2016 December - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Jags, Pats, Browns, Jets, Chiefs

December 30th, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thanks to the now-fired Gus Bradley‘s disastrous stint as a first-time head coach, the Jaguars are unlikely to hire a replacement who doesn’t bring prior experience, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. That makes it all the more probable the team will tab a previously reported candidate like Tom Coughlin, who interviewed Wednesday, interim head coach Doug Marrone or ex-Falcons head coach and current Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Steelers O-coordinator Todd Haley have also been head coaches, but it’s unlikely either will end up a match for Jacksonville, per Mortensen.

Jets Place Matt Forte On IR

December 30th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Forte‘s first season in New York has ended early. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter), the Jets have placed the veteran running back on the injured reserve. The team has promoted defensive back Bryson Keeton from the practice squad to take Forte’s roster spot.

Following eight productive seasons with the Bears, Forte joined the Jets this past offseason on a three-year, $12MM deal ($8MM guaranteed). Forte ultimately recorded career-lows in rushing yards (813), receptions (30), and receiving yards (263) during his first season with the team. The 31-year-old has been battling knee and shoulder injuries for some time, and the running back revealed last week that he’s been playing with a torn meniscus for much of the season. Forte hasn’t recorded more than 10 carries in a game since late November.

Meanwhile, running back Bilal Powell has emerged as a weapon for the Jets. This season, the 28-year-old has compiled 600 rushing and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 55 receptions, 373 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. Even with Powell’s production, it’s unlikely that the Jets will cut bait with Forte following the season. The running back has a reasonable cap hit of $5MM for next season, and the team would be left with $6MM in dead cap if they cut the veteran loose.

Keeton joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Montana State this past offseason. The defensive back has spent the entire season of the team’s practice squad.

Ravens Place Jimmy Smith On IR, Promote Keenan Reynolds

December 30th, 2016 at 3:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Jimmy Smith‘s season is over. Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced earlier this week that the cornerback wouldn’t play this weekend, and Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com reports that the team has placed the veteran on the injured reserve. Wideout Keenan Reynolds has been promoted from the practice squad to take Smith’s roster spot.

Smith suffered a high-ankle sprain during his team’s mid-December matchup against the Patriots, and he hasn’t taken the field since that time. In 11 games this season, the 28-year-old compiled 32 tackles and four passes defended. The defensive back joined the Ravens as a first-round pick in 2011, and he’s started each of his 51 games over the past four seasons. The team inked Smith to a four-year, $48MM extension ($21MM guaranteed) in 2015, and the two sides restructured that contract last offseason.

Reynolds, a former standout quarterback at Navy, was taken in the sixth-round of this past year’s draft. The rookie has spent the entire season on the practice squad as he’s made his transition to receiver, and the organization is rewarding the player for “a year of hard work.”

Reynolds is expected to make his NFL debut this weekend, and the organization is considering the contest “a one-game audition for next year.” The rookie struggled during camp and the preseason, recording a number of drops at receiver and as a return man. As a result, the rookie landed on the practice squad.

“It’s been a great challenge, but also an opportunity for me to get a lot better,” Reynolds said. “I feel like a wide receiver now. My arm hurts if I throw too much.”

The former quarterback ran for 88 rushing touchdowns during his four-year collegiate career, the most in NCAA FBS history. Reynolds also threw for 4,001 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

NFC East Notes: Romo, Sproles, Redskins

December 30th, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will likely make his season debut this weekend against the Eagles, reports ESPN’s Todd Archer and Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The veteran signal-caller hasn’t taken the field since Thanksgiving of 2015.

According to Archer and Schefter, the 36-year-old will see the field for only a series or two before handing off to Mark Sanchez. The Cowboys are presumably hoping to limit the chance of an injury as they look to shop the veteran quarterback this offseason.

Romo missed the first several months of the season as he recovered from a back injury. By the time he returned, rookie Dak Prescott was in complete control of the Cowboys’ starting quarterback gig. The last time the veteran played in at least 15 games was 2014, when he threw for 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the NFC East…

