Tag: Bill Barnwell

Bill Barnwell says Broncos had 3rd-best offseason in the NFL

ESPN says the Broncos had the third-best offseason in the NFL.

Last week, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked each NFL team based on how good (or bad) of an offseason they had.

“To measure how each team performed, I’m comparing their roster, cap situation and future draft capital at the beginning of the offseason to what they have in mid-May,” Barnwell wrote on ESPN.com.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ranked No. 1, followed by the Cleveland Browns. The Denver Broncos are ranked No. 3.

Barnwell praised the additions of Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Graham Glasgow, A.J. Bouye, Jurrell Casey and new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Barnwell isn’t sure Melvin Gordon will live up to his contract, though, and he doesn’t like that there was no competition added for Garett Bolles.

Barnwell suggested that bringing in competition for Bolles should be one of the team’s top remaining priorities.

“Jason Peters might be out of their price range, but they could pretty easily justify signing someone like Kelvin Beachum or Cordy Glenn to compete for the job,” Barnwell wrote.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers are ranked No. 10, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 15) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 21). To view Barnwell’s complete offseason rankings, click here.

[vertical-gallery id=640413]

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranks Saints with a top-10 2020 NFL offseason

The Saints received high marks from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell for their 2020 offseason moves, but he doesn’t like their contract with Taysom Hill

[jwplayer e0Asfc66-ThvAeFxT]

The New Orleans Saints accomplished a lot in the 2020 offseason, retaining critical starters in David Onyemata and Andrus Peat while upgrading with free agents like Emmanuel Sanders and Malcolm Jenkins. In the draft, the Saints landed a big addition in Cesar Ruiz while getting deeper at both linebacker (with Zack Baun) and tight end (picking Adam Trautman).

And they’re now in position to start re-upping some of their own free agents ahead of the 2021 cycle, such as Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, and Marcus Williams. It’s a great spot to be in before you even consider that this team has won 13 games in each of its last two seasons.

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, that was enough for the Saints to clock in as the NFL’s ninth most-successful team of the summer. But he took issue with one big move the Saints made: a weighty contract extension with Taysom Hill. Barnwell wrote:

After using the first-round tender on jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill, they elected to lock up the BYU product through 2021 by handing him a one-year, $16.3 million pact that is almost fully guaranteed. Hill has yet to play even half of the offensive snaps in a single game, and there’s little evidence that he profiles as a viable long-term replacement for Brees. Hill turns 30 in August, and the Saints have trusted him to throw only 13 passes over the past two years, including one lone attempt over their five games without Brees in 2019. Hill has a passer rating of 46.6 on those throws. As a player who has touched the ball just under 50 times per season over the past two years, his usage rate needs to triple — or he needs to turn into a useful quarterback after Brees retires — to justify this deal.

It’s easy to see where Barnwell is coming from — that’s a lot of money to hand to an unproven player like Hill. But it makes sense in context of the Saints’ other moves at quarterback.

Hill was offered an extended contract after the Saints brought in Jameis Winston, who provides a clear and present danger to Hill’s claim as the heir-apparent to Drew Brees. By re-signing Hill now, the Saints made a show of good faith and essentially guaranteed his shot to start under center in 2021.

Even if Winston ends up outplaying Hill in training camp and becoming the top backup, Hill has more long-term security than Winston (whose below-market contract runs out after this season). This move was just as much about keeping a player the Saints value around for the foreseeable future as it was keeping him happy. It just might take some time for the decision to yield strong returns.

[vertical-gallery id=33835]

ESPN tabs Chargers as having one of better offseasons among NFL teams

Find out where the Los Angeles Chargers finished in the ESPN analyst’s offseason rankings.

Coming off a disappointing 5-11 2019 season, it was evident that changes needed to be made.

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the necessary changes were made in order to enhance their chances of turning things around in 2020.

Los Angeles departed ways with quarterback Philip Rivers, but they drafted his replacement. Along with that, they acquired a slew of veterans in free agency and play-makers on both sides of the ball in the draft.

In Barnwell’s offseason rankings for all 32 teams, L.A. finished No. 10 overall.

