HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Latest On Todd Bowles’ Condition

December 24th, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Ben Levine

3:09pm: Bowles said postgame he was diagnosed with kidney stones and a gallbladder issue, Daryl Slater of NJ.com reports (on Twitter), after chest pains helped send him to the hospital. He still has not passed the stones, per Slater. The second-year Jets coach will undergo an operation after the season, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

10:40am: Bowles will indeed be on the sideline for today’s matchup against the Patriots, the team announced on Twitter.

8:30am: The Jets received some good news this morning regarding their head coach. A day after being admitted to the hospital, Todd Bowles has reportedly traveled to Foxboro and will coach against the Patriots this afternoon (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). In a press release, the team noted that it’s uncertain whether Bowles will be on the sideline or in the coaches booth during the contest.

Immediately following Bowles trip to the hospital, there was some fear that the 53-year-old had suffered a heart attack. Our own Sam Robinson wrote that the head coach “was throwing up, complained of chest and back pains and was unable to keep medication down.” Fortunately, doctors determined that Bowles had not suffered a heart attack, although they will monitor the coach’s condition during the offseason.

Bowles would have been sorely missed by his squad, as he’s generally the first coach in the building when he arrives at 4 a.m. Furthermore, reports from yesterday indicated that the team was missing their head coach’s energy. Had Bowles been forced to miss the game, assistant head coach Mike Caldwell would have taken over the head coach’s duties.

The Jets went 10-6 during Bowles’ first season in New York, but the team has limped to a 4-10 record this season.

A.J. Green Won’t Play Tonight, Likely Done For Season

December 24th, 2016 at 2:33pm CST by Ben Levine

2:33pm: Although the Bengals aren’t gunning for a playoff spot in Week 16 for the first time since 2010, the coaching staff still had Green embedded in its Week 16 game plan. This decision came down from ownership, Bob Holtzman of ESPN.com reports. “The rug got pulled out from under us,” one source told the reporter, who characterizes some in the organization as being unhappy about this course of action.

Green still made the Pro Bowl but will finish 36 yards shy of his sixth 1,000-yard season in as many tries. Cincinnati, though, has Green signed through the 2019 season and evidently doesn’t view these final two games of a lost season as worth the risk for its cornerstone skill-position player.

11:55am: Following news that Green would likely be shut down for the season, many assumed it was the Bengals’ attempt at keeping Green out of harm’s way as the organization switched their focus to next season.

Well, while that certainly holds merit, it may not be the entire story. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Green doesn’t only have a partially torn hamstring. The wideout has also suffered a partially torn tendon that is still healing.

8:57am: A.J. Green is out for tonight’s game, and it sounds like the star wideout’s season is over. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Green will not play in tonight’s game against the Texans, and he notes that the organization isn’t planning on playing the wideout in either of the team’s two remaining games. This is a bit of surprise, as we heard earlier this week that Green was planning on playing this weekend.
Green suffered a hamstring tear in late November, and initial reports hinted that the receiver was going to miss the remainder of the season. However, subsequent reports indicated that the tear wasn’t as severe as initially thought, leading to some optimism that Green would see the field again this season. The wideout added more fuel to that fire with his quotes earlier this month.

“I want to get back,” he said. “No matter what type of season we have, I’m not the type of guy to cash it in. So, whenever it’s ready, I’ll be ready to go. But, I’m not going to rush it because I’m not going to have this be a continuing issue.”

If Green is unable to suit up for the rest of the season, he’ll fall 36 yards short of his sixth-straight 1,000-yard campaign. In 10 games this season, the wideout hauled in 66 catches for 964 yards and four touchdowns. The Bengals have relied on wideouts Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd during Green’s absence.

The 5-8-1 Bengals have struggled through injuries this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Running back Giovani Bernard tore his ACL in late November, ending his campaign early. Tight end Tyler Eifert missed the team’s first six games after struggling through ankle and back injuries, and the Bengals will be sitting the 26-year-old for tonight’s game. To make matters worse, starting running back Jeremy Hill is listed as questionable for this evening’s contest.

