2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Rumors: Colts, Nagy, Packers

January 10th, 2018 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest coaching rumors from around the NFL:

The Colts never offered their head coaching job to Matt Nagy, Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. This week, the former Chiefs OC accepted the Bears’ HC position. There were some rumblings that he also had an offer on the table from Indy, but that is apparently not the case.
The Packers hired Frank Cignetti as their new quarterbacks coach, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentintel (on Twitter). The well-traveled Cignetti spent the last two years as the Giants’ QBs coach. Before that, he served as the Rams’ QBs coach for two years and as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for one year.
Cardinals offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Harold Goodwin has interviewed recently with the Bengals and Raiders for their OL coach positions, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. It seems unlikely that Goodwin will return to Arizona in his current role following the retirement of head coach Bruce Arians.
To keep up with the latest on every head coaching search, consult PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker. For the latest on offensive and defensive coordinators, check out PFR’s Coordinator Tracker.

Seahawks Fire Tom Cable

January 10th, 2018 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The house cleaning continues in Seattle. The Seahawks have canned offensive line coach Tom Cable, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter).

Cable follows offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell out the door. The Seahawks struggled mightily in terms of offensive protection and the running game this year – the two areas that Cable was in charge of – so his dismissal does not come as a huge surprise.

The Seahawks’ O-Line has been a glaring weakness for years now, and costly moves such as this year’s acquisition of Duane Brown have done little to help matters. The Seahawks are moving in a totally different direction in an effort to better shield Russell Wilson and give their running game a jump start.

The Seahawks may also be parting ways with defensive coordinator Kris Richard.

Alabama WR Calvin Ridley Enters NFL Draft

January 10th, 2018 at 3:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Calvin Ridley is going pro. The Alabama wide receiver announced on social media that he is entering the NFL Draft.

It is expected that Ridley will be the first wide receiver off the board in this year’s draft, though SMU’s Courtland Sutton and Oklahoma State’s James Washington could give him a run for his money. The Bears, who pick at No. 8 overall, are in need of a receiver and could have interest.

Ridley’s numbers have declined since his breakout freshman campaign, but that can be largely attributed to Alabama’s focus on the running game. This past season, Ridley had 63 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns, but his 15.3 yards per reception average was a collegiate career best.

Riding the momentum of a National Championship, Ridley could become the latest Alabama receiving threat to go high in the draft, following the footsteps of Julio Jones and O.J. Howard.

Saints Place Andrus Peat On IR

January 10th, 2018 at 2:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have placed left guard Andrus Peat on injured reserve. Peat will not be able to play in Sunday’s divisional round game against the Vikings or in the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl, should the Saints make it.

Peat suffered a broken fibula against the Panthers last weekend and had to be carted off of the field. Losing the third-year pro stings for New Orleans, particularly after losing Zach Strief early in the season. Senio Kelemete, who subbed in for Peat’s against Carolina, is expected to get the start.

Peat’s played both guard and tackle with the Saints since being taken No. 13 overall in 2015. Over the last two years, he has missed just two regular season games.

Matt Patricia Prefers Giants To Lions

January 10th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are bracing for Matt Patricia to leave, but it might not be for the Lions’ head coaching job. The defensive guru is also up for the Giants’ job and he prefers the G-Men to the Lions, Peter King of The MMQB hears.

If Patricia is offered the Giants’ head coaching position and accepts, it will have a domino effect reaching Detroit and beyond. If Patricia goes to the Giants, the Lions may pivot to Houston defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, King hears. If that happens, Vrabel would be out of the running for the Colts’ HC job.

The Giants were abysmal in 2017, but they have lots of talent to work with on defense including cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. If Patricia can get underperforming youngsters like Eli Apple on the right track, the Giants could return to having one of the better defensive units in the NFL. The Giants also have the No. 2 overall pick at their disposal, so Patricia’s preference towards New York is understandable.

Jets CB Rashard Robinson Facing Charges

January 10th, 2018 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets cornerback Rashard Robinson was charged with drug possession following a December arrest, as Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Robinson no-showed his court date on Monday, Darryl Slater of NJ.com hears, and he is now scheduled to appear in front of a judge on Jan 29. If he does not show up at the end of the month, an arrest warrant will be issued.

