2014 January - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Notes: Amendola, Edelman, McCourty

January 26th, 2014 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots may cut Danny Amendola this offseason, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Patriots are facing a difficult cap situation, with $127MM already committed to the team’s top 51 players, not to mention the dead money created by players that have already been cut. In order to alleviate some of their financial constraints, the Pats may elect to designate Amendola as a post-June 1 cut. If the team were to cut Amendola before June 1, the team would immediately take a $4.8MM cap hit. However, if they made Amendola a post-June 1 cut, they would take a $1.2MM hit in 2014, and a $3.6MM hit in 2015.

New England could then use some of the money they save on Amendola to pay free agent Julian Edelman, who emerged as quarterback Tom Brady‘s favorite target after the departure of Wes Welker and in the absence of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Amendola has had difficulty staying healthy throughout the course of his career, but he was able to parlay his flashes of excellence with the Rams into a five-year, $28.5MM free agent contract with the Patriots last March. Despite his continued injury problems in his first season with New England, he would generate significant interest if the Pats were to cut him. Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times tweets that the Ravens would likely take a good look at Amendola should he hit the open market again.

New England might also look to extend safety Devin McCourty to free up some more cap room. Christopher Price of WEEI.com notes that McCourty’s salary is due to take a significant hike for the 2014 season, from $920K to about $3.92MM. His cap hit would be an even larger $5.115MM. As such, Price writes that the Pats would do well do extend McCourty, whose strong ball skills and leadership in the secondary make him a valuable part of the team’s success. McCourty is entering the final year of his rookie contract and would be a free agent at season’s end.

Browns To Seek QB In First Round

January 26th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

All signs point to the Browns drafting a quarterback in the first round of this year’s draft, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. As new head coach Mike Pettine sets out to return his team to relevancy in the AFC North, he and the rest of Cleveland’s front office must decide whether a collegiate star like Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, or Blake Bortles can become the Brown’s long-coveted savior under center. Citing unnamed sources, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora recently wrote that the Browns would be willing to trade up in the draft to grab Manziel if necessary, but Browns CEO Joe Banner said that although he is by no means taking the Texas A&M star off the board, it is far too early to make such a determination.

Of course, the Browns do have Brian Hoyer on the roster, who impressed in limited action in the 2013 season. Hoyer won the two games that he started last season before tearing his ACL in the first quarter of his third start against the Bills. Ulrich notes that Hoyer is expected to be ready for organized team activities in May, but given the severity of the injury, nothing is certain in that regard.

Hoyer does have Pettine’s endorsement on his side. Shortly after being hired by the Browns, Pettine called Hoyer a “winner” with “off the charts” intangibles (link). However, it may be difficult for the Browns to pass on a talent like Manziel or Bridgewater, especially since they have two first-round picks to work with (Nos. 4 and 26 overall). If La Canfora’s sources are accurate and the Browns are indeed targeting Manziel, they may well have to move up to get him. ESPN Insider Mel Kiper recently predicted Manziel would be taken by the Texans with the first overall selection.

Coaching Notes: Browns, Redskins, Jets, Giants

January 26th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

The Browns would like to hire Bills linebackers coach Jim O’Neil as their new defensive coordinator, but if the Bills should block O’Neil from interviewing with Cleveland, the Browns will pursue Ravens inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Martindale served as the Broncos defensive coordinator in 2010 before joining the Ravens, and was the Raiders linebackers coach from 2004 to 2008.

Although their tenures with Baltimore never overlapped, new Browns head coach Mike Pettine worked as the Ravens outside linebackers coach in 2008 under John Harbaugh. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, if Harbaugh vouches for Martindale, Pettine will value Harbaugh’s endorsement.

Newly-extended Jets head coach Rex Ryan is looking to fill out his coaching staff, and LSU special teams coach Thomas McGaughey has become a leading candidate to replace Ben Kotwica as New York’s special-teams coordinator, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Kotwica recently left the Jets to become the Redskins special-teams coordinator.
Speaking of the Redskins, Washington has hired Randy Jordan to be its new running backs coach. Jordan beat out former Redskins running back and coach Ernest Byner for the post, and his hire fills the last vacant position coach job on Jay Gruden‘s staff.
The Giants, meanwhile, continue the overhaul of their offensive coaching staff by hiring Oregon State offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf as their new quarterbacks coach. Along with fellow new hires Ben McAdoo and Craig Johnson, Langsdorf will try to help turn around a Giants offense that struggled mightily in 2013 under the shaky hand of quarterback Eli Manning.

