2018 February - Pro Football Rumors

Yankees Acquire Russell Wilson’s MLB Rights

February 7th, 2018 at 1:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Is Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson poised to go from the pages of Pro Football Rumors to MLB Trade Rumors? Maybe not, but this is perhaps a story to keep an eye on. On Wednesday, the Rangers announced that they have traded Wilson to the Yankees for future considerations.

Wilson has no current plans to try and become a two-sport athlete, sources tell Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, but he remains passionate about baseball and wants to be around the game. The 29-year-old (30 in November) is not about to leave the Seahawks and walk away from what he does best, but Rangers GM Jon Daniels has indicated in the past that Wilson could have a future in baseball if he ever decided to make the leap.

“Russell has the competitiveness and work ethic to where he’d have a shot if he committed to baseball,” Daniels said in a 2015 interview. “Obviously, he’s got a pretty good thing going on with the Seahawks, and we’re not going to get in the way of that. Playing quarterback is more intensive than the positions of other guys who have attempted to play both sports.”

The four-time Pro Bowler is under contract with the Seahawks through 2019 per the terms of the four-year, $87.6MM extension he signed back in 2015.

West Notes: Broncos, Cousins, Lynch

February 7th, 2018 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

During Super Bowl week, Mike Klis of 9News asked former and current NFL players about what the Broncos should do at quarterback this offseason. One of those current players was Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller, who gave a very interesting response.

“I like all the guys out there,” Miller said when asked whether the Broncos should sign Kirk Cousins for ~$30MM/year, Case Keenum for $18MM/year, or draft a QB at No. 5 overall. “But if we could get Kirk that’d be great. If we get solid play (from the QB position) that’d be great. And we got to get better on defense as well. But, since you asked me the question, I would like to have Kirk. I would rather have Kirk.’’

While you mull over the Broncos’ QB options, here’s more from the AFC and NFC West:

Now that the Raiders have released cornerback David Amerson, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area looked at which players could be next to go. The list starts with wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is slated to carry a $7.7MM cap number. While Crabtree has come up big at times during his three-year Oakland tenure, his age (31 in September) and inconsistent work ethic are definite strikes against him. Running back Marshawn Lynch ($6MM cap number), safety Sean Smith ($8.5MM), and WR Seth Roberts ($4.45MM, $2MM in dead money) could also be released in order to create cap room, though in the case of Lynch, he may retire before Jon Gruden & Co. can bring the ax down. Expensive veterans like Bruce Irvin ($8.25MM), Kelechi Osemele ($10.5MM), Rodney Hudson ($8.4MM), Jared Cook ($5.3MM) and Cordarrelle Patterson ($3.25MM) figure to stay, in Bair’s estimation.
The Rams have decisions of their own to make, as ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez details. Tavon Austin may seem like a prime candidate to get cut, but his contract could trigger L.A. to hold off on dumping the wide receiver. The Rams can save $3MM in 2018 by parting with Austin, but that also means $5MM in dead money. If the Rams wait until after the 2018 season to cut Austin, they can escape his bloated contract without any financial penalty. Inside linebacker Mark Barron could also be in danger of getting cut. The Rams would save $7MM in 2018 by releasing the former No. 7 overall pick with just $3MM in dead money remaining. Barron is owed a $2MM roster bonus by March 16, so the Rams will be thinking long and hard about this one over the next five weeks.
Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub could be a consideration for the Colts now that Josh McDaniels has bailed on them.

Latest On Colts, Josh McDaniels

February 7th, 2018 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, GM Chris Ballard faced the media in the wake of Josh McDaniels‘ shocking decision to back out on becoming the team’s next head coach. Here’s a look at the highlights plus other news on McDaniels’ flip-flop:

McDaniels’ agent, Bob LaMonte, told him that he’s making perhaps the biggest professional mistake of his career by backing out of this Colts job at this point, according to sources who spoke with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). On Wednesday afternoon, LaMonte terminated his relationship with McDaniels, a source tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). LaMonte is forfeiting a potentially large commission down the road should McDaniels become a head coach again, but he is also protecting future business by distancing himself from the Patriots OC.
Colts were going to pay McDaniels “fabulously,” a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter), so money was not the issue in Indianapolis. Pelissero hears that the coach also wasn’t warded off by Andrew Luck’s injured shoulder, owner Jim Irsay, or Ballard. At the end of the day, the Patriots just convinced him to stay. There’s no new contract in place for McDaniels yet, but Pelissero expects that to happen soon.
Ballard says two doctors who looked at Luck after the season have determined that he does not need surgery (Twitter link via Pelissero). Luck’s arm strength is good, the GM says, but he is now working on motion and arm speed. He has yet to pick up a football, but the team will not rush him or skip any steps.
The GM confirmed that none of the coaches from the initial wave of interviews will be in the mix, meaning that Kris Richard and Matt Rhule will not be considered (Twitter link via Pelissero).
There were other candidates the Colts wanted to interview, Ballard said, but the playoffs got in the way (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of ESPN.com). The Colts are expected to request an interview with Eagles OC Frank Reich and he fits the bill as a coach who was tied up during the playoffs. Of course, the same could be said of McDaniels and that did not stop Indy from interviewing him.
The Colts will honor the contract of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and others who have already signed their deals. That’s not an issue for Ballard who explained that he knew Eberflus well through Rod Marinelli. The former Dallas assistant was already a guy he wanted to run his defense.
The Colts got an uneasy feeling a week ago that something could be stalling with McDaniels, despite moving forward with his contract (Twitter link via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports).
McDaniels arrived at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday with the intention of cleaning out his office, but Bill Belichick‘s willingness to take his mentorship to a higher level played a big part in McDaniels reversing course, sources tell ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. Belichick told McDaniels that he would spend more time with him on the inner workings of the team, including roster construction and salary-cap management, which was viewed as “extremely valuable” to McDaniels. That could be part of a succession plan for Belichick in the future, but no assurances have been made to McDaniels.

Colts Eyeing Frank Reich, Dan Campbell

February 7th, 2018 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts’ head coaching search is on. Again. This time, the Colts are expected to start by requesting permission to speak with Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich and Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Reich was a hot name at the beginning of this year’s coaching cycle which makes sense considering how effective the Eagles’ offense was in 2017. However, over time, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo wound up garnering more attention from teams with HC vacancies for his role in Carson Wentz‘s development. His candidacy may also have been hurt by the fact that Doug Pederson is the play caller in Philadelphia.

Last season, the Philly offense ranked third in scoring, seventh in yards, and eighth in DVOA. The 56-year-old has worked as an NFL coach since 2008 and is perhaps best known for leading the Bills offense back from a 32-point deficit in a 1993 playoff game, After spending time with the Colts and Cardinals, Reich was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15 before joining the Eagles the following year.

The 41-year-old Campbell has served only as a tight ends coach or an interim head coach in his seven-year tenure as a full-time NFL assistant. Still, he was one of 12 head coaching candidates recommended by the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel late last year and he was a candidate for the Vikings’ OC opening. The Dolphins also interviewed him in early 2016 for their HC job before settling on Adam Gase.

Other names linked to the job include Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub.

Greg Schiano To Stay At Ohio State

February 7th, 2018 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots no longer need a new offensive coordinator, but there is still the matter of filling the defensive coordinator role. That position won’t be taken by Greg Schiano, who will remain as Ohio State’s DC, according to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link) has confirmed the news.

There was some speculation that Schiano could have been a candidate for the DC job or perhaps a different role on the staff. Now that the former Rutgers head coach has been ruled out, linebackers coach Brian Flores stands as the clear favorite to succeed Matt Patricia.

Schiano was said to be generating “a lot of interest” for NFL DC positions this offseason and he figures to be in line for similar opportunities next year. Although he did not find success in his two seasons as the Buccaneers’ head coach, Schiano remains highly respected in coaching circles. Fans at large are not as crazy about him, however, as evidenced by the grass roots movement to keep him from becoming the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Colts To Keep Matt Eberflus

February 7th, 2018 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

Josh McDaniels bailed on the Colts, but the Colts are not bailing on his would-be assistants. At least, not the ones that have already signed contracts. On Wednesday morning, GM Chris Ballard confirmed that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and other coaches who inked deals with the team will be staying on board.

In addition to Eberflus, Dave DeGuglielmo (offensive line) and Mike Phair (defensive line) have also inked deals, so they’ll still have a place on the staff. That still leaves some key openings, like offensive coordinator, so the Colts’ next coach can at least choose some of his own assistants.

Prior to the McDaniels debacle, it was reported that the team was pushing for Darrell Bevell to be the new offensive coordinator while McDaniels was pushing for Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz. The Colts may still try to bring Bevell into the mix, but they may also leave it up to the next coach given that he’ll be made to work with McDaniels’ hires.

Lions Hire Paul Pasqualoni As Defensive Coordinator

February 7th, 2018 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have named Paul Pasqualoni as their new defensive coordinator. The team announced the hire in a press release on Wednesday morning.