Here’s where he believes the Bolts struck gold:

The Chargers were able to add a number of veterans on what were team-friendly deals relative to the market. Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga arrived on a three-year, $30 million deal. Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. left the Broncos for two years and $17 million. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph signed on a similar deal. The Chargers won the trade when they dealt tackle Russell Okung to Carolina for guard Trai Turner. They even franchised tight end Hunter Henry and locked up running back Austin Ekeler on a four-year, $24.5 million deal. Every deal here looks good.

General manager Tom Telesco hit a home run on each of his free agency signings. While the team lost Russell Okung, they were still able to get a five-time Pro Bowl guard (Trai Turner) out of it. Two of their own top skill players (running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry) were inked, as well.

In the draft, they found the quarterback of the future with Justin Herbert, a plug-and-play linebacker with Kenneth Murray and a few offensive weapons that should contribute early on in their professional careers, which consists of running back Joshua Kelley and wide receivers Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

The only notable thing that Los Angeles failed to do was find Okung’s replacement. Many thought that the team was going to acquire a left tackle, whether it was in free agency or the draft, but they chose not to. Instead, they head into training camp with Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton and possibly Forrest Lamp fighting for the starting job.

ESPN ranks Seahawks offseason 7th worst in the league

Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked Seattle’s offseason moves 26th in the league, thanks mostly to their inability to sign a marquee pass rusher.

Although there is still plenty to be done this offseason around the league – including a lot of marquee free agents who have yet to be signed – the Seattle Seahawks’ offseason so far has not looked upon too favorably by national pundits.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked Seattle’s offseason 26th in the league, with only the Texans, Bears, Patriots, Lions, Rams and Packers below them.

Barnwell compliments the Seahawks for adding depth on the offensive line and called the Phillip Dorsett signing “a steal”. He also praised the Quinton Dunbar trade, although he acknowledged the recent allegations which could end his tenure in Seattle before he ever sets foot on the field.

Barnwell’s primary criticism of the Seahawks is their unwillingness to add a premier edge rusher, something they so sorely need after finishing among the worst pass rushing teams in the NFL last year.

Barnwell also criticized Seattle’s selection of linebacker Jordyn Brooks in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. While he acknowledged that it’s too early to make any snap judgments on picks, and referenced Seattle’s pick of Russell Wilson as a time the team defied the draft grades, he believes the Seahawks should have addressed their needs on the offensive and defensive line first.

The last point in the article is a plea for Seattle to reunite with Jadeveon Clowney, who remains a free agent and fits the team’s need off the edge. Barnwell believes a one-year pact between the two sides is what will make everyone happy, and he believes the team could clear cap space by cutting either David Moore or Jacob Hollister.

The Seahawks are known for making moves late into the offseason, or even during the season like they did last year with Josh Gordon and Quandre Diggs, so evaluating the team in mid-May is obviously not looking at the full picture.

As it stands, however, the Dunbar situation has put a damper on what has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Seahawks up to this point.

[lawrence-related id=61401]

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggests Larry Warford as Saints’ most-likely offseason cut

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggested that New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl guard Larry Warford could be cut or traded after the 2020 NFL Draft.

[jwplayer aZe0XyOw-ThvAeFxT]

What’s next for the New Orleans Saints, now that the big waves of free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft are behind them? The months between now and their late-July training camp look to be quiet, but the Saints could still shake things up with a few crafty roster moves.

One transaction we should prepare for might be the release or trade of veteran guard Larry Warford. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell singled Warford out in a survey of every NFL team’s most-likely cut candidates, writing:

The Saints keep flooding the interior of their offensive line with assets. Last year, they signed Nick Easton in free agency and then traded up to draft Erik McCoy, who excelled at center as a rookie. This offseason, they re-signed Andrus Peat to a five-year, $57.5 million deal and then used their first-round pick on center Cesar Ruiz, who will shift over to guard.

This raises questions about Warford’s future, given that the former Lions guard — who has started 44 regular-season games over the past three seasons in New Orleans — is owed $8.5 million in the final year of his deal.

It isn’t the first time Warford’s name has come up in these sort of conversations. The Athletic also put him out there as an option for the Saints to move during or after the 2020 draft, maybe recouping some picks in 2021 after their always-aggressive trade strategy in this year’s event. The Saints already used their third- and sixth-round picks in 2021, but they’re projected to earn each selection back as compensatory picks — unless the NFL doesn’t allow it.

