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Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders

July 9th, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis expressed regret for not elevating Rich Bisaccia to the full-time head coach position in 2022. The owner, who remains tied to Jon Gruden‘s 10-year contract, signed off on paying three HCs last fall by firing Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce‘s better-than-expected showing as interim HC prompted Davis to take an unexplored route. The Raiders became the first team in seven years to bump an interim leader to the full-time post, and Pierce becomes one of the least experienced HCs in modern NFL history.

The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker’s promotion defined the Raiders’ offseason, one that also featured the Tom Telesco GM hire and a splashy Christian Wilkins signing. How the Raiders proceeded at quarterback came a close second in terms of offseason storylines. Between choosing Pierce and not taking a big swing for a QB, the Raiders took the road less traveled this offseason.

Coaching/front office:

Player support for Pierce reached the point Maxx Crosby threatened a trade request had Davis not broken with recent NFL tradition and elevated his interim HC. Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams also stumped for Pierce, who received interview requests from the Falcons and Titans. The Raiders made an early decision to pass on a true coaching searching, only interviewing two other candidates (Leslie Frazier and Kris Richard). The search process that ended with Pierce reminded of the plan that produced Gruden, with the team only clearing the Rooney Rule bar before choosing a coach. Pierce being Black, of course, separates this Raiders search from a typical Rooney Rule issue. But this still represents one of the most daring HC hires in decades.

Of the 160 men hired to be head coaches this century, only eight have moved up without previous NFL HC experience, at least one season as a coordinator (or time as a de facto coordinator, in the cases of coaching candidates under the title-phobic Bill Belichick) in the league or time as a college HC. Here is that list:

  • Antonio Pierce, Raiders (2024)
  • Jerod Mayo, Patriots (2024)
  • Jim Tomsula, 49ers (2015)
  • Mike Munchak, Titans (2011)
  • Raheem Morris, Buccaneers (2009)
  • Tom Cable, Raiders (2008)
  • Mike Singletary, 49ers (2008)
  • Lane Kiffin, Raiders (2007)

The Raiders had swerved off this route after Al Davis Cable’s interim tag, hiring veterans like Gruden, McDaniels and Jack Del Rio. Pierce went 5-4 as an interim HC, with the Raiders’ one-sided road win over the Chiefs beginning his charge in earnest for the full-time gig. Still, Pierce’s only full-time coaching positions are Raiders linebackers coach, Arizona State defensive coordinator, Sun Devils LBs coach and Long Beach Poly High HC.

Although Pierce’s nine NFL seasons took up time, he did not enter full-time coaching for nearly five years after his retirement. He also resigned from Arizona State during an NCAA recruiting investigation, but the leadership the ex-Washington and New York linebacker displayed — along with his knowledge of the Raiders’ culture — impressed players and ownership.

Al Davis pulled the trigger on the Kiffin and Cable moves, but Mark Davis is still trying to make a successful hire. The Raiders have two playoff berths since Super Bowl XXXVII, with the franchise tumbling off the contender radar quickly after that blowout. Last season did bring signs of improvement, but teams generally steer clear of promoting interims. Mark Davis passing on a true HC search to keep Pierce based largely on his players’ wishes could represent another of the owner’s shortcomings, but this will be a fascinating experiment.

A report of mutual interest between the Raiders and Jim Harbaugh, who began his coaching career as Bill Callahan‘s QBs coach in 2002, surfaced but did not precede much else of note tying the team to a big-ticket candidate. The Raiders did reach out to Harbaugh’s agent, however, before the Pierce hire. Pierce, 45, and Harbaugh will soon be matching up twice a year. The Raiders did not pursue Mike Vrabel, and Belichick connections proved fleeting. They will hope to keep the Pierce-centered momentum going. The Jaguars (Doug Marrone) were the most recent team to take this route; Marrone lasted four seasons in the full-time chair.

Interim GM Kelly sat in on Raiders HC interviews, but the Raiders were not committed to keeping Dave Ziegler‘s former assistant GM atop the front office. Davis instead chose to pair Pierce with one of the NFL’s most experienced GMs. Telesco spent 11 seasons running the Chargers, and although the team’s underachievement reputation grew to define it during this span, Davis was sufficiently impressed with the Bolts’ roster strength to look beyond their 3-for-11 playoff rate under Telesco. Not counting the Eagles having reinstalled Howie Roseman atop their FO pyramid, Telesco is only the second current GM to be given a second chance, joining Trent Baalke (Jaguars).

Telesco, 51, spent more than a decade working under Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, being present for the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win and their Super Bowl berth four years later. As Chargers GM, Telesco hammered out a Philip Rivers extension and later showed an ability to locate a franchise quarterback by drafting Justin Herbert sixth overall in 2020. The Chargers extended their Pro Bowl passer in Telesco’s final months on the job, but an inability to turn franchise QBs and offseason hype into Super Bowl pushes have plagued the Chargers for years.

Pierce’s team walloping the Chargers 63-21 on national TV led to Telesco and Brandon Staley‘s ousters. It is, then, rather interesting Telesco resurfaced alongside Pierce in Las Vegas. The Raiders gave Telesco roster control, which he also held in California. Telesco brought former Chargers exec-turned-interim GM Wooden with him, but he is working primarily with two staffers — Pierce and Kelly — he did not hire. With Kelly having interviewed for the Raiders’ GM job in 2022 and ’24, this forced partnership will be a notable AFC West storyline.

The Telesco-Pierce partnership hit an early snag when its top OC choice reneged on his commitment to join the Commanders. Kingsbury, who re-emerged as a coveted staffer after a year as USC’s QBs coach, was believed to have sought a three-year contract whereas the Raiders only offered a two-year deal. A report soon indicated new Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson helped sway Kingsbury. The Raiders then pivoted to Getsy, whom the Bears had fired weeks earlier.

Getsy, 40, has followed up a run as Aaron Rodgers‘ position coach to two gigs with below-average passers. The young coordinator certainly runs the risk of seeing his play-calling opportunities dry up early, but with many NFL OC gigs not coming with play-calling duties, Getsy has also managed to secure that role twice already.

