Top 3 Offseason Needs News & Rumors

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Tennessee Titans

January 14th, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Tennessee Titans, who finished with a 9-7 record and narrowly missed out on the AFC South crown.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Antonio Andrews, RB (RFA)
David Bass, LB
Byron Bell, T
Antwon Blake, CB
Matt Cassel, QB
Anthony Fasano, TE
Rashad Johnson, S
Karl Klug, DE
Marc Mariani, WR
Nate Palmer, LB
Brian Schwenke, C
Sean Spence, LB
Daimion Stafford, S
Phillip Supernaw, TE (RFA)
Chance Warmack, G
Kendall Wright, WR

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

Brian Orakpo, LB: $9,000,000
Jurrell Casey, DL: $8,520,000
Derrick Morgan, LB: $8,000,000
Jason McCourty, CB: $7,000,000
Da’Norris Searcy, S: $6,750,000
Marcus Mariota, QB: $6,603,811
DeMarco Murray, RB: $6,250,000
Rishard Matthews, WR: $5,833,333
Wesley Woodyard, LB: $5,500,000
Delanie Walker, TE: $5,333,333

Other:

Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $70,583,022
Fifth and 18th picks in the draft
Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for T Taylor Lewan

Three Needs:

1) Build a new secondary: The Titans’ 2016 pass defense was, in a word, poor. Tennessee ranked 25th in DVOA against the pass and allowed the third-most yards in the league, finishing ahead of only the Saints and Packers in that regard. In the midst of a dismal year against opposing passers, the club even unloaded veteran cornerback Perrish Cox, who had just signed a three-year deal worth $15MM prior to the 2015 season. The Titans had evidently decided that dropping Cox and accepting $5MM in dead money in 2018 was preferable to demoting him to a lesser role.

The defensive back crew set to return in 2017 doesn’t offer much confidence, as none of Tennessee’s cornerbacks rated among the top 30 in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus (2016 free agent acquisition Brice McCain earned the highest grade at No. 38). Antwon Blake, who did most of his work on special teams rather than the defensive side of the ball, is an unrestricted free agent, while Jason McCourty — the most high-profile of the Titans’ CBs — isn’t the player he once was. 2016 rookies Kalan Reed and LeShaun Sims, Curtis Riley, and D’Joun Smith currently comprise the rest of Tennessee’s projected cornerback depth chart.

Armed with more than $70MM in cap space (good for third in the NFL), the Titans have no excuse not to bring in a free agent corner this offseason, especially given that the market with be flush with options. The club’s No. 1 target should be the Texans’ A.J. Bouye, who graded out as the NFL’s second-best corner (per PFF) and will only be 26 years old when the 2017 campaign gets underway. Not only would Bouye give Tennessee the shutdown cornerback that its secondary so desperately needs, but the Titans would be severely weakening a division rival by poaching one of Houston’s best defensive players.

Of course, the Texans probably have no desire to let Bouye get away, and will likely employ the franchise tag if no long-term deal can be reached. Instead, one other interesting avenue for the Titans could be pursuing Patriots restricted free agent Malcolm Butler. New England will almost assuredly place a first-round RFA tender on Butler, meaning that any club that signs him away would have to part with a first-round pick to do so (while giving the Pats the right to match the agreed-to deal). One note on this potential scenario: The Titans would only be forced to relinquish the 18th overall pick to New England, not the fifth overall selection they acquired from the Rams.

A player such as Butler — one of the best cornerbacks in the league entering his age-27 season — is certainly worth the 18th pick in the draft, but the Titans would have to craft an offer sheet in such a way that the Patriots wouldn’t be able to match. That could be tough to do, especially since New England has nearly as much cap space (~$68MM) as Tennessee and has already traded away some of its impending free agents in Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins. Additionally, most NFL clubs avoid the restricted free agent market given that it entails essentially negotiating a deal for another club to take advantage of. In other words, the Titans could spend valuable man hours putting in the hard work of talking numbers with Butler’s agent, only to have the Patriots swoop in and match the deal.

Admittedly, there are impediments to acquiring either Bouye or Butler, but there are other solid cornerbacks who should be available in the next few months. Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Morris Claiborne represent the best options on the free agent market, while Logan Ryan could also intrigue the Titans as a versatile second-tier corner. The draft offers another pipeline of cornerback talent, and the 18th pick is probably the area where Tennessee could target someone like Florida’s Teez Tabor, Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey, or the Ohio State duo of Marshon Lattimore or Gareon Conley.

Of course, cornerbacks aren’t the only part of a secondary — the Titans used a rotation at safety last season, with Kevin Byard, Daimion Stafford, Da’Norris Searcy, and Rashad Johnson all playing more than 500 defensive snaps. Both Stafford and Johnson are free agents, and Stafford should probably be the priority given that he’s a key part of Tennessee’s special teams unit. Byard, meanwhile, is a favorite of NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell, and should see an even larger role in 2017. If the Titans do want to add a top-notch safety early in the draft, there are seemingly two options: LSU’s Jamal Adams and Ohio State’s Malik Hooker.

2) Find weapons for Marcus Mariota: Exotic smashmouth worked! Many laughs were had at Titans head coach Mike Mularkey‘s expense after he described his intentions to mold Tennessee’s offense into a run-first unit, but the approach was ultimately successful, as the club ranked third in both rushing yards and yards per attempt, and sixth in rushing DVOA. Trade acquisition DeMarco Murray rebounded from a dismal season in Philadelphia to post 1,287 yards and six touchdowns, while second-round pick Derrick Henry added almost 500 yards of his own. The Titans’ rebuilt front five, meanwhile, was recently named Pro Football Focus’ Offensive Line of the Year.

Tennessee’s passing offense remains somewhat limited, however, and the club certainly needs to add one or two new receivers this offseason. Tight end Delanie Walker should remain a large part of the Titans’ attack after tying for the team lead in receptions, while Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe will also return after experiencing varying levels of success in 2016. Free agent Kendall Wright has already intimated that he won’t be part of the Titans roster next year, while fellow receiver Harry Douglas looks like a release candidate after playing on less than a quarter of Tennessee’ offensive snaps.

The draft should offer a number of reinforcements in the form of wide receivers, and the Titans could choose to use the first of their first-round picks on a playmaking pass-catcher such as Clemson’s Mike Williams, whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report sent to Tennessee in his most recent mock draft. Williams is generally regarded as the best receiver in the 2017 draft, and there’s little chance that he’ll still be around when the Titans make their second selection of the first round at pick No. 18. As such, the club may need to use the fifth choice on Williams before targeting secondary help later in the round. Other receivers with first-round grades include Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, Washington’s John Ross, and USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.

