2017 December - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Jerry Jones “Feels Good” About Jason Garrett

December 25th, 2017 at 8:18am CST by GregGoldstein

The Cowboys 2017 season was one of major ups and downs. Though, in the end, America’s team will not be in the postseason after losing to the Seahawks at home on Sunday afternoon. However, that doesn’t mean that owner Jerry Jones has soured on his head coach. Jones made sure to give Jason Garrett a vote of confidence during his postgame comments, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

“Just so we’re clear about it, I do understand frustration right after you lose a game that has as much meaningfulness as this ballgame, but I get to look at a lot of different things and have been around a lot of head coaches and coordinators,” Jones said. “I feel good about our head coach.”

Garrett, 51, has been the head coach of the Cowboys since 2010, accumulating a record of 67-55 during his tenure. But on the other hand, he only has two playoff appearances to show for his efforts. In addition, Garrett has not led the team past the divisional round, despite being the number one overall seed in the NFC last year.

However, Garrett was without his star running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games during the stretch run of the season. So while the loss does hurt, especially considering that the team had rallied for three straight wins in the weeks prior, the team is still young and returns many of its key players in 2018.

It would seem like Jones is intent on keeping Garrett at the helm for at least another year, but the pressure will be on if the Cowboys continue to underperform with him at the controls.

Giants GM Search Likely To Continue Into 2018

December 24th, 2017 at 9:51pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Giants have been busy this week trying to interview candidates for their vacant general manager position. However, while the team has made some progress in being able to meet face-to-face with some potential hires, sources in and around the team still expect their search to last into the new year, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Former general manager Jerry Reese had been in control of the team’s football operations since he succeeded Ernie Accorsi in January of 2007. Since this is a major change, the news isn’t a surprise given that owner John Mara‘s decision will shape the direction of the franchise for many years to come.

The team has already interviewed internal candidates, including Vice President of Player Evaluation Marc Ross and Assistant General Manager Kevin Abrams. Mara has also talked to former Panthers executive Dave Gettleman, who was the main architect of the Panthers 2015-16 Super Bowl run. In addition, the Giants spoken with ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who brings experience as the Director of Player Personnel for both the Eagles and Redskins after he was finished playing.

Chief among the responsibilities of the new general manager will be figuring out who will be the team’s next head coach after ownership relieved Ben McAdoo of his duties during the year. Current interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo may get an interview, but the team is likely to look outside the building given how bad the 2017 season has gone for all involved.

Apart from the head coach search, the new executive must decide whether to move on from franchise signal caller Eli Manning. While the two-time Super Bowl winner does have a storied history with the organization, he’ll be 37 years old next season and is clearly on the decline. Plus with a high first round pick, it would be wise for the new general manager to snatch up the team’s next franchise quarterback early in the draft.

Of course, there will be other challenges like negotiating Odell Beckham Jr.’s extension and fixing a broken offensive line. But it seems like it will take at least a few more weeks to determine what person ownership wants to be leading the charge in attacking these problems in the months to come.

Eli Manning To Start In Week 17

December 24th, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by GregGoldstein

There’s been widespread speculation regarding the future of Eli Manning with the Giants since he was benched by then head coach Ben McAdoo at the beginning of this month. However, Manning has started every game since McAdoo was fired and will be behind center come the start of the Giants’ Week 17 matchup against Washington, according to James Kratch of NJ Advanced Media (Twitter link).

Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo confirmed the news after the team’s 23-0 loss to the Cardinals. It’s not a surprising development given that the team would likely want to avoid a second go around in benching Manning.

However, it looks likely that this will be the last time that Giants fans will be able to watch their two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback in a Giants uniform. New York has assured themselves a top three pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and have rumored to be interested in college signal callers, Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold.

Manning will be 37 years old next season, and while he’s still under contract for another two years, the Giants will still have the opportunity to cut or trade him early this offseason.

The former number one overall pick’s stats have taken a dive this year, especially with him missing the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall for a long portion of the season. In 14 games in 2017, Manning has thrown for 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, which is a major step back from 2014-2015 when he tossed over 30 scores in each of those campaigns.

Earl Thomas Wants To Go To The Cowboys?

