly some additional breathing room this spring.

Right around the start of free agency, the Eagles shipped Nick Foles to the Rams in exchange for former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford. Surprisingly, it was the Eagles who gave up more in draft compensation to make the swap happen. Foles had his 2014 season ended prematurely by a collar bone injury, but he’s not that far removed from his impressive 2013 run. Bradford, of course, has battled injuries over the past two seasons, including an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his last full season, the former first-overall pick threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. During that 2012 campaign, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Bradford 21st among 38 quarterback candidates. Soon after, it was rumored that the Eagles were dangling Bradford in an effort trade up to the No. 2 pick to grab Oregon star Marcus Mariota. Ultimately, the Titans stood pat and the Eagles are now set to roll with either Sanchez or Bradford as their No. 1 QB. The Eagles are reportedly considering an extension with Bradford as well.

Draft picks:

  • 1-20: Nelson Agholor, WR (USC): Signed
  • 2-47: Eric Rowe, CB (Utah): Signed
  • 3-84: Jordan Hicks, ILB (Texas): Signed
  • 6-191: JaCorey Shepherd, CB (Kansas): Signed
  • 6-196: Randall Evans, CB (Kansas State): Signed
  • 7-237: Brian Mihalik, DE (Boston College): Signed

Nelson Agholor was a fast riser in the draft and he found his way up to No. 20 where the Eagles were selecting. The 6’0″ USC product has drawn comparisons to Jeremy Maclin for his sharp route running and also has pretty advanced hands. Agholor could prove to be a major weapon for whomever is under center for the Eagles in 2015 and also figures to make an impact in the return game.

Other:

  • Announced new front office roles for Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman, with Kelly taking over the club’s personnel department.
  • Promoted Ed Marynowitz to vice president of player personnel.
  • Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for DE Fletcher Cox ($7.799MM).
  • Rescinded RFA tender to RB Chris Polk.
  • Signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

In January it was announced that Howie Roseman would be elevated to the role of executive vice president of football operations with Kelly now officially overseeing the player personnel department. Of course, the term “elevated” isn’t 100% accurate with Kelly having final say over everything regarding the roster. Ed Marynowitz was promoted from assistant director of player personnel to the team’s vice president of player personnel. For what it’s worth, he says that everyone’s roles are well defined.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Sam Bradford, QB: $12,985,000
  2. Jason Peters, LT: $9,050,000
  3. Byron Maxwell, CB: $8,700,000
  4. Connor Barwin, OLB: $7,000,000
  5. Brandon Graham, OLB: $6,000,000
  6. Malcolm Jenkins, S: $5,666,666
  7. Lane Johnson, RT: $5,225,974
  8. DeMarco Murray, RB: $5,000,000
  9. Brent Celek, TE: $4,800,000
  10. Riley Cooper, WR: $4,800,000

Crazy? Genius? Both? We can’t wait to find out.

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

Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins

July 6th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Rob DiRe

After being a staple in the playoffs for roughly the entire history of the franchise, the Dolphins have only one playoff appearance since 2001, including six consecutive seasons without a winning record. It finally feels like the Dolphins have the quarterback in place to make a run at the division – and it doesn’t hurt that their biggest competition might be missing theirs – and their offseason centered around winning the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes. However, Miami did much more than just that to put itself in a position to make a run at the playoffs, and the team might not be finished just yet.

Notable signings:

The numbers speak for themselves: Six years, $114.375MM. $59.955MM guaranteed. LeBron James makes it hard to say that Suh is hand down the biggest free agent South Beach ever drew, and Giancarlo Stanton’s contract overshadows Suh’s, but the Dolphins made a very large move for a very large man. No matter which direction this team goes, Suh will get the lion’s share of the credit (or blame), at least on the defensive side of the ball. His detractors will note that he isn’t as good as J.J. Watt, but you could argue Suh is the best player to hit free agency in the prime of his career since Reggie White, and he got paid like it.

It’s a big gamble to devote that many precious cap dollars to one player, but Suh is a true difference maker on the defensive line. He’s a stout run defender, and he’s among the best in the league at rushing the passer from the interior — he has the talent to live up to that massive contract.

Suh wasn’t the only defensive tackle the Dolphins added. They also signed his former Lions’ teammate C.J. Mosley, who was thought by many to be a lock to return to Detroit in an increased role. Instead, Mosley should provide cheap insurance for the Dolphins in case Suh misses time, and he should also fit nicely in a rotation that can’t afford to be that deep with all the resources devoted to Suh. The team also spent a second-round pick on one of the top college nose tackles, but we’ll get to that later.

The Dolphins traded Mike Wallace and replaced him with veteran Greg Jennings. Charles Clay signed an offer sheet with the Bills and the Dolphins declined to match the offer, instead signing Jordan Cameron as a replacement. The club also took a flier on LaMichael James to complement Lamar Miller, in the role Knowshon Moreno was supposed to fill before going down with injury last year.

In addition to the holes they made sure to fill, the Dolphins also added J.D. Walton and Jason Fox along the offensive line. Both players are likely to provide depth, each bringing six years of NFL experience that could prove extremely helpful considering the recent struggles along the offensive line. Louis Delmas, Brice McCain, and Zackary Bowman should all provide similar depth along a thin defensive backfield, and if all goes right they should see the field plenty with a chance to have an impact.

One more notable name Miami brought in was Josh Freeman, who may have a chance to stick on the roster if he has a strong preseason and flashes the upside that made him a first-round pick to begin with. However, keeping Matt Moore in the fold was much more important, as he’s considered to be a high-end backup capable of steering the ship in the event of an unfortunate injury to Ryan Tannehill.

Notable losses:

A number of the Dolphins’ offseason losses were either expected or at least left the team indifferent, such as Philip Wheeler, Daniel Thomas, Shelley Smith, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Nate Garner, Cortland Finnegan, and Daryn Colledge, all of whom had struggled. Miami appeared happy to move on from them, and that’s a good thing, considering an 8-8 team that spent so much in free agency usually would have to part with much better players to stay under the cap.

Still, the team was forced to let go of a number of players who were still making an impact, and chief among them is Jared Odrick. Odrick was still playing at a high level, and was rewarded with a big contract of his own with the Jaguars. Suh is definitely an upgrade, but Odrick had played well in Miami for years and the decision not to re-sign him is the cost of doing business. Randy Starks is another defensive tackle who has been a staple of the Dolphins defense, but the team decided to go younger at the position behind Suh.

After that, Jimmy Wilson, R.J. Stanford, Jason Trusnik, and Jonathan Freeny are all usable players, but since they’re more or less replacement level, the Dolphins could afford to let them leave during the offseason in order to throw their resources elsewhere on the roster.

Extensions and restructures:

Tannehill is the spiritual brother to Suh on the Dolphins, in that the team’s success will be directly linked to how he plays as far as the public is concerned. He could complete 65% of his passes with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but if the Dolphins don’t make the postseason, Tannehill won’t get the respect as one of the rising stars in the league. Considering the blowback when he signed his deal, coming off a season where he completed 66% of his passes for 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, Dolphins’ fans are ready for a postseason berth.

Luckily for Tannehill, he should have the best offensive line in front of him he has had yet in his career, starting with the newly-extended Mike Pouncey, who signed a deal to keep him with the team through 2020. Pouncey will look to lead an offensive line that returns last year’s big free agent signing Branden Albert and last year’s first-round pick Ja’Wuan James, along with a pair of young guards, to keep Tannehill upright and run the ball effectively again.

