Marcus Peters

Extra Points: Butler, Shead, Rams, Chiefs

March 14th, 2018 at 10:39pm CST by Micah Powell

It’s been a wild ride for the Seahawks defense the past week. After the team traded Michael Bennett to the Eagles and released Richard Sherman, it also decided to release cornerback DeShawn Shead.

This was noteworthy because the Seahawks told the player it would release him to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent despite the NFL saying his contract should toll for 2018.

Earlier today, Shead signed with the Lions but reportedly wanted a return to the Seahawks, the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta tweets. After Seattle honored its statement to make the cornerback a free agent, Shead wanted to give Seattle every chance to keep him, but the organization ultimately wouldn’t match the offer he received from the Lions.

Seattle now enters free agency without three of its top veterans and could be seeing the end of the Earl Thomas era, who has threatened to hold out if he doesn’t receive a new deal. The Seahawks could deal him this offseason and are reportedly looking for a first-round pick in return.

Needless to say, the Seahawks once-stingy defensive unit will look plenty different in 2018.

Here’s more from around the league:

Rams general manager Les Snead said on Wednesday the team traded linebacker Alec Ogletree to accommodate the ensuing move for cornerback Aqib Talib, Alden Gonzalez tweets. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips prefers cornerbacks to linebackers in his scheme, and a big move had to be made to bring in the former Broncos corner, who will count $11 MM toward the cap.
Snead also said he sees ways the Rams can address run defense and the pass rush in free agency, Gonzalez tweets. Though he is weighing what will be available to fill those holes with rookies, he doesn’t want to just wait until the draft to fill obvious needs. The team received some insurance for its pass rush on Wednesday when it re-signed veteran linebacker Connor Barwin.
New Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler said he was worried his Super Bowl benching would hurt his value on the open market, USA Today’s Lindsay Jones tweets. Butler notoriously didn’t see the field against the Eagles in February when the Patriots allowed Nick Foles to shred their secondary. The 2015 Pro Bowl selection reached a deal with the Titans on Wednesday worth up to $61 MM over five years, with $30 MM of that being guaranteed.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said cornerback Marcus Peters‘ trade to the Rams had nothing to do with national anthem protests, Pro Football Talk passes along. “This was a football decision. … This wasn’t just one game, wasn’t a month, this was three years of body of work, and we look for consistency. We felt that this was in the best interest of the team,” Veach said.
Veach also touched on the Chiefs move for Sammy Watkins, saying the team pounced on the receiver in the first minute of free agency, the NFL Network’s James Palmer tweets. Veach said that if Watkins received a call before theirs, the other team would’ve had to call in 30 seconds before they did. The team was motivated to move on Watkins to add him to Tyreek Hill, giving strong-armed quarterback Patrick Mahomes a pair of dynamic, stretch-the-field receivers.

Chiefs Notes: Peters, Smith, Rams

February 27th, 2018 at 4:19pm CST by Zachary Links

New Rams cornerback Marcus Peters appeared on NFL Network (Facebook link) to make his first comments since the big trade from Kansas City. When asked about whether he agrees with the Chiefs’ decision to trade Alex Smith earlier in the offseason, he did not mince words.

“No. Man, Alex, Alex don’t get enough respect,” Peters said. “And they need to start putting some respect on that man’s name. Because I’ve seen that man get thrown in with not the best team at times and he took it as a man. And he never complained about it. He don’t turn over the ball. And he knows how to win. That was our fault for messing up the playoffs. That was our fault.”

Of course, the Chiefs’ trade of Smith was less of a referendum on his talent and more of a vote of confidence for rising sophomore Patrick Mahomes. Between the trades of Smith and Peters, the Chiefs are armed with additional flexibility and draft capital this offseason, making them one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on.

Here’s more out of KC:

The Chiefs called every team in the league about Peters and 28 teams either passed or did not make an offer of value, Peter King of The MMQB reports. One unknown team offered a mid-round pick (King guesses that it was the Browns or Colts) and only the Rams and Niners were in on him at the end. The Rams’ offer of second- and fourth-round picks, with a sixth-round choice going from KC to L.A., was apparently better than San Francisco’s.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com (Twitter link) gives the Chiefs a C grade for their end of the trade. Even without devaluing the 2019 second-round pick for time, Barnwell can’t wrap his head around that return for a young former All-Pro. Meanwhile, he gives the Rams a B+ for scoring a major bargain, despite Peters’ red flags.
The Chiefs will part ways with safety Ron Parker this offseason.

Browns, Colts Weren’t Serious About Peters

February 26th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

If the Chiefs’ return for Marcus Peters seemed underwhelming, that’s because there was not a booming market for the cornerback’s services. The Browns and Colts were never major players for Peters, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), despite both teams having execs that were involved in drafting him.

