2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles To Interview Duce Staley, Mike Groh For OC

February 19th, 2018 at 10:47am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles will interview running backs coach Duce Staley and wide receivers coach Mike Groh for their offensive coordinator vacancy today, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who adds there are no “immediate plans” to meet with any other candidates.

Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson is seeking to replace Frank Reich, who was named head coach of the Colts last week. Also missing from the Eagles’ 2018 staff is former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, who recently became the Vikings’ new offensive coordinator. Pederson calls the offensive plays for the Eagles, but he’s presumably interested in keeping some level of continuity for an offense that ranked eighth in DVOA a season ago.

Staley, who spent seven years of his playing career with the Eagles, has led the club’s running backs room since 2013. He’d also been mentioned as a strong candidate to join Pat Shurmur as the Giants’ new offensive coordiantor, but Philadelphia reportedly had no interest in letting Staley leave for a division rival.

Groh, meanwhile, has much spent much of his career in the collegiate ranks, but worked with the Bears and Rams from 2013-16 before joining the Eagles in advance of the 2017 campaign. The son of former NFL head coach Al Groh, Mike Groh helped former first-round pick Nelson Agholor break out last season.

Reports have indicated the Eagles may go without a formal offensive coordinator in 2018, and Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets Philadelphia could conceivably promote Staley to run game coordinator and Groh to pass game coordinator, allowing the two coaches to tag-team the OC role while Pederson calls plays on game day.

Jets Preparing For Kirk Cousins Pursuit

February 19th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will search for their franchise quarterback this offseason, and New York is “willing to pay whatever it takes” to land free agent signal-caller Kirk Cousins, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

Gang Green is just the latest team to reportedly express interest in Cousins, as the Broncos are “all in” on the 29-year-old passer. Quarterbacks of Cousins’ ilk rarely hit the free agent market, and given the number of teams searching for signal-callers (the Browns, Cardinals, and Vikings could all make plays for Cousins), the ex-Redskin figures to reset the quarterback market by topping Jimmy Garoppolo‘s $27.5MM annual salary.

The Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan have the financial wherewithal to make a serious push for Cousins, as the club is currently projected to have more than $70MM available in 2018 cap space. As such, New York should be able to offer Cousins a hefty 2018 payout that other teams may not be able to match. Per Cimini, the Jets will also attempt to sell Cousins on their “championship vision” and stress scheme familiarity, as new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates enjoys a relationship with Cousins.

If the Jets aren’t able to land Cousins, they’ll have to explore other options including veteran Josh McCown, who is open to returning to New York for the 2018 campaign. If the Jets do re-sign McCown, they’ll likely need to select another quarterback early in the draft, per Cimini.

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2018 Top 3 Offseason Needs Series

February 19th, 2018 at 9:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

Over the last few weeks, Pro Football Rumors has been taking a closer look at the 2018 offseason on a team-by-team basis. Our Top 3 Offseason Needs series focuses on each club’s most glaring roster issues, free agents, potential cap casualties, positions of possible focus, and other issues facing teams this winter.

Just in case you missed our preview for your favorite team, we’re rounding up all of our Offseason Needs pieces in this post. We have several more teams to examine before free agency officially gets underway on March 14, so if your team isn’t linked below, be sure to keep a close eye on PFR — it’ll be coming soon.

Here are the links to our 2018 Top 3 Offseason Needs pieces to date:

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets

AFC North:

AFC South:

AFC West:

NFC East:

NFC North:

NFC South:

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks

Extra Points: Pack, Panthers, Broncos, 49ers

February 18th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

As teams prepare their free agency budgets, several marquee players will be notified soon they will be cap casualties. Brian Cushing was one of the first to find out in 2018. But Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com expects some key members of NFC teams to be jettisoned soon. The Packers are likely to keep one of the Jordy Nelson/Randall Cobb tandem, but Rosenthal does not expect both to return. Not after Davante Adams signed for $14MM AAV. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noted this week Cobb is more likely to be shown the door than Nelson, who has been Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite target for years. A Cobb cut would save the Packers $9.5MM in dead money. Nelson would create $10.2MM in space if released. The duo count as the Nos. 2-3 players on Green Bay’s 2018 cap sheet.

The Panthers have used either DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart, or a combination of both, as their top ground producer since the 2007 season. But Rosenthal expects Stewart to be cut along with Charles Johnson. A Stewart cut would create $3.7MM in cap space while tagging Carolina with $1.5MM in dead money. He will turn 31 next month. This would create a void at running back, with Christian McCaffrey more of a pass-catching hybrid type, but Stewart’s yards-per-carry average dropped to a career-low 3.4 last season. Although, his 15 games of work were his most since the 2011 slate.