The Bears ranked 23rd and 18th in scoring offense during Getsy’s two seasons in Illinois, numbers that appear out of line when considering Justin Fields‘ minimal trade value. Getsy took criticism for Fields’ struggles as a passer, but the ex-first-rounder showed some improvement in 2023. This came after Getsy utilized his starter’s prodigious run-game skills en route to Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing mark nearly falling in 2022.

While Getsy will work with a different genre of QB in Las Vegas, Graham is staying after the Raiders finally showed promise defensively. Graham’s first Raiders defense continued an extended run of futility in 2022, but the unit ranked ninth in scoring last season. This was the first time a Raider defense has ranked in the top half in scoring defense since 2002. Ending that unfathomable streak boosted Graham’s stock, and while he drew more HC interest, the Raiders blocked their defensive play-caller from interviewing for other DC positions.

Pierce’s former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, helped him prepare during his interim gig and assisted his former pupil in assembling his first Raiders staff. The staff includes Lewis, who returns to the NFL five years after his Bengals firing. Lewis, 65, worked as Arizona State’s co-DC with Pierce in 2020 and stayed on the Sun Devils’ staff as Pierce took on the full-time role in 2021.

The 16-year Bengals HC will work with Graham and Pierce on defense, while Philbin — and not ex-Raider HC Hue Jackson, a rumored target — is in place as a former NFL leader helping out on offense. These senior assistants could be more important on this particular staff due to Pierce’s inexperience.

Free agency additions:

Wilkins joined Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike as defensive tackles who scored market-changing deals this offseason, with the two more experienced players doing better due to unique circumstances. The Dolphins’ cap situation, which required multiple high-profile cuts and longtime starters departing in free agency, made a Wilkins franchise tag difficult. As a result, the five-year Miami starter followed Jones in scoring a monster guarantee.

After it became clear the Dolphins’ efforts to keep Wilkins off the market would fail, the Texans and Vikings surfaced as suitors. But the Raiders swooped in to add an impact piece to their Crosby-centric pass rush. Madubuike already raised the DT guarantee ceiling to $75.5MM upon being franchise-tagged and extended. Jones upped it to a staggering $95MM. Wilkins then secured $82.75MM in total guarantees ($57.5MM at signing).

To put these numbers in perspective, the top DT guarantee stood at $66MM (Quinnen Williams) entering 2024. Jones and Wilkins avoiding the tag, as the salary cap spiked by $30.6MM, keyed a market shift that will affect future teams’ negotiations with talented DTs.

Months-long Dolphins-Wilkins talks included an offer that would have made the 2019 first-rounder a top-10 highest-paid DT, with guarantees surpassing $40MM. Wilkins’ Raiders pact surpassing $80MM guaranteed highlights both favorable circumstances and the Clemson alum’s improvement as a pass rusher.

The Dolphins were hesitant to pay Wilkins on the level of the new DT market that formed — via the 2023 deals for first-rounders Williams, Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence — due to his limited production as a pass rusher. After displaying top-notch skills against the run, Wilkins broke through with nine sacks and 23 QB hits (his previous career-highs stood at 4.5 and 13 in these categories) in 2023. Wilkins finished 13th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric last season. This came after he ranked first and second, respectively, in run stop win rate in 2021 and ’22.

PFR’s No. 4 free agent, Wilkins saw Nos. 2 and 3 on that list (Baker Mayfield and Jones) cash in before the legal tampering period. Jones’ deal took an elite option off the market, clearing the runway for Wilkins’ windfall. The Raiders, who have kept costs low on their D-line for a bit, changed course and will aim for the 28-year-old DT changing the equation up front.

A herd of bridge- or backup-level quarterbacks hit free agency. As the Raiders acknowledged their miss on Jimmy Garoppolo, they made the biggest investment via Minshew’s $15MM. This contract rewards the spot starter after he took a $3.5MM deal to become insurance for the QB the Colts would draft. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson decision translated to 13 Minshew starts. The Colts went 7-6 in those games, coming close to a surprise AFC South title.

Minshew’s $15MM total guarantee topped the next-closest free agent QB (Sam Darnold) by more than $6MM, illustrating the market for the former Jaguars sixth-rounder. The Raiders gave Garoppolo $33.75MM guaranteed and dropped him after six starts. Minshew’s contract would generate a maximum of $7.6MM in dead money if dropped in 2025.

The Raiders agreeing to pay out Minshew’s 2025 base salary ($11.84MM) will depend on the competition between he and 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell. With the Raiders’ primary 2023 starter believed to hold an early lead, Minshew will need to summon the moxie he showed in Jacksonville and Indianapolis.

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Poll: Who Will Win Raiders’ QB Competition?

July 9th, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Training camp and the preseason in 2024 will decide plenty of position battles around the NFL. With respect to quarterbacks, though, few starting gigs are truly unaccounted for this offseason. The Raiders represent an exception.

Vegas’ 2023 Jimmy Garoppolo investment did not pay off as hoped, and he was released after one injury-shortened campaign with the team. Garoppolo’s injury opened the door for Aidan O’Connell to see game action over the second half of the campaign, one in which Josh McDaniels was replaced by Antonio Pierce. The latter was given the full-time gig this spring, and that decision left a fan of O’Connell’s in the building.

Pierce said in March the 2023 fourth-rounder would open any QB competition in pole position. The Raiders were subsequently linked to adding a passer in the first round of the draft, with Pierce appearing to be more on board with a move up the order than new general manager Tom Telesco. In the end, Vegas remained in place on Day 1 and as a result did not add further competition to O’Connell and free agent signing Gardner Minshew.

The latter inked a two-year, $25MM deal in March to join the Raiders. That agreement – a rather lucrative one for a backup – put to rest consideration of a potential Justin Fields acquisition but did not ensure Minshew a first-team role. The 28-year-old was instead viewed as an insurance policy for any rookie the team added as an eventual starter. With such a move not coming to fruition, O’Connell and Minshew will compete for the Week 1 nod this summer.

O’Connell, 25, struggled with turnovers early in his time at the helm before settling down in that regard. Over the course of his final six games, he posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Vegas relied on a ground-heavy attack during that time, but the Purdue alum offered enough to suggest he could develop into a starting-caliber option. Increasing his 202 passing yards per game average to an extent would be necessary to achieve that, of course.