While the Titans could also look to free agency to find another receiver, the market doesn’t offer many options who could be viewed as true No. 1’s. Alshon Jeffery is the only WR who profiles in that regard, but Tennessee doesn’t strike me as a fit for the Bears pass-catcher. Michael Floyd could be an interesting complement to the Titans’ rushing attack, especially since he grades out as an excellent run-blocker (although teams aren’t paying wide receivers for their blocking prowess). Tennessee just fired wide receivers coach Bob Bratkowski, and whoever is hired to replace him could give some indication as to which direction the Titans will go as they target new receivers. But either through the draft or free agency, Tennessee needs to at least two new players to its wide receivers room.

3) Exhaust all remaining resources on bolstering the defense: Aside from adding a few new receivers, the Titans should use nearly all the rest of their cap space and draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. The club is set at quarterback, running back, and along the offensive line, and if Tennessee can fix its defense, it should be considered for the AFC South title in 2017.

As noted above, the Titans should probably use their first-round picks and/or a good deal of cap room to secure elite players at both corner and receiver. But the defensive front seven could also use several playmakers and an overall increase and depth, and the free agent market possesses plenty of both. As such, I expect general manager Jon Robinson to be relatively active during the upcoming free agent period as his team looks to take the next step forward. After investing in a top-notch corner, his second move in free agency should involve spending big on one more defensive player.

The options for doing so are numerous, but one area of the Titans’ roster that could use a boost is the defensive line. Tennessee already boasts one of the league’s best lineman in Jurrell Casey, but outside of him, the rest of the club’s front is relatively obscure. Securing an athlete such as Arizona’s Calais Campbell or Kansas City’s Dontari Poe would beef up the front line and give Casey more room to work. Both will be expensive, but Tennessee has the cap space to lure one of them to Nashville. Also acting in the Titans’ favor is that both the Cardinals (Chandler Jones) and the Chiefs (Eric Berry) have other players who may require the franchise tag, meaning Campbell and Poe could hit the open market.

The Titans have an impressive crop of pass rushers headlined by Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, but there are at least two reasons why the edge is another area that the team could target this offseason. First, both Orakpo and Morgan have a history of injuries, while second-round pick Kevin Dodd missed most of his rookie season with health issues, as well. Second, a club can never have enough pass rushers given that rotations at outside ‘backer often work best, so despite the fact that the Titans have at least two competent edge men, they could certainly add more. Nick Perry and John Simon could both be of interest to the Titans this offseason, with Melvin Ingram also lurking as an option if Tennessee is willing to meet his price tag.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t link at least a few Steelers free agents to the Titans given that former Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is still calling the plays in Tennessee. Staying on the theme of edge rushers, the Titans could take a look at failed first-round Steeler Jarvis Jones, who has managed only six sacks in four NFL seasons, with the hope of offering him a career turnaround. Veteran inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons could also intrigue the Titans, though it’s an open question as to whether he’d be an improvement over the current Tennessee combination of Avery Williamson and Wesley Woodyard.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Arizona Cardinals

January 12th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Arizona Cardinals, who finished with a 7-8-1 record despite being viewed as Super Bowl contenders when the season began.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending free agents:

Taylor Boggs, G
Calais Campbell, DE
Chandler Catanzaro, K (RFA)
Marcus Cooper, CB
Andre Ellington, RB
Darren Fells, TE (RFA)
Jermaine Gresham, TE
Tony Jefferson, S
Mike Jenkins, CB
Chris Johnson, RB
Chandler Jones, LB/DE
Kevin Minter, LB
Sio Moore, LB
Alex Okafor, LB
Jeremy Ross, WR
Frostee Rucker, DE
A.Q. Shipley, C
D.J. Swearinger, S
Stepfan Taylor, RB
Earl Watford, G

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

Carson Palmer, QB: $24,125,000
Larry Fitzgerald, WR: $15,850,000
Patrick Peterson, CB: $13,706,965
Jared Veldheer, T: $10,250,000
Mike Iupati, G: $9,700,000
Tyrann Mathieu, DB: $8,100,000
Daryl Washington, LB: $7,170,000
Justin Bethel, CB: $5,250,000
Tyvon Branch, S: $4,500,000
Drew Stanton, QB: $4,000,000

Other:

Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $38,024,121
13th pick in draft
Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for LB Deone Bucannon

Three Needs:

1) Add a cornerback to play opposite Patrick Peterson: On the whole, the Cardinals’ defense was extremely effective in 2016. The unit — led by second-year coordinator James Bettcher — finished first in sacks, second in both DVOA and yards, third in adjusted sack rate, and fourth in takeaways. The one true weakness on the defensive side of the ball, however, was at the cornerback spot opposite Patrick Peterson, where Arizona ranked 27th in DVOA against opposing No. 2 receivers. As such, finding a reliable second cornerback should be atop the Cardinals’ list of priorities this offseason.

Arizona thought it had an option to play second fiddle to Peterson when it selected Brandon Williams in the third round of last year’s draft. Williams, who converted from running back to cornerback in the summer of 2015, was immediately inserted into the Cardinals’ starting lineup in Week 1 against the Patriots and was immediately — and, perhaps, predictably — torched. Williams played 100% of Arizona’s defensive snaps in the season opener (71 plays), but only played 169 snaps the rest of the season, mostly at the tail end of the campaign after the Cards had been eliminated from postseason contention. The 24-year-old Williams clearly has room to grow and should be allowed the time do so, but it will be difficult for Arizona to count on him as a starting defensive back in 2017.

Following Williams’ public flagellation against New England, trade acquisition Marcus Cooper moved into the starting lineup and stayed there, playing more than three-quarters of the Cards’ snaps on the season. Cooper managed four interceptions but didn’t grade well according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked Cooper as the No. 108 cornerback among 120 qualifiers. Now a free agent, Cooper would be better deployed as a depth option if re-signed, joining Justin Bethel — whose short-lived stint in the starting lineup was deemed a “failure in progress” by head coach Bruce Arians — Williams, and 2016 rookie Harlan Miller in that capacity.

Luckily for the Cardinals, both the free agent market and the upcoming draft are full of intriguing cornerback options. When the new league year begins in early March, it’s possible that A.J. Bouye, Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, and Dre Kirkpatrick could all hit free agency (although, one or more of those defensive backs could be tied up via the franchise tag). That quartet will be searching for top-of-the-market deals, however, and given that Arizona has pressing contract issues in the form of internal free agents Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, and Kevin Minter, the club will probably stay away from elite level options this spring.

Instead, the Cardinals could look at second-tier cornerbacks, and perhaps follow the model they used in 2014 when agreeing to a cheap one-year deal with veteran defensive back Antonio Cromartie, who rebounded off a few poor seasons to post a solid year in the desert. Chris Culliver could be a candidate for such a deal this offseason, as the 28-year-old is back on the free agent market after spending time on the Dolphins’ roster last year. Given that he visited with the Cards last summer before signing with Miami, Culliver might intrigue the club once again as a bounce-back player. Other corners who may interest Arizona could include Morris Claiborne, Nolan Carroll, Logan Ryan, and old friend Jerraud Powers.

