Tag: 2017 NFL Draft

Saints pick up fifth-year options on Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk

The New Orleans Saints exercised fifth-year options for Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk, keeping them both around for the 2021 season.

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The first members of the 2017 NFL Draft class have had their fifth-year options picked up for the 2021 season, and they both play for the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Field Yates reported Thursday that the Saints exercised the options for both cornerback Marshon Lattimore and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, keeping them both under team contract control for the next two years and, crucially, buying more time to hammer out long-term contract extensions for both of them.

Lattimore and Ramczyk being the first members of their draft class to have their options activated speaks to how highly-regarded they both are in New Orleans. We estimated earlier this offseason how much these options will be worth in 2021, but those figures will heighten between now and then as new contracts are paid out around the league.

Lattimore, the 11th overall pick out of Ohio State back in 2017, has been voted into two Pro Bowl appearances in his first three years. He was also selected as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Ramczyk, the 32nd overall pick from Wisconsin that year, has strangely been snubbed for each Pro Bowl since while earning recognition on the All-Pro list in both 2018 (on the second team) and 2019 (on the first team).

For a quick refresher: because neither Lattimore nor Ramczyk were picked within the first ten selections, their fifth-year option values will be determined by the average of the highest-paid players at their positions (specifically, the 3rd- to 25th-highest annual salaries). For now, that puts them in the ballpark of $11.6 million for Lattimore and $12.8 million for Ramczyk.

And, just to remind everyone: the Saints picking up these fifth-year options does nothing to affect either player’s 2020 salary cap hits. These were expected moves that should do a lot to keep the Saints competitive in the future.

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NFL Draft: Grading the 2017 first round as Mitchell Trubisky fades in Chicago

The Bears are ready to move on from Mitchell Trubisky. His grade from the 2017 NFL Draft is poor. How do the other first-rounders fare?

The Chicago Bears have reportedly acquired Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a compensatory fourth-round pick. That feels like a major admission trading up in 2017 to select Mitchell Trubisky out of North Carolina was a mistake. How has the rest of the first-rounders done from that year?

32. Saints: Ryan Ramczyk

 Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He’s been solid for the Saints protecting Drew Brees. Ryan Ramczyk has not played in less than 95% of the New Orleans offensive plays in his three seasons. He’s been called for seven holding penalties as a Saint in 47 games. Grade: B

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Ravens to pick up CB Marlon Humphrey’s 5th-year option

According to Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, picking up CB Marlon Humphrey’s 5th-year option for 2021 is just a formality.

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the best teams in the NFL largely because of their ability to scout and draft good prospects. They continued that legacy by selecting cornerback Marlon Humphrey in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Having finished up his third season in the league, Baltimore has to make a decision on whether they’ll pick up his fifth-year option this offseason.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said it was just a formality at this point and that the team will exercise the option, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

All players selected in the first round have fifth-year options available to their respective teams. Given the weight of first-round selections in the draft, the fifth-year option allows teams to keep those valuable players around for another year. The downside is that fifth-year options end up being a really expensive single year, meaning that teams have to carefully figure out if a player is worth the extra cap hit.

Baltimore was expected to exercise Humphrey’s fifth-year option, making DeCosta’s proclamation not that shocking. Considering he became one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks last season, using the fifth-year option will give DeCosta and the Ravens a little more time to work on a contract extension before he’s set to hit free agency.

Humphrey earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations for the 2019 season. While Humphrey didn’t have a ton of interceptions, he was the most consistent defensive player on the field for Baltimore and helped carry the Ravens’ defense for the first few weeks. Humphrey came up with several key plays at the right time, including a forced fumble and recovery on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 5 that propelled Baltimore to an overtime win.

It’s unclear how much Humphrey’s fifth-year option will cost for the 2021 season but it’s expected to be a steep discount from what top cornerbacks make.

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Re-grading 49ers’ 2017 NFL draft class

John Lynch’s first NFL draft class with the 49ers was bad.

NFL draft grades are always fun immediately after the draft, but a more accurate depiction of how a team did in a given draft can’t come until those players have had multiple NFL seasons under their belts.

49ers general manager John Lynch had his first draft in 2017, which means we have three seasons worth of games to use in assessing that group of 10 players.

At the time it looked like Lynch and the front office launched one out of the park. Now, with the benefit of seeing these players in the NFL, it’s much less positive. We went back through and re-graded all 10 picks.

Round 1, Pick 3 | DL Solomon Thomas

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas was supposed to be a versatile, high-motor defensive lineman who could be a threat off the edge. Trading back one spot to select him was supposed to be a robbery. Instead, Thomas has struggled through his first three seasons and hasn’t been reliable enough to see consistent snaps. He has just 6.0 sacks in 48 games, and probably won’t get his fifth-year option picked up. This was a pretty big swing and miss for John Lynch on his first ever pick, and with players like Jamal Adams, Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson all thriving, it’s hard to give a lot of leeway on this one.

Grade: F

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Who would the Texans take in a redrafting of the 2017 NFL Draft?