Minshew, by contrast, is much more of a known commodity. The former Jaguar and Eagle joined the Colts last offseason to reunite with Shane Steichen. That move proved to be an important one for team and player with much of Anthony Richardson‘s rookie campaign spent on the sidelines due to injury. Minshew logged 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,305 yards last season, nearly leading Indianapolis to a postseason berth and earning a Pro Bowl invite.

The most recent update on the competition noted that O’Connell may have a slight edge on Minshew entering training camp as the team’s familiar QB option. The Raiders have a different offensive coordinator (Luke Getsy) in place for 2024, though, something which should level the playing field in that respect from Minshew’s perspective. The depth chart will be finalized based on each passer’s performances in the summer, which will consist of split training camp reps and could involve both getting significant preseason playing time.

In the end, who do you feel will win out and earn the starting gig? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and give your thoughts in the comments section below:

Extension Candidate: Matt Judon

July 8th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Judon is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $56MM contract he signed with the Patriots back in 2021. The four-time Pro Bowler has undoubtedly lived up to his contract in New England (at least through the first two seasons), but there have been conflicting reports surrounding the progress of extension talks. That’s led some pundits to wonder if 2024 could end up being Judon’s final season with the organization.

Judon himself provided a discouraging update last week. The veteran posted on X that he doesn’t think an extension is “about to happen” (per Dakota Randall of ProFootballNetwork.com). Further, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said that “there are a couple of big contract issues” that may stem from the front office’s decision to hand Christian Barmore a new $92MM deal, with Bedard seemingly pointing the finger at Judon (via Randall).

On the flip side, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily recently hinted that Judon could sign the league’s “next big contract.” The four-time Pro Bowler has also continued to express interest in continuing his career in New England, and the 31-year-old has been an active free agent recruiter on social media.

In other words, it doesn’t seem like anyone has any idea how this will play out. At the very least, Judon doesn’t intend to make his contract status a distraction. Last year, the player staged a hold-in before coming to a temporary resolution with the Patriots, but the player has since admitted that his negotiation tactic was “trash.” With the impending free agent hinting that he won’t follow a similar path this year, the Patriots could simply let Judon play out his contract before revisiting a long-term deal next offseason.

Of course, this could be the perfect time for the organization to pounce. After compiling 28 sacks through his first two seasons with the Patriots, Judon was limited to four sacks in four games before suffering a season-ending bicep injury in 2023. With the 2024 campaign representing Judon’s age-32 season, the Patriots could cite the player’s age and recent injury as a reason for a discounted extension. Plus, while Judon is only set to earn $7.5MM in 2024, he’s connected to a $14.6MM cap charge, so any extension could help the organization reduce that number for the upcoming season.

Beyond the simple decision to extend Judon, the two sides would obviously have to settle on a value. Judon would probably be hard pressed to garner a $22MM average annual value, a mark that would push him into the top-10 among pass rushers. Von Miller got a $20MM AAV from the Bills ahead of his age-33 season, but Judon is still unlikely to generate that type of money and term (six years). DeMarcus Lawrence‘s three-year, $40MM deal with the Cowboys or Cameron Jordan‘s two-year, $27.5MM deal with the Saints may be better benchmarks. Considering the Patriots are armed with plenty of future cap space, this shouldn’t be a prohibitive move for the front office.

There would probably be plenty of teams willing to give Judon at least $13MM per year, and those hypothetical suitors would probably give the player a better chance at winning. The projected franchise tag for Judon is likely untenable (between $24MM and $25MM, per OverTheCap.com), so the Patriots could risk the player walking for nothing if they can’t agree to an extension now.

As the team’s defensive and emotional leader, the Patriots can’t afford to move on from Judon in 2024. It remains to be seen if the organization is willing to pay up to keep him on the roster for 2025 and beyond.

PFR Originals: Bolts, WRs, Cardinals, Vikings

July 7th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here’s a rundown of recent PFR originals:

  • With the initial rushes of free agency coming to a close, Ben Levine took a look at where each team ranks in projected salary cap space for the 2025 season with the help of OvertheCap.com. A few teams at the bottom of their divisions like the Patriots, Cardinals, and Commanders are all projected to have the ability to be big spenders in the next offseason.
  • Sam Robinson continued our Offseason in Review series with a look at the offseason activities of the Chargers. Now led by college football’s most recent national championship-winning head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles will field a new-look offense coached by new offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman’s new-look offense will be without recent offensive staples Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler but adds some former Roman associates in Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins.
  • I continued our work on the Offseason in Review series with a dive into the Cardinals’ activities for the past few months. After some losses in the trenches and in the receiving corps, Arizona made moves to reinforce those areas of loss with a number of free agency signings on both the offensive and defensive lines. The team also made two serious investments for quarterback Kyler Murray, drafting legacy wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 overall and trading for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder as an upgrade in case Murray misses any more time.
  • Sam followed this up with the Offseason in Review series’ edition of the Vikings’ offseason activities. Third-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s main focus this offseason was the big-money extension for star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, while other key offensive contributors like Kirk Cousins, Alexander Mattison, and K.J. Osborn found themselves headed to free agency. Minnesota will hope that their two first-round picks, J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, will help offset some of the losses, but the team’s third pick in the draft, Khyree Jackson, tragically lost his life in a car accident days ago.
  • We’ve seen a number of star veteran cornerbacks push the market in recent offseasons and some young players set a slightly lower market for some of the best, young corners in the game. The latest of those players vying for a new deal is former first-round pick AJ Terrell for the Falcons. Ben laid out the case for Terrell to get a big, new contract extension before “negotiations get tense.”
  • There are several key wide receivers pushing their clubs for new contracts this offseason. New deals for players like Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Calvin Ridley, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, and others have made things even tougher for receivers like Brandon Aiyuk, Amari Cooper, Tee Higgins, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, and Courtland Sutton, all of whom are looking for some kind of update to their current situation, as Sam detailed here.
  • Carolina passer Bryce Young had a rocky rookie season as Adam Thielen was the only receiver to truly contribute to the offense in a big way in 2023. I broke down what the upcoming season will look like for the Panthers’ wide receiving corps with the additions of Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Daewood Davis.
  • After watching Bill Belichick part ways with the Patriots this offseason, the top of the list of the NFL’s longest-tenured head coaches looks slightly different, with Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Baltimore’s John Harbaugh sitting alone atop the list now. Sam ran through the entire list, noting when each coach was hired and for how much longer they’re going to be under contract.
  • Lastly, Ben noted that it was three years ago yesterday that wide receiver N’Keal Harry requested a trade from the Patriots. Harry’s struggles on the field continued that season and, after having his fifth-year option declined, he saw his trade-request fulfilled as New England shipped him off to Chicago. Now with the Vikings and making a transition to tight end, Harry is still working to make his impact on the NFL.