The Jets acquired Robinson in a pre-deadline trade this year, giving up a 2018 fifth-round choice in exchange for the former fourth-round pick. Robinson appeared in six games but recorded just two tackles.

Police say that they found a marijuana-laced candy in Robinson’s possession after pulling him over for careless driving. Apparently, this is not the cornerback’s first off-the-field incident. Mehta hears that the 22-year-old (23 in July) had an “embarrassing and troubling incident” on a Niners team flight in 2017. He also had words with SF coaches, an outburst that prompted the team to ship him east.

Mike Maccagnan‘s Jets have rolled the dice on players with iffy track records in the past, but they might not have patience with Robinson given his lack of on-field performance.

Titans’ DeMarco Murray Ruled Out

January 10th, 2018 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans will be without the services of DeMarco Murray when they face the Patriots on Saturday. The running back was unable to practice on Wednesday and has been ruled out for the divisional round showdown, the team announced.

Without Murray, the Titans will once again center their running game around Derrick Henry. The 23-year-old gained 191 yards from scrimmage against the Chiefs, including 156 yards rushing and a touchdown off of 23 carries.

“That was his big coming out party,” Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan said last week. “If he runs like that, we’re going to be all right.”

If Henry does not offer up a repeat performance, it could be a rough afternoon for Tennessee. The Patriots are currently favored by 13.5 points.

Browns Part Ways With Ryan Grigson

January 10th, 2018 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have parted ways with executive Ryan Grigson, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, andVP/player personnel Andrew Berry will continue in their present roles with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi (on Twitter).

New GM John Dorsey has set out to shake things up in the Browns’ front office. Soon after taking the job, Dorsey plucked Alonzo Highsmith (now the team’s Vice President of Football Operations) and Eliot Wolf (newly appointed assistant GM) from the Packers. The former Colts GM, however, will not be a part of the revamped group.

It’s somewhat surprising to hear that DePodesta and Berry will keep their jobs, particularly after Dorsey ripped former head honcho Sashi Brown and “the guys” who were a part of “that system.” Dorsey has used analytics in the past, but he a traditional football man at heart, so DePodesta may not have much impact in what goes down this offseason.

Latest On Jets, OC John Morton

January 10th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Offensive coordinator John Morton is not a lock to return to the Jets in 2018, as Manish Mehta of the Daily News details. The Jets will not stand in the way if Morton is offered an opportunity to join up with the Raiders. Meanwhile, some within the organization would like to see quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates elevated to OC.

Morton is well-regarded in New Jersey, but the results have been underwhelming. This past season, the Jets finished 28th in total yards, 29th in first downs, 24th in passing yards, and 19th in rushing yards. Granted, he wasn’t exactly working with the most talented personnel out there.

If the Jets do nudge Morton out the door, it’s not a given that Bates will want to ascend to OC. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, Bates indicated that he is not interested in taking the job. Given Todd Bowles‘ desire for consistency, the team’s best bet may be to stick with Morton if Bates is unwilling to move up the ranks.

“It’s always good to have consistency and continuity, but in the NFL things change all the time,” Bowles said recently. “You have to be ready. If we keep the same scheme, that’s great. If we have to change for whatever reason, we’ll go from there.”

Chargers Retain OC Ken Whisenhunt

January 10th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers will keep offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt for the 2018 season, a team source tells Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The Bolts made it a priority to keep him after the offense led the league in passing yards and Melvin Gordon broke out for 1,105 rushing yards.

Los Angeles has managed to maintain continuity on the staff, despite Whisenhunt’s improved stock and widespread outside interest in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. On Tuesday, L.A. inked a three-year deal with Bradley, keeping him from the Packers and other teams with DC vacancies.

Whisenhunt is in the midst of his second stint as the Chargers’ OC. His first run came in 2013, under then-head coach Mike McCoy. Whisenhunt left to become the Titans’ head coach for one-and-a-half seasons before returning in 2016. Although McCoy was ousted after the ’16 season, head coach Anthony Lynn kept him on staff.