Reiss On Browns, Quinn, Diehl, Pats

January 26th, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Matt Feminis

Front offices and coaching staffs continue to turn over throughout the NFL, including in New England, prompting ESPN’s Mike Reiss to give his take on several news items. Highlights:

Turning down ostensibly prestigious, high-profile NFL jobs in fear of stigmatic repercussions is all the rage right now, but before the Dolphins’ convoluted GM search, the Browns were trendsetters. Before hiring head coach Mike Pettine, the team “circled back” on Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels only to be told, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ a second time.
Browns CEO Joe Banner told reporters Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was reluctantly crossed off the list because the Browns did not want to wait until after the Super Bowl, as first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
Reiss compared the recent retirement of Giants OL David Diehl to that of former Patriot OT Matt Light, implying Diehl’s loss could be more impactful than national perception indicates. Diehl was considered a heart-and-soul-type who brought leadership and dependability to the offensive line.
Reiss spitballs that the retirement of longtime Patriots offensive line coach/assistant head coach Dante Scarnecchia could open the door for former Rutgers and Tampa Bay head man Greg Schiano to join the coaching staff. Bill Belichick’s relationship with Schiano is well-documented and the New England roster is filled with Rutgers products.

Dolphins Front Office Dysfunction Continues

January 25th, 2014 at 11:10pm CST by Peter Sowards

When the Miami Dolphins tweeted from their official account that the team and general manager Jeff Ireland had “mutually agreed to part ways” on January 7, eyebrows were raised. When an organization announces that one of its employee’s departures is mutual, it usually isn’t.

And now, 18 days later, with Patriots director of personnel Nick Caserio turning down the position, the Dolphins are the proverbial punchline of jokes across the Twitter-sphere.

We’ve taken a look at the risk involved of taking this job, thanks to the lack of infrastructure in place for sustained success.

James Walker, who covers the Dolphins for ESPN.com, proclaimed the situation a whiff for the franchise and that they completely botched the GM search.
Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero said this was just the second or third embarrassing moment for the Dolphins this week, likely referring to general manager candidate Jason Licht choosing the Buccaneers job instead.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said just getting Caserio to interview made the job look better, but offering it to him only for it to be turned down erased that.
Caserio stands to benefit from the situation, sending a signal to teams that he’s ready to consider general manager jobs in 2015, tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer.
There is also the possibility that Caserio received a raise and/or a VP title to stay with the Patriots, according CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora.
The Dolphins are down to three candidates who have interviewed twice — Titans director of personnel Lake Dawson, Buccaneers vice president of player personnel Dennis Hickey and Miami assistant GM Brian Gaine. Walker suggests that the team simply go in-house with Gaine, and that if things don’t work out, it would be easy to start over again in 2015. With how things are going right now, that would be par for the course.

AFC Rumors: Dolphins, Ravens, Caserio

January 25th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Peter Sowards

9:22pm: After being offered the Dolphins’ general manager position, Caserio has decided he is staying in New England, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

9:16pm: Indications are that Caserio will stay with the Patriots, according to Tom E. Curran of Comcast SportsNet Northeast.

8:50pm: Caserio has been offered the general manager job by the Dolphins, reports Dianna Marie Russini of NBC News4 (via Twitter). Russini adds that nothing had been finalized and we should know more in the next 24 hours.

7:14pm: The Dolphins announced today that they have conducted second interviews with Nick Caserio, Lake Dawson and Dennis Hickey for the team’s vacant general manager position, bringing the number of finalists to four. Caserio and Hickey currently hold director of personnel posts with the Patriots and Buccaneers, respectively, with Dawson as VP of player personnel for the Titans. Miami assistant general manager Brian Gaine had his second interview yesterday. The Dolphins have been without a general manager since Jeff Ireland and the team mutually parted ways January 7. With owner Stephen Ross offering interviewees no power beyond roster construction, accepting the job as the team’s general manager is a risky proposition.

The Ravens offensive coordinator position comes down to two candidates, according to Clifton Brown of Comcast SportsNet Baltimore. Either Jim Hostler, Baltimore’s current wide receivers coach, or Kyle Shanahan, former Redskins and Texans offensive coordinator, will be named to the post within the next few days. Baltimore’s offense struggled mightily in 2013 under Jim Caldwell, ranking 25th and 29th in points scored and total yards, respectively. Caldwell was hired as the Detroit Lions’ new head coach on January 14.
With six seasons of experience as a coordinator, Brown says Shanahan would bring more change calling the plays. Former Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer says Hostler’s familiarity with Joe Flacco gives him an edge for the job.

NFC North Coaching Notes: LeBeau, Prince

January 25th, 2014 at 8:49pm CST by Peter Sowards

Embattled Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers is aware of the criticism from Packers fans, but he won’t get any from fellow coaches in the league. According to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the overwhelming consensus is that Capers is still one of the brightest minds in the game. Dunne spoke with Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, with whom Capers worked in Pittsburgh from 1992-94.

“We’re in the business of concurrency,” LeBeau said. “People have a tendency to remember what’s happening today. That’s life. But I know that wherever he goes, they’re going to receive excellent preparation, coaching. There’s none better than Coach Capers. There is none better.”