Shortly after Peters was shipped to the Rams, there were conflicting reports regarding the Browns’ involvement. It seems that we have a better understanding of Cleveland’s participation now – the Browns explored a possible Peters deal, but they were never serious suitors.

The Colts, meanwhile, will be on the lookout for a cornerback, particularly if they do not re-sign Rashaan Melvin. However, they are armed with $74MM+ in cap space and are near the top of the draft order this year, so they have other ways to bolster the CB group. Peters would have given the Colts a top-end starter in the secondary, but he may come with headaches and the price to get him was apparently still too steep for GM Chris Ballard‘s liking.

On Monday afternoon, we learned that the Rams are sending a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 124 overall) and a 2019 second-rounder to the Chiefs in exchange for Peters and KC’s sixth-round choice (No. 196). That’s probably less than the Chiefs expected to receive, but they did not like the odds of getting Peters’ behavior under control and were uncomfortable with the prospect of giving him major dollars beyond his 2019 option.

Chiefs To Receive Second-, Fourth-Round Picks For Marcus Peters

February 26th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams will send two draft choices to the Chiefs for Marcus Peters, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Neither of those selections will come in the first round, but the Chiefs will nab a second-round pick from the Rams. Rapoport reports Kansas City will receive Los Angeles’ 2018 fourth-round pick and its 2019 second-rounder for Peters.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the Chiefs will also send a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft to the Rams along with Peters in this swap. The Chiefs were asking for a third-round pick and a player — like they received from the Redskins for Alex Smith — but ended up receiving this package from the Rams, per Albert Breer of SI.com (Twitter link). Robert Quinn‘s name came up during the talks.

Although the Rams will be getting a high-ceiling player whose rookie contract — via the team picking up Peters’ 2019 option — has two years left, only they and the 49ers were confirmed suitors. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets an NFC personnel exec notes the return wasn’t as high as could be expected for a player of Peters’ caliber because of the low number of teams bidding.

By trading two of their best players, the Chiefs have now added third- and fourth-round picks in this year’s draft. This will help in a year in which they do not own a first-round choice. They acquired a third-rounder in the Smith deal. The Rams do not have a 2018 second-rounder, having sent it to the Bills for Sammy Watkins last August (they collected a sixth-round choice in that deal as well). They now do not have a 2019 Round 2 choice but are in line to employ a cornerback who landed on the All-Pro first team in 2016. Peters was the first Chiefs cornerback since Albert Lewis in 1990 to be named a first-team All-Pro.

The Chiefs selected Peters with the No. 18 pick in the 2015 draft, and he went on to become the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year. He’s been a polarizing player, having clashed with Kansas City’s coaching staff and with a sect of the Chiefs’ fanbase due to being part of the racial inequality protest, but has created takeaways at a historic rate. Peters has 19 interceptions, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in three seasons.

The Chiefs were leery about paying Peters as a top-market corner, and that responsibility will now fall on the Rams. Los Angeles, though, will be getting a top-tier corner and have him under team control at rates of $3.1MM (2018) and at around $9MM (2019).

Chiefs Considered Trading Steven Nelson?

February 25th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs traded away top cornerback Marcus Peters last week, but the club also considered dealing another defensive back in Steven Nelson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

It’s unclear if Kansas City was choosing between a Peters or a Nelson trade, or if a deal involving Nelson could still come to fruition. The Chiefs had been shopping Peters for more than three weeks, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, so the club could have been discussing Nelson swaps during that period, as well.

Whether or not Nelson is dealt, the Chiefs’ defensive backfield figures to undergo significant change this offseason. Peters and Darrelle Revis (who was recently released) won’t be back in 2017, while Terrance Mitchell, Phillip Gaines, and Kenneth Acker all are scheduled for unrestricted free agency. It hasn’t been all subtractions for Kansas City’s secondary, however, as the club did acquire cornerback Kendall Fuller as part of the Alex Smith trade and ink ex-Raiders cornerback David Amerson to a one-year deal.

Nelson, 25, has been an above-average corner for the majority of his three-year career. In 2017, Nelson didn’t come off injured reserve until October while dealing with a core muscle ailment, but became a starter immediately upon his activation and graded as the league’s No. 62 corner among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. The year prior, Nelson finished 36th among 84 cornerbacks in Football Outsiders’ success rate.

A third-round pick out of Oregon State in 2015, Nelson has one season left on his rookie contract. Thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program, Nelson will earn a base salary of $1.908MM during the upcoming campaign.

Marcus Peters Fallout: Reid, Draft, Contract

February 23rd, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andy Reid and Clark Hunt were not yet on board with Marcus Peters as a long-term Chiefs component, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Concern inside Chiefs headquarters centered on a possible Peters extension, per Rapoport. The fourth-year cornerback is now eligible for a long-term deal, and it’s fairly clear the Chiefs had significant reservations about being the team that signed the accomplished corner to that contract. And that issue may have been forced this year. But Peters’ issues in the locker room played a key part in the franchise wanting to trade him, Rapoport reports.