However, we might not see any movement on Warford until the Saints meet for training camp. The team doesn’t really need any more salary cap space right now, even if they should consider starting on long-term deals with Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, and a handful of other 2021 free agents.

There’s something to be said for making Ruiz and McCoy each earn their starting jobs this summer, and Warford’s presence would push them to compete even harder for a spot on the starting lineup. While the Saints plan to try out both Ruiz and McCoy at guard and center, there could be a scenario where Warford puts in the work during the offseason and ends up looking like the best option to start at right guard again in 2020. If that’s the case, the Saints would know they at least have a quality backup in either Ruiz or McCoy.

[vertical-gallery id=32947]

Bill Barnwell gives Bruce Arians’ return to the NFL a stunning impact grade

Find out what ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had to say about Bruce Arians returning to the NFL to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got off to a rough start this season, going 2-6 after falling to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime back in Week 9. That game marked the last in a five-game stretch away from home for the Bucs, which also saw them travel to cities like Los Angeles and London during that time.

But the team turned it around in the second half, finishing the year 7-9. It was an up-and-down first year for head coach Bruce Arians, who came out of retirement to coach this Bucs squad, but it’s clear this team is heading in the right direction.

So, just how big of an impact did Arians’ return have on the league? According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, not much. In his rankings of the 30 best and worst deals and trades of 2019, Barnwell had Arians’ return at No. 24, giving his impact on the league a D+ grade.

Here’s Barnwell’s reasoning:

“The Cardinals could have stood in Arians’ way and demanded a more significant return for letting their former coach out of retirement, but they ended up agreeing to swap late-round picks. Neither of the players drafted took a regular-season snap. Arians’ Bucs improved as expected, but those upgrades were all on defense, where Tampa Bay improved from 32nd in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) to fifth. Arians’ offense actually fell from 12th in DVOA to 21st, and while Jameis Winston became the first quarterback with 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in NFL history, he also became the first quarterback with 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in NFL history.”

I’m not sure why Barnwell repeats that Winston stat twice. He failed to mention that Winston also became just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, and the first Bucs quarterback to do so. Give credit where credit is due.

Back to that Arians grade, though. While the coach, and Bucs, ultimately didn’t have much of an affect on the NFL this year, there’s no question that the two-time NFL Coach of the Year has brought a winning swagger to Tampa Bay that’s been missing in years past. Also, he was able to convince Todd Bowles to join his staff. That, in itself, deserves an A+.

[lawrence-related id=27416,27409,27388,27373]

Bill Barnwell rips Giants for Odell Beckham, Leonard Williams trades

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ripped the New York Giants and GM Dave Gettleman for the Odell Beckham Jr. and Leonard Williams trades.

The New York Giants’ decision to trade a third- and a possible fourth-round pick to the New York Jets last October in exchange for defensive lineman Leonard Williams was met with mixed reactions from both camps.

Jet fans reacted with glee as they not only rid themselves of an underachieving player but got some much-needed draft capital in return.

Giant fans were puzzled why general manager Dave Gettleman would make such a trade for Williams, an impending free agent who they could simply wait until after the season to sign and in the process keep their picks.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked the 30 most impactful trades of the 2019 season. The Williams trade made the cut at No. 29. By contrast, the most impactful deal of the season was the Tennessee Titans acquisition of quarterback Ryan Tannehill from the Miami Dolphins for a sixth round pick and cash.

From Barnwell:

Giants trade: 2020 third-round pick, 2021 conditional pick
Jets trade: DE Leonard Williams

I wrote about how this trade didn’t make sense at the time, with the 2-6 Giants dealing a third-round pick and a conditional fourth- or fifth-round pick for the privilege of paying Williams $4 million before free agency. Williams, who has perennially posted plenty of knockdowns without ever converting those figures to sacks, posted 11 knockdowns and just a half-sack in his time with the Giants.

