HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Details, Fallout On Eagles’ Firing Of Chip Kelly

December 29th, 2015 at 10:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles’ decision to part ways with head coach – and de facto GM – Chip Kelly was Tuesday’s biggest piece of news, so it’s no surprise that reports since then have been adding new details to the story, exploring the fallout, and looking ahead to the next steps for both Kelly and the Eagles. We’ve got plenty of Kelly-related material to get to, so let’s dive right in…

Details:

  • Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie “apparently” spoke to some players before making the decision to fire Kelly, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). However, both McLane and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) talked to several Eagles players who said they had no idea the move was coming.
  • When running back DeMarco Murray spoke to Lurie recently, he expressed a lack of confidence in Kelly, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Lurie already knew that the locker room wasn’t thrilled with Kelly and his methods, so that was nothing new, but the situation reached a breaking point.
  • According to McLane (Twitter link), Lurie and Kelly had a meeting today that didn’t go well, with the decision to fire the head coach coming shortly thereafter. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio has heard something similar, reporting that Kelly balked at the idea of ceding personnel control in a recent meeting with Lurie (link via Pro Football Talk).
  • However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links) says he wasn’t able to confirm the rumor that the Eagles wanted to strip Kelly’s personnel power, and Garafolo (Twitter link) adds that word out of Philadelphia suggests the team didn’t make Kelly an offer to remain as head coach without that personnel power.
  • James Harris, Kelly’s “chief of staff,” was also let go by the Eagles today, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).

Fallout:

  • Kelly insists he wants to remain in the NFL, rather than go back to college, and says that at his next stop he just wants to coach, rather than overseeing personnel decisions as well, reports Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Of course, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com observes (via Twitter), Kelly said he wasn’t interested in making personnel calls when he joined the Eagles as well.
  • The Dolphins are a team that will be in the market for a head coach this winter, so James Walker of ESPN.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explore whether or not the team should pursue Kelly. Neither scribe views him as a great fit for Miami.
  • Rapoport (Twitter link) heard from a high-ranking Titans source several weeks ago that Kelly wasn’t on the team’s list of head coaching candidates since he was under contract. Now that that’s no longer the case, perhaps Kelly will be added to Tennessee’s list of possible targets, though Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com is unconvinced he’d be the answer for the Titans.
  • Albert Breer of the NFL Network and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) offer of a couple of potential Eagles head coaching targets, with Breer naming Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and Mosher identifying Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

Bills Notes: Carpenter, Gillislee, Harvin, Easley

December 29th, 2015 at 9:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills coach Rex Ryan indicated that he has some pause about keeping kicker Dan Carpenter for next season, although it would take a worthy replacement to push him off the roster, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes. Carpenter has now missed five extra points on the season.

After converting 91.7% of his field goals upon arriving in Buffalo in 2013, Carpenter signed a four-year extension in March 2014 that included $2.15MM in guaranteed money. The Bills can save $1.7625MM by cutting Carpenter after this season, including a $250K roster bonus that they can avoid paying if he’s released prior to the seventh day of the 2016 league year.

As Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News details, Ryan provided a few more noteworthy tidbits on the Bills this week, so let’s round them up…

  • Ryan expects running back Mike Gillislee to be a part of next year’s roster. “Without question, he’s a guy, him, Karlos [Williams], LeSean McCoy, we’re in good hands there” Ryan said. “Maybe we look to expand his role on special teams. Could be something we look into.”
  • Asked about Percy Harvin, Ryan said he has talked to the wide receiver once and texted with him a few times and “gets the sense” he wants to play. There were rumors earlier in the season that Harvin was contemplating retirement.
  • Wide receiver Marcus Easley was placed on injured reserve by the Bills this week, and it sounds like he’ll have a long road back to full health. Calling the knee injury a “major, major” one, Ryan explained that Easley dislocated his knee cap and broke his knee in three spots.

Workout Notes: Texans, 49ers, Giants

December 29th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans tried out Canadian Football League wide receiver Eric Rogers, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Rogers, who is in the process of auditioning for a reported 14 NFL teams, is not eligible to sign with an NFL club until January when he can ink a reserve/futures contract. The 6’3″, 210-pound former Division III standout at California Lutheran caught 87 passes for 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Here are more of today’s workout notes from around the NFL:

  • In addition to working out Rogers, the Texans also took a look at former Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Wilson adds a couple more defensive linemen to the list of players auditioned by Houston, tweeting that Glenn Foster and Josh Watson were brought in by the club as well. No one from the group was signed to a contract for now.
  • The 49ers tried out offensive lineman Colin Kelly, tweets Wilson.
  • Tight end Mike McFarland is among the players who worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) hears that former Washington wide receiver Aldrick Robinson was part of that workout group as well.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC South Notes: Pagano, Colts, Titans

December 29th, 2015 at 8:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Head coach Chuck Pagano turned down a one-year extension from Colts owner Jim Irsay in the offseason that included a modest raise but he says that he has no regrets about that, as Amanda Rakes of CBS4 writes.

