Bradley McDougald - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Trade Jamal Adams To Seahawks

July 25th, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have traded safety Jamal Adams to the Seahawks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Seahawks sent a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and safety Bradley McDougald to the Jets in exchange for Adams and a 2022 fourth-round choice.

Jets GM Joe Douglas has come under fire for his handling of Adams, but it’s hard to argue with the Jets’ return on the trade. It’s a stunning haul, considering how badly the Adams bridge had been burned.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, have received one of the league’s most exciting young talents. Adams – who won’t turn 25 until October – has been a certified star since his rookie season and he’s been rock solid in coverage for the last two years. Between 2018 and 2019, only Vikings standout Anthony Harris graded out higher than Adams at safety, according to Pro Football Focus. Eddie Jackson (Bears) is No. 3 on the list, and he currently stands as the league’s top-paid safety. In 2019, Adams earned his first ever First-Team All-Pro nod while notching 75 tackles, seven passes defensed, 6.5 sacks, and a defensive touchdown.

It’s an immediate lift for the Seahawks and a future cornerstone for their secondary. Of course, they’ll have to iron out a new deal with Adams sooner rather than later. For now, Adams has two years of club control remaining on his deal. Beyond that, he’s seeking a deal that will position him as the league’s highest paid safety, meaning a floor of $15MM per year. Adams was also pushing the Jets for $20MM per season – putting him in defensive end territory – but that sticker price was probably exclusive to Gang Green. For the Seahawks, and other clubs that were on his wish list, the ask was believed to be a bit lower. Also, Adams is reportedly willing to wait until next year to start negotiations with the Seahawks.

Throughout the offseason, Douglas told the world that he would not trade Adams under any circumstances. That stance softened in recent weeks as Adams voice his displeasure more and more. Adams claims that the Jets promised him an extension offer in January. That offer never came. In the spring, the Jets pinned the delay on the pandemic and the related economic factors, but he wasn’t buying it. Per one recent report, Jets ownership instructed the front office to hold on large, multi-year committments long before COVID-19 reached the United States.

The Cowboys, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, and Buccaneers were also among Adams’ preferred destinations. It’s not clear whether those clubs made an aggressive play for Adams, however. Any of those teams would have loved to have him – especially the Texans, given their glaring need at the position – but the Jets’ asking price coupled with the expense of a new Adams deal cooled the interest of most clubs. For the Seahawks, it was well worth it.

While most teams have held off on making major moves this offseason, the NFC West has been a notable exception. Adams is the latest big-time trade acquisition in the division, following the 49ers’ move for Trent Williams and the Cardinals stunner of a deal for DeAndre Hopkins. The Rams, who have made a habit of splashy moves in their new L.A. digs, have not been quite as proactive.

NFC West Notes: Gurley, Rams, 49ers, Gould, Shanahan, Seahawks, McDougald

June 14th, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the biggest stories of this NFL offseason has been the drama surrounding Todd Gurley‘s knee. Gurley clearly wasn’t right down the stretch last season, and C.J. Anderson ended up taking the bulk of the Rams’ running back snaps during their Super Bowl run. Gurley’s health has been clouded in secrecy, with conflicting reports emerging seemingly every week. We’ve heard everything from Gurley having arthritis in his knee and it being degenerative, to him being just fine. Gurley stayed away from the team’s OTAs so he wasn’t available to reporters, but he finally broke his silence this week at minicamp.

Gurley tried to quell any concern at his press conference, saying “I had bigger problems to worry about coming out of college. This is small,” per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Gurley is presumably referring to the ACL tear that he had coming out of Georgia. While it’s nice to hear that Gurley doesn’t sound too concerned, it doesn’t mean we should expect him to be a workhorse in 2019. The Rams raised a lot of eyebrows by drafting Memphis running back Darrell Henderson in the third round back in April, and it’s very likely they’ll take it easy with Gurley early on to keep him fresh for a playoff run.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

