Ingram joins pass-rushers Chandler Jones of the Cardinals and Jason Pierre-Paul of the Giants in getting the franchise tag, which buys their teams time to work on a long-term deal with the new league year set to open March 9.
PFT has learned, via a league source, that it is a four-year extension to Brown’s current deal that is worth up to $68 million. He’ll make $17 million a year over those four years and $18.5 million a year over the first three years, which is more than Calvin Johnson received in his last deal with the Lions and more than any other wideout in the league is making on their current deals.
In general, running backs backs don’t “fall off a cliff” until their age-31 season — not their age-30 season. When discussing running backs who see a heavier workload (150 attempts per season), their fantasy production drops off during their age-29 season — not their age-30 season.
As we initially reported nearly a month ago , Cutler won’t be back with the Bears. They’ll cut him if they can’t trade him -- news flash: It’s virtually certain they will be unable to trade him -- and they are all in on trying to trade for Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo themselves.
According to Jason La Canfora, the Bears are shopping QB Jay Cutler and would take a 2019 seventh-round pick for him. However, Chicago obviously faces a tall task of finding a team willing to take on the $72 million over four years remaining on his contract.Anyone who TRADES for Cutler should be charged with football malpractice. Signing him after he's cut may be worth a low-money risk. Fantasywise, unless he's the likely starter somewhere, you should just move along.
Franchises on the lookout for a tight end will be faced with slim pickings in this free agent class. There are a couple of productive veterans, followed by the expected handful of journeymen, followed by the specialists. Here’s are free agency’s top 10 tight ends.To see Pro Football Focus’ full NFL free-agent rankings featuring the top 50 players set to hit the market in 2017, click here.1. Martellus Bennett, New England Patriots (79.8 overall 2016 grade)
Bennett enjoyed a resurgence of sorts with the Super Bowl champion Patriots. He struggled through injury toward the end of the year, but still caught 55 passes for 700 yards and seven touchdowns, dropping just a pair of passes. The former Cowboy, Giant and Bear is a fine blocker too, even if he was hampered toward the tail end of 2016. Bennett is a legitimate feature tight end capable of inflicting serious damage in the intermediate passing game. Chances are he’ll fancy a return to the franchise that revived his career, but New England will likely face competition to his services.2. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (76.0)
The light seemed to come on for Doyle midway through 2016. He registered impressive grades in each of his last nine games. Seeing a snap boost of close to 40 percent, Doyle responded with 59 catches from 82 targets (82-percent catch rate) for 584 yards, five touchdowns and only three drops. He has reliable hands, dropping only three of 104 targets, and has displayed his elusiveness in the open field, breaking 11 tackles on his 101 career catches. Doyle, an undrafted free agent, is the highest-upside option in this projected tight end market.3. Jared Cook, Green Bay Packers (79.0)
Cook has sleepwalked from team to team, failing to consistently realize his obvious talent on a consistent basis. He was startled from his slumber for the Packers’ playoff run but, having underwhelmed for so long, it is hard to trust Cook to replicate that form in the future. Cook caught 22 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns with the Packers’ season on the line in the final four games, suggesting he could contribute as a role player in a vertical offense. He might be worth a gamble, but expect him to fetch a low deal on the open market.4. Anthony Fasano, Tennessee Titans (76.5)
Fasano is rarely featured in the passing game these days, but he fulfilled a specialist role to a high level in the Titans’ downhill ground attack. As an extra blocker on the line of scrimmage, Fasano is in a class of his own. He has the physicality to matchup with defensive ends, as well as the balance to pick off linebackers at the second level. He only fits a very specific offense, but can make an impact in the right scheme. Fasano totaled only eight catches in 2016, spending a third of his 200 snaps in pass protection.5. Jacob Tamme, Atlanta Falcons (77.6)
Tamme spends the majority of his time on the treatment table, rather than on the field, but he’s a solid option when available. He made an impact in his limited opportunities, catching 22 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Sadly, season-ending shoulder surgery curtailed a promising year, leaving Tamme facing another period of rehabilitation. Reports suggest he could resurface with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco; he’ll hope to last the entirety of 2017.6. Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins (73.3)
Davis proved in 2016 that he is still capable of producing at a high level in the passing game. He snagged 44 passes for 583 yards, two touchdowns and a career-low two drops. In those 44 catches, he broke an impressive 13 tackles. Davis is closing in on 100 career broken tackles, highlighting his talent after the catch. He is now 33 years old, however, and his powers are on the wane.7. Rhett Ellison, Minnesota Vikings (64.6)
