2015 January - Pro Football Rumors

South Notes: Titans, Panthers, Falcons, Saints

January 30th, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have parted ways with vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson, the team announced on Twitter. “This was not an easy decision and I want to thank Lake for his time with the team,” general manager Ruston Webster said. “This new structure will help us streamline things from both the college and pro perspectives. We will move forward without a VP of Player Personnel and the college and pro sides will report directly to me.” It’s a bit surprising that Tennessee would fire Dawson, who’s been with the club since 2007, as he’s been in high demand around the league — he had interviewed for the GM posts in Miami, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Chicago.

Let’s look at some more notes from the South divisions:

Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis is looking forward to seeing what GM Dave Gettleman and the front office can do this offseason to improve Carolina’s roster, as he tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Gettleman recently said the Panthers would be moving out of the “dollar store” this winter, and Davis was “very encouraged” by those comments. “It’s going to be interesting to see how things go this offseason,” Davis said. “We’ve had two offseasons where we didn’t do a whole lot in free agency. But we’ll see what happens this year.”
With a new head coach set to be introduced next week and a front office that has undergone some changes this month, it’s not entirely clear who will have the final say on certain football decisions in Atlanta. Speaking to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Falcons owner Arthur Blank repeatedly stressed that he expects most football matters to be collaboratively decided by Dan Quinn, Thomas Dimitroff, and Scott Pioli. Quinn and Dimitroff will report separately to Blank, while Pioli will report to Dimitroff.
Asked today on The Jim Rome Show about what went wrong for the Saints in 2014 and how it can be addressed for 2015, quarterback Drew Brees pointed to an unusual amount of roster turnover, particularly involving core players: “It’s about getting back to building our organization and framework from the ground up again and make sure we are on the same page” (link via NewOrleansSaints.com).

2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: AFC West

January 30th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is a little more than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. We examined the AFC East on Tuesday, the AFC North on Wednesday, and the AFC South yesterday, before shifting our focus to the West today. Here’s a breakdown of the franchise and transition tag candidates for the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers:

Denver Broncos:

Candidates: Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton
Odds of being used: Likely
Even after signing cornerback Chris Harris to a lucrative contract extension earlier this season, the Broncos have a handful of impact players eligible for free agency. Demaryius Thomas is the most likely to be tagged, but if he and the Broncos can quickly reach a long-term agreement, there are other guys who shouldn’t be overlooked. Julius Thomas saw his stock dip a little when he missed time late in the season, but the tight end price tag is modest compared to most positions.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Candidates: Justin Houston, Rodney Hudson
Odds of being used: Likely
Like the Broncos, the Chiefs have a number of contributors eligible for free agency, including tackle Ryan Harris, linebacker Josh Mauga, and defensive back Ron Parker. Houston and Hudson are the two best candidates for a franchise tag though, and of those two, Houston represents the much likelier option. The only question would be whether the NFL’s sack leader would be considered a defensive end or a linebacker for salary purposes — in 2014, the defensive end franchise salary was nearly $2MM higher.

Oakland Raiders:

Candidates: Stefen Wisniewski
Odds of being used: Unlikely
The Raiders should do everything they can to lock up Wisniewski, but the franchise tag will be an absolute last resort. Offensive linemen are all grouped together for franchise purposes, so Oakland would have to commit to a left tackle salary for the center if he’s tagged. While the Browns used the transition tag on Alex Mack last year, Mack is arguably the league’s best center, and for the most part, the position just isn’t worth that kind of investment. I’d expect Wisniewski to land a deal in the neighborhood of $5-7MM per year.

San Diego Chargers:

Candidates: King Dunlap, Brandon Flowers
Odds of being used: Possible
There are bigger names headed to free agency in San Diego, including running back Ryan Mathews and veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, but Dunlap and Flowers are probably the two free-agents-to-be the Chargers should value most. Dunlap has emerged as an above-average left tackle in recent years, and given the holes elsewhere on the offensive line, his presence would benefit Philip Rivers going forward. As for Flowers, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as one of the league’s best cornerbacks before injuries slowed him down in the second half. A franchise tag salary would be an overpay for either player, but it’s an option San Diego should at least consider if extensions can’t be agreed upon.

Minor Moves: Friday

January 30th, 2015 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon and evening:

The Bears have locked up linebacker and special-teamer DeDe Lattimore to a two-year contract extension, the team announced today (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent in 2014, Lattimore would have been an exclusive rights free agent, so it’s a modest deal for him — Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that he’ll earn the minimum salary for the next two seasons, with no guaranteed money.
Safety Ian Wild, who worked out for the Steelers several weeks ago, has signed a reserve/futures contract with the team, according to PR man Burt Lauten (Twitter link).

