2018 January - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals, Marvin Lewis Agree To Extension

January 2nd, 2018 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Marvin Lewis isn’t going anywhere after all. On Tuesday, the Bengals announced that they have agreed to a two-year extension that will take him through the 2019 season.

“Marvin Lewis has been an important member of the Cincinnati community and the Bengals family for the past 15 years, and we are happy to have reached this agreement,” said Bengals President Mike Brown. “Marvin has made significant contributions during his time here. While recently we have fallen short of our expectations, we have full confidence in Marvin to re-establish winning football in 2018.”

For a while, it appeared that Lewis and the Bengals were on a direct path to divorce. In December, it was reported that Lewis would leave Cincinnati to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Meanwhile, he admitted that he would be intrigued by an opportunity to be a GM. Apparently, that’s all ancient history.

“My family and I are very grateful for the opportunity to stay in Cincinnati and continue my career with the Bengals,” said Lewis. “My job is to win a World Championship. We have a talented roster full of veteran leaders and emerging young stars, and I am committed to making the necessary improvements to put this team in the best position to win.”

Had Lewis left, it was said that Browns head coach Hue Jackson and Redskins head coach Jay Gruden would have been leading candidates to replace him. Both men served as offensive coordinators in Cincinnati, which underscores the importance the team places on organizational familiarity. Although things were rocky between Lewis and the Bengals this year, the team has opted to bring him back for (at least) a 16th season.

The Bengals finished out 7-9 this year, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. However, under Lewis’ leadership, the Bengals have made the playoffs seven times, including five consecutive appearances from 2011-2015. Of course, Lewis has never gotten the Bengals past the Wild Card round.

Cardinals QB Carson Palmer Retires

January 2nd, 2018 at 4:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Carson Palmer is calling it a career. One day after Cardinals coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement, Palmer has done the same.

“Over the years, I’ve had teammates who decided to hang it up and I would ask them how they knew when it was time to walk away,” Palmer wrote on social media. “The answer was almost always the same: You just know. For me that time is now. Why? Quite simply, I just know.”

Palmer, who turned 38 at the end of December, had one more year to go on his contract but instead decided to hang ’em up. After 14 years in the NFL, multiple serious knee injuries, and tons of grueling battles, few can blame Palmer for walking away. The 2017 campaign wasn’t the sendoff he was hoping for – a broken arm ended his season in October – but he leaves the game with plenty of accomplishments and roughly $175MM in career earnings.

Palmer is third in franchise history with 38 wins as the Cardinals’ starting QB, an impressive feat considering all of the time he missed in 2014 and 2016. He also ranks high in major statistical categories for QBs including passing yards (11th), touchdown passes (11th), and completions (10th).

The retirement of Palmer leaves the Cardinals without QBs under contract for next season with Blaine Gabbert, Drew Stanton, and Matt Barkley all scheduled for free agency. Arians indicated that Gabbert could be the team’s successor to Palmer, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him re-signed before he hits the open market in March. Then again, the team’s next head coach could alter the team’s plans. There will be a handful of interesting signal callers in free agency and the Cards also have the No. 15 overall pick at their disposal.

The retirement of Arians and Palmer may lead Larry Fitzgerald to a similar choice. The wide receiver is said to be leaning towards ending his playing career even after a strong 2017 campaign. Despite being the league’s oldest wide receiver, Fitzgerald hauled in a career-high 109 passes with 1,156 receiving yards and six scores.

Seahawks’ Chancellor, Avril May Retire

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks veterans Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril might not be able to take the field in 2018. Their respective health issues could force both of them to retire, head coach Pete Carroll says, though Carroll indicated that the choice will be up to each player.

“Cliff and Kam are going to have a hard time playing football again,” Carroll said (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).

Chancellor, a Pro Bowl safety, missed nearly half of the season’s games with a neck injury. Avril, a defensive end, appeared in only four contests thanks to a serious back issue.

Chancellor has been a fixture of the Seahawks’ defense, but it may be time for him to depart from the Legion of Boom. If this is the end, Chancellor can reflect on a tremendous career which includes four Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring following the 2013 season. Avril earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2016 and was also a part of the ’13 championship.

Chancellor is set to earn a guaranteed $6.8MM if he remains on the roster by February 10, so the Seahawks will be keeping a watchful eye on his condition. There’s next to no chance of Avril returning on his current deal, however. The Seahawks can save $7.5MM if he retires or if he is released. If he deems himself fit to play, Avril could theoretically return on a cheaper contract.

Chiefs’ Tamba Hali Leaning Towards Retirement

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

This could be the end of the line for Tamba Hali. The Chiefs outside linebacker hasn’t made a formal decision, but he sounds like he’s inclined to retire this offseason.

“I don’t want to speak on it, and then I don’t want to run away from the question,” Hali said (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star). “I don’t want to say I’m not gonna play, because the way I feel two weeks out of football, I’ll probably be ready to play. But I would say I’m leaning more towards (being with) my family.”

Hali has spent his entire 12-year career with the Chiefs, but there’s no guarantee that he would be back with the team next year even if he wanted to continue playing. He’s slated to carry a hefty $9.7MM cap hit next year – an exorbitant amount of money for a player who missed most of the year due to injury. By releasing Hali, the Chiefs can (and will) save $8MM of that total.

If Hali were to play elsewhere, he says he would first have to secure the blessing of his family. Although he would like to reach 100 career sacks (he currently has 89.5), he might not want to start anew in order to make it happen. Instead, he may move on to the next phase of his life, which includes the making of Dance/African/ Caribbean music.