The 49ers have had one of the best kicking situations in the league the last couple of years, as Robbie Gould has been incredibly consistent. San Francisco is hoping for big things this season as Jimmy Garoppolo returns from his torn ACL, and Gould is a big part of their plans. Unfortunately the two sides are in a bit of a contract standoff, as Gould still hasn’t signed his franchise tag and is demanding a trade. Gould may wait until the last minute to show up, and that’s just fine with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. “If he doesn’t want to show up until Week 1, it is what it is,” Shanahan said on Tuesday, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. “I’ll take a very good kicker at any time, whether it’s Week 1 or on third down, just one play before we’re going to have to kick.” Gould is set to make $4.971MM under the tag in 2019, but is holding out for a longterm deal. Judging by Shanahan’s comments, it doesn’t sound like the 49ers are going to blink anytime soon.
Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald is recovering from a recent knee surgery, and now we have more details. McDougald revealed to reporters that he played with a partially torn patellar tendon in his knee from Week 8 on last year, and that he initially tried just rehabbing it before opting for surgery last month, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). McDougald also said “for sure” when asked if he’d be on the field at the start of training camp. McDougald, 28, started all 16 games for Seattle last year after being a part-time starter in 2017.
In case you missed it, Sean McVay fully committed to Jared Goff recently, saying there’s a “zero percent chance” he doesn’t get extended.

Contract Details: CBs, McDougald, Ellis

March 14th, 2018 at 12:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details from the latest contracts signed in the NFL, with all links going to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Bashaud Breeland, CB (Panthers): $24MM, three years. $8.5MM signing bonus, $10.4MM guaranteed. Base salaries of $900K, $6.75MM, $7.25MM (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Brent Grimes, CB (Buccaneers): One year, $7MM. Guaranteed $3.5MM base salary. $3.5MM roster bonus due March 18. $3MM in incentives for playing time, INTs, Pro Bowl. (per Wilson).
Nevin Lawson, CB (Lions): Two years, $9.2MM. $4.55MM guaranteed, $2.25MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $2.3MM (guaranteed) and $2.4MM. $1.25MM roster bonus due on third day of 2019 league year (via Wilson).
Bradley McDougald, S (Seahawks): Three years, $13.5MM. $6.5MM guaranteed, $4MM signing bonus (via Wilson).
Justin Ellis, DT (Raiders): Three years, $13.5MM. $4.25MM cap hold in 2018. 2019: base salary of $2.25MM, roster bonus of $2.25MM each protected for injury. Otherwise, Raiders can opt out by Day 3 of 2019 league year (per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Nate Ebner, ST (Patriots): Two years, $5MM. $1.2MM guaranteed signing bonus. Base salaries of $1.2MM, $2MM (per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).

Seahawks Re-Sign Bradley McDougald

March 12th, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have agreed to re-sign Bradley McDougald. The safety will stay in Seattle with a three-year, $13.95MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

McDougald was originally signed to be a reserve last offseason, but he wound up starting when Kam Chancellor was lost to injury. This year, Seattle’s numbers crunch could lead them to move on from Chancellor, so McDougald could wind up as a Week 1 starter.

The Seahawks have already cut ties with cornerback Richard Sherman, who agreed to a deal with the 49ers, and Earl Thomas is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season. Chancellor is set to enter the first season within his three-year, $36MM extension signed prior to last year and is slated to make $6.8MM in base salary with a $9.6MM cap hit. Chancellor, 29, is expected to return to the team next season despite making hints toward retirement on social media last year.

Entering Monday, the Seahawks had $30.7MM in available cap space, which put them at No. 15 in the NFL. The Seahawks also have Delano Hill, Tedric Thompson and Jordan Simone on the roster at safety. Cornerback Byron Maxwell was the only other players in the Seahawks secondary due to hit unrestricted free agency outside of McDougald.

The Seahawks signed McDougald, 27, to a one-year, $2MM deal prior to last season. In his first season with Seahawks, he played in all 16 games, starting nine, and made appearances at both safety spots and cornerback. He finished the year with 46 tackles and four pass defenses. He had a career-high 10 pass defenses and matched a career-best with two interceptions with the Buccaneers in 2016. The Chiefs originally signed McDougald as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

Top 2018 Free Agents By Position: Defense

March 6th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, 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 on Monday, 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 2018:

Edge defender:

As a positional group, pass rushers comprise interesting market on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not often that a list of best available players is topped by a 38-year-old, but Peppers is the top free agent edge defender after the Cowboys and Lions deployed the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah, respectively. As with quarterbacks, NFL clubs are extremely reluctant to allow pass rushers to hit the open market, so top-tier options are rarely ever truly “available.” Peppers, for his part, hasn’t even declared whether he’ll return in 2018, but indications are that he’ll suit up for a 17th campaign after posting 11 sacks last year.

