A.j. Bouye - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Could Target A.J. Bouye

March 1st, 2017 at 6:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The mega-deal the Jets gave cornerback Darrelle Revis in free agency two offseasons ago proved to be an ill-fated decision, but it doesn’t look as if it’s going to deter them from trying to upgrade the position via the open market this year. With Revis out of the picture, there’s talk at the scouting combine that the corner-needy Jets will pursue the Texans’ A.J. Bouye if he reaches free agency, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The 25-year-old Bouye is arguably the best soon-to-be available corner in a class that could also feature the Patriots’ Logan Ryan and the Bills’ Stephon Gilmore, among others. As such, Bouye figures to rake in elite money – perhaps something along the lines of the five-year, $62.5MM deal with $29MM in guarantees the Giants gave then-free agent Janoris Jenkins last offseason.

While Bouye only has 19 NFL starts on his resume, one personnel department executive told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle last week that the four-year veteran is “going to get paid a lot of money” because “everybody in the league knows how good he is.” Bouye made his case for a massive payday in ranking third among Pro Football Focus’ 112 qualified corners in overall performance last year.

Unlike Bouye, the Jets hardly thrived in 2016. Their pass defense was part of the reason for their 5-11 finish, as it ranked second to last in the NFL in DVOA and allowed 30 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. Thus, the team could attempt to reel in Bouye, who’s familiar with its general manager, Mike Maccagnan. Before taking over the Jets’ football department two years ago, Maccagnan worked in the Texans’ front office from 2010-14. He was Houston’s assistant director of college scouting when it signed Bouye as an undrafted free agent in in 2013.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position: Defense

February 24th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2017:

Edge defender:

The Cardinals have already made it abundantly clear that Chandler Jones will see the franchise tag this offseason, and Melvin Ingram and Jason Pierre-Paul are also candidates to be tagged by the Chargers and Giants, respectively. If the latter two are able to hit the open market unfettered, however, they both figure to break the bank. Ingram, Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 edge defender, could be a fit for both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, while JPP will be looking for a long-term commitment after signing consecutive one-year deals.

The rest of this year’s crop of free agent pass rushers is a blend of young defenders searching for their first payday and veterans on the hunt for one last contract. Among the players with youth still on their side, Packers edge defenders Nick Perry and Datone Jones figure to interest different clubs, as Perry is a better match for a 3-4 defense while Jones needs to restart his career as a 4-3 defensive end. John Simon has been overlooked while playing alongside the likes of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus but could represent a hidden gem, while the Dolphins are reportedly prioritizing Andre Branch.

After managing nine sacks over the first nine years of his NFL tenure, Lorenzo Alexander busted out with 12.5 quarterback takedowns in 2016, and now could be looking for a double-digit annual salary. James Harrison and Charles Johnson, meanwhile, look like good bets to return to Steelers and Panthers, respectively, but DeMarcus Ware could be something of a wild card — after missing 11 games in the past two seasons, does the 34-year-old have enough left in the tank? The same could be asked of Dwight Freeney, who at age-37 posted three sacks in a rotational role for the Falcons.

Interior defensive line:

Unlike the edge defender market, the 2017 cadre of interior defensive lineman shouldn’t be overly affected by the franchise tender. Head coach Ron Rivera recently confessed the Panthers will “probably” have to use the tag on Kawann Short, but the rest of the defensive tackles listed here should be able to hit the open market. Of the remaining defenders, Campbell is the best overall player, but given that he’s entering his age-31 season, he may not cost as much as Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, and Dontari Poe.

Hankins is only 24 years old, and though the Giants are trying to retain him along with the rest of their defensive core, the 6’3″, 320-pound mauler should represent an attractive option to a number of clubs this offseason. Williams, too, offers a massive presence on the inside, while Poe could intrigue clubs based on his first-round pedigree and athleticism (though his play hasn’t always matched his potential). The Redskins’ Chris Baker is a solid, well-rounded defensive tackle, and could constitute a consolation prize for teams that miss out on their top targets.

The rest of the class offers an interesting mix of nose tackles (Bennie Logan), interior pass rushers (Nick Fairley, Earl Mitchell), and run stoppers (Karl Klug, Alan Branch), so clubs hoping to bolster their defensive line should find no shortage of options. Jared Odrick recently hit free agency after being released by the Jaguars, while Terrell McClain, Lawrence Guy, and Stacy McGee could be underrated finds for the right team. McClain, for what it’s worth, has already been linked to the Falcons.

