2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Bills Hope To Re-Sign LB Preston Brown?

February 13th, 2018 at 7:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have suggested they’d like to re-sign free agent linebacker Preston Brown, as Brown himself details to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

“In the exit meeting [after Buffalo’s playoff loss to Jacksonville], coach made it sound like they wanted me back,” Brown tells Rodak. “He said some things that sounded like that. But you never know what’s going to happen during free agency. I would love to go back to Buffalo. That’s the No. 1 choice for me.”

Brown, 25, has been a full-time starter since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2014. Given the staff turnover in Buffalo, Brown has played under three head coaches, and thus, three defensive schemes: 2014 and 2017 were spent in 4-3 fronts, while Brown was deployed in a 3-4 look during Rex Ryan‘s two years as the Bills’ coach.

Brown is clearly more productive in a 4-3 front, as he’s graded as a league-average linebacker in that scheme while registering barely roster-able play while in a 3-4, per Pro Football Focus. He won’t have to learn a new defense if he stays in Buffalo, as head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will both return.

With free agency scheduled to open next month, Brown is likely searching for a multi-year deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $5-6MM annually. If he does reach free agency, Brown will find an open market that is well-stocked with linebackers, which could potentially limit his suitors. Zach Brown, NaVorro Bowman, Avery Williamson, Preston Brown, Demario Davis, Anthony Hitchens and Derrick Johnson are just a few of the off-ball ‘backers who are scheduled to be available next month.

Bills Interview Ex-Titans OC Terry Robiskie

February 13th, 2018 at 6:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have interviewed former Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie for their now vacant wide receivers position, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Longtime NFL wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson has also met with Buffalo, per Marvez.

Under Robiskie, the 2017 Titans offense ranked 13th in yards, 17th in points, and 18th in DVOA. But the club’s play-calling and handling of mobile quarterback Marcus Mariota was often questioned, as Robiskie & Co. seemingly failed to put the former No. 2 overall pick in the best situations. Tennessee finished just 28th in situation neutral offensive pace, a notably slow speed given Mariota’s collegiate success in Chip Kelly’s quick-game offense.

The 63-year-old Robiskie has been since an NFL coach since 1982, and wide receivers have been his calling card. He’s led wideouts in Washington, Cleveland, Miami, and Atlanta over the past 30 years, and experienced great success with the Falcons, with whom he coached stars such as Roddy White and Julio Jones.

Robinson’s coaching career dates back almost as far as Robiskie’s, but the 65-year-old has been out of the league for the past two seasons. After stops with Atlanta, Indianapolis, New York, New Orleans, and Green Bay, Robinson spent the 2011-15 campaigns with the Cowboys before transitioning into a consultant role.

The Bills are seeking to replace former wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan, who today took the same position with the Chargers. McGeoghan and Buffalo reached a “mutual decision” to let him out of his contract, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

Coaching Rumors: Pats, Chargers, Texans

February 13th, 2018 at 5:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots are currently the only club without a defensive coordinator in place, and New England could follow in the footsteps of the Eagles — who may not hire an OC — and not officially name a new coordinator, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com speculates (via Twitter). Incumbent linebackers coach Brian Flores is viewed as the favorite to succeed Matt Patricia on the Patriots’ staff, but as Breer notes, Bill Belichick has given former assistants time to grow before placing them in coordinator roles. Patricia, for one, called New England’s defensive plays for two seasons before being given the DC title. Additionally, current offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called plays for the Patriots in 2005 despite not having the official coordinator moniker.

Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:

Jerry Schuplinski had been expected to follow McDaniels to Indianapolis, but now that that ship has sailed, Schuplinski will return to the Patriots‘ staff as assistant quarterbacks coach, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Reports earlier this offseason indicated Schuplinski had an “outside chance” to succeed McDaniels as New England’s offensive play-caller, but a path to the Colts had seemed more likely as of last week. Now, Schuplinski — who has been with the Patriots since 2013 — will work with Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, and possibly another signal-caller if New England selects a passer in the upcoming draft.
The Chargers have announced several new hires, including the addition of former Bills wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan in the same role. McGeoghan, who spent only one season in Buffalo, will replace Nick Sirianni, who is now the Colts’ offensive coordinator. He’ll get to work with a receiving corps that includes Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Travis Benjamin. Additionally, Los Angeles has hired Keith Burns (assistant special teams) and Addison Lynch (defensive quality control).
Two AFC South clubs — the Titans and Texans — have finalized their 2018 coaching staffs and announced a few hires that hadn’t been previously reported. Tennessee has retained Luke Steckel (offensive assistant) and hired Matt Edwards (assistant special teams), Scott Booker (defensive assistant), Ryan Crow (defensive assistant) , while Houston had added Will Lawning (offensive assistant/offensive line) and Matt O’Donnell (defensive quality control).
The Cardinals have hired former University of Findlay offensive coordinator Troy Rothenbuhler as an offensive quality control coach, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rothenbuhler had spent his entire coaching career in the collegiate ranks, and spent the past seven years as Findlay’s play-caller.

Cowboys Could Move Byron Jones To Corner

February 13th, 2018 at 5:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys could choose to move defensive back Byron Jones from safety to cornerback this offseason, sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

While a position change (especially one within the secondary) may not seem all that critical, a move to cornerback could prove financially beneficial for Jones over the long-term. Dallas has until May to exercise or decline its 2019 fifth-year option for Jones, and that figure will be decided by what position the former first-round pick plays during the upcoming season.

If the Cowboys were to use the franchise tag on Jones at some point, his position would again come into play. For example, the franchise tag is for cornerbacks in 2018 is expected to be worth $14.877MM, while the same tender for safeties will be valued at roughly $11.081MM. Those numbers, in turn, would be used as the basis for extension negotiations, and Jones would want talks to begin at the highest possible figure.

Of course, Jones’ fit within Dallas’ defense is also a consideration when discussing a possible position change. By the end of the 2017 campaign, the Cowboys were using three rookies — Jourdan Lewis, Chidobe Awuzie, and Xavier Woods — as starters, while the club will also return Anthony Brown and veteran Orlando Scandrick next season. Scandrick, however, could be released or traded, meaning Dallas’ secondary may not be as deep as it appears.

Jones, the 27th overall selection in the 2015 draft, has appeared in all 48 games (43 starts) since entering the NFL. He played cornerback at UConn and during the early portion of his rookie season, but has since settled in at safety. As Archer details, Jones was forced to play near the line of scrimmage in 2017 (as opposed to the center field role he handled earlier in his career), and the role change could have led to his decrease in production.

Chiefs To Keep Justin Houston

February 13th, 2018 at 4:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are parting ways with Derrick Johnson, but they won’t be casting fellow linebacker Justin Houston aside. Houston remains in the team’s plans for 2018, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Houston is slated to carry a cap number of $20.6MM in 2018, including a base salary of $14.75MM. That’s arguably too much money for a player who has seen his production dip in recent seasons, but the Chiefs would be left with $12.7MM if they were to trade or release him. Houston was still a major contributor in 2017, so it would make little sense for KC to eat that kind of money in order to move on.

Last year, Houston started in all 15 of his regular season appearances, plus the Chiefs’ first round playoff loss against the Titans. The 29-year-old amassed a team-high 9.5 sacks plus 59 total tackles and graded out as the 15th best edge defender in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. His 87.6 overall score was down from his best work from 2013-2015, but still nothing to sneeze at.

The Chiefs have been active early this offseason. Already, KC has traded Alex Smith to the Redskins and released Darrelle Revis. The Chiefs are expected to jettison other veterans, but Houston will not be among them.

Jets Notes: McCown, Cousins, Enunwa

February 13th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets will have decisions aplenty this offseason when it comes to which free agents they choose to retain, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. That list starts with quarterback Josh McCown, 39, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent after starting 13 games last season. With quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins on the market, along with the Jets holding the sixth overall pick in the draft, the team may part ways with the veteran.