5 Key Stories: 6/30/24 – 7/7/24

July 7th, 2024 at 4:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The past few days have seen several key developments take place around the NFL. In case you missed any of the top stories from this week, here is a quick recap:

  • Vikings’ Jackson Dies At 24: Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was involved in a car accident which resulted in his death as well as that of two of his former high school teammates. Jackson was 24. The car he was a passenger in collided with another during an incident early Saturday morning, and investigators believe alcohol was a “contributing circumstance” in the accident. A third vehicle was also involved, but no other injuries were suffered. Jackson spent time at community college before playing at Alabama and ultimately transferring to Oregon. He earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2023 and was selected by Minnesota in the fourth round of April’s draft.
  • Jaguars Finalize 30-Year Jacksonville Lease: The future of the Jaguars has been a talking point in the past, but the team’s long-term outlook will keep it in Duval County. Jacksonville City Council approved a 30-year lease with the Jags, something which will put to rest questions about potential relocation. The team’s EverBank Stadium will be renovated as part of the long-term project which will ensure stability from an organizational standpoint. The Jaguars have played regular season games in London dating back to 2013, and their formal international arrangement is set to continue for years to come. With nothing imminent regarding European expansion, though, midseason games at Wembley Stadium are set to remain the only instances of Jacksonville playing overseas.
  • Patriots, Tavai Reach Extension Agreement: After three seasons in New England (including two as a starter), linebacker Jahlani Tavai agreed to a deal constituting a notable raise. The pending free agent worked out a three-year Patriots extension with a base value of $15MM. The pact can max out at $21MM, but in any event this deal is worth far more per season than the $1.88MM Tavai was due to earn in 2024. The 27-year-old made a career-high 110 tackles last season while remaining a core special teams contributor. Tavai is one of many in-house players Eliot Wolf and the Patriots have kept in the fold via new deals or extensions this offseason, and he figures to remain a key role player for years to come.
  • Hill Seeking Dolphins Extension: Confirming previous reports on the matter, Tyreek Hill publicly confirmed he is aiming for a Dolphins extension. The five-time All-Pro once led the way in terms of AAV amongst receivers at $30MM. That figure (which is artificially inflated by the non-guaranteed $43.9MM base salary due in the final year of the pact) has since been surpassed during the most recent wave of monster extensions at the position. Miami has taken part in that process, retaining Jaylen Waddle on a $28.25MM-per-year pact which will keep him in place for years to come. Hill, 30, is under contract for three more years, including two with guaranteed compensation. How the team proceeds knowing that term remains will be interesting to monitor.
  • Gipson Issued Six-Game Suspension: Tashaun Gipson is one of many veteran defensive backs who is still unsigned, but his free agent status is different than that of his peers. The 33-year-old was issued a six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. Gipson’s playing future was already in doubt this offseason, with the 49ers remaining patient and allowing him to determine if he wished to continue his 12-year career. San Francisco used Gipson as a full-time starter over each of the past two years, but if anything the team will no doubt be less likely to entertain a new deal knowing he will miss the opening of the 2024 campaign. Opportunities from other suitors could likewise be few and far between until the fall.

This Date In Transactions History: Patriots WR N’Keal Harry Requests Trade

July 6th, 2024 at 10:19am CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2021, one of the more egregious public trade requests crossed the Twitter/X timeline. Former Patriots first-round wideout N’Keal Harry asked out of New England on July 6, 2021.

“For the past several months, I have been working in cooperation with the Patriots behind the scenes to put a plan in place to allow N’Keal to thrive in New England,” Harry’s agent, Jamal Tooson, wrote in a statement. “Through two seasons, he has 86 targets, which obviously hasn’t met the expectations the Patriots and N’Keal had when they drafted a dominant downfield threat who was virtually unstoppable at the point of attack in college. Following numerous conversations with the Patriots, I believe it’s time for a fresh start and best for both parties if N’Keal moves on before the start of training camp. That is why I have informed the Patriots today I am formally requesting a trade on behalf of my client.”

While the agent’s statement was filled with hyperbole, he wasn’t entirely wrong about Harry’s collegiate production. The Arizona State product earned a pair of first-team All-Pac-12 honors after compiling 175 catches, 2,305 yards from scrimmage, and 18 touchdowns between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. That two-year performance helped put him firmly on the NFL map, and he was ultimately the second wideout off the board during the 2019 draft (behind Marquise Brown and ahead of the likes of Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown, who were the next two receivers taken).

The Patriots broke their tradition by selecting Harry with the No. 32 pick. Bill Belichick had never selected a first-round WR during his time in New England, and Harry was the organization’s first Round 1 receiver since Terry Glenn in 1996. So, it goes without saying that expectations were high for Harry.

Unfortunately for both the player and the organization, those expectations were never met. Tom Brady often looked off rookie wideouts during his illustrious career, and Harry wasn’t an exception. Despite the Patriots offense being without Rob Gronkowski (retirement) and Josh Gordon (injury), Harry only finished the 2019 campaign with 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Things got a bit better with Cam Newton under center for the 2020 season, but Harry still struggled to match his first-round pedigree. The wideout finished his sophomore season with 33 catches for 309 yards, with both marks still representing career-highs.

With two underwhelming seasons under his belt, Harry and his camp decided he’d be best served to rehabilitate his career elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t any teams willing to give up significant draft capital to acquire the wideout, leading to rumors that the Patriots could just outright cut the impending third-year player. Instead, Harry ended up sticking on the roster, although a shoulder injury kept him off the field for the first month of the season. When he returned, he once again struggled to make a connection with his quarterback, a position that was now manned by rookie Mac Jones. Harry finished the 2021 season with 12 catches for 184 yards.

