2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

East Rumors: Cowboys, Bills, Fins, Giants

January 30th, 2018 at 9:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys are nearly finished revamping their coaching staff, as they’ve promoted Keith O’Quinn to special teams coordinator and promoted Ben Bloom as linebackers coach, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. O’Quinn, who was previously Dallas’ assistant ST coach, was widely expected to be promoted to the full-time role to replace Rich Bisaccia, who left to join Jon Gruden‘s Raiders. Bloom, meanwhile, joined the Cowboys’ staff in 2011 and had most recently been an assistant coach for special projects. He’s taking over for Matt Eberflus, who is expected to become the Colts’ new defensive coordinator under presumptive head coach Josh McDaniels. Dallas is still planning to fill more two roles, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, as the club wants to hire a new tight ends coach and an assistant special teams coach to work under O’Quinn.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

While the Bills‘ pass defense finished 12th in DVOA thanks to solid performances from rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White and veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, Buffalo has parted ways with defensive backs coach Gill Byrd, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). To replace Byrd, the Bills have hired former Texans secondary coach John Butler, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Butler had spent the past four seasons Houston after following Bill O’Brien from Penn State to the Texans.
The Dolphins have also found a new defensive backs coach, the club has hired Tony Oden to replace Lou Anarumo, per Marvez. Detroit parted ways with Oden last week as the team clears out its defensive staff prior to future head coach Matt Patricia‘s arrival. Oden had been with the Lions since 2014, but his tenure in the Motor City didn’t overlap with that of Miami defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who had left the club the year prior. Oden, who will now work with Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones, and T.J. McDonald, among others, has also coached with the Saints, Buccaneers, and Jaguars.
One of the least productive units in the NFL has a new position coach, as the Giants have hired Hal Hunter as their offensive line coach, reports Marvez. Hunter boasts a lengthy coaching history that dates back to 1984, but he only first entered the NFL in 2006. He coached the Chargers’ offensive line and subsequently became San Diego’s offensive coordinator, and also had stops in Indianapolis and Cleveland.

Redskins To Extend QB Alex Smith

January 30th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have agreed to a new four-year contract with newly-acquired quarterback Alex Smith that will keep him in the nation’s capital through the 2022 campaign, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The new deal will pay Smith $23.5MM annually and features $70MM in guarantees, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That guarantee figure likely doesn’t refer to full guarantees, as no player has topped the $61MM mark in full guarantees. However, Smith will still become the sixth-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual salary.

Smith had only one season remaining on his former contract: he would’ve earned a $14.5MM base salary next season, and because he was acquired via trade, Washington wouldn’t have been on the hook for any of his signing bonus proration. Whether Smith’s new deal alters his 2018 cap charge is unclear, but he’s likely to pocket some extra cash this year thanks to a fresh signing bonus.

The Redskins rank near the top of the league in available cap space with more than $52MM in reserves, so they’ll be able to afford to give their new quarterback a raise. While Smith is coming off arguably the best season of his career, he’s also 33 years old, so he may not have had the leverage to become the league’s highest-paid quarterback. Washington and Smith likely agreed to an extension prior to the trade that will significantly increase Smith’s salary, but keep him below the $25MM+ average that currently tops the quarterback market.

Washington was famously resistant to inking former starter Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal, and had assigned the Cousins the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons. As such, Cousins earned nearly $44MM from 2016-17, and would have taken home north of $34MM in 2018 had the Redskins opted to deploy the franchise tender again.

Chiefs To Trade QB Alex Smith To Redskins

January 30th, 2018 at 8:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a blockbuster move that will have wide-ranging implications around the NFL, the Chiefs have agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Redskins, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. When the deal becomes official on March 14 (the first day of the 2018 league year), Kansas City is expected to receive a third-round pick (No. 78) and a player who will be identified Wednesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

In 2017, the 33-year-old Smith led the NFL in passer rating (104.7) and finished third in adjusted net yards per attempt while setting career-highs in completion percentage (67.5), yards (4,042), and touchdowns (26). He also posted a career-low interception rate of 1%, and scored well in Football Outsiders’ metrics, which ranked Smith ninth in DYAR and 10th in DVOA.

Despite that production, the Chiefs were widely expected to trade Smith given the presence of Patrick Mahomes, whom Kansas City traded up to acquire in the 2017 draft. Mahomes’ only real action during his rookie campaign came during a meaningless regular season finale, but the Chiefs shipped two first-round picks plus a third-rounder to Buffalo for the right to select Mahomes at pick No. 10, and they’ll capitalize on that investment.

Smith is only under contract through the 2018 campaign, and it remains to be seen if Washington has interest in working out an extension. Kansas City was projected to be roughly $10MM over the cap next season, so clearing Smith’s $14.5MM base salary, $2MM roster bonus, and $500K workout bonus will help out the club’s books., while the Redskins boast more than $52MM in cap space, meaning they can easily fit Smith onto their ledger.

