2017 January - Pro Football Rumors

Teddy Bridgewater Likely Out For 2017?

January 27th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The catastrophic knee injury that caused Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to sit out the entire 2016 season is also likely to cost him the 2017 campaign, a team source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Doctors have informed the Vikings that the best-case scenario for Bridgwater would be a 19-month recovery. His injury occurred last August, which means he’s unlikely to return to full strength until March 2018 at the earliest.

On the other hand, Bridgewater’s agent Kennard McGuire has strongly disputed Cole’s report, telling Ben Goessling of ESPN.com: “I would not overreact to a story that has zero substance and no credibility.” The Vikings have maintained there is no current update on Bridgewater’s status, while sources tell Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune Bridgewater still has no “set timeline” for return.

As of October, Bridgewater’s career was reportedly in jeopardy on account of the complete ACL tear and dislocated kneecap he suffered in practice. More recently, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expressed uncertainty earlier this month as to when Bridgewater might return. That came after Zimmer declared that Sam Bradford would be the Vikings’ starting quarterback to at least begin next season.

The Vikings’ decision to send their 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round selection to the Eagles for Bradford last September came in response to Bridgewater’s injury. Minnesota was the reigning NFC North champion at the time and hoping to keep its playoff chances alive, though it ultimately wasn’t able to replicate its 2015 success this season. That wasn’t necessarily the fault of Bradford, who set an NFL record for single-season completion percentage (71.6) and tossed 20 touchdowns against five interceptions as part of a conservative passing attack. Despite Bradford’s career-best statistical season, not to mention a 5-0 start, the Vikings stumbled to an 8-8 record and a third-place finish in their division.

Both Bridgewater and Bradford are set to enter contract years, though the former is controllable through 2018 by way of a fifth-year option. The Vikings are likely to exercise the option because it would give them another year to evaluate Bridgewater’s recovery, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. The 24-year-old Bridgewater, whom the Vikings chose 32nd in the 2014 draft, combined for a 64.9 percent completion rate and 28 scores against 21 picks in his first two seasons. Minnesota has posted an impressive 17-11 record in his 28 career starts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/27/17

January 27th, 2017 at 4:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Steelers safety Jordan Dangerfield, an exclusive rights free agent, has agreed to sign his $540K tender for 2017, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He’s the third in-house player this week the Steelers have secured for next season, joining wide receiver Cobi Hamilton and fullback Roosevelt Nix. The 26-year-old Dangerfield went undrafted in 2013, but it took him until 2016 to see any NFL action. In his 13-game campaign, Dangerfield started twice and took part in 51.1 percent of the Steelers’ special teams snaps.
The Packers have signed long snapper Taybor Pepper to a reserve/futures contract, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Pepper went undrafted out of Michigan State last year.

Extra Points: Steelers, Seahawks, Ravens, Jets

January 27th, 2017 at 3:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL is “looking into” whether the Steelers violated its policy in not listing running back Le’Veon Bell on their injury reports in recent weeks, including before last Sunday’s AFC championship game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Bell departed the title game early because of a groin injury, and he then revealed after the Steelers’ 36-17 loss to New England that it had had been a problem for weeks. At no point did the Steelers disclose the ailment, though, which is why the league is investigating the matter.

Of course, the league is also scrutinizing the Seahawks for a similar issue involving cornerback Richard Sherman. That could lead to the loss of a second-round pick for Seattle, whose general manager, John Schneider, told SiriusXM on Thursday that the club “didn’t do anything malicious at all” (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

Sherman, meanwhile, believes “it would be odd, out of the norm” for the Seahawks to receive punishment, and he doesn’t expect the league to discipline the Steelers. “Le’Veon said he’s got a groin (issue) for weeks, they’re going to get a warning,” he told Conor Orr of NFL.com. “Andrew (Luck) played with cracked ribs for a whole year (back in 2015). You see what I’m saying?”

Latest On 49ers’ GM Search

January 27th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Led by CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe, the 49ers have reached out to 11 candidates this offseason in their quest to find a general manager. While the Niners are seemingly down to two finalists for the position – Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough and Vikings assistant GM George Paton – the saga isn’t necessarily nearing a conclusion. On the contrary, it’s “by no means” certain the 49ers will hire McDonough or Paton, and passing on each would cause them to reopen their search, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter).