Alongside Peppers, other veterans populate the edge market, and while William Hayes may not be a household name, he’ll be a contributor for whichever team signs him. A stout run defender, Hayes is also capable of generating pressure despite managing only one sack in 2017. The Dolphins used Hayes on only 271 defensive snaps a season ago, and have since replaced him by acquiring fellow defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams. Now that he’s entering his age-33 season, Hayes should come cheap, but will almost assuredly outplay his contract.

Nearly every other available pass rusher has some sort of flaw which will likely limit his market next week. Trent Murphy is only 27 years old and put up nine sacks in 2016, but he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury. Pernell McPhee, Alex Okafor, Junior Galette, and Derrick Shelby have also been plagued by health questions in recent seasons. And Adrian Clayborn famously registered the majority of his 2017 sacks (and 20% of his career sack total) in one game against overwhelmed Cowboys backup Chaz Green.

The two names that I keep coming back to are Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers). Yes, Lynch has been suspended for substance abuse, struggled with his weight, and was reportedly in danger of being waived prior to last season. He’s also extremely young (he won’t turn 25 years old until Thursday) and ranked fifth in the league with 34 pass pressures as recently as 2015. Attaochu, a 25-year-old former second-round pick, also has youth on his side, and while he hasn’t quite flashed as much as Lynch, he’s also been buried on LA’s depth chart for much of his career.

Interior defensive line:

Interior rushers are getting more respect in today’s NFL, but that still hasn’t translated to them being paid on the level of edge defenders — the 2018 franchise tag for defensive tackles, for example, is roughly $3MM cheaper than the tender for edge rushers. While the 2018 crop of interior defenders boasts some impressive top-end talent, none of the available players figure to earn a double-digit annual salary. Sheldon Richardson may have the best chance to do so, but Seattle determined he wasn’t worth a one-year cost of $13.939MM, so is any other club going to pay him $10MM per year? I’d guess he comes in closer to $9MM annually, which would still place him among the 25 highest-paid defensive tackles.

Dontari Poe will be an intriguing free agent case after setting for a one-year deal last offseason, but the most interesting battle among defensive tackles will take place Star Lotulelei and Muhammad Wilkerson, and I’m curious to see which player earns more on the open market. Both are former first-round picks, and it’s difficult to argue Wilkerson hasn’t been the more productive player — or, at least, reached higher highs — than Lotulelei. Wilkerson also won’t affect his next team’s compensatory pick formula given that he was released, but his off-field issues, which include a reported lack of effort and problems with coaches, could limit his appeal.

While Beau Allen and Denico Autry are potentially candidates to be overpaid based on their youth, there are bargains to be had at defensive tackle. Tom Johnson is 33 but he’s offered consistent pressure from the interior for years — his last contract was for three years and $7MM, so he shouldn’t cost much this time around. Haloti Ngata was injured in 2017 but plans to continue his career, and he can still stop the run. And Dominique Easley was outstanding as a 3-4 end in 2016 before missing last season with a torn ACL, meaning the former first-round pick could be a value play for any number of teams.Read more

Linebacker:

Although there are a number of high-quality starting linebackers available in free agency this year, I predict most contracts signed by LBs over the next few weeks will come in lower that most expect. The linebacker market is relatively stagnant, and unless the player is a legitimate star or inking an extension with his original club, he’s usually disappointed with his annual value. The most expensive deal for an unrestricted free agent ‘backer who signed with a new team was Bruce Irvin‘s $9.25MM/year pact with the Raiders, and Irvin can almost be considered an edge rusher. After Irvin, it’s Danny Trevathan, whom the Bears signed for a $7MM annual value in 2016.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if no linebacker listed above is able to top Trevathan’s two-year-old average, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t starting-caliber LBs on the market. Zach Brown, the poster boy for having to accept cheap contracts, is coming off another solid season, but is reportedly asking for top-three inside linebacker money. Good luck. Similarly, Demario Davis is looking for $8-10MM annually, while the Jets — who have interest in re-signing him — view him as a $3-4MM/year player.

