Strongest Position Groups

Wide Receivers

The upcoming wide receiver class is not very top-heavy, with the only true #1 guys being Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, and arguably DeSean Jackson (DeSean is contracted for 2017 but it is a dummy year that voids after SB51). However, within the group there is a large crop of players that can definitely contribute as #2 or strong #3 receivers. With the state of the game at the moment, 3 and 4 receiver sets are becoming more popular, so having depth at receiver can be the difference between a good offense and a disappointing one.

Firstly looking at the three big name players. Alshon Jeffery will draw most of the headlines, as he has proven himself as a Pro Bowl quality receiver when healthy. Terrelle Pryor has a very high ceiling, and if he doesn’t return to Cleveland, he could definitely be a Pro Bowler for a team with better QB play. DeSean Jackson has a great resume, and still has the ability to affect opposing defense’s gameplans. Teams will have to pay at least $12m plus for Alshon, and I couldn’t see Pryor going for less than Tavon Austin’s APY of $10.5 million. Jackson could cost a similar value to his current contract of about $8 million APY.

For the rest of the group, looking at UFA’s, 1000-yard receivers Pierre Garcon and Kenny Britt are really the next tier. Both of these guys are already on pretty good money (Garcon $8.5m, Britt $4.5m + incentives) and are still effectively in their prime at 30 and 28. They could be very productive weapons opposite an established #1, and I would look for teams seeking that solution, such as the Bills opposite Watkins or the Bucs opposite Evans, to consider those options.

The next tier down still features some decent talent. Kenny Stills, Brandon LaFell, Jeremy Kerley, Robert Woods, Terrance Williams, Ted Ginn, Marquise Goodwin all had reasonably good years in their roles, and could provide depth to any receiver group. Cordarrelle Patterson and Kendall Wright may also hit the market, both former 1st round picks who have not performed to their expectations, and could be worth taking a look at, in case there is still some untapped potential within them.

There are also guys like Markus Wheaton, who has had a disappointing battle with injuries this year; Kamar Aiken, who had a great 2015, a lacklustre 2016, and could be a cheap bargain with potential; Michael Floyd, a former 1st-round pick who had an up-and-down career in Arizona before being arrested, then handpicked by Bill Belichick to boost the Patriots’ WR room. These guys have all shown ability to contribute in the league, and are boom-or-bust options for WR-needy teams. Vincent Jackson is getting older at 33 years old, and coming off an IR season he may not be worth much investment, but if he reaches the market there could be some interest as a veteran presence.

The RFA class is intriguing, with Adam Thielen, Dontrelle Inman and Taylor Gabriel all likely to be tendered rather low, with perhaps Thielen getting a higher tender based on his emergence in the Vikings offense and chemistry with Sam Bradford.

Overall, the wide receiver FA class is not full of potential #1 receivers, there are just several of those in Jeffery, Pryor, Jackson, and maybe Kenny Britt. The true strength of this group is the abundance of solid talent available that can certainly boost an offense from a #2 or #3 receiving role. Teams will be able to go shopping for cheaper options that have proven their ability to contribute in the NFL.

Offensive Tackle

The OT FA class features some good starters, and then a range of reliable, experienced players that could slot into starting roles for 2017.

The first big name is the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth, the two time All-Pro who is in the last few seasons in his career at 35 years old, but still had an excellent 2016. It is unclear whether he will return to Cincinnati. He will go for top dollar at OT for a short deal, considering the well-documented offensive line struggles for many teams.

Riley Reiff is just entering his prime, and coming off some really good football for the Lions. Detroit picked up his $8m fifth-year option, and having had another successful year, Reiff should cost in the $10m+ range APY. Reiff moved to the right side due to the Lions drafting Taylor Decker to play LT, and Reiff seems to be more than capable of playing LT for a new team. With Decker coming on a good value rookie deal, and Larry Warford also a free agent, the Lions have some decisions to make, but could very well bring Reiff back for continuity purposes.

Ricky Wagner is an established talent at RT and should command at least something around the cluster of good starting RTs at $6m APY. I think he is likely to return to Baltimore, but may hit the market to test his value at a position that is becoming more and more valuable. Mike Remmers has had plenty of stick from Panthers fans for his tendency to hold, but is still a solid starting option, and could provide good value for a team looking to strengthen their OT group at a relatively cheap price.

Some other interesting names to note include Matt Kalil, a former 1st round pick that has struggled with injuries in Minnesota, and has not lived up to expectations even when healthy. He could be given a 2nd chance and may find new life at a new team. Sebastian Vollmer is another experienced player that should hit the market with Marcus Cannon establishing himself in New England. He could be a cheaper starting option for a team looking for RTs. Ty Nsekhe covered for Trent Williams’ absence in Washington, and was pretty reliable in those appearances. If he hits the market, Nsekhe could interest some teams as a cheaper option with starting potential. Further down the list, Jordan Mills and Ben Ijalana are two players that started this season, but had bad years overall. They may be brought in to compete for starting roles in new teams.

So overall, the tackle class is not loaded with talent, but it is definitely not devoid of it. There is starting quality there and teams that are willing to spend can find their solutions on the edges. With the league trending towards more passing-oriented offenses, and the growing emphasis on talented edge rushers, the left and right tackle positions are where teams can be aggressive in the market. This class really provides a bit of everything, from elite talent to cheaper, startable options.

Honorable Mention:

• Guard – three very good options in TJ Lang, Kevin Zeitler and Ronald Leary, with Brian Winters also enticing if he leaves the Jets, but most of the rest are either older, injury-prone or have really struggled as starters. Some decent backup options. Andrew Norwell is a good guard but an RFA, could be tendered quite highly.
• Running Back – assuming Le’Veon Bell resigns in Pittsburgh. plenty of potential contributors, but lacking many real workhorse, #1 backs. Latavius Murray, LeGarrette Blount, Eddie Lacy headline the class, with other names to watch including Woodhead, Gillislee, and McFadden.

Weakest Position Groups

Quarterback

The 2017 FA Quarterback class simply contains too many experiments that have either failed in the past, or are likely to fail in the future. There are only several exceptions. Firstly, Kirk Cousins will be a very interesting situation to follow, but you would have to think he is at least spending 2017 on the Franchise Tag if Washington can’t find the right deal for him. He has shown that he is a definite starter in this league, which is hard to come across, but not necessarily worth the money he seems to be demanding. His storyline will be one of the most followed in the coming offseason.

If a team is looking for a startable quarterback that will hit the market, Mike Glennon may be the best solution. In 2013 and 2014, Glennon performed respectably in an on/off starting role for Tampa Bay. He was considered a decent starter there until the Bucs drafted Jameis Winston with the first overall pick in 2015. Glennon’s name has been mentioned in trade rumours pretty much since that point, and now that he is an unrestricted free agent, there will surely be several teams interested in him to compete for their #1 job.

Beyond Mike Glennon, the talent in this class really dries up. Brian Hoyer has played some very efficient football in the last two seasons with the Bears and Texans, and if I were a team looking for more competition and startable options at QB, Hoyer’s a guy I would certainly consider.

Below those guys, the theme of failed experiments becomes apparent. The likes of Blaine Gabbert, Mark Sanchez, EJ Manuel, Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are all on the trajectory towards being career backups. With the exception of Barkley (who was actually projected to be a top pick midway through his USC career), all of these guys are 1st or 2nd round draft picks. They are all a reminder of the difficulties involved with trying to draft your franchise quarterback. They should all be picked up by teams looking for a second wind (or in some cases, third or fourth wind) in their careers, but overall, they define this quarterback free agent class which has very few solutions for QB needy teams.

Center

The real problem with this Center FA class is that it is relatively small. There’s only a handful of guys available that have sufficient starting experience, and even then, several of the startable guys are in situations that make them likely to return to their current team. Matt Paradis has been excellent in Denver, but he is an ERFA, which means he is all but guaranteed to return there.

JC Tretter of Green Bay is the headliner, as he has played some excellent football for the Packers when healthy. He would slot in as a good starter anywhere, and he has had spot starts at left tackle and guard before. There is a reasonable possibility that he returns to the Packers, particularly because TJ Lang is also a free agent, and the Packers may have to choose between them as their offensive line becomes an expensive group. If Tretter hits the market, he could command $5-6m+, and become a versatile starter for one of the many NFL teams needing OL help.

Apart from Tretter, other reliable starters include the Cardinals’ AQ Shipley and Joe Hawley from the Bucs. Both of these players are still relatively young, 30 and 28 respectively, and have had solid seasons for their teams. However, Shipley and Hawley are likely to return to their teams, for different reasons. The Cardinals’ line will be affected by Evan Mathis’ retirement and Earl Watford is a free agent, so Shipley may be in line to return. The Bucs have had some bad line struggles this season, and Hawley was one of only several reliable players in that group. These guys could fetch around $3-5 million.

