HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Doug Martin, Buccaneers Discussing New Contract

January 2nd, 2016 at 10:47am CST by Ben Levine

Doug Martin figured to be one of the more sought-after running backs in free agency this offseason, as the two-time Pro Bowler currently sits second in the NFL with 1,354 rushing yards. However, the 26-year-old may not even reach free agency if the Buccaneers have their way.

Martin and general manager Jason Licht told Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune that the two sides have already started discussing a new contract for the running back.

“We’ve already talked a little bit,’’ Licht said. “We will definitely be talking (more). We’d love to have Doug back.’’

2015 has been a bounce back season for the former first rounder. The four-year veteran has rushed for 1,354 yards on 273 carries, and he’s found the end zone seven times (including one receiving touchdown). This followed 2013 and 2014 campaigns where Martin combined to run for 950 yards on 261 carries. As a result of the underwhelming production, the Buccaneers declined Martin’s $5.621MM 2016 option.

While Martin would presumably garner some attention in free agency (Cummings suggests a deal rivaling DeMarco Murray‘s five-year, $42MM deal with the Eagles), the running back is apparently content in Tampa Bay.

“I love it here and I have a beautiful home here,’’ Martin said. “I’d love to come back. But right now I’m focused on our last game. I’m aware they’re talking, but I’ll let them handle that for now.’’

The 31st-overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Boise State product originally signed a five-year, $6.79MM contract with the Buccaneers. As a rookie, Martin compiled 1,926 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns.

AFC Notes: Mularkey, Jets, Texans

January 2nd, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Ben Levine

The Titans have only gone 2-6 under interim head coach Mike Mularkey, but the 54-year-old has still been thrilled with the opportunity.

“It’s been busy, very busy, but I enjoy my job,’’ Mularkey told Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. “I really enjoy it and being around these guys. It’s fun to come into work. I think it’s fun for them and I’d like to end on a win, obviously. I think they all would.”

Of course, Mularkey understands that ‘Black Monday’ is quickly approaching, and his underwhelming record doesn’t make him a shoo-in to keep his job.

“I really don’t know what, to be honest, what the format is (for Monday),” Mularkey said. “I’m going to come in on Monday. We’re all going to come in on Monday. I’m going to remain the head coach until I’m told otherwise.

“We’ve got a plan for the week, really for the beginning part of the week, and then coaches are going to take some time off. We’re going to move forward that way.”

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

  • Rich Cimini says cornerback Antonio Cromartie will be the Jets most likely cap casualty this offseason. The veteran has three years left on his contract, but none of the money is guaranteed, making him a relatively easy cut. The writer also suggests wideout Jeremy Kerley, tight end Jeff Cumberland, offensive linemen D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, and Breno Giacomini, and quarterback Geno Smith as potential cap casualties.
  • Texans first-round pick Kevin Johnson has had a solid rookie campaign, and the defensive back is hoping to carry over that play into 2016. “I feel good about my rookie season,” he told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a blessing to come into an organization with guys I can learn from and take me under their wing like J-Jo and Kareem. I feel like I did some good things and also some things to learn from.”
  • Texans lineman Brandon Brooks has missed several games this season due to an illness and toe injury. The 26-year-old recently returned to the lineup, and the impending free agent is hoping to boost his value before the season concludes. “I feel good, just trying to progress each week,” he told Wilson. “I’m doing some good things out there. There’s always things I can improve, just trying to finish strong. There’s a lot of things I can work on. I’m just trying to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Extra Points: Dolphins, Lynch, Giants, Browns

January 1st, 2016 at 10:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the Dolphins get their head coaching search under way, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero lists a slew of candidates. Chip Kelly, Todd Haley, Josh McDaniels, Jim L. Mora, Jim Schwartz and Hue Jackson are those with NFL head coaching experience. The potential first-timers consist of three offensive coordinators – Carolina’s Mike Shula, son of legendary ex-Dolphins coach Don Shula, as well as Chicago’s Adam Gase and Tampa’s Dirk Koetter. The Dolphins are looking for a leader of men capable of assembling a great staff, according to Salguero.