Trades:

  • Acquired WR Kenny Stills from the Saints in exchange for LB Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 third-round pick.
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for WR Mike Wallace.
  • Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 52; DT Jordan Phillips), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 145; CB Bobby McCain), and a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 156; CB Tony Lippett) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 47; DB Eric Rowe) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 191; CB JaCorey Shepherd).

Trading Wallace isn’t going to hurt too much, as he was scapegoated for many of Tannehill’s struggles with the deep ball, and the team hedged against it by trading for Kenny Stills, who was one of the best in the league at hauling in deep passes during his time with Drew Brees. Getting rid of Ellerbe in the deal justifies the high price paid for Stills, and is the closest thing seen in the NFL to the NBA version of using draft picks to sweeten a salary dump.

Moving down five spots in the draft doesn’t seem like as big a move, but the two cornerbacks chosen with the fifth-round picks could go a long way to rebuilding a defensive backfield the team could have trouble filling out with all the money devoted to the defensive line and pass rushers.

Draft picks:

  • 1-14: DeVante Parker, WR (Louisville): Signed
  • 2-52: Jordan Phillips, DT (Oklahoma): Signed
  • 4-114: Jamil Douglas, G (Arizona State): Signed
  • 5-145: Bobby McCain, CB (Memphis): Signed
  • 5-149: Jay Ajayi, RB (Boise State): Signed
  • 5-150: Ced Thompson, S (Minnesota): Signed
  • 5-156: Tony Lippett, CB (Michigan State): Signed

DeVante Parker should quickly rise in the pecking order on offense, and if Stills comes through as a major deep threat but not much more, it shouldn’t be long before Parker emerges as the No. 1 wideout in Miami. Jennings may play that role early on, but he’s in the twilight of his career, and while he adds veteran value, it seems awfully optimistic to expect an 80-catch season at this stage of his career.

The more interesting selection came in round two, where the 6’5″, 329-pound Jordan Phillips comes in with an NFL-ready body who could plug in at nose tackle from day one and eat up blocks on the inside. He gives the Dolphins some flexibility with where to play Suh along the defensive line, allowing him to bump out in certain situations.

Jamil Douglas, a fourth-round pick, could be the starter at guard as a rookie, slotting in between Pro Bowlers Pouncey and Albert to ease his transition into the NFL. After that, the team was smart to take three depth pieces for the defensive backfield and an NFL-ready running back in Jay Ajayi, who was lauded for his abilities to run, catch, and block, even if his knees were red flag enough to drop him to the fifth round with the stigma that he may not survive until his second contract.

Other:

  • Hired Mike Tannenbaum as executive VP of football operations.
  • Learned DE Dion Jordan would be suspended for the entire 2015 season.
  • Claimed OL Donald Hawkins off waivers from the Cowboys.
  • Signed six players to reserve/futures contracts
  • Signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The most disappointing part of the offseason was learning that Dion Jordan would be suspended for the entire year. The Dolphins may have already given up on Jordan before last season, as they’ve reportedly tried to trade him multiple times and have either come up with no suitors or asked for too high a return. The former third overall pick missed six games due to a suspension last year, and continues to disappoint the organization and fan base that invested so much in him.

The biggest indictment on Jordan is that with Chip Kelly making personnel decisions in Philadelphia, even he wouldn’t pony up a little something for the former Oregon Duck, when it seems like the Dolphins would have given him away at a bargain rate. Even off the field, Jordan continues to be a headache for the team, and it’s not as if he was producing at a high level the few times he was playing.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Branden Albert, LT: $10,725,000
  2. Cameron Wake, DE: $10,450,000
  3. Brent Grimes, CB: $10,000,000
  4. Reshad Jones, S: $7,712,942
  5. Mike Pouncey, C: $7,000,000
  6. Mike Wallace, WR: $6,600,000 (dead money)
  7. Dannell Ellerbe, LB: $6,400,000 (dead money)
  8. Ndamukong Suh, DT: $6,100,000
  9. Ryan Tannehill, QB: $4,873,364
  10. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB: $4,682,276

The running theme of the offseason ran through the two big contracts, one for Suh and one for Tannehill. With the commitments made to those two this offseason, the Dolphins have made them the faces of the defense and offense, respectively.

Around the two stars, the team’s plan has for the most part been throwing a lot of things at the wall and hoping they stick. They should be commended for recognizing weaknesses at offensive line and defensive back, and throwing a lot of assets at those spots. However, the dangers of giving big contracts to two players can be seen in that strategy. While the team added and added to both position groups, they did so mostly with middling free agents and low-round draft picks. Hoping that one or two of these players turns into something more than a replacement-level player is a gamble, especially if the coaching staff struggles with player development.

Miami added some high-upside players early in the draft, but even those guys will grab minimal headlines early in their career. Come December, the Dolphins will either be in the playoff hunt or they won’t, and whether they are or not will likely fall on the shoulders of their two big stars.

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

Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills

July 4th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Fresh off their first winning campaign since 2004, the Bills’ offseason began with unexpected departures at head coach and quarterback. New owners Terry and Kim Pegula reacted to those exits by flexing their financial muscle in upgrading both the coaching staff and the roster. Thanks to the myriad changes the Bills have undergone from the top down, enthusiasm is in no short supply for their success-starved fans – who purchased a franchise-record 57,500 season tickets in hopes of witnessing the team end its 15-year playoff drought (an NFL worst) in 2015.

Notable signings:

The Bills set out to improve their offense via free agency after finishing 26th in the league in yardage in 2014. Their first move was to to sign guard Richie Incognito in an attempt to repair a horrible offensive line. Incognito sat out the lion’s share of 2013 and all of ’14 because of unbecoming off-field conduct with the Dolphins. To his credit, the 31-year-old was a solid lineman prior to his short-term ouster from the sport, and he shouldn’t have much trouble serving as an upgrade over the dreadful guard play Buffalo received last season.

Accompanying Incognito are a couple more familiar faces from the AFC East: ex-Dolphins tight end Charles Clay (Incognito’s former and current teammate) and erstwhile Jets receiver Percy Harvin. The latter’s production hasn’t been much to write home about since his reign as a feared playmaker with the Vikings from 2009-12 ended. Still, the more options the better, and Harvin gives the Bills a field-stretching complement to go with young star Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods – not to mention a potentially dangerous gadget for new offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

As for Clay, the Bills succeeded in stealing him from Miami, which placed the transition tag on the 26-year-old before concluding that a five-year, $38MM offer sheet was too rich for its blood. Clay broke out in 2013 with career highs in receptions (69), yards (759) and touchdowns (six). He followed that with 58 catches last season and ranked as the 14th-best tight end in the league out of 67 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Elsewhere on offense, the Bills are hoping two less-heralded additions (fullback Jerome Felton and quarterback Tyrod Taylor) pay major dividends. The Bills’ questions along the offensive line don’t bode well for their desire to build a dominant running attack, but having another capable blocker in Felton – who contributed somewhat to Adrian Peterson‘s past success – should help. And while the chances of Taylor turning into a viable starting QB after signing for a relative pittance are quite low, his odds of winning the job aren’t bad. In terms of playing style, the 25-year-old is the closest thing the Bills have to the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick – whom Roman coached in San Francisco. Moreover, the former Raven and Joe Flacco backup has a fan in new Bills coach Rex Ryan.

“I actually tried to trade for [Taylor] when I was with the Jets,” Ryan told Toronto’s SportsNet 590, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak. “I’m not gonna say he’s Russell Wilson, but he’s got a little of that in him, where he’s able to run zone reads and pull the ball down and be effective.”