Outside of those three guys, there isn’t much. Stefen Wisniewski spent 2016 on the Eagles, and filled in as injury cover across both center and guard. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Eagles, and could be looking at a pay bump for 2017 in either Philly or for a new team as a versatile, experienced option.

http://overthecap.com/2017-fa-preview-strongest-weakest-position-groups-offense/

Projecting The 2017 Compensatory Draft Picks
http://overthecap.com/projecting-2017-compensatory-draft-picks/


This article refers specifically to OTC’s projection for the 2017 NFL Draft’s compensatory picks. For details on the basics and methodology of projecting compensatory picks in general, please reference this article.


Furthermore, due to the complexity I have written separate articles on all possible compensatory pick scenarios on the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. You may find the Broncos’ article at Thin Air, and the Dolphins’ article here at OTC.

The Projection

Note that although there are 38 eligible compensatory picks listed in this projection, each year only exactly 32 picks are awarded. Therefore, the picks that rank 33rd and lower are not awarded, although the official release will typically acknowledge their presence, as this list does with strikethrough text.

This is also the first year in which compensatory picks may be traded. Before they have even been released, there have been four trades executed that include conditions on possible comp picks. I’m projecting that three of these four conditions will be fulfilled: Tennessee receiving Los Angeles’s 3rd round comp pick (as part of the Jared Goff trade), New England receiving Cleveland’s 3rd round comp pick (for Jamie Collins), and Philadelphia receiving the first of Cleveland’s 4th round comp picks (as part of the Carson Wentz trade). While I’m not projecting that the fourth condition will be met, in which Miami would send Minnesota a 4th round comp pick, there is a decent probability that I could be wrong about that (see below, and also see this detailed 2017 compensatory pick projection for the Miami Dolphins).

A few other notable observations:

• This year should see a record number of 3rd round comp picks awarded. OTC projects it at nine, with a possibility of ten, but even if that is too generous, 2017 will almost certainly break the current record of six from 1997 and 2005. Not a single 3rd round valued CFA lost was cancelled out by a CFA gained.
• OTC’s projection calls for only one 7th round comp pick, but that pick is very much on the bubble and may be pushed below the 32-pick limit. Last year witnessed the first time that no 7th round comp picks were awarded, and we may very well see that feat repeated in 2017.
• This may also be the first year in which teams will lose out on more than one comp pick due to the 32-pick limit. Pittsburgh is projected to lose out on two eligible 7th round comp picks for this reason, and Arizona may lose out on three. Thankfully for the Steelers and Cardinals, both are still projected to earn a 5th round comp pick above the 32-pick limit.
• I would also like to add that the extremely UFA-averse Packers are also projected to miss out on a 7th round comp pick for Scott Tolzien due again to the 32-pick limit. There’s been pressure in recent years on GM Ted Thompson to not be so miserly in the UFA market, and 2017 could have been a good year for him to make a rare splash in that market.

All in all, these observations continue to bolster the notion that more teams are becoming aware of how the compensatory draft pick system works. In addition to the usual suspects like Baltimore, Green Bay, New England, Denver, Seattle, and San Francisco showing up, there are teams like Miami and Cleveland that spent the 2016 offseason mindful of where they stood on their comp pick projections.

Cutoff Projections
Last year, it was suggested by the resolution allowing comp picks to be traded on December 2, 2015that the cutoffs between each rounds and whether or not a player had an APY high enough to qualify was determined by a “rank[ing] against all players in the League who are on rosters at the end of the season”. For the 2016 projections, I conjectured from this evidence that the cutoffs were based on a percentile system. The official release of the 2016 comp picks strongly suggested that my conjectured percentile cutoff points were on the right track. Therefore, for 2017 I will use the same percentile system, with the specific percentiles adjusted based upon the results from 2015 and 2016.

At the end of the 2016 regular season, OTC’s database identified a total of 2098 players that were either on the active roster or reserve lists. As explained in the general methodology in the previous link, the cutoffs for each round and for qualifying as a compensatory free agent (CFA) have been established by this projection on certain percentile ranks of all players on the active roster and reserve lists at the end of the regular season, sorted by APY adjusted for snap counts in descending order and also represented by the player at the cutoff point. For 2017, these cutoffs are as follows:

View attachment 18420

*Make special note of these two players, as not only are they 2017 CFAs, but they are also critical to the projections of Denver and Miami, part of the reason why I have written separate articles for both the Broncos and Dolphins.

Qualifying Questions
This year, I foresee five players relevant to the comp pick projection being close calls as to qualification that could significantly change certain comp picks.

• The Jets signed Jarvis Jenkins to a two year deal on March 16, and then cut him on Wednesday, November 9, in between the games of Weeks 9 and 10. There were two instances of potential CFAs cut within this time span close to the Week 10 cutoff that did not qualify. Bobby Engram was cut by the Chiefs on the Monday of this week in 2009, and Greg Favors was cut by the Colts on the Friday of this week in 2002. Because neither Engram nor Favors qualified, I am projecting that Jenkins will not qualify either, but because it’s close enough there’s a chance I’m wrong and he might qualify.
• Kelvin Sheppard, formerly of the Dolphins, signed a one year, $840,000 deal under the minimum salary benefit with the Giants. Sheppard played 40.8% of the defensive snaps largely in a starting role for New York. Ranked 965th overall, I’m projecting that this is enough for Sheppard to qualify, but there is a very good chance that I may be wrong and he may not qualify.
• Like Sheppard, Corey White and Robert Blanton also signed $840,000 MSB deals with the Bills, and respectively came in at 966th and 975th overall after playing 38.5% and 26.8% of the defensive snaps. I’m also projecting that Blanton and White will also qualify, but like Sheppard there is a chance they will not qualify.
• Sam Young signed a one year, $910,000 deal with the Dolphins on March 9, $50,000 of which was a workout bonus that does not count in the compensatory formula. Young did not make Miami’s initial 53-man roster, but was re-signed on October 11 to the veteran minimum, a day after Week 5 ended. I have yet to find out if a qualifying CFA not on the roster for entire season also receives a docking to his APY in the compensatory formula. Even if his APY is a full $860,000, because he played so little (15.5% of the offensive snaps) he is right on the qualifying bubble as described above in the cutoffs table. I’m barely projecting that Young will qualify, but his qualification is the one I am the most uncertain about.

Valuation Questions
There are also four players relevant to the comp pick projection being close calls as to round valuation that could significantly change certain comp picks.

• Kelvin Beachum, formerly of the Steelers, signed a deal with the Jaguars on March 19 that was initially reported as a five year, $45 million contract for an APY of $9 million. However, the contract contained a team option on all but the first year. It is my belief (and one also held by Joel Corry) that for the purposes of the compensatory formula only the terms of the first year will count. With a base salary of $2.5 million, a $1.5 million traditional roster bonus, and $1 million in per game roster bonuses (for a total of $5M APY), I’m projecting that Beachum will be valued as a 5th rounder. But if I’m wrong and the entire contract is counted, Beachum will likely be valued as a 3rd rounder, subsequently raising Pittsburgh’s comp pick for him.
• Very similar to Beachum, Russell Okung, formerly of the Seahawks, signed a deal with the Broncos on March 17 that was initially reported as a five year, $53 million contract for an APY of $10.6 million. However, like Beachum, the Broncos contain a team option on all but the first year. I’m projecting that his APY for the compensatory formula will be only $4 million ($2 million base salary plus a $2 million roster bonus, but not including a $1 million workout bonus) and thus Okung is projected to be valued as a 6th rounder. However, as with Beachum, if I’m wrong on Okung he will be valued as a 3rd rounder and impact comp picks for both Denver and Seattle.
• During the 2016 NFL Draft, the Vikings and Dolphins made a trade that included a condition on a 2017 4th round pick. If the Dolphins are awarded a 4th round comp pick in 2017, the Vikings will receive that pick; if not, they will receive the Dolphins’ regular 4th rounder. I’m projecting that the Dolphins will not receive a 4th round comp pick, but their projected 5th round comp pick for Lamar Miller (ranked 216th overall) is close enough to the 4th/5th cutoff at 196 that there’s a chance that Miller could be valued as a 4th.
• Similarly, the Patriots traded Jamie Collins to the Browns in exchange for either a 2018 regular 4th round pick, or a 2017 compensatory 3rd round pick if the Browns are awarded one. I’m projecting Cleveland will indeed get a 3rd for Alex Mack, but at a ranking of 87th overall he is close enough to the 3rd/4th cutoff that there is a chance he could fall on the other side.

Players On The Cutoff Bubbles
While it is my hope that my projection of where the cutoffs lie is correct, there is enough of a margin of error that the players that are very close to them may fall on the opposite side of where I have them projected. In most cases, if I’m wrong it means that the team in question will still get a comp pick for that player, but that it may be in a round higher or lower. But in a few cases (those are bolded), it could change cancellations, possibly taking away or greatly devaluing a projected comp pick—or possibly adding or greatly upgrading a comp pick.

