HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Packers Place Andrew Quarless On IR

January 15th, 2016 at 9:45pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:45pm: To fill Quarless’ roster spot, the Packers promoted cornerback Robertson Daniel from their practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Even after the team ruled out Davante Adams for Saturday’s divisional-round game against the Cardinals, the Packers opted not to bring up one of the two receivers on their practice squad. They’ll go with just four vs. Arizona.

THURSDAY, 11:08pm: In advance of their divisional playoff game against the Cardinals, the Packers will be placing tight end Andrew Quarless on the injured reserve list, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Quarless himself alluded to the move on his Instagram account earlier today."<strong

“Wanted to be the first to thank all my loyal fans who have supported me this past year,” Quarless wrote. “You all have been a blessings to my life. My season has come to an end not by choice but I will continue to trust God’s plan for my life.”

Quarless, 27, has already spent most of the season on injured reserve, though he was originally placed on IR with the designation to return. An MCL injury sidelined Quarless for about two and a half months, beginning in late September, limiting him to five games and just four receptions for 31 yards for the season.

A source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that the tight end recently underwent a procedure to drain fluid from his knee, and it seems the Packers had concerns about his health going forward. Once the team makes the move official, there will be an open spot for Green Bay to add a player to the 53-man roster — likely someone from the practice squad.

It’s been a rough year for Quarless, whose July arrest raised doubts about whether he’d even remain with the Packers. While Green Bay did keep him around, Quarless was on the shelf for most of the season as second-year tight end Richard Rodgers enjoyed a breakout campaign, hauling in 58 balls and racking up eight touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Jones, Texans, Browns, Bengals

January 15th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite not failing a drug test or being arrested, Chandler Jones could be subject to discipline under the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Jones’ recent incident reportedly involving synthetic marijuana and a police report indicating a smell of burned marijuana in Jones’ apartment would be enough to place the Patriots defensive end in Stage 1 of the substance-abuse program, Florio notes.

Synthetic marijuana isn’t among the substances for which the NFL tests, but being placed in the program would open up Jones to tests for other substances, and potential advancement within the program would about subsequent discipline a subsequent test comes back positive.

Jones’ recent bizarre happening won’t result in a suspension, Florio reports, unless the fourth-year defender was already in an advanced stage of the program. Confidentiality limits that knowledge to a select few, but Jones is not believed to be among those in the substance-abuse program.

Here are some more notes from AFC as the divisional round nears.

  • Ray Horton wants to be the Browns‘ defensive coordinator if he doesn’t receive a head-coaching opportunity, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that promotes minority coaches, front office personnel and scouts, told Cabot Horton “would love to come back to the Browns.” Horton served as Cleveland’s DC in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski but wasn’t retained after Chudzinski was fired after one season.
  • In addition to pursuing Kirby Wilson as their running-game coordinator, the Browns will attempt to land Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as their offensive line coach, with an aim to possibly give him more responsibilities, Cabot reports. The 60-year-old Solari’s most notable role came as Chiefs offensive coordinator in 2006-07 under Herm Edwards. Since, Solari served as the offensive line coach for the Seahawks (2008-09) and 49ers (2010-14) before joining the Packers’ staff.
  • The Texans hired former Patriots linebacker Larry Izzo as their special teams coordinator, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Izzo had previously served as the Giants’ assistant special teams coach. The 41-year-old Izzo played for three Patriots Super Bowl champion teams in the 2000s and is a Houston-area native.
  • Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has taken a lot of heat for deploying the likes of Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones this week, but other coaches and executives believe the responsibility falls more on the Bengals’ ownership, Albert Breer of NFL.com reports. “I don’t think Marvin and that staff are about that stuff. Ownership is. They look at value, and see a way to gain an advantage,” one head coach told La Canfora. An NFC personnel man echoed that, questioning Mike Brown‘s organization’s offseason choices. “People want Marvin to pay with his job, but what about the GM? They went through this period of time where they had a bunch of dirtbags in there, guys like Corey Dillon, and they’ve changed some. But it’s still there. The Brown family, I love and respect them. They’re as high character and have as much integrity as any owners I’ve met. Yet, sometimes, the player selections make you scratch your head.”
  • Both Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson will command contracts “well north” of $10MM per year, Mike Klis of 9News estimates. Both will be the Broncos‘ top priorities once Von Miller is likely franchise-tagged, Klis notes. The Broncos opted to let most of their departing talent walk the past two offseasons, save for Demaryius Thomas and Chris Harris, but today signed Derek Wolfe to a contract paying $9MM AAV. That figure sits seventh among 3-4 defensive ends, according to OverTheCap. The Broncos have $20MM+ worth of cap space heading into 2016, and that’s before factoring in Peyton Manning‘s likely departure, freeing up more than $20MM of additional dollars.