La Canfora’s report jibes with what a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com earlier this week – that “it’s not a lock” either McDonough or Paton will land the GM role in San Francisco. If the 49ers don’t tab one of those two, it’ll likely be the result of neither being able to sync with soon-to-be head coach Kyle Shanahan. The current Falcons offensive coordinator will take a break from Super Bowl LI preparation this weekend to meet with McDonough and Paton, who’s reportedly willing to take the Colts’ GM job.

Should one of McDonough or Paton hit it off with Shanahan in the coming days, the 49ers could have their next GM in place as early as Saturday, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Otherwise, they’ll be back at square one and set to drag their GM search into a second month.

Both longtime head coach Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s father, and ex-Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik have come up as possibilities to take front office jobs with the 49ers. They might be worth keeping an eye on, then, and the same goes for Falcons director of football operations Nick Polk, Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian, former Browns executive Morocco Brown and Redskins exec Alex Santos.

Mike Shanahan Could Take Job With 49ers

January 27th, 2017 at 11:32am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Two-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan has no interest in coaching anymore, but he has expressed a desire to work in a team’s front office. That could happen soon, as there’s “increasing chatter in league circles” that Shanahan will join his son, Falcons offensive coordinator and 49ers head-coach-in-waiting Kyle Shanahan, in San Francisco, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

It’s unclear which role the elder Shanahan would take on with the Niners, who are also lacking a general manager. Regardless, the team wouldn’t be thrilled to welcome him, according to Florio, but it might be the cost of doing business for a club with only one head coaching candidate remaining as February nears. Given the 49ers’ desperate situation, Kyle Shanahan “has a tremendous amount of power” over the organization, writes Florio.

Another stint in San Francisco would be the second for Mike Shanahan, who previously served as its offensive coordinator from 1992-94. The former Raiders, Broncos and Redskins head coach was also under consideration to return to the 49ers as their sideline leader in the prior two offseasons. Shanahan, 64, interviewed to become the 49ers’ head coach, though they ended up tabbing Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly in those searches. Now, their decisions to choose those one-and-done coaches over Mike Shanahan could lead to the hiring of him as an executive and his son as their head coach this year.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Jets, Browns

January 27th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL is continuing to investigate a June incident in which an intoxicated Aqib Talib accidentally shot himself in the leg, the league’s vice president of communications, Brian McCarthy, told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. The Broncos cornerback isn’t facing any legal ramifications – the Dallas Police Department wrapped up its investigation in October – but the league could nonetheless hit the first-team All-Pro with some form of punishment. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has multiple run-ins with the law to his name, which could factor into the league’s decision, notes Jhabvala.

Bills Re-Sign Colt Anderson

January 27th, 2017 at 10:48am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have re-signed safety Colt Anderson, per a team announcement. Anderson was among the Bills’ 24 soon-to-be unrestricted free agents before agreeing to a new contract.

The 31-year-old Anderson, a former Eagle and Colt (fittingly), joined the Bills last April on a minimum salary benefit. He’ll once again be a minimum salary benefit player on his 2017 deal, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In his first year with the Bills, Anderson appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with a hand ailment in early October.

Anderson, primarily a special teamer, has totaled 79 appearances and seven starts since going undrafted out of Montana in 2009. The lion’s share of those starts (four) came in 2012, when Anderson tallied a personal-best 33 tackles and also picked up the only interception of his career as a member of the Eagles.

Packers Could Be Aggressive In Free Agency

January 27th, 2017 at 9:21am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers general manager Ted Thompson hasn’t been particularly aggressive in free agency during his 12-year stint with the franchise, but that could change this offseason. Along with prioritizing re-signing tight end Jared Cook, the Packers are poised to “go and get some free agents this year,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said Thursday on NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

Thompson hasn’t avoided the open market as a GM, evidenced by past high-profile signings like Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett. However, his preference has been to sign free agents whom other clubs released because they don’t count toward the league’s compensatory draft pick formula. That’s the route Thompson took in 2014 to ink Julius Peppers and again last March to add Cook, whom the Rams had cut a month earlier, to a deal worth a modest $3.5MM.

In his first (and only?) season with the Packers, the 29-year-old Cook appeared in 10 games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers endorsed Cook’s potential return earlier this week, saying that re-upping him “needs to be near the top of the priority list.” For his part, Cook seems eager to return to Green Bay.

“It would be good to come back and play in a familiar offense, and learn even more from 12 (Rodgers),” he told Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com.

