Saints‘ head coach Sean Payton disputed reports that the team was considering signing Ray Rice, reports Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). “I think I would know if I were interested in signing any player,” said Payton.
- While Payton was dismissing rumors, he also shot down any idea that there was a rift between himself and Saints‘ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, reports Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
- Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan may be on his way out as coach of the team, but he will likely have his pick of jobs if he decides to leave coaching in 2015, writes Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated. “He pretty much has everything TV networks would look for. He has personality, he’s not shy about his opinions, and he’s a colorful character,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Seth Markman, the executive in charge of hiring ESPN’s NFL studio talent. “I think he would be successful whether it is studio or doing games. When I close my eyes and listen to him I hear a little bit of John Madden in him. There is going to be a lot of interest in Rex if that is what he wants to do.”
- 49ers‘ head coach Jim Harbaugh may also be looking for a new job in 2015, but the general thought is that he would like to continue coaching, either in the NFL or in a high-level college job. One NFL team that could consider him a savior would be the crosstown rival Raiders, writes Marcus Thompson II of InsideBayArea.com.
- Coming off a disappointing 31-13 loss to the Vikings, the Panthers are sitting at 3-8-1 and only a game and a half out of first place in the depressing NFC South. Still, the team should be looking toward the future, not toward the playoffs, writes Joseph Person of Charlotte Observer. The team is weak in key spots, including the secondary and offensive line, with few bright spots elsewhere in the lineup. The roster needs to be fixed before this team can make a true playoff run.