Nigel Bradham and NaVorro Bowman should both come in around Trevathan’s $7MM average after posting excellent 2017 campaigns. While the Eagles would surely prefer to re-sign Bradham, the club’s dire cap situation may mean Bradham will hit the open market next Wednesday. Bowman, meanwhile, was traded from the 49ers to Raiders last season, and he seems like a good bet to stay with Oakland after new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther heaped lavish praise on the 29-year-old.

Cornerback:

Top-to-bottom, the cornerback market is the deepest positional group on the defensive side of the ball. Need a No. 1 defensive back with experience in both man and zone? Trumaine Johnson is your guy. How about a top-end cornerback who, while admittedly up-and-down at times, has the ability to shut down opposing wide receivers? Malcolm Butler has you covered. A former first-round pick who has finally played up to his potential over the past two seasons? Take a look at Morris Claiborne. Or is a career journeyman who posted 10 excellent games last year more your speed? Look into Rashaan Melvin.

Slot cornerbacks are also prevalent in this year’s defensive back market, and while I ranked Aaron Colvin, T.J. Carrie, Patrick Robinson, and Nickell Robey-Coleman in order of my preference, they could each be plugged into a starting nickel package immediately. I originally though Robinson could land a disappointing deal given his age (31) and his track record of underwhelming play prior to 2017, but he’s already garnering interest from the Giants, Raiders, and Cardinals, so his market should allow him to reach at least $5MM annually. Colvin could garner even more than Robinson thanks his youth (26), and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com expects Colvin to have a “legit” market.

If teams are looking for a bargain at cornerback, they should target Ross Cockrell, whom the Steelers dealt to the Giants last year for a seventh-round pick. Cockrell has always been overlooked in the NFL, but he keeps producing results. In 2017, Cockrell finished first in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks on their ability to consistently stop opposing wideouts short of the sticks. In fact, Cockrell was one of only eight defenders who stopped a receiver short of a successful gain on over half their tackles a season ago, as FO’s Aaron Schatz recently tweeted, but the league consistently undervalues him and his skill-set.

Safety:

The best free agent safety was taken off the board earlier today when the Rams used the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner, and the remaining market is extremely top-heavy. Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, and Kenny Vaccaro could all be in line for at least $5MM annually, but the rest of the class could struggle to find multi-year deals. Among the top-tier safeties, Vaccaro stands out as perhaps the most interesting name. A first-round pick in 2013, Vaccarro has posted three exemplary campaigns and two dreadful years; in 2017, Pro Football Focus ranked Vaccaro as the single-worst safety in the league among 87 qualifiers. But given his draft pedigree and his ability to man the slot, Vaccaro should land a solid deal.

While I like Reid and Burnett a bit more as players, it wouldn’t be a shock if Boston actually lands the largest contract. Reid and Burnett spend a lot of time close to the line of scrimmage, and both have been used as de factor linebackers from time to time. Boston, on the other hand, is a deep safety who can play coverage, and that repertoire is much more difficult to find on the open market. Similarly, Tyvon Branch has been great in coverage during his career with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Cardinals, so he could also see a nice pay bump next week.

After Branch, the crop of available safeties steeply drops off. Every other free agent we’ve listed above will be at at least 29 years old when the 2018 gets underway except for the Lions’ Tavon Wilson, and he was one of the NFL’s worst starting defensive backs last season. Veterans like Corey Graham or Ron Parker can still play as third safeties who see time in “big nickel” packages, but if you’re looking for a starting safety, you’ll want to bring in one of the top six defensive backs on the board.

Kicker:

Punter:

NFC Notes: 49ers, Eagles, Injuries

December 22nd, 2017 at 6:43pm CST by GregGoldstein

The 49ers have won every game that Jimmy Garoppolo has started this season. However, general manager John Lynch knows that the team’s priority this offseason must be to surround his new signal caller with better talent, reports Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Smith relays quotes that the first-year decision maker made on FS1 today that expresses his decision to move forward with the plan of building around Garoppolo.

“It frees you up in the draft to go looking for other needs and build your team around him,” said Lynch.