The Chiefs knew Peters would demand to be the NFL’s highest-paid corner, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports, leading to this preemptive strike. Peters is set to make barely $3MM this season, and the Rams are now responsible for picking up his fifth-year option — which they surely will given the timing of this trade. Peters skipped OTAs last year, and Paylor notes a possible training camp holdout could have transpired this summer. A 2016 first-team All-Pro and 2015 defensive rookie of the year, Peters received his best Pro Football Focus assessment for his 2017 work. Entering his age-25 season, Peters has 19 interceptions. He forced a career-high five fumbles in 2017.

Here’s more from the Peters front.

Rapoport reports this Rams/Chiefs deal will bring a package of picks to the Chiefs, but none of those is believed to be a first-rounder. That will mean the Chiefs still do not have a 2018 first-rounder after shipping it to the Bills in last year’s Patrick Mahomes deal. Kansas City picked up an extra third-rounder in January’s Alex Smith deal and collected a compensatory sixth-rounder in this draft as well. The Rams already shipped a 2018 second-round pick to the Bills for Sammy Watkins, so this latest trade could leave Los Angeles’ selection supply weakened.
Wade Phillips‘ strong personality should mesh well with Peters’ polarizing style, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com tweets, recalling a conversation he had with a veteran defensive backs coach when Peters was draft-eligible in 2015. Phillips’ ability to get through to Aqib Talib helped the Broncos’ mercurial corner craft the most memorable portion of his career, with Talib helping the Broncos to a Super Bowl title in his first season with Phillips and landing on the All-Pro first team in his second.
The 49ers were also interested in Peters, with the Browns’ interest being disputed, but the Seahawks were not exploring a Peters back back to Seattle despite his history in the city, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Peters was kicked off the University of Washington’s team during the 2014 season. Additionally, the playmaking corner measures just under 6-foot and has 31 1/2-inch arms. Pointing out the Seahawks haven’t drafted a boundary corner with arms shorter than 32 inches during Pete Carroll‘s tenure, Condotta writes Peters may not have been a fit in Seattle.

49ers, Browns Were Interested In Peters?

February 23rd, 2018 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs made another seismic trade this offseason, this time sending one of their best players to the Rams. But multiple other teams may have been interested in Marcus Peters prior to the Rams landing him.

Both the 49ers and Browns were interested in determining what it would cost to acquire the fourth-year cornerback, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). However, Rapoport and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo describe (on Twitter) both teams’ interest as “lukewarm” in the All-Pro corner.

However, it’s clear the Rams pushed talks to a degree their reported competition wasn’t willing to.

Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) the Browns were not interested in bringing Peters to Cleveland. Additionally, the 49ers were interested, but both Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com report San Francisco did not submit an offer to Kansas City for Peters.

The Rams’ talks advanced to the point the Chiefs were seeking to add another big name to their defense in Robert Quinn, along with a pick, Rapoport tweets. This would have been interesting because Quinn’s play has not been on the level it was during his Pro Bowl seasons during the mid-2010s and the pass-rushing talent makes far more than Peters does at this point. Unlike Kendall Fuller coming to K.C. in the Alex Smith trade, the Chiefs did not get much 2018 salary relief by unloading Peters, who is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal. Quinn is set to earn $12.4MM this season.

Both the 49ers and Browns have needs at corner. Each team already visited with Vontae Davis, and Maiocco notes the 49ers are likely to be connected to big-name corners — including free agent-to-be Trumaine Johnson — come March. The Rams will not retain Johnson, per Rapoport.

Chiefs Trade Marcus Peters To Rams

February 23rd, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to trade cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will be officially processed on March 14. It is not yet exactly known what the Rams are sending to KC in return, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that the Chiefs will receive “a package of draft picks.”

Peters, a first round selection in the 2015 draft, has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. However, he has given KC brass some serious headaches over the years. In December, the Chiefs suspended Peters for a game despite being in the thick of the playoff hunt. Over the last couple of weeks, trade speculation bubbled around Peters and on Friday the Chiefs struck agreement on a deal to ship him out of town.

Peters made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons and earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2016. He did not pick up either accolade in 2017, but he did finish out with 46 tackles, nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, five interceptions, and his first career touchdown. All in all, he has 24 turnovers to his credit across three seasons.

As far as the advanced analytics are concerned, 2017 was his best season to date. His 85.7 overall score from Pro Football Focus is a career best, tying him for No. 17 amongst all CBs in the NFL. Slot specialist Nickell Robey-Coleman (No. 19) was the only Rams corner to come close to Peters last season with Troy Hill (No. 57), Trumaine Johnson (No. 68), and Kayvon Webster (No. 80) did not come close.