East Notes: Dolphins, Maclin, Eli, Blount

January 30th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks selected Russell Wilson 75th overall in the 2012 NFL draft, meaning every team had a shot at him, and can play the “what if?” game. However, as Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN.com details, the Dolphins in particular can look back at what might have been. According to Merrill, current Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, who was interviewing for the Dolphins’ head coaching job at that point, pushed the idea of drafting Wilson – Bielema’s QB at Wisconsin at the time – in the second round. That didn’t go over well with team management, including then-GM Jeff Ireland, and Miami ultimately ended up hiring Joe Philbin and drafting Ryan Tannehill eighth overall.

As we contemplate how the last three NFL seasons might have changed if the Dolphins had opted for Bielema and Wilson, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the AFC East….

Addressing his contract situation today, wideout Jeremy Maclin confirmed that negotiations between his representation and the Eagles are ongoing, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Maclin still expects to return to Philadelphia, though he acknowledged that nothing’s imminent yet. According to McLane, the veteran receiver will likely be seeking a five-year contract worth $10MM+ per year, which could make the franchise tag a viable option for the Eagles.
Speaking of that tag, in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Adam Caplan identifies Maclin as one of the league’s top five candidates to be franchised.
While his older brother made the move from the Colts to the Broncos late in his playing career, Eli Manning is less likely to leave the Giants and play elsewhere, in the view of father Archie Manning. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, the elder Manning thinks Eli would rather simply retire than play for a team besides the Giants.
Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount had faced marijuana possession charges earlier in the season, but those charges have been dropped after Blount completed 50 hours of community service, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Jaguars Owner Talks Coaches, FA, Blackmon

January 30th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

With the team in the process of finalizing its coaching staff for the coming season, Jaguars owner Shad Khan spoke to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union today about some of the team’s recent hires, as well as the coming offseason. O’Halloran has highlighted a number of the more noteworthy quotes from Khan, so let’s dive in and round them up….

On new offensive coordinator Greg Olson:

“I know about his history with Drew Brees and quarterback development. I love Blake [Bortles]. I think he’s a key building block moving forward. We have to unlock his potential and we’ve got to have somebody who’s done it before with a great track record and Greg, I think, is about as good as it gets.”

On adding Doug Marrone as an offensive line coach and assistant head coach:

“I’ve seen this in my business and in life, you want to have people for support who are experienced. In this case, Gus [Bradley] and Doug can talk about stuff and the final decision maker is Gus. But a lot of times, discussion drives a decision to a logical conclusion. With Doug, he’s a very good line coach and that was definitely one of our weaknesses – the line. We have talent there, but when it was all said and done, we led the league in sacks [allowed]. That is not a good thing. You’re not going to go anywhere unless you fix that.”

On the team’s plan for free agency:

“We certainly have salary cap room and we plan on being active in free agency. … We have some critical weaknesses and we have to fill them.”

On whether he and the club would welcome back Justin Blackmon if he’s reinstated:

“Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I’m very optimistic. I think he’s paid his dues. I think he’s got his life together. I think he can be a role model for people who have gone through hard times. We’re waiting for him.”

49ers Promote Geep Chryst To OC

January 30th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 12:23pm: 49ers CEO Jed York confirmed today that Chryst has indeed been promoted to the offensive coordinator role, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

WEDNESDAY, 6:22pm: Geep Chryst is expected to be named the next offensive coordinator of the 49ers, two sources tell Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Chryst is being promoted from the position of quarterbacks coach.

The writing was on the wall for Chryst when it was revealed that new hire Steve Logan would be coming on board as the team’s new quarterbacks coach, allowing Chryst to ascend to OC. The 49ers have been searching for their next offensive coordinator for some time and they’ve hit roadblocks with several candidates along the way. A number of other candidates were either denied permission to interview with SF while others opted not to pursue it. We may never know if Chryst was truly the club’s top choice for the position, but he comes with years of NFL experience and a tremendous amount of respect from others around the game.

Chryst, who has held a number of jobs in the league, served as the Chargers offensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000. As Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) notes, the Chargers’ offense finished last in the league in rushing in his final year in San Diego.

Chryst was first named as SF’s quarterbacks coach on January 19th, 2011. He is the brother of Paul Chryst, who serves as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin.

Latest On Raiders’ DC Search

January 30th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As PFR’s offensive/defensive coordinator search tracker shows, there aren’t many coordinator positions around the league that still need to be filled. Outside of the Falcons and Seahawks, who will have some upheaval when Dan Quinn officially becomes Atlanta’s head coach next week, only the Rams, Cardinals, and Raiders are still expected to announce new coordinators. St. Louis is expected to promote an internal candidate for their offensive coordinator position, while the Cardinals have already decided on an in-house coach for their DC job, and will announce the hire next week.

