Month: January 2025

NFC Links: Lions, Brees, Washington

Haloti Ngata was banged up for much of his first season in Detroit. Still, the veteran enjoyed his time with the Lions, and the impending free agent is very interested in returning.

“I’d love to stay,” he told Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “I love what coach (Jim) Caldwell has done here. I love playing under him and coach Kris (Kocurek). I feel like I got in a groove at the end of the season and hopefully I can play a full season understanding the system.”

Let’s look at some more notes from around the NFL…

  • The Lions are expected to hire David Walker as their running backs coach, reports Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter). Walker previously spent time on the Colts coaching staff, where he worked under Lions head coach Jim Caldwell.
  • Drew Brees doesn’t necessarily need to take a payout to save the Saints some money, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett. The veteran quarterback could sign a multi-year extension, and the organization could then distribute the cap hit however they’d like. Ultimately, the writer believes the team should continue to pay Brees $20MM a season. While it isn’t necessarily a paycut, it’s well below what the veteran could make on the open market.
  • Safety Dashon Goldson could be among the surprise cap casualties for Washington this offseason, according to Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Meanwhile, Tarik El-Bashir points to lineman Kory Lichtensteiger and receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson.

Ravens Notes: Pitta, DeCosta, Mallett

Tight end Dennis Pitta missed the entire 2015 season as he recovered from a fractured and dislocated hip. While the 30-year-old had previously hinted at retirement, it appears that the veteran is still interested in returning next season.

“I certainly have a desire to play and want to play and want to be a part of this team moving forward. But we’ll see how it plays out,” Pitta told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. “Like we talked about, it’s not entirely my decision. Certainly, I have a lot of weight in what my future holds, but it’s not totally in my hands. We’ll see. There’s no timeline as far as when a decision is going to be made. We’ll give it some time this offseason, and I’ll certainly do some thinking and testing my body and hip.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Baltimore…

  • Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta is once again in demand. Zrebiec writes that the 44-year-old was a top target for the Titans general manager job, although the long-time executive has continually declined interviews.
  • Quarterback Ryan Mallett was content with his performance down the stretch this season, but he understands he’ll be back on the bench with the return of Joe Flacco. “I don’t know what the future holds,” Mallett told Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun. “What I’m going to do is take this offseason to get into the best shape that I can, and become a better player any way I can.”
  • ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley doesn’t envision the Browns cutting bait with embattled wideout Josh Gordon. However, if the talented receiver were to be released, the writer is convinced that the Ravens would have interest.

Coaching Notes: Browns, 49ers, Dolphins, Singletary

Browns coach Hue Jackson was seeking a defensive coordinator who was familiar with the division, making Ray Horton the perfect fit. As Tom Withers of the Associated Press writes, the 55-year-old has spent time on the coaching staff for the Steelers and Bengals.

“He knows this division,” Jackson said. “He was raised in this division. He played in this division. He understands what needs to be done to get our defense back to where it needs to be. I wanted somebody that knew the lay of the land and understood the division, understands the culture here and understands the change that we need to make and someone who can lead our young players and develop players to get better.”

Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the league…

  • The 49ers have hired former Buccaneers linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson for the same position, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole notes that Nickerson will be coaching the inside linebackers, while Jason Tarver will handle the outside linebackers.
  • The Dolphins have hired former Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper as their new offensive quality control coach, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
  • Former 49ers coach Mike Singletary has interviewed for several assistant gigs, but the 57-year-old told CSNBayArea.com that he’s seeking a job with more responsibility. “I didn’t want to be a linebacker coach again,” he said. “I’ve been studying my tail off since I left San Francisco to become a coordinator at the very least, and hopefully become a head coach. When that didn’t happen, I began to work that much more, visiting coaches and learning everything I could possibly learn, primarily on offense.”

Jaguars Extend HC Gus Bradley Through 2017

SATURDAY 8:35am: Bradley spoke to the media last night, and the head coach gave his take on the extension.

“Believe me, I appreciate it,” he said (via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com). “I think it’s awesome. It’s pretty strong.”

Bradley was also thrilled that his entire coaching staff got an extra year, stating that it’s an indication that the master plan is starting to come together.

“This was [Khan and Caldwell] saying, ‘We believe it’s coming together and we believe in this staff,’ ” Bradley said.

FRIDAY, 8:01am: Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley won’t enter the 2016 season as a lame duck. As first reported by Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville has extended Bradley’s contract by a year, locking him up through the 2017 season. The team has confirmed the move in a press release.Gus Bradley

[RELATED: Jaguars promote Todd Wash to defensive coordinator]

“For an organization that we believe is ready to make its move, extending Gus through the 2017 season provides our club with much-needed stability in every respect,” General manager Dave Caldwell said in a statement. “It solidifies Gus’ good standing with our current players, provides certainty for free agents who may be considering the Jaguars and helps to deliver the continuity throughout our coaching staff that we think is critical for us to turn the corner.”

