HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Steelers Sign Ben Tate

December 30th, 2014 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

1:35pm: The Steelers have officially signed Tate, the team announced today in a press release. Pittsburgh cut wide receiver Justin Brown to create an opening on the 53-man roster for the incoming addition.

8:14am: With Le’Veon Bell‘s status for Saturday’s Wild Card game up in the air, the Steelers are hosting free agent running back Ben Tate for a visit today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, assuming the visit goes well, Pittsburgh is expected to sign Tate.

It’s been an underwhelming season for Tate, who was viewed as a breakout candidate heading into 2014 after leaving Houston, where he had backed up Arian Foster for the first few years of his NFL career. In Cleveland, Tate struggled and was hampered by injuries early in the season, and fell behind rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West on the team’s depth chart. The Browns opted to release Tate, at which point the Vikings claimed him on waivers, but the 26-year-old didn’t impress in Minnesota either, and the team cut him last week.

For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.

Bell suffered a hyperextended knee during the Steelers’ regular season finale against the Bengals, and is considered highly questionable for this weekend’s game against the Ravens. If Bell can’t go, and Pittsburgh does bring Tate aboard, the Auburn product may be thrown into the mix immediately — among the team’s other options, third-round pick Dri Archer likely isn’t ready for a featured role, while fellow rookie Josh Harris had just nine rushing attempts all season. In fact, with LeGarrette Blount now playing in New England, no current Steelers running back besides Bell had more than 10 carries in 2014.

Latest On Jets, Bears GM Searches

December 30th, 2014 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the five teams hunting for new head coaches, two have an even more daunting task ahead of them, as the Bears and Jets are also on the lookout for new general managers to head their football operations departments. The Jets have tasked two consultants, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, with identifying potential candidates, while the Bears hired former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi as an advisor for their search.

Heading into today, we’d heard Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner and Vikings assistant GM George Paton linked to the Jets’ opening, while things had been relatively quiet on the Bears’ front so far. More rumors and rumblings on both positions are starting to surface though, so let’s round up the latest updates:

  • The Jets intend to interview their current senior director of football administration Rod Graves for their GM opening, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Mehta, confirming the report, tweets that it’s a “courtesy” on the Jets’ part.
  • Costello adds (via Twitter) that the Jets have also asked the Browns permission to interview personnel executive Bill Kuharich.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jets are interested in interviewing Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan for their GM vacancy, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. A source confirms to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) that the Jets have indeed asked Houston for permission to speak to Maccagnan.
  • Mehta also reports (via Twitter) that the Jets have requested permission to interview Eagles director of pro personnel Rick Mueller. Mueller has previously worked for the Jaguars and Saints as well.
  • The Jets are expected to make a strong push for Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). However, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) points out, DeCosta is contractually designated as Baltimore’s GM-in-waiting behind Ozzie Newsome — he’s a strong GM candidate for rival clubs, but is in a good situation with the Ravens and is “highly valued” by the organization. For now, the Jets have asked for permission to interview him, tweets Mehta.
  • Four interview targets have emerged for the Bears‘ general manager opening, according to Rapoport, who lists the following candidate (via Twitter): Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, Giants VP of player evaluation Marc Ross, Titans VP of player personnel Lake Dawson, and Ravens director of pro personnel Vince Newsome.

Volin’s Latest: McDaniels, 49ers, Reich, Jets

December 30th, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As reports continue to trickle in on the NFL’s five head coaching openings, as well as the GM vacancies in Chicago and New York, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explores the rumor mill and passes along a handful of interesting tidbits in his latest column. Here are the highlights:

  • One league source tells Volin that without Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh in the mix for any of the current openings, there’s a “dearth of superstar candidates.” The source expects most teams to hire candidates with previous head coaching experience.
  • Volin hears from one source the Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be “very careful” about which opportunities he pursues. The source predicts that the Falcons will be the only club McDaniels seriously considers, given his relationship with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the presence of a solid, risk-free quarterback in Matt Ryan.
  • An internal promotion remains a strong possibility for the 49ers, despite the fact that the team is reaching out to several outside candidates. Volin hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a likelier candidate than defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
  • According to Volin, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is the “most serious” candidate for the Jets‘ head coaching vacancy in the early stages of that search. Reich is also expected to be a top candidate for the Bills if Doug Marrone decides to opt out of his contract, though Marrone is considered likely to stay in Buffalo.
  • One source predicts to Volin that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin isn’t yet completely safe, in spite of owner Stephen Ross‘ comments earlier this month.
  • Former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland could get a few interviews this offseason, but he has nothing lined up at the moment, says Volin.