If the Cardinals don’t find what they’re looking for during the free agent period, the draft will offer the team its next opportunity to find a No. 2 corner. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweeted this week that the 2017 draft offers the “deepest/most talented group of CBs” in years, meaning that Arizona should be able to locate either an elite talent near the top of the draft, or a depth piece in the mid rounds. Marshon Lattimore (Ohio State), Teez Tabor (Florida), Marlon Humphrey (Alabama), Quincy Wilson (Florida), and Tre’Davious White (LSU) comprise the top five available corners in the estimation of ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. (Insider subscription required), who places the first three among his top 25 overall prospects.

2) Acquire a true No. 1 receiver: Veteran pass-catcher Larry Fitzgerald has seemingly flirted with retirement during each of the past few offseasons, and this year is no different, as Fitzgerald is reportedly considering hanging up his cleats despite signing an extension last August. If the 33-year-old Fitzgerald does decide to call it a career, the Cardinals wide receiver depth chart would be topped by the likes of John Brown, JJ Nelson, a recovering Jaron Brown, and special-teamer Brittan Golden (if you’ll recall, Arizona waived WR Michael Floyd at the tail end of the season, but he would have been a free agent anyway). Do those receivers represent enough weaponry for quarterback Carson Palmer to operate a Bruce Arians offense that relies on the intermediate-to-deep passing game?

The answer is probably no, and even if Fitzgerald returns for the 2017 campaign, the Cards should still aim to add another receiver to the roster. Fitzgerald has essentially become a glorified tight end in recent years, an excellent blocker who runs routes over the middle of the field. John Brown and Nelson, meanwhile, are both under six feet tall and 180 pounds, and their respective small statures may have played a role in nagging injuries that limited each of them throughout the season. Floyd, at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, was the closest thing Arizona had to a prototypically sized No. 1 pass-catcher in the past few seasons, but even he never produced a true breakout season during four-plus seasons with the team.

Ironically, Floyd is exactly the type of receiver the Cardinals should be targeting in free agency, but a reunion between the two clubs is not going to happen after Floyd was unceremoniously dumped following a DUI. Outside of Floyd, there are only two receivers available on the open market that offer No. 1-type potential: the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery and the Browns’ Terrelle Pryor. Personally, I have my doubts that Pryor is fully ready to become the primary option in a high-powered offense, but I would also expect him to get higher bids than Arizona would be comfortable matching.

Jeffery, meanwhile, is the premier pass-catcher available during the upcoming free agent period, and ranked third on the most recent edition of PFR’s Free Agent Power Rankings. Jeffery doesn’t turn 27 years old until next month, and given that he’s been a dominant force when healthy, he’d make for an excellent addition to the Cardinals’ offense. Still, that could be said for a multitude of offenses around the NFL, meaning Jeffery’s price tag could get quite high. Chicago, too, has the option of franchising Jeffery for the second consecutive season — albeit at a cost north of $17.5MM — so he’s not a guarantee to hit the open market.

One other option that might intrigue the Cardinals is Redskins free agent DeSean Jackson, who is set to become a free agent after earning $8MM annually during three seasons in the nation’s capital. Jackson, 30, is listed at 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, so he’s certainly not the big-bodied receiver that I lobbied for above. However, he does possess one talent which would surely draw Arians’ eye: he can get deep. In 2016, Jackson led the league in yards per reception for the third time in his career, averaging 17.9 yards per catch. That’s a skill that would pay dividends in Arizona’s deep passing offense, and Jackson should be available for less than what he earned with Washington.

If the Cardinals strike out during free agency, they’ll be able to target wide receivers through the draft. They could use the 13th overall selection to bring in one of several pass-catchers who project to go in the first round. Mike Williams — not to be confused with the two former pro receivers of the same name — is set to become the latest Clemson WR to be chosen on Day 1 of the draft, following in the footsteps of DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBSSports.com list Williams as the No. 1 receiver available in 2017, noting that he appears as though he was “constructed with an NFL-starter kit.” USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster and Western Michigan’s Corey Davis are among the other first-round options that could make sense for Arizona.

3) Start thinking about Carson Palmer‘s replacement: In 2015, at the age of 36, Carson Palmer posted best season of his career, leading the league in a variety of metrics including Total Quarterback Rating and net yards per pass attempt while placing himself squarely in the MVP conversation. Those results didn’t hold in 2016, however, as Palmer’s Total QBR fell from 82.15 to 52.8, his touchdown percentage dropped from 6.5 to 4.4, and his net yards per attempt went from 8.41 to 6.03. To be fair, Palmer’s 2016 numbers weren’t terrible, and were largely in line with his career statistics prior to that magical 2015 campaign.

But Palmer’s 2015 season now looks like an outlier, and given that he’ll turn 38 years old during the 2017 campaign, the Cardinals need to begin their search for a long-term replacement at quarterback. Extended along with Larry Fitzgerald last summer, Palmer is now locked up through the 2018 season, but Arizona could easily get out of the contract if the rapidity of Palmer’s downward spiral increases. Additionally, rumors that backup Drew Stanton could take over once Palmer retires don’t make much sense, given that Stanton is only signed through 2017 and is already 32 years old himself.

Free agency typically isn’t the place for a club to find a developmental quarterback, and the 2017 crop of available players is no different. The only possible option I could see the Cardinals pursuing is Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon, a big-armed QB who could fit in Bruce Arians‘ offense. However, there are numerous impediments to Glennon landing in the desert. After years as a No. 2, Glennon likely wants to compete for a starting job immediately, something he wouldn’t do in Arizona. Additionally, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com recently pegged Glennon’s value at $13-15MM annually, a price the Cards won’t pay. Glennon’s market would have to crater, and he’d have to accept being a backup for at least another year, before a match between he and Arizona makes financial sense.

As such, the draft looks like the most realistic avenue through which the Cardinals can locate a long-term answer at quarterback. Despite a disappointing season in 2016, however, Arizona is still in win-now mode, and given the other immediate needs on the roster, the club is unlikely to expend an early pick on a signal-caller. Given that, top-tier options such as Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Brad Kaaya, and Patrick Mahomes — all of whom should go off the board in the first two rounds — seem like unpalatable options.

Unfortunately, mid-round candidates are not aplenty, as Todd McShay of ESPN.com recently wrote that the 2017 quarterback class is “as bad…as [he] can remember.” The one QB who could seemingly be a fit for the Cardinals is Cal’s Davis Webb, whom McShay reports has “good size and a big arm.” ESPN’s scouting report says Tull “rarely misses on passes between the hashes” and possesses a “high release point and gets the ball out quickly,” but is “not an elite athlete” and has “question[able] ability to sidestep interior pressure.” Remind you of anyone? To me, that description sounds like a young Carson Palmer.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Minnesota Vikings

January 11th, 2017 at 10:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. This edition will focus on the Minnesota Vikings, who entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC North champions and ended it with eight wins and a third-place finish in the division.