Washington’s decision to not only take on Smith’s salary, but install him as the team’s starting quarterback, means Kirk Cousins will (at long last) officially hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Although the Redskins could have explored a variety of options regarding Cousins, including the franchise/transition tag or a long-term deal, the club never seemed willing to commit to a lengthy contract for its starting quarterback.

A third consecutive franchise tender would have netted Cousins more than $34MM in 2018 alone, but he’ll now be free to possibly double that figure in guaranteed money on his next contract. The Jets were the most recent team to be linked to a Cousins pursuit, while club such as the Bronco, Browns, and Cardinals could also make sense as potential landing spots.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, are now facing something of a restart on offense a year after ranking fourth in DVOA, fifth in yards, and sixth in points. In addition to Mahomes now being under center, Kansas City will be without offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who is now the Bears’ head coach. Former running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has since been promoted to OC, while head coach Andy Reid will personally direct Mahomes as the club’s play-caller.

[RELATED: Chiefs Depth Chart]

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/30/18

January 30th, 2018 at 8:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Pittsburgh Steelers

WR Tevin Jones
RB James Summers

Coaching Notes: Lions, Vikings, Colts, Titans

January 30th, 2018 at 7:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Dean Pees “retired” as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator earlier this year before joining the Titans in the same role on Monday, but Tennessee wasn’t the only club that expressed interest in the veteran coach over the past several weeks. The Lions, who are expected to formally hire Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia following the Super Bowl, also discussed a job offer with Pees, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Pees and Patricia have a working relationship, as they coached together in New England from 2004-09, so the connection makes sense. Detroit, which is expected to revamps its entire defensive staff once Patricia officially comes on board, is reportedly interested in hiring Boston College defensive line Paul Pasqualoni as its new defensive coordinator.

The Vikings are unlikely to announce their new offensive coordinator until after the Super Bowl, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski, Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell, and Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan are the known candidates to have interviewed to replace Pat Shurmur, who recently became the Giants’ head coach. Ben McAdoo has also been linked to Minnesota’s search but hasn’t been interviewed, while the Vikings also reportedly had interest in Mike McCoy before he signed on with the Cardinals.
Although the Colts don’t officially have a head coach, they do have a new offensive line coach, as the club has agreed to terms with Dave DeGuglielmo to lead their front five, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. DeGuglielmo coached the Patriots’ offensive line (with mixed results) from 2014-15, so he has a familiarity with presumptive Indy head coach Josh McDaniels. Last season, DeGuglielmo was hired as a Dolphins assistant after OL coach Chris Foerster was fired after an inappropriate video was published. DeGuglielmo also has experience with the Jets, Giants, and Chargers.
In addition to poaching offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, the Titans have also hired assistant special teams coach Tyrone McKenzie away from the Rams, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). McKenzie, 32, will coach inside linebackers for Tennessee. Like new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, McKenzie is a former Patriots linebacker, although the two never overlapped in New England, as Vrabel was traded prior to 2009, the season McKenzie joined the club. McKenzie, also a former Buccaneer and Viking, has only one season of coaching experience.

Browns Work Out CB Leodis McKelvin

January 30th, 2018 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns worked out veteran cornerback Leodis McKelvin on Tuesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Because McKelvin wasn’t on a roster at the conclusion of the 2017 season, he’s eligible to sign with a club immediately. McKelvin, 32, spent last year out of the NFL after being cut by the Eagles in February, but he did attract interest throughout the campaign, as he met with the Saints, Rams, and Falcons at various points during the season.

McKelvin wasn’t exactly a superstar the last time he was on the field, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 71 cornerback among 112 qualifiers. In his first (and only) season with the Eagles, McKelvin appeared in 13 games (12 starts), managing 16 passes defensed and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Although McKelvin may no longer be the difference-maker he once was, the Browns have had success with seemingly aging defensive backs in the very recent past, as 30-year-old Jason McCourty posted one of the best seasons of his career with Cleveland in 2017.

Rams Won’t Hire OC To Replace Matt LaFleur

January 30th, 2018 at 5:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to the Titans earlier today, the Rams don’t intend to hire another OC, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Instead, Los Angeles announced that it has named offensive line coach Aaron Kromer the club’s new run game coordinator, while tight ends coach Shane Waldron will become the Rams’ pass game coordinator.

While the Rams’ offensive staff has undergone an overhaul this offseason, head coach Sean McVay is still in place to call plays for a unit that ranked sixth in offensive DVOA a year ago. But there have been changes: former quarterbacks coach Greg Olson became the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, so Los Angeles promoted assistant wide receivers coach Zac Taylor to fill the void. The Rams also added former UCLA play-caller Jedd Fisch as a senior offensive assistant.

Although Kromer and Waldron won’t be calling plays for the Rams, they will presumably help assemble the club’s weekly gameplan. Kromer has coordinated an offense before — the Bears from 2013-14 — but has spent the majority of his career as an offensive line coach, while Waldron previously served as an offensive assistant with the Redskins, where he worked under McVay.