The Bills don’t know what they’ll get from Taylor, but they’re confident Jerry Hughes will continue as a menacing pass rusher. Otherwise they wouldn’t have re-signed him for $45MM. Hughes, who struggled with the Colts from 2010-12, has flourished in Buffalo since joining the team in a 2013 trade. Hughes tallied 19.5 sacks the last two years while playing both defensive end and linebacker. He’ll work as a linebacker this season and should once again be a double-digit-sack threat in Ryan’s quarterback-attacking scheme.

Notable losses:

Even though he’s not the most talented player they lost during the offseason, the Bills could end up hit hardest by the departure of Kyle Orton, who retired after 10 seasons. The 32-year-old wasn’t exactly stellar last season, his only one with the Bills, but he did eclipse the 3,000-yard mark and toss 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. It’s not unreasonable to think those numbers will be superior to the ones the Bills’ QBs put up this year. It’s also not unreasonable to think the team would be in better hands right now with Orton entrenched as the starter entering training camp, as opposed to the oncoming three-man battle among Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel and Taylor. That’s less a statement of praise for Orton than an indictment of Cassel, Manuel and Taylor.

The Bills’ biggest loss as far as name recognition goes is running back C.J. Spiller, whom they let walk in free agency after he totaled just 425 yards (300 rushing, 125 receiving) and one touchdown in nine games last season. Spiller, Buffalo’s top pick in 2010, had moments of brilliance as a Bill but fell short of expectations overall. With LeSean McCoy in the fold, the Bills are unlikely to miss Spiller going forward.

Defensively, the Bills are hoping the losses of linebacker Brandon Spikes and safety Da’Norris Searcy aren’t felt. Spikes played in just 46 percent of snaps last season because of his unreliability in pass coverage, but he’s a fantastic run defender who helped the Bills go from 28th against opposing ground games in 2013 to 11th in his lone season with them. Searcy turned a breakout 2014 (65 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles) into a $24MM deal with the Titans. Without Searcy, the Bills are betting they’ll be fine at safety with a duo of Aaron Williams and Corey Graham.

Extensions and restructures:

The Bills’ lone offseason extension went to longtime defensive stalwart Kyle Williams. The four-time Pro Bowler has been a member of the Bills since they drafted him in 2006 and, if he sees his extension through, will be with them for at least three more seasons. Williams is entering his age-33 season but hasn’t shown signs of decline, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him seventh out of 81 qualifying D-tackles in 2014. He’ll continue to be an integral part of a line that features fellow linchpins Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams.

Trades:

The Bills addressed their anemic ground game in a big way when they acquired McCoy, a three-time Pro Bowler who surpassed the 1,300-yard plateau three times in six years as an Eagle and proved to be one of the league’s premier workhorses during that time span. However, adding McCoy cost the Bills an outstanding linebacker in Kiko Alonso, who burst on the scene as a rookie in 2013 before missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

Obviously, given that Buffalo had an excellent defense last year without Alonso and has terrific, similarly aged LBs in Nigel Bradham and Preston Brown, the team felt losing Alonso permanently was worth what should be a marked upgrade to its offense. One has to wonder, though, if McCoy will be as effective as he was in Philadelphia. The soon-to-be 27-year-old has plenty of tread on his tires, having accrued 300-plus carries in back-to-back seasons and nearly 1,500 during his career, and won’t have the benefit of running behind a top-level offensive line (the Eagles had the best run-blocking O-line in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus – which ranked the Bills last in the same category).

Distributing the ball to McCoy could be Cassel, an 11th-year man whose play has been woeful since 2010. As a member of the Chiefs that year, Cassel threw 27 touchdowns against a meager seven interceptions, helped lead Kansas City to the playoffs, and made the Pro Bowl. Aside from that season and 2008, when he played well for the Patriots in place of an injured Tom Brady, Cassel has fared poorly as a starter. He was the Vikings’ No. 1 quarterback going into 2014 and had a lousy three-game stretch before suffering a season-ending foot injury. But Buffalo’s hope – if Cassel wins the job – is that surrounding the 33-year-old with a talented cast of playmakers and a fearsome defense will help mask his deficiencies. That better prove true for Cassel’s sake, as Rodak reported last month that he’s not a lock to make the Bills’ roster. An uninspiring summer showing could send him looking for work elsewhere.

Draft picks:

  • 2-50: Ronald Darby, CB (Florida State): Signed
  • 3-81: John Miller, G (Louisville): Signed
  • 5-155: Karlos Williams, RB (Florida State): Signed
  • 6-188: Tony Steward, OLB (Clemson): Signed
  • 6-194: Nick O’Leary, TE (Florida State): Signed
  • 7-234: Dezmin Lewis, WR (Central Arkansas): Signed

Although the Bills had the third-ranked pass defense and sixth-most interceptions in the league last year, that didn’t stop them from using their top pick on Ronald Darby. The ex-Florida State Seminole will join Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin at the cornerback position and allow the Bills to move Graham to safety. Darby should reach his potential under Ryan, who is an advocate of fast, physical corners capable of handling one-on-one situations. Regarding Darby, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said (per Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle), “He’s physical, not only with the ball carriers, but as a press guy and Rex is a big press guy.” 

Unlike Darby, third-rounder John Miller isn’t entering into an overly promising group of players at his position. Outside of signing Incognito, the Bills didn’t do anything prior to the draft to upgrade at guard. That’s good news for Miller, the leading candidate to start at whichever guard spot Incognito doesn’t occupy. Miller started 47 games at left guard during his career at Louisville and quickly won the favor of his new coach during offseason workouts. “He might be the opening guy there. He’s been very impressive,” Ryan said, according to WGR 550 (audio link).

Other:

Buffalo’s offseason got off to a peculiar start when Doug Marrone opted out of his contract after just two years as its head coach. Marrone went 15-17 during his tenure, including a 9-7 mark in 2014, and hoped to parlay that into another head coaching job elsewhere. His gambit backfired, though, as he ultimately had to settle for an assistant’s role in Jacksonville. The Bills interviewed at least a dozen candidates to succeed Marrone before giving $27.5MM to Ryan, who coached the division-rival Jets from 2009-14 and helped lead two smash-mouth squads to AFC championship games. Ryan is no stranger to less-than-ideal QB situations and he’s inheriting another in Buffalo, where he hopes to mimic his early success with the Jets and win with a team built on a prolific running game and a suffocating defense.

Ryan will attempt to execute his plan with an accomplished offensive coordinator in Roman. The former Niners O-coordinator should acquit himself better than Marrone’s protege, the in-over-his-head Nathaniel Hackett. On the other hand, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman has a harder act to follow in replacing Jim Schwartz. The Bills finished last season fourth in both yards and points allowed and third in takeaways. They’ll try to match or better that while transitioning from Schwartz’s 4-3 scheme to the 3-4 of Ryan and Thurman. Bear in mind that the Bills operated under a scheme similar to Ryan’s when one of his disciples, Mike Pettine, ran their defense in 2013. That year, they were 10th in yardage surrendered and third in takeaways. So, given that and the talent the defense possesses, Schwartz’s exit shouldn’t prove deleterious.