Colts Hire Joe Philbin As OL Coach

January 15th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

8:31pm: Philbin won’t be regressing from head coach to position coach entirely. Part of the Colts’ offer includes the title of assistant head coach, which may have been the reason the former Dolphins boss chose Indianapolis over the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

4:52pm: Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has found a new home, and despite the rumors and speculation this week, he didn’t land in New York. The Colts announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Philbin as their offensive line coach.Joe Philbin

[RELATED: Colts hire Rob Chudzinski as permanent offensive coordinator]

As recently as Thursday, following the hiring of Ben McAdoo as the Giants’ new head coach, multiple reports indicated that Philbin would likely land on McAdoo’s staff, possibly in the role of assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. However, it seems Philbin – and the Giants – are going in another direction. Mike Garafolo FOX Sports tweets that Philbin strongly considered the Giants before opting for the Colts.

Philbin, who was hired by the Dolphins as their head coach in 2012, led the team to a 24-28 record up until he was fired earlier this season. His tenure in Miami didn’t result in any postseason trips, but he enjoyed success in Green Bay before heading south, serving as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that, Philbin coached the team’s offensive line.

In Indianapolis, Philbin will be tasked with coaching an offensive line that may need to be upgraded this winter. Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort look like a solid pairing on the left side, and Joe Reitz played reasonably well this year, but the Colts will want the group of players responsible for keeping Andrew Luck upright and healthy in 2016 to be more than just passable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos Extend Derek Wolfe Through 2019

January 15th, 2016 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

8:10pm: Wolfe will have a $500K game-day roster bonus annually, which comes to $31,250 for each game he’s on the 46-man game-day roster, Klis reports. He’ll make $4.5MM in base salary in 2016.

5:08pm: Wolfe’s four-year deal features $12MM in fully guaranteed money, in the form of a signing bonus and his 2016 salary, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS. An additional $5.5MM becomes guaranteed on the seventh day of the 2017 league year.

3:06pm: Just two days before their first postseason game of the year, the Broncos have locked up one of their top defenders, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive end Derek Wolfe to a four-year contract extension. The deal will be worth $36.75MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).Derek Wolfe

Wolfe, who turns 26 next month, saw his 2015 campaign get off to a disappoint start when he was suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Considering he was entering a contract year, the suspension looked like it could have a negative impact on Wolfe’s stock, but he returned from the ban better than ever, enjoying perhaps his best seasons as a pro.

After seeing his sack totals decrease from six in his rookie year to four in 2013 to just 1.5 in 2014, Wolfe bounced back with 5.5 sacks in just 12 games this season. He also logged 50 total tackles, and was his reliable self against the run. Pro Football Focus graded Wolfe as the NFL’s 10th-best interior defender in 2015, ranking him fifth among that group as a run defender.

While Brock Osweiler and Von Miller have dominated the discussion when it comes to the Broncos’ potential free agents, Wolfe’s 2015 performance made him a potential marquee FA as well. The franchise tag wouldn’t have been an option for him, since the cost of 4-3 defensive ends bumps up the price on that tag and makes it unpalatable, so it makes sense that the Broncos worked out a new deal for Wolfe before March.

