2015 December - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Rumors: Meyer, Kelly, Saban, Coughlin

December 30th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Wednesday that he recently spurned an NFL team’s advances, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk writes.

Asked if the team was the Browns, Meyer said, “I’m not going there. I’ll just say [a team] reached out.”

Meyer added that he’s content at the college level and expressed wariness toward making the jump to the pros.

“The NFL, Chip Kelly is one of my closest friends, Greg Schiano is one of my closest friends. A lot of times they say college coaches don’t make it very well. I don’t know who makes it well. People are getting fired left and right. Pete Carroll has done very well.”

In other coaching news. . .

Although Kelly’s career in Philadelphia is over, he could end up with another head coaching job in the league in the coming weeks. With that in mind, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined some possible landing spots for Kelly. The Titans, Browns, 49ers, Dolphins or Colts could all be his next stop.
With coaching searches fast approaching, Albert Breer of NFL.com lists the candidates most likely to draw interest. Kelly is one of them. Interestingly, so is Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The Mara family is fond of him, per Breer, which might make the Giants a fit. The Colts are also a possibility, as they could offer Saban control over their roster – not to mention they have a 26-year-old franchise quarterback in place.
For Saban to end up with the Giants, they’ll first have to fire two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin. That appears likely to happen, as a source told the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano that plenty in the team’s front office want to move on from Coughlin. It’s believed that one of those people is co-owner Steve Tisch.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Johnson, Bradford

December 30th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson had plenty to say Wednesday on the heels of the Chip Kelly firing, per Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com.

Asked if the players were afraid to take any complaints to Kelly, Johnson said, “Yeah, I mean, to be honest, yeah. There’s always talk in the locker room you don’t quite say to the coach. We’ll say it to the position coaches, but I don’t know if it ever leaves that room.”

Johnson does think Kelly “had good intentions,” but he also labeled him as “standoffish” – particularly toward the media.

Further, Johnson says he and the players knew about the power struggle between executive Howie Roseman and Kelly.

“Chip and Howie weren’t happy together, didn’t deal well. Just a lot of tension up there that didn’t need to happen, because when you throw it up there it does trickle down to the team, and the team knows what’s going on. It’s just a negative energy that doesn’t need to exist.”

On whether Kelly’s practice schedule’s was too grueling, Johnson stated, “I definitely think so … It takes a toll on you.”

Johnson added Kelly’s moves last offseason contributed to the offense’s inability to function effectively in his high-tempo attack.

“The tempo’s very effective whenever you’re able to do it well. I think we did well the first two years. Made a lot of changes this offseason and I don’t know if everyone is the best fit for what it was.”

More on the Eagles as the post-Kelly era begins:

Quarterback Sam Bradford, whom Kelly traded for last offseason, said Wednesday he was “shocked” about Kelly’s ouster, according to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. Bradford, who called his relationship with Kelly “great,” isn’t sure whether he’ll be an Eagle beyond this season. “Obviously, I think a lot of it depends on who they hire as a head coach now and what type of offensive system he wants to run,” said the free agent-to-be.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie is making a mistake in handing the reins of the Eagles’ front office to Roseman and Tom Donahoe, opines Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. Frank cites Roseman’s questionable draft record and inability to coexist with others as reasons for concern. As for Donahoe, he hasn’t been associated with a playoff team since 1997 and had a less-than-stellar run as Buffalo’s general manager from 2001-05. Frank believes the Eagles need a fresh approach, which Roseman and Donahoe won’t provide.
Zach Berman of Philly.com took a look at possible Kelly replacements for the Eagles. Seven current NFL assistants, three of whom have head coaching experience in the league, and three college head coaches are listed as potential successors.
Bob Brookover, also of Philly.com, writes that the Eagles’ best selection to take over for Kelly is interim head coach Pat Shurmur – who went 9-23 with the Browns from 2011-12.

Broncos Notes: Manning, Osweiler

December 30th, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on the Broncos’ quarterbacks:

Peyton Manning – out since mid-November with a foot injury – will return to action this week as Brock Osweiler‘s backup “if everything goes well,” head coach Gary Kubiak said (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). Asked whether Manning could eventually take back the starting job from Osweiler, Kubiak stated, “I don’t want to go that far. Brock is our QB, and nothing has changed,” the NFL Network’s James Palmer tweeted. Added Manning (Twitter link via The Denver Post’s Troy Renck), “I will do what I can to help Brock and the team.”
If Manning returns for his age-40 season in 2016, Renck expects him to be in another uniform because the writer believes Denver and Osweiler will agree to a multiyear contract in the coming months. Osweiler – a free agent-to-be – wants to remain a Bronco, and the team has been impressed by his progress, according to Renck. Osweiler, whom the Broncos drafted in the second round in 2012, has appeared in seven games this year and tossed nine touchdowns against four interceptions. As a result, he could ask for a deal in the range of $12MM to $15MM per annum, Renck notes.
Regarding last weekend’s release of an Al Jazeera investigative documentary that accused Manning of taking performance-enhancing drugs in the past, he said (Twitter link via Jhabvala), “The report wasn’t true Sunday. Still isn’t true. Will never be true. I’m still angry about it.” Manning added that he welcomes a league investigation into the report, preferably soon, Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today tweeted. He won’t pursue legal action now, but it’s a possibility after the season (Twitter link via Palmer).

