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Devin McCourty

East Notes: McCourty, Jets, JPP, Eagles

February 16th, 2015 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Titans cornerback Jason McCourty likes the idea of playing in the same secondary as his twin brother, and tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com that he hopes to get a chance to recruit Devin McCourty, even while acknowledging it’ll be hard to get the safety out of New England.

“As March closes in he’ll get a chance to see what New England wants to do, and I know he wants to be back there. He feels like that’s home. I think that’s where he’ll want to play his entire career,” the Titans defensive back said of his brother, adding: “You know how the business side of it goes. We’ll see. If he becomes a free agent, I’ll be doing everything in my power to try to get him to Tennessee.”

For his part, Devin admits that he’s “excited” to see how the free agent process will play out. The 27-year-old safety is a viable candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Patriots sometime in the next two weeks.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Taking a look at the Jets‘ options as they explore adding a quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the team has an “interesting name” on its radar: Sam Bradford. The Rams have made it clear they’d like to bring back the former No. 1 overall pick, assuming he’s willing to rework his contract, but if Bradford isn’t willing to take a significant pay cut, it’s possible he’ll hit the open market and join a weak class of free agent QBs.
  • As of the start of the month, the Giants and the reps for Jason Pierre-Paul had yet to exchange contract numbers, and nothing has changed on that front as of today, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan writes that the next two weeks will be “vital” to JPP’s potential future in New York as the team decides whether or not to use its franchise tag on the defensive end.
  • If the Eagles can’t find a quality safety in free agency to complement Malcolm Jenkins, it’s possible the team will bring back Nate Allen, but it feels like that relationship has run its course, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus expects the Eagles to address the hole in its secondary in either free agency or the draft, rather than promoting an in-house option to the starting lineup.
  • Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News examines the Bills‘ chances of keeping pass rusher Jerry Hughes on their roster, estimating that the team would likely have to pay Hughes a deal worth $8MM per year, with up to $20MM in guaranteed money.

La Canfora On Use Of The Franchise Tag

February 6th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes how the use of the franchise tag is trending downward. In 2013, only six players received either franchise or transition tags. This offseason, despite the hard work of Luke Adams to profile the candidates for the tag on each team, that number could drop to four.

La Canfora notes that his guess of four does not include the possibility of a team franchising a kicker or punter in lieu of another viable candidate.

While the Lions, Giants, Packers, and Dolphins each have a viable candidate, each team is unlikely to tag that player. Those four are expected to try to avoid the tag in the effort to retain their stars.

Although the number could drop to four, anything less than that would be a huge surprise. As far as La Canfora sees it, there are four sure things in terms of the franchise tag (all four of which Luke did pin down in his rundown of franchise tag candidates, for the record).

  • Demaryius Thomas to the Broncos is an obvious choice, whether his quarterback in 2015 is Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler. The case in Denver has another wrinkle, with La Canfora writing that if the team could come to an agreement on a long-term deal with Thomas, then tight end Julius Thomas will become a candidate to be franchised instead, albeit not the sure thing Demaryius is.
  • Fellow superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant is another lock to be hit with the tag. The Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones could be afraid to commit long-term money to him, but would be happy to keep him on a year-to-year situation even at a high price. There was also some steam gaining for DeMarco Murray’s chances of being tagged, but Bryant is seen as the superior offensive weapon.
  • On the defensive side of the ball, an already capped-out Chiefs team will place the franchise tag on Justin Houston. Houston’s tag number is not set in stone, with the team likely to tag him as an outside linebacker, Houston and his agent will push for the slightly higher defense end number which comes with an additional $1.6MM based on La Canfora’s projections. Houston could be considered a defensive end because he is primarily a pass rusher in the Kansas City defense. Either way, La Canfora believes they will have to tag him regardless of the number, despite the cap gymnastics they might have to do to afford him.
  • Staying on defense, the Patriots will likely tag safety Devin McCourty as they continue to focus on signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal. After Revis, the team should be able to negotiate a deal to keep McCourty as well, and keep the top two players in a very good secondary together as head coach Bill Belichick looks for a fifth Super Bowl victory.

East Notes: Revis, Jets, McCoy

February 5th, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s long been assumed that the Patriots would not pick up Darrelle Revis‘ 2015 option as it would mean carrying the cornerback’s $25MM cap charge next season. However, the idea of New England exercising the option has been gaining traction, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) passes along how the contract’s guarantees would be structured. Per Corry, Revis would be entitled to a $12MM roster bonus on the first day of the 2015 league year. The bonus would be paid in four $3MM installments, with payments coming on March 31, October 31, December 31, and March 31 of 2016.