One of the defenders at the disposal of Ryan and Thurman will be Gilmore. The Bills exercised his fifth-year option, ensuring he’ll be a pillar of their defensive backfield for at least two more seasons. The 2012 first-round pick intercepted a career-best three passes last season and finished an impressive 26th out of 108 qualifying corners in Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). That was a vast improvement from the previous two years, when he ranked in the 70s.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Mario Williams, DE/OLB: $19,400,000
  2. Marcell Dareus, DT: $8,060,000
  3. Kyle Williams, DL: $6,950,000
  4. Eric Wood, C: $6,650,000
  5. Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB: $6,175,000
  6. LeSean McCoy, RB: $5,500,000
  7. Charles Clay, TE: $5,000,000
  8. Leodis McKelvin, CB: $4,900,000
  9. Matt Cassel, QB: $4,750,000
  10. Sammy Watkins, WR: $4,530,819

On paper, this year’s Bills team is the most talent-rich squad the franchise has had in a long time. The problem is that the game’s foremost position, quarterback, looks primed to weigh them down yet again. They’ve missed the playoffs for the entire 21st century because they’ve gotten nothing from a slew of failed passers. Whether it’s Cassel, Manuel or Taylor, someone has to grab the reins and perform respectably in a game manager role. That would allow the Bills to finally break their playoff drought on the strength of a better coaching staff, a big-name running back and a loaded defense.

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

Offseason In Review: New York Jets

July 2nd, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets fans have become used to a pretty limited spectrum of emotions. Sad. Frustrated. Furious to the point of throwing your TV out of the window. But, these days, Jets fans are feeling something different: cautious optimism.

After last season the Jets fired Rex Ryan for the sin of coaching his lackluster squad to the exact record it deserved. Not everyone wanted to see the Jets’ jovial fan favorite go, but just about everyone around the team was ready for an organizational change. The Jets got that when they gave GM John Idzik the heave-ho after he gave Rex so little to work with.

This offseason Jets made significant changes in the executive suite, on the sidelines, and most importantly, in between those sidelines.

Notable signings:

At the outset of free agency, Darrelle Revis opted to return to the team that drafted him on a five-year, $70MM deal. The deal matches Patrick Peterson‘s $70MM extension he signed last summer and even though it technically has less guaranteed money, one could argue that Revis came away with the better deal. Revis’ $39MM is fully guaranteed, while a good chunk of Peterson’s $48MM guarantee was for injury only. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games in 2014 (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.

Yes, everything old is new again in New York and the Jets even brought back Revis’ secondary partner, Antonio Cromartie. The reunion between the two sides was heavily rumored ever since the Jets presented Todd Bowles as their new head coach. Cromartie, 31, enjoyed a career resurgence under Bowles in Arizona and he’ll try to get Jets fans to forget about his up-and-down play and judgement towards the end of his last tenure in Green. Cro made no secret of the fact that he wanted to join the Jets — his Cardinals teammate Patrick Peterson even complained in the spring that all Cromartie talked about was “freaking New York.” Cromartie had a pretty atrocious year for the Jets in 2013, finishing with an overall grade of -11.4 (per Pro Football Focus, subscription required), placing him in the bottom ten of all qualified cornerbacks. However, his season with Arizona earned him a much less harsh -0.2 overall grade, putting him 45th out of 108 cornerbacks.

Before Cromartie and Revis put pen to paper, the Jets pounced on Browns free agent cornerback Buster Skrine. Skrine, who played second fiddle to Joe Haden in Cleveland, is quite familiar with getting picked on as the No. 2 corner. In 2014, Skrine showed that he is durable by playing 1,152 snaps and he held opposing QBs to a respectable 56.9% completion percentage. The Jets are now loaded at cornerback with their new trio and the icing on the cake is that they plucked Skrine away from interested teams including foes such as the Dolphins and Giants.

The Jets also have new blood at safety thanks to the addition of Marcus Gilchrist. The advanced metrics were not kind to the ex-Chargers safety in 2014 as PFF (subscription required) ranked him 72nd out of 87 eligible safeties. However, he graded out much better in 2013, finishing as the 20th-best safety out of 88. Gilchrist isn’t known as a big playmaker, but he has a reputation as a solid tackler and and mentally-sound player.

Just as Cromartie followed his beloved DC to New York, many believed that David Harris would travel upstate to reunite with Rex. However, the Jets came to the table with a three-year, $21.5MM contract with $15MM in fully guaranteed money that kept him in place. Harris, entering his age-31 season, has spent his entire career with Gang Green. He started every single one of the Jets’ regular season games over the last six seasons, averaging about 114 tackles per year over that stretch. In 2014, he racked up 124 tackles, recorded 5.5 sacks, and forced a pair of fumbles, a performance that Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated as middle-of-the-pack for inside linebackers.

Like Harris, running back Bilal Powell was quite tempted to follow his former coach to Buffalo. However, the Jets managed to retain him on a modest one-year, $2MM deal with a $750K signing bonus. Former Patriots notable Stevan Ridley will also be on the depth chart for the Jets. Ridley’s season was cut short in 2014 by an ACL and MCL injury suffered in Week 6 and he didn’t get to rebuild his value quite like he had hoped. However, before his injury-shorted 2014 and fumble-filled 2013, Ridley was regarded as one of the brightest young running backs in the league. He rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign, earning him the 25th-best ranking among running backs from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). If the Jets get anything close to that, then Ridley’s one-year deal will stand as one of the best free agent buys of the year.

Notable losses:

Chris Johnson, also known as CJ2K or, in more recent years, CJ?K, after he was unceremoniously dropped by the Titans. At that point, Johnson was not the elite back that he once was, but he did have a resume of at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of his six NFL seasons and he was durable with just one game missed. Unfortunately, Johnson never really found his footing with the Jets save for a couple of flashback-inducing performances. In February of this year, the Jets declined their second-year option on the veteran.

Before Johnson signed his Jets deal late in the offseason, free agent pickups Eric Decker and Michael Vick were the talk of the town. One of those men figures to be a focal point of the Jets’ offense in 2015 while the other is still looking for work. Vick came to New York saying all the right things every time he was asked about potentially usurping the starting job from Geno Smith. The veteran lefty played the role of good soldier and waited his turn, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to do much when given the opportunity.

Percy Harvin was acquired by the Jets from the Seahawks back in October in the most surprising in-season trade of 2014. However, the veteran receiver and return man didn’t have a huge impact in New York, totaling 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown in his eight games with the Jets. Harvin also averaged just 24.8 yards per kick return, with no TDs. In Harvin’s defense, he joined the Jets late in the year when the offense was a complete disaster and they were all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason. A prime Jerry Rice wouldn’t have been able to do much for a team so defeated both mentally and in the standings.

Trades:

  • Acquired WR Brandon Marshall and a 2015 seventh-round pick from the Bears in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick.
  • Acquired QB Ryan Fitzpatrick from the Texans in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round pick. Pick could turn into a 2016 sixth-rounder based on Fitzpatrick’s playing time in 2015.
  • Acquired 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 from the Texans in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 70; WR Jaelen Strong).
  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 103; Bryce Petty) from the Jaguars in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 104; S James Sample) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 229; TE Ben Koyack).
  • Acquired RB Zac Stacy from the Rams in exchange for a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 224; LB Bryce Hager).

Brandon Marshall, 31, signed a three-year contract extension with the Bears last May that locked him up through the 2017 season. However, with Marc Trestman, Phil Emery, and the old regime out of the picture in Chicago, new GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox decided to move Marshall as a part of their overhaul. For the low, low price of a fifth-round draft pick, the Jets added one of the league’s very best receivers. The question now is, will Marshall be as productive at his advanced age and without the play calling of Trestman?

