2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Get Pick From Adrian Peterson Trade

January 24th, 2018 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Saints shipped Adrian Peterson to the Cardinals in March, they received a conditional sixth-round draft pick in return for the future Hall of Fame running back. On Wednesday, Saints GM Mickey Loomis confirmed that those conditions have been met and the pick will in fact be conveyed to New Orleans (Twitter link via Joel Erickson of The Advocate).

Peterson averaged just 3.5 yards per carry for the Cardinals as he filled in for David Johnson, but he did show flashes of his old self on a couple of occasions. In his first game with Arizona, Peterson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns off of 26 attempts. A couple of weeks later, he racked up 159 rushing yards against the Niners. It’s not clear what the conditions of the trade were, but he did enough to satisfy them and give the Saints a return on the deal.

Meanwhile, Peterson’s future in Arizona is in flux. The veteran remains under contract for one more season, but the Cardinals could save $3.5MM against the cap by releasing him. With Johnson returning, the Cardinals could apply that money elsewhere and turn to a younger, cheaper back as insurance. For his part, Peterson says he intends to play in 2018.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Bell, Jaguars, Robinson

January 24th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has leverage and he should use it, Mike Florio of PFT opines. Florio gets the sense that the Steelers are imposing an artificial deadline of the start of the league year or the franchise tag deadline to finalize a multi-year deal. Instead, Bell could stand firm and refuse to sign a long-term deal that is shy of his goal and once again exercise his right to stay home throughout the offseason.

Bell has indicated that he does not want a second consecutive franchise tag, but the one-year deal for $14.52MM wouldn’t be a bad place to end up. In theory, the Steelers could use the tag on him for a third straight year in 2019, but the $17.42MM price tag means that they would probably allow him to test the open market unfettered.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Jaguars have a tough decision to make when it comes to pending free agent Allen Robinson. He stands as the Jaguars’ most talented receiver, but he missed the majority of the year with a torn ACL suffered in Week 1. What are the Jags to do? Ryan O’Halloran of the Times-Union predicts that the team will either use the franchise tag on him or sign him to a multi-year deal with easy-to-attain incentives if he stays healthy in 2018. Robinson may not be a bonafide WR1 in the eyes of other teams, but he stands as one of the very best WRs in a weak free agent class at the position, so allowing him to test the open market would be dicey for Jacksonville.
Will the Bills stick with quarterback Tyrod Taylor? Sean McDermott isn’t really tipping his hand. “I thought the quarterback position, in particular Tyrod and then Nate [Peterman] did some good things. I’ve mentioned before, the work ethic and the intangibles that Tyrod brings to the table are very much appreciated and a big part of how we did things this year and what we were able to do. I thought he did some good things and overall, we’ll continue to evaluate where we are what’s right for this organization moving forward,” McDermott told reporters Tuesday at the Senior Bowl (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
New head coach Mike Vrabel cleared up some confusion by explaining that the Titans‘ next defensive coordinator will in fact be calling plays. “The DC will make the play calls – he will call the game,” Vrabel said (Twitter link via Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com). “And if I tell him to run something, he is going to run it. … The defensive coordinator is going to call 100 percent of the game, except for when I tell him the one time I want to pressure the quarterback.”

Josh McCown Leaning Towards Playing

January 24th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh McCown has pondered retirement in advance of his 39th birthday, but it sounds like he’s leaning towards continuing his career.

“Right now, that’s how it’s looking,” McCown said when asked if he definitely wants to play in 2018 (via Connor Hughes of NJ.com). “At this time of the year, I go through those conversations with my family, talk with them through that, pray through that. But where we’re at right now, I feel like I want to play … I’m looking forward to the next few months, seeing what happens, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Despite his advanced age, McCown set personal career-highs in passing touchdowns (18), passing yards (2,926), completion percentage (67.3%), and rushing touchdowns (5). McCown says he enjoyed his time in New York and coach Todd Bowles wants him back, but it’s not a slam dunk that he’ll return to the swamp. The Jets are hoping to identify their quarterback of the future and McCown won’t necessarily factor into the equation if they sign a high-priced free agent or draft an NFL-ready rookie.

The good news for McCown is that his broken left hand is on the mend. He’s still sporting a black protective wrap around the hand, but he says that the injury is “healing up” and he believes he’s just weeks away from being 100%.

Titans Interviewing Brian Callahan

January 24th, 2018 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Lions quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan has an interview scheduled with the Titans for their offensive coordinator job, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Jets are also interviewing him for a job on their staff and Raanan wouldn’t rule him out for the Giants’ staff as well.