Doug Martin A Healthy Scratch Vs. Saints

December 24th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers will play a crucial game for playoff-contention purposes later today and do so without starting running back Doug Martin, whom the team made a healthy scratch, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

No reason has been provided by the team, but Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times points out (Twitter link) the Bucs’ usual starter has been woefully ineffective since returning from the hamstring injury that largely defined his 2016 season. Martin is averaging a career-worst 2.9 yards per carry this season, and as Auman notes, that’s the worst mark in the league among the 35 ball-carriers who have seen at least 100 handoffs this season.

The team, though, has supported Martin during what’s marked his third down year in his past four seasons, with Auman pointing out the Bucs have said the cornerstone back needs better blocking. During the 2013 and ’14 seasons in which the Boise State product gained fewer than 500 yards on the ground in injury-limited campaigns, Martin still averaged more than 3.5 yards per rush.

Martin has not averaged more than four yards per carry in any of the eight games he’s played this season, but this is still a surprise with the 8-6 Bucs contending for their first NFC South title since 2007. Charles Sims, Peyton Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers are active for Tampa Bay today in New Orleans. Martin rushed 23 times for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Saints two weeks ago.

The Bucs re-signed their 2012 first-round pick to a five-year, $35.75MM extension this offseason. He missed six games with the hamstring malady, which has him at just 421 yards in his fifth season.

Jaguars To Interview Tom Coughlin

December 24th, 2016 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve been hearing whispers of a Tom Coughlin/Jaguars reunion even before the team fired head coach Gus Bradley earlier this week. Well, it’s sounding like those whispers could soon be a reality. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Jaguars will be interviewing the former head coach this week (via NFL.com’s Conor Orr). It’s uncertain whether Coughlin will be interviewing for the head coaching gig or “some type of “football czar” position overseeing operations.”

Coughlin would be a natural fit for Jacksonville, especially since it was the organization that gave him his first NFL head coaching gig. The 70-year-old also has a house and family in the area, two factors that would reportedly be a “big draw” to the long-time coach. If the organization is indeed pursuing Coughlin as their next head coach, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise. General manager Dave Caldwell previously acknowledged that the veteran coach would be a candidate for the opening.

Tom CoughlinIn eight seasons with the Jaguars, Coughlin led the squad to a 68-60 record and four playoff appearances. The long-time coach had a bit more success when he joined the Giants, compiling a 102-90 record. Of course, Coughlin also led New York to five playoff appearances and two Super Bowl championships. Coughlin resigned as head coach of the Giants following the 2015 season, although he did admit in October that he still has interest in coaching.

Coughlin would seemingly be less of a fit for the front office, although our own Dallas Robinson noted that the coach was essentially building his team’s roster during his previous tenure with the organization. Of course, if the team does add Coughlin in a non-coaching role, it could mean the end of Caldwell’s tenure in Jacksonville.

Rapoport notes that other potential candidates for the Jaguars head coach opening are interim head coach Doug Marrone, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Coaching Notes: Bills, Payton, Jaguars, Bucs

December 24th, 2016 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has compiled a 101-57 record during his 10 years in Pittsburgh, and he’s also led his squad to a pair of Super Bowl appearances, winning one. Despite the apparent success, Terry Bradshaw isn’t impressed.

The Hall of Fame Steelers quarterback said on FOX Sports 1 that Tomlin isn’t among the best active coaches in the NFL.

“I don’t think he’s a great coach at all,” Bradshaw said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “He’s a nice coach. To me, and I’ve said this, he’s really a great cheerleader guy. I don’t know what he does. But I don’t think that he’s a great coach at all. His name never even pops in my mind when we think about great coaches in the NFL.”

Bradshaw attributes much of Tomlin’s success to the current head coach’s predecessor, Bill Cowher. While Tomlin certainly inherited an elite roster, you can’t deny his success over the past decade.