Pagano has had a rough year with Andrew Luck sidelined for a good portion of the season, but his ground-and-pound method hasn’t worked either, as Indianapolis is tied for 30th in both rushing yards (1,211) and per-carry average (3.6). The Colts have also been dismal through the air, coming in at 31st in yards per attempt (6.4) and 29th in rating (77.6).

Here’s more from out of the AFC South:

  • It’s hard to pin down what Irsay’s offseason plans are for the Colts, but fans shouldn’t necessarily bet on general manager Ryan Grigson being let go, says Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
  • A general manager change could be in the works in Tennessee, so Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com identifies some potential GM candidates the Titans could consider if they move on from Ruston Webster.
  • Veteran safety Michael Griffin has spent nine years and 140 games with the Titans, but with his cap hit set to increase to $8.3MM in 2016, the second-highest charge on the team, he knows that his future in Tennessee is uncertain. Griffin spoke to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com about his situation, acknowledging that “there’s never a guarantee for next year.”
  • If the Titans don’t re-sign Byron Bell, they could decide to select a tackle with their first overall pick, speculates Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tennessee can secure the No. 1 pick with a Week 17 loss.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/29/15

December 29th, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: RB Kevin Monangai (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer)

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: CB Kyle Sebetic (link via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com)

Bills Place Charles Clay On IR

December 29th, 2015 at 7:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have placed a pair of players on the injured reserve list, announcing today that they’re sending tight end Charles Clay and cornerback Ron Brooks to IR (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).

After inking a massive five-year contract with the Bills in the offseason, Clay was limited to 13 games this year, as he battled knee and back issues. In his first season in Buffalo, Clay caught 51 balls for 528 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers look similar to the ones he posted in 2014 in Miami – 58 receptions, 605 yards, three TDs – but the Bills were likely expecting more production from the veteran tight end after inking him to a $38MM offer sheet.

With a $10MM roster bonus owed to him in 2016, Clay will likely have his contract restructured in the offseason, but he’s not going anywhere for now, since that money is fully guaranteed.

As for Brooks, the defensive back who contributes primarily on special teams will be eligible for free agency at season’s end, so he may have played his last game with the Bills. His 2015 season came to an early end due to a neck injury.

Eagles Part Ways With Chip Kelly

December 29th, 2015 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

6:52pm: While the Eagles didn’t announce it publicly, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) believes Roseman will return to the head of the team’s personnel department.

6:19pm: With one week left in the regular season, the Eagles have announced in a press release that they’re parting ways with head coach Chip Kelly. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will serve as the club’s interim head coach in Week 17.Chip Kelly

“I have made a decision to release Chip Kelly this evening,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “I spent the last three seasons evaluating the many factors involved in our performance as a team. As I watched this season unfold, I determined that it was time to make a change. As we move forward, the search for a new head coach will begin and will be led by myself, Don Smolenski and Howie Roseman. To the extent that we are able, we will try to keep you informed as we go through this process.”

The move comes as a surprise, particularly given the timing, since teams making head coaching changes typically wait until after their season ends to announce them. Since Kelly also served as Philadelphia’s de facto general manager, overseeing the construction of the 90-man roster in the offseason, the team figures to be making several new hires in the coming weeks.

One executive that has already been replaced is vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz, who has been let go along with Kelly. When the club re-assigned Roseman earlier this year, Kelly was tasked with picking a new personnel executive, and ultimately decided on Marynowitz, who received a promotion within the organization. Former NFL GM Tom Donahoe, who had been serving as a senior football advisor for the Eagles since 2012, will take over Marynowitz’s old role, at least for now.

In addition to the changes coming to the Eagles’ front office and coaching staff, the roster figures to be retooled this offseason, after Kelly’s overhauled it and brought in his own players. It was Kelly, of course, who orchestrated this year’s trade for Sam Bradford, so with the former first overall pick eligible for free agency this winter, it’ll be interesting to see if Philadelphia’s new decision-makers attempt to lock up Bradford, via the franchise tag or a longer-term deal.

During his three seasons as Eagles head coach, Kelly had a solid 26-21 record. However, after consecutive 10-6 seasons, the wheels came off a little this year, as the new-look roster, which was supposedly tailored to Kelly’s vision, struggled to produce on the field.

Although Kelly only took over final say of Philadelphia’s roster moves from Roseman a year ago, he influenced the team’s moves before then as well, and many talented players left town after not always seeing eye to eye with the head coach. DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and Evan Mathis are a few of the players that have departed within the last couple years.

As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets, Kelly still had two years and at least $12MM left on his contract, so he doesn’t necessarily have to rush into any decisions on a new job this offseason. But it’s worth keeping an eye on the Titans, who will be in the market for a new head coach, and have Kelly’s old Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota on the roster. With Mariota and possibly the No. 1 overall pick this spring in play, the Tennessee position could definitely be of interest to Kelly, though it’s not clear yet if the Titans would reciprocate that interest.