This week, the Titans informed previous OC Terry Robiskie that he will not be a part of Mike Vrabel‘s new staff. Previously, it was reported that Ohio State co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day would become the Titans’ next OC, but he opted to remain with the Buckeyes. The Titans have now whiffed on their No. 1 choice for both coordinator spots as James Bettcher has agreed to become the Giants’ DC.

Callahan is well-regarded around the league, so it was a surprise this year when the Lions elected to let him go. In his two seasons as Detroit’s QBs coach, Matthew Stafford averaged 4,386.5 yards per season and a 65.5% completion rate with 26.5 touchdowns and ten interceptions.

Browns Notes: Allen, Mayfield, Thomas

January 24th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns GM John Dorsey holds the No. 1 pick in the draft and he is considering a larger pool of players than you might expect. Speaking to reporters at the site of the Senior Bowl this week, Dorsey indicated that both Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are in the mix.

“In 2013, I had the first pick in the draft with the Kansas City Chiefs, and there really wasn’t a quarterback prospect there,” Dorsey said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Actually in this class there are four to five prospects that make you think at least are they worthy of that position. So now I think what you do is you let the process unfold.”

USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen, of course, are also believed to be in the running. It’s not immediately clear who the fifth player might be, if there is one.

Here’s more on the Browns:

We’ve heard rumblings of rookie quarterbacks not wanting to go to the Browns in the past, but Allen says that he would embrace the opportunity to help engineer Cleveland’s comeback. “If I’m fortunate enough to become a Cleveland Brown, you can expect everything from me,” Allen told 92.3 The Fan. “I want to be the guy that turns around the Cleveland Browns. The guy that does that is going to be immortalized in Cleveland forever.”
Tackle Joe Thomas, who is still undecided about whether he’ll play in 2018, endorsed the team’s decision to retain coach Hue Jackson in an essay for The MMQB. Thomas was also optimistic about what the future may hold for the Browns, citing the team’s cap room and draft capital. It’s possible that these factors will motivate Thomas to return, but he may also wait until we get closer to the start of free agency to announce his plans.
On Wednesday, the Browns formally announced the hiring of former Pittsburgh play caller Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator.

Cardinals Interview Mike McCoy

January 24th, 2018 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals interviewed Mike McCoy for their vacant offensive coordinator job, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). McCoy is now the second known candidate to interview for the position, following former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell.

After losing his job as the Chargers’ head coach, McCoy returned to his old gig as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, that reunion did not go as planned. After a 3-7 start and little output from the running game, the Broncos axed McCoy.

This offseason, McCoy has put himself in conversation for the Vikings and Cardinals OC vacancies. The Bills also briefly considered him before settling on Brian Daboll.

New Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks has already tapped former Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb as his DC. He’ll officially interview on Wednesday and an announcement should follow soon after.

Steelers, Le’Veon Bell Closer Than Last Year

January 24th, 2018 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Things might not be as bad between Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers as initially believed. The running back told reporters on Wednesday that the team has already presented him with an extension offer and the two sides are a lot closer than they were last year (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic).

Bell also disputed a recent report indicating that he was late to the Steelers’ walkthrough before their playoff game against the Jaguars. Bell says that the tardiness was due to personal reasons and coach Mike Tomlin was aware (Twitter link via Kaboly).

Earlier this month, Bell made waves by saying that he would consider sitting out the 2018 season if he’s franchise tagged for a second consecutive season. No one really knows whether Bell would quit if handed a one-year, $14.5MM tender, but it sounds like we might not have to find out. Last year, Bell turned down a $60MM offer from Pittsburgh. This time around, he could get more than that over a five-year period, or perhaps greater cash flow in the first few years.

Bell finished out the season with 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He also had 85 catches for 655 yards and two TDs, earning him a First-Team All-Pro nod.

Browns Officially Hire Todd Haley

January 24th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have their man. On Wednesday morning, the Browns formally announced the hiring of Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator.

“We’re thrilled to bring Todd Haley in as our offensive coordinator,” said head coach Hue Jackson in a press release. “I’ve known Todd for a very long time and have respected and admired the job he’s done as a play-caller in this league. He’s a coordinator that has been successful in every place he’s been. He has been a guy that has adjusted his offense to successfully complement and taken advantage of the skillset of his personnel. I’ve witnessed firsthand how prolific his offenses have been in the AFC North over the last six seasons. As I reflected after the season and contemplated adding an offensive coordinator to the staff, my first thought was obviously improvement. If I was going to turn over the play calling duties to someone else, it had to be to someone that was experienced and had a long history of success in this league….When Todd became available, I jumped at the opportunity to meet with him. Once we sat down and talked, it became quickly evident that Todd would be a great fit.”

