2015 January - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Add Two To Coaching Staff

January 31st, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns have hired Kevin O’Connell to be their quarterbacks coach and Kurt Roper as a senior offensive assistant, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).

O’Connell had been a rumored target of the Browns earlier this week. He is a former NFL quarterback, playing for five different teams between 2008 and 2012. He was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, out of San Diego State University. He was waived, claimed by the Lions, and traded to the Jets where he spent the 2009 season. He also had short stints with the Dolphins and Chargers, spending time with the Jets again in between.

Roper was the offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators and also spent some time on the coaching staff of Duke University, according to Marvez (via Twitter).

With these two hires, the Browns’ offensive staff is complete, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (via Twitter).

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Giants

January 31st, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at notes from ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

Even if the Rams end up re-signing wideout Kenny Britt, Nick Wagoner believes it wouldn’t be farfetched for the team to take a receiver with their first-round pick.
Greg Olsen would like to get an extension worked out before next season, and David Newton says it’d be wise for the Panthers to sign the tight end. The writer points out that signing Cam Newton is the team’s main priority, but re-signing Olsen is not far down the list.
Michael Rothstein writes that it’s “feasible” for the Lions to pay Ndamukong Suh more than J.J. Watt, but the writer notes that it would likely depend on the contract’s structure. Rothstein believes the team may have an eye towards the expected cap increases in future seasons, which means the team would prefer a backloaded contract.
Besides Jason Pierre-Paul, Dan Graziano isn’t entirely sure which of the Giants free agents the organization would want to re-sign. Antrel Rolle could return, but Graziano doesn’t expect the safety to take a discount. The writer has similar feelings toward safety Stevie Brown and defensive tackle Mike Patterson.

NFC Links: Foles, Maclin, Seahawks, Bucs

January 31st, 2015 at 10:40am CST by Ben Levine

Nick Foles season ended prematurely, but the Eagles quarterback is confident heading into the offseason. In fact, he doesn’t only expect to be back with the Eagles in 2015, he expects to be the starting quarterback.

“My expectation is to be out there and be the starting guy,” Foles told Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I expect to be out there with my teammates leading them. I’ve never thought otherwise throughout this whole time. I know there’s been a lot of things said, but the only thing I’m worried about is making myself the best player, the best person to help lead my team.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

Jeremy Maclin‘s future with the Eagles is uncertain, but the wideout sounded like he’d be interested in returning while talking with Jeff McLane of Philly.com. “I’m excited about what the future holds,” Maclin said on Friday. “Once again, both sides have made it known what we want to do. I think it will take care of itself.”
O’Brien Schofield‘s successful season with the Seahawks may have never happened if not for a failed physical with the Giants. “I look at it now, and it probably was one of the bigger blessings of my career because I got the chance to work with this group of guys and these coaches again,’’ Schofield told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has a fan in Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks. The Buccaneers legend believes it would wise for Tampa Bay to select the former Heisman winner with the first-overall pick. “I believe he will show them his work ethic behind the scenes, as well as his knowledge of the game and the feel of the game,” Brooks told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I do hope he impresses them enough to pick him.”

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Jaguars, Ravens, Bengals

January 31st, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags to answer questions from the readers. Let’s check out some notes from the AFC…

Adam Teicher believes Bryan Bulaga would make sense for the Chiefs, but he cautions that the team may need to back out if the bidding gets too high. As an alternative, the writer suggests the team could re-sign Ryan Harris to a much cheaper deal.
The Jaguars need to target a veteran wideout in free agency, writes Michael DiRocco. The teams young core of receivers, including Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, played well in 2014, but the writer believes quarterback Blake Bortles would benefit from having a more seasoned target.
Jamison Hensley says there needs to be a “compromise” between the Ravens and cornerback Lardarius Webb. The organization won’t be able to pay the 29-year-old the $8MM he’d owed in 2015, and the team also wouldn’t have much of an incentive to cutting the player. Hensley notes that Webb could play “hardball” with the Ravens, but the writer believes they’ll ultimately restructure the contract.
Focusing on wide receivers, Hensley believes the Ravens best course would be re-signing Torrey Smith and drafting a wideout in the first two rounds. For running backs, the writer opines that Justin Forsett may be too pricey for the team. Instead, Hensley suggests former first-rounders Mark Ingram, Darren McFadden and Ryan Mathews as options.
The Bengals top concerns this offseason should be re-signing offensive guard Clint Boling and linebacker Rey Maualuga, according to Coley Harvey. Outside of the organization, the writer suggests the team could target Browns tight end Jordan Cameron.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Tillman, Peterson

January 31st, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

Ron Wolf‘s biggest transaction during his tenure as Packers general manager was his acquisition of Brett Favre. Wolf sent a first-round pick to the Falcons to acquire the young quarterback, but that move may have never happened had former Jets GM Dick Steinberg had his way.

ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini spoke to Wolf following his nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 76-year-old reflected on his first employment with the Jets, when he was a member of the front office. The organization fell in love with Favre, and when the Southern Mississippi quarterback fell to the second round, the team made a deal with the Cardinals to move up two spots.

“Dick thought he had a deal with Arizona,” Wolf said. “Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the Jets, when he called Arizona to finish the deal, they backed out because a player they wanted was still there.”

Of course, the rest is history. The Falcons selected Favre as the 33rd pick in the draft (the Jets selected Louisville quarterback Browning Nagle with the next pick), and the young player was traded to Green Bay a season later.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC North…

The Packers announced the firing of special teams coach Shawn Slocum yesterday, and Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com says that the move wasn’t a surprise. Had the team overcome their two key special teams mistakes (the fake fake field goal and the botched onside kick) and made it to the Super Bowl, Wilde surmises that Slocum would have kept his job. However, the loss cemented the coach’s fate.
Bears cornerback Charles Tillman made an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “SVP & Russillo” on Thursday, and the impending free agent told the hosts that he’d like to stay in Chicago. “Oh yeah, most definitely,” Tillman said (via ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright). “I would love to be back in Chicago. But that’s not up to me. That’s up to the new GM. His name is Ryan Pace. So that’s up to him and coach [John] Fox.”
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett believes his former coach, Marc Trestman, is better suited to be an offensive coordinator. “Trestman, I think the issue that he had probably was managing us all, all the different personalities,” Bennett said (via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun). “There’s a lot of big personalities. And I think, for a first-time head coach in the NFL, dealing with all the personalities that you have, I think that’s hard when you got guys like me, you know, [Brandon] Marshall, Lance Briggs on defense, Tillman.”
Count Greg Jennings among those in the Vikings locker room who hope running back Adrian Peterson will stick around in 2015. The wideout discussed the subject on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com): “I don’t know if he’ll be back. I can’t answer that question. But what I do know is that if he does come back, he’d be accepted with open arms. As an organization from the Wilfs on down, we all want him back. So, I mean, it’s a touchy subject and he’s been the franchise player – face of that team – for eight years. So it will be a loss, a huge loss, if we can’t get him back, and that’s the nature of this business.”

NFC Notes: Maclin, Frank Gore, Ed Dickson

January 30th, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at some news items from the NFC…

We heard earlier today that Jeremy Maclin‘s agent had begun extension talks with the Eagles, and now the veteran receiver has weighed on in the notion that Philadelphia can’t afford both he and running back LeSean McCoy (who has indicated he isn’t open to a pay cut). “I don’t know where everything started, people saying they can’t keep us both,” Maclin told Comcast SportsNet’s John Clark (link via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com). “I think that’s crazy. As far as what he does with his deal, that’s not my place to comment on that. There’s no reason why you can’t keep us both. That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard all offseason.”
Had the 49ers hired Rob Chudzinski as offensive coordinator, Matt Barrows of the Sacrament Bee would have placed good odds on running back Frank Gore returning to San Francisco next season, as Chud was Gore’s OC at the University of Miami. Now that the club has instead promoted Geep Chryst, Barrows thinks Gore’s future in the Bay Area is less clear.
After signing a one-year deal for the veteran minimum to join the Panthers last year, tight end Ed Dickson would like to return to Carolina in 2015, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Dickson would like to sign a multi-year contract, and has spoken to offensive coordinator Mike Shula about augmenting his role in the offense, Person adds.

