Panthers are keeping Addison:

Panthers re-signed DE Mario Addison to a three-year, $22.5 million contract.
He got $11.5 million guaranteed. Addison isn't a household name, but he is a big keep for Carolina. The 29-year-old rotational edge rusher led the Panthers in sacks (9.5) last season and has at least six quarterback takedowns in three straight years. Panthers GM Dave Gettleman's two biggest offseason priorities were retaining Addison and free agent DT Kawann Short. Short will almost certainly be franchise tagged by Wednesday's deadline.
Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter Feb 26 - 5:04 PM

This is good news for the Colts as Poe would be a great NT to rotate with Parry. Or, he will at least let some other team take the "top" off the NT market.

I liked Parry's game in 2016 and felt like he was one of the few D-Linemen that played well (along with Ridgeway in a "not expecting much from him" way). I think Parry will be even more effective if he has a quality "partner in crime" at NT (better than Kerr) to share snaps with and know that he can stay fresh as the game goes on.

Poe is coming off his rookie contract and made $6.146m last year under the "5th year" clause on 1st round draft choices.

However, it would also be wise to kick the ties on the other NTs that are hitting the open market as many of them are fairly poorly paid, had 2016 performances that were better or nearly equal to Poe and will cost a WHOLE lot less money.

Current NT cap hits:

Cap Hit is 2017 cap hit if not a free agent or 2016 cap hit if he is a free agent. Stats are from 2016 season.

$04.657m = 68 tackles / 8 TFL / 7.0 sacks / Leonard Williams, NYJ
$02.925m = 59 tackles / 1 TFL / 1.5 sacks / Danny Shelton, CLE
$01.799m = 51 tackles / 3 TFL / 1.0 sacks / Brandon Williams, BAL (Free Agent)
$00.625m = 47 tackles / 1 TFL / 3.0 sacks / David Parry, IND
$16.085m = 39 tackles / 3 TFL / 3.5 sacks / Marcell Dareus, BUF
$00.905m = 33 tackles / 3 TFL / 1.0 sacks / Ziggy Hood, WAS (Free Agent)
$01.013m = 29 tackles / 3 TFL / 1.0 sacks / Sylvester Williams, DEN (Free Agent)
$00.733m = 27 tackles / 3 TFL / 2.0 sacks / Javon Hargrave, PIT
$06.146m = 27 tackles / 1 TFL / 1.5 sacks / Dontari Poe, KC (Free Agent)
$00.525m = 26 tackles / 1 TFL / 0.0 sacks / Mike Purcell, SF (RFA)
$02.765m = 24 tackles / 2 TFL / 1.0 sacks / Glenn Dorsey, SF (Free Agent)

Of interest are both Purcell and Dorsey as SF is moving from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense and neither may fit into their D-Line plans.

With the exception of Dareus and Poe, most of these guys are pretty low paid. While I think Poe would be a good addition, perhaps targeting one of the "lesser names" who is playing above or as effectively as Poe might be a better strategy.

It is going to be an interesting month.

Cheers,

Not that there was ever any real chance, but it's officially impossible:

Albert Breer
‏@AlbertBreer
The Cardinals have officially placed the franchise tag on OLB/DE Chandler Jones.

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter
Other players expected to be tagged by Wednesday deadline include Kirk Cousins, Le'Veon Bell, Kawann Short, Melvin Ingram, Trumaine Johnson.


Melvin Ingram getting the tag is mildly surprising and disappointing in that I think he'd be a nice fit at pass rush.

Donta Hightower is a notable admission, getting him would obviously be a very nice addition.

Must ask Arthur Jones to take pay cut or get cut.

Must re-sign Jack Doyle to starter money.

Should re-sign Darius Butler to good depth money ($4m a year).

Exercise Exclusive Restricted Free Agent tag on Erik Swoope.

Let everyone else hit the open market and see what happens.


My list of free agent targets:

NT:
Brandon Williams, BAL
Dontari Poe, KC
Ziggy Hood, WAS

5-Tech DE:
Calais Campbell, ARI
Chris Baker, WAS

OLB:
Nick Perry, GB
Jabaal Sheard, NE
John Simon, HOU

ILB:
Dont'a Hightower, NE
Zach Brown, BUF
Gerald Hodges, SF

CB:
Stephon Gilmore, BUF
A.J. Bouye, HOU
Trumaine Johnson, LAR
Logan Ryan, NE

Safety:
Tony Jefferson, ARI
Barry Church, DAL
Jonathan Cyprien, JAX

Add pretty much any three guys from three different position groups in the above list and that really shapes our draft board for April.

My hope would be to find one at each level (D-Line, LB, Secondary) to add veteran experience and then reinforce with the draft taking at least one at each level with our 1st - 3th round picks and then using the two picks 4th round picks to reinforce the defense and then add RB or O-Line.

Other Free Agents I am Interested In:
RB Jacquizz Rodgers, TB
RB Latavius Murray, OAK
OG Kevin Zeitler, CIN
OG T.J. Lang, GB
OG Larry Warford, DET
OT Ricky Wagner, BAL
OT Marshall Newhouse, NYG
WR Robert Woods, BUF
WR Kenny Stills, MIA

In Ballard we trust?

Cheers,

Well we just signed T/G Fahn Cooper from San Fran's practice squad:
http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/...2?sf59001307=1

Surprised you dont have Micah Hyde listed at safety. He is younger than Butler and can play multiple positions

I don't dislike Hyde at all. I just dont think he is a "prize" in free agency.

He is Lowery part 2...solid but not great.

Butler is known. Hyde is not

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

KC is currently only $4m under the cap so Berry's new cap hit will mean they need to do some roster trimming or contract restructuring to have any more cap room for the future.

Cutting either Alex Smith or Nick Foles delivers about $9m in cap relief in either case paying for Berry's new contract.

WR Jeremy Maclin delivers $5m in relief.
OT Eric Fisher delivers $9m in relief.
DT Jaye Howard delivers $4m in relief.

No one else delivers more than about $2.5m in cap relief.

Now that Berry is signed, that theoretically means that they could tag Poe. However, the projected tag amount for DTs is $14.770m so, perhaps they might balk at doing so.

Still a good chance of Poe hitting free agency.

Cheers,

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BREAKING: Chiefs will release veteran RB Jamaal Charles today http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...gn=Twitter_atn …


I guess we'll find out soon if Ballard has a pro-KC bias.