More from around the league as the first day of 2016 wraps up:

  • Welcome news for the Seahawks as the playoffs near: Running back Marshawn Lynch should return to practice Monday, head coach Pete Carroll said (link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). Lynch has been out since mid-November because of abdominal surgery.
  • Sunday could be head coach Tom Coughlin‘s last game with the Giants. The same holds true for a pair of the club’s defensive institutions, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, as end Jason Pierre-Paul and cornerback Prince Amukamara are both pending free agents. “I’d be lying if I said it’s never come up in my head or someone has never brought it up to me,” said Amukamara, whom the Giants chose in the first round of the 2011 draft. Amukmara added that he’d like to remain a Giant. “I love the organization, definitely treated first class here, so it’s been great.’’ There’s no word on whether the Giants want to retain Amukamara, but there was a report Thursday that they are hoping to keep Pierre-Paul, a 2010 first-rounder.
  • Browns pass rusher Paul Kruger indicated Thursday that the team’s coaching staff hasn’t deployed him properly this year. “Personally, I probably wouldn’t say so. I don’t have too much more to say about it, and I don’t put everything personally this year on that, but I don’t think I was utilized in the best way,” he opined, per Jeff Schudel of the Morning-Journal. Kruger has just 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2010, though Schudel notes that he’s second in the league in quarterback hurries (33, up from 18 in 2014). Assuming Kruger’s with the Browns next season, he’ll probably work under a different staff than the one with which he’s currently disenchanted, as head coach Mike Pettine and coordinator Jim O’Neil are both on the outs.

Giants’ Tom Coughlin Could Resign Monday

January 1st, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It appears the Giants’ matchup with the NFC East rival Eagles on Sunday will bring about the end of Tom Coughlin’s 12-year tenure with Big Blue. The two-time Super Bowl winner will resign after the game, sources tell Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo.

Whether Coughlin steps down or the Giants fire him, it does look as if his reign with the team that hired him in 2004 will inevitably conclude after the season. Given the Giants’ inability to take advantage of their place in a mediocre-at-best division in 2015, questions about Coughlin’s job security have abounded throughout the campaign. The 6-9 Giants will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season under Coughlin’s watch. The 69-year-old had previously led the Giants to playoff berths in five of his first eight seasons in New York. Two of those berths ended in titles for the Giants, who won eight-plus games in eight of Coughlin’s first nine seasons at the helm. Since 2013, however, the Giants haven’t had a season in which they’ve finished .500 or above, going an ugly 19-28 along the way. Nevertheless, Coughlin has amassed a solid regular-season record in New York (102-89). That, combined with his pair of championships and earlier success in Jacksonville (68-60, four playoff appearances from 1995-2002), could ultimately send him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While it’s too early to speculate on replacements for a coach who is still employed, the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano wrote Friday that the Saints’ Sean Payton and Alabama’s Nick Saban should both be targets to replace Coughlin. Last week, Vacchiano reported that Giants owner John Mara‘s ideal scenario included retaining Coughlin as the head coach and eventually handing the reins to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.

East Notes: Bills, Jets, Eagles

January 1st, 2016 at 7:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Given his 2016 cap hit ($19.9MM) and apparent inability to fit into head coach Rex Ryan‘s scheme, there’s a strong likelihood defensive end Mario Williams will play his final game with the Bills on Sunday. The 30-year-old has totaled just 17 tackles and a career-low four sacks this season, grading a terrible 94th out of 107 edge defenders by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required). Williams’ downturn in performance could be symptomatic of his attitude, as an anonymous teammate alluded to (Twitter link via The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne).

“We could easily have 5 solid players contributing than 1 guy who doesn’t give a s—,” the player stated.

Williams issued a retort (Twitter link via Dunne).

“I could just literally not be out there,” he said. “When I get my opportunity, do it. Everybody who said that, they’ll see.”