3rd/4th

• Alex Mack (Cleveland, traded to New England): #87
• Sean Smith (Kansas City): #91
• Bruce Irvin (Seattle): #95
• Projected 3rd/4th cutoff: #105
• Damon Harrison (NY Jets): #106

4th/5th

• Mohamed Sanu (Cincinnati): #203
• Danny Trevathan (Denver): #210
• Projected 4th/5th cutoff: #210
• Lamar Miller (Miami): #216
• Bobby Massie (Arizona): #222

5th/6th

• JR Sweezy (Seattle): #277
• Rishard Matthews (Miami): #284
• Projected 5th/6th cutoff: #294
• Donald Stephenson (Denver): #304
• Reggie Nelson (Cincinnati): #318

6th/7th

• Projected 7th/Qualifying cutoff: #493
• David Bruton (Denver): #500

7th/Qualifying

• Kelvin Sheppard (NY Giants): #965
• Corey White (Buffalo): #966
• Robert Blanton (Buffalo): #975
• Sam Young (Miami): #985
• Projected 7th/Qualifying cutoff: #985

Possible Altering Scenarios

• Arizona
  • If Corey White does not qualify, Arizona will not be eligible for a 7th for him.
• Buffalo
  • If Robert Blanton and Corey White do not qualify, Buffalo will be eligible for a net-value 7th, but it will not make it above the 32-pick limit.
• Cleveland
  • If Alex Mack is valued as a 4th, Cleveland will send the 4th round comp pick for him to Philadelphia, and retain their 4th for Tashaun Gipson.
• Denver
  • See this dedicated article for the Broncos for all of their possible scenarios.
• Green Bay
  • Green Bay will get a 7th for Scott Tolzien above the 32-pick limit if one of the following scenarios happen:
    • Jarvis Jenkins qualifies
    • Sam Young qualifies, and Kelvin Sheppard does not qualify
• Kansas City
  • If Sean Smith is valued as a 4th, Kansas City will get a 4th for Jeff Allen instead of a 3rd for Smith.
• Miami
  • See this dedicated article for the Dolphins for all of their possible scenarios.
• New England
  • If Alex Mack is valued as a 4th, New England will not receive a 3rd round comp pick from Cleveland in 2017, and will instead be owed a regular 4th round pick in 2018.
• NY Jets
  • If Jarvis Jenkins qualifies, the Jets will not get a 4th for Damon Harrison, and will instead be eligible for a net-value 7th, but it will not make it above the 32-pick limit.
• Pittsburgh
  • If the entirety of Kelvin Beachum’s contract is counted, Pittsburgh will get a 3rd for him instead of a 5th.
  • If Sam Young and Jarvis Jenkins qualify, and Kelvin Sheppard does not qualify, Pittsburgh will get a 7th for Antwon Blake above the 32-pick limit.
• Seattle
  • If the entirety of Russell Okung’s contract is counted, Seattle will get a 3rd for him instead of a 5th for JR Sweezy.
  • *********************************************************************************
    • A third-round pick for losing CB Janoris Jenkins to the New York Giants
    • A fourth-round pick for losing S Rodney McLeod to the Philadelphia Eagles
    • A sixth-round pick for losing DT Nick Fairley to the New Orleans Saints

Not sure what to make of the contrast between these two approaches - except that, the team I root for sux at Oline cohesiveness.... and, I hate the team up north...

Once I get past my own bias - it is an interesting story, I'll say that for them.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18408372/seahawks-novice-tackle-george-fant-embodies-pete-carroll-big-gamble-seattle-nfl-playoffs

HC: Kyle Shannahan
OC: Rick Dennison (the ties to Shanny are too obvious to not put him here)
DC: Gus Bradley (not a huge fan myself but he has a resume)
ST: John Fassel

They go with the young hot OC and put his dad in the front office to work with Snead who's working out his 2 year extension.

Cuts
Lance Kendricks
Eugene Sims
Tim Barnes
Tre Mason
Roger Saffold
David Arkin

These cuts save us about $18.5 million in cap space for 2017 to go with our $44 million in cap space.

Free Agents
Re-sign Greg Zeurlein 3 years $7 million
Dominique Easley RFA tender
Ethan Westbrooks RFA tender

Pierre Garcon 3 years $21 Million (seems to be a number thrown around for him)


Garcon comes in and provides a #1 WR who can run all the routes and most importantly catch the ball when it's thrown to him.

Kendall Wright 2 years $3.5 million


Wright comes in on a two year prove it deal after having some injury and production problems. Shame that once the Titans finally got an NFL QB his production declined but the Rams save some money because of it.

J.C. Tretter 5 years $32.5 million (borrowed number)


I'm bringing in a guy Jrry has been high on but unlike Jrry I'm gonna keep him at Center and find another solution for LT.

Kevini Zeitler 4 years $10 million


Zeitler comes in and mans the LG position for us. At 26 the 5 year starter comes in and solidifies our interior line along with Tretter.

A.J. Bouye 4 years $35 million


Bouye had a great year for the Texans so this might not be enough to get him to come over. He would come in and fill the void left by not resigning TruJo.

Draft
Second Round pick #5 - LT Garret Bolles Utah
Bolles is only a 1 year starter at Utah but anchored a very good OLine there this past season. Having watched a few of his games the guy has technique and the physique (needs to add some power but almost all draft picks along each line need this) to succeed in the NFL.

Third round pick #5 - CB Kevin King - Washington
King was the #2 corner at Washington and he's not the best in run support but has the size and decent speed to be a good #2 corner in the NFL.

Fourth round pick #5 - WR Artavis Scott - Clemson
I'm a pretty big Clemson fan so this is a bit of a homer pick but I love Scott in the middle rounds. Not the biggest guy at 5-11 but has had a very productive career at Clemson.

Fourth round pick #38 CB Channing Stribling - Michigan
Double dipping early at CB here. Stribling again has good size and decent speed and provides good cover skills. Prior to their bowl loss he was targeted 38 times and yielded 11 catches breaking up 6 and intercepting 3 (borrowed stats). He and King come in together like Fisher did with TruJo and JJ to grow together as our future starting corners.

Fifth round pick #5 DE Dawuane Smoot - Illinois
A nice late round DE project with good speed and good hand work.

Sixth round pick #5 OG Ben Braded - Michigan
Big bodied strong man to come in and develop and build strength at Guard.

Sixth round pick #38 FS John Johnson - Boston College
Might be too late for Johnson but if he's here this is a nice value pick. Very good center fielder who will backup Joyner there, also good depth on ST.

Seventh round pick #5 Jamaal Williams RB - BYU
Benny and Chase are free agents I don't have coming back. Williams is a big back 6'2" 220lbs. Good speed and agility and had a couple productive years for BYU. He'll add depth behind Gurley, Brown and Aaron Green.

Depth Chart

QB: Goff, Mannion
RB: Gurley, Brown, Green, Williams
WR: Garcon, Mike Thomas
WR: Wright, Scott, Marquez
WR: Austin, Cooper
TE: Higbee, Hemingway
LT: Bolles, Robinson, Murphy
LG: Zeitler, Brown
C: Tretter, Rhaney
RG: Robinson, Brown, Wichman competition
RT: Havenstein, Donnall

DE: Quinn, Smoot
DT: Donald, Easley
DT: Brockers, Cam Thomas
DE: Hayes, Westbrook
OLB: Forrest, Littleton
MLB: Ogletree, Hager
OLB: Barron
CB: Bouye, Gaines
CB: King, Jordan, Hill
CB: Stribling, Countess
FS: Joyner, Davis, J. Johnson
SS: Alexander, I Johnson

That's 52 and I don't have GZ, Hekker or McQuaide listed so a few of those will end up on the PS. I was bored this morning waiting for Arsenal to start and the NFL playoffs and thought I'd throw this together. Tear it apart let me know what you think, does this show promise or should I just keep posting in the booty and booby threads?

The 2016 season is winding down...

No need to sit on all that ROD cash... Make your wagers and a run at our "2016 Richest Member" title.

http://www.ramsondemand.com/sportsbook/

The games this weekend have 3 fairly heavy favorites;

Seattle, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay

Who do you like as an upset special and why?

According to LATimes writer Bill Plaschke he's done a complete 180 and is throwing the entire Rams organization under the bus in favor of the Raiders and going so far as to implore the NFL powers that be to simply allow the Raiders to move to the LA coliseum and make LA their permanent home, eventually to share Kroenke's new stadium in Inglewood. Basically, because, in his mind LA belongs to the Raiders and the Raiders belong in LA.