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Though the Broncos have Matt Paradis and Shaquil Barrett as impending RFAs, they don’t have many high-profile UFAs. Todd Davis profiles as a player who will generate interest on the open market after garnering some as an RFA last year, and Mike Klis of 9News notes the Broncos would like to have their two-year inside linebacker starter back. But the player that might be more likely to return and complement Brandon Marshall in 2018 is Corey Nelson. A four-year backup who started six games in 2016, Nelson is the free agent the Broncos would most like to bring back, Klis writes, adding the former seventh-round pick may receive some heavy Broncos interest during the legal tampering period that begins March 12.
Virgil Green and Cody Latimer saw their Denver deals expire, and Green would like to stay on a third contract. A member of every John Elway-era Broncos team, the eighth-year player has functioned as a blocking tight end for most of his Broncos tenure. Green signed a three-year, $12MM deal to stay in Denver in 2015 when many of his 2011 draft class mates departed, but with a Kirk Cousins push coming, the Broncos may not have much money to spend to retain him. Latimer did not develop into what the Broncos hoped as a second-round pick but became a dependable special teams player. Klis writes the Broncos will consider re-signing him if his market doesn’t develop.
Oklahoma State wide receiver Marcell Ateman has impressed the 49ers, among other teams, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reports. Ateman has been working with former 200- and 400-meter world-record holder Michael Johnson in developing for the draft and is viewed as a Day 2 prospect, but Pauline writes his stock figures to rise based on the speed and vertical numbers he’s been posting. Ateman broke out for 59 receptions, 1,156 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior.

Kirk Cousins Will Follow Through With Grievance If Tagged

February 18th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The grievance rumored to be filed if the Redskins use the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins for a third straight season will commence, Kimberley Martin of the Washington Post reports.

Cousins’ camp will file a grievance through the NFLPA if the Redskins tag him again, per Martin. This finalized stance comes two days ahead of the first day teams can designate franchise players. Beginning Tuesday, teams have two weeks to use their tags on players they intend to try to sign by the July 16 deadline.

The Redskins did this with Cousins the past two seasons, and he collected more than $44MM as a result of those one-year setups following contentious negotiations, but they do not plan to have him as their quarterback this season. That will be a problem for the team’s case.

Washington having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having an extension lined up, would violate a section of the CBA that indicates teams must only tag players if they have a good-faith intention to employ them at or around that salary for the following season. The Redskins’ Smith extension will ensure they have no plans of paying Cousins $34.47MM in 2018, and this purpose would purely be for compensation. Martin notes several executives around the league view this as a spiteful move on Washington’s part.

The 29-year-old passer figures to have a host of suitors should he reach free agency, and this grievance going his way would finalize his path to unrestricted free agency and ignite a frenzied stretch for teams planning for this rare quick-fix quarterback solution.

Texans Plan To Release Brian Cushing

February 18th, 2018 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Cushing will not make it to a 10th season with the Texans. The former first-round pick will be a free agent soon.

The Texans plan to release Cushing before the start of free agency, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports (on Twitter). The former defensive rookie of the year played in only five games last season and has encountered trouble with performance-enhancing drugs.

Cushing started all 104 regular-season games he played with Houston but will turn 31 this offseason and will save the franchise $7.64MM in cap space. Two years remain on Cushing’s contract.

This release would give the Texans more than $64MM in cap room as they prepare for an offseason that will feature upgrade attempts along their offensive line and in the secondary, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle notes.

McClain reports Cushing texted him this is “part of the business” (Twitter link). The veteran linebacker will join the list of non-rush ‘backers available as free agents. Once the Texans release Cushing, he’ll be free to sign with any team immediately as a street free agent.

Cushing played an integral role for the Texans for nearly a decade. He’s the franchise’s all-time leading tackler with 664 stops. But the team drafted Zach Cunningham in last year’s second round and added productive rookie UDFA Dylan Cole last year as well, marginalizing the longtime defender.

The former USC talent has experienced frequent injury problems as well, tabbing his career surgery count at more than 20. He served a 10-game ban for a positive PED test last season and was popped for four games back in 2010. Knee injuries sidelined Cushing for extensive portions of the 2012 and ’13 campaigns, but he rebounded to be a full-time player in both of Houston’s subsequent AFC South championship slates in 2015 and ’16.

5 Key NFL Stories: 2/11/18 – 2/18/18

February 18th, 2018 at 4:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colts find a head coach. Less than a week after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels rejected their head coaching offer, the Colts decided on Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich to lead their club. Indianapolis will keep defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus — who inked a contract when McDaniels was the presumptive hire — and hire ex-Chargers wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni as offensive coordinator. Before the Colts’ second head coaching search concluded with Reich’s hiring, general manager Chris Ballard also interviewed Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell.

A.J. McCarron will hit the open market. An independent arbitrator ruled last week that McCarron’s contract will not toll, meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent rather than a restricted free agent. The Bengals stashed McCarron on the non-football injury list for most of his rookie campaign, but the arbitrator decided Cincinnati won’t get to use that roster trick to keep its backup quarterback for an extra year. The Browns, Vikings, Jets, Broncos, and Cardinals are among the teams that could express interest in McCarron now that he’s available.