Ellison offers an alternative to Fasano in the blocking tight end market. He has the versatility to play H-back as well, a role he is perhaps better suited to. The Vikings may well move on with David Morgan already in the fold for the future. A team looking for a physical option who can play on special teams could do worse than look at Ellison.8. Dion Sims, Miami Dolphins (59.3)
The first of two failed experiments by the Dolphins, Sims saw an opportunity when teammate Jordan Cameron was forced onto IR. He has underwhelmed thus far in his NFL career, managing only 0.87 yards per snap (39th of 40 qualified tight ends in that span). Sims will likely get an opportunity because of his physical attributes, but he needs to see a boost in production soon.9. Luke Willson, Seattle Seahawks (53.3)
Willson is a serviceable special-teamer and competent blocker, but offers very little upside. An unspectacular yet solid performer, he is the kind of player better served staying with the Seahawks. The Seattle coaching staff understand his strengths and limitations, making a return the most agreeable option all around.10. Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins (63.4)
Another year, another concussion for Cameron, who hasn’t played particularly well when he has been healthy. He’s been a huge disappointment since signing for the Dolphins from the Browns, and has always struggled at the point of attack. Cameron is contemplating retirement after four consecutive concussions, but is worth a flier if he is cleared medically.
Free agency doesn't start until March 9. While waiting for the franchise tags to be applied and roster cuts to be made, Gregg Rosenthal couldn't help but dream of the frenzied first few days of signings. Below: one fun player addition for every NFC team.
While all quarterbacks are under scrutiny at the combine, these five have the most to prove to make believers out of teams in need of a leader on offense.
Cutler's base salary for 2017 is just $12.5 million, with another $2.5 million available in roster bonuses. There is no guaranteed money remaining on the seven-year, $126-million contract signed in January of 2014, which means the organization can release Cutler without financial penalty.
Whether it's on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf during athletic testing, in an Indianapolis hotel room answering questions in an interview with an NFL team, or when facing the scrutiny of team doctors in the all-important medical checks, the combine will go a long way toward determining the draft fate of these five prospects. Here are five RBs with the most to prove in Indy:
As proof, from 2006 to 2015, 47 different players had 50-plus targets with a touchdown on at least 10 percent of those targets (2014 Julius Thomas, with 12 touchdowns on 60 targets, was the only one of that list to crack the 20-percent threshold). In the aggregate, those 47 players scored 545 touchdowns on 4,364 targets, reaching pay-dirt 12.49 percent of the time. The next year, those same players combined for 238 touchdowns on 4,002 targets, dropping the percentage to 5.95. In other words, the guys at the upper bound of touchdown scoring saw their success rate drop to roughly half.
What does this all mean? Well, four players made the list of 50 targets and 10 percent touchdowns in 2016 — Kenny Stills (12 percent), Martellus Bennett (10.61), Cameron Brate (10.26) and Davante Adams (10.17). All four were fantasy producers to varying degrees last year, and odds are good that all four will be at the least less efficient in 2017.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports that the Cardinals have “zero interest” in bringing Cutler to the desert this offseason.
There have been plenty of glaring signs pointing to the fact that Jackson, who is a free agent after this season, not only has little intention of resigning with the Redskins, but wants to return to Philadelphia and sign with the Eagles this upcoming offseason.
“It definitely is a great story or ending, I guess you could say,” Jackson said on Adam Schefter of ESPN’s podcast. “Starting your career somewhere then going to a division rival team [and] having the possibility of maybe going back. You just kind of think about all of that when you start somewhere maybe you could finish it.
“[Treadwell] is going to be like any young player that’s going from year one to year two. This is going to be an offseason that is very critical,” Shurmur recently said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
There isn't a team in the National Football League in better position to be a player in free agency this spring than the Cleveland Browns. Per Spotrac, the Browns have a staggering $105 million in cap space with which to improve the club in 2017.
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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who added three wins to their 2015 record to finish 9-7 under first-year head coach Dirk Koetter.
Under the 2011 CBA, the non-exclusive franchise tenders are determined based not on what any one player made in 2016 or will make in 2017, but on the five-year average of the percentage that the tenders for each position consume under the total cap.
According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, the Cowboys have freed up $17.3 million in short-term cap space by restructuring the contracts of left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick.
