2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers Agree With Grimble, Canaday On Extensions

January 15th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by GregGoldstein

A day after the Steelers were shockingly bounced from the playoffs, the team has already begun shaping their 2018 roster. The team announced this afternoon that they have signed backup tight end Xavier Grimble and long snapper Kameron Canady to one-year contract extensions.

Grimble, 25, played in his second season in the NFL this past year. The tight end had a minimal role on the offense, catching just five passes for 32 yards and a touchdown this past year. He’s firmly behind fellow tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald on the Steelers’ depth chart entering the offseason.

Canaday, 24, signed with Pittsburgh last February, but was released in May after the team drafted another long snapper this past April. However, the Canaday was ultimately brought back for training camp and went onto win the job in the preseason, going on to play in all of the Steelers games in 2017.

Fallout From Titans’ Mike Mularkey Firing

January 15th, 2018 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Mularkey‘s season-ending press conference played a role in his firing. The Titans had announced their two-year head coach would be back in 2018 and given him a contract extension, but reversed course and fired him on Monday morning.

Jon Robinson said that decision was made Monday morning and added Mularkey’s comments Sunday played a role in this ouster (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of Titans.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Mularkey did not appear ready to make changes to his offensive staff, and it’s clear Robinson felt they were probably necessary.

Tennessee’s GM made clear Marcus Mariota‘s development will be the “highest priority,” per longtime NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky (Twitter link). Mariota regressed from 2016-17 despite steering the Titans to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons and giving the franchise its first postseason win since the 2003 campaign. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick threw for a career-low 13 touchdown passes — after firing 26 in 2016 — and a career-high 15 interceptions. DeMarco Murray‘s yards-per-carry figure also plummeted by nearly a yard for a Titans offense that ranked 18th in DVOA.

While Robinson made it clear all of Mularkey’s assistants were under contract (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com) it’s likely some (if not most) will be searching for new jobs soon. Kuharsky tweets Robinson and team president Steve Underwood informed Mularkey of his firing, not controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.

Mularkey’s stubbornness regarding tailoring his scheme to Mariota’s talents helped do him in as Titans HC, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com writes. Mularkey wanted to bring back his offensive staff, Wolfe reports.

The Titans are planning to interview Mike Vrabel and Steve Wilks, and hiring a defensive coach would represent a first since Jeff Fisher. A Josh McDaniels pursuit may have broken down in part because of timing, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.

Steve Wilks To Interview For Titans’ HC Job

January 15th, 2018 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Steve Wilks is now connected to a fourth head-coaching search. The Panthers’ defensive coordinator will interview for the Titans’ HC job, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.

The Carolina DC interviewed for the Giants and Cardinals’ jobs, and remains a candidate in Arizona, and will join Mike Vrabel among the known candidates for the Tennessee vacancy.

Wilks was scheduled to interview for the Colts’ position, but the summit was nixed. Indianapolis brass soon zeroed in on Josh McDaniels, who is now expected to land the job. Wilks was not named a finalist for the Giants’ job despite a connection with Dave Gettleman. The Cardinals, who look to have lost out on key candidate Pat Shurmur, may have to reorganize their list. Arizona interviewee Matt Patricia is also expected to be named Lions head coach.

The Titans’ list thus far includes two defensive coaches. The franchise has hired offensive-minded leaders the past three times a vacancy’s emerged but employed defensive-based boss Jeff Fisher for 16 seasons.

Colts Expected To Hire Matt Eberflus As DC

January 15th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

After seven seasons as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach, Matt Eberflus is set to receive his first coordinator opportunity.

Once Josh McDaniels officially takes the Colts’ reins, he’s expected to bring Eberflus with him as his defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Eberflus is a coaching free agent, so the Cowboys won’t be able to block this hire.

Eberflus also spent two seasons coaching the Browns’ linebackers. He’ll ascend to a DC position under McDaniels. SI.com’s Albert Breer reported this likely chain of events last week.

While the coaches have not worked together on an NFL staff, they are both Ohio natives, with Eberflus hailing from Toledo and McDaniels (son of a high school coach) growing up around the Cleveland area. Working under Rod Marinelli in recent years, Eberflus has coached Sean Lee for most of his career.

