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rstocker87's 3rd mock offseason



It's been almost a month since my last mock, and since then we've had both the Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, and unfortunately, another ring for Tom Brady and the Patriots. With that said, the boards are starting to move up and down with all the new developments as well as rumors around current players. Just remember, we most likely will not fill all of our holes in one offseason, but this mock will attempt to build this team going forward as well as identify areas that may still need improvement. Also, for new contracts, I will simply be going by average value for the cap hits, even though I know cap hits change based on guaranteed money/bonuses. Let's get to it!

Cut/Let Walk

DT Bennie Logan - The elephant in the room. Bennie Logan has been a hard-worker and a standup guy in his time here. Unfortunately, we have a lot of money tied up in the D-line and Logan's going to command a lot of money for a guy that stuffs the run but is marginal at rushing the passer. Howie decides that it's better to spend the money elsewhere.

LB Stephen Tulloch - Not much to say. He's an old vet that can't really play anymore

OG Stefan Wisniewski - Just like last year, he's looking for long-term starter money. There's no guarantee he would start and we don't wanna give him that much money anyway, so he walks.

LB Najee Goode - He could be a camp cut, I think someone like Grugier-Hill can take over his role

RB Kenjon Barner - He clearly isn't favored by the staff as he gets pretty much no playing time. I think he'll be signed on another team for his return skills

LS Rick Lovato - Maybe they bring him to camp, but who knows. Dorenbos' contract extension this past year makes him expendable.

CB Nolan Carroll - Carroll really was not good this year. He's getting up there with age as well. Even though he'd probably be cheap to re-sign, I think it's time to move on.

DE Connor Barwin - Barwin wasn't a scheme fit last year, so even if he wants to take a pay cut, I don't think he should stay. It's a shame that such a good person goes out like this, but this is a business. I also highly doubt we could trade him as teams know we'll likely cut him. Saves $7.75M

CB Leodis McKelvin - Between injuries and poor play, he did nothing to justify his contract or endear himself to fans. Saves $3.2M (Report says this already happened)

RB Ryan Mathews - Nobody can deny his talent when healthy, but he's rarely healthy. From major injuries to nagging ones that sap him of his skill, he can't be trusted. Saves $4M

C Jason Kelce - I've gone back and forth between cutting and restructuring for a while now, but decided with a cut. He hasn't been as bad as some have made him out to be, but he also isn't what he used to be. Too often he struggles with bigger defenders that simply out-muscle him. Seumalo will re-assume his college position of C and grow with Wentz. Saves $3.8M

DE Steven Means - While he had a good preseason last year, he did pretty much nothing with his limited snaps in the regular season. Looking for Alix McCalister to fight for his spot. Saves $690k

WR Bryce Treggs - While I think he makes it to camp, his lack of impact as well as lack of effort from more recent reports lead to his release. Saves $540k

Restructure

LT Jason Peters - Recent reports say that the Eagles have asked him about a restructure. It makes sense for both sides as Peters won't get as friendly of a deal on the open market and we get some cap savings. Let's say $3M of savings this year

Some say that Chase Daniel will restructure, I just don't see it as he has all the leverage. He's too expensive to cut or trade, meaning he's not going anywhere.

Cap Picture

Carryover - Over the Cap currently has us at $9.85M

Cap from Cuts/Restructures - $22.98M

Cap for Free Agency less $5M for draft picks - $27.83M

>>Note: This is just an estimate. It could rise or fall once the cap for 2017 is announced

Re-sign

ST Bryan Braman - He's still a very solid STer on one of the best units in the league and he's cheap. 2 years $2.1M

TE Trey Burton - We put a 2nd round tender on him which basically puts him out of reach of other teams. The second round tender value increased by 8% from 2015 to 2016, so I'll do the same for 2017. This puts him at 1 year $2.75M

Cap Picture - Approx $24.03M for Free Agency

Free Agency

CB DJ Hayden - Hayden has been an alright corner since he's entered the league, and is still only 26. We sign him to replace Carroll, which I can't see him being worse. Ideally he proves he's starter material, but he will be competing for the job. 3 years $8M

CB Logan Ryan - Ryan is only 25 years old and is the kind of tough corner that Schwartz loves. He's not afraid to tackle, and can get physical with receivers. While I think he can continue to improve and be a very good corner in this league, I don't know if he'll ever reach shutdown corner status. Regardless, he's much better than what we've had in years past and can be a piece that this defense needs. 5 years $35M

