HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Ravens Notes: Boldin, Pettine, Newsome

January 23rd, 2014 at 5:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Things didn’t quite pan out for the Ravens as they hoped they would in the 2013 season. After an 8-8 finish, General Manager Ozzie Newsome & Co. are anxious to move things in a positive direction and get back to where they were this time last year. Here’s the latest out of Baltimore..

  • Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if the Ravens could reunite with wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Newsome was very open about his desire to add a pass catcher that can “make a third-and-7, third-and-8 catch and run after the catch” and the former Raven would certainly fit the bill. There’s a lot working against a Boldin return, however. Not only is the veteran happy in San Francisco, but the Ravens are also once again tight on dollars.
  • Ravens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz spoke with Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com about what the team is looking for in a receiver in this year’s draft and it sounds an awful lot like Boldin. “Forget about his size, forget about his speed,” Hortiz said. “Can he make the play?”
  • New Browns coach Mike Pettine is just the latest to come from the Ravens pipeline, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Seven of the current 32 NFL head coaches have roots with the Ravens: Pettine (Browns), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Rex Ryan (Jets), Mike Smith (Falcons), Chuck Pagano (Colts), Jim Caldwell (Lions) and Ken Whisenhunt (Titans).

NFC East Links: Avant, Eagles, Cowboys

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the NFC East:

  • Coming off his least productive season since 2008, Jason Avant still believes he has plenty left in the tank, as he tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. However, the Eagles will have to make a decision in the coming weeks on what to do with Avant, who is scheduled to receive a $1MM roster bonus in March, on top of his $2.25MM base salary.
  • The Eagles figure to be targeting safeties again in the 2014 draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, detailing a number of possible options for the team.
  • Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated that the team is open to drafting a quarterback in May, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
  • On the heels of kicker Dan Bailey inking a seven-year contract with the Cowboys, Watkins explores a few candidates for the next Dallas player to receive a long-term extension, starting with Dez Bryant.

Browns Hire Mike Pettine As Head Coach

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

4:44pm: Pettine agreed to a five-year contract with the Browns, according to team CEO Joe Banner (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

3:12pm: The last NFL team without a coach has finally found its man. The Browns have hired Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their new head coach, with a press conference scheduled for this afternoon, according to the team (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported (via Twitter) that the Browns had reached an agreement with Pettine.

Long after every other head coaching position in the NFL had been filled, the Browns continued to interview candidates and consider potential options to succeed Rob Chudzinski. Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were among the names the Browns were said to be eyeing before hiring Pettine.

Pettine, who spent four years as the defensive coordinator with the Jets before heading to Buffalo last year, turned the Bills’ D into a top-five unit, according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, a significant turnaround after the team ranked 27th in 2012.

According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), Pettine will bring Bills linebacker coach Jim O’Neil to Cleveland to be his defensive coordinator, assuming Buffalo is willing to let him out of his contract. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that Pettine had identified Alex Van Pelt as a top candidate for Cleveland’s offensive coordinator opening, but Van Pelt will remain with the Packers as the team’s QB coach (Twitter links).

Latest On Dolphins’ GM Search

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Browns executive Ray Farmer, who had been considered a frontrunner for the Dolphins’ general manager job, will forgo a second interview with Miami to remain in Cleveland, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After initially reporting (via Twitter) that Farmer had decided to stay with the Browns, La Canfora added that John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance urged Farmer to reconsider and take a second interview to work through some of his reservations about the position (Twitter links). However, it doesn’t appear as if Farmer will heed that recommendation, as the Browns’ front office confirmed today that the assistant GM will continue on with the club (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

By pulling his named out of contention, Farmer becomes the latest in a string of GM candidates to come off the board for the Dolphins. Most recently, Jason Licht, another strong contender for Miami’s opening, reached an agreement with the Buccaneers to become the new GM in Tampa Bay.

La Canfora reported (Twitter links) last night that Omar Kahn of the Steelers, Lake Dawson of the Titans, and Brian Xanders of the Lions weren’t considered finalists, leaving Dennis Hickey of the Bucs and internal candidate Brian Gaine as contenders for the job. According to a tweet from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport though, Dawson will receive a third interview this week with the Dolphins, so perhaps the removal of Farmer from the mix prompted the Dolphins to reconsider Dawson’s candidacy.

The Dolphins are expected to hire a GM next week, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.

No Progress In Talks Between Hardy, Panthers

January 23rd, 2014 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

There hasn’t been any movement in extension talks between Greg Hardy and the Panthers, the defensive end tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Hardy, whose rookie deal is set to expire, will face potential unrestricted free agency this offseason.