Draft Notes: Latest Declarations

December 30th, 2015 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A quick look at the latest college players who will head for the 2016 NFL Draft:

Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham has declared, according to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman (Twitter link).
Auburn defensive lineman Carl Lawson will enter the draft, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
UCLA running back Paul Perkins announced his draft intentions via Twitter.
Fellow Baylor teammates expect defensive tackle Andrew Billings and cornerback Xavien Howard to depart school in favor of the draft, Pauline tweets.
Marshall defensive back Corey Tindal also tweeted that he will enter the draft.
San Diego State cornerback Damontae Kazee announced that he’s headed for the pros, Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.
San Jose State defensive back Cleveland Wallace III joined International Sports Agency (Twitter link).

Raiders Send Nate Allen To IR, Promote SaQwan Edwards

December 30th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders have placed safety Nate Allen on injured reserve with a knee injury and promoted cornerback SaQwan Edwards from their practice squad, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

Allen, who picked off a career-best four passes in Philly in 2014, signed a four-year, $23MM deal with the Raiders last offseason. His first season in Oakland was an injury-riddled disappointment, as the 28-year-old appeared in only five games, totaling 11 tackles and an interception. Allen’s year got off to a poor start immediately when he tore his MCL in Week 1. He came back midway through the campaign but eventually reaggravated his knee and hasn’t played since Dec. 6.

The Raiders could move on from Allen this offseason, per Bair, which would make sense. Allen has no dead money left on the three years remaining on his contract. Cutting him would save the Raiders $5MM next season, $6MM in 2017 and another $5MM in ’18.

Saints Place C.J. Spiller On IR

December 30th, 2015 at 4:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints have placed running back C.J. Spiller on injured reserve, ending his season a week early, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link).

Now in the books for Spiller, 2015 goes down as the worst season of the six-year veteran’s career. The former top 10 pick out of Clemson signed a four-year, $18MM deal with the Saints last offseason and was expected to serve as a significant weapon as both a runner and pass catcher. Instead, in 13 games, the ex-Bill amassed only 112 yards on a meager 36 carries and caught 34 passes at just 7.0 yards per reception. His season hit a nadir last week when he was made inactive for New Orleans’ win over Jacksonville. Head coach Sean Payton classified Spiller as “healthy” after the game, but added that “he’s still fighting to get that strength back in the leg from (his arthroscopic knee surgery in training camp),” per ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Payton cited that as the main reason Spiller was barely involved in the Saints’ offense this year.

Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com wrote earlier this month (via an NFL Network report) that Spiller could be one and done with the Saints, but it would be costly for the team to get rid of him this offseason. The Saints will incur a $3.75MM cap hit next season and save just $750,000 if they cut Spiller in the coming months, according to OverTheCap.com. His contract is more team-friendly thereafter, but he’ll still be on the Saints’ books through 2018.

East Notes: JPP, D. Jackson, Maccagnan

December 30th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

There were some frustrating moments for the Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul over the summer, when the standout defensive end – having received the franchise tag – refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while he was recovering from a July 4th fireworks accident. The situation, which resulted in the two sides eventually agreeing to a reworked contract, had the potential to create some acrimony, but JPP doesn’t seem too phased by it.

According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), Pierre-Paul said today that he would like to continue playing for the Giants next year, despite the fact that his contract will expire this winter. “I would like to finish my career here,” the veteran pass rusher said.

Contract negotiations between JPP and the Giants – or any other team – should be fascinating, since it’s hard to know exactly how high his ceiling is now that he’ll have to deal with his right hand issue for the rest of the his career. As we look forward to seeing how the situation plays out, let’s explore some other East notes…

Washington likes wide receiver DeSean Jackson “a lot” and hopes to keep him around going forward, sources tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson will count against the cap for $9.25MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, though that figure could be reduced with an extension.
Darrelle Revis‘ pick for executive of the year is Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. Revis, having received $39MM in guaranteed money from Maccagnan in March, might be a little biased, but he may not be the only one who picks the Jets GM. Within his annual contract awards, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick as the top two acquisitions of the year.
After having to deal with health issues again in 2015, Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne will have a lengthy injury history on his résumé if and when he hits the open market this winter. For now, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, Claiborne isn’t thinking about that, though the former first-round pick hopes to remain in Dallas.

Extra Points: Stadium Proposals, Lions, Reece

December 30th, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL officially confirmed today in a statement that it has received stadium proposals from the cities of Oakland, St. Louis, and San Diego in advance of the deadline, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

“We are able to confirm that we have received submissions from Oakland, St. Louis, and San Diego as requested,” the league’s statement reads. “All three submissions are generally consistent with our most recent discussions with public officials and task forces. We appreciate the leadership that public officials have demonstrated on behalf of the three cities. There is a great deal of information for the three teams and all of NFL ownership to review and consider. At this point, no applications for relocation of a franchise have been filed.”

