Year: 2012

Browns’ Joe Haden could be suspended 4 games

stevenlourie Browns, News

Joe Haden, the 7th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, is reportedly in danger of being suspended for 4 games, according to ESPN Cleveland, after testing positive for Adderall during a routine drug test. Adderall is a classified as a performance enhancing “stimulant” by the NFL. The NFL has reportedly told Haden he tested positive and that they are reviewing the drug test. Haden will be able to appeal the failed drug test after it’s reviewed and possibly avoid suspension or get a reduced suspension.

If Haden were to miss any time, it would be a huge blow to a team with so little talent. Haden has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the last 2 seasons and was a major Pro Bowl snub in 2011. He’s really been the only bright spot on an overall disappointing Browns team.  He’s allowed just 83 completions on 162 attempts (51.2%) for 1165 yards (7.2 YPA), 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, while deflecting 28 passes and committing 12 penalties in the last 2 seasons. Any suspension would not begin until after an appeal, if there is one, and the process sometimes takes months.

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Desmond Bishop could miss season with ruptured hamstring

stevenlourie News, Packers

Packers’ middle linebacker Desmond Bishop went down with a hamstring and knee injury in their 1st preseason game and the Packers are fearing the worst. Though the knee appears to be fine, the hamstring injury sounds like it’s pretty serious, as the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that the Packers fear Bishop will miss “a good portion, if not all” of the upcoming season with this injury, which means the hamstring likely ruptured.

Bishop has emerged as an above average middle linebacker in the last 2 seasons, replacing Nick Barnett early in 2010 after he went down with an injury. Bishop was a key part of their Super Bowl winning team and played well enough to get the veteran Barnett cut last offseason. Fortunately, the Packers have DJ Smith, a promising young linebacker who played well in limited action last season.

Smith could take over for Bishop and establish himself as a starter just like Bishop did when Barnett got hurt. The 2011 6th round pick was reportedly pushing AJ Hawk for a starting job at middle linebacker and might have beat him out if it wasn’t for Hawk’s salary. Now he’ll have the opportunity to at least make a good number of starts, so there’s a possibility they won’t miss Bishop too much.

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Arizona Cardinals 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie Cardinals, News

S Kerry Rhodes

I only list Rhodes because the Cardinals don’t have another even remotely good candidate for the tag. Safeties have been franchised 4 times in the last 2 seasons because of how cheap the safety franchise tag is (just 6.2 million in 2012). However, Rhodes isn’t the level of Michael Huff, Tyvon Branch, Dashon Goldson, and Michael Griffin, all of whom have been franchised in the last 2 seasons, at least not anymore. He’s no longer the same player the Jets gave a 5 year, 33.5 million dollar deal to in 2008. Heading into his age 31 season in 2013, Rhodes isn’t getting any better.

Likelihood: Very unlikely

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Seattle Seahawks 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie News, Seahawks

DT Alan Branch

Largely a bust in the early part of his career in Arizona, as a 2007 2nd round pick, the Seahawks got the most out of Branch last season, as he ranked as ProFootballFocus’ 5th rated defensive tackle as primarily a run stuffer. However, while the defensive tackle franchise tag is relatively inexpensive (7.9 million in 2012), it’s unlikely the Seahawks would give it to someone who doesn’t do much in the way of rushing the passer. There is some precedent with that, with the Dolphins giving the tag to Paul Soliai in 2011, but he was a 3-4 nose tackle, not a 4-3 defensive tackle. More likely he’ll have to “settle” for a deal like Brodrick Bunkley’s (5 years, 25 million), a comparable two-down run stuffer in a 4-3.

Likelihood: Somewhat unlikely

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San Francisco 49ers 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie 49ers, News

P Andy Lee

Punters and kickers are the most often franchised because the franchise tag values for them are very cheap and franchising them makes a lot more sense than giving them a long term deal. Lee is one of the best in the game, averaging 45.7 yards per punt in his career and 50.9 per in 2011, so he’s definitely a candidate for the tag on a team with no other obvious candidates.

Likelihood: Likely

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St. Louis Rams 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie News, Rams

MLB James Laurinaitis

Laurinaitis is a good linebacker, but the linebacker franchise tag value (8.8 million in 2012) is inflated by the salaries of rush linebackers and thus non-rush linebackers rarely get tagged. After an offseason in which Curtis Lofton, Stephen Tulloch, and David Hawthorne got 27.5 million, 25.5 million, and 19 million respectively over 5 years, the Rams are unlikely to commit 8.8 million to Laurinaitis over just one season.