Linebacker:

As usual, the non-rush linebacker market isn’t exactly overflowing with elite talent, and Dont’a Hightower stands as far-and-away the best player among this group. The Patriots already traded away several of their best defenders, including Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, an indication that they view Hightower as the best best to stick around long term. Hightower has communicated an openness to the franchise tag, but New England may go in another direction and offer him the transition tender instead.

Coming off a disappointing four-year run with the Titans in 2016, Zach Brown was last year forced to sign a one-year deal with the Bills for less than $1.5MM. That won’t be the case this spring, as Brown finally lived up to his second-round draft status by grading as one of the league’s best ‘backers. Brown especially excelled in pass coverage by using his speed to chase pass-catchers around the field, and in today’s NFL, that’s a skill-set that equals a hefty paycheck.

Kevin Minter has captained the Cardinals defense for the past two seasons, and has indicated he wouldn’t mind following Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to New York. Lawrence Timmons, meanwhile, is talking about a return to the Steelers, but general manager Kevin Colbert admitted an agreement between the two sides could be hard to reach. After years of playing behind Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, A.J. Klein is seeking a starting job, while Mike Morgan and Nick Bellore are more likely to be signed as primary special teamers.

Cornerback:

The Texans are unlikely to use the franchise tag on A.J. Bouye, a decision which sets up the young corner to be the single-most intriguing player on the 2017 free agent market. Only 25 years old, Bouye came out of nowhere to grade as PFF’s No. 3 corner in 2016. But the former undrafted free agent played on less than 900 defensive snaps over the first three years of his career, so he’s going to get paid on essentially one season of production. Bouye earned less than $3MM total during his time with Houston — his next contract could contain five times that amount…annually.

The cornerback market stands as one of the best free agent positional groups this offseason, as strong players permeate the list from top-to-bottom. Trumaine Johnson faces an outside shot of being franchise-tagged, but if he hits the open market, he’ll likely be aiming for a contract similar to that of his former Rams teammate Janoris Jenkins (five years, $62.5MM). Elsewhere among corners, Stephon Gilmore is a more high-profile name than Logan Ryan, but Ryan has simply played better over the last few campaigns, and offers a more dependable output.

Morris Claiborne is a former first-round pick but didn’t play like it until last season. Dre Kirkpatrick is a former first-round pick but has never played like it. The rest of the cornerback list has warts, as well: Prince Amukamara has dealt with injury, Kayvon Webster has only two career starts, Terence Newman is entering his age-39 season, and Sam Shields is coming off multiple concussions. All of these players offer upside, but they are all undoubtedly attached to risk.

Safety:

The Chiefs are working to re-sign Eric Berry, but if the two parties can’t agree to a new deal, Kansas City will likely employ the franchise tag for the second consecutive season. The only problem? Berry is adamant that he won’t play under the tag again, even though it would guarantee him a one-year salary of nearly $13MM. Realistically, Berry won’t have any choice but to sign the tender — given that he’s already 28, he can’t afford to sit out the season and risk hitting the open market at close to 30 years old.

Tony Jefferson, meanwhile, is expected to hit free agency, and could be the second-highest paid safety in this class behind Berry. Jefferson did reach the free agent market in 2016 as a restricted free agent, but he didn’t come with draft compensation attached. Any club could have signed him to an offer sheet, and if the Cardinals declined to match, would have acquired Jefferson scot-free. No team did so, which could be an indication that Jefferson’s 2016 market could be less robust than expected.

Also working against Jefferson is the fact that he plays close to the line of scrimmage, a role that’s relatively easy to fill, as Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus explained on a recent podcast. Duron Harmon, on the other hand, has demonstrated an ability to play deep safety, and thus could be in for a surprisingly high salary. The Cowboys’ Barry Church is “solid at everything, great at nothing,” tweets Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated, while Jonathan Cyprien and T.J. McDonald are primarily run defenders. Darius Butler may be the most fascinating case among this list of safeties, as the former corner should theoretically offer above-average coverage skills.

Kicker:

The Seahawks don’t figure to re-sign Steven Hauschka after bringing in fellow kicker Blair Walsh, but the longtime Seattle placekicker should be able to quickly find a new home in free agency. Nick Novak attempted the second-most field goals in the NFL last season after many Texans’ drives stalled, while Robbie Gould filled in admirably for the Giants after they released Josh Brown, converting of all ten of his field goal attempts.