As it stands today, Marshall figures to be catching balls from rising junior Geno Smith. However, if this season goes like the previous two, it won’t be long before offseason acquisition Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center. The Harvard grad started 12 games for the Texans last season and while he didn’t set the world on fire, he did okay. He completed 63.1% of his passes, posted a 95.3 passer rating, and threw 17 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Fitzpatrick has one year and $3.25MM left on his contract and he only cost New York a conditional seventh-round draft choice that could turn into a sixth-round pick. All things considered, he looks like a pretty good insurance option in case Smith falters.

Extensions and restructures:

Marshall had one of the least productive seasons of his career in 2014, finishing with 61 catches for 721 yards and eight touchdowns. However, the Jets recognize his talent and in order to help seal the deal in trade talks, the Jets agreed to sweeten his contract before acquiring him from Chicago. On the one-year anniversary of his last deal with Chicago, the Jets bumped his $24.3MM pact to a new three-year, $26MM deal with $1.3MM in fully guaranteed money.

Draft picks:

  • 1-6: Leonard Williams, DL (USC): Signed
  • 2-37: Devin Smith, WR (Ohio State): Signed
  • 3-82: Lorenzo Mauldin, OLB (Louisville): Signed
  • 4-103: Bryce Petty, QB (Baylor): Signed
  • 5-152: Jarvis Harrison, G (Texas A&M): Signed
  • 7-223: Deon Simon, DT (Northwestern State): Signed

Sitting at No. 6, the Jets just might have landed the best player in the entire draft. Many heralded USC star Leonard Williams as the best talent in this year’s draft and posited that he could have been the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick if the Bucs and Titans weren’t in desperate need of a quarterback. The Raiders at No. 4 seemed like a logical spot for Williams, but when Oakland selected Amari Cooper, that paved the way for Williams to fall to New York. Now, the Jets have a bright young defensive lineman to use against opposing quarterbacks and also against Sheldon Richardson in negotiations as he fights for a lucrative new deal.

Not satisfied with just adding Marshall to the wide receiver group, the Jets also tapped Ohio State standout Devin Smith in the second round. Prior to the draft, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock hailed Smith’s deep threat ability as well as his speed. Smith, who runs a 4.4 second 40-yard-dash, led his team with 931 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014.

In the fourth round, the made an intriguing choice when they selected Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. With doubts that Smith can be the Jets’ answer under center and Fitzpatrick on the wrong side of 30, Petty could be a candidate for the job if everything goes right. Of course, these things often don’t go right with quarterbacks and Kellen Clemens‘ uneventful time with the Jets serves as an everlasting reminder of that.

Other:

Two years ago, John Idzik convinced Jets owner Woody Johnson that he was the man for the job based on his salary cap expertise. When Idzik was ousted, the Jets replaced him with former Texans college scouting director Mike Maccagnan. Maccagnan, who was championed by team consultant Charley Casserly, isn’t much of a numbers guy but has a wealth of football knowledge and a keen eye for player evaluation.

While the Jets went in a different direction at GM, they went with another defensive-minded coach to replace Ryan when they hired former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. The 51-year-old is now the Jets’ sixth straight head coach with a defensive background as Ryan, Eric Mangini, Herm Edwards, Al Groh, and Bill Parcells were all defense-first coaches. That may seem like an exceptionally long time to emphasize defense, but one can hardly blame Gang Green for being wary of going back to an offensive-minded HC after two dreadful years with Rich Kotite. Bowles will be assisted by Kacy Rodgers on defense while ex-Bills coach Chan Gailey will be responsible for the offensive playcalling.

In April, the Jets exercised their fifth-year option for outside linebacker Quinton Coples. Following Coples’ up-and-down start to the linebacker’s career, there was speculation that the Jets would allow him to play out his contract. However, the contract is only guaranteed for injury, meaning the organization basically took no financial risk. The former 16th-overall pick tied or set career-highs in 2014 in games played (16), solo tackles (25) and sacks (6.5). However, Coples compiled 708 snaps this past season, a significant decrease from his 2013 total (834). Furthermore, he didn’t receive a positive ranking via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking 40th among 46 3-4 outside linebacker candidates.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Darrelle Revis, CB: $16,000,000
  2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, LT: $11,698,670
  3. Nick Mangold, C: $10,407,100
  4. Brandon Marshall, WR: $9,000,000
  5. David Harris, LB: $7,500,000
  6. Antonio Cromartie, CB: $7,000,000
  7. Muhammad Wilkerson, DL: $6,969,000
  8. Eric Decker, WR: $6,500,000
  9. Breno Giacomini, RT: $5,125,000
  10. Dee Milliner, CB: $3,453,028

In total, it really is a new day in New York. The Jets managed to shake up their organization from top to bottom and with the AFC East wide open, they can make a major impact in 2015. The secondary is no longer a sore spot for Gang Green but the quarterback situation seems only marginally better thanks to the presence of Fitzpatrick. The Jets’ signal caller situation will likely dictate exactly how far they go this season.

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

2014 Offseason In Review Series

August 8th, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

Over the last several weeks, with the 2014 regular season fast approaching, the Pro Football Rumors writing team has been taking a look back at the offseason. Zach Links, Rob DiRe, Rory Parks, Dallas Robinson, David Kipke, and Ben Levine have tackled all 32 teams, examining free agent signings, trades, draft picks, and all the other moves made by clubs in 2014, breaking down what sort of impact those decisions will have going forward. If you missed any of our Offseason in Review posts, be sure to check them out below, where we’ve rounded them all up in one place:

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks

August 7th, 2014 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired Terrelle Pryor from the Raiders in exchange for a seventh-round pick (No. 247).
  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 40) and a fourth-round pick (No. 108) from the Vikings in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 32).
  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 45), a fourth-round pick (No. 111), and a seventh-round pick (No. 227) from the Lions in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 40) and a fifth-round pick (No. 146).
  • Acquired a fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a sixth-round pick (No. 199) from the Bengals in exchange for a fourth-round pick (No. 111).

Draft picks:

  • Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado (2.45): Signed
  • Justin Britt, OT, Missouri (2.64): Signed
  • Cassius Marsh, DE, UCLA (4.108): Signed
  • Kevin Norwood, WR, Alabama (4.123): Signed
  • Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB, Boston College (4.132): Signed
  • Jimmy Staten, DT, Middle Tennessee State (5.172): Signed
  • Garrett Scott, OT, Marshall (6.199): Signed, and later waived due to health issues
  • Eric Pinkins, S, San Diego State (6.208): Signed
  • Kiero Small, FB, Arkansas (7.227): Signed

Other:

What’s that cheesy adage? “Save the best for last“? Well, here at Pro Football Rumors we did just that. Here’s a look back at the Seahawks’ offseason as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Seattle’s bid to reach the top of the mountain again in the years to come won’t be easy, but it’ll be made easier thanks to their success in retaining their most critical pieces. Outspoken cornerback Richard Sherman got a deal that made him the highest paid cornerback in the NFL – at least for a couple of months or so. The corner got four new years that will pay him $56MM with roughly $12.4MM guaranteed. Big bucks, but it’s money well spent if the Legion of Boom’s leader continues his stellar play. The 26-year-old is one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks and you could certainly make the case he deserves to be atop that list. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked Sherman outside the top five at the position in 2013, though quarterbacks compiled a meager 47.3 QB rating on passes into his coverage, which was the best mark in the league. The former fifth-round pick also grabbed a league-leading eight interceptions in 2013.Richard Sherman

Seattle also gave safety Earl Thomas a four-year extension that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Thomas earned an All-Pro spot in back-to-back years, and has made three straight Pro Bowls. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Thomas has recorded a positive grade every year of his career, and ranked ninth among 86 qualified safeties in 2013. He also recorded 127 tackles and grabbed five interceptions last season.