The Rams had one chance and one year to hold the gift of LA in their hands and fend off the Chargers or Raiders or at least dominate the market if joined by a 2nd team. Now it appears they will be 2nd fiddle, tenants in their own stadium, second banana to whatever team co-exists in LA. Kroenke may as well drink the breakfast of champions because the Raiders just ate his lunch. Even if the Raiders move to Las Vegas it appears he's lost the cIty of Angels to the Raiders. When avid Rams supporters like Plaschke start singing the praises of a team 400 miles away as the hometown favorite, London may become more than a pied-a-terre for the Rams.

It sickens me to see what Fisher, Snead, and Demoff have done to this team in 5 years. The Giants rebuilt their D into a dominant unit in one off season via free agency and a little help from the Lambs. With no draft picks to speak of for the next two years and no QB on the roster better than Mannion, Snead better get busy or Kroenke may as well move the Rams to London and rent out the City Of Champions to the Raiders & Chargers. Plaschke even made an odd reference to the election with the "Autumn that everything changed". Translation: All bets are off.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-raiders-chargers-plaschke-20170105-story.html

I hope this is a wake up call to Demoff. They've been putting a bad product on the field for over a decade, now they are in a market where the fan has options and won't blindly support the team. They need to make things right and put a winning product on the field or else their new palace will be half empty.

Also why would the NFL allow the Chargers to move to LA? Why not keep LA a one team town and let them put down roots with the fan base. Makes no sense to put 2 teams in that market.


http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...al-of-rams-tv-ratings-decline-in-los-angeles/

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-coach-search-20170105-story.html


Quick hits

Rock Gullickson, the Rams’ strength and conditioning coach since 2009, will take a position at the University of Tennessee, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed. ... The Rams did not win a game in December, but that did not stop punterJohnny Hekker from gaining recognition as the NFC special teams players of the month. Hekker, voted to the Pro Bowl for the third time in four seasons, led the NFL with a 47.8-yard average. He also was first in net average at 46.0 yards per kick.

Hello and welcome to the raging insanity of my mock. A 3-4 could be considered blasphemous considering that we have Donald, but since @jrry32 already started one, I figure, why should he have all the fun? Let's get started, shall we?

Head Coach - Kyle Shanahan
Offensive Coordinator - Rick Dennison
Defensive Coordinator - Wade Phillips
Special Teams - John Fassel

(Stealing from Jrry because I believe that an attacking 3-4 would be best to bring out the best in Donald.)

Cut:

Rodger Saffold
Lance Kendricks
Eugene Sims
Tre Mason
Tim Barnes

(All fairly obvious at this point.)

Re-sign

Trumaine Johnson
Greg Zuerlein
Dominique Easley
Ethan Westbrooks

(All fairly obvious. I didn't add Longacre or Trinca-Pasat because I feel they wouldn't be a fit in a 3-4.)

Release:

Benny Cunningham
T.J. McDonald
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick
Case Keenum
Cam Thomas
Chase Reynolds

(I'd love to keep Cunningham, but he's talented enough to start for a couple teams. McDonald is replaced by Mo. Britt and Quick are let go to put in some new young blood in the wide receiver position. Keenum is replaced by Mannion. Chase Reynolds is pure special teams and easily replaceable, and Thomas is JAG.)

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner (CB - FS)

(Another move that benefits the secondary. A backend of Joyner and Alexander is music to my ears.)

Free Agency:

Alshon Jeffery
Kenny Stills.
Courtney Upshaw
Jared Odrick
J.C. Tretter

(Stealing a bit from jrry's mock again. Jeffery is my pick. Stills, Tretter, Upshaw, and Odrick were all jrry's signings, and they make sense to me.)

Trades:

William Hayes to the New York Giants for 2017 sixth round pick.

(Hayes doesn't fit in a 3-4, and probably needs to be replaced even if we don't hire a 3-4 defensive specialist.)

Robert Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys for their 2017 first round pick.

(I question if Quinn can remain healthy. I also question his ability in a 3-4. So we trade for a first round pick.)

Tavon Austin to the Buffalo Bills for their second and fourth round picks in 2017.

(This is going to be very unpopular, but it makes sense to me. The Bills will likely lose Woods to free agency, and Watkins has been injury prone and immature. We shed a contract and get picks while the Bills get a weapon.

Greg Robinson, fourth round (Comp), and 2017 sixth to the Cleveland Browns for their 2017 third round pick.

(Cleveland has an offensive line that's worse than ours. Joe Thomas is really the only guy worth mentioning. Robinson slides to right tackle for them, and we get a high pick in exchange for him and two picks.)



Draft:

1 (Dallas) - Charles Harris, OLB, Missouri.

2 - T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin.

2 (Buffalo) - Forrest Lamp, OG/C, Western Kentucky.

3 (Browns) - Adamn Bisnowaty, OT/OG, Pittsburgh.

3 - Akhello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado.

4. - Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan.

4 (Buffalo) - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.

5 - Damontae Kazee, CB, San Diego State.

6 (Giants) - Elijah McGuire, RB, UL Lafayette.

6 (Comp) - Josh Augusta, NT, Missouri.

7 - Psalm Wooching, OLB, Washington.

(Harris is probably one of the better pass rushers in the NCAA, along with T.J. Watt, so they go with the top two picks. Lamp and Bisnowaty fit the zone blocking scheme, and add versatility amongst the starters. Witherspoon starts alongside Tru, while Darboh starts alongside Jeffery and Stills, with Thomas and Cooper getting special teams duties. Kpassagnon is someone who I'm going to put on every draft. He's a poor man's Julius Peppers, but his size and length allow him to fit in a Calais Campbell role in a 3-4. Kazee is a talented slot receiver who will compete with Gaines for snaps. McGuire immediately backs up Gurley, Augusta backs up Brockers at nose tackle, while Wooching fits on special teams, but has potential to be a contributor in his first year.)

Offensive Starters:

QB - Jared Goff
RB - Todd Gurley
WR - Alshon Jeffery
WR - Kenny Stills
WR - Amara Darboh
TE - Tyler Higbee.
LT - J.C. Tretter vs. Adam Bisnowaty
LG - Adam Bisnowaty vs. Forrest Lamp
C - Forrest Lamp vs. J.C. Tretter
RG - Jamon Brown vs. Cody Wichmann vs. Andrew Donnal
RT - Rob Havenstein.

LE - Jared Odrick
NT - Michael Brockers
RE - Aaron Donald
LOLB - T.J. Watt
LILB - Alec Ogletree
RILB - Mark Barron
ROLB - Charles Harris
CB - Trumaine Johnson
CB - Akhello Witherspoon
CB - E.J. Gaines vs. Damontae Kazee
FS - Lamarcus Joyner
SS - Maurice Alexander.

Thoughts, comments, critiques are all welcome.

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Thoughts?

Many of us may not agree with PFF's grade rankings for the 2017 UFA's but I thought I would consolidate their Position listings so we can use it as a Future Reference until the signing period begins.

The listings are subject to change for various reasons and I will update it as needed in the future as well as provide other F/A site links & lists to cross examine Free Agent players value etc..



March 9th -- The 2017 league year and free agency period begins at 4:00 p.m.,
New York time.


2017 NFL Unrestricted Free Agents

Pro Football Focus (PFF) Grades the 2017 (UFA's)


UFA 2017 Offensive Tackles (OT)
Age____Name_____Grade

(35) Andrew Whitworth 91.3
(27) Ricky Wagner 84.5
(28) Menelik Watson 70.0
(28) Riley Reiff 67.5
(28) Marshall Newhouse 67.2
(28) Mike Remmers 66.1
(32) Jake Long 63.9
(32) William Beatty 63.7
(33) Eric Winston 59.5
(28 ) Matt McCants 59.5
(30) Sam Young 53.2
(32) Tony Hills 50.5
(28) Tom Compton 47.6
(28) Ben Ijalana 47.6
(26) Jordan Mills 44.2
(28) Don Barclay 43.1
(33) Gosder Cherilus 42.2
(27) Mike Adams 40.8
(30) Andre Smith Jr. 39.3
(28) Matt Kalil 36.9
(27) Earl Watford 33.9
(28) Bradley Sowell 33.4
(33) Sebastian Vollmer N/A inj
(28) Byron Bell N/A inj
(27) Nick Becton N/A inj
(27) David Quessenberry N/A inj


UFA 2017 Centers (C)
Age____Name_____Grade

(26) J.C. Tretter 84.1
(31) A.Q. Shipley 82.4
(32) John Sullivan 76.6
(28) Joe Hawley 76.0
(27) Eric Kush 69.6
(25) Brian Schwenke N/A
(32) Cody Wallace N/A inj
(31) Ryan Wendell N/A inj