Recently, it was reported that Pasqualoni was in line for a prominent job on the Lions’ staff, but no one knew what his position would be. As it turns out, he’ll be the DC under new head coach Matt Patricia. Of course, given Patricia’s background as the Patriots’ DC, Pasqualoni is unlikely to be the one calling plays.

Pasqualoni, 68, has moved between the NFL and NCAA during his coaching career. In the NFL, he served as defensive coordinator of the Dolphins and Cowboys and he was the head coach at Syracuse for more than a decade. In fact, Patricia coached under Pasqualoni at Syracuse during the early 2000s. Most recently, Pasqualoni spent the last two seasons serving as the defensive line coach at Boston College.

The Lions’ DC job became available when Teryl Austin left to join up with the Bengals earlier this winter.

Coaching Rumors: Lions, Titans, Tice, Cards

February 6th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Lions hire Paul Pasqualoni is expected to take on a “prominent role” on the club’s coaching staff, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Previous reports have indicated that Pasqualoni, who had been working as Boston College’s defensive line coach, could take over as Detroit’s defensive coordinator under Patricia (who figures to call his own defensive plays). The Lions are in need of a new DC after Teryl Austin, the team’s defensive play-caller for the past four seasons, took the same job with Cincinnati. However, Pasqualoni could instead receive an assistant head coach title, per Yates.

Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:

Like Patricia, new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel continues to fill out his staff, as Tennessee announced today that it has hired Keith Carter to coach the club’s offensive line and Tony Dews to lead the team’s running backs. Carter, who spent the past three seasons with Atlanta, will now be in charge of a Titans front five that ranked among the league’s best in 2016 but took a significant step backwards a year ago. Dews, meanwhile, has never coached in the pro ranks, but does offer 20 years of collegiate experience, including stops at Arizona, Pitt, Michigan, and — most recently — West Virginia. Tennessee has also retained assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.
Mike Tice sounds like’s ready to call it a career. The former Vikings head coach recently told Dan Barrerio of KFAN (Twitter link) that he’s considering retirement because players “no longer want to be coached.” Whether that’s a serious threat or instead indicative of Tice’s inability to connect with today’s millennial players is unclear, but the 59-year-old Tice would be giving up a coaching career that began in 1996. Tice served as Minnesota’s head coach from 2002-05, and had spent the past three seasons as Oakland’s offensive line coach.
The Cardinals have hired former Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael as their new tight ends coach, as Marvez reports. The Cowboys also had interest in adding Michael to fill their vacant tight ends coach job, but Michael instead chose to head to the desert. Michael was previously Tennessee’s offensive coordinator from 2014-15, but was demoted when Mike Mularkey took over the Titans’ full-time head coach in 2016.
The Panthers had become something of a family business after hiring Norv and Scott Turner earlier this year, as the club subsequently boasted four Turners on its staff. However, Norv and Scott are the only members of the family staying on board in Carolina for the 2018 campaign, however, according to Bill Voth of Panthers.com (Twitter link). Assistant quarterbacks coach Cameron Turner is joining the University of Arizona staff, while offensive consultant Ron Turner won’t be with the club (though it’s presently unclear why).
The Steelers announced that they’ve hired Blaine Stewart as an offensive assistant. Stewart is the son of former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, who gave Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin his first coaching assignment at VMI in 1995.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/6/18

February 6th, 2018 at 9:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Signed: WR DeVier Posey

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: DE Kapron Lewis-Moore

New England Patriots

Signed: OL James Ferentz, WR Cody Hollister, DB David Jones, OL Jason King, CB Ryan Lewis, WR Riley McCarron, DB Damarius Travis, TE Will Tye, CB Jomal Wiltz

New Orleans Saints

LB Jayrone Elliott, WR Josh Huff

Tennessee Titans

CB Demontre Hurst

Patriots Have Not Promised HC Job To Josh McDaniels

February 6th, 2018 at 8:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Josh McDaniels made the decision to walk away from the Colts’ head coaching job offer without receiving a promise that he will succeed Bill Belichick as the Patriots’ next head coach, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

McDaniels reportedly did not bail on Indianapolis because of money, but instead had concerns about moving his family away from the New England area. While McDaniels received “clarity” as to Belichick’s future in recent days, that apparently doesn’t mean he’s been told he’ll become the Pats head coach whenever Belichick retires. Indeed, if McDaniels had been informed Belichick was nearing retirement, he’d have been more inclined to take a head coaching job.

McDaniels may have had worries about the condition of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reported Sunday that some doctors believe Luck may require another surgery), but Florio indicates McDaniels’ chief concerns involved working with Colts owner Jim Irsay. Whether the next round of Indianapolis candidates will have that same uneasiness is unclear, but the Colts plan to restart their head coaching search this week.