Let’s take a look at some other coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • The Bills haven’t decided on head coach Rex Ryan‘s future with the organization. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that if the team does move on from Ryan, it could be partially motivated by the team’s desire to keep offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn in the organization. Lynn will likely get some interviews for head coaching gigs this offseason, and he’d presumably be a candidate for the Bills’ gig if the position opens up.
  • Sean Payton could have been the Colts coach this season, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Ultimately, the current Saints head coach didn’t want to take a pay cut from $10MM per year to $8MM per year.
  • The Jaguars have hired Jed Hughes of Korn Ferry International to help assist the front office in hiring a new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The firm specializes in conducting “executive searches.”
  • The Buccaneers defense has been on a roll recently, and defensive coordinator Mike Smith has predictably been mentioned as a potential head coach candidate. However, with the team looking to make the playoffs, Smith is trying to block out all of that speculation. “Rumors are rampant this time of the year,” Smith told ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. “I’m enjoying my time here. I want to make this team the best team it can be. You don’t address rumors. That’s what happens this time of year.”

Sean Payton Has “Sincere Interest” In Rams’ Head Coaching Vacancy

December 24th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Ben Levine

Another day, another big name being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Rams’ head coach opening. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that Saints head coach Sean Payton is monitoring the Rams’ vacancy with “sincere interest.” The reporter clarifies that a potential Rams/Saints trade is neither “imminent” nor “likely,” but a deal is “possible.” For the Rams to pull off such a move, Payton would have to be the organization’s “overwhelming No. 1” favorite for the position.

Sean Payton (vertical)As Rapoport writes, Payton has openly expressed interest in coaching on the West Coast, especially since his daughter lives in California. The head coach had previously shown some interst in the former 49ers and Chargers openings. Payton ultimately signed a five-year extension with the Saints that will pay him around $10MM a year. After he announced the new contract, Payton said that he couldn’t envision himself coaching elsewhere.

Of course, the extension doesn’t mean that Payton is guaranteed to stick around New Orleans. The 52-year-old hasn’t led the Saints to the playoffs since 2013, and Rapoport reports that some within the organization are starting to tire of Payton’s unwillingness to commit to his current gig longterm. In fact, we heard last week that the Saints could look to trade their long-time coach. If the coach decides that he wants out of New Orleans, the front office won’t hold him “hostage,” according to Rapoport.

Payton does have an impressive head coaching record of 92-64 during his 11 seasons in New Orleans (he was suspended for the 2012 campaign), and he led the team to a Super Bowl championship in 2009.

Despite the Payton news, Rapoport tweets that the Rams aren’t necessarily looking to “make a splash” with the hiring. The last time they hired a big-Ron Rivera (vertical)name coach, they signed Jeff Fisher… and we all know how that turned out.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter echoes that the Rams aren’t necessarily looking at high-profile names for their head coaching vacancy. According to the report, the Rams are eyeing Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn,
Patriots offensive coordinators Josh McDaniels, and Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. We learned earlier this week that the Rams (along with the Jaguars) would have interest in Shanahan.

Rapoport throws another name into the ring (via Twitter): Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The writer notes that Rivera would be a natural fit considering the Rams’ young roster and Los Angeles’ Hispanic population. Of course, Rapoport admits that a Rams/Panthers trade would be rather complicated to pull off.

Other names that have been mentioned for the opening are Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden. Both of those potential candidates denied having any interest in the gig.

Jaguars Place Aaron Colvin On IR

December 23rd, 2016 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Colvin‘s season could well be defined by the time he did not spend on the field. A 2016 slate that began with the third-year cornerback suspended for a positive PED test will end with an IR trip.

The Jaguars placed the part-time starter on IR with an ankle injury sustained last week against the Texans while also putting guard Chris Reed on the season-ending list as well. Reed injured a toe in Week 14. The team promoted defensive back Akeem Davis and wide receiver Tony Washington to fill the duo’s roster spots.

A 2014 fourth-round pick, Colvin started four of the 10 games in which he played, representing a step down from the 15 starts he made a season ago. Once back from the four-game ban, Colvin returned to a team that now housed Prince Amukamara and Jalen Ramsey. Nevertheless, Colvin graded as the Jags’ best corner, per Pro Football Focus, which bestowed its No. 43 ranking on the former Oklahoma standout.

Colvin will enter a contract year in 2017. Reed joined the Jags as a rookie UDFA out of Division II Minnesota State but still made four starts at guard, residing as the team’s starting left guard prior to going down earlier this month. The Jaguars now have 13 players on IR.