What mattered here was the revelation of just how far the Giants are from understanding what is broken with their franchise. Making this trade was foolish. General manager Dave Gettleman justifying the trade was downright depressing. Just weeks before his infamous “computer guys” speech, Gettleman argued that the Giants would get a third-round compensatory pick if they moved on from Williams after the season, which would require Williams to get a contract north of $15 million per season (he won’t) and the Giants to sit out free agency (they won’t). Williams is a fine defensive lineman, but the Giants continue to have a warped view of reality and their current status within the NFL.

Impact grade: D

The trade is a D in terms of impact because it was made between two teams that have a long way to go to get back into contention. It is a D for the Giants simply because it was imprudent from a economical and asset allocation sense. The Jets made out like bandits because they got definitive capital for Williams up front. They would likely have gotten a compensatory pick in return for losing Williams in free agency. Now they know that third-round pick is No. 68 overall and when that pick is on the board Giant fans will have no choice but to look away and cringe.

Additionally, Barnwell also ripped the Giants for trading Beckham.

The Giants lost a star in OBJ, and while you could make the argument that adding a handful of would-be starters for their franchise wide receiver would make some sense, general manager Dave Gettleman continued to disappoint. He signed Golden Tate, a bizarre move for a rebuilding team that already had a slot receiver in Sterling Shepard and a “move” tight end in Evan Engram. Peppers became the box safety the Giants lost when they let Landon Collins leave in free agency. No. 17 pick Dexter Lawrence looked to be a promising big body and run-thumper, but he is serving as the replacement for Damon Harrison, who also was jettisoned by Gettleman.

It’s important to note that Harrison is mulling retirement due to his body breaking down. We must also assume this was written before OBJ’s shenanigans at the National Championship Game between LSU and Clemson.

[lawrence-related id=638634,638608,638602]

Bill Barnwell calls Shaq Barrett’s breakout season something ‘nobody saw coming’

See what Bill Barnwell of ESPN had to say about the breakout year of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett.

It’s hard to believe, but there are just two games left in the 2019 regular season.

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about the hiring of Bruce Arians, the Bucs’ upcoming draft and the release of veteran Gerald McCoy. An offseason with such big moves led to some big expectations for this team entering the season, namely for quarterback Jameis Winston.

While Winston has had his ups and downs this season, one Bucs player who has been a revelation is linebacker Shaq Barrett, who joined Tampa Bay on a one-year deal during the offseason.

Barrett currently leads the NFL with 16.5 sacks, which is also with Warren Sapp for the Bucs’ single-season record. Barrett’s breakout season was one of the 15 surprises that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell says “nobody saw coming” at the beginning of the season.

Here’s part of what Barnwell had to say about Barrett after stating how surprised he was that the NFL sack leader would be a Broncos castoff.

“I did not see the Shaq Barrett season coming. An undrafted free agent in 2014, he showed some promise when he debuted the following season, racking up 5.5 sacks and 12 knockdowns while playing 45% of the defensive snaps. Buried behind DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and Shane Ray, Barrett finally got a chance to start in 2017 and disappointed… It seemed like Barrett might have been a flash in a pan when he followed a run of nine sacks in four games to start the season by picking up just 1.5 sacks over the following four. That has not been the case. He has responded with five sacks and 14 knockdowns over his past four games.”

Barnwell goes on to talk about Barrett’s pending free agency and what we can expect in terms of a deal between him and the Bucs.

“Barrett isn’t going to get [Von] Miller’s six-year, $114.5 million contract this offseason, but as Bruce Arians admittedly recently, Barrett ‘ain’t going anywhere.’ The Bucs could use their franchise and transition tags to keep Barrett and Jameis Winston in-house for the short term, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they negotiated a multiyear deal with their star pass-rusher.”

Barrett, himself, sounds like he wants to return to the Bucs next year if they can strike a deal. It’s in both parties’ best interest to get a deal done. Barrett has flourished in this Todd Bowles system and the Bucs have an emerging superstar to play alongside Devin White.

It’s a win-win situation for both sides.

[lawrence-related id=26407,26402,26391,26364]

ESPN highlights where Josh Allen needs to improve

Bill Barnwell of ESPN, while acknowledging Allen’s improvements over last season, pointed out several aspects of Allen’s game that are still lagging behind.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has certainly made some improvements during his second season in the NFL. He has become more comfortable in the intermediate passing game, less likely to force the ball into dangerous situations, and reduced his number of turnovers. His passing yards per game has improved by 38 yards, and his adjusted yards per attempt has increased from 5.4 yards to 6.7 per pass.