UFA 2017 Guards (G)
Age____Name_____Grade

(27) Kevin Zeitler 87.1
(29) T.J. Lang 85.7
(26) Larry Warford 82.0
(28) Ronald Leary 81.8
(31) John Jerry 78.2
(26) Austin Pasztor 77.3
(27) Patrick Omameh 77.1
(26) Brian Winters 77.1
(34) Jahri Evans 76.8
(28) Stefen Wisniewski 75.2
(35) Evan Mathis 74.9
(30) Ted Larsen 72.3
(26) Oday Aboushi 71.9
(28) Tim Lelito 70.5
(25) Luke Joeckel 68.3
(31) Andrew Gardner 68.1
(26)Brian Schwenke 67.0
(29) Vladimir Ducasse 54.6
(30) Chris Scott 51.5
(34) Chris Chester 50.5
(25) Chance Warmack 46.6
(30) Taylor Boggs 43.4
(33) Jermon Bushrod 41.7


UFA 2017 Wide Receivers (WR)
Age____Name_____Grade

(31) Pierre Garcon 85.8
(27) Alshon Jeffery 78.7
(28) Terrelle Pryor 78.6
(28) Kenny Britt 76.5
(26) Russell Shepard 76.1
(30) Brandon LaFell 75.7
(28) Jeremy Kerley 74.7
(27) Kendall Wright 74.6
(27) Terrance Williams 74.1
(25) Kenny Stills 73.8
(25) Robert Woods 73.2
(28) Aldrick Robinson 73.1
(24) Marquess Wilson 72.8
(32) Ted Ginn 72.5
(36) Anquan Boldin 72.0
(29) Jeremy Ross 70.4
(29) Bryan Walters 69.0
(29) Andre Holmes 68.9
(27) Jaron Brown 68.4
(28) Deonte Thompson 68.2
(26) Cordarrelle Patterson 67.2
(26) Justin Hunter 66.6
(29) Rod Streater 65.2
(27) Cecil Shorts 64.5
(27) Brice Butler 64.2
(30) Marc Mariani 63.1
(27) Michael Floyd 63.1
(29) Andre Roberts 61.6
(28) Brian Quick 61.1
(28) Arrelious Benn 59.0
(28) Kamar Aiken 58.6
(26) Marquise Goodwin 58.5
(29) Brandon Tate 55.1
(27) Quinton Patton 54.8
(32) Eric Weems 54.7
(34) Vincent Jackson 51.8
(26) Markus Wheaton 49.7
(29) Percy Harvin 49.5
(30) Jordan Norwood 49.4
(28) Laron Byrd N/A
(26) Stedman Bailey N/A inj


UFA 2017 Tight Ends (TE)
Age____Name_____Grade

(30) Martellus Bennett 82.7
(32) Jacob Tamme 77.6
(33) Anthony Fasano 76.5
(27) Jack Doyle 76.0
(33) Vernon Davis 73.3
(30) Jared Cook 72.9
(32) Matthew Mulligan 67.9
(27) MarQueis Gray 67.7
(26) Levine Toilolo 67.6
(26) Mychal Rivera 65.7
(28) Rhett Ellison 64.6
(29) Jordan Cameron 63.4
(27) Greg Scruggs 60.5
(30) David Johnson 60.2
(27) Luke Willson 58.7
(29) Brandon D. Williams 57.2
(30) Jim Dray 56.4
(26) Dion Sims 56.0
(30) John Phillips 54.3
(30) Clay Harbor 53.3
(30) Logan Paulsen 52.6
(26) Gavin Escobar 50.4
(31) Brandon Myers 48.1
(29) Jermaine Gresham 46.5
(27) Ryan Griffin 46.4
(31) Kellen Davis 45.0
(28) Larry Donnell 39.9
(30) Jeff Cumberland N/A inj
(27) Chris Gragg N/A inj


UFA 2017 Running Backs (RB)
Age____Name_____Grade

(25) Le'Veon Bell 86.6
(26) Eddie Lacy 77.3
(27) Jacquizz Rodgers 77.2
(27)Rex Burkhead 74.5
(34)DeAngelo Williams 72.2
(26) Latavius Murray 72.0
(30) LeGarrette Blount 69.1
(30) Matt Asiata 68.6
(27) Robert Turbin 67.4
(29) Bobby Rainey 66.8
(26) Christine Michael 66.7
(30) Darren McFadden 66.3
(32) Reggie Bush 65.8
(29) Shaun Draughn 64.7
(27) Jonathan Grimes 64.6
(25) Ronnie Hillman 64.5
(28) Travaris Cadet 63.7
(28) Andre Ellington 63.6
(26) Stepfan Taylor 61.9
(29) Dexter McCluster 61.3
(31) Joique Bell 61.1
(28) Fozzy Whittaker 60.5
(27) Benny Cunningham 60.2
(31) Chris D. Johnson 58.9
(27) Jordan Todman 58.8
(31) Tim Hightower 58.2
(26) Denard Robinson 58.1
(27) Lance Dunbar 57.3
(30) Cedric Peerman 56.8
(28) DuJuan Harris 56.3
(32) Danny Woodhead 55.0
(25) Knile Davis 53.3
(31) Justin Forsett 50.8
(31) Antone Smith 49.9
(29) Chase Reynolds N/A
(27) Brandon Bolden N/A

UFA 2017 Fullbacks (FB)
Age____Name_____Grade

(26) Kyle Juszczyk 87.9
(29) James Develin 87.1
(28) Patrick DiMarco 84.4
(34) John Kuhn 79.7
(31) Jerome Felton 78.7
(27) Zach Line 75.9
(32) Marcel Reece 74.5
(33) Will Tukuafu 48.5

UFA 2017 Kickers (K)
(29) Greg Zuerlein
(42) Phil Dawson
(36) Nick Novak
(35) Robbie Gould
(32) Steven Hauschka
(31) Connor Barth
_______________________________________________________________
DEFENSE

UFA 2017 Cornerbacks (CB)
Name____Grade____Age

A.J. Bouye 90.9 (26)
Terence Newman 86.4 (38)
Morris Claiborne 84.9 (27)
Darius Butler 82.6 (31)
Logan Ryan 81.9 (26)
Trumaine Johnson 81.0 (27)
Leon Hall 77.7 (32)
Prince Amukamara 76.6 (28)
Captain Munnerlyn 75.5 (29)
Dre Kirkpatrick 74.7 (27)
Micah Hyde 73.3 (26)
Stephon Gilmore 73.2 (26)
Sterling Moore 72.3 (27)
Jerraud Powers 70.3 (30)
Teddy Williams 68.0 (29)
B.W. Webb 65.3 (27)
Antwon Blake 62.5 (27)
Chykie Brown 62.1 (30)
Chris Lewis-Harris 61.7 (28)
Corey White 61.5 (27)
Kayvon Webster 57.7 (26)
Johnthan Banks 57.4 (27)
Nolan Carroll 51.7 (30)
Coty Sensabaugh 51.4 (28)
Josh Robinson 48.9 (26)
D.J. Hayden 48.6 (27)
Greg Toler 45.8 (32)
Marcus Cooper 45.5 (27)
Crezdon Butler 44.4 (30)
Asa Jackson 43.5 (27)
Chimdi Chekwa 43.4 (28)
Robert McClain 41.9 (29)
Leonard Johnson 41.6 (27)
Mike Jenkins N/A (32)
Kyle Wilson N/A (30)
Neiko Thorpe N/A (27)
Brandon Boykin N/A (27)
Josh Thomas N/A (28)


UFA 2017 Defensive Ends (DE)
Name_____Grade_______Age

Melvin Ingram 88.1 (28)
Chandler Jones 87.4 (27)
Jason Pierre-Paul 86.2 (28)
James Harrison 84.4 (39)
Mario Addison 83.6 (29)
Nick Perry 83.5 (27)
Charles Johnson 81.4 (31)
Lorenzo Alexander 80.6 (34)
Julius Peppers 80.2 (37)
Jabaal Sheard 79.1 (28)
John Simon 78.3 (26)
Darryl Tapp 78.0 (32)
Jamie Collins 77.8 (27)
DeMarcus Ware 77.4 (35)
Jarvis Jones 77.0 (27)
Dwight Freeney 73.5 (37)
Alex Okafor 72.5 (26)
Trent Cole 72.0 (34)
Chris Long 71.9 (32)
Datone Jones 71.9 (27)
Ryan Davis 71.2 (28)
Josh Martin 70.7 (25)
Andre Branch 69.6 (28)
Bryan Braman 68.6 (30)
Margus Hunt 68.3 (30)
Michael Mauti 61.4 (27)
Chris Carter 58.0 (28)
Dekoda Watson 57.7 (29)
David Bass 56.1 (26)
Courtney Upshaw 55.2 (27)
Damontre Moore 51.4 (24)
Corey Lemonier 50.8 (25)
Lerentee McCray 48.9 (27)
Justin Trattou 48.8 (29)
Tourek Williams 46.7 (26)
Wes Horton 46.6 ED (27)
Armonty Bryant 46.6 (27)
William Gholston 45.1 (26)
Sam Acho 44.7 (28)
Wallace Gilberry 44.5 (32)
Brandon Spikes 43.8 (29)
Jason Jones 43.0 (31)
Mike Catapano 42.6 (27)
Robert Mathis 42.1 (36)
Erik Walden 41.2 (32)
Jack Crawford 40.2 (28)