Likelihood: Unlikely

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Carolina Panthers 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie News, Panthers

RB Jonathan Stewart

Jonathan Stewart has the talent to deserve the running back franchise tag, only 7.7 million in 2012, averaging 4.8 YPC in his career after going in the 1st round in 2008, including 5.4 YPC last year, when he finally broke out as a pass catcher, catching 47 passes. However, the Panthers gave DeAngelo Williams 5 years, 43 million with 21 million guaranteed last offseason, even though he’s 4 years older, and, backed up against the cap, it probably won’t make financial sense to commit upwards of 7.7 million to another running back, however talented he may be. Keeping Williams in 2011, rather than Stewart in 2013, could prove to be a big mistake.

Likelihood: Unlikely

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie Buccaneers, News

CB Aqib Talib

Aqib Talib was one of the best cornerbacks in the league in 2010, allowing 35 completions on 59 attempts (59.3%) for 502 yards (8.5 YPA), 5 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, while deflecting 7 passes, committing 2 penalties. If he can bounce back off a slightly disappointing 2011 season, when he allowed 28 completions on 51 attempts (54.9%) for 479 yards (9.4 YPA), 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, while deflecting 5 deflections and committing 6 penalties, he could be worth the cornerback franchise tag, even though it’s one of the most expensive (tied for 2nd most expensive in 2012 at 10.6 million). However, Talib has a checkered off the field history, so they may not want to give him that kind of money for that reason, even on a one year “prove it” deal.

Likelihood: Unlikely

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Atlanta Falcons 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie Falcons, News

CB Brent Grimes

Grimes was franchised this offseason, but was not extended long term. Grimes is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, allowing just 25 completions on 56 attempts (44.6%) for 258 yards (4.6 YPA), 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, while deflecting 12 passes and committing 1 penalty. However, he’d be owed 12.72 million in 2013 if franchised again, which might be too cost prohibitive. However, if he can prove he can stay healthy over a 16 game season this year, the Falcons might not feel they have any other choice, even if it means cutting someone like Dunta Robinson (only 3 million of his 8 million in 2013 is guaranteed), to free up the cap space.

Likelihood: Somewhat unlikely

S William Moore

Safeties have been franchised 4 times in the last 2 seasons because of how cheap the safety franchise tag is (just 6.2 million in 2012). However, I don’t think Moore is quite yet on the level of Michael Huff, Tyvon Branch, Dashon Goldson, and Michael Griffin, all of whom have been franchised in the last 2 seasons. However, I won’t rule out the 2009 2nd round pick having a breakout season, in which case the Falcons could franchise him to prove it again.

Likelihood: Somewhat unlikely

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New Orleans Saints 2013 Franchise Tag Candidates

stevenlourie News, Saints

OT Jermon Bushrod

On the surface, Bushrod is a valuable member of the Saints’ offense. He has allowed just 7 sacks in the last 2 seasons on one of the league’s most pass heavy offenses and made the Pro-Bowl last year. Pro-Bowl offensive tackles are rarely allowed to hit the open market, almost as rarely as Pro-Bowl quarterbacks. However, while Bushrod has one of the most important blindsides in the NFL to protect, he also has one of the easiest. Drew Brees doesn’t quite have Peyton Manning’s legendary pocket presence, but he’s pretty close.

He essentially protects his own blindside with how well he feels the pass rush and how quickly he makes decisions and releases the ball. Brees has only taken a sack 82 times in the last 4 years on 674 pressured drop backs (12.2%), the best rate in the league over that period by who has played in all 4 seasons (sorry, Peyton Manning). A deeper look at Bushrod’s stats shows that he is really a product of Drew Brees’ abilities. Bushrod has allowed 20 quarterback hits and 90 quarterback pressures in the last 2 seasons, yet only the aforementioned 7 sacks.

The Saints were pretty backed up against the cap this offseason and the massive extension they gave to Brees this off-season doesn’t help matters cap wise. The Saints would be wise not to commit another large sum of money for the 2013 season to Bushrod, who is really a replacement level player disguised as a Pro-Bowler with the help of his quarterback. They seem to agree as the two sides have not yet begun long term extension talks. The Saints have Charles Brown, a 2010 2nd round pick, as an in house replacement, if needed, though the Saints would resign Bushrod at the right price.

Likelihood: Unlikely

DT Sedrick Ellis

Ellis is even less likely than Bushrod. The Saints really don’t have the cap space to franchise any position player next offseason, unless they absolutely deserve it and Ellis deserves it even less than Bushrod, unless he can have a bounce back year in 2012. A 2008 1st round pick, Ellis has graded out as a below average defensive tackle on ProFootballFocus since his rookie season in 2008. In 2008, he had 4 sacks, 5 quarterback hits, and 28 quarterback pressures and from 2009 to 2011, he had 11 sacks, 6 quarterback hits, and 46 quarterback pressures, while struggling as a run stuffer the whole time.

Likelihood: Very unlikely

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