Extra Points: Jags, Raiders, Lawrence, FAs

December 23rd, 2016 at 9:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three-plus years after multiple coaches declined interviews with the Jaguars before Gus Bradley was hired, the north-Florida head-coaching job is generating more buzz. An “overwhelming” degree of interest has emerged for the Jags’ HC vacancy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Florio does not expect coaches to turn down Jags interviews this time and lists Tom Coughlin, Josh McDaniels, Todd Haley, and Anthony Lynn as those to be among the most coveted candidates for head-coaching positions. Doug Marrone could also be a candidate, per Florio, but that’s obviously dependent on what happens for the 2-12 team in the season’s final two weeks. The team’s talent base has increased since the 2013 vacancy, likely leading to the enhanced interest.

Coughlin has been connected to Jacksonville as a front-office cog as well. In a coach, the Jaguars are likely going to want to hear Blake Bortles-related pitches — even if the next coach won’t be forced to play him — due to the franchise spending the No. 3 overall pick on the signal-caller and having closed the book on their previous first-round QB, Blaine Gabbert, so quickly. Having that happen twice in the same half-decade would be deflating for the franchise.

Here’s more from the Jags and the rest of the league.

  • Paul Posluszny is leading the Jaguars in tackles, but the veteran linebacker knows that he might not be back in Jacksonville next year, as ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco writes. “I want to play these last two games as hard as I can knowing that I may not have a future here,” Posluszny said. “You take it one game at a time and say, ‘I’m going to devote everything that I can to these last two games because this might be the last opportunity I get.’” Posluszny is the franchise’s second-leading tackler (904) after six seasons with the club, but those aren’t the numbers that necessarily matter. The 32-year-old is due a $3.95MM base salary plus a $500K roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year (in March). He’s also set to receive a $31K bonus for each game he’s on the active roster, up to $500K. Instead of bringing him back, the Jaguars could give additional playing time to second-round pick Myles Jack.
  • The Raiders are planning to turn to Menelik Watson at right tackle instead of Austin Howard, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. The former second-round pick has been unable to stay healthy, being lost for the season due to injury in 2015 and joining Howard as ailing right-flank protectors this season. Oakland saw three of its starting line make the Pro Bowl, and right guard Gabe Jackson has been solid as well. The right tackle spot has been the only deficiency thus far.
  • The Cowboys will rest Demarcus Lawrence in the next two games, as Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News tweets. “It wouldn’t surprise me if [Randy Gregory] gets a lot of snaps,” owner Jerry Jones said.
  • Brandon Williams, Mario Addison and Ronald Leary are among the looming UFAs who can expected to be paid handsomely, at least when compared to their public perception, Field Yates of ESPN.com writes. Kelechi Osemele helping catalyze the Raiders’ offensive line points to the Cowboys’ left guard being a sought-after player. Leary reclaimed this job after La’el Collins‘ foot injury and has been a top-20 guard in the opinion of Pro Football Focus, and the fourth-year player has seen far more work than well-paid Jaguar right tackle Jermey Parnell was during his time in Dallas. Williams became a space-eating 3-4 nose man despite a Division II background, and Addison now has three straight seasons of at least six sacks. The Panthers’ 40 sacks match the Broncos for the league lead, and Addison’s 7.5 bests their group.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Latest On Chargers’ Relocation Decision

December 23rd, 2016 at 8:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Dean Spanos on Sunday categorized himself as being closer to taking the Chargers to Los Angeles than keeping them in San Diego, he continues to exhaust options after the city voted down the team’s stadium proposal.

As an exercise in assessing the statuses of potential contributors to a long-sought-after new stadium, the Chargers president met with mayor Kevin Faulconer, county supervisor Ron Roberts and San Diego State Elliot Hirschman, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Both the Chargers and the NFL have said they require specifics from city officials before the team makes a decision on L.A., one that as of now needs to be made by Jan. 15.

