HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Jerry Jones Proposes Los Angeles Resolution

January 10th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the league having deemed Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis as delivering unsatisfactory efforts to preserve their statuses as NFL cities, Jerry Jones is pushing for a resolution in advance of Tuesday’s relocation meetings.

The Cowboys owner has submitted a resolution in front of the Houston owners’ summit that calls for a forced Rams-Chargers union in either the Inglewood or Carson sites, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Jones has been a proponent of the Rams relocating to Los Angeles and is pushing for this outcome. Should this proposal come to fruition at Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood site, the Rams will lead a big brother-little brother relationship, Florio offers. However, if the Chargers and Rams come together at the Carson site initially proposed by the Raiders and Chargers, the co-tenants will be on equal footing.

Here is the latest on the Los Angeles relocation pursuit.

  • The league hopes for a vote this week to decide the future of the Los Angeles market, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. If that doesn’t occur, sufficient space for a resolution has been cleared for the following week, if necessary to determine what happens regarding these three teams’ desire for relocation.
  • St. Louis’ $1.1 billion riverfront Stadium proposal was determined to “lack certainty,” with it calling for $400MM in league aid — more than expected, a source told the Bay Area News Group’s Matthew Artz. With the St. Louis proposal also calling for government approval, signs continue to point toward the Raiders staying in Oakland. Had the St. Louis initiative been viewed as more stable, Artz writes, owners would be more inclined to back the Chargers’ and Raiders’ joint Carson plan. Artz adds Dean Spanos has the most support from the owners and could be receptive to Jones’ aforementioned compromise. Sources continue to indicate the Raiders don’t have the trust from the owners, from a financial perspective, to be one of the teams that move to L.A. While a Chargers spokesperson told the Los Angeles Daily News the franchise remains committed to partnering with the Raiders, former 49ers executive and current Carson project liaison won’t rule out a Rams-Chargers partnership. Although he adds that the Chargers still plan on being based in Carson. “I would say that there is no way the Raiders or the Chargers want to go to Los Angeles and be in Inglewood.”

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Eagles Interview Doug Pederson, To Interview Tom Coughlin

January 10th, 2016 at 5:33pm CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, 5:33pm: The Eagles are progressing with this idea and will officially interview Coughlin on Monday, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports.

The Eagles also met with Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson in Kansas City on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson has only been connected to the Philadelphia job. He’s in his third season as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator.

SATURDAY, 9:56am: Coughlin also has an offer from the Giants to stay with the organization, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). However, Coughlin is reportedly seeking a head coaching gig.

SATURDAY, 8:42am: Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is expected to speak with the Eagles this week about their head coaching vacancy, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Since the 69-year-old resigned with a year left on his contract, the Giants still technically hold his rights, and that means the organization would be able to deny any interview requests. However, it appears as if the Eagles request was granted. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the two sides will meet Monday, describing the meeting as more of a “feeling-out for both than an interview.”

Tom CoughlinWhen Coughlin stepped down as head coach of the Giants earlier this week, it was uncertain if the 69-year-old would ever coach again. The two sides parted mutually, but the head coach made it clear that he was “resigning,” not retiring.

Coughlin has compiled a 169-146 record in his long coaching career, including a 102-90 mark with the Giants. He has won three Super Bowls, including a pair as head coach of the G-Men. The last few seasons haven’t been as successful, as the team has finished in third place for three straight years and hasn’t reached nine victories since 2012.

Of course, things weren’t much better for the Eagles in 2015, as the squad finished with a disappointing 7-9 record. This led to the dismissal of head coach Chip Kelly, a move that surprised Coughlin.

“Quite frankly, I’m not surprised by anything in this business,” Coughlin said (via Garafolo). “But that one was close.”

Coughlin isn’t the only candidate for the gig, as the Eagles also have interest in former quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson.

Playoff Injury Updates: 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable injury news from yesterday’s playoff games. We will update this post as necessary throughout the day as Wild Card Weekend rolls on:

  • Although it’s likely Roethlisberger attempts to play in the Steelers’ first divisional playoff contest since 2010, the Steelers expect him to be “severely limited” next weekend against the Broncos, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reports (video link). Using the 12th-year quarterback’s pain level before he re-entered in time for Pittsburgh’s last-ditch drive as a gauge, sources told Cole that Roethlisberger won’t have his usual array of physical tools available to him by the time the Steelers take the field in Denver.