The Houston Texans drafted QB Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. But who would they have taken if the 2017 class were redrafted?

The Houston Texans knew they wanted quarterback Deshaun Watson in the 2017 NFL Draft, which is why the organization made a trade to get the Clemson Tiger at No. 12 overall.

With three seasons in the books on the 2017 class, what would a redraft look like if all 32 teams could go back in time with this foreknowledge? That is the question Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus tackled in his 2017 redraft.

Of course, quarterback Patrick Mahomes would have gone No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns instead of defensive end Myles Garrett. However, the next player off the board would have been Watson with the Chicago Bears moving up to No. 2 overall to take him.

Where does that leave the Texans?

According to Linsey, the Texans would have stayed put at No. 25 overall and taken cornerback Chidobe Awuzie from Colorado with their first-round pick.

The Texans’ biggest area of need right now is help in the secondary, and Awuzie is the cornerback left on the board with the best track record over a three-year span. He’s been solid in coverage for the Cowboys the past two years, with coverage grades of 65.4 and 70.5 to go along with an allowed completion rate of 62.5%. Those aren’t spectacular numbers, but they also aren’t going to kill your team. Looking at the players left on the board and the sort of value that a player like Awuzie has brought to the table, it makes sense for him to go here to a team that could use him.

The problem with taking Awuzie in the first round is quarterback. Houston dealt away quarterback Brock Osweiler of March 9 that year because they were in search of a franchise quarterback. If in this alternate reality they didn’t address quarterback in free agency, then the organization was most certainly going to look to the draft to fix the issue. Coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t going to lead a team with Tom Savage and T.J. Yates under center.

Other options in the draft were DeShone Kizer, Davis Webb, D.J. Beathard, Joshua Dobbs, Brad Kaaya, and Chad Kelly. New Orleans Saints athlete Taysom Hill was part of the undrafted class in 2017.

Even in a redraft, the Texans weren’t going to sit by and let a franchise quarterback get away.

Houston fans are thankful Linsey’s piece is nothing more than an exercise in alternate realities and not the status quo. Watson has fixed the quarterback issues that have plagued the organization since Matt Schaub fell of the map in 2013. Now, the Texans have other issues to fix.

Colts select CB Desmond King in 2017 re-draft

How different might the 2017 NFL draft be?

The 2017 NFL draft was Chris Ballard’s first as general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, and they were ecstatic when safety Malik Hooker fell to their spot in the middle of the first round.

But would Hooker still be the pick for the Colts three years later? According to Pro Football Focus and their re-draft of the 2017 class, the answer would be no. But they did stay with a defensive back selection.

In Pro Football Focus’ 2017 re-draft, the Colts went with cornerback Desmond King:

15. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: CB DESMOND KING II

Previous Pick: S Malik Hooker

King was fantastic across his first two seasons with overall grades of 85.7 in 2017 and 88.6 in 2018. That fell to 69.4 this past season, but it was still good enough to rank 37th among 114 qualifying cornerbacks. The Chiefs and the 49ers were the two most efficient teams in the NFL when targeting the slot this season, and the fact that those two teams were Super Bowl representatives is no mistake. The best teams in the NFL have gotten good at attacking the slot, so teams have to be able to counter with players who can limit production inside. That’s exactly what King provides.

King has had an excellent career since joining the Chargers as a fifth-round pick. He’s had an impact in the passing game with four interceptions and 17 passes defended in three seasons while also recording 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

The Colts have been happy with Hooker when he’s on the field, but the 2019 season proved that they need to see more from the Ohio State product. They weren’t unhappy by any means, but Ballard did mention how he thought Hooker tailed off at the end of the season.

Hooker wound up going to the New York Giants in this re-draft, rather than the selection of tight end Evan Engram.

Who would Chargers take in Round 1 of 2017 NFL re-draft?

The Los Angeles Chargers could have drafted a proven right tackle in the first-round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected wide receiver Mike Williams with their seventh overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Williams was the wild card throughout the pre-draft process because many thought the Bolts were going to take an offensive lineman, safety or defensive tackle with that pick.

The team elected to go with Williams because they were in need of adding an insurance after Keenan Allen had been hit with two consecutive season-ending injuries.

Williams hasn’t stamped himself as one of the league’s best wideouts, but he’s improved each season and has been a reliable No. 2 for the Chargers, doing what he does best by elevating to haul in 50/50 balls down the field.

What if Los Angeles went a different route with pick No. 7? Pro Football Focus believes that they could’ve used the selection to bolster the offensive line with tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

Over the last three seasons, no tackle in the league has graded higher than Ramczyk. The scary part is that it has come in the first three seasons of his career. The learning curve that some tackles have once they get to the NFL level hasn’t existed for Ramczyk, and he was the only tackle with pass-blocking and run-blocking grades above 80.0 in 2019. The Chargers, who have had struggles on the offensive line for a decade, would welcome Ramczyk with open arms to start opposite Russell Okung and hopefully provide them some stability up front. We all know they could use it.