December 24th, 2017 at 8:09pm CST by GregGoldstein

Despite the Seahawks eliminating the Cowboys from playoff contention with a win this afternoon, it appears that one of Seattle’s best players would rather play in Dallas next season. After securing the victory, All-pro safety Earl Thomas was seen going into the Cowboys locker room to tell head coach Jason Garrett that “When the Seahawks kick me to the curb, please, Cowboys, come get me,” according to Dallas News.

It’s a rather odd series of events because Thomas has been a key piece to one of the best defenses in the league since he was drafted in the first round in 2010.

Thomas confirmed his actions to reporters in the locker room postgame, but it might not have been as blatant as it may appeared, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

“I’ve always been a Cowboys fan growing up,” Thomas told reporters after the team’s win. “The biggest things when I said ‘come get me,’ I didn’t literally mean come get me now. I’m still in the prime of my career, I still want to be here. But when Seattle kicks me to the curb, please, the Cowboys, come get me. You know?…People take me too serious. That’s just who I am.”

While Thomas did seem to back track a bit on wanting to come to Dallas next season, it still begs the question to why he would pull this stunt now? Thomas is under contract for one more season, but the team could look to trade him should the Seahawks not lock him up to a long-term contract. Seattle is notorious for trying to address impending free agency situations and have been unafraid of shopping key players as they have done in the past with star cornerback Richard Sherman.

Seattle already opted to give fellow safety Kam Chancellor a long-term committment, and when asked about what that means for his future after the Week 16 win, Thomas simply said “I don’t know. Actions speak louder than words. So I don’t know.” (via Dallas News)

While the Seahawks front office ultimately has the final say on where Thomas plays in 2018, it should be noted that Thomas is clearly already thinking about where his football career may take him after he’s finished in Seattle. It would appear that should he be forced to move on either next year or later down the road, the Cowboys would be high on his list of choice destinations.

Giants’ Landon Collins Fractures Forearm

December 24th, 2017 at 7:36pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Giants season has certainly not gone the way they had hoped coming off a playoff appearance about a year ago. With just one week remaining before their tumultuous 2017 campaign comes to a close, the team has learned it’s lost another star player to injury. All-pro safety Landon Collins left today’s game vs. the Cardinals, with the team now learning that he is out for the season with a fractured forearm, reports Jordan Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).

While the injury is not ideal for a franchise that intends to try and compete next season, Collins will now have a full offseason to recover from the injury. At 23 years old, the former 2015 second round pick has already established himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL. Collins produced breakout numbers a year ago, which led him to a First Team All-pro selection in just his second year in the NFL.

Even in a down year for his franchise, Collins continued his quality play in 2017. Through 14 weeks, he ranked as the eighth best player at his position, according to the metrics at Pro Football Focus. In 15 games this season, Collins collected 77 total tackles with two forced fumbles and another two interceptions. The Giants have Andrew Adams, Nat Berhe and Ryan Murphy on the bench to fill-in for Collins in the team’s 2017 season finale vs. Washington.

Devon Still Retires From The NFL

December 24th, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by GregGoldstein

Defensive tackle Devon Still is calling it quits from professional football. In a video posted to TMZ Sports, the 28-year-old stated that it was time to move onto the “next phase of his life” after five years in the NFL.

“I never wanted to be somebody who gives up on their dreams, but I don’t want to be somebody who chases their dream too long and misses other opportunities,” he explained in the video.

Still was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and played three seasons in Cincy. Still last played for the Texans during the 2016-17 season, appearing in just three games after being forced to the IR. Still’s career numbers are rather pedestrian, with the defensive lineman’s best year coming in 2014, when he played in 12 games, but only managed 11 total tackles. He signed with the Jets this past offseason, but was cut during training camp and was unable to catch onto another roster.

However, Still may be best known for his daughter’s well documented story battling cancer. Still frequently made mention of his daughter’s inspirational fight, appearing with her on shows like “Ellen” to promote donating to cancer research.

With his playing days now officially behind him, Still will be able to more primarily focus on serving his organization, the Still Strong Foundation, whose goal is to provide aid to families with children battling cancer.