Not everyone in the Seahawks’ secondary will be returning, however. Brandon Browner, who played on the opposite side of the field from Sherman at cornerback, inked a three-year deal with the Patriots that could be worth up to $17MM when all is said and done. The 6’4″ corner wasn’t the star of the show, obviously, but he did wind up covering a lot of No. 1 receiving targets since Sherman didn’t follow No. 1 WRs across the formation. Walter Thurmond was also a valuable part of Seattle’s secondary last season, even though he missed four games due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Still, he recorded 24 tackles to go along with one interception and one sack and he’ll now take his talents to the Meadowlands to join forces with the Giants.

Moving to the defensive line, the Seahawks managed to keep Michael Bennett, one of the top available free agents this offseason, with a lucrative four-year deal. The 28-year-old settled for a one-year deal with Seattle last offseason and boosted his value tremendously by registering 8.5 sacks and 65 quarterback pressures. According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Bennett’s was the NFL’s fifth-best 4-3 defensive end in 2013 — his 617 defensive snaps were also the fewest of any ends in PFF’s top 10, making his overall grades and stats even more impressive. On the interior of the d-line, Tony McDaniel will return after agreeing to a two-year deal with a max payout of $6.3MM. The 29-year-old appeared in all 16 games last season, something he hasn’t accomplished since 2009, and also was a regular starter for the first time.

To help make room for Bennett’s new contract, the Seahawks bid farewell to Red Bryant and Chris Clemons. Bryant spent all six seasons of his NFL career in Seattle and started in 15 games last season, registering 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Chris Clemons, who was set to have a cap hit of nearly $10MM in 2014, was released after a down year. The 32-year-old recorded at least 11 sacks in his first three seasons with the Seahawks, but recovery from a torn ACL slowed him down in 2013, resulting in just 4.5 sacks and a -7.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, which placed him 42nd among 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.

The offensive line will look a little bit different this season after Breno Giacomini left for the Jets and Michael Bowie was waived earlier this week. Giacomini, who is currently tearing things up for Gang Green in practice, missed significant time during the regular season but came back and started at right tackle for the Super Bowl champs. Bowie, a 2013 seventh-round choice, was thrust into significant playing time thanks to injuries on the o-line and played well, but dissatisfaction from the team’s front office with his conditioning apparently spelled the end for him in Seattle.

Golden Tate started the offseason by saying that he’d take a hometown discount to stay with the Seahawks before quickly walking those comments back. Ultimately, he spurned Seattle to sign with the Lions. After the most productive season of his career in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns, that loss could sting. However, there are a lot of people who are big fans of early second-round choice Paul Richardson. The speedster battled back from injury to have a strong final season at Colorado and he’ll be there as an insurance policy for the oft-injured Percy Harvin. Still, Seattle could wind up wishing they still had Tate this season if they stumble in the passing game or if they’re unable to get the same sort of production on returns.

It seemed somewhat doubtful at different points this offseason, but Marshawn Lynch will return after a lengthy holdout resulted in a few contract tweaks. He won’t get any new money, but a bit more money given up front was enough to get Beast Mode back in the fold. There was some talk this summer that the Seahawks would go with a running back by committee approach, but Lynch and his fantasy owners can breath a little easier now that Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has backed off of his earlier comments on the matter.

The Seahawks will have many of their key pieces, including coach Pete Carroll, in place for the foreseeable future, but staying at the top in the NFL is tremendously difficult. Keeping the band together is great, but it remains to be seen whether they can win in the tremendously competitive NFC West.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

August 6th, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a fifth-round pick (No. 148) from the Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 168) and a seventh-round pick (No. 225).

Draft picks:

  • Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State (1.28): Signed
  • Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri (2.60): Signed
  • Trai Turner, G, LSU (3.92): Signed
  • Tre Boston, S, North Carolina (4.128): Signed
  • Bene’ Benwikere, CB, San Jose State (5.148): Signed
  • Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford (6.204): Signed, then waived

Other:

Without a question, more attention was paid to what the Panthers lost this offseason than the additions that they made. That’ll happen when you part ways with your all-time leading receiver and face of the franchise.

There were rumblings in March that the Panthers would look to get out from under Steve Smith‘s contract either via trade or release. On March 13th, after they were unable to find a suitable deal, they dropped Smith and designated him as a post-June 1st cut, which will stretch some of the dead money out to 2015. While fans were upset to see Smith, who amassed 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving during his time in Carolina, get the ax, it was a move that made sense considering that the 35-year-old is no longer a No. 1 receiver. Longtime teammate Brandon LaFell will also be plying his craft elsewhere and Ted Ginn Jr. wasn’t retained even though he became a bigger part of the passing game in 2013.

Carolina’s all-new receiving corps has potential but inarguably has less star power without Smith. Jerricho Cotchery, who was once viewed as a top option with the Jets, came to Carolina after spending the last three seasons with the Steelers. The 31-year-old is coming off of his best season in years as he recorded 46 receptions and 602 receiving yards with a career-high 10 touchdowns. It’s a five-year, $8.0155MM deal, but it has just $2.25MM guaranteed and the final three years of the pact are voidable. Cotchery alone won’t replace the production of Smith but he comes at a considerably lower cost and little risk.

Joining Cotchery in the new receiver stable will be former Rutgers speedster Tiquan Underwood and ex-Eagles mainstay Jason Avant. The most important WR addition, however, came in the draft when the Panthers tabbed Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin with the 28th overall pick. Benjamin doesn’t have a long history of dominance, but the Florida State product has looked sharp so far in training camp and boasts tremendous size. He could very well be the Panthers’ No. 1 passing option when all is said and done this season.

The Panthers lost another longtime mainstay in offensive tackle Jordan Gross. The 33-year-old spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers and consistently graded out as one of the league’s best tackles. One might have expected Carolina to replace Gross with a similarly experienced and talented tackle, but they didn’t quite do that. Right tackle Byron Bell, who was retained with a restricted free agent tender, or the newly-extended Nate Chandler will be expected to step up and fill his shoes, but it would be surprising if they could protect Cam Newton‘s blindside better than Gross did. Longtime Panthers lineman Travelle Wharton also decided to hang ’em up this offseason.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers used the franchise tag on defensive end Greg Hardy and did not reach a long-term deal with him prior to the March 11th deadline. The 25-year-old has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, and ranked as the third-best and sixth-best 4-3 defensive end in those two years, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Still, given his off-the-field troubles, the Panthers are surely having second thoughts about making a long-term commitment to him. Speaking of the defensive end position, the Panthers used their second round choice on Missouri DE Kony Ealy. Ealy might be a couple of years away from producing, but it’s believed that he has tremendous upside. To fulfill his potential, he’ll have to start eating and lifting a whole lot more than he has been.

Mike Mitchell left Carolina to team up with Troy Polamalu in Pittsburgh and the Panthers used this as an opportunity to make changes at both safety spots. Longtime Saints notable Roman Harper will man the strong safety position while Thomas DeCoud is slotted in as either the No. 1 or No. 2 free safety. The 31-year-old Harper only started five games for the Saints in 2013 and became the odd man out when the team signed Jairus Byrd to pair with Kenny Vaccaro at safety, but he’s out to prove he has plenty of quality football left. DeCoud’s role, whether it will be as a starter or as a swing defensive back, will depend on what Carolina does with Charles Godfrey. Godfrey is coming off of Achilles surgery and could either start at FS or move around in the secondary in a reserve role. While DeCoud started for the Falcons for the last five years and is a former Pro Bowler, he had by far the worst season of his career in 2013. The 29-year-old racked up just 44 tackles and failed to intercept a pass for the first time since becoming a starter. 