Eagles Sign Nine To Reserve Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have agreed to terms with nine players from their practice squad on reserve/futures contracts, the team announced today. Here’s the list of players who are now locked up for the coming offseason, according to the club (Twitter links):

Of the 10 players on the Eagles’ practice squad, only linebacker Brandon Hepburn wasn’t among the players whose futures contracts were announced today.

For a refresher on how reserve/futures deals work, be sure to check out our glossary entry.

Jaguars Fire OC Jedd Fisch

December 30th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of a 3-13 season, the Jaguars have parted ways with offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (via Twitter). At this point, it’s the only notable change to the team’s coaching staff or front office.

Fisch, 38, was hired in January 2013, just two days after Gus Bradley was named Jacksonville’s new head coach. During his two years in Jacksonville’s Fisch’s offense has been perhaps the league’s worst — according to Football Outsiders, the Jags ranked 32nd in offensive DVOA in 2013, and placed 31st in 2014, ahead of only the 2-14 Buccaneers. Led by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles, Jacksonville’s offense also finished 31st in pass yards, with the club averaging an NFL-worst 15.6 points per game.

As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union observes (via Twitter), Bradley has become close with Marc Trestman, who was fired by the Bears yesterday. In O’Halloran’s view, Trestman could be a top candidate for the Jaguars’ newly-opened offensive coordinator position.

Michigan Hires Jim Harbaugh

December 30th, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

11:40am: ESPN’s Michele Steele provides a full breakdown of Harbaugh’s deal (via Twitter), which includes a number of potential incentives and bonuses.

11:13am: Officially announcing the hiring of Harbaugh at a press conference, Hackett confirmed that the former Niners coach signed a seven-year, $35MM contract (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

TUESDAY, 9:26am: According to John U. Bacon (Twitter links), Harbaugh’s salary with Michigan will be about $5MM a year plus incentives, which is a similar deal to the one he had with the Niners. Bacon says that Harbaugh told Michigan AD Jim Hackett he didn’t want to be the highest-paid coach in college football, and that he was more concerned about pay for his assistants.

Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reported earlier that the Raiders’ offer to Harbaugh was higher than Michigan’s, which makes more sense if Oakland just had to top $5MM or so, rather than approximately $8MM, as had been previously reported.

MONDAY, 7:22pm: The contract is signed, according to David Jesse and Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

9:30am: As expected, Jim Harbaugh will be the next head coach at the University of Michigan, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who says the school has told its biggest boosters that a deal with Harbaugh is done and that a news conference is scheduled for Tuesday. Albert Breer of the NFL Network also confirms (via Twitter) that the agreement between Harbaugh and Michigan is done, as had been suggested this weekend by reporters such as John U. Bacon, Dave Feldman of CSNBayArea.com, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports.

While details on Harbaugh’s new contract with the Wolverines aren’t currently known, a report earlier in December indicated that Michigan was willing to pay $48MM for six years. Breer reported this morning that the deal could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.

While Harbaugh’s departure from San Francisco had been anticipated for some time, he never recorded a losing season with the Niners, compiling a 44-19-1 record in his four seasons with the team. He’ll look to bring some of that success, which included three appearances in the NFC championship game and a loss in the Super Bowl, to a Wolverines team that had a disappointing 2014 season under former head coach Brady Hoke.

The Raiders were among the NFL teams with interest in Harbaugh, and Mike Silver of the NFL Network suggested today (Twitter link) that Oakland owner Mark Davis planned to speak to Harbaugh this morning. There was a belief that the former Niners coach preferred to remain in the NFL, but even with a handful of head coaching jobs opening up today, it appears he couldn’t resist the allure of returning to Michigan, particularly on a deal that makes him the highest-paid coach in NCAA history.