WR Robert Woods - Just like the prior two signings, Woods falls in line in that he's still young at 24 years old and can grow with the team and Carson Wentz. While he's never put up stellar numbers, he's always put up decent numbers and is looking to break out with a hopefully more consistent QB. He's quick and runs good routes. While his hands aren't great, they aren't necessarily a liability. He's definitely an upgrade from DGB and Agholor from last year. 4 years $28M

Cap Picture - After the major signings, we have about $7.73M left over. This can be used for ST/Depth guys or carrying forward. We have one of the worst cap pictures in the NFL in 2018 and 2019, so the carryforward is essential. While we will get cap relief from a cut/trade/retirement like Peters in 2018, every bit of space helps.

Draft

Round 1 - Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee, JR, 6'3" 265 lbs - Yes, I know we have needs at CB, WR, and RB, but we're going with a beast. DE is most definitely a need. With Graham and Curry both going to be 28, they aren't necessarily young and Barwin is gone now too. Curry didn't look great last year, so a pessimist would see our DE situation as even worse. Barnett fixes that. He's not overly athletic, but he's got good bend, he's strong, he's got technique, and he's got great instincts. With even a modest upgrade at CB and a renewed pass rush, this defense can take a leap into the conversation for a top defense. Some may argue he may not even be available here, and that he's a top-10 prospect. If you get a shot at an impact player like this, you take them, and I think Howie has made that clear in his press conferences.

Round 2 - Isaiah Ford, WR, Virginia Tech, JR, 6'1" 190 lbs - Some may think Ford can be had in the 3rd, and come draft day that may happen, but I think he's worth a 2nd rounder. A strong combine will ensure that. So why is Ford great for this offense? He ran a ton of different routes from wide to the slot during his college career and he ran them all at a high level. He has the quickness and speed to run the routes perfectly and gain separation. He's not an elite speedster, but he definitely has enough to make people respect him downfield. He has proven he knows where the sidelines are as well as he can toe-tap to stay in bounds for a catch. While he doesn't have the best hands, they're not a liability either. While it's not a league-best WR corp, a group of Ford, Woods, and Matthews on the field is much-improved from last year and gives Wentz more targets in addition to Ertz.

Round 3 - Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia, rSR, 6'2" 204 lbs - The first thing everyone notices about Douglas is his size. The guy has elite size for the position, which he uses to bully receivers and win jump ball situations. He also does a good job of reading the QB so that he can anticipate routes and jump them. With that said, he also has his drawbacks which is why he is available in the third. Some question his long speed and ability to stick with receivers. So for Douglas to succeed in the NFL, he needs to be able to prove he's fast enough, or physical enough to throw off receivers from their routes. While he may not start this year, he's a corner with size you can't teach but can develop his skills.

Round 4a - Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo, SR, 5'10" 208 lbs - While one of my favorite and most underrated backs in the draft is Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt comes in a close 2nd. Hunt has a short and compact frame and has great elusiveness on his first move. He has patience and vision to find holes where it looks like there are none and has enough power to convert short yardage situations. While he's not an elite receiving back, he is still adequate and can be trusted on third down. With that said, some think he too often tries to break the big play and can be slow to get back up to speed after his great initial move. The big play mindset has it's pros and cons, but he'll hopefully learn how to determine when to take the yardage given to him, and when to try to break the long run. I think he and Smallwood can make a solid tandem.

Round 4b - Jarron Jones, DT, Notre Dame, rSR, 6'5" 315 lbs - It wasn't long ago that Jones had the potential to make himself a 1st round pick. A stress fracture in 2014 and a torn MCL in 2015 derailed that. While his injury history is a risk, it may be a risk worth taking. Similar to a situation like Jordan Hicks, Jones is a very talented player when he's been healthy. He's got a great mix of size and athleticism that makes him a force at DT. He's got a great bullrush, which can prevent a QB from stepping into his throws. While injuries and some questioning his ability to give 100% effort on every play make him a risk early, he could be a gem as a 4th rounder.

Round 5a - Jordan Morgan, OG, Kutztown, rSR, 6'3" 313 lbs - Anyone who reads about Morgan's story should come away impressed. After his senior year of high school, he was about 230 lbs and wasn't even thinking of playing college football when a recruiter from Kutztown noticed him while scouting some of his teammates. They immediately brought him on board but red-shirted him to let him put on some weight. And put on weight he did. Morgan fixed his diet and looked outside of the school for a training program, as he felt Kutztown's program was lacking. He added 50 lbs that year and eventually more than 80 by the end of his career. While he is pretty athletic and played LT for Kutztown, he is being bumped inside to guard where his nasty style of play can lead to him mauling opponents. While he's a little older of a prospect and he comes with level of competition concerns, his work ethic makes him the perfect developmental guard who can also compete with Barbre for a starting spot.