As a 3-4 defensive end, Wolfe won’t typically rack up the sort of eye-popping numbers that an edge defender like Miller does, so the $9MM+ annual average value on his new deal may seem pricey. But it falls in line with many other long-term contracts signed recently by players at his position — in fact, Wolfe likely would’ve landed an even larger deal on the open market.

As Over the Cap’s data shows, Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Corey Liuget (Chargers), and Mike Daniels (Packers) have all recently signed four- or five-year extensions with per-year salaries that exceed $10MM. The fully guaranteed money on those contracts ranged from $12-16MM, so I’d expect Wolfe to get something in that range, perhaps an amount on the lower end.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that the pact features $17.5MM in guaranteed money. However, typically those initial reports include salary that’s guaranteed for injury only, so we’ll have to wait to hear how much of that is fully guaranteed.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear what this deal means for the Broncos’ other defensive end, Malik Jackson, whose rookie contract is also set to expire this year. Jackson matched Wolfe’s 5.5 sacks in 2015, and was graded a top-20 interior defender by PFF, so he should be in line for a similar deal. After investing in Wolfe though, the Broncos may not be the team to sign him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Rumors: Frazier, Cullen, Front Office

January 15th, 2016 at 7:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Leslie Frazier will join the Ravens’ coaching staff as the team’s secondary coach, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links).

The former Vikings head coach was dismissed recently, when the Buccaneers opted to not pick up his option to remain on staff as their defensive coordinator.

Frazier and the Ravens do not have a contract in place yet, but a verbal agreement’s been established, per Zreibec (on Twitter).

Although Frazier, the Vikings’ head coach from 2011-13, coached the Colts’ defensive backs during their Super Bowl campaign in 2006, his title was assistant head coach. A defensive coordinator or head coach since the Bengals hired him in 2003 to run their defense, the 56-year-old Frazier hasn’t been purely a position coach since presiding over the Eagles’ secondary from 1999-2002.

The Bucs’ defense ranked 25th and 23rd the past two seasons, respectively.

Here are some more items regarding the Ravens’ coaching staff and front office.

  • Joe Cullen will move alongside Frazier from the Bucs to the Ravens, joining John Harbaugh‘s staff as defensive line coach, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. Cullen coached the Bucs’ defensive line last season and guided the Jaguars’ defensive line from 2010-12. He was arrested in 2006 as a member of the Lions’ coaching staff for driving through a Wendy’s drive-thru naked. The Ravens’ previous defensive line coach, Clarence Brooks, will serve as a senior defensive assistant, per Zreibec (on Twitter). Brooks will undergo surgery in January or February for esophageal cancer but is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.
  • Chris Hewitt will assist Frazier in coaching the Ravens’ secondary after being in charge of the group this season, Zreibec tweets. The 41-year-old Hewitt also served in this capacity in 2014.
  • Matt Weiss will transition from cornerback coach to a job working with the linebackers under Don Martindale, who’s been the Ravens’ inside linebacker coach since 2012, Zreibec tweets. Outside linebacker coach Ted Monachino recently signed on as the Colts’ defensive coordinator.
  • Lastly, the Ravens retained and promoted Scott Cohen, who the Browns sought for a front office position, according to Zreibec (via Twtter). He’ll remain in Baltimore and work with opponent analysis.

Browns To Go Without Offensive Coordinator?

January 15th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

During a radio interview Friday, Hue Jackson mentioned he does not plan to hire an offensive coordinator after being brought on as the Browns’ head coach, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jackson will almost certainly call plays in Cleveland this season after doing so in Cincinnati the past two seasons and in Oakland in 2011, when he served as the Raiders’ head coach.

The newly hired Browns HC didn’t rule out the possibility of someone else calling plays but seems intent on doing so himself, and this could well mean the Browns going without an offensive coordinator this season.

“Right now in my mind, I don’t really plan on having an offensive coordinator ‘cause I want to reserve that right to call plays,” Jackson said on a Sirius XM Radio appearance.