Nick Folk was released as a cap casualty, and still has the talent to become another club’s kicker, while Mike Nugent — cut by the Bengals at midseason — may be nearing the end of the road after missing six extra points. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Phil Dawson come back for a fifth season with the 49ers, but Greg Zuerlein could move on from the Rams after the club threatened to bring in competition last offseason.

Punter:

Jeff Locke, 27, managed to pin opposing clubs inside the 20-yard line 34 times in 2016, good for fifth in the league. Britton Colquitt isn’t quite the punter that his brother, Dustin, is, but he found a new club soon after being cut last season and should do so again in 2017. Now 40 years old, Shane Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowler, but the Texans lost 12.7 points of field position on punts last season, meaning Houston could go in another direction at punter.

Extra Points: Bouye, Texans, Tannehill, Kelly

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans are unlikely to place the ~$14.297MM franchise tag on pending free agent A.J. Bouye, which the cornerback understands. “Like my agent told me, it’s about the market value. If you’re not set to make that amount in the franchise tag, then the Texans have to do what they have to do,” Bouye told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “We made some moves last offseason and spent some money. We have guys, other corners, No. 25 [Kareem Jackson], No. 24 [Johnathan Joseph] and No. 30 [Kevin Johnson]. On top of trying to bring me back, they also have to take care of Hopkins, take care of Clowney when his deal is up.” If the Texans don’t tag Bouye, the 25-year-old could price himself off the team on a long-term deal once he reaches the open market. Even though he only has 19 starts to his name, Bouye’s “going to get paid a lot of money” because “everybody in the league knows how good he is,” an NFL personnel department executive informed Wilson.

More from around football (and a relevant baseball note):

As expected, the knee injury that sidelined Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the tail end of last season, including the team’s wild-card round loss to the Steelers, won’t be a problem going forward. Tannehill is now fully healed from his partially torn ACL/Grade 2 MCL sprain and will be able to participate in the Dolphins’ entire offseason program, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Because he pleaded guilty to a non-criminal charge of disorderly conduct in January 2015, former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly isn’t allowed to participate in next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. However, Kelly’s agent, Vance McAlister, is still working to land an invitation for his client, details Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. If that doesn’t happen, Kelly and McAlister might travel to Indy anyway. “We are talking with all the teams that have already expressed interest to see what their thoughts are to make a decision,” said McAlister, who believes Kelly deserves an opportunity to meet with each team and let the clubs decide if he’s worth drafting. “I’ll be the first to tell you, Chad has had to grow up and has made some mistakes because of his immaturity. No question about that,” continued McAlister. “But for me, it’s up to the 32 teams to decide whether he has learned from his mistakes or grown. Nobody would be writing a story or talking about this if Chad didn’t have the talent. And by no means are we trying to justify any of his behavior of what he has done in the past. But that’s for teams to talk to him, ask him the questions and decide.”
Onetime NFL defensive back Sanders Commings will attempt to break into Major League Baseball as an outfielder, having agreed to join the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract, writes Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. The soon-to-be 27-year-old could have taken a shot at a baseball career much earlier, as the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 37th round of the 2008 MLB draft, but he instead chose to play football at Georgia. After his time with the Bulldogs ended, Commings went to Kansas City in the fifth round of the NFL draft in 2013. Commings appeared in the only two games of his pro football career that year with the Chiefs, who waived him in December 2015.
Jaguars offensive tackle Josh Wells‘ new deal is a two-year, $1.52MM pact featuring $75K in guarantees, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.

AFC Notes: Patriots, Jaguars, Ingram, Jets

February 18th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll is set to become the offensive coordinator at Alabama, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss writes that the departure will leave “a notable void on the staff.” The former Browns, Dolphins, and Chiefs offensive coordinator will surely have more of an opportunity to run his own system at Alabama, although Reiss notes that Daboll was considered the “coordinator-in-waiting” if Josh McDaniels left the organization for a head coaching gig.

Who’s going to fill the role? Well, Reiss believes Bill Belichick will give a long look at several coaching assistants, including Nick Caley, Mike Pellegrino, and Cole Popovich. The team could also look to promote promising assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski.

Reiss also throws one other name into the mix: former head coach Chip Kelly.