At the moment, San Francisco seems to have found two solid play makers in Marquise Goodwin and rookie Trent Taylor. But with running back Carlos Hyde‘s future with the team uncertain being that he will become an unrestricted free agent, the team needs more guys that can help elevate Garoppolo’s game.

It’s certainly a team with a number of holes, but there’s undoubtedly newfound hope that the organization has found their next franchise quarterback given this late season run.

Here’s more notes from around the NFC:

While the Eagles have a number of assistant coaches that could be in-line for head coaching gigs after the conclusion of this season, the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas has gone a bit under-the-radar in terms of garnering interest from general manager needy teams, opines Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. Douglas surprisingly wasn’t mentioned in the league’s annual list of prospective GM candidates. But despite not being named, owner Jeffrey Lurie has spoken highly of the number two football man in his front office. “The hiring of Joe Douglas, I thought, was the pivotal moment of the last year,” said Lurie. With Douglas’ guidance, the Eagles have made a number of quality football decisions that has led them to being on the verge of clinching home field advantage in the NFC. McLane does mention that while Douglas is highly-regarded in league circles, he’s still viewed as strictly a “football guy”, which isn’t the type of person that is now needed to lead an entire front office, according to McLane. Nevertheless, if the Eagles continue to dominant with Douglas partially at the helm, he definitely should start to become more sought after for a lead job in the years to come.
Despite the Cowboys getting Zeke back for the first time since Week 8, the team is still dealing with a number of injuries entering their season-defining Week 16 game against Seattle. Star left tackle Tyron Smith is currently dealing with back and knee injuries, but he will “give it a try” this Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Defensive tackle David Irving has been officially ruled out for a third straight game because of a concussion as well, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Although, there is some good news on the injury front for the Cowboys as stud pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence practiced fully on Friday and is ready to go, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
The Seahawks are also dealing with a few critical injuries of their own prior to the Week 16 contest, even though the injury news seems to be a bit better on Seattle’s side. Head coach Pete Carroll said after practice that linebacker Bobby Wagner and strong safety Bradley McDougald are on track to play on Sunday, but the team would “wait-and-see” if cornerback DeShawn Shead would be activated from the PUP for this weekend’s matchup, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

Seahawks Sign S Bradley McDougald

March 22nd, 2017 at 9:14am CST by Zachary Links

One of the best defensive players left on the board is now spoken for. Safety Bradley McDougald has agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a one-year deal, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. He’ll earn $2MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The former Bucs notable was also mulling an offer from the Browns, La Canfora adds.

McDougald, 26, has been a full-time starter for the last two years. The former UDFA graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 42 safety last year, but he regarded more highly by traditional evaluation methods. In his four seasons with Tampa Bay, McDougald started 31 games and recorded four interceptions with 14 passes defensed. Once the Bucs signed fellow defensive back J.J. Wilcox to a two-year deal, odds were that McDougald wound wind up elsewhere.

In Seattle, McDougald will likely be the first safety off the bench to relieve Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. In Cleveland, we presume, he would have had a chance of starting. It’s possible that McDougald chose the Seahawks over the Browns because of their higher likelihood of winning in 2017 and the potential for him to boost his value as a part of a strong defense. McDougald is still young and he could cash in on a multi-year deal this time next year if he performs well.

Heading into Wednesday, PFR’s Dallas Robinson had McDougald ranked as the No. 2 safety left on the board behind T.J. McDonald. Darius Butler was ahead of both players on the list, but he circled back to the Colts when the second wave of free agency got underway. He was our No. 10 ranked safety at the outset of free agency.

Bradley McDougald Visits Browns

March 20th, 2017 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bradley McDougald made his second visit of free agency, making a trip to Cleveland to meet with the Browns, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This comes after the veteran safety met with the Seahawks.

Cleveland still has more than $61MM in cap space and houses inexperience at safety. An Ohio native, McDougald made a career-high 91 tackles last season and matched his career best with two interceptions while a member of the Buccaneers.