One of McCown’s favorite targets last season, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, is also set to become an unrestricted free agent. The 25-year-old caught 50 passes and three touchdowns last season. On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Morris Claiborne will hit free agency after signing a one-year deal last offseason and linebacker Demario Davis, who was acquired from the Browns for Calvin Pryor, will hit the market as well. Davis led the Jets with 135 total tackles last year. Wesley Johnson, who started 15 games at center and Chandler Catanzaro, who hit 25 of 30 field goals, will also become unrestricted free agents. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa is set to become a restricted free agent after missing all of last season with a neck injury.

Connor Hughes of NJ Advanced Media explores the possibility of the Jets taking Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson with the sixth overall pick of the upcoming draft, considering the team has three picks within the first two rounds. Hughes notes that the Jets draft plans will hinge on other offseason moves, such as if the team is able to sign Cousins. Nelson (6’5″, 329 pounds) is rated by most draft experts as the top guard available, which Hughes runs through in his story.
Big-time spending hasn’t necessarily resulted in big-time results for the Jets since Mike Maccagnan took over as general manager three seasons ago, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. In those three seasons, the Jets have spent $133MM in guaranteed money toward free agents, the sixth-most in the NFL during that timeframe. But the Jets have gone 20-28 in that span without a postseason appearance. Some of the notable signings that didn’t quite pan out for the Jets included a five-year, $70MM ($39MM guaranteed) to Darrelle Revis and a four-year $32MM ($7MM guaranteed) to Antonio Cromartie in 2015.
The Jets are not planning to part ways with Robby Anderson, but they’re not about to offer him an extension either.

Ryan Posner contributed to this post.

Chiefs To Allow Derrick Johnson To Reach Free Agency

February 13th, 2018 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will allow Derrick Johnson to become a free agent this offseason, the club announced on Tuesday morning. A return is not explicitly ruled out, but it is heavily implied in the press release that the linebacker will not be back with the team in 2018.

“Few players in recent history have meant more to the Chiefs franchise and the Kansas City community than Derrick Johnson,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “His tireless work ethic and passion for the game made him one of the most productive defensive players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform and one of the most respected players both in our locker room and around the league. Over the last 13 seasons, Derrick represented himself and the Chiefs organization with integrity and class, and he will always be a part of our Chiefs family.”

Johnson, 35, is the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, with 1,262 career stops to his credit over 13 seasons with the Chiefs. Since entering the league as a first round pick in 2005, Johnson has appeared in 182 games with 169 starts. He’s also earned four Pro Bowl nods, plus a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2011.

“I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs organization my entire career,” Johnson said. “I’d like to thank the Hunt family, my coaches, teammates and the staff for the tremendous amount of support I received over the years. I love Kansas City and this fan base, they’ve always had my back. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to spend 13 years in a place I love. I plan on playing for several more years because I love this game so much, but I look forward to retiring as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs when my career is over. I’ll miss my Chiefs teammates – we made a lot of big plays together over the years – and I wish them the best in bringing a championship home to the best and loudest fans in the NFL.”

Johnson’s deal was set to void when free agency opened up on March 14 as part of his restructured deal that he agreed to last offseason that dealt him a pay cut. The Chiefs will still owe Johnson $2.25 million in dead money after his contract is officially voided.

Last season, Johnson earned a 77.3 overall score from Pro Football Focus, which placed him as the 33rd best linebacker in the NFL. Johnson is no longer a world-beater, but he can still be a quality piece for a 3-4 team in need of veteran reinforcement. Johnson posted 48 tackles last season, the second-lowest mark for a season in which he’s appeared in at least 10 games.

Reggie Ragland played in 12 games at middle linebacker last season for the Chiefs. Kevin Pierre-Louis, who appeared in 14 games, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Eagles May Not Hire Offensive Coordinator

February 13th, 2018 at 1:09pm CST by Ryan Posner

Even with the departures of offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, the Eagles aren’t immediately looking to bring in a new offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter). Rapoport points to running backs coach Duce Staley and wide receivers coach Mike Groh taking bigger roles within the team’s offense. Head coach Doug Pederson is expected to continue to work as the team’s play-caller.

