HEADLINES

Coleman Shelton

Bears To Feature Training Camp Center Competition; RG Spot Uncertain?

June 20th, 2024 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have two veteran options for their center spot, adding both players — Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton — this offseason. These additions have not produced a starter-swingman hierarchy just yet, with a training camp battle on tap.

Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said (via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns) Bates and Shelton will match up for the job once the pads come on. The Bears have eyed Bates for a bit, having signed him to an RFA offer sheet — one the Bills ended up matching — in 2022. But the veteran guard worked as a Buffalo backup in 2023. Shelton, conversely, worked as a starter throughout last season with the Rams.

Before Chicago’s offseason program began, a rumor pointed to Bates having a better shot at claiming the job despite his 2023 second-string role. The Bears designed his current four-year, $17MM contract, and although the team changed offensive coordinators since that point, Morgan remains in place as Chicago’s O-line coach. Shelton signed a one-year, $3MM Bears deal.

Bates, 27, has made 19 career starts. Almost all of those came in 2022, when the Bills matched the offer sheet. Pro Football Focus ranked Bates 41st among guards in 2022, and he lost a position battle to second-round pick O’Cyrus Torrence. The latter’s assimilation provided the Bills some stability, and they deemed Bates expendable (for a fifth-round pick) this offseason. Although the Bills rostered Mitch Morse throughout Bates’ Buffalo stay, Bates saw 135 snaps at center in 2022 and played there sparingly in 2021 and ’23.

Shelton, 29 next month, started all 18 Rams games last season and made 13 starts for an injury-battered 2022 Los Angeles team. While the Rams were interested in re-signing Shelton, they doled out two high-priced guard deals (to Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson) and are moving Steve Avila to center. A former UDFA, Shelton only played center in 2023; PFF slotted him 17th at the position. Shelton played mostly center for the Rams in 2022, but he also logged 258 snaps at guard. Shelton and Bates’ guard work could be notable as well.

The Bears gave four-year Titans starter Nate Davis a three-year, $30MM pact and installed him at right guard, moving ascending blocker Teven Jenkins to left guard last year. PFF slotted Davis 58th among guards in his Bears debut, and Jahns expects the team to have the former Tennessee starter battle for a starting job as well. Davis’ $8.75MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed; his 2025 compensation is not.

On Titans teams that regularly battled extensive injury trouble, Davis did miss 12 regular-season games from 2019-22. He started 54 over the course of his rookie contract, however, and impressed, leading to the Bears authorizing $17.5MM guaranteed at signing. An additional $1.75MM locked in for Davis in March. But the former third-round pick missed six games last season.

Third-round pick Kiram Amegadjie played guard at points at Yale, though he his final full season (2022) came at left tackle. His final college season ended early due to quad surgery. An Ivy League-to-NFL transition will naturally be difficult, especially coming off injury, but Amegadjie could also give the Bears an option at some point.

The door may well be open for both Bates and Shelton to start in 2024, with Amegadjie a wild card as a developmental blocker. Though, Davis certainly will have a chance to keep his job.

OL Notes: Jets, Alt, Titans, Jones, Steelers, Shelton, Rams, Jones, Ravens, Giants, Hawks

April 4th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Once the draft moves past its quarterback stage, wide receivers are expected to be the focus. This draft also features a few high-level tackle prospects that should go off the board soon after, potentially breaking up the QB-WR string that could lead off this year’s event. Arguably the top tackle available, Joe Alt, has begun his run of pre-draft visits. The Jets and Titans used “30” visits on the Notre Dame tackle this week, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A first-team All-American in back-to-back years and the top tackle on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board (No. 8 overall), Alt should not need to wait long before his name comes off the board.

The Titans (No. 7) and Jets (No. 10) figure to be two prime suitors. The Jets are not as needy here compared to the start of free agency, having reacquired Morgan Moses via trade and signed Tyron Smith. The All-Decade blocker is among the NFL’s most injury-prone players, and with both Smith and Moses going into age-33 seasons, a tackle-in-waiting would benefit a Jets team that has encountered regular issues up front over the past several years. The Titans cut Andre Dillard and have not added a tackle, potentially making them the Alt floor. Though, the Chargers should not be entirely ruled out — now that Jim Harbaugh is running the show — of a first-round tackle investment to pair with Rashawn Slater.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks around the league:

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Reader

March 31st, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coleman Shelton started every Rams game at center last season, and the former UDFA logged a few starts there during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Shelton only a one-year, $3MM deal, however. Already rostering guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis, the Bears may view Shelton as a backup. This is because Chicago acquired Ryan Bates from Buffalo. Given a Bears RFA offer sheet in 2022, Bates remains attached to that contract (four years, $17MM). He looks more likely to be the favorite for Bears center duties than Shelton, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes.