The Vikings began the year in an adverse situation on account of the devastating knee injury quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered at the end of August. Bridgewater sat out all of 2016 as a result, though the Vikings’ quarterback production was steady without him. That output came at a significant cost, however, as the Vikings reacted to Bridgewater’s injury by sending multiple draft picks – including their first-rounder this year – to the Eagles for Sam Bradford prior to Week 1. At the helm of a conservative passing attack, Bradford tossed 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions and set an NFL record with a 71.6 percent completion rate.

Given both Bradford’s decent performance and Bridgewater’s uncertain health, Minnesota is planning on going into 2017 with the former under center. General manager Rick Spielman will of course have to supplement the talent around Bradford to get the team back to the playoffs next season, and that task will obviously be more difficult without a first-rounder. Spielman does have eight other picks at his disposal, though, and the Vikings aren’t at risk of losing a slew of crucial contributors from 2016 to free agency.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Matt Asiata, RB
Audie Cole, LB
Rhett Ellison, TE
Chad Greenway, LB
Mike Harris, G/T
Shaun Hill, QB
Charles Johnson, WR (RFA)
Matt Kalil, LT
Zac Kerin, LG (ERFA)
Zach Line, FB
Jeff Locke, P
Jake Long, LT
Captain Munnerlyn, CB
Terence Newman, CB
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR
Jeremiah Sirles, LT (ERFA)
Andre Smith, RT
Adam Thielen, WR (RFA)
Justin Trattou, DE

Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:

Adrian Peterson, RB: $18,000,000
Sam Bradford, QB: $17,000,000
Everson Griffen, DE: $8,200,000
Xavier Rhodes, CB: $8,026,000
Harrison Smith, S: $7,500,000
Linval Joseph, DT: $6,850,000
Kyle Rudolph, TE: $6,800,000
Sharrif Floyd, DT: $6,757,000
Alex Boone, LG: $6,700,000
Brian Robison, DE: $6,600,000

Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $23,437,353

Other:

No first-round pick
Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year options for LB Anthony Barr and QB Teddy Bridgewater

1.) Repair the offensive line: The Vikings’ offensive line finished the season as Football Outsiders’ 30th-ranked group after clearing the way for an NFL-low 3.2 yards-per-carry average and allowing the league’s 10th-most sacks (38). Injuries were a major part of the problem, particularly at tackle, as Matt Kalil, Andre Smith and Jake Long missed most of the year. All three of those players are scheduled to become free agents this offseason, leaving Minnesota without an obvious solution at either tackle spot. T.J. Clemmings remains under contract after leading Vikings linemen with 882 snaps, but he also ranked as Pro Football Focus’ third-worst tackle. Exclusive rights free agent Jeremiah Sirles racked up significant on-field time, too, with 772 snaps, though he wasn’t particularly effective (49th among PFF’s 81 qualified tackle). While Clemmings and Sirles could again serve as depth next season, the Vikings are going to have to do something about both starting spots.

Of Kalil, Smith and Long, all are expendable when considering their performances, but the latter two seem especially likely to depart. Minnesota’s decision to sign Smith to a one-year deal last March wasn’t panning out even before he succumbed to an elbow injury a few weeks into the season. And the Vikings didn’t add Long until October, which only happened because Kalil and Smith went on injured reserve. Long then suffered a torn Achilles in November, potentially ending the soon-to-be 32-year-old’s career.

Kalil, who started 66 straight games prior to suffering a season-ending hip injury in Week 2, has been a staple with the Vikings since they drafted him fourth overall in 2012. However, he has struggled since a quality rookie year, meaning the Vikes could stand to upgrade over him. The problem is that they might have a hard time doing that via the draft, which doesn’t feature a deep tackle class (again, no first-rounder hurts). Free agency is rather light on left tackles, too – despite his age (35), longtime Bengal Andrew Whitworth is easily the best of a weak lot and would be a more-than-capable stopgap for Minnesota. It’s worth noting that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer previously worked as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator from 2008-13, so he’s quite familiar with Whitworth.

Meanwhile, unless he re-signs with Jacksonville before March, Luke Joeckel will represent another option. He’s all too similar to Kalil, though, as both a high pick (No. 2 in 2013) who hasn’t lived up to his draft stock and someone who’s coming off an injury-shortened year. Longtime NFC North rival Riley Reiff isn’t great, either, but the five-year Lion does bring vast experience at both tackle spots and has started 14-plus games in four straight seasons.

Shifting to the right side, the Ravens’ Ricky Wagner stands out as the top soon-to-be free agent blocker. The 27-year-old has logged 14 or more starts in each of the past three seasons, and he ranked as PFF’s 19th-best tackle in 2016. Mike Remmers (Panthers), Austin Pasztor (Browns), Sebastian Vollmer (Patriots), Jordan Mills (Bills) and Marshall Newhouse (Giants) have also amassed plenty of experience, but it’s debatable whether any would be clear upgrades over what the Vikings already have. At the very least, any could act as competition to the Vikes’ in-house options. Vollmer and Bell did miss all of 2016, however, which could preclude Minnesota from kicking the tires on either after injuries ravaged its line during the season.

Moving inside, the Vikings might not feel the need to do anything major with left guard Alex Boone, center Joe Berger and right guard Brandon Fusco in place. Fusco is somewhat of a weak link, though, as he ranked 62nd among PFF’s 74 qualified guards in 2016. Therefore, the team could try to upgrade over him with a free agent like T.J. Lang (Packers), Kevin Zeitler (Bengals; again, there’s a Zimmer connection), John Jerry (Giants), Larry Warford (Lions) or Brian Winters (Jets). The Vikings might otherwise bring back key 2015 cog Mike Harris, who missed all of this season with an undisclosed illness but is optimistic about his recovery.

2.) Get Adrian Peterson to take a pay cut: As mentioned earlier, the Vikings had the worst ground game in the league this season. It didn’t help that they got a mere 37 carries from Peterson, a seven-time Pro Bowler who tore his meniscus in Week 2 and only played once more after that (six attempts on Dec. 18). Peterson averaged a paltry 1.9 yards per carry during his limited action, which would be less concerning going forward if not for both his injury and age (32 in March). A return to the upper echelon isn’t out of the question for Peterson, who’s not far removed from winning the league’s rushing title in 2015, but even a bounce back wouldn’t make his 2017 salary or cap figure palatable.

Peterson is slated to rake in $11.75MM and count $18MM against the Vikings’ cap next year, and he admitted earlier this month that he’ll probably have to accept a pay reduction to remain with the only franchise he has known since entering the league in 2007.

“There’s the reality that there comes a point in time where, yeah, the best thing to do is take a pay cut, and it might be in the best interest of the team, as well,” he told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

If the Vikings do retain Peterson, they should use free agency or the draft to look for a better reserve than the ones they deployed in 2016. On a combined 280 carries as the primary fill-ins for Peterson, Jerick McKinnon and free agent-to-be Matt Asiata averaged a disastrous 3.3 yards per attempt. In-season signing Ronnie Hillman was even worse on a rate basis (2.8 YPC), though he only netted 18 rushes.