He’ll have a chance to oversee the development of a young Colts linebacking contingent. The Cowboys have run a 4-3 scheme under Marinelli, while the Colts have used a 3-4 look for the past several seasons. It will be interesting to see if they convert back to a 4-3 look under Eberflus.

Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk writes Eberflus, who took on the responsibility of passing-game coordinator in 2016, looked to be in line to succeed Marinelli in running Dallas’ defense. The Cowboys have lost several assistants this offseason.

Josh McDaniels Expected To Choose Colts

January 15th, 2018 at 2:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a report emerged on Sunday indicating the Colts were moving forward with Josh McDaniels as their head coach, the Titans’ firing muddied those plans. But it looks like that will be a momentary blip.

McDaniels is expected to choose the Colts and become their head coach, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (Twitter link). This will come after the Titans — and former McDaniels Patriots colleague Jon Robinson — were expressing interest.

No offer has been made, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes (on Twitter), but he adds the Colts don’t appear to be nervous about the Titans’ late entrance into this race. The Colts cannot formally offer McDaniels this job until the Patriots’ season concludes.

However, the Colts and McDaniels have been connected to going forward together since late last week when he and Texans first-year DC Mike Vrabel became the finalists for this position. McDaniels has 10 years of OC experience (nine with the Patriots and one with the Rams) and was the Broncos’ head coach for most of the 2009-10 seasons. Although that partnership did not work out, McDaniels has continued to churn out top-tier offenses in New England.

While the 41-year-old OC has enjoyed the benefit of having one of the greatest quarterbacks off all time around which to center his offense, Tom Brady has also done his best work under McDaniels. Prior to McDaniels taking over as Patriots OC in 2006, Brady had one 4,000-yard passing season and had never thrown more than 28 TD passes in a campaign. While Brady thrived under Bill O’Brien while McDaniels was in Denver and St. Louis, he’s maintained top-level play at an age when most quarterbacks have retired slowed down.

McDaniels interviewed with the Colts, Bears and Giants — and as of Monday morning was still in contention for the Giants’ job. But Chicago went with former Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, and the Giants are expected to offer their HC job to Pat Shurmur. The Titans entered the race late but were not believed to be a serious Colts threat. Chris Ballard and his likely HC hire share an agent in Bob LaMonte, and have a “strong relationship” — per Rapoport (on Twitter).

McDaniels will be the person tasked with restoring Andrew Luck as one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks.

Giants Expected To Offer Pat Shurmur HC Job

January 15th, 2018 at 1:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after Pat Shurmur‘s Vikings offense orchestrated one of the most improbable plays in NFL history, he’s in line to become the next Giants head coach.

CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) report the Giants are expected to offer Shurmur their HC position. He plans to accept once offered, Rapoport reports. La Canfora also reports this hire is expected to happen.

The 52-year-old Shurmur has been in contention for the Cardinals’ top coaching job, with SNY.tv’s Ralph Vacchiano reporting he was viewed as the favorite for that position. Should Shurmur be on his way to New York once the Vikings’ season concludes, the Cardinals will have to move on to their second choice.

Shurmur and Josh McDaniels were the finalists for Big Blue’s HC gig as of Monday morning, but with McDaniels remaining pointed toward the Colts, Shurmur rose to the forefront.

This would be Shurmur’s second head-coaching role. He coached the Browns from 2011-12, and although he won just nine games in Cleveland, the infrastructure he’d be walking into with the Giants would be better than the one he encountered with the Browns.

The Vikings have rocketed to the NFC championship game after missing the playoffs last season, landing in the NFL’s final four for the first time since the 2009 season. And unlike the Eagles, who have only had to rely on a backup quarterback since December, the Vikings have needed Case Keenum to come through for most of the season. The Vikings’ defense has powered this Super Bowl opportunity, but Keenum has taken a major step forward under Shurmur. Minnesota’s offense finished the regular season as the No. 5 DVOA attack.

The Giants had Shurmur, McDaniels and Matt Patricia in their final three. But the Patriots coordinators are set to land in Indianapolis and Detroit, respectively, in all likelihood.

CB Notes: Revis, Lane, Packers

January 15th, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Darrelle Revis does not want to retire despite turning in another disappointing season, albeit an abbreviated one. The 32-year-old cornerback played in six Chiefs games, counting Kansas City’s first-round defeat, and is signed through 2018. However, the Chiefs are fairly certain to move on from him — at least, at his current rate. Revis is due $10MM at the start of the 2018 league year.