Veteran running back Darren Sproles announced that the 2017-2018 campaign will likely be his final season in the NFL, writes ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. While the 33-year-old would prefer to end his career with the Eagles, he understands that it’s not necessarily his decision. “That’s not up to me. That’s up to the people upstairs. I’ve got nothing to do with that,” Sproles said. “But that’s the plan.” Over the offseason, Sproles inked a one-year extension with Philly that would keep him on the team through next season. Sproles hasn’t done anything to prove that he couldn’t be productive next season, as the 12-year veteran has compiled 406 rushing yards (the second-highest total of his career) and 423 receiving yards in 15 games this season.
This weekend could be the final time defensive tackle Bennie Logan takes the field as a member of the Eagles, writes Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. The 27-year-old has averaged more than 12 starts a season for Philly since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2013. For what it’s worth, the impending free agent would like to stick around. “Trying to start over and do something new, is something I’m not looking forward to,” the defensive tackle said. “Because I enjoy being here, the city and everything. This is where I see myself at.”
The Redskins defense has underperformed this season, and the team ranks towards the bottom of the league in many defensive metrics. As a result, defensive coordinator Joe Barry has naturally found himself on the hot seat. Despite his lack of job security, the coach isn’t thinking about whether he’ll be out of a job. “That’s a good question,” he told Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “Those are things that we will obviously address, but right now, I’m just 1,000 percent on the Giants, and I’m not even thinking a day past that right now.”

NFL Won’t Reinstate Raiders LB Aldon Smith

December 30th, 2016 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will not be reinstating Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith this season, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The commissioner will revisit the case on March 15, 2017.

Smith was suspended in November 2015 and has been eligible to return for several weeks now. His camp was pushing Roger Goodell to reach a decision on the matter, but for one reason or another, the league office will table things until the early part of the 2017 league year. Meanwhile, Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is playing as he appeals his one-year suspension from the league. The two situations are not exactly identical, but the disparity does not sit well with many fans.

Smith has had multiple run-ins with the league’s substance abuse policy and his latest slip-up led to him spending roughly four months in a rehab clinic. Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie indicated in October that Smith’s issues are under control after treatment. Of course, there are two sides to every story and it is possible that Smith has not fulfilled all of the prerequisites for reinstatement.

The Raiders have secured their spot in the playoffs, but they’ll have to forge ahead without the services of Smith or quarterback Derek Carr. On the plus side, they can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed this weekend if they beat the Broncos and the Patriots fall to the Dolphins.

Per the terms of the two-year extension signed with Oakland in April 2016, Smith is under contract with the Raiders through 2017.

Colts’ Robert Mathis To Retire

December 30th, 2016 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Colts defensive end Robert Mathis has announced that he will retire after the 2016 season. That means Sunday’s contest against the Jaguars will be his final NFL game.

Mathis, 35, has spent his entire career with the Colts since being selected in the fifth round of the 2003 draft. Across his 14 years (13 seasons) with the Colts, Mathis earned five Pro Bowl nods and one First-Team All-Pro selection. The defensive end will go down as an all-time Colts great, particularly for the first ten years of his career in which he averaged 10.0 sacks per season. In 2013, Mathis led the entire NFL with 19.5 sacks.

Mathis has four sacks and 17 total tackles in 13 games played this season. He also has two forced fumbles and one fumble recovered for a touchdown. The advanced metrics indicate that Mathis has lost a step or three and that this is probably a good time for him to step away from the game. Pro Football Focus ranks Mathis as one of the ten worst qualified edge defenders in the NFL this season.

We here at Pro Football Rumors wish No. 98 nothing but the best in retirement.

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Seahawks, Michael Bennett Agree To Extension

December 30th, 2016 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett will sign a lucrative three-year extension with the club this morning, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Seattle already had Bennett signed through 2017, so the new extension will take Bennett through the 2020 season, with some of the new money incorporated into ’17.

The new three-year block is worth $31.5MM with $17.5MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Perhaps more importantly, the cash flow on the deal is favorable for Bennett. He’ll earn $16MM of the deal in 2017 and $19MM in total by Mar. 5 of 2018.

Bennett has been a staple in the Seahawks’ front seven for years now and had an impressive consecutive games streak of 74 until knee trouble hampered him this season. In 2016, Bennett has appeared in only ten games, but he still has four sacks and 32 total tackles to his credit. Pro Football Focus has the 31-year-old ranked as the No. 9 edge defender in the NFL this year, ahead of notables such as Chandler Jones, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jadeveon Clowney, Olivier Vernon, and James Harrison.

Vernon set a surprising standard for 4-3 defensive ends like Bennett when he signed a five-year, $85MM contract with the Giants this past offseason. Bennett is four years older than Vernon, so it makes sense that he is not getting quite as much on his new deal. Instead of $17MM/year, his $10.5MM average annual value falls closer to the $11MM/year deal that Cameron Jordan got from the Saints last year.

