2017 January - Pro Football Rumors

Jason Witten Plans To Return Next Season

January 16th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Sam Robinson

One year remains on Jason Witten‘s contract, and the Cowboys tight end as of now plans on playing it out. The 34-year-old stalwart said he wants to return for the 2017 season.

“I’m in my 14th year, and you know there’s a shelf life for everybody,” Witten said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “You put everything you have into it, and when you come up short it’s tough. It’s not about a paycheck. … I’ll take time to reflect on it. I love this team and this group of guys and so, yeah, that will be the plan for sure.”

The career-long Cowboy finished his 14th season with 69 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns, and while he’s fallen off the Pro Bowl and All-Pro pace of his earlier years, Witten finished sixth among tight ends in catches this season despite operating in a run-oriented offense. He added his first playoff touchdown in Sunday’s loss. Witten ranks seventh all-time with 1,089 career receptions — second among tight ends in NFL history.

He stands to make $7.4MM in base salary next season in the final campaign of a five-year, $37MM deal. But the tight end’s cap number spikes from $5.862MM this season to $12.262MM in what would be his 15th season. The future Hall of Famer restructured his deal to help the Cowboys’ cap situation.

Brandon Carr Considering Retirement

January 15th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following Dallas’ close loss to the Packers in today’s playoff game, Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr told reporters that he will contemplate retirement this offseason, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Carr will likely make a decision before that start of free agency in early March.

Carr, 30, took a significant paycut last offseason, agreeing to lower his base salary from $9.1MM to $4.25MM. Carr is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, although his contract contains a voidable 2017 season that will leave $2.717MM on the Cowboys’ salary cap. Dallas, who is currently projected to be more than $5MM over the cap in 2017, has several key free agents in the defensive backfield, as cornerback Morris Claiborne and safety Barry Church will join Carr on the open market.

Carr just finished his fifth season with the Cowboys, and while he’s never missed a game with Dallas (or at any point during his career), he never quite became the No. 1 corner the Cowboys were looking for when they signed him to a five-year, $50.1MM deal prior to the 2012 season. In 2016, Carr played 96% of Dallas’ defensive snaps, posted one interception, and graded as the NFL’s No. 52 cornerback among 114 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Latest On 49ers’ Head Coaching Vacancy

January 15th, 2017 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are the final NFL club still searching for a new head coach, and they’ve likely narrowed their hunt down to three candidates: Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Seahawks OL/assistant head coach Tom Cable, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Cable will interview for the position today, while both Shanahan and McDaniels were already granted permission to meet with 49ers management given that their respective clubs had earned first-round playoff byes. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the key factor in San Francisco’s favor is time — because all the other head coaching jobs have been filled, the Niners have no incentive to rush to find their next coach.

Now that the Seahawks have been eliminated, Cable is free to interview at any time going forward, while Shanahan and McDaniels would each be allowed to interview during the week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. Of course, if either Atlanta or New England is eliminated next week, Shanahan and McDaniels could interview freely on their own schedule.

The 49ers, of course, are also the only NFL team looking for a new general manager after parting ways with Trent Baalke. San Francisco has interviewed a number of candidates, including ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, for the position. Riddick would likely come to the Bay Area as package deal with McDaniels, who was said to view the 49ers as his preferred destination.

However, McDaniels has expressed some reticence about leaving New England for the 49ers, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While McDaniels can likely have the San Francisco job if he wants it, and has reportedly already been identifying prospective staff members around the NFL, the Patriots OC is worried about moving his family across the country for what could turn out to be a short stay (given the 49ers’ recent track record of firing coaches).

Latest On Packers Execs/49ers’ GM Search

January 15th, 2017 at 8:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers executives Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf are two of the nine candidates the 49ers have interviewed for their general manager job, and sources tell Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that San Francisco views Gutekunst in a higher regard, adding that the Niners were “really impressed” by Green Bay’s director of college scouting. Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link) continues to “believe” that Gutekunst and Wolf are the leading contenders for the SF gig.