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Running back Bilal Powell‘s offseason decision to re-sign with the Jets on a one-year deal is paying dividends for both him and the team, the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta writes. Powell had to choose between the Bills (and Ryan, his ex-coach) and Jets, whose backfield was less crowded than Buffalo’s at the time. Powell ended up staying in New York, and has been an important dual-threat weapon for a club that could be headed to the playoffs. Powell is averaging 4.5 yards per rush this season and, as Mehta notes, leads all NFL backs in receiving yards (299) and broken tackles on passing plays (12) since Week 11. In assessing Powell, head coach Todd Bowles said, “He’s been more of a complete back than even I thought he was coming in. He can block. He can run. He’s not just a pass catcher. He does a bunch of things for us.” Of course, what’s bittersweet for the Jets is that, as a pending free agent, Powell’s success could lead him to a raise and a different uniform in the coming months.
  • Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie needs to clarify vice president of football operations Howie Roseman‘s role and hold him accountable for it – just as Lurie did with Chip Kelly – submits Jeff McLane of Philly.com. Lurie should give full control of the Eagles’ personnel department to Roseman and sink or swim with him in that position, according to McLane. Roseman’s say over the roster diminished when Kelly took the reins, which is ironic when you consider Roseman was key in the hiring of Kelly. He now has some of that power back with Kelly gone, but Lurie said that Roseman’s work with the personnel department will be “as a collaborator.” That isn’t enough for McLane, who believes someone needs to be in position to take the lion’s share of responsibility for building the roster. McLane also notes that Roseman could drive away potential head coaching candidates because he doesn’t have a scouting background and is perceived as a difficult person with whom to work. Nevertheless, Lurie and team president Don Smolenski will follow Roseman’s lead with respect to Philly’s coaching search, McLane reports.
  • Earlier this week, after the Eagles fired Kelly, offensive tackle Lane Johnson claimed strife between Kelly and Roseman took a toll on the players. Johnson also stated players were hesitant to approach Kelly. Safety Malcolm Jenkins, Johnson’s teammate, disagrees. Regarding Johnson’s opinion on the Kelly-Roseman feud, Jenkins said (per Les Bowen of Philly.com) that Johnson “reads too many articles.” On Johnson’s notion that Kelly wasn’t approachable, Jenkins added, “I think the perception was not necessarily the reality.”

Pigskin Links: Packers, Kelly, Titans

January 1st, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.

We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.

Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere in our New Year’s Day edition of Pigskin Links:

Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Grigson, Titans

January 1st, 2016 at 6:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the AFC South:

  • Rick Smith has been the Texans’ general manager since 2006, but his role might change sometime during the offseason – perhaps after the draft – tweets Neil Stratton of Inside the League. According to Stratton, Smith could get a promotion (possibly to team president), thus elevating director of player personnel Brian Gaine to GM.
  • Speaking of AFC South GMs, Mike Wells of ESPN.com took a look at whether Ryan Grigson deserves to continue running the Colts. The reasons to fire Grigson exist in greater quantity than the ones to keep him, Wells writes. One excuse to let Grigson go: a 2013 trade that went horribly awry. Back then, Grigson sent a 2014 first-rounder to Cleveland for running back Trent Richardson, who spent two unproductive seasons in Indy and is now out of the NFL. Further, the imperious Grigson has meddled in the affairs of head coach Chuck Pagano – who’s also a candidate for the chopping block.
  • Titans interim head coach Mike Mularkey has a supporter in tight end Delanie Walker, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Walker, who easily leads the Titans in receptions (85), yards (994) and touchdowns (six), thinks Mularkey is capable of fixing the team’s problems if he is promoted to the full-time head coaching role. That seems unlikely, however, especially given Mularkey’s lack of results as a head coach. He’s just 18-37 in three-plus seasons with the Bills, Jaguars and Titans.
  • If the Titans do move on from Mularkey, Bob Brookover of Philly.com offers his version of the perfect replacement: erstwhile Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Of course, Kelly and Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota were together previously at Oregon and helped the Ducks to a 12-1 record and second overall ranking in 2012. Brookover thinks a Kelly-Mariota reunion should be too enticing for Tennesee to let go by the wayside.