The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise — it would have been more noteworthy if one of the cities had not submitted a proposal. But it takes us another step closer to the NFL eventually making its decision on the Raiders, Rams, Chargers, and Los Angeles.

Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends:

If he had a vote in the matter, Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson would have head coach Jim Caldwell return to Detroit for the 2016 season, he told reporters today. According to Johnson, Caldwell is one of the best coaches he has had in his career, and he thinks the rest of the locker room wants to see him return for next season as well (Twitter links via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).
In a statement to Pro Football Talk, Raiders fullback Marcel Reece explained why he failed a drug test, resulting in his four-game suspension. “I have NEVER, and would NEVER, ingest any banned substance that would result in a failed drug test,” Reece said. “What I did consume was a natural plant root extract by the name of ‘Umcka,’ which is a completely safe substance that is clearly legal by NFL policy, in terms of being acceptable to consume. What I didn’t know is that this plant root, once ingested in the human body, converts to the substance ‘methylhexanamine,’ which is a banned substance by NFL standards.”
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com lays out four reasons why the Browns should retain general manager Ray Farmer, then turns around and provides four reasons why the team should move on from on its GM.
The Ravens elevated defensive back Sheldon Price to their active roster on Tuesday, and head coach John Harbaugh explains that Price was receiving interest from another team, prompting Baltimore to promote him to avoid losing him (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).

Bills Owner: Ryan, Whaley To Return In 2016

December 30th, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills owner Terry Pegula has released a statement in which he essentially confirms that head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley will remain with the team for the 2016 season. While Ryan’s job had been considered fairly safe after just one year, there have been rumors that neither he nor Whaley was totally safe, but Pegula issued a strong vote of confidence for the duo today.

“Kim [Pegula], Russ [Brandon], and I look forward to working and collaborating with Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan in forming a winning future for the organization,” Pegula said (Twitter link). “Our management team and coaching staff are very capable and work well together. This stable foundation is necessary to achieve long-term success in the NFL.”

Pegula prefaced that statement by acknowledging that the Bills feel their expectations for the 2015 season were not met, so Ryan and Whaley will likely be under pressure to field a playoff team in 2016. For now though, it doesn’t appear there will be major changes in Buffalo.

Pegula’s statement comes on the heels of Bill Polian indicating that he’s not interested in leaving ESPN to take on a formal role within the Bills’ front office, despite informally offering suggestions and feedback to Pegula. It’s not clear whether or not the Bills owner had interest in officially adding Polian to his team’s front office.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Front Office, Coach Search

December 30th, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie addressed reporters today to discuss his decision to dismiss head coach Chip Kelly, and confirmed that, as we heard this morning, he didn’t offer Kelly a chance to keep the job without the control over the team’s personnel (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports).

As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets, Lurie explained the timing of his decision by telling the media that he wanted to get a headstart on the search for a new head coach, allowing Kelly to begin looking for a new job as well.

Perhaps most importantly, the fact that the move was made several days early gave Lurie time to have a players-only meeting today and to plan on meeting with certain Eagles players later today and on Monday as well. As he considers who to hire as Philadelphia’s new head coach, Lurie clearly wants some input from the players, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

Here are several more highlights from Lurie’s presser….

On the decision to fire Kelly:

Issues between Kelly and the Eagles’ players were a factor in the decision to fire Kelly, but Lurie doesn’t believe that the head coach lost the locker room (Twitter links via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
Lurie indicated that a recent conversation with DeMarco Murray had “zero” to do with his decision, noting that he talks to a lot of players (Twitter link via Breer).
Lurie acknowledged something that Kelly had long denied, confirming that Chip had insisted on specific power and personnel control, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. The end result of giving Kelly that power was “mediocrity,” Lurie said (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post).

On the Eagles’ front office:

Going forward, Howie Roseman will be responsible for making the player personnel department is as good as it can be, while Tom Donahoe will oversee day-to-day operations, Lurie announced (Twitter link).
Lurie is hopeful that the team can employ a “more collaborative approach” between the head coach and the front office, suggesting that no one person will dictate personnel decisions (Twitter link via Breer).
The Eagles don’t plan on hiring a new general manager. Roseman, Donahoe, and the new head coach will be the club’s primary decision-makers (Twitter links via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

On the search for a new head coach:

The Eagles’ brain trust spent the morning researching head coaching candidates and making calls, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). At his presser, Lurie confirmed that the club immediately got its coaching search underway last night.
Internal candidates may be considered for the head coaching job, according to Lurie (Twitter link). The Eagles owner isn’t ruling anyone out — college coaches, NFL coordinators, and offensive- and defensive-minded coaches will all be in play (Twitter link via Breer).
Lurie indicated that the team’s next head coach will have to be able to open his heart to players and understand “emotional intelligence.” Mosher tweets that that’s a “clear shot” at Kelly’s inability to communicate with his players.

Additional Eagles notes:

Asked about Kelly’s dismissal today, Eagles lineman Lane Johnson said that the former head coach was unapproachable, and also cited tension within the front office as a problem for the team (Twitter links via Breer and ESPN’s Ashley Fox).
Director of player engagement Marcus Sedberry is among the Eagles execs no longer with the team after yesterday’s shake-up, tweets Berman.