That leaves Oakland, where new head coach Jack Del Rio is still looking to name a new defensive coordinator. According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links), no resolution is imminent on that front — Tafur expects the team to wait until after the Super Bowl to make a decision and an announcement, as Del Rio still has a couple more targets he wants to interview.

So far, the Raiders’ defensive coordinator search doesn’t seem to have gone as planned. Multiple reports suggested that former Falcons head coach Mike Smith was the club’s top choice, but Smith hasn’t seemed to reciprocate that interest. Wade Phillips and Mel Tucker were among the potential options mentioned, but both coaches have since landed other jobs. Most recently, Oakland reportedly offered the DC job to Louisville’s Todd Grantham, but Grantham elected to remain in his current position.

Still, striking out on a candidate or two may not be of great concern to Del Rio, who prioritized constructing his offensive staff, given his defensive background, tweets Tafur. The former Jaguars head coach figures to do some or all of the defensive play-calling himself, which is one reason why the DC job may not be generating a ton of interest.

By waiting until after the Super Bowl to make a decision, the Raiders should be able to talk to Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., whom Tafur identified earlier this week as a coach who may be next on Del Rio’s list.

Decker Recruiting Demaryius Thomas For Jets

January 30th, 2015 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, Eric Decker departed the Broncos in free agency, signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Jets. Now, his old running mate in Denver is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Decker is trying to sell Demaryius Thomas on the idea of joining him in New York, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.

“I’ve been pushing for the entire year now,” Decker said of his recruitment efforts. “It’s going to be interesting to see what happens. I think it would be tough for Denver to let him go. So whether they franchise-tag him here in the next month or give him a long-term deal, he’s just one of those premier players in this league. If he happens to make it to free agency, I would love to sign him because playing alongside him for four years and especially the last two years made it a lot of fun and made it a lot easier. He’s just one of the great players in this league.”

As Decker himself observes, there’s a good chance that Thomas doesn’t even reach the open market, since he’s a strong candidate to receive the franchise tag in Denver. While several other key Broncos players are slated to become free agents, none are more talented and more productive than Thomas, particularly with Chris Harris having been locked up to a long-term extension earlier in the season.

There’s some uncertainty in Denver these days, with Peyton Manning still undecided on whether he wants to continue his career, and a new coaching staff in place, but it would be a huge surprise if the club allowed Thomas to reach free agency. If he does, the Jets – armed with plenty of cap space and intending to be “very active” this offseason – could be a suitor, though that would likely mean parting ways with Percy Harvin.

Poll: Which Team Will Win The Super Bowl?

January 30th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

For the second consecutive season, the No. 1 seeds from the AFC and the NFC will meet in the Super Bowl, and it seems unlikely that this year’s game will be as one-sided as the Seahawks’ win over Denver a year ago. The Patriots and the Seahawks were strong on both sides of the ball in 2014, and have been on fire for the last three months — since October 19, the two teams have combined for just three losses, and one of those came when the Pats rested their regulars against Buffalo in Week 17.

While they opened as early underdogs in Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots have settled in as two-point favorites, according to sports betting site Bovada.lv. Given how rarely games are decided by two points or less, the contest is essentially a toss-up, according to Vegas, and is perhaps one of the most evenly matched Super Bowls in recent memory.

So today’s PFR poll question is simple: Who wins the game? Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and the Patriots? Or Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, and the Seahawks?

Extra Points: Carroll, Rice, Manning

January 29th, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant hired Pete Carroll as the team’s defensive backs coach in 1985, a position he served in for five years. Way back then, he recognized that Carroll had something special writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. “I remember interviewing him, and he was enthusiastic, which he always is,” Grant said. “He knew a lot about football. He was primarily on defense, you know we talked about that, and he related good to the players.” Turns out, that Carroll kid turned out to be a pretty decent coach. More from around the NFL..

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith says that the union’s parallel report to the Mueller Report on the Ray Rice situation is done, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). The report on the former Ravens running back will be given to the executive committee later today.
Former NFL quarterback Archie Manning said Thursday that he expects his son, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, to decide on whether he plays in 2015 “maybe in the next week or two.” “He’s given a lot of thought to it,” Archie Manning said, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “My advice for him is to go through the process, get away a little bit, let your leg heal, give it a lot of throught and decide what you’re going to do … [I] think he’s taken a good evaluation of where he is physically.”
Former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie is heading to the CFL, but not to the team previously reported. Collie will join up with the BC Lions, according to Arash Madani of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
Executive director DeMaurice Smith says the NFLPA will issue its own salary cap projections for the first time, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). The purpose, he says, is to counter the “inaccurate” projections of the NFL.