Bates, 27, does not have a notable history at center. At Penn State, he primarily played left tackle. The Bills used him primarily at guard, with Mitch Morse previously entrenched at center. Despite Buffalo matching the 2022 Chicago offer sheet, the team added two new guards — Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence — in 2023. Bates did not start a game for the Bills last season, but the ex-UDFA looks set to have a good shot at taking over at center for the Bears.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • The Bears’ four-year, $76MM Jaylon Johnson extension features an out in 2026. The deal calls for $10.6MM of Johnson’s $15.1MM 2026 base salary to be guaranteed for injury, but no skill guarantees are in place beyond 2025. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes $7.6MM of Johnson’s 2026 base will shift to a full guarantee if the Pro Bowl cornerback is on the roster by that date. With no true guarantees on this deal post-2025, the Bears could get out with just $5MM in dead money (in the event of a post-June 1 cut) in 2026.
  • The Vikings have been active in using void years under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. This practice cost the team when Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Tomlinson departed, but it is turning to cap space-saving measure heavily this year as well. Minnesota included four void years in Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones and Andrew Van Ginkel‘s deals, with three void years used to spread out the three-year, $22.5MM Blake Cashman contract’s cap hits. While this will create some dead money if these players are not re-signed before their contracts officially expire, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling observes it created some cap space in the event the Vikes need to carry a bigger 2024 cap number for Justin Jefferson, who has been on the extension radar for two years. That said, Jefferson’s 2024 cap figure is already at $19.7MM on the fifth-year option.
  • Looking elsewhere on the Vikings’ payroll, their Jonathan Greenard deal (four years, $76MM) features $42MM in total guarantees. The contract includes $4MM guaranteed for 2026, per Goessling. Though, that money is classified as injury guarantees, providing the Vikes — like the Bears with Johnson — some flexibility down the road on a $19MM-AAV contract.
  • Rounding up some Minnesota contract matters, Goessling adds Shaquill Griffin‘s one-year contract is worth $4.55MM and features $3.99MM fully guaranteed. The Vikings are giving Jonathan Bullard a one-year, $2.25MM deal to stay, per Goessling, who adds Dan Feeney‘s contract to come over from the Bears is worth $1.8MM. Jonah Williams, the defensive lineman, signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal that includes $350K guaranteed, Goessling offers. Jihad Ward‘s one-year accord is worth $1.8MM and includes $1MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
  • Initially labeled as being worth up to $27.25MM, D.J. Reader‘s Lions pact contains $22MM in base value. The Lions are only guaranteeing the veteran nose tackle $7.4MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Coming off his second quad tear in four years, Reader would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2025 league year. That date will certainly be pivotal for his Detroit future.
  • Arrested on a fourth-degree DWI charge in December, Vikings OC Wes Phillips pleaded guilty to a lesser charge recently. The third-year Minnesota OC pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge, Fox 9’s Jeff Wald notes. Phillips, 45, agreed to pay a $378 fine and will serve eight hours of community service.

Bears Sign C Coleman Shelton

March 14th, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams expressed interest in keeping Coleman Shelton, but their interior offensive line blueprint changed via two big-ticket guard contracts. As a result, Shelton will collect some cash elsewhere.

Shelton signed a one-year contract with the Bears on Thursday. While Chicago was a candidate — due to cap space and the likelihood of Caleb Williams’ rookie contract helping the cause — to splurge for a center. But Lloyd Cushenberry went to the Titans; the Raiders retained Andre James. While Connor Williams remains unsigned, the Bears will go with Shelton, who is going into his age-29 season.

A Rams backup until the Austin Corbett free agency defection opened a guard spot, Shelton worked as an interior starter in Los Angeles for most of the past two seasons. After opening last season as a guard, Shelton became the team’s full-time center last season. He beat out former starter Brian Allen for the gig. The former UDFA started all 18 games for the Rams last year, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 17th-best center.