The Texas A&M product is currently playing on the four-year, $28.5MM deal he signed prior to the 2014 season. Bennett made headlines when he began pushing for a new contract in the spring of 2015, just one year after he signed that team-friendly pact, but Seattle refused to re-open talks. This fall, with the deal winding down, the Seahawks and Bennett’s reps came to the table.

Bennett is now the latest key Seattle player to agree to a lengthy extension with the club, keeping the team’s core intact.

Tyrod Taylor Could Need Core Muscle Surgery

December 29th, 2016 at 9:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s previously reported groin injury could be serious enough to require core muscle surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Taylor will visit Dr. William Myers in Philadelphia after the season ends to determine whether to go under the knife. If he does, recovery time would likely be in the six-week range (link via Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com).

Citing business reasons, the Bills decided Tuesday that they’ll sit Taylor for Sunday’s season finale against the Jets. If Taylor were to play and suffer a severe injury, Buffalo wouldn’t be able to escape the $30.75MM in guarantees remaining on his contract. Taylor’s current issue is unlikely pose a problem for the Bills, per Rapoport, who notes that the 27-year-old should be able to pass a physical by the March 9 deadline for the team to walk away from his contract.

Even if the Bills do opt out of the extension they awarded Taylor last August, the two sides could still work out a different deal during the offseason. Taylor said Thursday he isn’t looking to leave the Bills despite having to cede the starting role to EJ Manuel on Sunday. Manuel was a first-round pick in 2013, but his ineffectiveness over the first couple years of his career helped lead the Bills to sign Taylor as a free agent in March 2015.

During his two years in Buffalo, Taylor has started in all 29 of his appearances, completed 62.6 percent of passes and thrown 37 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. The former Baltimore backup has been a bigger weapon on the ground, having rushed for 1,148 yards (5.8 per carry) and 11 scores with the Bills, and should be able parlay his dual-threat abilities into a No. 1 role somewhere in 2017.

AFC Notes: Bills, Browns, Jags, Bengals, Colts

December 29th, 2016 at 9:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rex Ryan was a beloved players’ coach with the Jets from 2009-14, but it doesn’t seem that was fully the case during his nearly two-year run in Buffalo. Reacting to the Bills’ Tuesday decision to fire Ryan, one defensive player informed Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne, “That was music to my ears.” Similarly, some other Bills never bought into Ryan and felt he tore down the elite defense he inherited in 2015, according to Dunne (Twitter links). On the other side of the ball, wide receiver Sammy Watkins told the team’s official website that a “culture change” will be in order with Ryan’s successor. “Change the culture, change the mindset and get players on board,” he said. “If they’re not listening, cut them, kick them out, whatever. Sit them on the bench. I think that will help us move forward.”

Wade Phillips’ Contract Set To Expire

December 29th, 2016 at 7:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There is a chance that the Broncos’ season finale against the Raiders on Sunday will be Wade Phillips’ last game as Denver’s defensive coordinator. The 69-year-old isn’t mulling retirement, but his contract is about to expire, reports USA Today’s Tom Pelissero, who adds that Phillips and the Broncos weren’t able to reach an extension during negotiations last offseason.

At the time of their discussions with Phillips last winter, the Broncos were fresh off a Super Bowl championship that his dominant defense sparked. Phillips earned AP Assistant Coach of the Year honors as a result, though this season hasn’t gone gone as well for him or the Broncos. The club is 8-7 and won’t make the playoffs, but that’s hardly Phillips’ fault. Evidence: Despite losing Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan in free agency, the Broncos’ defense ranks first in DVOA (for the second year in a row), third in sacks, sixth in yardage and scoring, and ninth in takeaways.

Should Phillips join Jackson and Trevathan in exiting via the open market, it would end his second tenure with the Broncos after only two years. He was previously in Denver from 1989-94 – first as a D-coordinator and then a head coach – before serving in at least one of those roles with the Bills, Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys and Texans through the 2013 campaign. Phillips was also on Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak‘s staff in Houston, which – along with Denver’s immense defensive talent – might help the club retain him.

Without Phillips, the Broncos could turn to one of his assistants to coordinate their Von Miller-headlined defense, according to Pelissero. It’s perhaps worth noting, then, that the team called on linebackers coach Reggie Herring to handle play-calling duties for the majority of a 27-19 win over the Chargers in Week 8. The decision to elevate Herring on a temporary basis came after Phillips bore the brunt of a second-quarter sideline collision and left on a stretcher.