HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

NFC Rumors: 49ers, Bucs, Burleson, Falcons

January 20th, 2014 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after being eliminated from the postseason by the Seahawks, the 49ers are already looking ahead to the offseason. Kicker Phil Dawson and center Jonathan Goodwin both expressed interest in re-signing with San Francisco, according to Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links). The team is also in talks with McLeod Bethel-Thompson about a return for the backup QB, and has signed defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye and wide receiver Devon Wylie to futures deals, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • All indications right now suggest that the Buccaneers are deciding between Jason Licht of the Cardinals and Marc Ross of the Giants as their next general manager, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 (via Twitter). Falcons vice president of player personnel Lionel Vital, who had been in the running for the Bucs job, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today that he’ll remain in Atlanta.
  • Nate Burleson acknowledges he’ll likely have to restructure his contract in order to return to the Lions next season, but he hopes to play out his deal and eventually retire in Detroit, as Eric Lacy of MLive.com details.
  • The Falcons have interest in bringing back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but only at the right price, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
  • The Seahawks and 49ers are among the early favorites to come out of the NFC a year from now, but both teams will have multiple players in line for raises before then. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few offseason issues for the NFC’s top two teams.

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January 20th, 2014 at 1:29pm CST by Tim Dierkes

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Latest On Browns’ Coaching Search

January 20th, 2014 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns are the NFL’s only team with a head coaching vacancy, meaning there’s little risk now of another club grabbing their preferred candidate. As such, Cleveland’s search seems to progressing deliberately, with a number of options still in play. Here are the latest updates on the Browns’ hunt for Rob Chudzinski‘s replacement:

  • According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, the Browns would be exercising a little too much patience if they waited until after the Super Bowl to possibly interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn remains interested in Cleveland’s opening, and La Canfora expects the Browns to “put the full-court press” on Quinn this week in the hopes of securing a handshake deal.
  • The Browns conducted some background research on 49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula last week, according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who says (via Twitter) that Tomsula could become a candidate for the Cleveland job.
  • Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com (Twitter link) hears that the Browns may still make one last run at Josh McDaniels, though he appears likely to remain with the Patriots.

Terrelle Pryor Hires Drew Rosenhaus

January 20th, 2014 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

After firing agent Jerome Stanley last week, Terrelle Pryor has rehired Drew and Jason Rosenhaus to represent him, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Rosenhaus brothers had previously repped Pryor when he first entered the NFL out of Ohio State in 2011.

Having completed three seasons of his four-year rookie contract, Pryor will be eligible for an extension this offseason. However, given his performance in 2013, which eventually resulted in him losing the starting job to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin, a new deal is unlikely for Pryor. He figures to earn a base salary of $705K in 2014, then be eligible for free agency next year.

102 Underclassmen Enter NFL Draft

January 20th, 2014 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

98 underclassmen who met the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule and formally applied to enter the draft have been granted special eligibility, the league announced on Sunday. In addition to those 98, another four players who are underclassmen in terms of eligibility, including top QB prospect Teddy Bridgewater, will be eligible for the draft because they have already graduated, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

The number of underclassmen entering the draft represents a new record, and is a significant increase from the previous record of 73 in 2013. It’s the sixth straight year that the number of early entrants has risen, which can be partially attributed to the league’s new rookie wage scale. As Florio points out, the limits on salaries for draft picks under the new CBA means that there’s added incentive to get to the NFL early to put in time toward a second contract.

In addition to Bridgewater, underclassmen like Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney, and Blake Bortles also declared their intent for the draft, and are expected to be top-10 picks. According to Jason Cole of the National Football Post, NFL executives expect about half the players selected in the first round to be early entrants.

The full list of underclassmen entering the draft can be found at NFL.com.

Texans Hire Romeo Crennel As DC

January 20th, 2014 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

Former NFL head coach Romeo Crennel has agreed to a three-year contract with the Texans as the team’s defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter confirms (via Twitter) that the deal, which was initially reported earlier in the month by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, has now become official.

Crennel, who has previously served as the defensive coordinator in Cleveland and New England, also coached the Browns from 2005 to 2008, and most recently was the Chiefs’ head coach from 2011 to 2012. After winning two of three games in relief of Todd Haley at the end of the 2011 season, Crennel and the Chiefs stumbled to a 2-14 record in ’12, prompting the club to replace him with Andy Reid.

In Houston, Crennel will join another team coming off a 2-14 season. The Texans will head into the 2014 season armed with the first overall pick and a new head coach, in Bill O’Brien. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Texans are trying to add another ex-head coach to their staff, as the team pursues Mike Munchak as its offensive line coach.

Giants Sign 13 Players To Futures Contracts

January 7th, 2014 at 5:18pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 7TH: The Giants signed quarterback Ricky Stanzi to a reserve/futures deal, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Combined with their signing of kicker Chris Boswell from earlier today, the tally is now up to 13 for Big Blue.

DECEMBER 29TH: Joining a handful of other teams, the Giants have signed several players to reserve/futures contracts today, locking them up for the offseason. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), the following 11 players signed deals with New York today:

Of those 11 players, nine were on the team’s practice squad at season’s end. Jackson and Malone are the new additions, while cornerback Victor Hampton was the only taxi squad player not to receive a new deal.

Chargers Sign Nine To Futures Contracts

January 6th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

JANUARY 6TH: The Chargers announced that they have signed quarterback Brad Sorensen to a reserve/futures deal, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). Sorensen, 26, was drafted 221st overall in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Chargers. San Diego cut him in August, but signed him to the taxi squad in December.

DECEMBER 30TH, 5:40pm: The Chargers have also added guard Craig Watts to the list, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 29TH, 6:42pm: The Chargers announced that they have signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts today. Here’s the full list, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Eric Williams (on Twitter):

All eight players were signed off of the Bolts’ taxi squad. Quarterback Brad Sorensen was the only player signed to the practice squad at season’s end that was not inked to a futures deal.

Washington Signs Nine To Reserve Deals

January 6th, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 6TH: Washington also signed outside linebacker Austin Spitler to a futures deal, according to Zac Boyer of The Washington Times (on Twitter).

DECEMBER 29TH: Washington has signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter). The following eight players have been locked up by the club, moving from the practice squad to Washington’s offseason roster:

Of the players who finished the season on Washington’s practice squad, only running back Michael Hill and center Tevita Stevens haven’t signed futures contracts with the team.