On Thursday, the Dolphins decided to release tackle Branden Albert. That is, until at least one team phoned them with trade interest. For now, Albert remains on the roster as the Dolphins explore trade possibilities. Apparently, it didn’t take long for serious talks to materialize. The Jaguars and Dolphins have talked trade, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald.
“It only takes one team to do something stupid,” an NFL contract negotiator told La Canfora, “but I can’t see there being much out there for him once the Vikings let him go.”
There’s no doubt in my mind that Rodgers will be able to adjust to diminishing athleticism as he gets older and some of his mobility starts to wane.
Dolphins signed DE Cameron Wake to a two-year, $19 million extension. The deal includes $11 million guaranteed.
Will Rob Kelly be the lead running back?
One could argue that the some of the bargains are because we don’t know whether they will come back at the same level, or even come back at all. Fair, but after witnessing Jordy Nelson’s big return this year, I’m will to put my neck out there for some of these players and so should you.
Every season is a proving ground for players in contract years, and 2016 showed what players helped themselves with their next paycheck and who hurt themselves. Here’s a look at seven players on either side of that.
The first two weeks following Super Bowl LI have seen a handful of notable players cut by their respective teams, as some organizations aim to clear cap space in anticipation of the start of the new league year. Veterans who are suddenly deemed expendable have been released, as have underachieving players who entered the league as high draft selections. We've assembled a round-up of the most notable moves so far.
"The Redskins are in a position of strength on the long-term aspect," Brandt said. "A long-term deal can happen if Kirk Cousins' camp is willing to not negotiate on the level of the franchise tag number. That did not happen last year."They don’t have to be a slave to the Andrew Luck deal.”
Pro Football Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2017 NFL free agents is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2016 season. The player’s 2017 age is in parentheses. Players are generally sorted by the position at which they played most in ’16, or the position at which their most recent team listed them.
Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
Tom Brady’s is under contract with the Patriots through the 2019 season, but the team is already getting a head start on extension talks. The five-time Super Bowl winner is in early talks with the Pats about a new deal, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
“The tag is always an option, and it’s something we’ll use if necessary,” said Steelers GM Kevin Colbert.Bell was the #3 RB in fantasy football in 2016 despite missing three games due to suspension. He gives Pittsburgh a very deadly weapon out of the backfield. I cannot imagine a scenario where the Steelers allow him to reach the open market.
Ed Werder of ESPN reports that Romo is expecting to be released, not traded.
Here’s a look at the top 10 free agent quarterbacks currently set to hit the open market.
Last offseason, we saw running backs Lamar Miller, Matt Forte and Alfred Morris, among others, sign with a new team. Here we’ll take a look at the top 10 running backs who are, potentially, about to hit the open market.
Notice the three teams that show up on all those lists: the Patriots, Steelers and Packers. What do they have in common? Quarterbacks, and stability in the front office and at head coach.
“I think we’re going to be really smart about how we handle him and probably be overly cautious,” Mularkey said, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
So Jones should simply wait for the tag to be applied. If it is, and if a long-term deal isn’t done by the true deadline of July 15, he’ll get a significant salary for one year, be entitled to a 20-percent raise if tagged again, and perhaps most importantly be able to check the franchise tag box once on a career tag scale that, if it ever gets to two, would likely never get to three, since a third tag would make him eligible for the quarterback tender or a 44-percent raise, whichever is higher.
It’s about how we’ve all overrated Ben Roethlisberger and why he may not be the quarterback you thought he was.This started when I had an itch to find out why it seemed Roethlisberger “busted” so much from a fantasy perspective. When I say bust, I’m referring to games with fewer than 14 fantasy points in standard leagues, which translates to 250 passing yards and one touchdown (or variants on that when turnovers and/or rushing come into play). That’s not too much to ask for from a guy who’s considered one of the greats, right?
The former Michigan football Swiss Army knife did it all on the college football field. He played everywhere. He played 10 positions — in a single game. But that’s not good in the in the eyes of the NFL, which loves to fit round pegs into round holes.
The Giants won’t have to break the bank to land Peterson, who will turn 32 next month, either. He might no longer be the transcendent force that ripped through defenses for the better part of a decade, but he can play an invaluable role for an offense that finished 29th in rushing last season (88.2 yards per game).
Who was the worst fantasy pick in 2016, the least valuable player? Let’s lay down the contenders, because there’s no doubt that DeAndre Hopkins disappointed everyone more than anyone.