Meanwhile, Wolf — the Packers’ director of football operations — would almost certainly accept the 49ers job if offered, per McGinn, as some believe that he’d like to escape the shadow of his father, former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, in Green Bay. The Packers denied the Lions’ request to interview Wolf for their GM vacancy last offseason, but they’ve made no attempt to do so this offseason. On the other hand, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report adds (video link) that Green Bay does not want to lose Wolf, and would consider moving him into the GM chair this offseason to replace Ted Thompson.

Green Bay’s front office machinations also have implications in Kansas City, where Chiefs general manager John Dorsey could be a candidate to take over for Thompson in 2018. Dorsey is one of the lowest-paid GMs in the NFL, according to McGinn, and some sources believe that he would relish an opportunity to return to the Packers. “I always thought he was the type of guy who would want to come back to Green Bay,” said one of Dorsey’s friends. “He loves the Packers. I do know that.”

Miller’s Latest: Bears, M. Williams, Peppers

January 15th, 2017 at 7:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As our list of important 2017 NFL offseason dates shows, NCAA underclassmen have until tomorrow to announce their intent to enter this year’s draft. One first-round prospect, Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham, did just that yesterday, and a few more names could trickle in before Monday’s deadline. The draft itself is still months away, but Matt Miller of Bleacher Report is in touch with scouts and has presented the latest on several collegiate players in his latest notebook (which, as always, is worth a full read).

Here’s the latest from Miller:

One scout tells Miller that Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has a “perfect grade” on his board. Foster, who posted 115 tackles and five sacks during the 2016 season, is considered the best off-ball linebacker available in this draft and should be selected in the first round.
Another Alabama defender, Jonathan Allen, is viewed as an even better prospect than Foster, and as one of the best edge players in the 2017 class, could go off the board in the top 10 picks. However, an AFC personnel director believes that Allen’s shoulder injuries could present a problem come draft day, and thinks that Allen may have had an additional surgery that went unreported.
Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams squared off against Foster, Allen, and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense when the Tigers faced Alabama in the National Championship Game, and Miller favorably compares Williams to Bengals pass-catcher A.J. Green. “Best player on the field. Period,” a scouting director said of Williams.
The Bears are showing strong interest in this year’s crop of quarterbacks, rival evaluators tell Miller. Chicago is expected to move on from veteran signal-caller Jay Cutler, and could look to find their quarterback of the future on Day 1 or 2. Back in November, Miller reported the Bears were researching Miami QB Brad Kaaya, who could be drafted in the Round 2 range.
Based on his discussions with scouts, Miller believes that Michigan S/LB Jabrill Peppers is currently overrated on media boards, potentially putting him in line for a draft day fall. Typically regarded as a first-round pick, Peppers announced last week that he would skip his final two NCAA seasons to enter the NFL.
At least one NFL offensive line coach believes Utah left tackle Garett Bolles is going to “shoot up” draft boards, according to Miller.

Lions Notes: Quinn, Warford, Reiff, Free Agency

January 15th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Lions were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, the club’s 9-7 season can largely be considered a success. Since the campaign ended, Detroit has announced that head coach Jim Caldwell will be retained, while the Lions will also bring back both coordinators — Jim Bob Cooter (offense) and Teryl Austin (defense) — despite each being linked to head coaching vacancies around the league.

Let’s take a quick look at the latest out of the Motor City:

The Lions will aim to find talent through the free agent process, says general manager Bob Quinn, but the draft is still the primary way that Detroit will seek to procure players, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details in a pair of articles. “I’m not opposed to free agency,” Quinn said. “I think you have to pick and choose your spots.” Armed with with roughly $41MM in cap space, the Lions will need to bolster a defense that dead last in DVOA in 2016 while also answering several questions on the offensive side of the ball.
Offensive guard Larry Warford indicated that he’s likely to test free agency, and will likely be more valuable to other clubs than he is to the Lions, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit boasts Laken Tomlinson and Graham Glasgow as potential options on the interior offensive line, meaning the Lions will be reticent to offer Warford a deal commensurate with his market value. Warford will compete with fellow guards Kevin Zeitler and T.J. Lang in free agency this March.
The Lions are unlikely to retain both Warford and free agent offensive tackle Riley Reiff, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Reiff moved to the right side in 2016 following the first-round selection of fellow offensive tackle Taylor Decker, and graded as the league’s No. 48 tackle among 80 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. According to Rothstein, Reiff has given no indication as to whether he’s comfortable remaining at right tackle for the foreseeable future.
In case you missed it, Detroit blocked quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan from taking at least one offensive coordinator interview this offseason.