As for the Niners, who agreed to part ways with Harbaugh, Peter King of TheMMQB.com hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be interviewed, and that GM Trent Baalke may have interest in UCLA coach Jim Mora. Additionally, multiple sources have informed Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Mike Shanahan could be a candidate for the San Francisco job. For now, Baalke is set to meet with the team’s assistant coaches to help clarify their futures, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Browns GM Talks Manziel, Hoyer, Gordon

December 30th, 2014 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing before reporters in Cleveland today, Browns general manager Ray Farmer addressed a number of topics, including the status of quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has been the subject of a number of headlines related to his action on and off the field in recent weeks. According to Farmer, Manziel’s words don’t mean anything — it’s all about action, and the rookie has the opportunity to make changes. Farmer adds that he believes Manziel can develop into a solid NFL starter, and that patience is required (all Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

Here’s more from Farmer, with all links heading to Ulrich’s Twitter account:

  • The foundation in Cleveland isn’t perfect, but it’s heading in the right direction, according to Farmer.
  • Asked about the possibility of releasing Manziel, Justin Gilbert, and Josh Gordon, the GM said he intends to discuss the possibility with the club’s coaches — if it happens, it won’t happen today.
  • While Manziel will be given an opportunity to compete for the QB job in 2015, the team will try to bring in a signal-caller through free agency, trade, or the draft as well. Farmer didn’t rule out the possibility of using a first-round pick on a quarterback for the second consecutive season, which would be easier to stomach since the Browns had multiple first-rounders in 2014, and will again in 2015.
  • Farmer acknowledged that Brian Hoyer has some leverage heading into free agency, and will have to make some decisions that will determine whether or not he returns to Cleveland.
  • The jury’s still out on the quality of the Browns’ first draft under Farmer, according to the GM, who added that the team made a lot of changes to its processes following May’s draft.
  • Farmer reiterated that owner Jimmy Haslam didn’t make the call to draft Manziel.
  • Noting that he expects Gordon’s camp to contest his one-game suspension, Farmer said he’s not willing to call the embattled wideout a lost cause. According to Farmer, the Browns will try to help their players, and if those players don’t want the help, then the team will move on.
  • In spite of Gordon’s uncertain future, Farmer says he doesn’t regret not drafting a wide receiver in May.

2015 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

December 30th, 2014 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

Several NFL teams are currently hunting for a new head coach, and amidst reports about interview requests and potential candidates, it’s easy to lose track of the latest updates in the shuffle. So we’ll use this space – which will be updated until every team has hired a new head coach – to keep track of the most recent news and rumors. It can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with current vacancies, along with their current status. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 2-3-15 (2:39am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Vikings Sign Nine Players To Futures Deals

December 30th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings have become the latest team to lock up their practice squad players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season. The team announced today that it has signed all nine of the players who finished the year on the taxi squad to futures deals. Here’s the complete list of the guys who inked new contracts with the club:

Coach Rumors: Raiders, Jets, Ryan, Holmgren

December 30th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Black Monday wasn’t quite as eventful around the NFL in 2014 as it has been in some recent years, with only three head coaches being handed their walking papers. Still, with the Raiders on the lookout for a more permanent head coach, and the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh agreeing to part ways, that makes a total of five teams currently conducting coaching searches. That should make for an interesting few weeks, as those clubs – the Jets, Falcons, Bears, Raiders, and Niners – eye several of the same candidates. Here are the latest coaching-related rumblings from across the league:

  • Current 49ers assistant and former Browns and Jets head coach Eric Mangini is scheduled to interview with the Raiders for the club’s head coaching job, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). In his five seasons in New York and Cleveland, Mangini recorded a 33-47 overall record, earning one playoff berth with the Jets. In addition to Mangini, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will also interview for the Raiders’ position, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
  • Garafolo has more details on the Raiders‘ head coaching hunt, reporting that the team actually offered more money to Harbaugh than the University of Michigan did, extending a proposal that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid head coach (Twitter video link).
  • In addition to setting up an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Jets have also requested permission to speak to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, and Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
  • While former Jets head coach Rex Ryan intends to explore potential head coaching opportunities, he’s meeting with ESPN executives today for a possible role with the network, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). It sounds as if TV would be Ryan’s second choice after a head coaching job, but it may depend on what opportunities are available for him.
  • Speaking to Dave Mahler of KJR in Seattle (Twitter link), former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said he’s “gotten a couple of inquiries” from teams searching for a head coach, though he didn’t identify the clubs. According to Mahler (via Twitter), Holmgren said he’s “mulling things over” when it comes to current coaching opportunities.
  • The Buccaneers currently have an opening at offensive coordinator, and the team is interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Atlanta has kept Koetter on board for now, after firing head coach Mike Smith yesterday, but if the team parts ways with its OC, the Bucs will almost certainly be in touch.
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