UFA 2017 Safeties (SS/FS)
Name_____Grade_______Age

Tony Jefferson 88.6 (25)
Eric Berry 87.8 (28)
John Cyprien 87.8 (27)
Barry Church 86.2 (29)
D.J. Swearinger 86.1 (25)
Quintin Demps 85.3 (32)
Jahleel Addae 85.2 (27)
Mike C. Adams 83.3 (36)
J.J. Wilcox 81.6 (28)
Bradley McDougald 79.0 (26)
Duron Harmon 78.5 (26)
Brynden Trawick 76.6 (27)
T.J. McDonald 75.3 (26)
Daimion Stafford 74.1 (26)
Rafael Bush 73.7 (30)
Shiloh Keo 71.3 (29)
Chris Prosinski 70.9 (30)
Rashad Johnson 70.4 (31)
Jordan Poyer 70.4 (26)
Anthony Levine 69.5 (30)
Kemal Ishmael 68.9 (26)
Nate Allen 68.0 (29)
Duke Ihenacho 62.7 (28)
Shamarko Thomas 62.7 (26)
Jeron Johnson 59.6 (29)
Antonio Allen 58.1 (28)
Donte Whitner 56.3 (32)
Robert Blanton 53.6 (27)
Michael Griffin 50.9 (32)
Bacarri Rambo 49.9 (27)
Roman Harper 48.6 (34)
Dashon Goldson 48.4 (32)
Matt Elam 47.4 (25)
Sergio Brown 47.0 (29)
Colin Jones 46.6 (29)
Jonathan Meeks 46.3 (27)
James Ihedigbo 44.0 (33)
Chris Conte 42.0 (28)
Jamarca Sanford N/A (32)
Colt Anderson N/A (31)
Kelcie McCray N/A (28)
Don Jones N/A (27)


UFA 2017 Linebackers (LB)
Name_____Grade_______Age

Perry Riley 84.2 (31)
Zach Brown 84.1 (27)
Gerald Hodges 82.4 (26)
Kevin Minter 81.0 (26)
Ray-Ray Armstrong 80.4 (28)
Sio Moore 76.7 (27)
Sean Spence 74.0 (28)
Bruce Carter 73.8 (29)
Karlos Dansby 73.5 (35)
Ramon Humber 72.6 (30)
Josh Bynes 71.7 (28)
Paul Worrilow 71.2 (27)
Michael Morgan 70.4 (29)
Spencer Paysinger 68.8 (29)
Mark Herzlich 63.8 (29)
Daryl Smith 62.0 (35)
Najee Goode 60.5 (28)
Akeem Dent 59.4 (29)
Barkevious Mingo 59.1 (26)
Justin Durant 58.3 (31)
Stephen Tulloch 57.5 (32)
Nate Palmer 57.1 (27)
Nick Bellore 55.3 (28)
Audie Cole 52.9 (28)
Daren Bates 52.9 (26)
Terence Garvin 52.9 (26)
Donald Butler 49.0 (28)
Chad Greenway 48.5 (34)
LaRoy Reynolds 47.4 (26)
Malcolm Smith 47.0 (28)
Lawrence Timmons 46.8 (31)
Andrew Gachkar 46.8 LB (28)
Philip Wheeler 46.0 LB (32)
Sean Weatherspoon 44.7 (29)
A.J. Klein 44.6 LB (26)
Keenan Robinson 44.5 (28)
Kelvin Sheppard 38.7 (29)
Michael Wilhoite 38.5 (30)
Manti Te'o 38.3 (26)
Jelani Jenkins 32.1 (25)
Jason Trusnik N/A (33)
Steven Johnson N/A (29)
Sam Barrington N/A (26)
Jon Bostic N/A (26)
Rolando McClain N/A (28)


UFA 2017 Defensive Tackles (DT)
Name_____Grade_______Age

Calais Campbell 90.4 (30)
Kawann Short 87.7 (28)
Chris I. Baker 82.2 (29)
Abry Jones 81.5 (25)
Karl Klug 81.3 (29)
Stacy McGee 79.9 (27)
Alan Branch 78.0 (32)
Lawrence Guy 76.2 (27)
Brandon J. Williams 75.9 (28)
Stephen Paea 75.7 (29)
C.J. (Clifford) Wilson 75.5 (30)
Cullen Jenkins 72.5 (36)
Tony McDaniel 72.0 (32)
Dontari Poe 70.5 (27)
Cam Thomas 70.4 (30)
Kedric Golston 66.7 (34)
Cornelius Washington 63.3 (27)
Damion Square 60.7 (28)
Jarvis Jenkins 50.4 (29)
Devon Still 48.1 (28)
Ricardo Mathews 47.8 (30)
Leger Douzable 47.3 (31)
Jonathan Babineaux 47.1 (35)
Tyson Alualu 47.0 (30)
Tyrunn Walker 47.0 (27)
Tony Jerod-Eddie 47.0 (27)
Terrell McClain 46.4 (29)
John Hughes 46.1 (29)
Sealver Siliga 45.7 (28)
Stefan Charles 45.4 (29)
Johnathan Hankins 45.4 (25)
Bennie Logan 45.1 (27)
Antonio D. Smith 44.6 (35)
Kyle Love 44.3 (30)
Kendall Reyes 44.0 (27)
Corbin Bryant 43.8 (29)
Frostee Rucker 43.7 (33)
Billy Winn 43.6 (28)
Jordan Hill 43.6 (26)
Sylvester Williams 43.5 (28)
Christopher D. Jones 43.4 (27)
Vince Wilfork 43.3 (35)
John Jenkins 43.3 (28)
Domata Peko 42.9 (32)
Ziggy Hood 40.5 (30)
Akeem Spence 39.2 (25)
Glenn Dorsey 38.0 (32)
Vance Walker N/A (30)
Sean Lissemore N/A (29)
Brandon Thompson N/A (27)
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pr...ocial&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

3 (Donald, Hekker, Ogletree(2nd team)) members, and Reynolds receiving votes too, not bad considering.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000770458/article/three-rookies-matt-ryan-among-players-named-to-allpro-team



OFFENSE

Quarterback

Matt Ryan, Atlanta, 29; Tom Brady, New England, 15; Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay, 5; Derek Carr, Oakland, 1.

Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas, 47; David Johnson, Arizona, 3.

Tight End

Travis Kelce, Kansas City, 44; Greg Olsen, Carolina, 5; Rob Gronkowski, New England, 1.

Wide Receivers

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh, 43; Julio Jones, Atlanta, 30; Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants, 16; Mike Evans, Tampa Bay, 6; Jordy Nelson, Green Bay 5.

Flex

David Johnson, Arizona, 24; Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh, 18; Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants, 3; Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh, 1; Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona, 1; LeSean McCoy, Buffalo, 1; Jarvis Landry, Miami, 1; Travis Kelce, Kansas City, 1.

Left Tackle

Tyron Smith, Dallas, 27; David Bakhtiari, Green Bay, 8; Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 7; Trent Williams, Washington, 3; Jason Peters, Philadelphia, 2; Taylor Lewan, Tennessee, 1; Donald Penn, Oakland, 1; Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati, 1.

Right Tackle

Jack Conklin, Tennessee, 27 1-2; Mitchell Schwartz, Kansas City, 6; Marcus Cannon, New England, 6; Bryan Bulaga, Green Bay, 5 1-2; Zach Strief, New Orleans, 2; Ryan Schraeder, Atlanta, 2; Marcus Gilbert, Pittsburgh, 1; Left Guards Kelechi Osemele, Oakland, 47; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore, 2; James Carpenter, New York Jets, 1. Right Guard Zack Martin, Dallas, 40; David DeCastro, Pittsburgh, 5; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore, 4; Kevin Zeitler, Cincinnati, 1.

Center

Travis Frederick, Dallas, 29; Alex Mack, Atlanta, 14; Rodney Hudson, Oakland, 5; Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh, 1, Brandon Linder, Jacksonville, 1.

DEFENSE

Edge Rushers

Khalil Mack, Oakland, 46; Vic Beasley Jr., Atlanta, 30; Cameron Wake, Miami, 3; Olivier Vernon, Miami, 3; Jadeveon Clowney, Houston,m 3; Brandon Graham, Philadelphia, 3; Michael Bennett, Seattle, 2; Cameron Jordan, New Orleans, 2; Danielle Hunter, Minnesota, 2; Cliff Avril, Seattle, 2; Everon Griffen, Minnesota, 1; Joey Bosa, San Diego, 1.

Interior Linemen

Aaron Donald, St. Louis, 47; Damon Harrison, New York Giants 16; Ndamukong Suh, Miami, 12; Calais Campbell, Arizona, 7; Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay, 7; Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia, 6; Geno Atkins, Cincinnati, 5.


