Tag: Arik Armstead

49ers, Arik Armstead agree to long-term deal

The 49ers avoided the franchise tag and signed Arik Armstead to a multi-year contract.

The 49ers’ first big domino of the offseason started to fall Monday when they agreed to a 5-year $85 million deal with defensive lineman Arik Armstead according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Armstead, 26, was a candidate for the franchise tag that would’ve paid him around $19 million fully guaranteed for one season. He and the team wound up settling on a long-term deal that saves the 49ers some money in the short term while giving Armstead some long-term security.

Last season was Armstead’s best as a pro. He led San Francisco with 10.0 sacks, which is one more than he had in his first four years combined. The 2015 first-round pick was also outstanding again as a run defender in his fifth season. If he keeps combining his run-stopping skill set with something around 10 sacks, he’ll continue to be a valuable member of the 49ers’ defensive line through the duration of his contract.

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6 high-profile free agents the Bills could realistically land

In recent years the Bills have landed some great value free agents and we’ll certainly see Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane tap into those types of players once again.

Despite the recent swing in daily life across the country in the past week, the NFL’s free agency period will go on as planned.

On Monday at noon, teams can start making deals with players, but those deals cannot be finalized until Wednesday at 4 p.m. We’re in for a bumpy ride in the rumor mill in the coming days.

In recent years the Bills have landed some great value free agents and we’ll certainly see Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane tap into those types of players once again. But this time around, could the Bills be suitors for some of the big fish on the market? Buffalo does currently enter this week with $75.5 million in salary cap space, third-most in the NFL per Spotrac.

With that, here are six high-profile free agents the Bills could realistically target and land in the coming days:

Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

WR Breshad Perriman

Age: 26

Breshad Perriman is a breakout candidate that some team will take a chance on. As a former first-round pick, his rookie season was derailed by injury with the Ravens and then he had three-straight disappointing campaigns that followed. In 2019, his fortunes changed.

As that season went on for the Buccaneers, he saw more and more playing time. Perriman, 26, turned into a vertical threat last season as he notched 36 catches, 645 yards and six touchdowns, all career-highs. In addition to his solid 6-foot-2 frame, Perriman also ran a 40-yard dash time of somewhere between 4.19 seconds and 4.25 at his pro day, and Perriman seemed to have fixed any problems he had with dropping the ball. Over the past two seasons, he only has one drop, according to Pro Football Focus.

Overall, Perriman’s had more tough times in his career than good ones. But his final three-game stretch in 2019, one which saw him grab 17 catches for 349 yards with four touchdowns will cause one team to add a few more digits to his contract for next season. Exactly how many is to be determined, but it’s certainly a contract the Bills could fit.

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6 DEs the Colts should consider in free agency

Edge rushers for the Colts in free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for free agency to begin this week as it is currently slated to do and with that should come some interest in the market for defensive ends.

With an abundance of salary-cap space (over $80 million), the Colts can essentially go after any free agent they want. They won’t, of course, because general manager Chris Ballard is very calculated and cautious when it comes to adding big contracts in free agency. But there are still players they should consider targeting before the price gets too out of hand.

Here are six defensive ends the Colts should consider in free agency:

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Jadeveon Clowney | Seattle Seahawks | Age: 27

When the franchise tags are all official, Clowney will be the biggest fish in the free agent market. One could argue he was regardless, but it will be official by Monday. Clowney possesses all of the potential in what an elite defensive end can bring to a defense.

He’s a freak athlete that combines insane size, speed and power at one of the most crucial positions across the entire roster. There are concerns with his game of course. He’s a stout run defender and sets the edge with near perfection, but his pass-rushing leaves a little to be desired. He’s still strong in this area, but he’s never had a season with double-digit sacks.

There is also the question of durability. Over his six-year career, Clowney has missed 21 games (most of which came in 2014). But if he’s commanding $21 million per year on the market, the Colts will need availability from him.

Clowney would be intriguing to add to the defensive line and while it is unlikely the Colts will sign him when looking at the big picture, he should be considered at the very least.

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Predicting where the top 21 free agents will land

From Tom Brady to Amari Cooper to Philip Rivers, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar identifies likely fits for this year’s top NFL free agents.

 

 

Predicting where the top 21 free agents will land

From Tom Brady to Amari Cooper to Philip Rivers, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar identifies likely fits for this year’s top NFL free agents.

There are all kinds of reasons players end up on new teams in free agency. The best reason, of course, is that a front office and a group of coaches will correctly estimate that the player fits perfectly in the new team’s set of schemes and concepts. Other teams prefer to take their existing cap space, throw stuff against the wall and see if anything sticks. No matter the reason, here’s where we think the top 21 players in the upcoming free-agent class will land.

This list doesn’t include players who have been given the franchise tag by their current teams, although those moves can lead to sign-and-trade deals — in the case of Jacksonville Jaguars edge-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, that scenario seems especially possible. And with Drew Brees saying that he’s coming back to the Saints and reportedly willing to take a below-market deal to do so, he’s off the list as well. These are the top 21 potential free agents at this point, and where we think they will land based on positional need, player value and team cap flexibility.