“I think that’s something that’s gotten me this job. So if it’s something that you’re an expert at, I think you want to continue to work at that and keep that in your pocket so you can use it to help your team. Now if I get somebody I really trust who has that [expertise], then obviously I’m very willing to kind of give that away as we go, but it’s got to be somebody I really trust and admire.”

This move would basically make Jackson the head coach/offensive coordinator. Jackson worked with an offensive coordinator in Oakland, Al Saunders, in his 8-8 slate in the Bay Area.

Jackson interviewed ex-Colts OC Pep Hamilton on Friday, per Ulrich, and seeks to bring Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson aboard as a running-game coordinator. Wilbert Montgomery‘s served as Cleveland’s running backs coach the past two seasons.

The Vikings would have to grant the 54-year-old Wilson permission to interview for this job. Wilson has been the coach of six different franchises’ backfields, the longest stint coming with the Steelers from 2007-13. Prior to catching on in Pittsburgh once Mike Tomlin took over in 2007, Wilson coached with the Patriots, Washington, the Buccaneers and Cardinals from 1997-2006, with a one-year stint mixed in as USC’s wide receivers coach.

The Browns ranked 25th this season under first-time OC John DeFilippo.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Reggie Wayne To Retire After 14 Seasons

January 15th, 2016 at 6:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a conversation with CBS4Indy.com’s Mike Chappell, Reggie Wayne said he intends to retire.

Chappell reports the veteran ex-Colts receiver won’t pursue another opportunity in the league.

“Yeah, I’m done. It was fun, but it’s time. It’s just time,” Wayne told Chappell.

A 2001 Colts first-round pick, Wayne played 14 seasons in Indianapolis before briefly being employed in New England in 2015. The former Miami Hurricanes wideout will leave ranked in the top 10 in receptions (1,070, seventh all-time) and yards (14,345, eighth), with his 82 touchdown receptions ranking 23rd in league history.

“When I look at it, what else did I have to prove?” Wayne said. “In my mind, I never got as much pub as a lot of other guys, and that’s fine. I don’t care. You know what? Numbers don’t lie. … For me to be in that mix, man, that’s not too bad. I played against the elite of the elite, the best of the best. I was able to crack the top 10 of this and the top 10 of that, and be one of the best in franchise history.

“Man, not too many people can say that.”

The 37-year-old Wayne, per Chappell, expects to make an official announcement in a few weeks’ time. He finished as a six-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro (2010). Wayne compiled four 100-catch seasons — 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 — and flourished as both a No. 2 wide receiver alongside Marvin Harrison in Peyton Manning‘s prodigious offense and as a No. 1 once Harrison moved on.

Wayne did not play during the regular season in 2015 after asking for and receiving his release from the Patriots.

Telling Chappell attending a Nov. 29 Colts-Buccaneers game represented the tipping point from going from player hanging on to an NFL alumnus, Wayne explained his decision.

“I finally turned into a fan, a real fan,’’ Wayne told Chappell. “I’ve got my adult beverage. I’m eating some popcorn. I’m watching fans’ reactions. I’m watching the Jumbotron. … “I thought that was the final notch for me. I felt like I needed that to help get me over that hump. A lot of guys who go to games come away and say, ‘You know what? I can still do that.’ But I needed that to realize, ‘You know what? This ain’t half bad.”

Coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in Andrew Luck‘s rookie season, Wayne’s career began rapidly trending toward the end when he tore his ACL in October of 2013. He finished the 2014 season with 779 yards — his fewest since his second season in 2002 — and suffered a torn triceps.

The Colts did not re-sign the franchise’s second-leading receiver, behind Harrison, after that campaign.

Wayne’s 93 playoff receptions currently rank second in postseason receptions behind only Jerry Rice, and his 1,254 yards (gained in 21 postseason performances) sit fourth all-time behind Rice, Michael Irvin and Cliff Branch.