Releasing Peterson would put the Vikings in the market for a new No. 1 back, and there are only a few on the way to free agency in Eddie Lacy (Packers), LeGarrette Blount (Patriots) and Latavius Murray (Raiders). Le’Veon Bell is the premier rusher without a contract for 2017, but Pittsburgh isn’t going to let him walk. Although the Chiefs seem likely to cut four-time Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles after the season – which would give the Vikings another choice – he has only played eight games the past two years because of knee problems.

3.) Make a decision on Sharrif Floyd‘s future: Minnesota had one of the league’s most formidable defenses in 2016, finishing with upper-tier rankings in yardage (third), sacks (fifth), scoring (sixth) and DVOA (ninth). Impressively, it managed that success without the eminently talented Floyd, a three-technique tackle who played 25 snaps in Week 1 and then didn’t take the field again for the rest of the season. When Floyd underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in late September, the expectation was that he’d return at some point during the year. The Vikings finally abandoned hope on that possibility when they placed Floyd on IR on Dec. 12, and Zimmer sounded somewhat fed up with the 25-year-old over his lost season.

“I’m not going to assess him to the media,” Zimmer said (via Matthew Coller of 1500 ESPN). “I’ll assess him to Rick [Spielman] when we sit down and talk.”

Injuries aren’t anything new for Floyd, who hasn’t registered a 16-game season since 2013 – his rookie campaign – and has sat out a total of 20 games going back to his second year. Floyd has been mostly outstanding when healthy, but if the Vikings decide they’re ready to go in another direction, releasing him would save the team his entire cap number – $6,757,000 – in 2017. At the same time, it would leave the Vikes with a sizable hole adjacent to standout D-tackle Linval Joseph. Shamar Stephen handled the bulk of the work in Floyd’s stead this season, but he was overmatched across 551 snaps, grading as PFF’s 13th-worst tackle among 125 qualifiers. Tom Johnson was far better (47th, per PFF), though he’s mostly an option in passing situations.

Should the Vikings wave goodbye to Floyd, free agent possibilities could include Kawann Short (Panthers), Bennie Logan (Eagles), Abry Jones (Jaguars), Alan Branch (Patriots) and Domata Peko (Bengals), among others. While Short would be the ideal option, odds are the Panthers will either re-sign or place the franchise tag on him; Logan and Jones, meanwhile, each have three-technique experience; and Zimmer coached Peko in Cincinnati. Peko, for what it’s worth, spoke glowingly of Zimmer last August (via Coley Harvey of ESPN.com).

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Cleveland Browns

January 10th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Cleveland Browns, who finished 1-15 in 2016, narrowly avoiding a winless season.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending free agents:

George Atkinson III, RB (ERFA)
Marcus Burley, CB (RFA)
Jamie Collins, LB
Britton Colquitt, P
Isaiah Crowell, RB (RFA)
Josh Gordon, WR (RFA)
Rannell Hall, WR (ERFA)
Charley Hughlett, LS (ERFA)
Jamie Meder, DE (ERFA)
Rajion Neal, RB (ERFA)
Dennis Parks, WR (ERFA)
Stephen Paea, DL
Austin Pasztor, OL
Jordan Poyer, CB
Terrelle Pryor, WR
Glenn Winston, RB (RFA)
Dylan Wynn, DE (ERFA)

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

Joe Haden, CB: $14,400,000
Joe Thomas, T: $10,000,000
Robert Griffin III, QB: $9,250,000
Tramon Williams, CB: $7,500.000
Josh McCown, QB: $5,041,668
Demario Davis, LB: $4,800,000
Desmond Bryant, DL: $4,000,000
Gary Barnidge, TE: $3,812,500
Jamar Taylor, CB: $3,275,000
Danny Shelton, DT: $3,191,910

Other:

Projected 2017 cap space (via Over the Cap): $110,438,388
First and twelfth overall pick in draft

Three Needs:

1) Find a franchise quarterback: The image has reached near immortal status on the internet: a Browns fan donning a jersey listing the litany of quarterbacks that have led the club since it returned to Cleveland in 1999, beginning with Tim Couch and Ty Detmer and concluding with the likes of Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III. 26 signal-callers have made at least one start for the Browns during that stretch, yet Cleveland is still searching for a franchise quarterback as the calendar turns to 2017.

Upgrading under center should be a primary goal for the Browns this offseason, as their current depth chart at the position is wholly uninspiring. Griffin is signed through the 2017 campaign, and Cleveland executive Sashi Brown said last September that the club doesn’t view RGIII as simply a short-term solution. However, Griffin started only five games in 2016 while dealing with injuries, and wasn’t overly effective when he was on the field, completing less than 60% of his passes while posting a Total Quarterback Rating of just 33. The Browns could clear $7.5MM in salary cap space by releasing Griffin this offseason, and while Cleveland certainly doesn’t need any extra cap room, the team should at least approach Griffin about a paycut.

Elsewhere on the roster, veteran Josh McCown is not part of the Browns’ long-term future (and is now considering retirement), leaving 2016 third-round pick Cody Kessler as the lone remaining option of intrigue. Thrown into the fire perhaps before he was ready, Kessler performed relatively well, tossing six touchdowns against two interceptions while managing a Total QBR of nearly 50. Kessler isn’t a star, but his display of competency during his rookie season indicates that he could carve out a career as a high-end backup, and offer the upside of a poor man’s Andy Dalton.

So even with Kessler in tow, the Browns are still in the market for another quarterback, and free agency could be the first place the club turns in its hunt. While Cleveland could take a flier on a QB such as Mike Glennon, EJ Manuel, or Ryan Nassib, it’s not readily apparent than any of those options would offer a substantial improvement on the Browns’ internal choices. Washington’s Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, would represent a significant upgrade at the quarterback position, but the Redskins are extremely unlikely to let their QB hit the open market. Recent reports have indicated Washington won’t hesitate to use the franchise tag on Cousins for a second consecutive year, but if he does reach free agency, the Browns would likely be a prime contender for his services.

The draft, then, offers the best chance for Cleveland to secure a long-term option at quarterback, and while draft analysts posit that no “sure-thing” signal-caller exists in the 2017 class, this year’s crop of prospects does include some first-round QB candidates. The Browns reportedly “love” UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, and having scouted him in recent weeks, could use the first overall pick on the Tarheel quarterback. If Cleveland opts to go in another direction at No. 1, the club could look at Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (whom Browns scout Lake Dawson has spent an “inordinate” amount of time watching) or Clemson’s Deshaun Watson with the twelfth selection.

2) Use ample cap space to retain key free agents: The Browns will head into the offseason with — by far — the most cap space in the league, with their ~$110MM in room dwarfing the second-place 49ers by more than $30MM. And Cleveland could still create more space! By releasing, for example, Robert Griffin III, Tramon Williams, Josh McCown, and Alvin Bailey, the Browns would push their allotment of cap room north of $130MM. As such, external free agents should become more of a priority for the Browns in 2017 (the club was reportedly reticent in FA negotiations last offseason), but the key focus should remain on two internal free agents: wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and linebacker Jamie Collins.