The 26-year-old safety has been a full-time starter since the 2015 season for the Bucs despite arriving in Tampa as a UDFA in 2013. Cleveland has a host of younger safeties on its roster but no one as seasoned as McDougald, a Kansas University product. The Browns have former Eagles fifth-rounder Ed Reynolds, Browns 2015 fourth-rounder Ibraheim Campbell and 2016 Browns fourth-rounder Derrick Kindred as current safeties rostered. Pro Football Focus graded Reynolds as a top-50 safety but placed Campbell and Kindred as two of his worst back-line defenders in 2016. McDougald graded as the site’s No. 42 safety.

He would be a bigger addition for the Browns than the Seahawks due to this, and Cleveland certainly has the cap room to offer the fifth-year safety a better deal.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Defense

March 15th, 2017 at 6:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

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 pass rushing market has been completely depleted during the first week of free agency, as 14 of our original top 15 edge players have now been franchised, signed, or, in the case of DeMarcus Ware, retired. As such, a 37-year-old with 15 NFL seasons under his belt is now the best pass rusher on the market. Dwight Freeney played on roughly a third of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in 2016, and posted three sacks and 18 hurries. Capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Freeney can still help out a club on the cheap.

Three players on this list — Elvis Dumervil, Connor Barwin, and Eugene Sims — were released by their respective clubs last week, meaning they won’t count against the compensatory formula if and when they’re signed. Dumervil, now 33, was hampered by injuries last season but still earned strong pass-rushing marks from Pro Football Focus. Barwin, meanwhile, wasn’t a good fit in Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 defense, but he should flourish if he signs with a team running a 3-4 look. So far, he’s met with the Bengals (who use a 4-3) and Rams (3-4).

Chris Long has already indicated he won’t be returning to the Patriots, indicating he wants to join a roster where he’ll earn more playing time. Erik Walden, too, won’t re-sign with his 2016 club (the Colts), but he has taken a visit with the division rival Titans. Further down the list, Howard Jones has also met with at least one club, as he was hosted by the Jets on Tuesday. Jones, 27, is recovering from a torn ACL, but did post five sacks in five starts last season.

Interior defensive line:

Although top-flight players such as Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams have already been signed, the crop of interior defenders remains strong at the top. The buzz around Johnathan Hankins has been virtually non-existent, as the only club that’s been even tangentially linked to the 25-year-old is the Redskins. He’s one of the youngest free agents on the market, and therefore is probably looking for a massive payday. But the lack of interest around Hankins may be an indication that he’s simply asking for too much money.

The same issue could be surrounding Dontari Poe, although he’s not wanting for meetings around the league. He’s visited with the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, and Dolphins, while the 49ers and Raiders also reportedly have some level of interest. Clubs may have concerns about Poe’s lingering back issues, and he might have to accept a one-year deal in order to prove he’s healthy and willing to provide full effort.

The remaining defensive interior players are mostly over-30 veterans, with names such as Tony McDaniel, Cullen Jenkins, Frostee Rucker, and Tyson Jackson still looking for new deals. While most of these guys can still play, they may have to wait awhile — possibly into the summer — before signing on with their next club. Jared Odrick (Patriots) and Vance Walker (Bears) have both taken visits, but the most intriguing lineman here may be Sen’Derrick Marks, who offers a good amount of pass rush from the interior.

Linebacker:

~~Zach Brown~~
~~Kevin Minter~~
Perry Riley
~~Gerald Hodges~~
DeAndre Levy
Daryl Smith
~~Sio Moore~~
~~Sean Spence~~
~~Manti Te’o~~
Mike Morgan
~~Keenan Robinson~~
~~Nick Bellore~~
D’Qwell Jackson
Erin Henderson
Josh Bynes

While players at other defensive positions have flown off the board, there’s been almost no movement among off-ball linebackers. Only five of PFR’s original top-15 free agent linebackers have signed new contracts, a group that includes Dont’a Hightower, our previous No. 1 ‘backer who re-signed with the Patriots today. Zach Brown, who now holds that honor, broke out in his fifth NFL campaign and played especially well in coverage, a skill that should lead to a handsome reward. Brown, 27, met with the Raiders today, while the Dolphins also hope to schedule a visit.

The Bengals, specifically, are in the linebacker market, as they’ve met with both Kevin Minter and Keenan Robinson in recent days. But the rest of the players on this list aren’t drawing much interest as of yet, a fact that speaks to the devaluation of the linebacker position. Teams will pay up for a three-down linebacker like Hightower, but if a player can be formation-ed off the field, he’s not going to land a hefty deal.