These improvements have been a part of the Bills residing on the cusp of a playoff berth.

Nevertheless, there are aspects of his game that still need to be refined if the Buffalo Bills are to make a serious run into the playoffs this year. Their defense has shown itself to be among the league’s best, but the offense will need to increase their production and efficiency if Buffalo has a shot at winning their first playoff game in this millennium. This starts with Allen.

ESPN acknowledged Allen’s improvements over last season, pointing out several aspects of Allen’s game that are still lagging behind:

“When you give Allen time to throw in a clean pocket, he has improved his footwork and decision-making to the point where he can make an accurate pass and take advantage of his athleticism to create throwing windows.”

However, the Wyoming product has struggled to reproduce his success with the deep ball from the 2018 season. During this campaign, Allen is 31st in passer rating on passes traveling further than 20 yards in distance. ESPN highlights this figure is better than only two qualifying quarterbacks: Jared Goff and Kyle Allen. In addition, Josh Allen’s QBR is last among quarterbacks in the NFL.

In addition, Buffalo must find a way to help Allen become more comfortable against blitzes. Whether it’s pre-snap decisions, changes in blocking scheme, or better system of calling audibles at the line,  Allen must be more efficient when opponents bring a variety of blitz packages against him. ESPN shares evidence on this front.

“QBR incorporates running and accounts for Allen making plays with his legs against blitzes, but when teams do send extra pressure, he ranks 28th in QBR at 38.4, ahead of only Daniel Jones, Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. The Bills starter has the league’s worst completion percentage — 27.2% — when pressured.”

In addition, how Allen handles situations when he breaks out of the pocket and scrambles will need to be addressed. In a copycat league, the Ravens exposed one way to contain Allen. Baltimore used  “a second wave of defenders to chase him down as he scrambled.” The Bills signal-caller will need to be cognizant of this as teams work to limit his progress on the ground and throwing on the run.

If Allen can improve up these three aspects of his game, it will undoubtedly give the Bills a better chance at doing something they have not done in 24 years. This is a franchise that is longing for a playoff victory, as a postseason triumph has not happened since 1995.  A postseason berth plus a playoff victory will have Allen as a replacement for Jim Kelly as the last quarterback to lead the Bills to a postseason win.

For Buffalo’s offense, it all starts will Allen.

[lawrence-related id=50775,50811,50795]

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell names Vita Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell named Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took down the Atlanta Falcons yesterday 35-22 for their fourth win of the season (their third on the road).

The star of the game was no doubt Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin, who finished the day with seven receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 1,071 yards. It’s the first 1,000-yard season of Godwin’s young career.

But, let’s not forget about the stellar day from nose tackle Vita Vea, who finished with a sack and touchdown reception in the win.

Today, Bill Barnwell of ESPN named Vea to his 2019 All-Underrated team, and in part of his assessment of the big man, Barnwell points out how one old school coach would’ve loved the nose tackle.

Take a look.

“Vea made headlines Sunday for catching a touchdown pass during Tampa’s 35-22 win in Atlanta, but there’s more to the former first-round pick than a soft set of hands… The former Washington standout added a sack and two passes defensed to his totals against the Falcons, although he’s admittedly still a work in progress as a pass-rusher, where his limited wingspan may play against him. Vea is more realistically an example of the old George Young/Bill Parcells “Planet Theory” approach to the draft, where you recognize that there are only so many 300-plus pound human beings with truly elite athleticism on the planet and draft them when you see them. Vea, who was a change-of-pace running back in high school, is the sort of player Parcells would have loved. He’s quickly growing into a rare difference-maker for the Bucs’ defense.”

Vea has been a beast for the Bucs this season, and his pairing with Ndamukong Suh has made the Bucs’ rush defense one of the best in the NFL.

Tampa Bay will take to the road again in Week 13, this time staying in-state as they travel to Jacksonville to face the 4-7 Jaguars. Despite their big win against the Falcons, the Buccaneers currently find themselves as underdogs against the Jags.

[lawrence-related id=25411,25406,25342,25380]