Linebackers

Bobby Wagner, Seattle, 48; Von Miller, Denver, 47; Sean Lee, Dallas, 41; Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo, 4; Luke Kuechly, Carolina, 2; C.J. Mosley, Baltimore, 1; Zach Brown, Buffalo, 1; Zachary Orr, Baltimore, 1; Alec Ogletree, Los Angeles, 1; Dont'a Hightower, New England, 1; Bernardick McKinney, Houston, 1; Lavonte David, Tampa Bay, 1; Whitney Mercilus, Houston, 1.

Cornerbacks

Aqib Talib, Denver, 27; Marcus Peters, Kansas City, 23; Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants, 17; Malcolm Butler, New England, 8; Casey Hayward, San Diego, 8; Richard Sherman, Seattle, 7; Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota, 5; Chris Harris Jr., Denver, 4; Dominique-Rodgers-Cromartie, New York Giants, 1.

Safeties

Landon Collins, New York Giants, 47; Eric Berry, Kansas City, 31; Devin McCourty, New England, 4; Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay, 4; Earl Thomas, Seattle, 3; Harrison Smith, Minnesota, 3; Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati, 2; Kam Chancellor, Seattle, 2; Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia, 1; Eric Weddle, Baltimore, 1; Quintin Demps, Houston, 1; Darian Stewart, Denver, 1.

Defensive Back

Chris Harris Jr., Denver, 14; Dominique-Rodgers-Cromartie, New York Giants, 6; Malcolm Butler, New England, 5; Eric Berry, Kansas City, 3; Casey Hayward, San Diego, 3; Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia, 3; Patrick Peterson, Arizona, 2; Marcus Peters, Kansas City, 2; Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota, 2; Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay, 2; Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants, 2; Aqib Talib, Denver, 1; Darius Slay, Detroit, 1; Devin McCourty, New England, 1; Brent Grimes, Tampa Bay, 1; Richard Sherman, Seattle, 1.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Placekicker

Justin Tucker, Baltimore, 50.

Punter

Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles, 42; Marquette King, Oakland, 4; Pat McAfee, Indianapolis, 2; Brad Wing, New York Giants, 1; Sam Martin, Detroit, 1.

Kick Returner

Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota, 41; Tyler Lockett, Seattle, 5; Tyreek Hill, Kansas City, 5.

Punt Returner

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City, 50.

Special Teamer

Matthew Slater, New England, 14; Nate Ebner, New England, 12; Dwayne Harris, New York Giants, 6; Justin Bethel, Arizona, 3; Matt Develin, New England, 3; Michael Thomas, Miami, 3; Chase Reynolds, Los Angeles, 3; Eric Murray, Kansas City, 2; Chris Maragos, Philadelphia, 1; Eric Weems, Atlanta, 1; Josh Bellamy, Chicago, 1.

Copyright 2017 by The Associated Press.

Rumors persist that he and GM Smith don't see eye to eye and he could be out even if they win tomorrow. I have liked what he's done without at QB and the team plays with a lot of resolve. Impressive credentials. What interest would there be if he's out in Houston?

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Defensive staff is hanging with the hopes an offensive-minded coach keeps them.

View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/817384212034703360


http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8335/gregg-williams

Myself, I have been soured with GW over the later part of the season. I might could climbed back on the fence with the thought of retaining of GW. The offense is pretty much a total refurbishing job in all units. The defense has its issues too with a lack of pass rushing DE's & the defense design making the outside corners burnt toast crumbs. I really don't see much draft or free agent help coming in to change this defense weakness.

This is something I can get behind!
Imagine sitting in your living room but watch the game like your sitting in the stands.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/08/nextvr-brings-vr-to-super-bowl/

Super Bowl Fans To Get A Taste of Virtual Reality
John Gaudiosi
Updated: Jan 16, 2016 6:53 PM EST | Originally published: Jan 08, 2016
NextVR, which sponsored Turner Sports’ CES Sports Business Forum on Thursday, is ready to capitalize on the advances announced at the show, according to Brad Allen, executive chairman at NextVR.

NextVR worked with Qualcomm (QCOM, -0.61%)to test its new 820 chip, which is shipping this quarter in new smartphones. Allen says these new phones will provide a more vibrant virtual reality experience by adding head-tracking capabilities and a 4K display that will enhance even lower-level devices like Google (GOOGL, +0.91%) Cardboard.

That will open up an even broader access point for NextVR as it livestreams entertainment and sports events this year to owners of Carboard, Samsung (SSNLF, -12.28%)Gear VR, Facebook's (FB, +1.17%) Oculus Rift, HTC (HTC) Vive, Sony (SNE, +0.09%) PlayStation VR, and other devices.

Next VR has worked with the NFL this season, capturing three football games (Jets vs. Titans, Ravens vs. Steelers, and Dolphins vs. Patriots). The company will have a booth at the NFL Experience, which is the fan convention during the Super Bowl at the San Francisco Moscone Center. Fans will be able to watch these games from four or five different camera perspectives in virtual reality.

“We’re ready to livestream any event today,” Allen says. “If the NFL says yes, we could do it next season.”

Allen says the NFL is still very much in the experimental stage with virtual reality, whereas the NBA has been the most aggressive of the big leagues.

96 players declared for the 2016 NFL Draft up 22 from the 2015 season (74) and down two (98) from the 2014 season.

More than 60 underclassmen have declared early for the 2017 NFL Draft including 14 running backs led by Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey.

The SEC leads the way with 17 players followed by the ACC with 15 players including Cook, Miami’s Brad Kaaya, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans, and Pittsburgh’s James Conner as long with the Pac-12 with nine, Big Ten (7) and Big 12 (6).

Florida has five players who've declared led by Jalen Tabor while Washington has four players including receiver John Ross.


The 2017 NFL Draft takes place in Philadelphia from April 27-29.

College underclassmen who are three years removed from high school have until Jan. 16, 2017, to officially declare for the 2017 NFL Draft.

As of Jan. 4, the following prospects have announced they will leave school early for the NFL.

Quarterbacks
Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech (6-2, 238)
Brad Kaaya, Miami (Fla.) (6-4, 210)
DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (6-4, 230)
Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech (6-2, 229)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (6-2, 215)

Running backs
James Conner, Pittsburgh (6-2, 240)
Dalvin Cook, Florida State (5-11, 206)
D'Onta Foreman, Texas (6-1, 249)
Leonard Fournette, LSU (6-1, 230)
Wayne Gallman, Clemson (6-0, 215)
Brian Hill, Wyoming (6-0, 219)
Aaron Jones, UTEP (5-10, 205)
Alvin Kamara, Tennessee (5-10, 215)
Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (6-0, 202)
Jeremy McNichols, Boise State (5-9, 212)
Samaje Perine, Oklahoma (5-10, 235)
Boom Williams, Kentucky (5-9, 196)
Joe Yearby, Miami (Fla.) (5-9, 207)

Wide receivers
KD Cannon, Baylor (5-11, 180)
Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech (6-1, 190)
Derrick Griffin, Texas Southern (6-7, 240)
Chad Hansen, California (6-1, 195)
Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech (5-11, 191)
Jerome Lane, Akron (6-2, 220)
Josh Malone, Tennessee (6-2, 200)
Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia (5-8, 170)
Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (5-11, 200)
John Ross, Washington (5-11, 190)
Artavis Scott, Clemson (5-10, 190)
Ricky Seals-Jones, Texas A&M (6-5, 240)
Damore'ea Stringfellow, Ole Miss (6-2, 220)
Mike Williams, Clemson (6-3, 225)

Tight ends
Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech (6-6, 245)
David Njoku, Miami (Fla.) (6-4, 240)

Offensive linemen
Garett Bolles, Utah (6-5, 300)
David Sharpe, Florida (6-5, 357)

Defensive ends
Derek Barnett, Tennessee (6-3, 265)
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (6-4, 268)
Charles Harris, Missouri (6-3, 255)
Carl Lawson, Auburn (6-2, 253)
Malik McDowell, Michigan State (6-5, 276)
Garrett Sickels, Penn State (6-4, 250)
Solomon Thomas, Stanford (6-2, 275)

Defensive tackles
Davon Godchaux, LSU (6-4, 293)
Nazair Jones, North Carolina (6-5, 295)
Elijah Qualls, Washington (6-1, 321)
Vincent Taylor, Oklahoma State (6-2, 310)
Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA (6-2, 305)
Charles Walker, Oklahoma (6-2, 304)

Linebackers
Alex Anzalone, Florida (6-2, 241)
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State (6-2, 240)
Anthony Walker, Northwestern (6-1, 235)
TJ Watt, Wisconsin (6-4, 243)

Cornerbacks
Gareon Conley, Ohio State (6-0, 195)
Sidney Jones, Washington (6-0, 181)
Teez Tabor, Florida (6-2, 200)
Howard Wilson, Houston (6-0, 185)
Quincy Wilson, Florida (6-0, 209)

Safeties
Budda Baker, Washington (5-10, 192)
Malik Hooker, Ohio State (6-2, 205)
Josh Jones, NC State (6-2, 215)
Montae Nicholson, Michigan State (6-1, 219)
Marcus Williams, Utah (6-0, 195)

NFL coaching carousel: Here are three defensive coordinator options for Redskins
Also, why everything revolves around Josh McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan

• by Jason La Canfora

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/n...e-defensive-coordinator-options-for-redskins/


With Washington letting go of its defensive staff Thursday, I can't help but wonder if Jay Gruden turns back to an old friend for help. If I were Gruden, who served as the Bengals offensive coordinator before taking the Redskinsjob in 2014, I'd at least place a call to Cincinnati to see about bringing Paul Guenther in to run his defense. With Guenther still under contract, however, it may be a moot point considering Bengals owner Mike Brown is a stickler for this stuff.