One linebacker who did prove he could stay on the field on third down was Perry Riley, who played 370 coverage snaps for the Raiders last season. Riley is still only 28 years old, but posted awful marks from Pro Football Focus during his previous campaigns with Washington. Whether it was Oakland’s scheme (including its talented pass rushers) that allowed Riley to flourish, or a true breakout coming in the middle of a career, Riley could help a number of clubs. The Raiders are reportedly working to bring him back.

Cornerback:

The top two corners still on the open market are both former Cowboys, and Brandon Carr looks like the surer bet to return to Dallas at this point. Morris Claiborne, meanwhile, has drawn interest from the Ravens, and most opposing clubs believe he’ll end up signing with Baltimore. Clairborne, 27, appeared to be a prime overpay candidate heading into the offseason, but if the Ravens can land him on a short-term deal, they’d be making a wise investment.

Nickell Robey-Coleman was surprisingly cut loose by the Bills earlier this offseason, and the 25-year-old has already drawn interest from numerous teams, with the Vikings, Chargers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Titans all considering a run at the slot man. Like Robey-Coleman, Alterraun Verner, Valentino Blake, and Leon Hall are all probably best sticking to slot duty, while Hall can even offer safety versatility.

Now that all charges have been dropped against Darrelle Revis, he’ll make for an interesting test case in free agency. Clearly, Revis is not the shutdown corner he once was, and may even be mulling a move to safety as he closes his career. But clubs in the market for secondary help could do worse than Revis, and he should be on a roster when the regular season rolls around.

Safety:

Tony Jefferson, Duron Harmon, and Barry Church all came off the board quickly, leaving Darius Butler as the top safety who is still unsigned. Butler is 30 years old, but as a former cornerback, offers the type of coverage skills that NFL teams are looking for in today’s passing league. He’s taken a visit with the Bears (who have already added Quintin Demps), while a return to Indianapolis is still possible.

Most of the safeties on this list are in-the-box types — that’s thanks to the fact that center field-esque safeties are more rare and thus more expensive. Recently-released veterans such as Jairus Byrd, Lardarius Webb, and Corey Graham, however, offer coverage ability and would make for decent signings on short pacts. T.J. McDonald and Bradley McDougald, on other hand, are big hitters that will patrol near the line of scrimmage. McDougald, specifically, will take a visit with the Seahawks this week.

Chris Prosinski is just a special teamer, but he’s a great special teamer. While he only played 173 defensive snaps in 2016, he saw time on more than 80% of the Bears’ special teams plays, and was listed as one of the season’s best special teams players by Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders ranked the Cardinals, Jets, and Texans as the bottom-three teams in special teams DVOA, and any of those clubs would benefit from adding Prosinski.

Kicker:

Demand is not high for placekickers at the moment, as only the Giants and Bengals stand out as clubs that immediately need a kicker. Injuries and ineffectiveness are sure to strike the position, however, at which point the specialists on this list will surely receive calls. Dan Carpenter and Mike Nugent missed a combined 11 extra points in 2016, and given that he topped both Carpenter and Nugent in field goal percentage, Nick Folk should be the first kicker on clubs’ emergency list.

Bradley McDougald To Visit Seahawks

March 14th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent safety Bradley McDougald will take a meeting with the Seahawks later this week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Seattle, clearly, boasts perhaps the league’s best safety tandem when all parties are healthy, as Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are among the NFL’s top players at their respective positions. Thomas, though, is coming off a broken leg, so McDougald would provide the Seahawks with insurance as Thomas continues his rehab. But as Pete Carroll said on KJR earlier today (Twitter link), Thomas is “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery, so signs are pointing up as Thomas prepares for the 2017 campaign.

McDougald, 25, ranked as PFR’s No. 10 safety heading into free agency after spending four seasons with the Buccaneers. He’s started 31 games during that span while managing four interceptions and 14 passes defensed. McDougald, who graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 42 safety, seems unlikely to re-sign with the Buccaneers after Tampa signed fellow defensive back J.J. Wilcox to a two-year pact.