49ers Block Titans From DeMeco Ryans Interview

January 30th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Early in his coaching career, DeMeco Ryans resides as a 49ers defensive quality control coach. But the team thinks highly of the former linebacker and did not want another franchise poaching him from the staff just yet.

The 49ers blocked the Titans from speaking with Ryans in an interview setting, Jason Wolf of The Tennesseean reports (on Twitter). Ryans and Mike Vrabel‘s time with the Texans did not overlap, with the linebacker having moved on to the Eagles by the time Vrabel got to Houston, but the new Titans coach wanted to meet with him nonetheless.

The 33-year-old assistant played in the NFL from 2006-15 and caught on with Robert Saleh‘s defensive staff. Despite Ryans being set for a low-level assistant job, Saleh gave a glowing assessment of the newcomer last year, helping to explain why San Francisco blocked his possible defection to Tennessee.

“DeMeco is probably going to be a head coach one day,” Saleh said in April 2017, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “So, I’ll be asking him for a job I’m sure not long from now. He’s got that type of football I.Q. — that type of presence — and is as knowledgeable as it gets.”

Branch notes one of Ryans’ main responsibilities this season was working with first-rounder Reuben Foster, who made a strong impression as a rookie when healthy. It’s clear he’ll have a chance to learn more from Ryans in 2018.

Jaguars Planning To Keep Blake Bortles?

January 30th, 2018 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

A report emerged on Monday night indicating Blake Bortles underwent surgery on his right wrist, an operation that could cloud his physical once it comes time for his fifth-year option to vest.

However, the Jaguars may not have notions of releasing a healthy Bortles under consideration. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) the Jags’ plan is to keep Bortles for 2018 and give him a fifth year as their starter.

This would take Jacksonville out of the mix of quarterback suitors this offseason and may help explain why this surgery, which was known to be required last offseason, was tabled until recently. The 2018 option decision being a non-factor would allow a Bortles recovery to unfold on a normal pace as he gears up to help his now-championship-contending team come September.

The Jags were mentioned throughout this season as one of the key quarterback destinations, given their loaded defense and Bortles’ issues over his four-year run. While he put together two strong games against the AFC’s top two seeds in the playoffs, the 25-year-old passer has been wildly inconsistent over the course of his time in north Florida.

Reports last season involved Jaguars HC candidates not having to commit to him as a starter for 2017. Unreliability led to Bortles’ brief benching during the preseason and prompted many to speculate the Jags would try to pair a more reliable quarterback with their dominant defense.

The former No. 3 overall pick would enter a contract year if retained this season. Should the Jaguars reverse course, and Bortles be healthy enough to pass a physical en route to a release, the quarterback would be an interesting name on the market.

Of course, Bortles’ salary skyrocketing from $6.57MM to $19MM will limit Jacksonville’s options in free agency. The team’s been active on the market for years, and some recent decisions helped the team to its first AFC South title and first conference title game berth since 1999. While Bortles was viewed as more of a game manager during the regular season, throwing for 3,687 yards and sporting a 21-to-13 TD-to-INT ratio, his performance during the second half of the campaign and in the playoffs may have convinced Jags management he can get the team to the next level.

Jets Gearing Up For Kirk Cousins Pursuit?

January 30th, 2018 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few cost-cutting moves could put the Jets at close to $100MM in cap space, and they are considering a run at a player who if available would represent the centerpiece of this year’s free agent market.

The Redskins still have to make a Kirk Cousins decision, but the Jets making a run at the coveted quarterback is “on the table,” multiple sources informed Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv.

While Vacchiano reports the Jets will be mindful of Cousins’ surely lofty price tag, assuming he’s available, the team is expected to be in the mix for the 29-year-old passer.

The Redskins are still considering a third franchise tag (which would come out to $34.47MM) for Cousins, and a tag-and-trade scenario is a theoretical option. Nevertheless, the Cousins drama figures to produce an explosive third act this offseason. And the Jets will have the funds to be a key player.

An expected cut of Muhammad Wilkerson will net the Jets $11MM in cap space, and moving on from players like Buster Skrine ($6MM in savings), Ben Ijalana ($5MM-plus) and Matt Forte ($3MM) could be in the cards as well. As it stands now, the Jets are projected to possess $72MM in cap room. Among teams that figure to be a part of a Cousins chase — like the Broncos, Bills or Cardinals — the Jets could outmuscle competitors if it becomes a bidding war, and Vacchiano writes the Jets should do that given their struggles at quarterback. The Browns hold more than $100MM in cap space and also profile as a suitor but aren’t an otherwise attractive destination.

The Jets have been linked to Josh Allen as well and hold the No. 6 pick but reside behind other quarterback-seeking teams. So, they will be a team to watch on both passer-procurement fronts this offseason.