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

The Jaguars believe former first-rounder Jalen Ramsey is capable of being a top cornerback, but will that prevent the organization from pursuing another defensive back? Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com suggests that Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye could be an option, and one opposing coach believes the duo would form a “lethal” combination. Of course, the writer notes that the hypothetical would be moot if the team re-signs Prince Amukamara.
If Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram hits the open market, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells believes he’d be an intriguing option for the Colts. Indy was tied for 19th in sacks last season, while Ingram has compiled 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini explores which of the Jets impending free agents they should prioritize re-signing. Left tackle Ben Ijalana and linebackers Josh Martin and Mike Catapano. Meanwhile, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is at the bottom of Cimini’s list.

Texans Unlikely To Franchise CB A.J. Bouye

February 15th, 2017 at 7:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Texans want to retain pending free agent cornerback A.J. Bouye, they’re not expected to use the franchise tag to do so, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Texans have just under $25MM in available cap space, so deploying a tender that’s likely to come in around $14.297MM simply isn’t tenable.

An undrafted free agent out of Central Florida in 2013, Bouye had started only eight games during his first three years in the league, but was pressed into duty in 2016 and ended up starting 11 contests. During that time, Bouye managed one interception and 16 passes defensed, and graded as the NFL’s third-best corner behind Denver’s Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, per Pro Football Focus. In the most recent edition of PFR’s Free Agent Power Rankings, Bouye ranked seventh overall, and was the only defensive back listed within the top 10.

Bouye has expressed an interest in returning to Houston, but he could be poised to cash in on the open market — earlier this month, Wilson predicted Bouye could earn as much as $13MM annually via free agency. Given that he’s only 25 years old and has just a single season of elite production, Bouye is viewed by rival general managers as the “most intriguing” free agent on the board, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As such, front offices must weigh the risk of Bouye being a one-year wonder versus his potential as a shutdown cornerback.

If he does reach free agency, Bouye will join a corner class that features several other high-profile defensive backs, including Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Brandon Carr.

2017 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 15th, 2017 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.

As our list of important dates for the 2017 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Wednesday, March 1st. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.

Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2017’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com recently projected the 2017 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $168MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:

Quarterback: $21.395MM
Running back: $12.377MM
Wide receiver: $15.826MM
Tight end: $9.894MM
Offensive line: $14.444MM
Defensive end: $16.955MM
Defensive tackle: $13.468MM
Linebacker: $14.754MM
Cornerback: $14.297MM
Safety: $10.961MM
Punter/kicker: $4.863MM

(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)

Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:

Virtual Locks:

Chandler Jones, DE, Cardinals: Maybe Jones should headline a category titled “Super Duper Virtual Locks.” In January, coach Bruce Arians said that the Cards would apply the franchise tag to Jones if they were unable to immediately lock him up to a long-term deal. Then, just this week, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill offered additional confirmation of that plan. The $16.955MM tag will be applied to Jones in the next couple of weeks and the two sides will then have until the summer to work out a long-term deal. The odds of a longer pact coming together seem pretty good, considering the Cardinals knew what they were getting themselves into when they traded for Jones last year.

Kawann Short, DT, Panthers: Panthers head coach Ron Rivera admits that Short will “probably” be tagged and, unlike ex-teammate Josh Norman, Short doesn’t have a problem with it. The 28-year-old was the third-best defensive tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and the Panthers will gladly pay him ~$13.5MM on a one-year deal. A multi-year agreement could require an average annual value of $17MM, so our early guess is that Short will wind up actually playing on the tender.

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: We’ve known for a while now that the Steelers will use the franchise tag on Bell. For all of his off-the-field headaches, Bell still stands as one of the league’s most dynamic running backs and a one-year, $12.3MM deal would suit Pittsburgh just fine. Sometime after the tag is in place, we’re expecting the two sides to agree on a long-term deal. As I wrote in our most recent edition of the Free Agent Power Rankings, Bell will top LeSean McCoy‘s ~$8MM AAV and Doug Martin‘s $15MM in guarantees on a new multiyear pact. Of course, other factors such as cash flow will be pivotal in talks, particularly given the limited shelf life of running backs.
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Strong Candidates:

Eric Berry , S, Chiefs: Last offseason, everyone expected the Chiefs and Berry to quickly hammer out a multiyear contract. Ultimately, however, the July deadline came and went and he wound up playing on the franchise tag. This time around, Berry says there’s no way he’ll agree to the tag again. If the Chiefs and their franchise player can’t meet in the middle, things could get ugly this summer. A second tag would cost KC $12.967MM.