Wayne will receive Hall of Fame consideration in five years, should his retirement stick, especially with the once-immense glut of wideouts being inducted. Harrison figures to follow the likes of Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed into Canton, which will help clear the way for more modern pass-catchers’ enshrinement.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

2016 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

January 15th, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2015. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.

With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Updated 2-16-16 (11:22am CT)

Offensive coordinators

Defensive coordinators

Coach Rumors: Browns, Pep, Ravens, Bucs

January 15th, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

New Browns head coach Hue Jackson confirmed earlier today that he’ll be retaining special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, but there have been announcements yet on Cleveland’s other coordinators. While Ray Horton and Leslie Frazier are among the names that have been linked to the Browns’ defensive coordinator job, one possible candidate worth keeping an eye on is former Dolphins DC Kevin Coyle, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).

Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that Coyle was expected to replace Vance Joseph as the Bengals‘ defensive backs coach, but there are hints he may join Jackson in Cleveland instead. Marvez tweets today that Cincinnati is interviewing 49ers defensive backs coach Tim Lewis for the same position, and Albert Breer of NFL Network tweets that the Bengals are looking at Michigan secondary coach Greg Jackson for that job, so it certainly doesn’t seem like there’s a deal in place between the Bengals and Coyle.

As we keep an eye on that situation, let’s check in on some other coaching updates from around the NFL….

  • On the other side of the ball for the Browns, a former Colts offensive coordinator may be a candidate for the job in Cleveland. As first reported by Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (Twitter link), Pep Hamilton met today with Hue Jackson.
  • Last week, a report suggested that the Buccaneers had turned down a Chargers interview request for defensive line coach Joe Cullen. However, after hiring Mike Smith as their new defensive coordinator, the Bucs are willing to let Cullen go. Cullen will join the Ravens as their defensive line coach, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • To replace Cullen, the Buccaneers are hiring Jay Hayes from the Bengals, per Marvez (all Twitter links). Tampa Bay is also hiring Titans special teams coach Nate Kaczor and former Dolphins linebackers coach Mark Duffner for those same positions.
  • Since the Titans are the last team without a head coach, they should take their time to make a decision, perhaps interviewing potential candidates from eliminated playoff teams after this weekend’s games, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
  • Former Giants wide receivers coach Sean Ryan will head to Houston to become the Texans‘ WRs coach, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Chargers Hire Ken Whisenhunt As OC

January 15th, 2016 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 5:16pm: The Chargers have officially confirmed Whisenhunt’s return, and announced four other changes to Mike McCoy‘s coaching staff. They are as follows:

  • Craig Aukerman (special teams coordinator)
  • Nick Sirianni (WR coach)
  • Giff Smith (DL coach)
  • Shane Steichen (QB coach)

WEDNESDAY, 2:27pm: The Chargers may not know yet where they’ll be playing in 2016, but they now know who will be running the team’s offense. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is returning to the Chargers to assume the same role, replacing Frank Reich.Ken Whisenhunt

[RELATED: Chargers fire offensive coordinator Frank Reich]

Whisenhunt previously served as San Diego’s offensive coordinator during the 2013 season, Mike McCoy’s first as the team’s head coach. The Chargers finished that year with a modest 9-7 record, but won a playoff game, and featured an extremely productive offense. After ranking 24th in the NFL in offensive DVOA in 2012, the Chargers placed second under Whisenhunt in 2013, per Football Outsiders.

In 2014, Reich’s first year as offensive coordinator, San Diego fell from second in offensive DVOA to 11th. The team slipped to 15th in 2015, and also went from scoring nearly 25 points per game in 2013 to just 20 this season, despite the fact that Philip Rivers led the NFL in passing completions (437) and attempts (661). Reich was let go by the Chargers a day after the regular season ended.

Whisenhunt, meanwhile, spent most of the last two years in Tennessee as head coach of the Titans. However, after finishing 2-14 in his first year with the club, he led the team to a 1-6 mark this season before receiving his walking papers.

With the Chargers in need of a new offensive coordinator and Whisenhunt looking for a new job, a reunion made too much sense for the two sides to pass up the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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