Jaguars owner Shad Khan said before the team’s final game of the regular season that Bradley would return for the 2016 season, and NFL clubs typically don’t like having coaches on expiring contracts, so the new deal doesn’t come as a real surprise.

Khan’s statement in December suggested that he expects the team to take a step forward next season, and at the time it sounded as if Bradley would be on the hot seat if the Jags went through another losing season (the team is just 12-36 during his tenure). I don’t expect today’s move changes that — Khan would simply have to eat an extra year of salary now if he decides to make a change next year.

Still, with Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson helping to turn the Jaguars’ offense into a dangerous unit, Dante Fowler set to return in 2016, and the Jags set to add another top-five pick to the mix in the spring, there are signs that the franchise is headed in the right direction. By retaining Bradley and promoting an in-house assistant, Todd Wash, to the open defensive coordinator position – a move the club confirmed today – Khan and the Jaguars are betting on continuity heading into ’16.

In addition to announcing the one-year extension for Bradley, the Jaguars confirmed today that they’ve promoted Mark Ellenz to director of college scouting to replace Kyle O’Brien, who joined the Lions earlier this month, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. O’Halloran adds (via Twitter) that the club also announced Daniel Bullocks is the new assistant defensive backs coach.

Wash will call defensive plays for the Jaguars in 2016, tweets O’Halloran. The Times-Union scribe adds that, like Bradley, the team’s assistant coaches all have contracts that run through 2017 now as well (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Rumors: Manziel, Wolfe, Gase, Jags

Johnny Manziel will have to transform into the kind of constant presence around the team facility that Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer were under Hue Jackson with the Bengals and Raiders, respectively, per Albert Breer of NFL.com, if he’s to have any shot at staying with the Browns and competing for a job.

Jackson, understandably, prefers quarterbacks who make the team’s headquarters their home during the offseason. These characteristics are essentially the antithesis of Manziel’s behavioral pattern since arriving in Cleveland, and Jackson’s all-out interest in making the quarterback the fulcrum of the team’s progress will probably be spent on someone who isn’t on the Browns yet.

“[Jackson] changed Andy’s routine to get him around us more and around the other offensive players more,” a Bengals coach told Breer, before adding how Jackson pushed to get the game plan to Dalton early in the week, “so he could talk through it in more detail. Then, he pushed [Dalton] to meet separately with other skill guys and some offensive linemen to get them on the same page as him.”

Here are some more details on Manziel and some of the rest of the AFC franchises.

  • In an appearance on Jay Mohr’s Fox Sports Radio show earlier tonight, an initial filibuster from new Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta on whether Manziel would be on the team next year turned into the former baseball exec offering a “pass” as a response, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer relays. The comedian gave DePodesta yes, no or pass options, and after insisting he choose one after three initial responses, DePodesta said, “pass.” Obviously not a hard answer on the scrutinized ex-first-rounder, but signs continue to point Manziel away from Cleveland.
  • Derek Wolfe admitted he took “a big cut” compared to what he could have received on the open market in order to stay with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News reports. “I don’t really do this for the money. The money is great but you do it to win. That’s why I took a little bit of a haircut to stay here. I took a big cut. But you do it if you want to stay with the No. 1 defense,” said Wolfe in describing the process that went into his signing of a four-year, $36.7MM deal with the Broncos last Friday. In disclosing the terms of Wolfe’s full deal, Klis reports the defensive end will earn base salaries of $4.5MM in 2016, $5.5MM in ’17, $8MM in ’18 and $8MM in ’19, the latter two figures not guaranteed. Wolfe’s largest cap number in this deal will, as of now, loom in 2018, when he’s set to count $9.55MM against the Broncos’ cap.
  • Jaguars senior offensive assistant Frank Scelfo‘s accepted a position at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he’ll become the Roadrunners’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter). Scelfo coached the Jags’ QBs in 2013-14 before assuming the senior offensive assistant title last season. He served as the OC for Tulane and Louisiana Tech from 1999-2009.
  • Gus Bradley leaned on Monte Kiffin to help make the decision to promote Todd Wash to defensive coordinator, Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union reports. The retired Kiffin still serves as a consultant to the Jaguars and Bradley, whom he hired in Tampa Bay when he was the Buccaneers’ DC.
  • Adam Gase has shown patience while sorting out his staff as holdovers decide whether to stay or go, according to Breer, who adds that sort of approach runs counter to the tumult that permeated through the Dolphins‘ facilities last season.

Draft Notes: Tunsil, No. 1 Pick, Reynolds

Ole Miss early-entry tackle Laremy Tunsil‘s drawn comparisons to Tyron Smith from NFL scouts, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Miller projects the three-year Rebels starter to go No. 1 overall to the Titans if they keep the selection.