Dontari Poe, DT, Chiefs: Signing Berry to a long-term deal without tagging him would have the added benefit of allowing the team to use the tag on Poe. Berry doesn’t want the tag, but Poe would probably be open to it since the $13.468MM salary would more than double his 2016 income. Any way you slice it, the Chiefs are going to be tight against the cap, but they can carve out about $17MM by cutting Nick Foles and Jamaal Charles this offseason.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Giants: After his fireworks accident two years ago, the Giants re-upped Pierre-Paul using the franchise tag. Despite the many doubters out there, JPP managed to perform in his injury-shortened season. The following year, JPP was handed yet another one-year deal from the Giants and, once again, he came through. He’s down one-and-a-half digits, but he also has one-and-a-half seasons of strong football after his mishap proving that he is an elite edge rusher. Pierre-Paul won’t want another prove-it deal, but the Giants may find that the one-year, ~$17MM tag is the most prudent move.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: The Redskins tagged Cousins at $19.95MM last season, so a repeat tag would cost them $23.94MM. If they go that route, they’re likely to use the non-exclusive tag on the QB, according to one Redskins beat writer. That means that Cousins could be stolen away by another club desperate for quarterback help (like the 49ers or Browns), but it would cost them two first-round picks. There has also been talk of a tag-and-trade scenario, but that sort of thing is more suited for the NBA.

Toss Up:

A.J. Bouye, CB, Texans: How exactly should the Texans approach negotiations with Bouye? A relative no-name for the first three years of his career, Bouye exploded in 2016 and wound up as a top cornerback in the NFL. A one-year, $14.297MM tag could keep Bouye away from free agency and give the Texans another year to better evaluate the former UDFA. Still, that would tie up a ton of cap room for a team that has multiple areas to address. It’s possible that the Texans could sell Bouye on playing it safe and taking a below-market multiyear deal with healthy guarantees in the first two seasons.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns: Last month, one report indicated that the Browns are “very likely” to place the estimated $15.826MM franchise tag on Pryor. With the most cap space in the league, the Browns can easily afford to tag Pryor, but both sides would prefer a long-term deal. Recently, the Browns ramped up their efforts to get something done with the Ohio State product and agent Drew Rosenhaus. The Browns will tag Pryor if necessary, but we’re not sure it’ll get to that point.

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams: Last summer, the Rams felt they could keep only one of their two standout cornerbacks and they went with Johnson over Janoris Jenkins. Johnson remained with the team under the franchise tag and had a good year, though not a great one like Jenkins had with the Giants. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com recently told us that he expects the Rams to do “whatever it takes” to keep Johnson in the fold, and that could include an expensive repeat tag. At the same time, the Rams would greatly prefer to work out a multi-year deal that doesn’t zap their cap in 2017.

Melvin Ingram, LB, Chargers: Ingram is No. 4 on our Free Agent Power Rankings, but he might be the best player with a realistic chance of hitting the open market. The Chargers have a lot of holes to fill as they gear up for their first season in L.A. and they might not be able to afford Ingram at a $14.754MM salary. We’re expecting this late bloomer to explore the waters of free agency and potentially swim elsewhere.

Long Shots:

Dont’a Hightower, LB, Patriots: Hightower is a heck of a player, but a one-year, $14.754MM deal is a whopping price to pay for an inside linebacker. Would the Patriots go that far to keep one of their defensive anchors? It’s possible, but it seems more likely that the two sides will shake hands on a long-term deal before the March 1 deadline.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears: When the Bears used the tag on Jeffery last year, the feeling was that he would have to turn in a full, productive season in order to get his big payday. Instead, the Bears saw another so-so season from their star wide receiver that only spanned 12 games thanks to his four-game PED ban. A second tag would cost $17.5MM and we can’t see the Bears going that route, unless they think they can swing a tag-and-trade.

Stephon Gilmore, CB, Bills: Gilmore has said that he doesn’t want to be hit with the franchise tag, so his placement in the long shot section should make him pretty happy. Here’s what didn’t make the Bills happy – a mediocre 2016 which made some worry that the former first-round pick has regressed. We’re not expecting the Bills to use the one-year,$14.297MM tender on Gilmore, but nothing can be ruled out since the front office always finds a way to surprise us in Buffalo.

Portions of this post have been modified from an earlier post by PFR editor emeritus Luke Adams.