5 Key NFL Stories: 12/17/17 – 12/24/17

December 24th, 2017 at 6:15pm CST by GregGoldstein

Panthers owner plans to sell/cedes control of team. In a major twist after a series of workplace misconduct allegations made against Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, we learned last Sunday night that the 81-year-old would sell the franchise this coming offseason. Richardson announced his intentions in a letter posted to the team’s website, but made no mention of the current allegations he faces. It still remains to be seen how the NFL’s current investigation will impact the Panthers’ only owner now that he plans on separating from the league. While prospective suitors like P Diddy have said they plan to put in a bid to buy the organization, the only thing we know so far is that the NFL made clear that they did not put pressure for there to be an ownership change and that the team will remain where it is. During this past week, we also learned that Richardson ceded control of the day-to-day operations to executive Tina Becker.

Zeke is back. After the Ezekiel Elliott sat out from Week 9 through Week 15, he returns to the gridiron just in time with Dallas’ 2017 season on the line against the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. The second-year pro bowl caliber back has had a crazy season because of the constant back and forth between him and the league regarding his six-game suspension. Though, his play never suffered as Elliott was still a dominant force on the ground, rushing for over 4.0 yards per carry and seven touchdowns this season. With Zeke back in the fold and the Cowboys on a three-game winning streak, it would seem that they would be a tough out in the playoffs should they sneak into that final NFC Wild Card spot.

Giants interview GM candidates. The Giants are in the process of determining who will be the next person to lead their football operations in the post-Jerry Reese era. The team reportedly interview two internal general manager candidates in Marc Ross and Kevin Abrams. Both of whom have been key parts of the current football structure during their tenure with the team. Ross currently acts as the team’s Vice President of Player Evaluation. He’s been with the franchise for over the past decade. On the other hand, Abrams has been more involved in working with the team’s cap situation as the team’s assistant general manager. The G-Men have also interviewed former Panthers executive David Gettleman, who helped form Carolina’s 2015-16 NFC Championship team, and plan to interview current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who’s already been a popular name thrown around in other general manager searches this past year.

Panthers LB suspended for a game. Panthers veteran linebacker Thomas Davis was originally suspended for two games by the league for his illegal hit on a defenseless receiver. While the 34-year-old has established himself as a notable team leader over his career, he’s still had a reputation to be over aggressive on plays that are away from the football. Davis did eventually get his suspension reduced to just one game through an appeal, but this situation just further sheds another light on opposing players putting each other in unnecessary danger.

The Rams lose their Pro Bowl kicker. It’s not usually a big story when a kicker goes on IR, but the Rams are going to feel a huge impact with Greg Zuerlein being forced to the sidelines for the playoffs. The placekicker injured his back in the Rams Week 15 contest vs. the Seahawks. Zuerlein had clearly separated himself as one of the league’s best kickers this season, knocking through 38 of 40 kicks in 2017. Legatron is known for having a big leg and has continued to add to that reputation by converting six field goals over 50 yards this year. Los Angeles signed Sam Ficken to replace Zuerlein, although it looks like the team could continue its search once again after Ficken missed a field goal and extra point in today’s win over the Titans. The team would likely choose to replace Ficken with one of the other nine kickers they worked out during this past practice week.

La Canfora’s Latest: Jets, Panthers, Steelers

December 24th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While Josh McCown hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll continue his career in 2018, those close to him believe the veteran quarterback will return for another season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. McCown, who is currently on injured reserve after breaking his hand, posted arguably the best campaign of his career while starting 13 games for the Jets this year. Given that he’ll be entering his age-39 season, McCown won’t command a long-term contract, and could theoretically make sense as a bridge quarterback for a number of clubs. When he does hang up his cleats, McCown is expected to generate interest as a coach.