He’s Tyron 2.0. Big, mean, athletic. The total package,” an NFC scout told Miller.

Mel Kiper Jr. still has Ohio State’s Joey Bosa going No. 1, with Tunsil slotted in at No. 3. Both draft analysts also have Bosa, Cal quarterback Jared Goff and Florida State corner Jalen Ramsey in their respective top 5s. But Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner resides in Kiper’s premier quintet, while UCLA linebacker Myles Jack lands in Miller’s.

Here’s the latest about the 2016 draft.

  • Miller hears the from multiple GMs the Titans do intend to unload their pick for a team that needs a quarterback. A “flat” draft class similar to the one that led the Chiefs to take underwhelming left tackle Eric Fisher at No. 1 in 2013 is pushing the Titans to dangle the pick for the chance at acquiring multiple starters in a draft where a single can’t miss difference-maker doesn’t appear to reside.
  • Scouts at the East-West Shrine Game do, however, expect a trade to occur and a quarterback to be the first pick. The primary answer on who the Titans will receive a picks bounty for has been Goff, whom Miller has going off the board to the Browns at No. 2.
  • NFL scouts are viewing Navy yardage machine Keenan Reynolds as a slot receiver, Albert Breer of NFL.com reports. The East team has the FBS all-time quarterback rushing leader playing at running back, however. Like many former run-first collegiate QBs, Reynolds will have to answer questions about his pro position, according to evaluators. “He’d be a slot receiver or running back in the pros. Very productive college player, but he’s different than [former Indiana quarterback Antwaan] Randle-El or [ex-Penn State signal-caller Michael] Robinson,” an AFC scouting director told Breer.
  • Nate Sudfeld‘s generated some buzz at the Shrine Game, and Breer’s getting the impression a good performance in Saturday’s game will result in the Indiana quarterback being a middle-round pick. At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, Sudfeld has the experience as a three-year Hoosiers starter and the pedigree in having older brother Zach Sudfeld in the NFL. An AFC scouting director pegged him as a “Day 3 type” of player due to sub-optimal arm strength to go with solid accuracy on short- and mid-range throws. “He makes quick decisions, but he’s got an average arm — he’s not strong down the field. He’s accurate on short and intermediate throws and he took care of the ball at Indiana,” the evaluator told Breer.

 

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, Schraeder, Henderson

Chip Kelly‘s official preference on Colin Kaepernick now that he’s in control of the 49ers hasn’t been established. But rival defensive coordinators are under the impression the former Eagles coach will extend an olive branch to the maligned quarterback once thought set for the trade market, given what the pair could accomplish together, NFL.com’s Albert Breer writes.

Whereas the DCs informed Breer that Sam Bradford did not evoke much fear in Kelly’s attack, the mobile Kaepernick could, considering how Kelly’s offense looked when he was coaching Marcus Mariota or Darron Thomas at Oregon.

I think [Kaepernick] is a good enough passer, but obviously what’ll be a nightmare is his ability to run. That offense is straight ‘Freddy Krueger’ when you have a quarterback that can pull the ball and run at any given time,” one rival coordinator told Breer.

Kelly’s Philadelphia tenure began with Michael Vick at the controls, but Vick at that point did not represent the kind of dual-threat signal-caller Kaepernick has shown himself to be at his best. The former second-round pick’s strong arm will bring something else Bradford didn’t last season, per another rival DC, along with his ability to play a zone-read-style system alongside Carlos Hyde.

Awesome — could be scary. You get the run threat back to keep the ball on zone read,” the coordinator said. “… And Kap can throw it deep. Chip stretched the field with [Nick] Foles vertically, and not as much with Bradford. … And Kap did a good job with simple reads and progressions early in San Francisco. Chip’s intermediate pass game in Philly had those features.

Assuming Kelly wants to see how Kaepernick looks in his offense, the 28-year-old will enter the third year of his contract and cost the 49ers $15.9MM against their 2016 salary cap once he’s on the roster after April 1.

Here are some other items from around the league as 28 teams are in their early offseason phases.