It didn’t take long for the Eagles’ coaching staff to break apart following their Super Bowl LII win over the Patriots. Reich was named the Colts’ head coach Sunday after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels backed out from the position and DeFilippo joined Mike Zimmer‘s staff with the Vikings as an offensive coordinator. Reich and DeFilippo helped orchestrate the Eagles’ playoff run with backup Nick Foles under center, including 538 total yards of offense in the Super Bowl victory. It remains to be seen whether Carson Wentz will be able to resume his role as the team’s starting quarterback to open the regular season after tearing his ACL in Week 14.

Reich served two seasons as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator and DeFilippo served two years as the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Staley has spent the last five seasons as the Eagles’ running backs coach and worked the previous two years as a special teams quality control assistant. With a backfield committee that featured LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement, along with Wendell Smallwood at times, the Eagles ranked third in the NFL at 132.2 yards per game on the ground last season. The team was also without Darren Sproles for most of the year, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 3.

Last year marked Groh’s first season with the Eagles following stints as a wide receivers coach for the Bears (2013-15) and Rams (2016). His father, Al, was the head coach of the Jets in 2000. Rapoport also notes that with the Eagles’ reported decision to hold off on hiring an offensive coordinator, all the offensive and defensive coordinator positions around the league look to be filled.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor Plans To Play

February 13th, 2018 at 1:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Kam Chancellor has hinted that he might retire on social media, but that’s apparently not in the cards just yet. The Seahawks safety plans to play in 2018 if he gains medical clearance, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Chancellor’s $6.8MM salary became fully guaranteed last week, so the Seahawks are intent on moving forward with him. It’s still not a slam dunk that Chancellor will get the green light from doctors, however. The veteran missed nearly half of 2017’s games with a neck injury and that comes with a greater risk than, say, a twisted ankle.

Back in January, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll hinted that Chancellor and defensive end Cliff Avril could be forced to hang ’em up. Despite his assessment, both players are still intent on playing. In January, Avril announced his intentions to continue, but it’s quite possible that the Seahawks will release him anyway in order to save $7.5MM against the cap.

Chancellor’s nine appearances last season marked a career low since the Seahawks took him in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech. Between 2011-14, the four-time Pro Bowler started at least 14 games and recorded at least 65 tackles within Seattle’s “Legion of Boom.” He’s missed 16 games over the last three seasons.

Seattle’s vaunted secondary may be disbanded before too long as Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are both due to become unrestricted free agents next offseason. Chancellor isn’t set to become a free agent until after the 2020 season. Cornerback Byron Maxwell and safety Bradley McDougald will hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Seahawks allowed 209.2 yards per game through the air last season, which ranked sixth-best in the NFL.

Giants Hire Mike Shula As Offensive Coordinator

February 13th, 2018 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have hired Mike Shula as offensive coordinator, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (on Twitter). An official announcement is expected later today.

Shula spent seven seasons with the Panthers before he was fired in January. His longstanding relationship with former Panthers GM and current Giants GM Dave Gettleman helped him land a new OC gig in New York.

Last year, Carolina placed 19th in total offense (323.7), 17th in offensive DVOA, fourth in rushing offense (131.4), 28th in passing (192.3), and 12th in points (22.7). Ultimately, it wasn’t good enough as the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants believe that Shula can deliver better results for them in 2018.

Along with his role as offensive coordinator, Shula is expected to assume the role as the Giants’ quarterbacks coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Shula, 52, the son of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, previously worked as the quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars and four seasons as the head coach at Alabama before landing his job with the Panthers. He’s also previously worked as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers (1996-1999).

The Giants ranked 21st in the NFL in total yards per game (314.2) under last season’s offensive coordinator, Mike Sullivan, who was given the chance to pursue other opportunities after the hiring of Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur and is now serving as the Broncos quarterbacks coach.

Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham. was limited to just four games last season and Eli Manning was benched for a contest in favor of Geno Smith. Mike Shula will also be tasked with helping the Giants jumpstart their ground game as they ranked 26th in the league at 96.9 yards rushing per game.

Shurmur now has the offensive and defensive coordinators for his new staff, with the Giants agreeing to terms with former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher in late January. The team was also looking to potentially hire Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski as offensive coordinator but were denied a request to interview him.

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