Here’s more from the league’s east divisions:

  • As PFR’s Zach Links wrote in his evaluation of the Jets’ offseason, Gang Green could look to release Percy Harvin and/or Chris Johnson to create cap space. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com agrees, and adds that linebacker Calvin Pace and defensive lineman Jason Babin could also be on the chopping block.
  • Christopher Price of WEEI.com offers his free agent forecast for the Patriots, noting that both Devin McCourty and Stephen Gostkowski are legitimate candidates for the franchise tag.
  • Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com looks at the state of the Eagles‘ running back corps going into the offseason. It’s a diverse and talented group, but the team will have to decide what, if anything, should be done with LeSean McCoy. Although McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013, he still had a very productive season, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. However, his $11.95MM cap hit has left some wondering if Philadelphia would be better off cutting him. Kapadia, though, believes McCoy is not going anywhere, though the Eagles could approach him with a restructure proposal and may select a running back in the middle rounds of the draft.
  • Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com look at how Washington might approach their safety positions, which seem to be in a constant state of flux, this offseason. Although the team has often tried to bring in cheap veteran free agents without much success in the past, both writers believe Washington has no other choice but to open the checkbook again. Tandler suggests Kendrick Lewis as a possible target for free safety, while advocating for Phillip Thomas to be given the strong safety job. El-Bashir, though, thinks the team must fill both positions in free agency and expresses no confidence in Thomas.
  • Liz Clarke of the Washington Post examines the value of Brian Orakpo, who was Washington‘s highest-paid player in 2014, as he hits free agency.

Zach Links and Rory Parks contributed to this post.

AFC Mailbags: Jags, McFadden, Chiefs, Jets

January 24th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off the morning by checking out some notes from the AFC…

AFC Mailbags: Ravens, Dolphins, Jets, Jags

January 10th, 2015 at 10:56am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags to answer questions from readers. Let’s first take a look at some of the rumbling coming out of the AFC…

  • The Ravens can’t realistically expect rookie defensive back Rashaan Melvin to continue exceeding expectations. As a result, Jamison Hensley believes the team should still draft a defensive back, forcing Melvin to compete with Asa Jackson for the fourth cornerback spot.
  • If the Dolphins struggle next season, James Walker expects the organization to “clean house.” This would allow new executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum to bring in his own staff.
  • When asked which Jets coaches could ultimately stick around for 2015, Rich Cimini points to defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, quarterbacks coach David Lee and running backs coach Anthony Lynn.
  • Meanwhile, Cimini has no interest in paying Jets wideout Percy Harvin his $10.5MM salary next season, with the writer suggesting a more reasonable $6MM deal.
  • When it comes to some of the notable free agents, Michael DiRocco would support the Jaguars pursuit of wideout Randall Cobb or safety Devin McCourty. However, the writer isn’t as high on Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

AFC Links: McCourty, Chargers, Titans

January 9th, 2015 at 2:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Ravens wideout Steve Smith will be facing off against the Patriots this weekend, and the veteran acknowledged that he was pursued by New England during the offseason.

“Yeah, I talked to [Bill Belichick] and it was a great opportunity as well,” Smith told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. “Anytime you have an opportunity to go to some teams, it’s always good. When your phone stops ringing, you need to start thinking about if I’m in the right profession.”

Let’s see what else is going on around the AFC…

AFC Mailbags: Jets, Chiefs, Jaguars

December 20th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes out of the AFC…

  • According to Rich Cimini, the vibe around the Jets organization is that owner Woody Johnson wants to replace general manger John Idzik. However, the writer suggests that Idzik could stick around in a reduced role.
  • Cimini writes that the majority of the Jets upcoming unrestricted free agents are replaceable, but he believes linebacker David Harris “still has value.”
  • As the Chiefs‘ contract negotiations with linebacker Justin Houston drag on, Adam Teicher is under the impression that the upcoming free agent is “headed for the franchise tag.”
  • Of the Jaguars upcoming free agents, Michael DiRocco gives defensive end Tyson Alualu the best chance of returning. The writer is not very optimistic about Cecil Shorts, Alan Ball or Marcedes Lewis re-signing.
  • Meanwhile, DiRocco focuses on positions the Jaguars will likely pursue in free agency. He points to offensive line, tight end and wide receiver as particular areas of need, and he throws out Patriots safety Devin McCourty as a “name to watch.”