AFC Notes: Peyton, Dolphins, Chargers, Titans

January 30th, 2015 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ever since the Broncos’ divisional round loss to the Colts, Peyton Manning‘s NFL future has been a hot-button topic, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback doesn’t plan to make everyone wait for his decision on retirement. “I’m not interested in making this a lingering thing,” said Manning, via Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I’d like to make a decision soon. At the same time, both coach [Gary Kubiak] and [team president] Joe [Ellis] and [general manager] John [Elway] have instructed me to take some time, so I’m kind of following their orders.” Manning is required to take a physical between February 23 and March 5, but unlike last season, this examination isn’t tied to money, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. As Klis writes, however, Manning’s 2015 base salary of $19MM becomes fully guaranteed on March 9, so a decision — from either Manning or the team — needs to be solidified by then.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Entering his first offseason as the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations, Mike Tannenbaum has several challenges ahead, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Primarily, the former Jets GM must decide how to approach contract talks with quarterback Ryan Tannehill — if an extension isn’t worked out by May, Beasley projects Miami will exercise its fifth-year option on Tannehill. Beasley’s colleague Armando Salguero spoke with Tannenbaum today, and in turn believes (via Twitter) the club will work out a long-term deal with offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The city of San Diego announced it has formed a nine-person committee to not only find a new venue for the Chargers, but figure out how to pay for it, according to David Garrick of U-T San Diego. In a somewhat snarky response, the Chargers reminded the city of nine previous proposals put forth by the team, as well as the failure of a similar committee, but still pledged cooperation.
Firing executive Lake Dawson was probably the right move for the Titans, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Labeling Dawson a “middle man,” Kuharsky argues that Tennessee’s front office is now more streamlined, with the heads of the college scouting and pro scouting departments reporting directly to GM Ruston Webster.

North Notes: Packers, Allen, Bears, Teddy

January 30th, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Less than two weeks after a pair of special teams blunders contributed to the Packers’ NFC Championship Game loss, Green Bay has fired special teams coach Shawn Slocum, the team announced. Slocum, who’d been with the Packers since 2006, had led an ST unit that had been below-average in recent seasons, finishing 18th, 19th, and 22nd in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA in ’12, ’13, and ’14, respectively. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes, Slocum is just the second coordinator to be fired by head coach Mike McCarthy, the first being DC Bob Sanders, who was let go after the 2008 season.

Here’s more from the North divisions:

The Bears are likely to employ a 3-4 defense in 2015 under new coordinator Vic Fangio, and veteran defensive end (or linebacker, perhaps?) Jared Allen has a few concerns about the transition. “It’s not that I can’t do it,” Allen told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “For me, it is a question of what kind of system are we going to run? How do I fit in the system? How do we achieve our goals? These things will play out.” Both his 2015 base salary and roster bonus (which total $12.5MM) are guaranteed, so Allen, who admits he’d rather play end in a 4-3 look, will be on Chicago’s roster.
Chicago’s coaching staff will see some continuity at the receiver position, as the Bears announced Mike Groh will remain in his role as WR coach. Groh, the son of longtime NFL/NCAA coach Al Groh, served under ex-head coach Marc Trestman from 2013-14, and helped Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery put together outstanding seasons.
The Vikings nabbed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd pick in last year’s draft, and according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Lousiville product was reportedly happy he didn’t last elsewhere. A source tells Cabot that Bridgewater didn’t want to be selected by the QB-needy Browns because he knew that some in the Cleveland organization preferred Johnny Manziel. This jibes with what we’ve heard in the past, including reports that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left the Browns due to disputes over the selection of Manziel.

Goodell On LA, Rams, London, Vegas, Saints

January 30th, 2015 at 7:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As is customary, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took questions from the media today during his Super Bowl press conference, and while a number of queries were unsurprisingly related to the DeflateGate controversy, Goodell also touched on some other noteworthy topics. Let’s take a look the highlights, via a transcript provided by the Seattle Times:

On the possibility of relocating a team to Los Angeles:

The ownership takes very seriously the obligation for us to vote on any serious matter, including relocation of a franchise. There’s a relocation policy that is very clear…[T]here have been no determinations of us going to Los Angeles, any particular team going to Los Angeles or going to any particular stadium. We have several alternatives that we’re evaluating from a site standpoint.

There are teams that are interested, but are trying to work their issues out locally. As a league, we haven’t gotten to that stage yet, and it will all be subject to our relocation policy. There are requirements in that policy, as you know, particularly as it relates to cooperation and working to make sure they solve the issues in their local market. I’m confident that all of that will be covered within the relocation policy and with our membership approval.”