Of course, some will speculate that Jackson didn’t have much choice when it came to hiring an offensive coordinator. Jackson has been the team’s play caller for the last two years and the team has won just one game over that span. At the same time, Jackson previously intimated that he would have hired an OC for 2017, but he did not want to saddle a new hire with such a talent-poor offense.

Haley has spent the past 21 years coaching in the NFL, including the past six as the Steelers’ OC. Under Haley’s guidance, the Steelers had one of the best offenses in the NFL. Wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell flourished in Haley’s system and they were among the six offensive players from the Steelers to be selected to the Pro Bowl this past season. Meanwhile, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has earned four straight Pro Bowl nods and tied for the NFL lead in passing yards in 2014. The Browns are dying to those kinds of results from their next quarterback, whoever he may be.

In addition to Haley, the Browns announced that Amos Jones will be the team’s new special teams coordinator and Freddie Kitchens will serve as the running backs/associate head coach.

Ravens, Dolphins Talked Jarvis Landry Trade

January 24th, 2018 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens and Dolphins discussed a Jarvis Landry trade last offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. However, Miami’s asking price was “prohibitive” and the deal did not go down.

Landry is on the verge of free agency this year and it stands to reason that the Ravens could make a play for him. The Dolphins have interest in re-signing the wide receiver, but the two sides appear to be far apart on numbers. Recently, Landry characterized the talks as “disrespectful.” His agent, Damarius Bilbo, then made it clear that his client will not be taking a hometown discount to remain in Miami.

“How long has this franchise been around?,” Bilbo said. “It’s always going to be here. Take a discount? Absolutely not. This may be Jarvis’ first and last time to set himself up and his family up. He needs to strike and strike while the iron is hot. Plenty of guys that were drafted ahead of Jarvis have not performed to his level. Look at Jarvis’ performance level. If you want to compare him to the T.Y. Hiltons and the Doug Baldwins, those deals were done two or three years ago. It’s his time now. He’s next man up.”

It’s fair to wonder if Landry is actually in line for money that will top Baldwin ($11.5MM/year) and Hilton ($13MM/year). The 25-year-old is not much of a deep threat and there are other quality WRs about to hit the open market, including Sammy Watkins and Allen Robinson. However, Landry has averaged 100 catches for 1,010 yards over the past four seasons with 23 touchdowns over that span. There’s no denying that Landry moves the chains and the Ravens do like him as a player, so Zrebiec will not rule out the possibility of Baltimore making with that kind of cash.

It’s important to keep in mind that the early projections and demands for free agent wide receivers might not match up with what we actually see in March. Last year, there was talk of Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Stills, and Terrelle Pryor getting $12MM/season on multi-year deals. Here’s what actually happened: Jeffery wound up signing a one-year, $9.5MM contract (though he signed a lucrative extension in December), Stills got $8MM/year on a four-year pact, and Pryor signed a one year, $6MM deal. Landry could end up in the $13MM/year range, but don’t be surprised if he settles for seven figures instead.

Giants Hire James Bettcher As DC

January 24th, 2018 at 12:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have hired James Bettcher as their new defensive coordinator, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former Cardinals DC also had an offer on the table from the Titans, but he turned them down.

Bettcher was with the Cardinals since 2013 and spent the last three as DC. He was up for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy this offseason and even had the endorsement of Bruce Arians, but the gig ultimately went to Steve Wilks. Predictably, he had interest from multiple teams as a DC and he garnered two offers on the same day.

The Giants’ high-priced defense underperformed in 2017, finishing second to last in yards allowed and in the bottom third of DVOA. The Cardinals, meanwhile, allowed the sixth fewest yards in the league to opposing teams and had the fourth-best in DVOA in the NFL.

Bettcher’s arrival means that Steve Spagnuolo, the previous defensive coordinator and the Giants’ interim head coach for the final four games of the season, is out. At one point in time, it was thought that new head coach Pat Shurmur might keep Spags on board, but he’s opting to start fresh.

It’s not clear where the Titans and Mike Vrabel will go from here, but Packers cornerbacks coach Darren Perry has been mentioned as candidate for the DC vacancy.