Naturally, the Patriots declined Harry’s fifth-year option during the 2022 offseason, and the team eventually honored the player’s trade request. Harry was ultimately traded to the Bears for a seventh-round pick (a selection they eventually used on tight end Jaheim Bell). Harry didn’t do a whole lot during his cameo in Chicago, finishing with only seven catches. He spent most of the 2023 campaign in Minnesota, going catchless in 23 offensive snaps. After inking a reserve/futures contract with the Vikings this offseason, it was revealed that the six-foot-four, 225-pound athlete will be attempting to make Minnesota’s roster as a tight end in 2024.

When Harry’s camp made the trade request on this date three years ago, it was hinted that the player’s landing spot was to blame for the lack of production. Really, everyone involved deserves some responsibility for the disappointing results. The Patriots should have done a better job assuring that Harry would be a fit with Brady and the technical New England offense, especially after the organization had struck out on so many young WRs over the years. On the flip side, Harry was hoping to simply capitalize on his physical talents, a factor that his college coach, Herm Edwards, confirmed when he noted that rookies need “to have work ethic” and have “to focus in on football.”

As the Patriots undergo another significant offensive change in 2024, it’s hard not to imagine how things would look if Harry actually worked out in New England.

Offseason In Review: Minnesota Vikings

July 5th, 2024 at 10:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had gone two seasons with the quarterback his predecessor signed, but after Kirk Cousins‘ fourth set of Vikings extension talks did not produce a deal in 2023, the current Minnesota GM finally cut the cord. Cousins’ departure headlined an eventful Vikings offseason, one that later included a market-setting wide receiver contract.

As the Vikings transition at quarterback, they will use some of the money freed up by Cousins’ departure — following a not insignificant dead money total stemming from void years — on one of their Rick Spielman-era acquisitions. While Minnesota’s offseason featured notable moves at several positions, the decisions made at quarterback and wideout defined it.

Extensions and restructures:

Negotiations between the Vikings and Jefferson ran up to Week 1 last year. At that point, no team in the fifth-year option era (2011-present) had extended a first-round wide receiver with two years of rookie-deal control remaining. Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb were in that boat last year, and while extension rumors surfaced, no deals came to pass. The Vikings submitted an offer worth more than $28MM per year before the 2023 season started. With that proposal not topping Tyreek Hill‘s position-record AAV number, Jefferson predictably declined to set the stage for a 2024 reconvening. The superstar wideout was proven right by waiting.

Even though Jefferson sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games, he still managed a 1,000-yard season. Jefferson, 25, had already shattered Randy Moss‘ NFL record for receiving yardage through three seasons, accumulating 4,825. Jefferson’s age, his monster production, the Vikings moving off a proven QB’s contract and the receiver market shifting — following a record cap spike — beyond the $30MM place worked in the fifth-year pass catcher’s favor. Jefferson secured whopping terms and returned to work to begin establishing a rapport with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy.

Skipping the start of Vikings OTAs in an effort to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Jefferson succeeded by passing Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-per-year contract. Also possessing leverage stemming from the Vikings’ natural interest in having their top player at workouts to begin training alongside its new QBs, the LSU alum pounced. Jefferson secured record-smashing guarantee figures, prevented the Vikings from backloading his deal the way Hill and Davante Adams‘ contracts are structured and managed this on a four-year agreement — one shorter than the Vikes initially sought.

The fifth wide receiver chosen in a memorable 2020 first round, Jefferson has set guarantee bars that are complicating the Cowboys and 49ers’ negotiations with their 2020 first-round wideouts. His total guarantees ($110MM) checked in $26MM north of A.J. Brown‘s new mark at the position. More importantly, the full guarantees ($88.7MM) are $36MM higher than the next-closest wideout. The WR investment business is booming, and the guarantees the Vikings authorized may give teams pause.

Rumblings about teams considering two-first-rounder trade offers for Jefferson emerged, with the Vikings loosely linked to a trade-up for LSU’s Malik Nabers. Little in terms of concrete info — unlike the Vikes and Giants’ Drake Maye trade-up offers — came out, however. No wide receiver has fetched two first-round picks in a trade since the 2000 offseason saw it happen twice — for Joey Galloway (Seahawks to Cowboys) and Keyshawn Johnson (Jets to Buccaneers) — but after Hill and Adams fetched first- and second-round picks in 2022 swaps, Jefferson’s age and the exploding WR market would have made him a clear candidate to end this drought.

The Vikings have a history of extending receivers and then trading them, having taken this route with Moss (2005) and Stefon Diggs (2020). Minnesota also unloaded Percy Harvin (2013) rather than extend him, but the Adofo-Mensah regime finished the Jefferson process with a commitment.

As it stands, the Vikings will pair Jefferson’s megadeal with McCarthy and Jordan Addison‘s rookie contracts. Although Minnesota now has the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver and tight end (T.J. Hockenson), getting off Cousins’ contract will help the club afford the market-setting accords.

For a second straight year, the Vikings gave Smith a pay cut. The safety market’s inconsistency over the past two offseasons has impacted accomplished veterans. Smith signed two extensions that placed him atop the position’s market — in 2016 and 2021 — but Adofo-Mensah has led the way in back-to-back contract reworkings.

Smith, 35, is the Vikings’ longest-tenured player by a wide margin. He had agreed to a four-year, $64MM extension in August 2021, but after a 2022 restructure, the veteran Pro Bowler agreed to a $7MM pay cut in 2023 and again reduced his deal in March. Smith’s 2021 extension ran through 2025; it now expires a year early, via void years which have become a thorny subject during the Adofo-Mensah regime. Smith reduced a $15.3MM base salary to $9MM, with a $7MM signing bonus representing a solid guarantee for a 13th-year veteran at an unstable position.

Pro Football Focus ranked Smith, whose 176 career games are tied for fifth among defenders in Vikings history, 34th among safeties last season. If Smith is not re-signed before the 2025 league year, the Vikings will be tagged with $9.5MM in dead money. This would remind of Dalvin Tomlinson‘s 2023 exit.