Trade! - We trade our 6th and next year's 6th to move back into the 5th

Round 5b - Ryan Switzer, WR, North Carolina, SR, 5'8" 180 lbs - Welcome our "Jordan Matthews leaves in 2018 offseason" contingency plan! In all seriousness, Matthews could leave if he wants too much money and an expanded role next year when his deal's up, so it's time to find a slot receiver. Switzer fills that role perfectly, albeit it in a completely different way than Matthews did. While Matthews relies on his size to bully smaller nickel backs, Switzer is just quicker than them and runs pristine routes. Think of Julian Edelman when it comes to his style of play as well as returning ability. Now obviously his size leads to problems when it comes to jump balls or very physical backs, but he's tough (missed only 2 of 52 games) and can make you pay with his shiftiness.

Round 7 - Jerry Ugokwe, OT, William & Mary, rSR, 6'7" 318 lbs - Ugokwe is one of those prospects that waited until late in high school to start playing football, and because of that, received very little attention from recruiters. He carved out a nice career for William & Mary though. He has a body type that screams offensive tackle, although some scouts agree he needs to work on his knee bend due to his long legs. His hand placement can be a little high at times and he stops his feet sometimes, leading to him simply getting in the way of defenders instead of driving them off the ball. He's what you want in a 7th rounder though, in that he's got the physical tools, he just needs to be coached up.

Alternate Round 7 or UDFA - De'Angelo Henderson, RB, Coastal Carolina, rSR, 5'7" 208 lbs - The first thing that stands out about Henderson is his body type. Henderson is only 1 inch taller than Darren Sproles, but has almost 20 lbs on him. He's a bowling ball and plays like one. The next thing that stands out are his stats at small school Coastal Carolina. Henderson rushed for a TD in each of his final 35 games of his career (D1 record), and holds the school records for just about every RB statistic. Similar to how Brian Westbrook played, Henderson hides behind his linemen before finding a hole and flying through it. The kid's got a wicked jump cut, a solid spin move, as well as great vision for cutback lanes. On top of all this, he's a plus receiver and can help in the return game. So what is putting this kid so late? He's had a ton of carries during his career and dealt with a shoulder injury this past season. He's not known for running over defenders when he gets physical so scouts aren't sure what his shelf life will be in the NFL. All in all, he's an intriguing prospect for late in the draft, and may be able to carve out a Danny Woodhead or Darren Sproles type of role on a team.

Overview

So, what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments, constructive criticism is welcome, just try to back up what you're saying with reasoning or logic (lol). So what are some good things this offseason does? First, I think it navigates the offseason while keeping the cap in mind, but also improving the team. The cap situation in 2018 and 2019 is already tight, so we've got to build this team in a smart manner. Another strength of this offseason is trying to replace Logan while improving the pass rush. Barnett comes in and gives us a young and talented pass rusher that can take this pass rush to a new level. He's also a contingency plan due to the unknown of Vinny Curry's game. Jarron Jones, Beau Allen, and Destiny Vaeao will all fight to get the bulk of the snaps next to Cox, and hopefully can replicate some of Logan's impact. I also like the idea of getting younger on the line by moving Seumalo to C and having Barbre fight with Jordan Morgan for a starting spot. So what are some question marks? While I think Logan Ryan will lock down one of the CB spots and give it much needed stability, the other spot is wide open. DJ Hayden will be the favorite to start over Douglas and Mills, but even he has had an up and down career. So if he doesn't pan out, it leaves Mills and the rookie Douglas to fight for a starting spot. That's a first and second year player trying to start at one of the most difficult positions in the NFL. Luckily they have a great safety tandem and hopefully a better pass rush helping them, but it's still a question mark. Another question is did I do enough at WR to drastically improve the help Wentz has? I think it's improved from last year, but it's still a question. Woods has shown flashes that he can be a solid player and is still young, but his signing is more about projection. I believe Ford can be a very solid receiver, but will he have a major impact in just his rookie year? Will we have to rely on DGB or Agholor another year if either of these options don't pan out and will either of them improve?