LeBeau continued: “He’s as good a football coach as anybody. I don’t care who you’re talking about. He is in my opinion.”

The Lions hired former Boise State offensive coordinator Robert Prince to be their new wide receivers coach, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Prince has NFL coaching experience, spending time as wide receivers coach with the Falcons, Jaguars and Seahawks from 2004-09.
Kirby Wilson is leaving Pittsburgh to become the Vikings new running backs coach, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilson had interviewed twice with the Ravens for their vacant offensive coordinator position, but learned today that he was not a final candidate.
The Bears have added Clint Hurtt to their staff as an assistant defensive line coach, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Hurtt’s role as a college assistant in the Miami booster scandal ended up with him receiving a two-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA last fall. Hurtt fills the void left by Michael Sinclair‘s depature, the third Bears assistant fired this offseason. Finley said the move was surprising, noting that the Bears said the rest of their staff was safe earlier this month.

Panthers GM On Cam Newton, Free Agency

January 25th, 2014 at 5:41pm CST by Peter Sowards

After a highly successful first season as general manager of the Carolina Panthers in which his team by improved five wins and won the NFC South, Dave Gettleman now has the unenviable task of getting a handle on 21 unrestricted free agents. The franchise cornerstones on offense and defense — quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly — are not among that group, but both are nearing hefty second contracts. Defensive end Greg Hardy totaled 26 sacks the past two seasons and will be a prime candidate for the franchise tag after his four-year rookie deal expired. Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer sat down with Gettleman at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., for an hour-long interview to glean insight on the future of this young, talented team.

On how impressed he is with Newton‘s maturity:

“Just step back and put yourself in his shoes: first pick of the draft, you’re seen as the savior, in athletics you’ve had very few failures and then you walk into the NFL, 2-14, coming out of the lockout with no OTAs (Organized Team Activities) with no nothing. The way he accepted leadership, the way he grew, you guys wrote about how he was letting his teammates help him, his improvement in reading the field and going through his progressions.”

On what he wants to do with Hardy:

“He’s part of the puzzle.”

On what life will be like without Steve Smith:

“Steve has just had a tremendous career. He’s 34. He’s exceeded the normal career of any wide receiver and he should be very proud of what he’s accomplished and he’s been a great Carolina Panther. Who knows? You don’t know when he’s going to be done.”

On head coach Ron Rivera being in the final year of his contract:

“Well again, to answer your question, I said in the press conference, ‘I’ve got ultimate confidence in him.’ And that’s the exact quote. And I still do. So …”

Redskins Notes: Free Agents, Polumbus, Davis

January 25th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Redskins’ plan to be active in free agency has already been chronicled, but don’t expect them to add any big name free agents, writes Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com. While the team should have close to $30MM in cap space, the roster has many holes that need to be filled. If the Redskins re-sign Brian Orakpo, as most pundits and fans think they will, the organization will most likely not have the resources to attract another player on the level of Broncos receiver Eric Decker or Bills safety Jairus Byrd. Other notes on the Redskins:

We already looked at a few players who were likely to be released earlier today, but Tandler wrote that he also believes Will Montgomery, Kedric Golston, and Brandon Meriweather could find themselves looking for a new team this offseason. All three players are on the wrong side of 30 years old, and if a younger, cheaper option were to present itself, the Redskins could go in that direction.
Tyler Polumbus will receive a small bump in salary, from $1MM to $1.5MM, thanks to an escalator in his contract, according to Tandler, who cites Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). However, Tandler writes that this could be bittersweet news as the increase in salary also raises Polumbus’ chances of being released in favor of a cheaper draft pick.
While it was reported that free agent tight end Fred Davis would receive a six-game suspension in 2014 for a failed drug test, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from a source that that report isn’t “technically accurate.” According to Florio, it’s unclear exactly how the report is inaccurate. The ban could end up being longer or shorter than six games, but the idea that the suspension will be lifted entirely is unlikely. The uncertainty only makes Davis’ impending free agency more of a question mark this offseason.

Steelers Prioritizing Re-Signing Jason Worilds

January 25th, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Steelers have 21 unrestricted free agents hitting the market this offseason, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, team president Art Rooney II only had one name on his mind when talking about the team’s priorities for the offseason: linebacker Jason Worilds.

“Jason Worilds is certainly somebody who came on and showed what he can do,” Rooney said. “Particularly over the second half of the season.”

Worilds is considered to be the second best outside linebacker available in free agency this offseason, behind only Brian Orakpo. The fourth-year linebacker finished last season with seven sacks in the last eight games.

The rest of the list of free agents includes such names as long-time Steeler Ryan Clark, young receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and the team’s three top options at running back after Le’Veon Bell.