Acee reports some sources familiar with Spanos’ thinking here continue to say the Inglewood move remains the better bet, but Spanos will not make a decision until after the season ends Jan. 1. Faulconer and Roger Goodell remain in talks. Goodell, though, did not speak highly of proposals coming out of San Diego or Oakland lately. After several months of dormancy, Oakland is now further along in a proposal to keep the Raiders than San Diego is to retain the Chargers after the team’s preferred plan was soundly defeated at the ballot box last month.

The Chargers are preparing to some degree on relocating, securing 3.2 acres in Costa Mesa, Calif., for what would be their headquarters if they moved, Scott Reid of the Orange County Register reports. They are also working with Costa Mesa city officials to secure permits for practice fields nearby, per Reid. Costa Mesa is located near Irvine, nearly 40 miles south of Los Angeles.

Spanos is expected to survey several sites for the Chargers’ Los Angeles/Orange County headquarters, with Costa Mesa expected to receive consideration to become the team’s long-term base site. The Bolts will also have offices in Inglewood in the event they move, Reid reports. However, the agreed-upon lease with the Costa Mesa site would be terminated should the Bolts stay in San Diego. This marks the second time Spanos has sought temporary headquarters in Orange County, having submitted a plan for an indoor practice facility before opting to try for a downtown-San Diego venue.

While San Diego’s now seen as the underdog here despite the Bolts’ roots being there and questions about where they would fall in the Los Angeles sports hierarchy, sources familiar with NFL relocations tell Acee a solution still exists to keep the Chargers where they are — in the nearby suburb of Mission Valley. The Chargers went around the city’s wishes for their new stadium to be located near their current venue in Mission Valley when they went all in on the downtown venture, and Spanos has long said the Mission Valley site is not a workable solution. But some around the league wish the Chargers president would compromise on this issue to help this last-ditch effort by the city.

Sources also told Acee a downtown stadium could work as well, only without the convention center attachment, but the Chargers might be uneasy about making another run at this after the last one fell wildly short of the required votes threshold. The San Diego-based writer added that the recent events — a strange proposal by city council members of a 99-year lease at Qualcomm featuring $1 annual payments by the Chargers, unproductive talks with the city, and Raiders fans enveloping Qualcomm on Sunday in a 19-16 Bolts loss — have left Spanos more despondent than he was after the seminal L.A. vote went the Rams’ way in January.

Acee maintains the NFL will find a way to keep the Chargers where they are, but concrete solutions have yet to emerge on this front with the current L.A. deadline three weeks away.

Jets Feared Todd Bowles Had Heart Attack

December 23rd, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Todd Bowles was admitted to a hospital earlier today and did not travel with the Jets to Foxboro for the Week 16 Patriots tilt. He’s questionable to coach in this game, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reveals why (Facebook link).

Jets officials initially feared the 53-year-old head coach had a heart attack on Friday. The coach was throwing up, complained of chest and back pains and was unable to keep medication down. This caused team officials to become “extremely concerned,” leading to the hospital trip.

Doctors, however, determined Bowles did not have a heart attack but do want to visit with him after the season to see if any action needs to be taken, Schefter reports.

The team announced he’s in stable condition, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets the plan is for Bowles to spend tonight in the hospital. The Jets and Patriots are set for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday. Bowles still hopes to coach the Jets in that game, Schefter reports, but the longtime reporter calls it a doctor’s decision whether or not he can travel to New England. Assistant head coach Mike Caldwell would take over in the event Bowles cannot coach.

The second-year Jets leader is normally the first coach in the building, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter), arriving by around 4 a.m. Anderson adds the energy Bowles usually exhibits was absent today. GM Mike Maccagnan visited Bowles in the hospital before the team left, Anderson reports (via Twitter). The Jets also conducted a staff meeting, which deviates from their normal road schedule outside of position meetings, Anderson tweets.

New York is 4-10 this season after finishing Bowles’ debut campaign at 10-6. Bowles is the fourth head coach to be hospitalized this season, following Gary Kubiak, Bruce Arians and Mike Zimmer.

The 45-year-old Caldwell followed Bowles from Arizona, where the former NFL linebacker was the Cardinals’ LBs coach, before becoming an assistant head coach with the Jets.

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