Free agency additions:

Not traded for one another, Greenard and Danielle Hunter — PFR’s Nos. 5 and 6 free agents this year — will nevertheless move into each other’s 2023 roles. The Vikings added Greenard early in free agency, doing so before Hunter committed to the Texans. Minnesota showed interest in Bryce Huff but paid more for Greenard. The new Vikings edge rusher’s age (27) works in his favor; he is three years younger than Hunter. The latter has delivered better work, but the Vikings are betting on Greenard’s best NFL stretch being ahead.

Drafted in Round 3 before Nick Caserio took over as GM, Greenard excelled under both Lovie Smith and then DeMeco Ryans. Greenard had tallied an eight-sack season (in 2021) before an injury-plagued 2022 stalled his early-career momentum. Last season brought new production territory. Ranking 20th with 33 quarterback pressures, Greenard led the Texans in sacks (12.5) despite Will Anderson Jr. winning Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim and smashed his career-high with 22 QB hits. Greenard ranked sixth among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric in 2023.

Starting over at OLB, the Vikings need this pace to continue. They still managed to land a 27-year-old edge defender at an upper-mid-market rate. Greenard’s $19MM AAV ranks 15th among edges, though his $38MM guarantee at signing sits eighth. He could certainly reward the Vikings on this deal, especially as the pass rush market — likely via Micah Parsons and a third Myles Garrett contract — moves toward $40MM per year.

A year after moving off the Dalvin Cook contract, the Vikings made a short-term bet on another 2017 RB draftee. Jones does not have the rushing numbers Cook compiled in Minneapolis, but the seven-year Packer is a slightly better receiving option who certainly showed more gas in the tank last season. The Vikings are quite familiar with the versatile back, who closed last season with five straight 100-yard rushing games to propel the Pack to the divisional round, and their interest emerged soon after Green Bay cut bait.

The Packers added a younger back (Josh Jacobs) but one that has not shown what Jones has as an outlet option. After reducing Jones’ pay in 2023, the Packers aimed to cut his wages once again. The sides could not agree on common ground, and the team dropped Jones shortly after the Jacobs deal was finalized. Jones’ Vikings guarantee surpasses Alexander Mattison‘s 2023 number, though not by too much, as the Vikes have one of this era’s best RBs at a midlevel rate.

The team will bet on the aging (by RB standards) talent having juice left. The 1-A back in timeshares with Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon in his career, Jones has logged 1,449 career touches. That ranks ninth among active RBs, though the number is close to where Cook’s count stood (1,503) when the Vikings dropped him.

Jones rounds out an impressive skill-position cadre that includes Jefferson, Addison and Hockenson. This array of weaponry will be available to McCarthy in the long term, but it also could represent (by far) the best options Darnold has worked with as a pro. Brock Purdy enjoyed the 49ers’ unmatched arsenal during Darnold’s San Francisco year; his Jets and Panthers arrays, with Christian McCaffrey largely injured, do not rival what the Vikings possess. Although Darnold has been given plenty of time (56 starts) to show he is a mediocre quarterback, the former No. 3 overall pick chose an interesting opportunity in Minnesota.

Also tied to the Broncos and Commanders, Darnold chose the Vikings. Denver did not make a firm offer, and it is unknown where Washington went. Regardless, Darnold is poised to enter training camp as Minnesota’s starter. Darnold has flashed at points, but for the most part, the USC alum has struggled as a pro. The 27-year-old QB has never ranked higher than 25th in QBR, but he did not have enough snaps to qualify during an intriguing 2022 season in which he helped lead the Panthers back into the playoff race. Granted, this was due to a terrible NFC South, but Darnold averaged 8.2 yards per attempt with a limited Carolina skill corps that season.

It would not surprise to see the Vikings slow-play McCarthy’s climb; this would give Darnold a window to show better form and create a potential starter market for himself in 2025.

In addition to rebooting on the edge, the Vikes spent midlevel cash to add linebacking help. Van Ginkel can be classified as a hybrid player, having experience on the edge and off the ball. He helped the Dolphins as a rotational rusher and emergency OLB starter last season, compiling six sacks and 19 QB hits.

The Dolphins drafted Van Ginkel during Brian Flores‘ time in Miami, and he reached 20 QB hits in the current Vikings DC’s South Florida finale (2021). This made the Vikings’ interest unsurprising, and the team’s Cashman move points Van Ginkel to the edge. A rumored Flores-Christian Wilkins reunion did not happen, but the Vikes did not leave free agency without adding one of their DC’s ex-charges.

Cashman will join emerging UDFA Ivan Pace in the Twin Cities, and this payday marks the culmination of a journey that had the ex-Jet as a special-teamer not long ago. Strictly a special-teamer from 2020-21, Cashman still only played 14% of the Texans’ defensive snaps in 2022. But Ryans gave him steady work last year, using him at a 71% snap rate. Cashman notched 106 tackles to eclipse his career-best number by a cool 66, adding nine tackles for loss en route to PFF ranking him as a top-10 ILB regular. The Vikings are giving the Minnesota alum a chance to come home as well, as Cashman grew up in nearby Eden Prairie.

Mentioned as one of the many suitors for franchise-tagged Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, the Vikings only exited free agency with Griffin. While Griffin has 79 starts on his resume, two teams — the Jaguars and Texans — cut the soon-to-be 29-year-old CB in 2023. PFF still rated Griffin as a top-50 corner last season, but the former Seahawks mainstay qualifies as more stopgap than difference-maker. As it stands, Griffin has a path to a starting role. The Vikings, as should be expected, are still being tied to seeking CB help.

Re-signings:

Even as the guard market produced five eight-figure-per-year UFA agreements this offseason, Risner is having a tough time convincing teams he is near that level. A Broncos starter for four seasons, the former second-round pick had not exactly received poor marks from the advanced metrics providers. But Risner has now struck out twice in free agency, waiting into the 2023 season before landing a gig and sitting on this year’s open market until May. Now heading into his age-29 season, the veteran guard is running out of time to cash in. He is sitting on 73 career starts, 11 coming with the Vikings last year.

Risner made his way into Minnesota’s starting lineup in October 2023, eventually replacing the traded Ezra Cleveland. PFF assigned Risner a mid-pack rating (46th), though ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted him ninth among all interior linemen. He will battle Brandel for the Vikes’ left guard gig. Despite having just five starts and just 503 offensive snaps on his NFL resume, Brandel commanded more money than Risner this offseason.