Coaching Rumors: Giants, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles

January 1st, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

If the Giants go the expected route and fire longtime head coach Tom Coughlin in the coming days, his act will be a tough one to follow in New York. Coughlin’s 12-year run with the Giants has been fruitful, likely Hall of Fame-worthy, with the 69-year-old having helped the franchise to 102 regular-season victories and a pair of Super Bowl titles. The Giants’ next coach should be someone capable of that type of success, someone to enliven a disenchanted fan base, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano suggests Giants owner John Mara should take a swing-for-the-fences approach and target either Saints coach Sean Payton or Alabama’s Nick Saban to succeed Coughlin.

Vacchiano doesn’t believe the Giants are in position to hire a neophyte as their next coach, though he acknowledges that neither Payton nor Saban will be easy to land. Payton is still under contract with the Saints for two more years and makes over $8MM per annum, but it’s possible he’ll seek another opportunity this offseason. If so, the team that hires Payton will need to give him a similar contract in terms of value and send compensation to New Orleans in the form of one or more draft picks. Saban is similarly paid at $7MM a year. A large price tag shouldn’t stand in the way of hiring either for the big-market Giants, Vacchiano opines.

Elsewhere on the coaching landscape. . .

  • Browns head coach Mike Pettine‘s short tenure with the team is likely to end after Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link).
  • If the Browns do fire Pettine, they could replace him with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Cleveland has done its homework on Gase, as have the Dolphins, according to La Canfora. The Eagles are another possibility for his services.
  • Speaking of the Eagles, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is an under-the-radar candidate for Chip Kelly‘s former job, per Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link). Guenther, 48, is a native Pennsylvanian whose defense leads the league in points per game allowed (17.5).

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/16

January 1st, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at a New Year’s Day edition of the league’s latest minor moves:

  • The Rams have promoted receiver Nick Toon to their active roster, according to Woodbery (Twitter link), placing cornerback Eric Patterson on injured reserve to create a roster spot (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Toon, a former fourth-round pick, has 21 career receptions, all with the Saints.
  • The Jaguars also made a practice squad promotion, signing defensive tackle Richard Ash to the active roster while placing defensive end Abry Jones on injured reserve, tweets Wilson. Ash has spent the entire season on Jacksonville’s taxi squad.
  • The Chargers made a couple of procedural moves, per Wilson (Twitter link), who reports that San Diego has cut receiver Torrence Allen and guard Ben Beckwith from injured reserve.

Earlier updates:

  • The Saints have placed running back Kendall Hunter on injured reserve, head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The 27-year-old former 49er, who has just one carry on the season, was apparently injured during practice this week.
  • The Colts have waived receiver Griff Whalen off injured reserve, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. Whalen appeared in 14 games this season, catching 19 balls for 205 yards and one touchdown.

Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith Suffers Knee Injury

January 1st, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In what is a terrible start to 2016 for one potential top-10 draft pick, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly told reporters, including Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), that linebacker Jaylon Smith suffered a “significant knee injury” during his team’s bowl game against Ohio State today.

We’ll obviously have to wait for more details on the specific nature and severity of the injury, but the fact remains that this news will undoubtedly affect Smith’s draft stock. Smith, a junior, was expected to be drafted near the top end of the first round — Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, for example, had Smith rated as his No. 2 overall player. Because he is an underclassmen (and hasn’t yet officially declared for the draft), the possibility remains that he could return to school. But facing a major injury and recovery time, I’d guess Smith will want to get on an NFL roster and begin collecting a paycheck.

The most recent example of a top collegiate prospect suffering a knee injury is, of course, Todd Gurley, who was drafted with the 10th overall pick after tearing his ACL. Again, we don’t even know if that’s the same injury suffered by Smith, and there are differences here (Gurley suffered his injury in mid-November, not January, and was considered a generational talent). But the Gurely comparison might give some indication as to how far Smith can expect his stock to fall.

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