Viewed as one of the top-rated tackles during the pre-draft process, Ramczyk fell all the way to the last pick in the first-round, where he was taken by the New Orleans Saints. Based on his play through three seasons, he wouldn’t have fallen that far in a re-draft.

To address the trenches, the Chargers double dipped with Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney in Round 2 and 3, respectively. Unfortunately, it hasn’t panned out in both of their professional careers to this point, but they were viewed as steals based on where they were selected.

Had Los Angeles taken Ramczyk with their first-round pick, they would have a reliable presence to protect the pocket at the right tackle position, as Ramczyk and left tackle Russell Okung would create a formidable duo up front.

The Bolts could have also selected their quarterback of the future with Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson, both who were available when they were on the clock.

Bills’ Tre’Davious White on Pat Mahomes comparisons: ‘That’s just football’

Buffalo Bills CB Tre’Davious White on comparisons to Patrick Mahomes from the 2017 NFL draft.

As the Kansas City Chiefs prep to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, messages of mistake have crossed the Buffalo Bills and their social media realm.

Many fans of the team questioned whether or not the club made a mistake in 2017. At that year’s draft, Buffalo drafted traded back with Kansas City from pick 10 to 27.

The Bills got an extra first-round pick, Tre’Davious White and more in the deal, but the Chiefs got Super Bowl bound Patritck Mahomes. Should Buffalo have just drafted the QB instead?

Those questions being raised were caught by White. He went on to used the word “ungratefulness” on his own social media account when he noticed it.

For the first time since his message, White, presumable from the Pro Bowl, finally spoke out on the subject. In an interview with The Athletic, White downplayed the whole thing.

“No, it don’t hurt my feelings,” White said.

The All-Pro corner also said he understands why the questions are being raised, realizing it’s not quite a personal attack, instead, just a “nature of the beast” as he referred to the modern day NFL’s high offensive outputs.

“It’s cool, though. I have to understand that’s just football. It’s just the position that I play and the era football is in now,” White said. “I don’t let that get to me.”

But the true worry for some observers of the team is the long-term effects of the conversation. Will White want out of Buffalo after his rookie contract because of the “ungratefulness”? It’s all good, he said.

“One or two or 10 or a thousand fans can’t speak for the whole Bills Mafia,” White said. “I know how I got to handle it. I just have to continue to work hard and have fun.”

“(Buffalo) a special place, man,” White later added. “The football is great. People treat us with some much respect and so much class. It’s a great place to be and play football. I tell people all the time it’s just like college all over again with the passion of the fans.”

That, in particular, is good news. White is entering the final year of his rookie contract, as are Dion Dawkins and Matt Milano. Those three are where the Bills struck gold at the 2017 NFL draft.

With near $90 million in salary cap space this offseason, some could expect the Bills to spend it on free agents. But not so fast, Buffalo has to lock up their own. The Bills might opt to re-sign Dawkins and Milano first, but they’ll eventually get to White, who could reset the entire cornerback market when and if the Bills do re-sign him. However, unlike the other two, the Bills have the fifth-year option on White’s rookie contact as a former first-round pick. Expect that to be activated by the team before a long-term deal comes about.

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How were 8 tight ends drafted before George Kittle in 2017?

George Kittle was drafted in the fifth round out of Iowa by the 49ers in 2017. He was the ninth tight end selected.

George Kittle has proven to be one of the great draft steals in many years. The San Francisco 49ers selected the tight end from Iowa in the fifth round, 146th overall, in 2017. Eight TEs were chosen before Kittle. How did that work out?

O.J. Howard (first, 19 overall)

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

O.J. Howard came out of Alabama to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a big rep and high hopes for the NFC South team. It has not materialized. Howard does have 12 TD catches — the same number as Kittle — but he has far less receptions, 94 for 1,456 yards.

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Jets sign WR Jehu Chesson to reserve/future contract

University of Michigan product, Jehu Chesson, signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets after his practice squad contract expired.

The Jets signed Jehu Chesson to a reserve/future contract on Thursday afternoon.

Chesson spent the 2019 season on the Redskins practice squad. Originally, he was selected by the Chiefs as a fourth-round pick out of the University of Michigan. He only spent one season in Kanas City, finishing his rookie campaign with two receptions for 18 yards.

He was apart of the Chiefs’ final roster cuts during the 2018 season and landed in Washington. In 2018, Chesson had one catch for seven yards. For his career, Chesson has returned three kicks for 65 yards.

Originally from Liberia, Chesson did not begin playing American football until he was an eighth-grader in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a scholarship to play under Brady Hoke and then Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor following an All-State high school career.

At Michigan, Chesson owns the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a game with four. In 50 career games played for the Wolverines, Chesson had 114 receptions for 1,639 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Jets elected to sign Chesson after his practice squad contract expired on Monday and the Redskins elected to not re-sign him. He’s beyond a longshot to make the Jets, but will have an opportunity to make an impression in training camp.