Tom Brady: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)

It sounds crazy to some, but there’s no guarantee that Brady will be back with the Patriots after 20 fairly successful seasons. Following a frustrating 2019 campaign in which he struggled with timing and accuracy with receivers who couldn’t consistently gain separation, Brady fell short of the Super Bowl despite a Patriots defense that was one of the best in recent memory. One might assume the Patriots can improve that situation in the offseason, but what if Brady is simply looking for a change of scenery? He would require a team that is on a championship curve minus the quarterback, a group of receivers who can beat coverage and an offensive play-designer who can match Brady’s remaining talents with the right scheme.

The Buccaneers come in with a check-check-check scenario. Todd Bowles coordinated a defense that rose from dead last to fifth overall in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are one of the NFL’s most formidable receiving duos, and if you can get Bruce Arians to use his tight ends in the passing game, there’s the dynamic duo of Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard. When matching Brady and Arians together, as some observers have tried to do based on this Tampa Bay Times report that the Bucs are “all in” on the idea of Brady, many will cite Arians’ preferred deep passing attack and Brady’s supposedly dead arm. Well, last season, even with an underwhelming group of targets, Brady still completed 26 of 67 passes of 20 or more air yards for 749 yards, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Plus, Arians’ passing game is more than just a bunch of go routes — think more of three levels to the quarterback’s front side, and quick bailout routes to the back side.

So, when you consider alternate accommodations for Tom Brady, Tampa Bay is definitely one destination to consider.

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11 pass rushers the Ravens could target in free agency

The Baltimore Ravens desperately need help getting after the quarterback, especially if they lose Matthew Judon. These 11 players could help

Anyone who watched the Baltimore Ravens during their incredible 14-2 run last season, while being blown away by the offense, must have noticed just how frequently the team blitzed on defense. The numbers back up this visual assessment, as the Ravens blitzed at the highest rate in the NFL last season, sending extra rushers on 54.9% of their defensive plays. Yet despite this aggression, the Ravens finished with only 37 sacks, the 12th fewest in the league.

Sacks are not everything of course. However, the other measure of pass-rush success is quarterback hits, which Baltimore struggled with outside of Matthew Judon. With Judon among the Ravens’ pending free agents, Baltimore could be left with Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson pushed into starting roles. Considering the pair had just 19 combined quarterback hits compared to Judon’s 33, that would be a massive blow they’d have to fill immediately.

Hopefully, the Ravens and their front office have noticed this too and will be taking steps to beef up the teams’ pass rush this offseason. They may well look to do this through the draft, but there are some potential pass rushers on the free agency market that the team may consider bringing in.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Arik Armstead

Armstead enjoyed a breakout season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers’ smothering defense in 2019. He had a slow start to his time in the NFL, being active for just 30 games in his first three seasons and only starting 11 of the games he played in during that timeframe.

But Armstead has started every game in each of the last two seasons, and in 2019 he amassed a career-high 10.0 sacks, while also posting 18 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for loss. Armstead only had 13 TFLs in his first four seasons combined. Armstead offers some versatility having played at both defensive end and defensive tackle at times for the 49ers.

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No additional compensatory picks awarded for 49ers

There’s a good chance the 49ers are awarded multiple comp picks in the 2021 draft.

The 49ers weren’t awarded any compensatory picks Tuesday when the additional NFL draft selections were announced.

Comp picks are awarded to teams that incur a net loss in the previous year’s free agency. Since San Francisco didn’t lose any key free agents last offseason, while making moves like signing linebacker Kwon Alexander and re-signing free safety Jimmie Ward, they didn’t have what the comp pick formula considered to be a ‘net loss.’

The formula is a secret that takes salary, playing time and postseason awards into account, although it doesn’t apply to every free agent that hits the market.

The Patriots were given four comp picks – the maximum amount allowed. Seattle received three comp picks. The Rams picked up one additional selection. Arizona, like the 49ers, was shut out.

There’s a good chance the 49ers are a factor in the comp pick formula next season, especially if they lose any free agents like Arik Armstead, Emmanuel Sanders or Jimmie Ward. Losing all three of them, while unlikely, would surely mean San Francisco would acquire a heavy load of comp picks in the 2021 draft.

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Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: DE Arik Armstead

Today’s potential free agent target is 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead.

Although the Panthers are reported to be interested, Mario Addison will be testing free agency later this month. While Addison is now 32 years old, he has posted at least nine sacks four years in a row, so odds are he will get a respectable offer and won’t be returning to Carolina in 2020. The Dolphins might be the best destination for Addison – they ranked last in sacks last season and have more cap space than any other team right now.

That means the Panthers have to prepare to add another EDGE defender to the rotation, especially if Bruce Irvin (who also happens to be 32) is not in their long-term plans. Today’s potential free agent target is 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead.