AFC Rumors: Texans, Patriots, Ihedigbo

February 12th, 2017 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

While upgrading at quarterback will be a priority for the Texans, reaching an agreement to keep A.J. Bouye in Houston will be the AFC South champions’ top priority, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle notes. This gels with what came out of Houston last week, with a report indicating the team eyes a Bouye re-up and a DeAndre Hopkins extension. Finishing behind only the Broncos’ standout pair on Pro Football Focus’ 2016 cornerback rankings, Bouye emerged as one of 2016’s top breakout players, and McClain Chronicle comrade Aaron Wilson expects the fifth-year player to secure a deal that pays him upwards of $13MM annually. Bouye comes in at No. 7 on PFR’s Free Agent Power Rankings.

Here’s more from Houston and some other AFC locales.

Bob McNair said the Texans will target a young quarterback in the draft after an investment in Brock Osweiler did not generate much this season. This means the team does not stand to be a player in the Tony Romo sweepstakes. At least, that was the last update coming out of Houston. But McClain expects the Texans to take a look at Romo if he hits free agency. McClain agrees with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport by saying the Texans won’t be interested in trading for Romo, and the longtime Houston reporter notes the soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback will have to take a big pay cut if he wants to play for the Texans. However, McClain doesn’t expect the team to bypass this potentially high-caliber stopgap solution entirely.
No surprise walkoff retirement appears to be in the cards for Tom Brady, with the 39-year-old passer relishing in the joy of the Patriots‘ most recent Super Bowl championship and saying on Instagram (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com) the mythical nature of winning championships is “why I’ll never stop as long as I’m able.” Brady insisted he wants to play into his mid-40s, and remaining a top-tier quarterback by that time would put him on uncharted terrain. Brett Favre serves as basically the only comparison of a 40-year-old high-end passer. The Patriots, though, aren’t counting on a slowdown soon, planning an extension after the 2017 season.
Malcolm Butler will be a restricted free agent, and Joel Corry of CBS Sports (via Twitter) expects the Patriots to place a rare first-round tender on their top cornerback. Corry anticipates that price to come in at nearly $4MM after settling in at just over $3.6MM last year. Another team would have to surrender a first-round pick to sign Butler in the event the Patriots don’t match the offer sheet.
James Ihedigbo became a starter almost immediately after signing with the Bills late in the season, and although the veteran safety ended his year on IR, he wants to return to the Bills, he told the team’s website. The 33-year-old Ihedigbo made three starts for the Bills, his fifth NFL employer, last season.

Texans Notes: Novak, Hopkins, Bouye

February 4th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Ben Levine

Nick Novak had a career-year in 2016, and some members of the Texans organization believe he played a major role in the team clinching a playoff birth.

The 35-year-old played last season on a one-year, $965K contract, and the impending free agent would like to return to Houston for the 2017 campaign.

“I want to be back,” Novak told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m really proud of what we’ve done and I’m excited to be back with the same guys. I really feel like I can help the Texans get to where they want to go. I leave it up to my agent and the personnel department to get a deal done.

“I don’t know what kind of progress is being made, but it’s all positive. I’ve heard some really good things from [general manager] Rick Smith, [coach] Bill O’Brien, [special teams coordinator] Larry Izzo. We’ll see what happens.”

Let’s check out some more notes coming out of Houston…

The Texans passing offense was among the worst in the league this past season, and Smith understands that the team needs more out of the quarterback position if they want to contend. “We’ve got to get better production from the quarterback position,” Smith told Wilson. “We’ve got to get better production from all across our football team. We’ve got to do a good job of analyzing our football team, and that’s what we’re doing now, trying to figure out where we’re strong, where we’re weak and how we can go about improving.” Of course, Smith did note that he still believes in starter Brock Osweiler, who is owed $16MM next season. Reports from earlier this week indicated that the organization would likely take a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
Despite having one of the worse seasons of his career, wideout DeAndre Hopkins is still to eager to stick around Houston. “I love this organization and what this team is doing,” Hopkins told Wilson. “It seems like we’re getting better and better every year, so why not?” We learned earlier this week that the Texans would like to extend Hopkins, who finished last season with 78 receptions for 954 yards and four touchdowns.
A.J. Bouye is in line for a well-deserved payday, writes Wilson. Instead of taking a less-lucrative, multi-year offer last offseason, the cornerback decided to opt for a one-year, $1.6MM contract with the Texans. The 25-year-old clearly made the right decision, as he’s projected to be the best free agent defensive back. Wilson expects that the Texans will have around $25MM in cap space, and he projects Bouye to receive an offer that pays around $13MM annually.