There would clearly be a strong familiarity there, though Brown may also be keen to keep Guenther on staff as the possible replacement for Marvin Lewis if he gets moved to the front office after the 2017 season. Regardless, it is likely a moot point.

While it may seem crazy to some, I'd actually reach back to the past and pursue Ramsdefensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who had a tremendous run as the Redskins defensive coordinator from 2004-2007 under Joe Gibbs. Williams was beloved by players in Washington, who actually pushed him hard to be their head coach when Gibbs retired for the second time in 2007. Jim Zorn got hired instead.

While things were hardly rosy between Williams and owner Dan Snyder at the end -- Williams interviewed for the job but did not get it -- I've heard that relationship has been sound in recent years and Williams would bring a certain swagger back to a defense that has been suspect since he left. Numerous league sources said they expect Williams to have multiple opportunities for defensive coordinator jobs, so time may be of the essence here, but it's certainly worth Gruden exploring.


Would Gregg Williams welcome a return to Washington? USATSI
Wade Phillips is also far from being ready to retire and he is in limbo right now in Denver with an expiring contract and an uncertain future. His son, Wes, coaches tight ends under Gruden. Of course, the Redskins passed on an opportunity to hire him before -- and Phillips extended his distinguished coaching resume by winning a Super Bowl in Denver coordinating an elite defense -- but this league works in funny ways sometimes.

That would be the case if any of these three situations came to pass.

It all starts with McDaniels, Shanahan
The dominoes will start to fall this weekend based on the interviews for Josh McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan. They are highly coveted and most teams are looking for quarterback guru types and once these two have a feel for which jobs are the best fit, things will start moving.

I'd suspect teams to make a strong case and be willing to be open to various structures and arrangements to get McDaniels. He's been coveted by 49ers owner Jed York for quite some time, for instance. And I continue to hear that the Rams, while having GM Les Snead as part of this coach hiring process through these early stages, will be open to considering other ideas should that be what it takes to get the right candidate.


Where's Jeff Fisher?
It's been very quiet on the Jeff Fisher front since he was the first coach to be fired this season. I didn't expect there to be any head coaching interest and I doubt there will be. I wonder if a year from now he recasts himself as a team president type -- I think he'd be great -- with a team like the Bears, where he formerly played, perhaps a fit. Fisher could have a long run at the NFL league office in New York as well, if he wanted, I believe.

More coaching news:

Atlanta Falcons
When Shanahan gets a job elsewhere, the Packers' Tom Clements would be an interesting name for the Falcons to consider as their next offensive coordinator. He'd click well with Matt Ryan.

Baltimore Ravens
I'm hearing rumblings that the Ravens may add former Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman to their coaching staff. John Harbaugh is not making any coordinator changes but has an opening on his staff he could shuffle around and Roman does his best work in the run game, where Baltimore struggled. Roman formerly worked for Harbaugh's brother, Jim, in San Francisco.

Buffalo Bills
There's been a lot of scuttlebutt about the Bills' in-fighting and whether the front office's plan to go with Anthony Lynn as the next head coach goes through. Things have a way of going sideways there. Lynn, who has strong internal support and is favored by key players in the locker room, interviewed on Thursday with the Bills after interviewing with the 49ers on Wednesday. If this is not resolved by early next week, then it could go in a different direction.

Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott interviewed in Buffalo earlier this week and left a very strong impression. And while the Bills have yet to ask for permission to speak to Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for the job, which is not unusual as he cannot interview until after Detroit's wild-card game this weekend anyway, that could take place pending how things go with Lynn.

Carolina Panthers
You may not have heard much about Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb, but keep an eye on him as coordinator jobs come into focus. He's very highly thought of in Carolina and would likely be the front-runner for a coordinator job there if McDermott and Panthers assistant Steve Wilks, who interviewed for the Rams opening this week, got head coaching jobs. Holcomb would be someone both of those men would want to have on their staff if he went elsewhere. Holcomb joined the Giants in 2009 as a quality control coach and won a ring with them before joining the Panthers in 2013 where he has done strong work with their linebackers.

Jacksonville Jaguars
It has been quiet on the Tom Coughlin front as well since his interview with Jacksonville a while back. That's not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing for job prospects.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/l...icial-sends-perfect-retirement-letter-to-nfl/

After 16 seasons, 1,031 catches, 14,731 yards and 81 touchdowns, Steve Smithhas officially hung up his spikes for good. Smith sent a letter to Roger Goodell earlier this week notifying the commissioner of his retirement.

On Friday, Smith released that letter to the world.



The print is pretty small there, so in case you can't read it, Smith wrote, "This is to notify you that as of today I, Steve Smith Sr., will no longer be terrorizing defensive backs. I am retiring from the National Football League."

OF COURSE that's how Steve Smith retired from the NFL. It couldn't have gone down any other way for one of the most legendary trash-talkers of his era. That's just perfect.

To me, this is an odd playoff field... several teams, IMO, made the playoffs but aren't legit threats to win the Super Bowl.

I mean, kudos to them for qualifying... but there feels like a few qualifiers that are closer to being a .500 squad than contender.

I left the top seeds off the voting.

Read an interesting article on PFT about Joe Thomas lamenting about the Browns continually letting starters go in free agency. It's hard to build when you have to use major resources to fill new holes every year. It got me thinking about the 2013 offseason and the Rams decision to let go of their leading rusher and top 2 receivers. I was for the moves at the time, but it's hard to build off the 7-8-1 when you bring in an entire new support cast, most of which were very young and untested. Then I look at the 2016 offseason where the team lost 2 out of their 4 secondary starters. While the defense wasn't at all the problem, missing those key pieces in the secondary were. I guess I really don't have a good point it was just an interesting article for me to read and think about.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...s-browns-cant-keep-letting-young-stars-leave/

Just read that Snead is one of the Rams executives doing interviews with HCs. I wonder if this hurts the HC search. Coaches won't want to be the next Chip Kelly and if Snead is on thin ice it may turn coaches away. Then again Snead may not be on thin ice, and Demoff is the guy who hires the coaches and GMs anyways.

I do NOT want Boy Wonder, I just don't think a person can "change". There's a miss w/ this guy Character flaw. I been praying every night he doesn't become the apple of Kevin's eye... I do like the idea of Matt Patricia a lot but again he better have a few good coaches. Ya know like say OC & QB.

As of right now the connect the dots imho appear to be as follows:

Kyle Shanahan to Bronco's (Elways wants to keep rest of staff, don't see Kyle blocking this)

Vance Joseph to Bolts.. Looks like Joseph will have his pick of teams vs. take it or leave it gig. Need him to win the Bronco's job to have a better chance at Kyle Shanahan I think. Unless this is our surprise hire.

Boy Wonder & Nick Caserio to Whiners lots of talk about a package deal and this is the only GM "open/known" currently. I think Joshie wants to take Caserio to his next landing spot.

Mike Smith to the Jags Their DEF is close Just need a better leader and CEO HC type that can get better assistants and Mike Smith can do so.

Lynn to the Bills Seems like a likely match from the get go, otherwise they will be forced to pick a lesser name as they have a lame duck GM in Doug Whalley. (That presser was almost funnier than Jed York's).

Which brings us to the RAMS:

Does Jon Gruden leave the booth after Raiders v Texans??? Hmm I could get behind this. Still some chatter this week so could the door still be?

Sean Mcvay Been a wr coach & TE coach before starting his 3 year OC run in Washington. Least amount of info out there for us. He's young, but if he's "the" leader than age doesn't matter.

Matt Patricia To me appears to be a great CEO type, coached on both sides so he can relate and be balanced in his approach. Smart X & O guy. Father was a HC when he was growing up so he's been around coaching a long time. I would be okay w/ him.

EDIT: See this the million dollar question its going to be a crap shoot. No Slam dunk dude unless it's Tom Coughlin he would be able to pick a good coaching staff.
So what says you????