The Eagles, meanwhile, join the Dolphins and Titans as teams that will definitely be hunting for a new head coach this offseason, with the Lions, Giants, Saints, Browns, 49ers, and Rams among the teams that could potentially join them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Place Paul Soliai On IR

December 29th, 2015 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons have placed a starting defensive lineman on the injured reserve list, announcing today that they’ve moved nose tackle Paul Soliai to IR and promoted tight end D.J. Tialavea from their practice squad (Twitter link).

Soliai, who is in the second season of a five-year, $32MM contract with the Falcons, played in 14 games this year for the team, starting 10. His numbers, including 22 tackles and a fumble recovery, were modest, and Pro Football Focus viewed him as a middle-of-the-pack interior defender, ranking him 55th out of 127 qualified players.

Beginning in 2016, Soliai’s cap hit increases significantly – from $4.4MM to $6.9MM – and his salary is no longer guaranteed, so it’ll be interesting to see if Atlanta addresses his contract at all. A $7MM signing bonus ensures that he still has plenty of dead money left on his deal, so the Falcons wouldn’t create a ton of cap savings in 2016 by trading or releasing him, unless they designated him as a post-June 1 cut.

More Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/15

December 29th, 2015 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesdays are generally the busiest day of the week during the NFL regular season for transactions, and on the last Tuesday of the 2015 campaign, that’s especially true. After rounding up several minor moves from around the league earlier today, we’ve got plenty more to pass along now. Here’s the latest:

AFC:

  • After re-signing him three weeks ago, the Chargers confirmed today that they have released wide receiver Vincent Brown. The 26-year-old was active for just one game and caught only one pass, for 22 yards.
  • The Ravens have placed wide receiver Marlon Brown on season-ending injured reserve due to a back injury, replacing him on the roster with defensive back Sheldon Price, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown, the 20th player Baltimore has placed on IR this year, is eligible for restricted free agency, and he may not be tendered a contract this winter, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Broncos have cut safety Shaun Prater, who was inactive on Monday, the team announced in a press release. Prater was signed as insurance after David Bruton was placed on IR, but with T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart back in action, his services weren’t required.
  • The Patriots have filled their roster by signing linebacker and special-teamer Dekoda Watson, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s the third contract signed with New England this year by Watson, who has been off and on the Pats’ roster.
  • The Texans have officially confirmed the previously-reported transaction that sent cornerback Charles James to IR, elevating safety Corey Moore to the active roster from the practice squad to replace James, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
  • The Raiders have signed safety Dewey McDonald from off their practice squad, according to the team. McDonald has also spent time with the Colts and Patriots this season.

NFC:

  • The Buccaneers are ending Major Wright‘s season, placing the safety on injured reserve prior to Week 17, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL Network. In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay is elevating tight end Tevin Westbrook from its practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
  • Washington has made a change at the back of its 53-man roster, announcing that tight end Je’Ron Hamm has been waived to make room for cornerback Jeremy Harris, who received a promotion from the practice squad.
  • The Lions have once again waived cornerback Bill Bentley, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Bentley, a third-round pick by Detroit in 2012, was cut by the team in the summer before re-signing last month.
  • The Saints are promoting tight end Rashaun Allen to their 53-man roster from the practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson. As Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) observes, a corresponding move will be required to make the signing official, which could mean moving tight end Josh Hill to IR.
  • Wilson also passes along details on a couple players who have been cut from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists, reporting (via Twitter) that the Cardinals have cut defensive back Cariel Brooks with an injury settlement, while the Packers have released defensive end Jermauria Rasco from their IR.

Colts Sign Josh Freeman, Ryan Lindley

December 29th, 2015 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

4:07pm: The Colts have gotten back up to the 53-man roster limit by signing another quarterback, Ryan Lindley, the team announced in a press release. The move gives Indianapolis five signal-callers in total on its roster, including three healthy QBs, and gives the team another option for this Sunday.

2:39pm: The Colts have filled two openings on their 53-man roster, announcing today that they’ve signed quarterback Josh Freeman and promoted inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera from their practice squad. The team created two open spots on Monday by placing quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and guard Hugh Thornton on the injured reserve list, and created one more today by also sending linebacker Josh McNary to IR.

Since starting his career with the Buccaneers and then spending a little time in 2013 in Minnesota, Freeman has not appeared in a regular season game or even spent any real time on a club’s in-season roster. Most recently, he played for the Dolphins this summer and then joined the FXFL’s Brooklyn Bolts in the fall.

After working out for the Colts on Monday, Freeman becomes the second healthy quarterback on the roster, joining Stephen Morris. Assuming Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck are unable to play this weekend, as is expected, either Freeman or Morris – who was signed off the Eagles’ practice squad last Thursday – will have to start for Indianapolis in its regular season finale.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Freeman gets a shot to play in Week 17, and if he’s a part of the Colts’ plans for 2016 at all.

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