AFC East Notes: Dolphins’ D, McCourty, Idzik

December 14th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, noting that the Dolphins defense is not the consistently stout force that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle claims, took a look at the immediate future of each position in Coyle’s unit this morning. For instance, Jackson writes that defensive tackle Randy Starks is unlikely to return on his current contract, which creates a $6MM cap hit if Starks is on the team, and a $1MM hit if he is not.

Jackson adds that is is “highly questionable” if Miami will pay Jared Odrick what he could make on the open market, and the departures of both Odrick and Starks would force the team to go shopping for a run-stuffer like Dan Williams or Terrance Knighton in free agency. While the defensive end position is more or less set for 2015, Jackson notes that linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will either need to accept a pay cut or be released, and he points out that there is a strong class of free agent corners for the team to pursue as it seeks a reliable starter opposite Brent Grimes.

Now for a few more notes from the AFC East:

  • Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that there is “nothing happening” on an extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty, and that New England is expected to use the franchise tag as major leverage.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that one reason the Patriots might have agreed to a recent extension with Marcus Cannon is that it helps to thaw the team’s relationship with Cannon’s agent, David Dunn, a relationship that soured during the Wes Welker negotiations several seasons ago. Dunn, one of the game’s most successful agents, also represents Nate Solder, who will be a free agent in 2016, and Shane Vereen, who hits free agency after this season.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Jets GM John Idzik has been involved in the early stages of the team’s head coaching search, and La Canfora wonders if that might be a sign that Idzik’s job is safe. Although owner Woody Johnson could still parts ways with Idzik, particularly if the team lands a big-ticket head coach who wants a different general manager, Idzik’s early involvement and his ties to potential head coaching candidates are positive signs for him.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look at the Jets’ bad fortune in recent years, noting that the team’s worst seasons tend to coincide with fairly weak drafts or drafts with no elite quarterback prospects.
  • In the same piece, Cimini writes that nose tackle Damon Harrison, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets this season, is likely to receive the max tender (which is expected to be higher than 2014’s $3.1MM figure) as he hits restricted free agency.

Extension Candidate: Devin McCourty

November 9th, 2014 at 5:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite a reputation for mastering the draft process, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s record of procuring and developing defensive back talent isn’t very impressive. Over the past decade, Belichick has regrettably used first- and second-round picks on players such such as Terrence Wheatley (2008), Darius Butler (2009), and Ras-I Dowling (2Devin McCourty011), each of whom failed to live up to expectations. Not every attempt to add pieces to the New England secondary has been a disaster, as Brandon Meriweather (2007) and Patrick Chung (2009) proved somewhat useful during their tenure with the Pats. However, no Patriots defensive back draft selection of the past ten years has matched the production of 2010 first-rounder Devin McCourty, whose rookie contract expires after this season.

Since joining the Patriots four years ago, the 27-year-old McCourty has displayed impressive versatility in addition to excellent play. During his first two seasons in the league, he played strictly cornerback, and was employed primarily on the left side of the defense. The Rutgers product regressed from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign — though he graded as the league’s seventh-best CB in 2010, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he fell to 57th in 2011. McCourty was still effective against the run in ’11, but his coverage grade lagged, which might have factored into New England’s decision to convert him to safety.

The positional transformation began in 2012, as McCourty began splitting his snaps between corner and safety. He spent more time at S (about 57% of his snaps), and PFF rated him as above-average at both positions. McCourty’s best season to-date came last year, when he finished with 58 tackles and one interception in 15 games, and ended up as the No. 1 safety in the league per PFF’s metrics. He’s started every game this season, and been a factor in both pass and run coverage, accruing 20 tackles and one pick.

Given that the Patriots added Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner via free agency during the offseason, it’s a little surprising that their pass defense isn’t among the NFL’s elite. New England ranks 19th in passing yards allowed, 11th in yards per attempt allowed, and 16th in pass defense DVOA. However, Browner didn’t play until Week 6 following a suspension, so the unit has had much time to mesh. Additionally, the Patriots pass-rush isn’t special, meaning opposing quarterbacks have a lot of time to attack New England’s secondary. Though they rank 13th in sacks, the Pats are 28th in adjusted sack rate, a figure that doesn’t figure to improve as long as Chandler Jones is sidelined with an injury.

Nevertheless, it seems to be a given that the Patriots would want to retain McCourty, who was named an All-Pro in both 2010 and 2013. Given that Revis won’t return to New England unless he negotiates a new deal (he’s signed for 2015, but with a $25MM cap charge, he’ll be cut), the Patriots probably want to keep their leader in the secondary around. News surrounding McCourty extension talks has been slim, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported in early August that two sides had exchanged initial proposals, but weren’t overly close to an agreement. At the time, La Canfora noted that talks could heat up before the season; while that obviously didn’t happen, it wouldn’t be shock to see a deal struck in-season.