L.A.’s offseason blueprint hinged on guards, and the team joined the Panthers in spending big to fortify that position in a deep market. The Rams re-signed Kevin Dotson on a $16MM-per-year deal and inked Jonah Jackson on a three-year, $51MM pact. Although Shelton’s terms are not known, the Rams already have three veteran contracts — counting longtime right tackle Rob Havenstein‘s — on their starting O-line.

The Bears have struggled at center in recent years. Their plan to move Cody Whitehair back to center did not last, and PFF ranked Lucas Patrick 30th at the position. With the rest of Chicago’s O-line seemingly in place, the team will see about Shelton at center ahead of the draft.

FA Notes: Chiefs, Jones, Evans, Titans, Pats, Giants, Panthers, Falcons, Jags, Bucs, Rams

March 6th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Buzz about the Chiefs re-signing Chris Jones surfaced last week, and while that trail has gone a bit cold, some optimism still exists the defending champions can keep their top defender off the market. Many around the league do not expect Jones to leave Kansas City, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but they do not anticipate a discount coming to pass. Jones stuck to his guns last year during a holdout that cost him more than $3MM between fines and a missed game check; that would make it rather shocking if he agreed to a team-friendly deal now.

The Chiefs reaching the $27-$28MM-per-year range should help move this close to the finish line, Fowler adds. That said, Jones could probably — given the cap spike — make a run at Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM AAV standard and the position’s guarantee record (Quinnen Williams‘ $66MM) if he reaches free agency. The Chiefs were not willing to go near the Donald AAV neighborhood during talks last year, and it will surely take a monster offer to keep Jones from testing free agency now.

With the legal tampering period less than a week away, here is the latest free agency news:

  • The Chiefs were also among the teams interested in Mike Evans, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who details what would have been a big market for the veteran wide receiver. Evans opted to re-sign with the Bucs on a frontloaded deal that included $29MM fully guaranteed. The Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Panthers, Patriots, Rams and Titans were preparing to see what it could take to lure Evans out of Tampa. High-profile FAs regularly use the Combine to gauge markets before the legal tampering period, and Evans evidently determined this Bucs deal compared favorably to what he could have collected on the market. But with Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. franchise-tagged, Evans would have been the top WR available. That distinction may now fall to Calvin Ridley.
  • Speaking of the Bucs, they are not ruling out a reunion with Shaquil Barrett at a reduced rate, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes. Tampa Bay cut Barrett last week, removing an $18MM-per-year contract from their payroll. Barrett stands to generate interest as a street free agent, but the former Super Bowl standout and NFL single-season sack leader is going into an age-32 season and coming off a 4.5-sack showing in 2023.
  • Darnell Mooney may be one of the players who could benefit from Evans, Pittman and Higgins being off the market. Despite the Bears target failing to eclipse 500 receiving yards in each of the past two years, he posted a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and has been in a low-volume passing offense. Teams figure to check in on the deep threat, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler suggests the Chiefs and Titans as potential players. The Chiefs’ receiver woes were well documented last season, and they recently cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Titans beat out the Chiefs for DeAndre Hopkins last year, but he is going into an age-32 season and signed for just one more year. Treylon Burks has also not shown much consistency yet.
  • Barring 11th-hour deals, this year’s safety market will feature Xavier McKinney and Kamren Curl. These two could do quite well without Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kyle Dugger in the mix, with ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan noting Curl’s market could come in around $14MM per year. A line of demarcation may emerge after these NFC East starters, with Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline adding a lucrative second wave should not be expected to transpire at this position. This is how the 2023 market played out, with a gulf forming between Jessie Bates and the field. Though, multiple others (Juan Thornhill, Vonn Bell, Donovan Wilson) collected eight-figure guarantees.
  • The Rams have talked terms with Kevin Dotson‘s camp, per GM Les Snead. They expect both he and center Coleman Shelton to hit the market. Dotson delivered a big contract year and should be expected to become one of the top earners on a crowded guard market. The Rams want Shelton back as well.

Rams Want To Extend C Coleman Shelton

February 22nd, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after releasing former starting center Brian Allen, the Rams want to retain the player who took over their snapping duties last year.