While the Panthers will have to think things over when it comes to Hardy and his future in Carolina, they’ll also have to give some thought to what kind of offer they’ll want to make to star quarterback Cam Newton. The price for quarterbacks has soared this offseason thanks to lucrative deals for the likes of Jay Cutler and Alex Smith. This week, however, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton appears to have set the watermark for the “middle class” quarterback with his six-year, $96MM extension. While many would argue that Newton is a greater talent than Dalton, the deal didn’t continue the trend of truly mammoth contracts and doesn’t help Cam’s case. For now, the Panthers exercised Newton’s $14.666MM option for the 2015 season so they’ll have time to work something out before he can hit the open market.

The Panthers’ offseason wasn’t pretty thanks to a less-than-desirable cap situation and one has to wonder if their new receiving corps and the offensive line sans Jordan Gross can put them where they want to be in 2014.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Atlanta Falcons

August 1st, 2014 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a fifth-round pick (No. 168) from the Vikings in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 182) and a seventh-round pick (No. 220).
  • Acquired T.J. Yates from the Texans in exchange for Akeem Dent.

Draft picks:

  • Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M (1.6): Signed
  • Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota (2.37): Signed
  • Dezmen Southward, S, Wisconsin (3.68): Signed
  • Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State (4.103): Signed
  • Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame (4.139): Signed
  • Ricardo Allen, CB, Purdue (5.147): Signed
  • Marquis Spruill, LB, Syracuse (5.168): Signed
  • Yawin Smallwood, LB, Connecticut (7.253): Signed
  • Tyler Starr, LB, South Dakota (7.255): Signed

Other:

Expectations were high for the Falcons last year — after a 2012 season that saw the team go 13-3 and narrowly miss a Super Bowl appearance, many assumed the NFC South would once again be Atlanta’s for the taking. However, injuries and ineffectiveness took their toll, and the Falcons collapsed, finishing 2013 with a 4-12 record. Ownership, realizing that a solid staff is in place, did not overreact to the lost season, and in fact extended both general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith, the two figures who lead Atlanta’s offseason reboot.Jake Matthews

The first item on Dimitroff and Smith’s to-do list was to revamp a defense that struggled immensely in 2013. In addition to giving up the second-most rushing yards per game, the Falcons finished 29th in the league in sacks, and were ranked dead last in pass-rushing per Football Outsiders’ advanced metrics. Atlanta used a lot of 3-4 looks last season, but will make the complete transition to coordinator Mike Nolan’s favored defensive scheme in 2014. With that in mind, the team made several additions to strengthen its front seven.

Along the line, the Falcons brought in former Dolphin Paul Soliai on five-year, $32MM deal to handle nose tackle duties, and signed Tyson Jackson, who has played 3-4 end his entire career, to a five-year pact worth $25MM. Atlanta re-signed both Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters, and drafted the gargantuan Ra’Shede Hageman, who can probably play at either tackle or end, in the second round. Each of these moves was designed to add size, strength, and versatility to a line that, quite frankly, was manhandled last year.

The Falcons’ linebacking unit withstood a devastating blow before training camp even got underway, as veteran Sean Weatherspoon suffered a torn ACL, which will cause him to miss the 2014 season. Veterans Omar Gaither and Stephen Nicholas won’t be returning next year, but Atlanta replaced them with Tim Dobbins and Pat Angerer. Fourth-rounder Prince Shembo is a player to watch, as he experienced life in a 3-4 defense while at Notre Dame. Fellow rookies Marquis Spruill, Yawin Smallwood, and Tyler Starr could all contribute to a unit that is fairly shallow.

Atlanta’s secondary saw the release of veterans Thomas DeCoud and Asante Samuel, two players who are on the downside of their respective careers. Josh Wilson and Javier Arenas, each of whom has special team prowess, were brought in on cheap deals, but the most intriguing addition is probably the team’s third-round pick, safety Dezmen Southward. The Wisconsin product will compete with another new signee, Dwight Lowery, for the right to play next to stalwart William Moore.

The offensive unit (which rated 14th in terms of DVOA) wasn’t the nightmare that was the defense in Atlanta, but Dimitroff and Co. obviously wanted to add bulk to the front five. Guard Jon Asamoah, formerly of the Chiefs, was signed to a five-year, $22.5MM pact, and Jake Matthews was drafted with the sixth overall pick. Matthews figures to start the year playing right tackle, but don’t be shocked if he takes over Matt Ryan‘s blindside (currently manned by the subpar Sam Baker) by the end of 2014. Center Joe Hawley (re-signed for two years, $6MM) will start at center, and former first-rounder Gabe Carimi (one year, $840K) will serve as depth.

The offensive skill positions didn’t see much overhaul, as the team is mostly banking on the healthy return of fourth-year receiver Julio Jones, who missed much of last season (but did have his fifth-year option exercised). Jones’ running mate, 32-year-old Roddy White, was extended on a deal that could contain as much as $10MM guaranteed. Longtime Bear and special teams ace Devin Hester was signed to a three-year, $9MM contract to handle kick and punt returns.

At running back, fourth-rounder Devonta Freeman will compete for snaps with Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers. Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez retired (and figures to stay that way), and no draftee was added, meaning tight end will be left to second-year player Levine Toilolo. Quarterback depth was bolstered, as T.J. Yates was added via trade, and figures to serves as Ryan’s primary backup.

The Falcons are a team ripe for positive regression. Bill Barnwell of Grantland recently laid out the case for a bouceback season by Atlanta, estimating the Falcons will win 10 games and claim a playoff spot. With improved line play, continued development by Desmond Trufant and the rest of the secondary, and less injuries, 9-10 wins sounds right. The NFC South is a tough division, however, and another good season by the Saints or the Panthers, or a rebound by the Buccaneers, could leave the Falcons outside the playoff picture.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals

August 1st, 2014 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a first-round pick (No. 27) and a third-round pick (No. 91) from the Saints in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 20).

Draft picks:

  • Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (1.27): Signed
  • Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (2.52): Signed
  • Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina (3.84): Signed
  • John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State (3.91): Signed
  • Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (4.120): Signed
  • Ed Stinson, DE, Alabama (5.160): Signed
  • Walter Powell, WR, Murray State (6.196): Signed

Other:

There was a time when the NFC West wasn’t all that menacing. That’s not quite the case anymore. The Cardinals’ 10-6 mark earned them nothing more than a bronze medal thanks to being in the same group as the 49ers and the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Arizona made a handful of moves this offseason that could give them a better chance in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.

The Cardinals’ offensive line left something to be desired in 2013 and it was no surprise that Jared Veldheer turned out to be their biggest offseason expenditure. Former first-round pick Levi Brown was the club’s starting left tackle to kick off the season but the club couldn’t withstand him poor play any longer and shipped him to the Steelers in October. Bradley Sowell stepped into the role in his place, but didn’t do much better. Enter Veldheer. The Raiders didn’t see the 26-year-old as a top shelf left tackle but Arizona certainly did and they were delighted to land him with a five-year, $35MM deal. Veldheer missed eleven games last season thanks to a triceps injury but he looked just fine in his partial season and could prove to be quite the value for the Cards. At the very least, he’ll be a noticeable upgrade over the matador that was Brown.NFL: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

Wide receiver Andre Roberts left to sign with the Redskins where he expected to see more targets before the club added DeSean Jackson, but they added wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. to a three-year deal. The 28-year-old was back for 26 punt returns and 25 kickoff returns for Carolina last season but he also enjoyed his best season as a WR, hauling in 36 catches and 556 receiving yards with five TDs, showing that he’s more than a strong return man. The Giants, Bucs, and others had interest in adding Ginn and it’s not hard to see why. The Cards also added a pair of tight ends in former Viking John Carlson and rookie Troy Niklas. Carlson, who was also drawing interest from the Jets and Packers, recorded a total of 40 receptions for 387 yards in his two seasons with the Vikings as the team’s second tight end behind Kyle Rudolph.