Before Hali thinks about his next great beat, however, he has bigger fish to fry. The Chiefs face the Titans on Saturday for the right to advance to the divisional round.

Browns Hire Alonzo Highsmith

January 2nd, 2018 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns’ staff under new GM John Dorsey is starting to take shape. The Browns have hired executive Alonzo Highsmith away from the Packers, as Ryan Wood of the Press-Gazette tweets. Highsmith’s title will be Vice President of Football Operations, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Highsmith has served as the Packers’ senior personnel executive since 2012 and, this past season not withstanding, their strong drafts have propelled them to tremendous success. Highsmith has garnered attention from other teams in the past and been made to stay, but it appears that he has either secured permission to go elsewhere or his contract has expired.

“We discussed so many ideas and all kinds of stuff,” Highsmith said to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky in a phone interview. “I was exposed to so much stuff today. That’s why I thought it was as great opportunity. It feels good to go somewhere that you feel like you’re trusted.”

Dorsey is expected to shift the Browns’ front office from a focus on analytics to a concentration on old-fashioned scouting and the hiring of Highsmith is a major push in that direction. With a new lieutenant in town, the team could be one step closer to moving on from former baseball GM Paul DePodesta. Recently, Dorsey ripped into predecessor Sashi Brown as well as the people working underneath him.

Lions To Interview Packers’ Winston Moss

January 2nd, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have secured permission to interview Packers assistant head coach/linebackers coach Winston Moss, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Moss’ interview will come after Teryl Austin‘s meeting with the team on Tuesday.

If he lands the job, Moss’ departure will leave another significant hole on the Packers’ coaching staff. This week, the Packers canned defensive coordinator Dom Capers as well as two other defensive assistants.

Moss has been a staple of the Packers’ coaching staff since he was brought aboard in 2006. Prior to that, he spent time with the Saints and Seahawks. He was considered for the Raiders’ head coaching position in 2012, but the team ultimately went with Dennis Allen.

In addition to Austin and Moss, the Lions also intend to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Giants To Interview Pat Shurmur

January 2nd, 2018 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have requested to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The Vikings have the ability to block the interview, but they are expected to allow him to pursue this vacancy and the many others that he is in line for.

Shurmur is already a hot candidate as the Bears, Cardinals, and Lions have already submitted requests to interview him. Last month, the league’s NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel listed him as one of 12 recommended head coaching candidates. At this point, it seems likely that the Vikings will have to find themselves a new offensive coordinator for 2018.

Shurmer, 52, served as the Browns’ head coach in 2011 and 2012 and finished out with a disappointing 9-23 record. He was also the Eagles’ interim head coach for one game in 2015. His career win/loss record isn’t exactly a selling point, but he also didn’t have a lot to work with in Cleveland. This year, he’s earned another shot by transforming Case Keenum into a quality QB.

Of course, the Giants and other teams looking to hire Shurmur will have to work around the Vikings’ playoff schedule. Minnesota doesn’t start the postseason until January 14th, so he’ll likely have an opportunity to sit down with GM Dave Gettleman & Co. before the divisional round.

Shurmur joins Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia of the Patriots, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and former Broncos assistant head coach Eric Studesville candidates set to interview with the G-Men.

Cardinals To Interview Keith Armstrong

January 2nd, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

We have a new name in the Cardinals’ coaching search. The Cardinals will interview Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong about their vacancy, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter) hears. The interview will take place next week, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

The Falcons interviewed Armstrong for their own head coaching position in 2015, a search that ended with the hiring of Dan Quinn. In the following year, there was speculation that Todd Bowles would try and lure him to the Jets as ST coordinator, but the Falcons were unwilling to allow him to make a lateral move. The Falcons are expected to OK the interview, though it will have to take place after Atlanta’s Wild Card game on Saturday.

Armstrong has more than 20 years of professional head coaching experience and is highly respected in NFL circles, but it’s not often that a special teams coordinator makes the direct jump to HC.

Arizona defensive coordinator James Bettcher will also be interviewed for the position.

Cardinals To Interview DC James Bettcher

January 2nd, 2018 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals will interview defensive coordinator James Bettcher for their head coaching position, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. Bettcher is getting first crack at interviewing for the vacancy and it could take place as soon as tomorrow, Rapoport adds.

The Cardinals’ decision to put Bettcher up at bat first could be an indication that he is a leading candidate to replace Bruce Arians. He might not be the biggest name out there, but he is familiar with the organization after spending the last four seasons in Arizona. He’s spent the last three years as the DC in Arizona and the team has finished no worse than sixth in total defense.

It’s not immediately clear whether offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin will also receive consideration for the job.

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Cardinals To Interview Keith Armstrong

Bill Musgrave To Return As Broncos’ OC

January 2nd, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have a lot of work to do this offseason, but their checklist will not include finding a new offensive coordinator. On Tuesday, Broncos coach Vance Joseph told reporters that Bill Musgrave will become the team’s full-time OC (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). This jibes with a report from Monday indicating that Musgrave and defensive coordinator Joe Woods will return.

Musgrave was elevated to the position during the season after Mike McCoy was fired from the post.The Broncos went 2-4 after Musgrave took over play calling duties, but the hope is that the offense will perform a lot better next year with a different quarterback and other personnel upgrades.

Musgrave was the Raiders’ offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016 before the team declined to offer him a new contract in January. Under Musgrave’s in 2016, the Raiders had the No. 6 ranked offense in the NFL. Last offseason, Musgrave rejected offers from other teams to be an offensive coordinator. His patience may have paid off as he is now the OC for one of the league’s most storied franchises.