  • With the Cowboys and Jaguars’ coaching staffs set to instruct sides at next weekend’s Senior Bowl, a source told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News secondary coach Jerome Henderson‘s status will be resolved by Monday when the staff leaves for the all-star game. The 46-year-old Henderson interviewed for the Browns’ head-coaching job, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator role and on Friday spoke with the Falcons regarding an unspecified position with the Atlanta defense. Cowboys officials, however, have expressed desire to retain Henderson, however, according to Moore. His contract expires at the end of the 2016 season. Henderson and the Cowboys have discussed his contract, with the understanding that Henderson will only depart if he can become a coordinator somewhere.
  • Falcons restricted free agent Ryan Schraeder may require more than a second-round tender to keep after a dominant third season, McClure writes. A first-team All-Pro right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, Schraeder receiving the second-round tender would cost the Falcons $2.47MM but would allow another team to sign him while surrendering only a second-round pick. An ex-UDFA, Schraeder made $585K last season. “Atlanta has given me an opportunity,” Schraeder told McClure. “I felt like I’ve tried to make the most out of it. Whatever happens in the future, happens. But I know deep down inside that I can play in this league. My agent [Joel and Justin Turner], I feel like I have the best agents in the business. They’ll handle a lot of that. And I’ll probably give them some input.” A first-round tender cost a team $3.354MM last year.
  • The Lions fired senior vice president of football operations Cedric Saunders, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. Saunders joined the Lions 10 years ago under Matt Millen and began overseeing the Lions’ budget with regards to personnel under Martin Mayhew. He’s one of several executives to be ousted since new GM Bob Quinn‘s arrival.
  • The Giants‘ ideal free agent targets, in the mind of NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, should be Olivier Vernon, Danny Trevathan and Tashaun Gipson. Big Blue’s defense risks losing its most accomplished players this offseason in Prince Amukamara and Jason Pierre-Paul, although Raanan tabs Amukamara as having a “better than 50% chance” of staying, and hasn’t had much luck fortifying its defense with talent through the draft. Gipson went through a contentious stretch with the Browns last summer as a restricted free agent, and Trevathan faces a long road back to Denver next season due to potential eight-figure AAV players the Broncos have yet to sign in Von Miller and Brock Osweiler.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/22/16

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Steelers signed cornerback Ross Cockrell to a one-year extension, Teresa Varley of Steelers.com reports. An exclusive-rights free agent, Cockrell will return to the Steelers for a second season after signing in Pittsburgh in 2015. The 24-year-old corner started in seven Steelers games this season after the 2014 fourth-round pick was a non-factor with the Bills as a rookie. Cockrell snared two interceptions and deflected 11 passes this season.
  • The Patriots promoted linebacker Kevin Snyder to their active roster, Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal tweets. The 23-year-old UDFA hasn’t played in an NFL game yet. Jerod Mayo landed on IR earlier this week, and Snyder’s promotion fills that roster spot. New England also listed 16 players — including linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Jonathan Freeny and Darius Fleming — as questionable for its AFC championship matchup in Denver this week.

Coach Rumors: Ragone, Titans, Manusky, Giants

While the 49ers have been making the most news today in forming their new coaching staff under Chip Kelly, here is the latest from around the league, starting in Chicago.

  • The Bears hired former Texans quarterback and Titans quarterback coach Dave Ragone as their new quarterback coach, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Bears wide receiver coach Mike Groh was also considered for the job, Rich Campbell of Chicago Tribune tweets. The 36-year-old Ragone worked with new Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, Chicago’s previous QBs coach who was promoted last week, with the Titans. Ragone coached the Titans’ quarterbacks in 2013 and instructed their wideouts during the previous two seasons. He spent this past season as an offensive quality control coach in Washington. Prior to that, he began his coaching career guiding Josh McCown with the Hartford Colonels of the now-defunct United Football League.
  • Longtime offensive line coach Russ Grimm will head to Nashville to become the Titans‘ offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets. Grimm hasn’t coached since 2012, which was his final year of a six-season stay with the Cardinals. The 56-year-old Grimm, a Hall of Fame Washington guard, began his coaching career as Washington’s tight ends coach in 1992, a year after retiring before beginning as the team’s line coach in 1997. Grimm crossed paths with Titans HC Mike Mularkey during his time in Pittsburgh (2001-06), where Mularkey served as the offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
  • New Browns DC Ray Horton planned to hire ex-Browns defensive lineman Nick Eason for his defensive staff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter), but the Titans promoting him from assistant defensive line coach to defensive line coach convinced him to stay in Tennessee.
  • The Giants hired former Eagles outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern to be their linebackers coach, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). McGovern spent 23 years coaching at various colleges in the northeast before teaching the outside backers with the Eagles under Kelly the past three seasons.
  • Washington hired another former player and longtime coach to preside over its outside linebackers, adding Greg Manusky to its staff, Andrew Walker reports on the team’s website. Manusky began his career in Washington, but only coached there in 2001. The 49-year-old former linebacker served as defensive coordinator for the Colts from 2012-15 before being fired earlier this month. He was previously the DC for the 49ers and Chargers for a combined five seasons.
  • Former Panthers and Bears safety Chris Harris will serve as the Chargers‘ assistant defensive backs coach, Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk reports. Harris worked as a quality control coach with the Bears in 2013-14 and played for the Panthers toward the end of current Chargers HC Mike McCoy‘s lengthy stay in Charlotte. Harris replaces Greg Williams, whom the Colts recently hired as their DBs coach.