“The material I put on [film] from the little time I had, not going through training camp and being here for the installs, I was OK,” Revis said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I wasn’t great or my best ever. No way. But at the same time, for what I came in here and was asked to do, for the most part I’m happy with it.”

Revis, whose play Chiefs DC Bob Sutton called “pretty remarkable” considering he joined the team in late November, said he wants to be with a team throughout the offseason in 2018. He will turn 33 before training camps begin. He did not rule out a return to the Chiefs.

“You never know with these things,” Revis said. “This is my fourth team. Rosters always change. Even if we went the distance and won the Super Bowl, that team changes as well. I understand the situation.

“… I just feel like if I had been here during those [offseason practices] and training camp practices I would have had more reps and been more comfortable. I still think I can contribute. I think a lot of people kind of criticized me because of how I played in the past but for the most part the role I played here was simply to contribute. The role coach gave me was to play nickel and that’s what I came to do.”

Here’s the latest from various cornerback situations around the league.

Seahawks corner Jeremy Lane ran into trouble early Monday morning when he was arrested for a DUI, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports. This arrest occurred on or near Mercer Island (near Seattle), per Henderson, who adds the cornerback was booked into jail at 5:30am PT. He was released on his own recognizance approximately four hours later. Henderson notes the Seahawks were already expected to move on from Lane after this season, one that saw him nearly traded to the Texans before a failed physical sent him back to Seattle. The 27-year-old defender is set to make $6MM in base salary in each of the next two seasons. It would cost the Seahawks $2.5MM in dead money to release Lane while providing nearly $5MM in cap savings.
Damarious Randall‘s offseason began with a hand surgery to correct a problem the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Michael Cohen reports (on Twitter) the Packers cornerback played through all season. Cohen called it a minor procedure, while ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that operation will sideline Randall for up to two months.
The twice-franchise-tagged Trumaine Johnson isn’t a lock to leave Los Angeles.

Titans Request Mike Vrabel Interview

January 15th, 2018 at 12:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after announcing they now have a coaching vacancy, the Titans have submitted a request to interview Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Vrabel is scheduled to speak with team on Wednesday, January 17, Breer adds in another tweet.

Vrabel, whom John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter) will interview for the job, remains a finalist for the Colts’ HC post. However, Josh McDaniels is currently the frontrunner for that job despite Vrabel having made it into the final two.

Titans GM Jon Robinson and Vrabel’s Patriots tenures overlapped. The former linebacker played in New England for seven seasons during Robinson’s run as a Patriots scout or scouting director. The Titans could interview Vrabel on Jan. 28.

The 42-year-old Vrabel has only been a coordinator for one season but booked HC interviews with the Lions and Colts this year, and McClain notes (via Twitter) he’s likely to be a head coach soon.

Colts Still Favorites For Josh McDaniels?

January 15th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans shook up the coaching race on Monday morning by backtracking on their Mike Mularkey decision, and this could throw a wrench into the Colts’ plans for Josh McDaniels.

But it’s looking like the Colts are still the frontrunners to land the Patriots’ OC. The Titans indeed are interested in McDaniels, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, but have “little to no shot” of landing him. Describing the Colts as “heavy favorites,” La Canfora adds (Twitter link) McDaniels and Matt Patricia‘s respective paths to Indianapolis and Detroit are still believed to be on track.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com describes the Colts and McDaniels as having “strong mutual interest.” McDaniels and Chris Ballard share an agent. An NFL rule would allow the Titans to speak with assistant coaches whose teams are still alive in the postseason on Jan. 28, provided they previously interviewed for another team’s HC job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter).

Georgia LB Roquan Smith To Enter Draft

January 15th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Sam Robinson

One of college football’s top players this season, Roquan Smith will try his hand in the NFL. The Georgia linebacker announced Monday he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2018 draft.

Projected as a first-round pick, Smith increased his value with standout performances in the Bulldogs’ two College Football Playoff games. The Butkus Award recipient finished with 24 tackles (3.5 for loss) and a sack in Georgia’s games against Oklahoma and Alabama.

Smith broke out in his third season, registering 137 stops (14 behind the line of scrimmage) and 6.5 sacks as a junior overall.

The All-American also earned SEC defensive player of the year acclaim. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report slots Smith as the No. 9 pick in his latest mock draft, representing the first linebacker off the board.