On the Rams staying in St. Louis:

“…[W]e want all of our franchises to stay in the current markets. That’s a shared responsibility. That’s something that we all have to work together on. The league has programs, including stadium funding programs that we make available. We will work and have worked with communities, including St. Louis. We also will make sure that we’re engaging the business community and the public sector in a way that can help us lead to solutions that work in those communities…

(Rams owner) Stan (Kroenke) has been working on the stadium issue in St. Louis, as you know, for several years. They had a very formal process as part of their lease. They went through that entire process. It did not result in a solution that works for either St. Louis or the team. I don’t think the stadium is a surprise to anybody in any market that is having these issues. There has been quite a bit of discussion about it, and the St. Louis representatives seem determined to build a stadium.”

On placing a team in London:

“I would tell you that London has done not only everything that we expected, but more than we expected. They’re responding to the game better than we ever dreamed, with more enthusiasm, more passion…We want to continue to respond to that fan interest and if we do, we don’t know where it will go, but I think there is great potential in London for the NFL.”

On the viability of housing a team in Las Vegas:

“…I haven’t had any dialogue with officials in Las Vegas about how that could happen successfully for Las Vegas and for the NFL. A stadium would be a big component to that. I’m not sure that exists right now. I do understand the passion of the fans in Las Vegas and their interest in football.”

On the Saints ownership situation:

“I spoke to Tom Benson just the other day. He was going to the office as usual. He was in complete control and energetic, excited about getting to the office, asking about league issues. As you know, he’s been one of our more active owners in the league on various committees. They obviously have a dispute going on, which is always unfortunate. In this case it deals with succession as opposed to current management. Tom Benson is a man of great integrity and a man that is enthusiastic about the NFL, the Saints and New Orleans and somebody that has demonstrated to me he’s got complete control over what he’s doing to make sure that organization goes in the right direction.”

On the Bills’ need for a new stadium:

“I do believe that a stadium long term is going to be needed in that marketplace. I’m from western New York. I love Ralph Wilson Stadium, but it’s got to compete against a lot of these new stadiums that have a lot of very important features that that stadium doesn’t have. So they are going through that process. We will certainly work with them, cooperate with them, and if we can be helpful, we will.”

On the Chargers’ need for a new stadium:

“They do need a new stadium for the Chargers to be successful there long term. It’s one of the oldest stadiums in the league, if not the oldest stadium in the league…I’m glad to hear (the mayor of San Diego) has got a task force going. But they have been working at this for 12 years, and it’s something that we need to see tangible results sooner rather than later.”

Bernard Pollard Requests Release From Titans

January 30th, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran NFL safety Bernard Pollard has asked to be released from his contract with the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who adds that Pollard made his request to general manager Ruston Webster at the end of the 2014 season. Per Wyatt, the 30-year-old Pollard has not yet been informed of the team’s decision.

2014 was Pollard’s second season in Tennessee — after playing under a one-year deal in 2013 that netted him $2MM, Pollard re-signed with the Titans last March, inking a two-year extension. His base salary is set to increase from $1.65MM last year to $3.1MM in 2015, but that money isn’t guaranteed. If the Titans do honor Pollard’s request for release, they’d only be on the hook for a prorated portion of his signing bonus, meaning they’d be left with just $425K in dead money.

The Titans are Pollard’s fourth NFL team, as he’s also spent time with the Chiefs, Texans, and Ravens — he won a Super Bowl with Baltimore in 2013. He played in just five games last season before landing on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, but he was a solid player as recently as 2013, when he racked up 77 tackles while starting all 16 games, and rated as the league’s No. 21 safety among 86 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In total, Pollard has amassed almost 550 tackles during his nine-year career, while adding 12 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles.

Given the Titans recent lack of success, it’s likely that Pollard’s frustration with the organization as a whole serves as motive. As Wyatt writes, Pollard seemed to indicate as recently as last month that Tennessee wasn’t where he wanted to be. “I am not getting any younger, so I want to win, I really do, I want to win,” Pollard said. “Looking at how things took place this year, looking at where (the Titans) need to be for next year, that is a tough, tough question, and I don’t even know if they can give me the answer.” Additionally, Bernard took to Twitter following the Titans’ firing of executive Lake Dawson earlier today, arguing that the “wrong guy” had been let go.