Sean McVay confirmed (via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue) the team is attempting to reach an agreement to re-sign Coleman Shelton. The young interior O-lineman has the option of voiding the final year of his contract and hitting free agency.

After working primarily as a Rams backup from 2019-21, Shelton seized a starting guard job replacing the departed Austin Corbett in 2022. After an Allen injury during Week 1 of the 2022 season, Shelton moved to center. A 2023 offseason competition went Shelton’s way, and he started all 18 Rams games last season. Pro Football Focus graded Shelton as the league’s 17th-best center last season.

The center market cooled last year, allowing a few teams — the 49ers, Browns, Vikings and Panthers — to retain their previous pivots at reasonable rates. No free agent center agreed to a deal worth more than $6MM per year in 2023. Lloyd Cushenberry is expected to cost more this year, but the center market on the whole has seen better days.

Shelton, 28, has been with the Rams since arriving as a 2019 UDFA. He started at both guard and center in 2022 and joined most Rams O-linemen in missing time during that injury-plagued year. Shelton sustained a high ankle sprain in 2022 and missed four games, but he established himself as a starter — at both center and guard — in Los Angeles that year. The Washington alum parlayed that into a full-time gig, helping the Rams rebound on offense and return to the playoffs.

The Rams have Steve Avila signed through 2026, and left tackle Alaric Jackson is only eligible for restricted free agency this year. But Shelton and their other interior starter — guard Kevin Dotson — are moving toward free agency. After bouncing back in what many expected to be a rebuilding year, the Rams have some decisions to make along their O-line.

Latest On Rams’ Offensive Line

May 30th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams’ offensive line staffing issues extended to the point three in-season signings — Matt Skura, Ty Nsekhe, Oday Aboushi — needed to step into starting roles last season. Skura and Nsekhe ended up making eight starts for a team mired in a near-season-long blocking crisis.

None of these veterans remain with the team, as it will attempt to reconstruct a line with capabilities near the level of its 2021 Super Bowl-winning group. As of OTAs, however, only one spot appears locked down. Rob Havenstein, the only constant for Los Angeles up front last season, is on track to man the team’s right tackle spot for a ninth season. Beyond the St. Louis-era holdover, competition will ensue in the coming months.

Although the Rams re-signed Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen last year, neither may be a lock to enter the season as a starter. Allen will compete for the center job he has held for three of the past four seasons — excepting a full-season 2020 absence — while Noteboom, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue will likely vie for the left tackle gig with Alaric Jackson, one of the other Rams to suffer a season-ending health issue last year (subscription required).

Noteboom, Jackson, Allen, David Edwards, Tremayne Anchrum and 2022 third-round pick Logan Bruss were lost for the season. Week 1 right guard Coleman Shelton missed time as well, leading to numerous O-line combinations during a disastrous Super Bowl title defense. Of this group, all are back except Edwards, a three-year guard starter who signed a low-cost deal with the Bills in March.

Noteboom, who signed a three-year, $39MM deal ($16.5MM fully guaranteed) to succeed Andrew Whitworth, suffered an Achilles tear in mid-October. He is not yet a full OTAs participant but is expected to be full-go by training camp. The other in-house option at left tackle, Jackson, filled in for Noteboom but did not play past Week 9 due to a blood clot issue. The Rams cleared Jackson (six 2022 starts) earlier this spring, Rodrigue notes, giving the third-year UDFA an interesting opportunity. It would stand to reason Noteboom will be favored, given his contract and previous role as Whitworth’s top backup, though Rodrigue adds the former third-round pick could be a left guard option as well. Noteboom played guard in 2019, but a season-ending injury closed that path. Jackson played both guard and tackle last season, filling in for both Noteboom and Edwards, offering flexibility for the regrouping Rams this offseason.

Allen started at center throughout the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning season but suffered a Week 1 knee injury and saw a calf ailment end his season three games early. Suffering an ACL tear midway through the 2019 season and missing all of 2020 as a result, Allen played just seven games last season. While he worked his way back from the ACL setback en route to a two-year, $10MM deal, the guarantees on that pact have been paid out. Allen figures to match up with last year’s Week 1 right guard, Shelton, at center. Pro Football Focus graded Allen as the NFL’s 10th-best center in 2021; it slotted Shelton as a bottom-tier interior lineman last year.