Texans Seeking Hopkins, Bouye Extensions

February 2nd, 2017 at 3:28am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Texans are hoping to hammer out an extension with DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, owner Bob McNair told reporters on Wednesday (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Last year, Hopkins staged a brief holdout at the start of training camp over his contractual situation. McNair also says he wants to strike a long-term deal with pending free agent cornerback A.J. Bouye.

“Those are good young players,” McNair said of Hopkins and Bouye. “Those are the kind of players that we want to keep around here. So, yeah, certainly we’re going to work on that and see if we can get both of them taken care of. It’s certainly our intention.”

Hopkins is scheduled to earn $7.915MM as he enters his fifth-year option year. As one of the league’s most talented wide receivers, he’d be in line for a massive payday if he were ever allowed to reach the open market. The Texans still have the franchise tag at their disposal to keep him through 2018 (or even ’19 with a second tag), but they could have a much happier Hopkins if they can agree to a long-term pact.

Last year, Hopkins had only 78 catches for 954 yards and four touchdowns, but that dip in production can be traced directly to the team’s quarterback woes. In the year prior, he had a career-high 111 receptions for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.

Currently, A.J. Green leads all wide receivers with a $15MM/year average annual value on his deal. In terms of guaranteed money per year, however, the list is led by Julio Jones ($7.1MM) and Demaryius Thomas ($7MM). Hopkins’ reps will have all of these numbers in mind as they discuss a new deal, particularly given the expected salary cap increases over time.

Bouye went from an unknown to an elite cornerback in a flash. He was nothing but stellar this year but without any real history before that, he’ll make for a very interesting contractual case. It sounds like the Texans will work to lock up the former UDFA before the start of free agency, but his reps may be eyeing a bigger deal than what Houston will offer during the exclusive period. On the most recent edition of PFR’s Free Agent Power Rankings, Bouye was ranked seventh.

It’s hard to come up with a comp for Bouye since he is such a unique case, but I expect him to best teammate Kareem Jackson‘s four-year, $34MM deal ($20MM in total guarantees) signed in 2015. At the time, Jackson only had two truly strong seasons under his belt (2012 and 2014) with three so-so campaigns. Jackson’s first-round pedigree probably helped matters, but Bouye is more than a full year younger than Jackson at the time of his negotiations.

PFR’s 2017 Free Agent Power Rankings 2.0

January 31st, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

For 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams, the offseason is already underway. Here is the latest installment of our 2017 NFL Free Agent Power Rankings, which is comprised only of upcoming unrestricted free agents, and is ranked by projected guaranteed money. In parentheses next to each player, you’ll find their position in the early January edition of the rankings. For more, check out our master list of all 2017 free agents.

1. Kirk Cousins, QB (1): Cousins may not be the best player on this list, but he will come away with the most guaranteed money of any free agent this offseason. Quarterbacks are perpetually in high demand and short supply and as a result Cousins could become one of the league’s three highest paid signal callers. Because Washington has already used the franchise tag on Cousins, a repeat would cost them a whopping $23.94MM for 2017. The belief is that Cousins is seeking that $23.94MM number as an AAV goal. There has been talk of the Redskins shopping their star QB, but the team has since publicly stated its intention of locking him up to a long-term deal.

2. Chandler Jones, LB/DE (2): Jones has been an absolute stud ever since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2012. If we go by the numbers at Pro Football Focus, 2016 was actually Jones’ best year to date. This past season, he finished out with a strong 87.4 overall score, tying him for seventh amongst all edge rushers with Houston’s Whitney Mercilus. In the previous four seasons with New England, Jones averaged a 79.38 on PFF. Every team could use a sack machine like Jones, but coach Bruce Arians says the Cardinals will place the franchise tag on him if they cannot agree on a long-term deal. He’s technically ticketed for unrestricted free agency, but it doesn’t sound like Jones is going anywhere.

3. Kawann Short, DT (3): Unlike former teammate Josh Norman, Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short says he won’t have any problem signing the franchise tender if the team tags him. “I wouldn’t fight it or anything,” said Short in early January. In 2016, he turned in his fourth straight 16-game season and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-best interior defender. Short, 28 this week, also had six sacks on the year. I think the Panthers would be wise to hit Short with the ~$13.468MM franchise tag or sign him to a long-term deal, but there is at least a non-trivial chance of him reaching the open market.