It has been widely assumed that Johnson, a pending free agent, would not be in the Rams’ plans this season. The Peters acquisition all but ensures that Johnson will be elsewhere in 2018. The Rams currently project to start Peters and Webster at cornerback.

Peters will earn just $1.7MM this season and can be controlled through 2019 via the fifth-year option. The option is projected to cost $9.5MM, which is still a solid value for what he provides.

After losing a close game to the Titans in the Wild Card round, the Chiefs are not resting on their laurels this offseason. The Peters swap marks their second major trade this offseason, following the deal that sent quarterback Alex Smith to the Redskins.

[RELATED: Rams Depth Chart]

AFC West Notes: Chiefs, Peters, Raiders

February 20th, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Chatter that Marcus Peters may not be long for the Chiefs continues to circulate in league circles, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). That talk figures to pick up next week at the combine, JLC notes, and that could spur action on a deal.

If the Chiefs are serious about dealing the cornerback, now would be the time to do it, opines Mike Florio of PFT. For now, the complete details surrounding Peters’ late-season suspension are unknown, and that’s ideal for the team if they want to unload him. The more time that goes by, the more likely it is that teams will dig in to his locker room behavior and possibly uncover something they don’t like. Peters’ talent is undeniable, but if the Chiefs are unwilling to make a big commitment to him beyond his fifth-year option in 2019, now is the time to act.

How serious are the Chiefs are about moving Peters? That’s not immediately clear, but this is telling: while no one has confirmed to Mike Garafolo or Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) that Peters is on the block, no one has shot down the possibility either.

While we wait to see how things play out with the 25-year-old, here’s more from the AFC West:

In a conversation with a fan, Raiders coach Jon Gruden indicated that he wants Marshawn Lynch to be fully committed to his conditioning this year. “We’re not going to have that,” Gruden said (via S.L. Price of The MMQB). “No. I said to him: ‘I need Marshawn Lynch. I don’t need this part-time Lynch. I need full-time Lynch.” Lynch is signed through the 2018 season and with a cap number of $6MM, so there is some speculation as to whether he’ll be a part of Gruden’s second go ’round in Oakland. It sounds like Gruden will be gauging Lynch’s health as the team weighs the decision.
Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin is scheduled to carry a $7MM cap charge this year and the Bolts could save $4.5MM by cutting him with just $2.5MM in dead money. That may be tempting for L.A., but Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com feels that he is worth the cost. Benjamin has scored nine touchdowns for the Chargers since coming on board in 2016 and his speed opens things up in the short/medium range for Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates, and Hunter Henry. Williams argues that Benjamin’s salary – which puts him No. 29 amongst WRs at the moment – is something the Bolts could live with. That’s reasonable, but it stands to reason that the Chargers could ask the veteran to accept a mild pay cut this offseason.
Peter King of The MMQB expects Kirk Cousins to wind up with the Broncos.

AFC Rumors: M. Peters, Harrison, Pryor

February 18th, 2018 at 11:53am CST by Rory Parks

Now that the Chiefs have acquired David Amerson and are on the verge of adding Kendall Fuller — once the Alex Smith trade is finalized — Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Kansas City could trade Marcus Peters. Peters, whom the Chiefs selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, has quickly established himself as one of the better corners in the league, but as Florio notes, he has been a “handful” for Kansas City, and the incident that got Peters suspended for a game in December may have been the last straw for the team. Florio says “some in league circles” believe Peters could be on the trade block, and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM appears to think it’s a possibility as well (Twitter link).

Let’s take a look at more notes from around the AFC:

There is a “reasonable chance” that James Harrison returns to the Patriots in 2018, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing Christopher Price of the Boston Sports Journal) writes. New England successfully deployed Harrison as a three-down player after acquiring him late last season, and as Harrison recently indicated he wants to play at least one more year, it may make sense for both parties to continue their relationship.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says it does appear as if well-respected offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will be back with the Patriots in 2018, a prospect that was very much in doubt just a few weeks ago.
The Browns will pursue a reunion with free agent wideout Terrelle Pryor this offseason, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cabot says Pryor never really wanted to leave Cleveland last year, but when the Browns signed Kenny Britt to the same contract they had on the table for Pryor, he didn’t have a choice.
The devastating injury to Ryan Shazier will not impact the way the Steelers approach their decision-making with respect to fifth-year options, as Florio writes.
Now that A.J. McCarron is set to leave the Bengals, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer wonders what his departure will mean for Cincinnati. He says Andy Dalton is not going anywhere — which was at least a remote possibility before Marvin Lewis decided to return — and he believes the Bengals could look to address other, more pressing needs in the early rounds of the 2018 draft and select a polished collegiate signal-caller in the middle rounds (just as they did with McCarron). Owczarski also suggests that Cincinnati could add a veteran on a one-year deal to back up Dalton.

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