Pryor, 27, was one of the more fascinating stories in the NFL last season, as he completed his conversion from quarterback to wide receiver by putting up 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. Pryor has emphasized that he’d like to remain in Cleveland (and specifically, continue to play under head coach Hue Jackson), and the Browns have reportedly begun contract negotiations with its pass-catcher. However, the prospect of free agency also looms, and Pryor has indicated that a reunion is not guaranteed. “[A]t the end of the day, it’s got to come down to what my agents think is right for me,” Pryor said last month.

Given fellow free agent Alshon Jeffery‘s myriad of injury issues and recent four-gamed PED suspension, it’s entirely possible that Pryor will be the most coveted receiver available on the open market in March. Pryor and his representatives will likely look to recent contracts signed by receivers such as Allen Hurns, Emmanuel Sanders, Doug Baldwin, and Keenan Allen, and conclude that Pryor should target an annual salary in the $10-12MM range. If no deal is reached, the Browns would have the option of using the franchise tag on Pryor, locking him up to a one-year deal worth nearly $16MM.

If Cleveland is forced to employ the franchise tag on Pryor, it would lose a great deal of leverage in contract talks with fellow pending free agent Jamie Collins, whom the Browns acquired from the Patriots last year. Clearly, signing one of Pryor or Collins before the franchise tag deadline would represent an ideal solution, and afford the Browns the opportunity to use the tag on the player who remains unsigned. The franchise tag for Collins would be a bit cheaper than Pryor’s wide receiver figure, as linebackers will only earn $14.754MM under the tag.

Collins remains open to staying in Cleveland if the “money is right,” but the franchise tag might be the better route for the Browns given Collins’ previously reported contract demands. Before being dealt by the Patriots, Collins apparently turned down $11MM per annum from New England, and is now aiming to top Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM annual salary. Guaranteed money will obviously place a large role in negotiations, but if Collins’ asking price remains excessive, the Browns should simply opt for the franchise tag route. After sacrificing either a third- or fourth-round pick for Collins, Cleveland can’t afford to let him get away via free agency.

3) Continue to stockpile draft capital: The majority of early mock drafts project the Browns to take Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett with the first overall pick, and while Cleveland has reportedly placed an “astronomical grade” on the Aggie linebacker, it’s fair to wonder if the Browns should reprise their 2016 draft strategy and trade down, acquiring a bevy of extra picks in the process. In their two deals involving first-rounders last year, for example, the Browns received 175 cents and 148 cents on the dollar, respectively, a haul that Cleveland would surely be pleased to reap once again.

Of course, the Browns are already in fine position for this year’s draft, as they hold eight picks in total, including two in each of the first two rounds. Additionally, Nick Korte of Over the Cap projects Cleveland will receive fourth- and fifth-round compensatory selections (in addition to two more comp picks that have already been traded). But given that the Browns have a claim to the worst roster in the NFL (with only the 49ers coming close in terms of a dearth of talent), the club should be trying to take as many bites at the apple as possible, rather than placing its bets on a few top picks.

If EVP of football operations Sashi Brown and chief strategy office Paul DePodesta remain the Browns’ key decision-makers, Cleveland will likely employ a similar approach to 2016, when the club ultimately acquired 14 draft picks, three more than any other team. But despite Browns owner Jimmy Haslam claiming there would be no changes to club leadership, head coach Hue Jackson is reportedly pushing for Cleveland to hire a formal general manager, and has already compiled a list of candidates for the position. From my vantage point, it’s possible that Jackson would feel more comfortable with a less analytical front office calling the shots, and if a more “old-school” GM is in fact hired, the Browns may not be so quick to trade down in the draft.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Denver Broncos

January 8th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Denver Broncos, who finished 9-7 in 2016 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

For the second time in three years, the Broncos need a new coach, with unusual circumstances creating this vacancy. Gary Kubiak‘s retirement came suddenly after the defending Super Bowl champions played a rare inconsequential Week 17 game. But even though the two-year Denver HC would have certainly returned for a third season if he felt he was healthy enough to do so, the team has several key areas of need for the first time in a while. The Broncos for years featured a top-tier quarterback and a quality supporting cast, and over the past three seasons have formed the nucleus of one of the better defenses in modern NFL history. Denver’s defense still functioned at an elite level in 2016, ranking No. 1 in DVOA, but it couldn’t compensate for an offense with glaring deficiencies. No matter which coach the Broncos hire, offense will be the primary concentration this offseason.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Sam Brenner, C/G (RFA)
Todd Davis, LB (RFA)
Justin Forsett, RB
Thomas Gafford, LS
Brandon McManus, K (RFA)
Jordan Norwood, WR
Vance Walker, DE
DeMarcus Ware, LB
Dekoda Watson, LB
Kayvon Webster, CB
Sylvester Williams, DT

Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:

Von Miller, OLB: $20,000,000
Demaryius Thomas, WR: $12,033,333
Aqib Talib, CB: $12,000,000
Russell Okung, T: $11,700,000
Emmanuel Sanders, WR: $9,537,500
Chris Harris, CB: $9,366,666
Derek Wolfe, DE: $9,725,000
Darian Stewart, S: $7,400,000
T.J. Ward, S: $5,750,000
Donald Stephenson, T: $5,000,000

Current Projected Cap Room (via OverTheCap): $38,545,915

Other:

20th pick in draft
Must exercise or decline Bradley Roby‘s fifth-year option for 2018

Three needs:

1.) Address the lines: After the Broncos decided to part with some of the best offensive linemen in franchise history, they replaced the aging contributors with some lesser-known commodities and mid-level UFAs. For the most part, the gamble backfired. With the exception of a breakout season from center Matt Paradis, the Broncos’ O-line struggled throughout the season. It marked the second straight year of underwhelming blocking, and the team could be looking at another overhaul.

While the 2015 season saw injuries force suboptimal tackles into action, the latest edition of the line featured the starting edge blockers not delivering for the most part. Replacing the traded Ryan Clady, Russell Okung played in 16 regular-season games for the first time but didn’t stand out particularly at left tackle. And right tackle Donald Stephenson continued the underwhelming play that got him benched in Kansas City. Denver shelved its newly acquired right tackle only to be forced to return him to the lineup due to Ty Sambrailo‘s poor performance.

Although he fared slightly better at right guard than at right tackle, Michael Schofield received one of the worst run-blocking grades from Pro Football Focus. Fellow second-year contributor Max Garcia, moving into the starting lineup at left guard following the team’s decisions to not retain Louis Vasquez or Evan Mathis, delivered a middling season. At least one guard seems likely to stay to bring some semblance of continuity to a line that’s seen anything but the past two years. It deployed new starters at four of the five positions in each of the past two slates.