Consistency is key and the Dolphins would be wise to bolster their offensive line via free agency and the 2017 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, February 15, all 32 teams in the NFL will begin to place their franchise tag on pending free agents. A franchise tag gives the player’s team an extension to sign them to a long-term deal, while ensuring they will play for that team at least one more season. If the team places a non-exclusive tag on them, they can receive offers from other teams, with the original team getting the opportunity to match the deal.The franchise tag period is a two-week period that will end on March 1.
The best fit would be a winning organization that can protect him with an offensive line and has a chance to be competitive.Denver’s got questions about its offensive line. I think Houston’s got some questions. I think Houston would probably be the best fit to me. Especially on offense.
The Bills are so top-heavy with salaries that they're severely limited in their ability to improve on last season's 7-9 finish, or, for that matter, build a roster finally capable of ending a 17-year playoff drought.
Bottom line is John Elway will has plenty of salary cap space and he’s not afraid to use it.Elway, the Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager, has said that team will be "involved in free agency." And to that end the Broncos were already working Monday to at least meet with wide receiver Victor Cruz.
We’re just a week removed from Super Bowl LI, and the focus has already shifted toward the NFL Combine, which will take place on February 28, 2017 in Indianapolis.
Donnell earned $1.671MM in 2016 but wound up with just 15 catches for 92 yards and one touchdown.
The Dan Orlovsky era may be over in Detroit, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Orlovsky sent out a fairly cryptic tweet yesterday in which he wrote, “Detroit Vs Everybody. It’ll always be where it started for me. It’ll always have a piece of my heart.”
Many of the players topping the list of upcoming free agents won’t get as far as the open market, and will instead be slapped with the franchise tag and kept in house, either playing the 2017 season under that one-year guaranteed figure, or will work out a new deal under that tag.
The 2017 offseason is off and running. Veterans have already started to get pink slips, and Wednesday marks the first day that teams can place the franchise tag on key free agents.
The Giants’ salary cap cuts will include running back Rashad Jennings, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan reported Monday.Per previous reports, the Giants will also cut veteran wide receiver Victor Cruz.
For fantasy purposes, looking at red-zone carries really misses the boat. Our attention should really be on carries inside the 5-yard line, which is an area of the field I’m calling the “green zone.” Those in the know might remember Tom Coughlin referring to the red zone as the green zone because “green is go and red is stop.” Off of that logic, where we really see offenses “go” into the end zone on the ground is inside the 5-yard line.
Earlier this week, the Pro Football Focus analysis team released its ranking of the top 101 players in the 2016 season. Over half of the players who made the list this year did not make it in 2015, and over two dozen were selected for the first time of their careers. With that said, here are 10 players who have never made PFF’s Top 101, but are trending upwards and could be featured in 2017.
We’re used to seeing productive passers come out of Lubbock and flame out in the NFL, and Mahomes faces the tall task of bucking that trend.
But which NFL team would be the best fit for the talented junior from Death Valley? If you ask NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Browns have designs on offering the No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to coax Bill Belichick into parting with his valuable Tom Brady insurance, they might just discover that equally desperate franchises such as the 49ers and Bears are willing to up the ante.
New York will have to pay Fitzpatrick $5 million of the $10 million he was set to be paid in 2017 as part of the signing bonus portion of his contract.
So there’s a good chance Lacy will have to sign a one-year deal to prove to the league his ankle is fine and he can get, and keep, the weight off.
The Bears are projected to have nearly $55MM in cap space this offseason, but they might have difficulty spending it if a new Illinois workers’ comp bill is passed. The bill, which the McCaskey family (owners of the Bears) is spearheading, would deprive injured workers – including professional athletes – of health care beginning at the age of 35
The Bills are still working through the idea of retaining quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but general manager Doug Whaley is thought to be in favor of starting 2016 fourth-round pick Cardale Jones next season, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.
NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reports that "several league sources anticipate" the Philadelphia Eagles pursuing Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is an impending free agent, this offseason.
Blount, who is an impending free agent, will likely have the opportunity to test the open market. He is coming off of a career year in 2016 in which he accumulated 1,161 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns while playing in all 16 games.
Forte, 31, will likely remain with the Jets next season, according to Cimini. The dual-threat running back played in 14 games in 2016 while totaling 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns.