Jordy Nelson May Be Available Next Week

January 15th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson is inactive for today’s contest against the Cowboys after suffering broken ribs in last week’s victory over the Giants, but Green Bay has a “legitimate hope” that Nelson could play against the Falcons next week if the Packers advance to the NFC Championship Game, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds that Nelson had no trouble travelling to Dallas for today’s game.

Nelson isn’t dealing with any other complications besides the rib injury itself, as Nelson himself told Stacey Dales of the NFL Network (Twitter links), and added that his primary goal is to resume breathing normally. Nelson is currently “resting and recovering,” an indication that he hasn’t yet returned to football activity. He’ll have a “chance” to play if the Packers advance to the next round of the tournament, per Dales, which is a decidedly more vague phrasing than Demovksy’s “legitimate hope” above.

If Nelson can’t go next week, the Green Bay’s wide receiver unit will consist of Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Jeff Janis, and Trevor Davis. The Packers also have Antwan Goodley and Max McCaffrey on the practice squad.

PFR Originals: 1/8/17 – 1/15/17

January 15th, 2017 at 4:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

As the offseason progresses, PFR will assess each team by examining the top three needs on each respective roster. We covered five organiztions last week:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cleveland Browns
- Denver Broncos
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tennessee Titans
Five of six clubs searching for new head coaches have now filled their respective vacancies, but many of those teams (plus several others) are now on the hunt for fresh offensive and defensive coordinators. Keep track of all the latest on this year’s hiring cycle by following PFR’s 2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker.
At present, only one team — the 49ers — are conducting interviews for a new general manager, but we will update our 2017 GM Search Tracker with notes on San Francisco and any other clubs that might join the fray this offseason.
Despite the fact that the playoffs are ongoing, the NFL offseason is officially underway — look ahead to the NFL calendar with PFR’s list of Important 2017 NFL Offseason Dates.

Latest On Antonio Brown Extension Possibility

January 15th, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When the Steelers restructured the contract of Antonio Brown prior to the 2016 campaign, the club promised Brown that it would extend an offer of a new deal at the conclusion of the season. That agreement is reportedly still in place, and as such, Brown is poised to “cash in,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that Brown has a chance to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Last August, Pittsburgh converted some of Brown’s 2017 base salary into a signing bonus (meaning Brown received more money immediately), but also changed some of Brown’s 2016 base salary into a bonus in order to reduce the salary cap effects. All told, the moves increased Brown’s 2016 cap charge by about $500K. The transaction was largely a show of good faith, as the Steelers did not want to violate their rule of not extending players with more than one year left on their contract.

That internal team precedent won’t come into play this offseason, however, as Brown is only signed through the 2017 season. At present, he is set to earn a base salary of $4.71MM and carry a cap number of $13.618MM. An extension would presumably lower that cap charge, but could also make Brown the most highly-compensated pass-catcher in the league. On an annual salary basis, that honor currently belongs to the Bengals’ A.J. Green ($15MM). In terms of guarantees, the Falcons’ Julio Jones leads the way with $35.5MM.

Falcons DE Adrian Clayborn Done For Playoffs

January 15th, 2017 at 3:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn suffered a torn bicep during Saturday’s Divisional Round win over the Seahawks and will miss the remainder of the postseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Clayborn already missed roughly a month earlier this season after tearing his MCL and partially tearing his meniscus, so Atlanta has been forced to deal with his absence before. The Falcons play a heavy rotation along their defensive line, but Clayborn — even with several missed games — still played the third-most snaps among Atlanta defenders this season and graded out as roughly average, placing as the No. 56 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. On the season, Clayborn posted five sacks, one fumble recovery (which resulted in a touchdown), and one pass defensed in seven starts.

Clayborn, 28, has torn his bicep before, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Clayborn missed all but one game in his last season with the Buccaneers (2014) after suffering the same injury. Signed to a two-year contract before the 2015 campaign, Clayborn will count for $5.5MM on the Falcons’ salary cap next season.