Earlier updates:

  • The Chiefs got some great news, as receiver Jeremy Maclin avoided a torn ACL during last night’s win over the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Although Maclin did suffer a high ankle sprain, there’s a chance he plays against the Patriots next week.
  • Roethlisberger will undergo an MRI today, and though he does not have a broken collarbone, the belief is that he has a sprained AC joint (or, in layman’s terms, a separated shoulder). The MRI will provide more details (all Twitter links via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was diagnosed with a concussion following the much-discussed blow to the head he absorbed from Vontaze Burfict and will enter the league’s concussion protocol, per head coach Mike Tomlin (article via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com). Brown’s availability for next week’s matchup with the Broncos is now very much in doubt.

  • The Steelers may have wound up on the winning side of last night’s bizarre tilt with the Bengals, but in addition to the potential loss of Brown, Pittsburgh could be without its starting quarterback next week. Ben Roethlisberger sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder following a (legal) hit from Burfict, and the fact that Landry Jones came onto the field in Roethlisberger’s place for what everyone believed would be Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game speaks volumes about the severity of the injury. Although Roethlisberger ultimately did return for what proved to be the game-winning, penalty-aided drive, he told the coaches that he was in a great deal of pain and would not be able to take any deep shots to the end zone (article via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). As for his availability for his team’s clash with Denver next week, Roethlisberger said, “I’m going to give everything I can.”
  • With his team now eliminated from the playoffs, Texans star DE J.J. Watt says that he will undergo groin surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Watt, who was in obvious pain in yesterday’s loss to the Chiefs, said he has been dealing with the groin injury for the past six or seven weeks. As yet, there is no indication whether the surgery will impact Watt’s availability for offseason workouts, training camp, etc.

49ers To Name Head Coach Soon?

January 10th, 2016 at 4:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the 49ers aren’t likely to name a new head coach today, their search does appear to be wrapping up, and a new hire could be named “fairly soon,” sources tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson (whose interview is now complete, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee on Twitter) still looks like the favorite for the job, and Maiocco reports that today’s meeting between Jackson and San Francisco management was “productive.”Hue Jackson (vertical)

[RELATED: 49ers fire Jim Tomsula]

As our head coaching search tracker shows, Jackson is the fifth candidate to interview with the 49ers, joining Anthony Lynn, Chip Kelly, Dirk Koetter, and John DeFillipo (the latter’s meeting may have been geared toward’s San Francisco’s offensive coordinator position). Additionally, Mike Shanahan is expected to interview at some point, while Mike Shula and Mike Holmgren have also been mentioned as candidates.

The Niners’ hunt for a new coach appears to be decidedly offensive in nature, as every coach mentioned above has a history on the offensive side of the ball. Jackson definitely fits that bill, but he also has other options, as he’s expected to meet with the Browns today as well. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier today (Twitter link) that if Jackson’s interview went well, he could be named San Francisco’s head coach by the end of today. While it doesn’t look like that announcement will come today, there’s no denying the strong link between Jackson and the 49ers.

One last interesting note: As Raiders head coach, Jackson was apparently a big fan of Colin Kaepernick when the quarterback was entering the 2011 draft, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), and pushed for Oakland to draft the Nevada QB. If that’s the case, maybe the appeal of salvaging Kaepernick’s career could be alluring to Jackson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PFR Originals: 1/3/16 – 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 4:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Vikings’ Chad Greenway Expects To Play In ’16

January 10th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings suffered a devastating loss to the Seahawks earlier today, as kicker Blair Walsh missed a chip shot field goal that would have put Minnesota ahead with just seconds remaining in the contest. The defeat was so painful that it appears to have affected the plans of veteran Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, who spoke about his NFL future after the game.Chad Greenway (Vertical)

“I’ve got to play one more year,” Greenway told reporters, including Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). “I can’t let it end like this.”

If Greenway makes good on his intentions to return, he’ll be entering his 11th NFL season, all of which have been spent with the Vikings after they selected him in the first round of the 2006 draft. This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Greenway wanting to return for the 2016 campaign (he said as much in late December), but it sounds as though today’s loss has reinforced those wishes.

Of course, the feeling would need to be mutual, as the Vikings also have a decision to make on Greenway. The 32-year-old isn’t signed for next season — he earned a base salary of $3.4MM this season after accepting a pay cut, and he’d likely have to take even less than that to return. With Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr dominating the snaps at linebacker, Greenway only saw the field in base packages, playing in about 58% of Minnesota’s snaps.

Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.

Bills Extend GM Doug Whaley

January 10th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

4:01pm: The extension will align Whaley’s contract with that of Ryan’s, meaning both men are now locked up though 2019, according to Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).