Notable losses:

The contracts Cousins and Hunter played out made the Vikings a historical outlier regarding an ability to retain top talent. Minnesota could not use its franchise tag on Hunter due to the parties’ August 2023 reworking, and Washington having tagged Cousins twice made a third tag — which no team has applied since the 2006 CBA made doing so prohibitive — a non-starter. This led to a nine-year Vikings sack ace and the team’s six-year quarterback heading south.

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The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 5th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following 2023’s five-team coaching carousel, this offseason featured a quarter of the jobs becoming available. One HC-needy team (New England) did not put its position on the market, promoting Jerod Mayo, but the rest did. The Patriots’ decision also produced the first shakeup among the league’s longest-tenured head coach list since 2013.

Since the Eagles fired Andy Reid, Bill Belichick‘s Patriots HC stint had run the longest. After a 4-13 season, the six-time Super Bowl-winning leader was moved out of the picture. No team hired Belichick, generating a wave of rumors, and only one (Atlanta) brought him in for an official interview. While Belichick should be expected to take at least one more run at a third-chance HC gig, Mike Tomlin rises into the top spot on this list.

Tomlin is going into his 18th season with the Steelers, and while he has surpassed Bill Cowher for longevity, the steady leader still has a ways to go to reach Chuck Noll‘s 23-season Pittsburgh benchmark. Tomlin, 52, enters the 2024 season 17-for-17 in non-losing seasons, separating himself from his predecessors in that regard.

Belichick’s ouster brought far more attention, but his Patriots predecessor also slid out of the HC ranks after a 14-year Seattle stay. Pete Carroll‘s third HC shot elevated the Seahawks to their franchise peak. No Hawks HC comes close to Carroll’s duration, and while the Super Bowl winner was interested in remaining a head coach, no team interviewed the 72-year-old sideline staple.

Belichick and Carroll’s exits leave only Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Reid as coaches who have been in place at least 10 years. With Mike Vrabel also booted this offseason, only eight HCs have held their current jobs since the 2010s. A few 2017 hires, however, stand out; Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Sean McDermott have now each signed multiple extensions. Now riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Reid joined Tomlin in signing an offseason extension.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2024 season:

  1. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
  2. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  3. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
  4. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  5. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
  6. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  8. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  9. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  10. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed offseason extension
  11. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  12. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
  13. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  14. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  15. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  16. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  17. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  18. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  19. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  20. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  21. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  22. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  23. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  24. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
  25. Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots): January 12, 2024
  26. Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders): January 19, 2024
  27. Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
  28. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
  29. Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
  30. Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
  31. Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
  32. Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024

Latest On Panthers’ Wide Receiving Corps

July 5th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen had an excellent 2024 campaign, reminiscent of some of his best seasons with the Vikings. Besides the 33-year-old’s standout effort, rookie quarterback Bryce Young didn’t get much help throughout a rocky first season. As a result, the Panthers made two big moves to augment the receiving corps this offseason, requiring recent high draft picks to show up soon or, perhaps, get pushed out.

After Thielen’s 103-reception, 1,014-yard, four-score effort, the next-best receiving performances were from free agent addition DJ Chark (35 receptions-525 yards-5 touchdowns) and second-round rookie Jonathan Mingo (43-418-0). Rounding out the room, former second-round pick Terrace Marshall (19-139-0), former Jaguars second-round pick Laviska Shenault (10-60-0), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (8-51-0), and Mike Strachan (1-45-0) each provided minimal contributions in Young’s rookie year.

Besides Shenault, that entire group returns in 2024. Thielen will obviously remain a starter, though he may be challenged by trade acquisition Diontae Johnson for the WR1-role. Johnson averaged about 872 yards and five touchdowns per year over five seasons in Pittsburgh. Putting forth an average season would already provide a significant upgrade to the room.

Joining Johnson as a newcomer to the group is first-round draft pick Xavier Legette. An explosive but inexperienced weapon out of South Carolina, Legette brings an air of mystery to the Panthers. Legette spent four years with the Gamecocks before finally becoming a main contributor as a redshirt senior, totaling more in 2023 (71-1,255-7) than he did in the four prior years combined (42-423-5).

Barely making it into the first round as the 32nd overall selection in this year’s draft, Legette will be competing with the team’s two former second-round picks in his rookie season for the WR3 job. While Marshall has had trouble staying on the field since getting drafted out of LSU, missing at least three games in each year including eight last year, his second season stats (28-490-1) resembled Mingo’s rookie numbers, but he was mostly a non-factor during his other two seasons. Mingo could certainly take step forward in Year 2, but he’ll now be forced to outperform Legette in training camp to remain a starter.

One under the radar addition that could prove effective is UFL star Daewood Davis. A former undrafted free agent for the Dolphins out of Western Kentucky, Davis caught 41 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games with the Memphis Showboats. If he uses that pro experience to enhance his offseason performance in 2024, Davis could make a strong play for a roster spot and, perhaps, even a role in the receiver-rotation.

Regardless, Carolina’s 2024 receiving corps looks to be much improved from the group fielded by the Panthers in 2023. Thielen and Johnson figure to form a strong, experienced duo atop the depth chart. Past those two, Carolina just needs one of Legette, Mingo, Marshall, Davis, or another to step up and provide a strong WR3 for Young.

Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals

July 4th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals knew the 2023 season would be a challenge with quarterback Kyler Murray coming back late from a 2022 torn ACL. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon had an offense with a backup quarterback starting the year and inherited the 31st-ranked defense of 2022. Knowing that a turnaround was not likely last season, Arizona focused on implementing its new system under new leadership.

The past few months have seen the first full offseason under Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort. After spending a year seeing what does and doesn’t work, the new brain trust went to work on how best to transform the roster to best fit their needs. Riding at the bottom of the NFC West for the past two years, the Cardinals had a lot to gain and not much to lose for the 2024 season.

Trades:

The 2023 season did not see the Cardinals generate much receiving success. Aside from the emergence of second-year tight end Trey McBride, not a single player on the offense eclipsed 600 yards receiving. Mainly, this was due to injuries at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, really all over the offense. In fact, Moore and McBride were the only skill players on the team to appear in all 17 games of the season last year.