One of the Cardinals’ most notable offseason moves came just days ago when they signed cornerback Patrick Peterson to a brand-new five-year, $70.05MM extension. Typically, we’d round that number down, but the extra $50K elevates Peterson above Seahawks star Richard Sherman as the league’s highest-paid cornerback in terms of average annual value. While Sherman and Joe Haden (and scores of fans) might have a bone to pick with Peterson holding that mantle, there’s no denying that Peterson is a true shutdown cornerback and his age (24) is no small factor in his value. Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to ink a contract extension and after setting the table for Cowboys lineman Tyron Smith, he’ll probably open up the flood gates for others in the coming weeks.

When opposing quarterbacks find their top receiver smothered by Peterson, they won’t have an easy time completing a pass elsewhere thanks to rookie safety Deone Bucannon and free agent pickup Antonio Cromartie. Last year was the fifth straight season in which the 29-year-old recorded at least three interceptions, though he wasn’t as strong in coverage as usual, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). After ranking 16th among cornerbacks in 2012, he placed in the bottom 10 in 2013, with receivers averaging 19.1 YPC on their 49 receptions against him. If Cromartie gets back to his old self, however, the one-year, $4MM make-good contract will be a major bargain. The Cardinals traded back from No. 20 to the No. 27 pick and some were surprised when they used that selection to grab Bucannon. However, Arizona knew they needed a heavy hitter in the secondary and the Washington State product certainly fits the bill. Bucannon should serve as a nice compliment to speedy safety Tyrann Mathieu.

While the secondary improved, one has to wonder about the state of the front seven and the linebacking corps in particular. Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, who career year with 112 tackles, 6.0 sacks and four interceptions, left to sign with the Browns. Daryl Washington, who could have capably stepped into his shoes, was suspended for the 2014 season thanks to his latest substance-abuse policy violation. Free agent pickup Larry Foote will be expected to help fill the void, but it’s hard to say what kind of impact he can have coming off of a season in which he missed all but one game. Also, while he started 16 games at ILB in 2012, he ranked just 46th of 53 qualified inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Rising sophomore Larry Minter will also see some more playing time, but it’s hard to see that duo replicating the kind of production that Dansby and/or Washington would have brought.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason In Review: St. Louis Rams

July 31st, 2014 at 6:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

  • Scott Wells (C): Restructured contract. Reduced 2014 base salary from $5.5MM to $1MM. Reduced 2015 base salary from $5.5MM to $2MM. Received $1.65MM roster bonus for 2014, as well as additional roster bonuses and incentives that can be earned for 2014 and 2015.

Trades:

  • Acquired second-round pick (No. 41) from the Bills in exchange for second-round pick (No. 44) and fifth-round pick (No. 153).

Draft picks:

  • Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn (1.2): Signed
  • Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh (1.13): Signed
  • Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State (2.41): Signed
  • Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75): Signed
  • Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110): Signed
  • E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188): Signed
  • Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214): Signed
  • Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226): Signed
  • Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241): Signed
  • Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri (7.249): Signed
  • Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250): Signed

Other:

  • Hired Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator.
  • Exercised Robert Quinn‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($6.969MM).
  • Received three compensatory draft picks.
  • Signed 15 rookie free agents after the draft.

The Rams warned us early in the offseason that they wouldn’t be tremendously active in free agency and they stuck to that promise. The bulk of the club’s changes came through the draft and they hope those reinforcements, coupled with a few additions from the open market, will be enough to help them be competitive in the NFC West.

In a draft where much of the talk centered around speedy wide receiver Sammy Watkins and the dynamic Johnny Manziel, the Rams avoided flashiness with their two first-round choices. At No. 2, a pick the Rams received from the Redskins in the Robert Griffin III deal, they plucked Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson. While the big 6-5″ 332 pound tackle won’t be among the league leaders in jersey sales, he should, in time, give the Rams an imposing force on the offensive line. However, he might not have the kind of immediate impact that some were expecting just a few months ago. At the time of the draft, it was expected that Robinson would start his NFL journey as a right tackle before eventually making his way over to left tackle. Now, it sounds like Robinson will be playing guard in 2014.

“It’s frustrating that I’m not up to pace right now because the playbook is more intense and things are changing but once I get back to where I’m comfortable, things will calm down and I can be myself out there,” Robinson said in June, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.

Robinson hasn’t played on the inside of the offensive line since high school, so the growing pains are understandable. But for the long term, it’s understandable if Rams fans have some concern about Robinson’s upside. Of course, plenty of top left tackles start out in the league playing elsewhere on the offensive line. The Cowboys first used Tyron Smith, who inked a mammoth eight-year, $98MM extension yesterday, as a right tackle before entrusting him to protect Tony Romo‘s blind side.

Robinson will also get to pick the brains of veteran offensive lineman like Jake Long, Scott Wells, and Rodger Saffold. Of course, Saffold appeared to be heading elsewhere in March before circling back to the Rams. Saffold and Oakland reached agreement on a five-year, $42.5MM deal before a physical exam revealed a shoulder issue. While it was enough to scare off the Raiders, the Rams’ doctors had no issue with it, though the ordeal potentially cost Saffold some significant coin as the veteran’s new deal is worth $31.7MM overall with $11MM guaranteed.

To improve their situation on the other side of the ball, the Rams drafted Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald with their pick at No. 13. Donald At 6’0″, 280 pounds, Donald isn’t really your prototypical interior defensive lineman, but he has a knack for getting past blocks and into the backfield. As Sports Illustrated’s Joan Niesen noted earier today, Donald is about 30 pounds lighter than your average defensive tackle in the past decade of the NFL. And, in the past quarter-century, only one DT at 6’0″ or shorter has made a Pro Bowl. Still, the Rams, and a lot of other draft pundits, are banking on Donald breaking the mold and defying the odds.

The Donald pick was surprising for a couple of reasons. One, while the Giants, Bears, Cowboys, and other teams in the middle of the first round were linked to him, there wasn’t much buzz around the Rams drafting Donald. Secondly, many expected St. Louis to use that pick to bolster their shaky secondary. They wound up addressing that with their second-round pick, Florida State cornerback/safety Lamarcus Joyner. Joyner seems likely to spend a lot of time at slot corner this year, and possibly even start there, but he won’t be pigeonholed into one spot as he was drafted in part for his versatility. Look for Joyner to spend time at multiple positions in 2014 and beyond for St. Louis.

While there wasn’t a ton of money spent on the open market, the signing of Kenny Britt to a one-year, $1.4MM could potentially be a needle-mover for this Rams offense. The deal reunites the troubled Rutgers product with former coach Jeff Fisher and if he’s able to replicate the production from early on in his career, he can be a very dangerous weapon for Sam Bradford alongside Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis, and Brian Quick. Injury troubles and legal problems aside, Britt has the natural talent to extend the field for the Rams.

The Rams didn’t have as much turnover as other teams this offseason, but it’s possible that they can disrupt the 49ers and Seahawks if quarterback Sam Bradford stays healthy and their two top draft picks can adapt quickly to the pace of the NFL.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

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