3:25pm: It’s a multi-year extension for Whaley, not a one-year “band-aid,” reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

3:03pm: The Bills have agreed to an extension with general manager Doug Whaley, team owner Kim Pegula announced today (via Twitter). Reports indicated last week that the two sides were working on a deal that would keep Whaley in Buffalo beyond 2016, and it appears that a contract did ultimately come together.Doug Whaley (vertical)

[RELATED: Bills plan to cut Mario Williams in offseason]

Whaley had just one year left on his contract before today’s agreement, and a report last week that owner Terry Pegula had issued an ultimatum to both Whaley and head coach Rex Ryan — win in 2016, or find new employment. That report was later refuted by other scribes and sources, but there’s no doubting that both the front office and coaching staff is under pressure to succeed next season. As PFR’s Luke Adams noted in the post linked above, the Pegulas spent $1.4 billion to purchase the franchise in 2014, so they probably wouldn’t worry about eating a few million dollars to replace a GM and/or head coach.

Whaley, who has been Buffalo’s GM since 2013, will certainly have his hands full during the upcoming offseason. He’ll need to consider extensions for offensive lineman Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito, and perhaps most importantly, decide if his club will go forward with Tyrod Taylor as its starting quarterback.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Week In Review: 1/3/16 – 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 3:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

For all the latest on coaching news, be sure to follow our 2016 Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Coaching:

  • The Dolphins have found a new head coach, hiring former Bears OC Adam Gase and signing him to five-year deal.
  • After 12 years, the Giants parted ways with head coach Tom Coughlin.
  • In a surprising move, the Buccaneers fired head coach Lovie Smith after two seasons.
  • The Browns fired head coach Mike Pettine after two years.
  • The 49ers fired Jim Tomsula after one season at the helm.
  • Sean Payton will return as the Saints‘ head coach in 2016.
  • The Bengals plan to retain head coach Marvin Lewis for a 14th season.
  • The Colts extended head coach Chuck Pagano through 2019.
  • Not wanting a lame duck coach, the Chargers extended Mike McCoy through 2017.

Front Office:

Extended:

Signed:

Other:

Lions Hire Ernie Accorsi As Special Advisor

January 10th, 2016 at 2:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After acting as a consultant during the Lions’ search for a new general manager, Ernie Accorsi‘s time with the club won’t be coming to an end just yet, as Detroit has hired the longtime NFL executive as a special advisor to team president Rod Wood, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

[RELATED: Lions hire Bob Quinn as GM]

Accorsi, who also consulted with the Bears during their GM hunt last offseason, will bring a wealth of experience to the table as he works alongside Wood and first-time general manager Bob Quinn. The 74-year-old Accorsi has worked in the NFL since 1970, but his most memorable time came with the Giants, with whom he was employed from 1994-2007 (acting as GM from 1998 onward).

The move to bring in Accorsi could have wide-ranging implications for the Lions as a whole, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who says that Accorsi’s hiring should indicate that head coach Jim Caldwell is likely safe, as Accorsi has been very pragmatic regarding head coaches in the past. However, Accorsi himself told reporters, including Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that he will have nothing to do with Caldwell’s fate, as that decision will be left entirely to Quinn.

In other Lions news, Quinn will be officially be introduced as the club’s next general manger at a 2pm ET press conference tomorrow afternoon, tweets Twentyman.

Bengals Plan To Retain Marvin Lewis

January 10th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite falling to 0-7 in the playoffs with a loss to the Steelers in the Wild Card round last night, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is likely to return for a 14th season in 2016, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (Twitter link). Per Schefter, Cincinnati has no plans to make a coaching change at this time, and Lewis’ future with the club “really isn’t much of an issue.”Marin Lewis (Vertical)

[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Reports this morning indicated that Lewis could be on the proverbial hot seat following last night’s loss. Not only did the defeat leave the coach still winless in the postseason, but the nature in which the Bengals lost was particularly embarrassing, with personal fouls in the final seconds of the contest ultimately costing Cincinnati a chance to move forward in the tournament.

Still, for a team that has preached continuity above all else, today’s report shouldn’t be particularly surprising. Under owner/GM Mike Brown, the Bengals aren’t a team to make reactionary decisions, as evidenced by Lewis being the second-longest tenured NFL head coach. It’s not as if Lewis hasn’t had success in the Queen City — he’s posted a career record of 112-92 — but until his team finally wins in the postseason, calls for him to be replaced aren’t likely to die down.

Cincinnati’s coaching staff is expected to undergo wholesale changes, however, at least on the assistant side of things. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is interviewing today with the Browns and the 49ers, and is said to be the leading candidate for the San Francisco job. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has drawn interest from both the Eagles and the Browns, while defensive backs coach Vance Joseph appears likely to become the Dolphins’ DC.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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