In addition to Cook, the Packers will have decisions to make on Peppers and fellow linebacker Nick Perry, guard T.J. Lang, running back Eddie Lacy and defensive back Micah Hyde, among others, before free agency opens March 9. The team has nearly $36MM in cap space, which will help it keep at least some of those soon-to-be free agents and make outside additions if it wants, and could free up $9MM more by releasing Sam Shields. The cornerback has suffered four concussions in the past six years, the latest of which limited him to one game – the season opener – in 2016. The money saved in moving on from Shields would help the Packers “reload,” which Rodgers believes is a must for the NFC North champions. It appears Thompson agrees.

Jets Rework Ryan Clady’s Contract

January 27th, 2017 at 8:04am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets reworked Ryan Clady‘s contract in December, which will buy the team time to decide whether to retain the left tackle in 2017, reports ESPN’s Field Yates. Clady has reworked his deal twice since April, when the Jets acquired him from the Broncos.

Clady’s newly reworked pact takes away the $2.5MM roster bonus he’d have been due in February and folds it into his base salary. He’s now slated for a $10MM salary in 2017, though none of the money is guaranteed until Week 1 of the regular season. The 30-year-old could also make an additional $1MM via incentives next year.

The Jets’ hope when they landed Clady last spring was that he’d stay healthy and perform like the four-time Pro Bowl version of himself. Instead, Clady’s injury-prone ways continued and his effectiveness dipped. After missing all of the previous two seasons, Clady appeared in nine games (eight starts) and then went on injured reserve in November with a torn rotator cuff. The nine-year veteran finished just 62nd among Pro Football Focus’ 78 qualified tackles in overall performance.

Extra Points: Chiefs, Lynn, Draft, Crawford

January 26th, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andy Reid plans to use Tyreek Hill more next season. After the rookie began the year as mostly a special teams-only presence, he became featured as a frequent part of the Chiefs‘ offense, and Reid wants to increase his involvement.

“He was averaging 35 plays a game [in 2016],” Reid said on a SiriusXM NFL Radio appearance (via Alex Marvez of the Sporting News). “Maybe he can double that or at least take it up a couple notches and allow him to get in more in a starting role. … I’d expect him to learn that whole [playbook] by the end of all the OTAs and training camp and then be even more of a threat.”

Hill scored 12 touchdowns and became a unanimous All-Pro selection as a return man. The polarizing speedster emerged as Chiefs’ best No. 2 receiver candidate in years by catching 61 passes for 593 yards. Hill becoming a bigger part of the Chiefs’ offense lessens their need for pass-catching help. During previous Reid years, the team relied on a committee approach to fill that role.

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

Reid addressed Eric Berry‘s status as well, wanting the Chiefs to retain the decorated UFA safety. “We love E.B. I think everybody in our building would ditto that,” Reid said. “If we can get this thing done, that’s obviously a priority in the offseason. It’s been a good marriage.” It would cost the Chiefs nearly $13MM to apply the franchise tag to Berry again, but Tyrann Mathieu‘s $12MM-AAV+ deal raised the bar for safeties since the Chiefs’ last negotiations with Chiefs management. Berry acknowledged earlier this week he believed his agent has spoken with the Chiefs about a deal. Kansas City is projected to possess $4.6MM in cap room but can create over $16MM more by releasing Jamaal Charles and Nick Foles.
Prior to the Chargers entering the race, Anthony Lynn saw the Bills as the best opportunity for him. The newest Los Angeles HC was connected to every team in need of a coach, save for the 49ers. “To me, [Buffalo] was the best place for me to be because I knew the personnel, I knew all the people I was working with and I think that was the quickest turnaround,” Lynn said, via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Although, after the Chargers became interested, Lynn said he quickly pivoted to their situation. “They have a quarterback; they have key players at every position, at skill positions, and a young, talented defense, I thought that right there was a great opportunity,” he said. “And that’s where I put all my focus, was in that job after the season was over, and thank God it came through.”
Senior Bowl executive director and former Browns GM Phil Savage did not speak highly of this year’s quarterback class. “It’s probably not a good year to say, ‘We’ve got to have one,’ ” Savage said, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “You never know, but there’s questions with more guys this year.” Savage isn’t the first to cast doubt on the Deshaun Watson-, DeShone Kizer– and Mitch Trubisky-fronted class. Multiple execs expressed similar sentiments recently.
Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford underwent shoulder surgery for the second straight offseason, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Crawford faces an uncertain future as a starter, Hill writes. The veteran lineman, though, cannot be realistically cut this year. The Cowboys, who signed him to a five-year deal in 2015, would be saddled with $10.4MM in dead money.
Busy retooling their defensive staff, the Saints also interviewed Redskins assistant special teams coach Brad Banta for their special teams coach opening, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.