While Shelton (13 starts last season) will also be an option at right guard again, the Rams have used their top pick on a guard in each of the past two years. Bruss, who suffered ACL and MCL tears during a preseason game, has received clearance to return. The Rams chose TCU’s Steve Avila 36th overall. Avila should be ticketed for a starting guard role. Bruss was in competition for the right guard gig last year, but Avila’s draft slot would make it a bit of a surprise if he was not penciled in to start in Week 1. A former seventh-round pick, Anchrum has minimal game experience and is coming off a September fibula fracture. He will likely vie for a swing job.

Over the past two offseasons, the Rams have lost considerable experience. Whitworth’s retirement and the free agency exits of Edwards and Austin Corbett have created an interesting (and mostly unproven) mix here. The Rams could have re-signed Edwards for next to nothing, as he is tied to a one-year, $1.77MM contract, but they will aim to build around Avila. The team, which also added new O-line coaches (Ryan Wendell, Zak Kromer), may field a new-look front five come Week 1.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/23

March 15th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Washington Commanders

Smith got a two-year deal from Denver that can max out at $5.5MM, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter). Smith got a $1.4MM signing bonus to join the Broncos, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (via Twitter). After finishing last in kicker return average in 2022, the Broncos should get a bump from Smith, who averaged 23.9 yards on his 40 kickoff returns for Houston over the past two years.

Rams Activate Three From Injured Lists, Waive RB Malcolm Brown

November 12th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Rams remain one of the most active teams in the league with their activations from the injured lists, continuing that trend today with two activations from injured reserve and one from the physically unable to perform list. After the three activations, the team will have two remaining, the second lowest in the league after only their division rivals in San Francisco. In order to free up some space on the roster, Los Angeles waived veteran running back Malcolm Brown.

The biggest return for the Rams is interior offensive lineman Coleman Shelton, who started four games for the Rams before being placed on IR. Coleman initially started at right guard for Los Angeles before moving to center to help replace an injured Brian Allen. Alaric Jackson was filling in for Coleman until being asked to cover the left tackle spot left vacant when Joseph Noteboom was placed on IR. Since then, some spot starts from Oday Aboushi and Chandler Brewer have contributed to an extremely injured offensive line.

The other two activations were rookie running back Kyren Williams from IR and rookie safety Quentin Lake from the PUP list. Williams was a fifth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame and is expected to have enough of an impact as a rookie that the team felt comfortable letting go of Brown. The shorter, stocky back should provide a complimentary skillset alongside Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers. Lake, a sixth-round pick out of nearby UCLA, should provide some key depth behind Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp at safety with Jordan Fuller still on IR.

Brown’s return to Los Angeles, after a one-year stay in Miami, was fairly short-lived and unproductive. In five games this year, Brown has only touched the ball 16 times for 57 total scrimmage yards, despite all the drama keeping Akers off the field. It appears that, after seven of eight years with the team, the Rams have seen enough of what Brown can provide in their running backs room and will allow the 29-year-old to test the waiver wire.

Lastly, in anticipation of their matchup with the Cardinals this weekend, the team has elevated tight end Jared Pinkney from the practice squad. The former Vanderbilt tight end made his Rams debut last week, playing solely on special teams.

Rams Designate OL Coleman Shelton For Return

November 9th, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams should soon get some reinforcement on the offensive line. The team announced (on Twitter) that they’ve designated guard Coleman Shelton for return from IR.

After serving as a backup for his first three seasons in the NFL, Shelton earned the starting right guard gig heading into the season. He quickly moved over to center to fill in for the injured Brian Allen, starting four games between the two positions. The veteran suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 4, an injury that was expected to knock him out for four to six weeks.

Shelton appears to be on track for that initial return timeline, and the Rams will now have three weeks to activate him from injured reserve. Coach Sean McVay hinted earlier this week that Shelton could be activated as soon as this weekend, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (on Twitter).

The 27-year-old’s return should help provide some stability to what’s been a shaky offensive line. Allen has since returned to the lineup, and with Shelton back, the Rams will have the ability to play around with their options at offensive guard. Bobby Evans has struggled mightily in 2022, ranking 80th among 81 qualifying guards on Pro Football Focus’ rankings. Alaric Jackson has fared much better and will likely keep his starting gig even with Shelton back in the lineup.

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