Career stats:

Armstead (6-foot-7, 292 pounds) played his college ball at Oregon and then got picked by San Francisco in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He’s played 62 games, totaling 19 sacks, 47 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and 24 tackles for a loss so far.

Pros:

Armstead is one of the best edge defenders in this draft class and Carolina probably won’t be able to afford signing a star like Jadeveon Clowney or Yannick Ngakoue. He’s only 26 years old, so he should be a strong contributor for at least another contract. Armstead is coming off a career-best year with 10 sacks in 2019 and would give Brian Burns the long-term parter in crime he needs.

Cons:

For a first-round pick, Armstead’s numbers might be a bit underwhelming. However, it’s important to remember that he only became a full-time starter two seasons ago. What’s more concerning is that he missed 18 games between 2016-2017 due to shoulder and hand injuries.

Probability: Low

This is a good year to need a veteran edge rusher, but the Panthers simply don’t have the resources to compete for a first-rounder right now. Also, the 49ers seem like they want Armstead back. Drafting a defensive end who can fit Phil Snow’s multiple system is a better bet.

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49ers’ window to use franchise tag extended

The 49ers caught another break in their ongoing negotiations with defensive lineman Arik Armstead.

The 49ers’ window to use a franchise tag on defensive lineman Arik Armstead was extended Tuesday. They now have until March 16 at 8:59:59 AM PST to place a tag on the soon-to-be free agent.

The negotiating window for free agents will open one second later at 9:00 am PST, while free agency still officially opens at 1:00 pm PST on March 18.

This is significant for San Francisco since it gives them an additional four days to work out a long-term deal with Armstead. The original deadline was March 12 at 1:00 PM. If the 49ers can’t work out a multi-year contract, they can place a franchise tag on Armstead that would pay him around $19 million fully guaranteed for one season.

Tagging him wouldn’t guarantee he’s on the roster again though. He could hold out and opt to not sign the tag, although that outcome is the least likely. The team could also tag and then trade him. One benefit of using the tag is that it extends the negotiating window for a long-term deal even further. The deadline to offer long-term extensions to a player on the tag is July 15.

Tuesday marked the second time the league pushed the franchise/transition tag deadline back this offseason. It was originally scheduled for March 10. Ongoing CBA negotiations have been the catalyst for the moves. A quirk of the previous agreement allowed for teams to use both the franchise and transition tags in the final year of a CBA, which is where the league is heading in 2020 if no new agreement is reached.

The latest move back is to put the tag deadline outside of the players’ voting window. Previously, a team that used both the franchise and transition tags would’ve had to rescind one upon approval of a new CBA. Now, the CBA will either be approved or not before the tag deadline, so teams will know whether they can use just one or both tags.

For the 49ers, they won’t use both tags, but the new date allows them a few more negotiating days to try and retain their sack leader from last season.

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Colts’ 2020 free agency target: DE Arik Armstead

Arik Armstead set career-highs in several categories.

Even with a pair of promising young edge rushers, the Indianapolis Colts could be in the market to add a defensive end in free agency. Could this make Arik Armstead a target?

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Profile

Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 292
Age: 26
Drafted: 2015 — First round (No. 17)

Career Stats

The Road So Far

Armstead was highly-touted as a first-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers but never truly had the production to match the hype. He has all of the physical tools to be successful but through his first four seasons in the league, he recorded just 9.0 sacks and 29 quarterback hits in 46 games.

However, Armstead got a resurgence when he needed it most. On the final year of his rookie contract, Armstead led the 49ers with 10.0 sacks and was second on the defense with 18 quarterback hits, behind Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa.

In 2019, Armstead set career-highs in sacks (10), tackles for loss (11) and quarterback hits (18).

Fit With The Colts

The defensive end room for the Colts is already solid but improvements must be made. Justin Houston still has enough left in the tank while Kemoko Turay was on his way to a strong season before injury. Ben Banogu flashed in limited work and it remains to be seen if Jabaal Sheard will be re-signed.

Armstead brings a lot of versatility and upside to the defense. His size would allow him to play the edge on early downs while trying to get upfield but then kick inside on third downs, giving the Colts a little extra juice on the interior.

Armstead still has the physical tools to be successful and while he won’t automatically be a double-digit sack rusher every year, the Colts have the scheme and mindset to get the most out of him.

Price

Had Armstead not broken out like he did, his price wouldn’t be that high. And given his age, he should be in line for a nice payday. The market likely indicates that Armstead could see somewhere around $15–17 million at an average annual value. For a player that has had one good year, that’s probably too rich for Chris Ballard’s liking. An AAV of $15 million would put Armstead in the top-15 for all defensive linemen. It’s unlikely Ballard wants to pay that unless they really feel he’s a perfect fit.

Conclusion

Armstead is an intriguing target for the Colts. He has the physical tools to be a nice fit for the defense and would provide a solid upgrade with consistency. The market might phase the Colts out of serious talks for Armstead, but he is at least an edge rusher they should consider in free agency.

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