Despite being unable to generate consistent offense during their Super Bowl charge, the Broncos ranked 17th in rushing in 2015. This season, they plummeted to 27th, putting the onus on Trevor Siemian to move the ball for the most part down the stretch. C.J. Anderson‘s injury affected this to some degree, but the Broncos were often overwhelmed in pass protection as well, giving up 40 sacks this season after absorbing 39 in ’15. Siemian also missed five halves of football due to injury. Paradis is the only lock to return. A Stephenson cut will cost the Broncos $2MM in dead money while generating $3MM in cap savings. The team must decide whether or not to exercise the four-year, $48MM part of Okung’s two-pronged contract on the final day of the 2016 league year. Bringing the 29-year-old blocker back at that price seems unlikely, but finding a superior UFA options might be a task. At right tackle, players like Sebastian Vollmer and Riley Reiff could be available. The guard market, though, looks plentiful.

T.J. Lang, Larry Warford, Ronald Leary and Kevin Zeitler all are scheduled to be UFAs. As of now, it’s unknown if the Broncos are going back to a power scheme or staying with Kubiak’s zone-blocking preference, making potential targets tougher to identify. David DeCastro and Kyle Long reset the non-Kelechi Osemele guard market this year, receiving $10MM-AAV deals. As the cap climbs toward $170MM, the latest crop of top UFA interior blockers figures to be in line to shoot for eight-figure-per-year deals. Should the Broncos move on from Okung and Stephenson, they won’t have a veteran contract up front and would be in position to make a bid for one of these UFAs to play team with one of their incumbents, likely Garcia.

Denver coaxed Derek Wolfe into signing a team-friendly deal but missed Malik Jackson this season. After Vance Walker‘s ACL tear, the team could not recreate the departed UFA’s impact. Initially, the defending Super Bowl champions planned to use a rotation of Walker, Jared Crick and second-round pick Adam Gotsis. That pretty much became Crick at right defensive end, with Gotsis not factoring in much, and this was the most noticeable difference between the Super Bowl unit and its successor. The Broncos dropped from third to 28th against the run. Crick remains under contract, but the team will likely look to at least supplement him at right end if not shoot for an upgrade. A nose tackle vacancy exists now as well after the Broncos did not pick up Sylvester Williams‘ fifth-year option.

High-end nose solutions could exist in Dontari Poe and Brandon Williams, but with greater needs looming on their offensive line, the Broncos may not want to spend big here. At end, the team could look to bring back the soon-to-be 30-year-old Walker on a short-term deal. Should Calais Campbell want to join a star-studded defense with a need at right defensive end, that would be an interesting option on a medium-length accord. Of course, the longtime Cardinals stalwart won’t be cheap, and the Broncos already have most of their payroll allocated to defense.

Nevertheless, there will be plenty of new faces manning the lines for the 2017 Broncos.

2.) Make a decision at quarterback: Trevor Siemian gave the Broncos more than what could have been expected from a seventh-round pick who had never thrown an NFL pass before 2016. Kubiak preferred him to Paxton Lynch in the short term, cementing this notion by keeping the first-rounder on the sideline in a meaningless Week 17 game that could have been used for developmental purposes. We heard last month the team planned to go into 2017 with Siemian in command, but that all could change now that Kubiak is gone. The Broncos will have a new offensive staff coming in, potentially altering the respective statuses of the incumbent passers.

After a solid cameo against the Buccaneers for a half in Week 4, Lynch struggled against the Falcons and Jaguars in his spot starts. If John Elway deems his quarterback of the future a longer-term project, a higher-profile bridge solution could make sense. A trade for a player like Tony Romo would not be out of character for the GM, but the Cowboys quarterback would have to renegotiate his contract ($24.7MM ’17 cap number) in all likelihood and will be 37 next season. Part of the reason the Broncos could dole out extensions to Darian Stewart, Emmanuel Sanders and Brandon Marshall this year came as a result of no longer having a franchise-QB salary on their payroll. Putting that kind of money back into the quarterback position would tighten the budget elsewhere.

As the Broncos showed last offseason with Colin Kaepernick, they won’t be forced into a deal at an unfriendly price. But going into another season with unqualified quarterback could potentially waste an additional year of Denver’s loaded defense. While it would be somewhat impractical to go after a franchise-type passer via trade while rostering a first-round pick needing development, the state of the Broncos’ defense could make that a legitimate conversation.

3.) Locate an auxiliary pass-catcher: While Siemian (3,401 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INTs, 59 percent completion rate) showed more than most thought he would, the Broncos did not possess a balanced offense. And Denver’s lack of a ground game only served as part of the issue. Owen Daniels‘ AFC championship game heroics notwithstanding, the Broncos have been without a reliable receiving tight end since Julius Thomas departed and have not found a third receiver since injuries stalled Wes Welker. For the fifth straight season, the Broncos saw two receivers eclipse 1,000 yards. But no other receiver or tight end surpassed 240, helping defenses key on Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in a Broncos offense that wasn’t as nuanced as their versions under Adam Gase.

Thomas and Sanders are locked up through 2019. Bennie Fowler, Jordan Taylor and disappointing former second-round pick Cody Latimer are under contract for 2017, as are tight ends Virgil Green and A.J. Derby. But the Broncos will likely search for a third viable pass-catcher. What happens with the offensive line and at quarterback loom as higher priorities, but this is an area Denver could address with a high draft pick or mid-level free agency dollars.

Denver may be more inclined to give the Derby/Green/Jeff Heuerman troika another chance due to the undetermined ceilings of Derby and Heuerman. As far as WR2/3 types go in free agency, players like Kendall Wright, Robert Woods, Terrance Williams and Markus Wheaton figure to be available. The team, though, is unlikely to spend much here due to both Thomas and Sanders making eight figures per year. No team pays more money for its top two wideouts, so an early-round draft pick from the new staff makes more sense.

The Broncos have not seen a drafted wideout produce much for them since a previous regime selected Thomas and Eric Decker in 2010. As college receivers come in more prepared to contribute immediately, it’s something the franchise could look at — especially if the new offensive system centers around three-wideout sets.

Top 3 Offseason Needs: Buffalo Bills

January 6th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll kick off this year’s series with the Buffalo Bills, who finished 7-9 in 2016 and have now gone a league-worst 17 seasons without a playoff berth.