The Panthers won’t have a ton of cap flexibility this winter, but Hardy, who recorded a career-high 15 sacks in 2013, figures to be one of their top priorities. GM Dave Gettleman made comments last week that seemed to hint Carolina was bracing for the possibility of letting Hardy walk in free agency, but the club may still keep the 25-year-old off the open market. The Panthers could use the franchise tag on Hardy for about $11-12MM, and the former sixth-round pick also indicated last month that he’d be open to accepting a hometown discount on a long-term extension.

“I’ll take some cut for the city,” Hardy told Person. “I still want what I deserve or what I feel (is) close to what I deserve, but I’ll definitely take a small cut for the city.”

It figures to be a busy offseason for the Panthers, who have 21 players, including Hardy, slated for free agency. Cam Newton will also become eligible for a contract extension, and the Panthers will likely make every effort to lock up their franchise quarterback.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

January 21st, 2014 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, Pro Football Rumors has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

About Pro Football Rumors

January 21st, 2014 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors is a clearinghouse for relevant, legitimate NFL rumors. The site focuses on free agent signings, trades, and the NFL draft. Rumors come from established journalists, and always include a link to the source material. All 32 teams are covered. Zach Links, the site’s head writer and editor, is supported by a team of eight part-time writers. You can follow Zach on Twitter: @ZachLinks.

Pro Football Rumors has new material 365 days a year, and attempts to post all rumors with analysis as soon as they are available. The site was created by Tim Dierkes in 2014, following the model of his successful MLB Trade Rumors and Hoops Rumors.

PFR Commenting Policy

January 21st, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Comments of this nature are not allowed at Pro Football Rumors:

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  • Writing comments in all or mostly caps.
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  • Comments about how you’re sick of this topic or it’s not newsworthy.
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If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult, though, and most commenters have no problems doing so as well as helping rein each other in. We are grateful for long-time commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure. This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.

DeMarcus Ware Expects To Rework Contract

January 20th, 2014 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With two years and $26MM+ remaining on DeMarcus Ware‘s backloaded contract, the Cowboys will almost certainly have to make a move with their longtime pass rusher this offseason. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas (via Twitter), Ware doesn’t expect to be waived and doesn’t anticipate taking a pay cut, but figures to restructure his deal.

Ware’s cap number exceeds $16MM in 2014 and $17MM in 2015, and the Cowboys are projected to be over the cap in both seasons, so cutting the 31-year-old would increase the team’s flexibility significantly. Restructuring the contract would create some short-term relief, but could pose problems for Dallas again down the road. Still, it sounds as if Ware isn’t open to the idea of accepting a pay cut, so we’ll have to wait and see whether or not the club pushes that idea.

After recording seven straight seasons of 11+ sacks, Ware was slowed by a quad injury this past season, and posted just six sacks in 13 games. He’s also expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow this offseason. While that procedure is a minor one and shouldn’t affect his availability in the summer or fall, it’s another signal that it will be challenging for Ware to regain his old form going forward.

Pats Rumors: Blount, Edelman, Talib

January 20th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

LeGarrette Blount is headed for unrestricted free agency, but he indicated today that he’d like to return to the Patriots, according to Mary Paoletti of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). While Blount’s comment came with the caveat that “we’ll have to see what happens in the offseason,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) gets the sense that the Pats have interest in re-signing the 27-year-old this winter. Here’s more on the AFC’s runner-up:

  • The Pats signed everyone on their practice squad except Marcus Forston to a futures contract, tweets Howe. So in addition to signing Mattes and McGuffie, who are mentioned below, the Pats also inked offensive linemen Jordan Devey and Braxston Cave, receivers Reggie Dunn and Greg Orton, and linebacker Taylor Reed to deals.

Earlier updates:

  • During his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston, Tom Brady had nothing but praise for his top receiver, saying that Julian Edelman, a free agent this offseason, “deserves the best” (link via CSNNE.com). Still, Brady suggested that free agency and personnel decisions will be in the hands of New England’s front office and head coach.
  • Speaking of those decisions, Bill Belichick told reporters today, including Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), that it will likely take four to eight weeks to make decisions on the club’s in-house free agents like Blount and Edelman.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examines the decisions facing the Patriots’ in the next couple months, including whether or not to re-sign Blount, Edelman, and Aqib Talib.
  • Offensive lineman R.J. Mattes and wide receiver Sam McGuffie have signed futures contracts with the Pats, tweets Howe. Both players had been on New England’s practice squad.
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