Larry Fitzgerald to play in 2018. After agreeing to a one-year contract extension in November, the 34-year-old Fitzgerald will return for at least more season with the Cardinals. Fitzgerald had maintained that he’d only play for Arizona, and he’ll now be suiting up with a new head coach (Steve Wilks) and a new quarterback (to be determined). As the NFL’s oldest wideout in 2017, Fitzgerald posted a career-high in receptions (109) while managing 1,156 yards and six touchdowns. With a healthy 2018, he’ll move ahead of Terrell Owens for second all-time in receiving yardage.

Raiders part ways with Sea Bass. After 18 years, Sebastian Janikowski will no longer kick for Oakland in 2018, as the Raiders announced last week that the soon-to-be 40-year-old will not be re-signed. Janikowski still plans to continue his career, however, and will join Adam Vinatieri and Matt Bryant as aged kickers on the open market. Because Janikowski spent last season on injured reserve, the Raiders turned to Giorgio Tavecchio, who converted 76.2% of his field goal attempts.

Chiefs land a free agent cornerback. David Amerson will stay in the AFC West —after being released by the Raiders, Amerson agreed to one-year, $2.25MM deal with the division rival Chiefs. Although Amerson is still only 26 years old, he’ll now join the third team of his career. The former second-round pick is the second ex-Redskin defensive back to land in Kansas City this offseason, as the Chiefs also acquired Kendall Fuller in the Alex Smith trade.

NFL Will Increase Access To Tracking Data

February 18th, 2018 at 3:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL teams will begin receiving in-game tracking data on every player in the league beginning this spring, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Club have been seeing data on their own players since 2014, but access to other teams’ players had not yet been available. However, the NFL’s Compensation Committee recently agreed to a proposal allowing every team to collect data on every player, per Pelissero. Clubs will be sent information from the 2016-17 campaigns in mid-April, and will subsequently receive data on a weekly basis during the 2018 season.

Zebra Technologies collects tracking information through sensors placed in players’ shoulder pads, per Pelissero, who says one NFL analyst believes the data could have “massive scouting potential.” “More new metrics,” said the analyst. “Understanding if certain fields are slower or faster. Fatigue and injury prevention. Seeing which players are really explosive but maybe don’t make plays because the scheme is bad.”

As Pelissero notes, some clubs have placed an increased importance on studying tracking data and hiring analysts to further delve into the information. Those teams will presumably have a leg up when the data is released on a league-wide scale, while clubs that haven’t invested in analytics have registered concern over the program. In 2016, for example, Kevin Clark of the Ringer discussed the activities of Zebra Technologies, and Panthers head coach Ron Rivera didn’t sound amenable to increasing data being made available.

“I want to get beat on the field. I don’t want to get beat because someone used a tool or technology — that is not coaching at that point,” Rivera said. “I work all week, I’m preparing and kicking your ass. All of the sudden you see a piece of live video and you figure out, ‘Oh crap, that’s what he’s doing.’ And how fair is that?”

PFR Originals: 2/11/18 – 2/18/18

February 18th, 2018 at 2:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

As the offseason progresses, PFR will assess each team by examining the top three needs on each respective NFL roster. We covered five organizations last week:
Kirk Cousins won’t be back in Washington after the Redskins acquired fellow quarterback Alex Smith, so Sam Robinson asked PFR readers where the top free agent quarterback will end up in 2018. A number of clubs — including the Vikings, Browns, and Cardinals — could theoretically express interest, but the Broncos have thus far garnered the majority of the vote.

Lawrence Guy, Stefen Wisniewski Get 2018 Bonuses

February 18th, 2018 at 1:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Patriots defensive tackle Lawrence Guy and Eagles offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski each missed out on playing time incentive bonuses during the 2017 campaign, but their respective clubs have now given them new bonuses for the 2018 season to account for the lost pay.

Guy was scheduled to earn a $500K bonus if he played in 55% of New England’s defensive snaps a year ago, but he only saw action on 54.8% of the team’s plays. As such, the Patriots have reworked Guy’s contract by giving him a $500K signing bonus for 2018, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

The Patriots have restructured contracts in such a manner before, as they made offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer‘s deal in 2014 to make his incentives easier to attain, and gave tight end Rob Gronkowski more opportunities to earn extra cash in 2017. Guy, 27, inked a three-year pact with New England last spring, and subsequently posted 34 tackles and one sack during his debut Patriots season.

Wisniewski, meanwhile, failed to earn an $250K bonus after playing only 61.5% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps last season. Philadelphia, therefore, gave Wisniewski a $250K signing bonus this week, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 28-year-old Wisniewski started 11 games during his second season with the Eagles, grading as the league’s No. 26 among 77 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.