The Bills have shuffled through seven different full-time head coaches since their most recent postseason trip, and they’re now looking for yet another as a result of Rex Ryan‘s late-December dismissal. Beleaguered general manager Doug Whaley, who’s leading the search, has so far targeted interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin and three D-coordinators – Sean McDermott (Panthers), Vance Joseph (Dolphins) and Kris Richard (Seahawks) – as Ryan’s potential successor. Regardless of which candidate Whaley hires, the fifth-year GM will have to make major offseason improvements to a roster that ranked a below-average 19th in the league in DVOA in 2016.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Lorenzo Alexander, LB
Colt Anderson, S
Dri Archer, RB (RFA)
Robert Blanton, S
Zach Brown, LB
Reggie Bush, RB
Corbin Bryant, DL
Leger Douzable, DE
IK Enemkpali, LB (RFA)
Jerome Felton, FB
Mike Gillislee, RB (RFA)
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Marquise Goodwin, WR
Chris Gragg, TE
Ryan Groy, C/G (RFA)
Percy Harvin, WR
Ramon Humber, LB
Justin Hunter, WR
James Ihedigbo, S
EJ Manuel, QB
Lerentee McCray, LB
Jonathan Meeks, S
Jordan Mills, OT
Colton Schmidt, P (RFA)
Brandon Spikes, LB
Brandon Tate, WR
Corey White, CB
Robert Woods, WR

Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:

Marcell Dareus, DT: $16,400,000
Tyrod Taylor, QB: $15,913,334
Cordy Glenn, LT: $14,200,000
Jerry Hughes, LB/DE: $10,450,000
Charles Clay, TE: $9,000,000
LeSean McCoy, RB: $8,875,000
Kyle Williams, DT: $8,300,000
Eric Wood, C: $7,583,333
Aaron Williams, S: $6,625,000
Sammy Watkins, WR: $6,343,146

Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $25.99MM

Other:

Tenth overall pick in draft
Must exercise or decline WR Sammy Watkins’ fifth-year option for 2018

Three Needs:

1.) Make a decision on Tyrod Taylor‘s future: Lackluster quarterback play has been the main staple in Buffalo during its long run of failed seasons, but Taylor has been effective relative to the dreck that preceded him.

In two seasons and 29 games as a starter, the ex-Ravens backup has completed 62.6 percent of passes, tossed 37 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. The 27-year-old has also emerged as the preeminent running quarterback in the league, having piled up 560-plus yards in back-to-back seasons (on a lofty 5.8 per rush) to pair with 10 more scores.

Despite the success Taylor has had at a meager cost, the Bills are planning to move on from him by March 11, the deadline to pick up the $15.5MM option bonus in his contract. By declining that option, the Bills would escape Taylor’s deal – which they awarded him last August – and its remaining guaranteed money ($30.75MM).

Jettisoning Taylor would again put Buffalo on the hunt for a starting signal-caller, though, as backup EJ Manuel will be a free agent (and has no business starting even if he does re-sign) and third-stringer Cardale Jones is nowhere near ready to take the helm. The premier names whose statuses are in limbo entering the offseason are Kirk Cousins, Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo, but none look like realistic possibilities for the Bills. Cousins is likely to either ink a long-term deal with the Redskins or get the franchise tag; Romo, whom the Cowboys could cut, should have more enticing choices than Buffalo; and it’s difficult to imagine the Patriots trading Garoppolo to an AFC East rival. The Pats did send one of Tom Brady‘s previous backups, Drew Bledsoe, to the Bills in 2002 for a first-round selection, but doing that enabled the club to rid itself of Bledsoe’s contract and land a valuable pick for a declining player. The 25-year-old Garoppolo’s best days might be ahead of him, and New England could easily keep him next season at an $820K salary.

After Cousins, Romo and Garoppolo, the potential choices are much more flawed. There’s the Bears’ Jay Cutler, a release candidate, though he’s coming off a bad and injury-plagued year. Chiefs backup Nick Foles is also a cap casualty in waiting, but he hasn’t been any kind of an answer as a starter aside from a fluky 2013 in Philadelphia. Free agents-to-be like Brian Hoyer and Mike Glennon have been career mediocrities, too, while counting on Steelers backup Landry Jones or Bears reserve Matt Barkley would be a sizable risk. The same is true of Bengals No. 2 and trade candidate A.J. McCarron.

Of course, Buffalo could also use a high draft choice – the team is set to pick 10th – on a signal-caller and add a veteran No. 2 (someone like Josh McCown, ex-Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick or Shaun Hill, among others) as competition. The Bills won’t be in position to select the draft’s No. 1-rated quarterback prospect, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, but Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has Whaley taking Clemson’s Deshaun Watson at 10th overall. The mobile Watson is the most pro-ready QB in this year’s class, opines Miller, who points out his familiarity with ex-Clemson star and No. 1 Bills wideout Sammy Watkins.

2.) Rebuild the defense: The Bills just concluded their second straight subpar defensive season, one in which they ranked 16th in scoring, 19th in yardage and 26th in DVOA. Three of their key defenders – cornerback Stephon Gilmore and linebackers Zach Brown and Lorenzo Alexander – are now on schedule to hit free agency.

Gilmore regressed in 2016, but he’s still likely to sign a mega-deal with someone. The Bills are going to have to weigh whether to give him that contact, slap the $14.927MM franchise tag on him or say goodbye. Brown, meanwhile, seemingly waved goodbye to the Bills on Thursday; they may have a ready-made successor to him in 2016 second-rounder Reggie Ragland, who missed the season with a torn ACL. Alexander, a soon-to-be 34-year-old journeyman who stunningly racked up 12.5 sacks this season (he came into 2016 with nine) en route to a second-team All-Pro bid, has indicated his willingness to re-sign will depend on the Bills’ coaching hire. Elsewhere, safety Aaron Williams is contemplating retirement because of neck issues, and stalwart D-tackle Kyle Williams could also walk away.

There’s clearly change on the horizon for the Bills’ defensive personnel, as evidenced above, and it’s also possible their next head coach will switch from the 3-4 base they ran under the Ryans (Rex and Rob) and coordinator Dennis Thurman to a 4-3. Their first-rounder from last year, former Clemson standout Shaq Lawson, is hoping to return to his college position – 4-3 defensive end – after a low-impact rookie year as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Lawson joins Marcell Dareus, who also wasn’t wild about the previous regime’s defensive scheme, Jerry Hughes, Adolphus Washington, Preston Brown, Ronald Darby, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Corey Graham and Ragland as Bills defenders who look like strong bets to have prominent roles in 2017. The rest is up in the air.

3.) Bolster the receiving corps: Although eminently talented, Watkins has been extremely banged up over the past couple years. A foot injury kept him off the field for half of 2016, and he underwent another surgery to address it this week. Even if Watkins is healthy next season, he’ll need more help.

The Bills’ second-best receiver, pending free agent Robert Woods, will test the market after a fourth straight quality campaign. Marquise Goodwin, Justin Hunter, Brandon Tate and the once-retired Percy Harvin are also without contracts going forward. That leaves the Bills with Watkins and Walter Powell, who caught 14 passes in 2016, as their current one-two punch at receiver. Nobody from the Goodwin-Hunter-Tate-Harvin contingent is a world-beater, either, so the Bills are going to have to venture into free agency for a veteran complement(s) to Watkins. There will be several to choose from – including Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Britt, Kamar Aiken, Kendall Wright, Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn and Dontrelle Inman – but productive pass catchers don’t come cheap in free agency. It’s also probable Whaley will turn to the draft (not necessarily in Round 1), where Western Michigan’s Corey Davis could be a possibility at No. 10. Of course, that would mean using a first-rounder on a receiver just three years after Whaley essentially spent two on Watkins.