Washington's John Ross, one of the 2017 NFL Draft's top WRs, will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, but not until after the NFL Scouting Combine (March 3-6 on NFL Network), per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The NFL is known as a copycat league, where successful teams are often emulated. I reached out to some personnel executives around the league after the Patriots' win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI to see if the success of these two teams would have any impact on the upcoming offseason.
“The Raiders have torn up Jack Del Rio’s original contract and rewarded him with a new four-year deal,” owner Mark Davis said in a statement Friday night.
In a video posted by ESPN, the former Texas A&M defensive end pleaded for the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones to make a trade with the Cleveland Browns—who own the No. 1 selection in April's draft—in order to acquire him.
When discussing an overvalued player, it’s not an attempt to say the player isn’t good or won’t have useful fantasy days in the future — which is important to understand. This is solely about these players as assets, and whether their value is higher than it should be. It’s about assessing risk and possibly looking to invest in a similarly-valued asset who is safer. It’s about looking down the road and trying to figure out what a player’s value might be 12 months from now.
How much credence can you put in any mock draft at this point in time? Honestly, not much. Team needs are about to change dramatically as free agency approaches and the Scouting Combine begins later this month and will move players up and down boards depending on performance and medical evaluations.
During an interview with Larry Michael on CSN, DeSean Jackson said he’d like to stay and build on what the offense has accomplished.Jackson finished 2016 with 161 points, the 35th highest among wide receivers. In an auction draft, he's worth, at most $15. He's a very low-end starter, maybe a fourth WR at this point in his career.
Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports that Tyrod Taylor is “unwilling” to restructure his contract to stay with the Bills in a way that would reduce his pay.
Until the deadline for using the franchise tag expires, the starting point for a long-term Cousins contract sits at $23.94 million for 2017.
Now that that's (largely) settled, a different question arises: Is Tom Brady the greatest football player of all time, regardless of position?
"He's working like the dickens to get himself ready for '17. We'll see what happens in March, but right now I see him as a Chief," Dorsey said, per the Kansas City Star's Terez Paylor.
“My intent was to take some time after the season to get away and see where I was physically and mentally,” Palmer said. “On both fronts, I can say I’m ready to get back to work and prepare for the 2017 season. This is a phenomenal group with a very special opportunity in front of it.
Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo remains the Browns’ No. 1 choice at quarterback, but the club has backup plans in case the price for Garoppolo is too steep. Cleveland will have Bills signal-caller Tyrod Taylor on their “radar” if he’s released by Buffalo, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
NFL Insider Jason La Canfora believes the New York Jets could possibly acquire Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler if he becomes available this offseason.
Clemson's Deshaun Watson, North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer are considered three of the most promising options in a relatively weak pool of draftable quarterbacks, and NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock left little doubt about whether any of them merit a top-10 selection in the draft.
I reached out to five NFL personnel executives and asked them which position they thought was the deepest in the upcoming draft. Here are their answers.
Here’s a quick reminder of the basic criteria:This list is based solely on 2016 play. Nothing that happened in previous years or may happen in the future is accounted for. This isn’t about class or talent, it’s about performance throughout the 2016 NFL season.This list is created with an “all positions are created equal” mantra. So, you won’t see 32 quarterbacks heading the list — even though that is the game’s most valuable position. Instead, we take a look at how guys played relative to what is expected from their position.
Joel Corry of CBS Sports reports $3 million of Julius Thomas' $7 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on February 10.
The Green Bay Packers have released RB James Starks with a non-football injury designation.
While the NFL is not quite on the NBA's level as a league with few legitimate contenders, there really is not a valid claim to parity right now.
I wasn't sure how this change would affect NFL injury reports, so I have been eagerly waiting to amass enough data to examine this rule change. Now that the FO Injury Database has been updated and cleaned through the first half of 2016, let's take a look at the data.
These are more or less the seven transactions I’d most like to see, in no particular order. The obvious caveats apply, namely that it’s the first week of February and we’re still a ways away from the draft and the start of free agency. However, I also don’t want to waste your time with fantasy fantasies (zing!) While each of the situations listed below remain fluid, there is enough smoke to at least consider them viable (and sensible) possibilities. So let’s get to it.
With the offseason now here for all but two NFL teams, it’s time to start thinking about the future. Whether this means personnel changes, draft targets, or free-agency strategy, each team must carefully sketch out a plan for the next eight months.Here we identify the biggest offseason question for every team.
According to ESPN radio host and AP odds provider R.J. Bell, Dallas is tied for the second best odds to win Super Bowl 52.