McCourty is earning $3.92MM in base salary this season. Add in his prorated roster bonus, and a $50K workout bonus, and he counts $5.115MM against the cap. When discussing an extension, he and his representatives would surely look to either match or exceed the deals signed by Earl Thomas and Jairus Byrd earlier this year. Both are rangy free safeties like McCourty, as opposed to in-the-box strong safeties like Dashon Goldson, so their contracts work well as comparables. Thomas’ deal was an extension, however, while Byrd joined the Saints via free agency, so his contract might present the better option for locating a benchmark.

Thomas, who is two years younger than McCourty, received $40MM over four years, with nearly half ($19.725MM) guaranteed. McCourty has been the better player since he made the switch to full-time safety per PFF, but the advanced metrics aren’t the be-all, end-all of player evaluation. Soft factors are important, as well — McCourty doesn’t have the reputation that Thomas, regarded as the league’s best safety, does. Additionally, Thomas was coming off a season as a key component of one of the best pass defenses in NFL history as he discussed an extension with Seattle; McCourty, as noted, plays on a below-average unit.

I don’t think McCourty will be able to match Thomas’ contract; at $10MM per season, Thomas redefined the market for safeties in a way that I don’t believe McCourty can. But $9MM a per year, the same amount Byrd received, should be in reach for McCourty. And while Byrd only got 33.9% of his total deal guaranteed, McCourty would likely see more than that — I’d peg it closer to Thomas’ 49.3%, so perhaps around $17MM over a four-year contract. In total, a four-year extension worth roughly $37MM, with $17-18MM guaranteed, would make sense for both sides. The Patriots like to use in-game roster bonuses in their deals, but given that McCourty doesn’t have an injury history or character concerns, I wouldn’t expect them to be too large.

New England’s fiscal situation shouldn’t present a barrier to negotiations. The Patriots currently have $4.281MM in 2015 cap space available, but they can save about $3.3MM by releasing Danny Amendola and Michael Hoomanawanui. The club can clear an additional ~$7.567MM by parting ways with veteran defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, a move that seems likely given his lack of production this season.

If a deal can’t be worked out, the club has the option to place the franchise tag on McCourty. Safety had the third-cheapest tag figure in 2014, exceeding only tight end and kicker/punter, and that probably won’t change next season. The number itself will rise from $8.433MM, but so will the league-wide salary cap, so the figure shouldn’t present a problem. Securing a player with McCourty’s talent on a one-year deal for around $9MM would be a steal, but both the team and the player would surely like to work out a contract that enables McCourty to remain in New England for the forseeable future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Links: Talib, Ravens, Pouncey

September 27th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

Patriots safety Devin McCourty has a playful rivalry with his brother, Titans cornerback Jason McCourty. Therefore, as the Patriots prepare to take on the Chiefs, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Patriots’ All-Pro defender is looking to top his brother’s production against quarterback Alex Smith. In the Titans’ first game of the season, McCourty picked off Smith twice.

When asked if he’d somehow outdo Jason, Devin sounded optimistic (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “I hope so,” he said. “You’ve got to tell Alex Smith to throw me the ball.”

Devin acknowledged that he has watched some of his brother’s interceptions to get a read on opposing quarterbacks:

“I always watch every interception a quarterback throws just to get an idea, see if there is a similarity of where it happens and different formations and what they like. I always try to see the turnover opportunities out there as far as throwing the ball, especially if it’s downfield.”

Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…

  • The NFL was not impressed by Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib‘s late, fourth quarter hit against the Seahawks. According to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, the league has fined Talib $8,268.
  • Ravens defensive back Jimmy Smith has been assigned an October 7th court date in regards to his misdemeanor disorderly conduct case, according to Baltimore County police spokesman Shawn Vinson (via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith is subject to a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail.
  • Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says the the Jaguars‘ biggest free agent disappointment is linebacker Dekoda Watson. The former Buccaneers draft pick has already had a pair of surgeries and couldn’t earn the starting spot once he returned.
  • However, DiRocco writes that he liked the majority of the Jaguars‘ offseason moves and still hasn’t soured on many of them. Instead, he criticizes the team for failing to sign center Alex Mack.
  • Dolphins center Mike Pouncey was hoping to make his season debut in London against the Raiders, but ESPN.com’s James Walker warns that it’s unlikely. Instead, Walker says it’s more likely that the former Pro-Bowler will make his debut in two weeks following the team’s bye.
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