Moore was a second-round pick for Arizona out of Purdue back in 2021. As a rookie role player, Moore thrived in the WR4 role behind Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and DeAndre Hopkins. He recorded career highs in receptions (54) and receiving yards (435). In his sophomore season, Moore looked to be embracing a larger role on the offense, nearly matching his rookie stats in just eight starts. However, a groin injury landed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season, putting an early end to what looked to be a promising campaign.

Although Moore stayed healthy in 2023, the diminutive slot presence only produced 352 receiving yards. A seeming effort to retool the top end of the wide receivers room led to Moore’s shipment to Atlanta. In a rare player-for-player exchange, the Falcons provided Ridder in return. A third-round pick out of Cincinnati two years ago, Ridder competed for the honor of replacing franchise passer Matt Ryan as the new sheriff in town as a rookie. He did not beat out Marcus Mariota but ended up starting the last four games of the 2022 season after Mariota landed on IR with a knee issue.

Ridder retained the starting job heading into 2023, with the Falcons centering their offseason around him (and not pursuing high-profile QBs). Atlanta’s plan fizzled when Ridder struggled to prove effective as a full-time starter. He was benched in Weeks 9 and 10 in favor of Taylor Heinicke, though Arthur Smith claimed the move had nothing to do with his performance. An injury to Heinicke would reinstate Ridder atop the depth chart once again, but his grasp on the starting job remained a feeble one. The Falcons have since overhauled their QB room, signing Kirk Cousins and making the surprising move to draft Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1. The team dealt Ridder between these moves, keeping Heinicke on a pay cut.

In Arizona, Ridder will not be asked to start; Murray has that job locked up quite securely. But with Murray missing 18 games in the past three years, a need for a strong backup quarterback exists. Options such as Colt McCoy (3-3), Trace McSorley (0-1), David Blough (0-2), Joshua Dobbs (1-7), and Clayton Tune (0-1) have delivered only four wins in those 18 starts without Murray. It is hard to say Ridder has the talent to consistently win in a replacement scenario, but rostering a quarterback with a near-full season of starting experience is a big enough upgrade over the five players listed above, especially when all it costs is a receiver who failed to blossom in his third year of NFL play.

Free agency additions:

The Cardinals sustained some decent losses this year (see below), some willingly, and made reasonable efforts to upgrade at those positions where possible. The team focused heavily on the offensive and defensive lines. While Arizona’s offseason featured the departure of longtime left tackle D.J. Humphries, Williams comes in to fill his place — though, really, he fills the space of Paris Johnson Jr., who will flip from right tackle to left tackle to replace Humphries in 2024.

Williams may seem like a lateral move from Humphries is terms of talent, but the former Bengals first-rounder is 26 and should have a bit more tread left on the tires than Humphries (30). He also comes at a slight discount to what Humphries was owed should he have been retained.

On the defensive front, Nichols and Jones do not look pretty as upgrades, grading out on Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the 97th- and 107th-best defensive tackle regulars (out of 130) last year, but they look better than the departing Leki Fotu (117) and Jonathan Ledbetter (128) and are far more productive.

Jones proved disruptive on the Bears’ interior these past two years, totaling 7.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits over that span. Nichols hasn’t been that productive as of late, but in 2020, he also showed out as supplementary rusher for Chicago with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. If both of these players can tap into their Bears versions, they can form a reasonably promising starting interior.

The Cardinals brought in Murphy-Bunting as a veteran addition to what is shaping up to be a young group of cornerbacks. The team upgrades in a big way at linebacker, as well, bringing in Wilson to replace part-time starters Josh Woods and Zeke Turner.

On offense, Jones comes in after an injury-riddled 2023 season with the Jaguars, hoping to recapture the magic of his 2022 campaign. Given a three-year, $24MM deal, Jones rewarded the Jaguars in his first Jacksonville season by smashing his career-high marks in an 82-catch, 823-yard showing. Last season, which featured PCL and femur injuries, was not as good. The former second-round pick was also arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in November, and the Jaguars cut bait as they retooled their WR room this offseason. Jones also visited the Cowboys, Chiefs and Titans. With the Cards, he should slot in as WR3 behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.

Brown joins the team after starting at center and guard for the Seahawks and Lions in the past three years. With Hjalte Froholdt taking care of business at center, the Cardinals seem to want to use Brown’s starting experience at left guard. Brown saw regular guard duty in 2022.

The addition of Dallas is an intriguing one. His contract includes rushing yards-based incentives, so it seems like the Cardinals expect him to work as a part of the offense. In Seattle, the former fourth-round pick out of Miami (Fla.) served mostly as a special teams asset, returning both kickoffs and punts, but $2.75MM per year seems like a lot for a return specialist. Dallas already had to compete with Michael Carter and Emari Demercado for running back snaps, but then the Cardinals used a third-round pick on a rusher, muddying the waters even further.

Re-signings:

Arizona’s re-signings this offseason were mostly ancillary. Gillikin and Brewer obviously stand as the players most likely to occupy steady roles. Gillikin returns for a second year as the team’s primary punter, while Brewer is back as the long snapper for his ninth season in Arizona.

Wilkinson, Colon, Ismael, and O’Donnell provide reliable depth and versatility along the offensive line as backups. Barnes returns after tallying the team’s fifth-most tackles last season, though he likely takes a backseat with the addition of Wilson at linebacker.

Notable losses:

The biggest losses for Arizona this year come on the offensive side of the ball, though the team has done plenty in the offseason to address each. Humphries is perhaps the biggest name on this list. The 30-year-old had been a staple on the team’s offensive line since being drafted in the 2015 first round. The Pro Bowl tackle was a full-time starter from 2016-23, though he often missed significant time due to injury. Out of a possible 131 regular-season games, Humphries has missed 33. He remains unsigned.

Humphries is not too far removed from playing great football, but with the injuries mounting, the financial burden of his contract was becoming too much to shoulder. Following his torn ACL to end the regular season, Humphries became an easy target for release due to his scheduled $22MM cap hit in 2024. By releasing Humphries, the team was able to gain back $15.95MM of cap savings.

The other big departure saw Brown sign with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in free agency. Brown finished out his first-round rookie contract in Arizona after being traded from the Ravens during the 2022 draft. Brown never quite found the same success with the Cardinals that he had in Baltimore, mostly due to missed time with injuries.

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