Here’s more from La Canfora as Week 16 comes to a close:

Speaking of the Jets, it would qualify as “shocking” if Gang Green doesn’t release defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson prior to next season, per La Canfora. Wilkerson has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, and he isn’t expected to play for New York again this season despite being fully healthy. Missed meetings and other off-field offenses have led the Jets’ coaching staff to become “fed up” with Wilkerson, and there’s almost no chance the club will opt to pay him $17MM in 2018. Still, Wilkerson is expected to generate interest if he hits the free agent market next spring.
Although reports of a $2.5 billion price for the Panthers may have been exaggerated, sources still expect the Carolina franchise to garner at least $2 billion, as La Canfora writes. Although the NFL will require full cooperation as the league investigates claims of harassment against owner Jerry Richardson, the league won’t be able to tell Richardson to whom he can sell his team. Because Richardson isn’t keeping the club in his family, he has the right to sell to whomever he chooses.
The relationship between Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley has become strained, per La Canfora, who adds Roethlisberger has asked for a “buffer” between him and Haley during games. As such, quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner has begun coaching from the sidelines (instead of the press box) in order to act as that go-between. While reports of complications between Roethlisberger and Haley may have no affect, the relationship could potentially affect offseason staff plans for Pittsburgh.
The Patriots, Eagles, and Vikings are all expected to lose members of their staff this offseason as coaches leave for promotions with other clubs, according to La Canfora. New England, Philadelphia, and Minnesota are three of the most successful teams in the league in 2017, and coordinators such as Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Jim Schwartz, Frank Reich, John DeFilippo, Pat Shurmur, and George Edwards could all be on the move.

Trent Cole Announces Retirement

December 24th, 2017 at 4:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Edge rusher Trent Cole, who spent time with the Eagles and Colts during a 12-year NFL career, has announced his retirement from the league, per a press release from Philadelphia.

“As a person playing ball, I’ll never be satisfied,” said Cole. “I’m going to move on to the next thing. It was a great career, but it just doesn’t stop there. Being successful is never going to stop me. I’m not going to stop being successful. I’m going to go on to the next thing and try to be successful.”

A fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2005, Cole started seven games as a rookie and never looked back, proceeding to make 147 more starts and appear in 176 total games over the course of his career. Cole, who recently turned 35 years old, earned a Pro Bowl nod in both 2007 and 2009, and topped 10 sacks four times. While he was the 146th player chosen back in 2005, Cole produced the ninth-most approximate value (Pro Football Reference’s catch-all metric) of any player in that draft.

Cole left the Eagles prior to the 2015 season, inking a two-year deal to join the Colts. While he initially planned to continue playing once that contract expired, Cole never generated any known interest this offseason. He’ll now enter the next phase of his life, which includes co-hosting an outdoor television program titled Blitz TV. PFR extends its best wishes to Cole in retirement.

NFC North Notes: Vikings, Keenum, Packers

December 24th, 2017 at 3:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings still have not opened extension talks with pending free agent quarterback Case Keenum, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Previous reports have indicated general manager Rick Spielman & Co. won’t discuss contracts with any of their free agent signal-callers until the season concludes, and that stance has not changed, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Indeed, Keenum may require a franchise or transition tag in order to not hit the open market, several executives tell La Canfora. Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, and Sam Bradford are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next spring, meaning the Vikings will have several decisions to make over the coming months.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

While the Packers have certainly struggled without quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the club isn’t expected to make wholesale changes during the offseason, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. However, defensive coordinator Dom Capers could take the fall after leading a defense that ranks just 19th in DVOA. If Capers is fired, one candidate to take over Green Bay’s defense may be current Bears DC Vic Fangio, per Pelissero. Fangio, whose contract expires after the 2017 season, has Chicago’s defense at 14th in DVOA (with arguably less talent than the Packers possess).
Capers isn’t the only Packers staffer who could leave the team this offseason, as director of football operations Eliot Wolf is once again drawing general manager interest. While Wolf has long been viewed as an in-house replacement for current GM Ted Thompson, Wolf is reportedly growing impatient and is ready to “branch out,” sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Wolf, who was tied to the 49ers and Colts general manager vacancies a year ago, was most recently linked to the Giants GM gig.
Although Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott‘s dislocated shoulder is likely to sideline him for the final game of the regular season, he’s expected to be available for the playoffs, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter links). McDermott, who will not require surgery, had his shoulder popped back in place last night. Meanwhile, Minnesota will need a long snapper for their Week 17 contest against the Bears, and the club plans to audition free agent Justin Drescher on Tuesday, per Tomasson. Drescher has appeared in 110 career games, including eight with the Cardinals earlier this year.

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